Month: March 2025

I had forgotten what it means to be on the cusp of a GTA release. I admit, my memory isn’t at all what it used to be, but you might also forget that the last time we were here was 2013.

I’d forgotten not about the build up to release as far as hype is concerned, but what it means for other games. Absolutely no one wants to go up against something like a new GTA release. Expansion for it, maybe, but an actual new installment in the franchise – nope.

We touch on this a bit at the end of the show, but the amount of pressure on some studios is probably tremendous. The indie folks too, but if anyone can compete with a GTA release, it’ll be the indies. Maybe back in 2013 I could have said something different here but in today’s world when you spend THAT much time and THAT much money on a big game release from a big publisher, going up against GTA will ruin you. Doesn’t matter the money, the marketing, the word of mouth, you will sink.

It also doesn’t matter that this is a GTA without the main man behind most of the games from Rockstar. We don’t know how that will work out, but GTA 6 essentially has a free pass. It is going to sell SO many copies and SO many consoles. In this era where every triple A title release absolutely NEEDS to sell well to keep a lot of studios and publishers in business, the timing on their release against whenever GTA hits is make or break in some cases and real close to it in others.

Speaking of needing a win, Ubisoft, it has been 4,233 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 1,493 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

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“Listen to the thunder…”

This is probably one of the more unusual episodes we’ve done. And we’ve done a lot of unusual episodes before, but this one dealt with some pretty severe weather coming into our area and, as such, we had to cover it.

Not something we mind at all, by the way. We are, first and foremost, a service to provide the public with information. And weather information is extremely important. More so in this area and with what we were dealing with. Luckily, for us, we got through it without much fanfare. Something we sadly can’t say for areas around us here in the south.

This is an episode that dips into gaming while also navigating an upcoming storm system approaching our area and listening audience.

I was debating not even doing a show, but I knew I’d be at the station anyway so…might as well.

As for gaming, it’s been a rough last few hours or so with everything so I will say I put in more time with Avowed (after the storms) and I am still loving every minute of this game. More so as it begins to open up more and more with story and quests and people you meet along the way. This one is going to take a long time, and I’m okay with that. It’ll be my dip in from time to time to advance along as I play other…not as chunky…titles.

For now, enjoy the show, be thankful for what you have given currently what some people don’t and just take care of yourself and those around you.

Ubisoft, it has been 4,226 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 1,383 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

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“I hope that somethin’ better comes along…”

By now you should know that when I like a game, it’s probably on the simplistic side of things. We always referred to Destiny as a “my first mmo” kind of thing. And so it seems with Avowed.

It’s beginning to click for me but the more I pay attention to WHY it’s clicking, I find it’s because I’m not bothered with other aspects of games like it. I won’t say they’ve streamlined the process but they’ve broken it down a bit to be more digestible to newcomers and the like. And that isn’t to say they’ve done a disservice to the game or the players who REALLY sink their teeth into these types of games, but they’ve more so made it more accessible to people like me.

It isn’t punishingly difficult (I’m playing on normal, however) and, to carry that theme of punishment along here, they don’t penalize you over micro management. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve played but I have a feeling I know NOTHING of the sense of scale of this game. I’m a good many hours in but I’m barely into the first area of the game. At least it feels that way. I’ve felt like I’ve walked a good distance in the game and I’m filling out the map quite well, yet – it still feels “tutorial-ish”. Like I haven’t yet really cracked open this game to see what’s inside. And so far, I’m drawn into doing that. To keep going and see how this opens up – does it open up at all – what’s next – just how big is this game?

All of that is to say that I’m on this train at the moment and I’m good with it until the next stop – that being whatever comes next that pulls my attention away. Assassin’s Creed in two weeks is a possibility.

The game that won’t pull me away is Splinter Cell. Ubisoft, it has been 4,219 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 1,383 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

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“The next best thing to the enjoyment of a good time is the recollection of it.”

We’re two months in for the year and currently sitting around 1200 job losses in the gaming industry. A number that will only go higher, of course, as the year goes on.

This week, among other studios, we lost Monolith. I’ve got a lot of fond memories of Monolith games. There’s more to the list to add here that I didn’t even cover in the show. And maybe, hopefully, I’ll remember them for the next episode cause there’s a few I’d still like to discuss.

Around 2001 or 2002, I built my first PC. I did so with the single goal of playing Max Payne with mods. But, you know, that got the ball rolling. Back then, we didn’t have games at the click of our fingertips. You still needed to venture out to buy a box that had a disc that would go into a drive and install on your PC. What that means is that, for the most part, that’s all I played.

Until another game would release, and again, let me remind you of the year – we had gaps in games releasing that had any weight to them as being something to go out and pick up, at least on PC. And one of the few purchases made during this time was Tron 2.0 – a Monolith game.

What an amazing game that was so early on in my PC gaming life. It’s been forever since I’ve gone back to look at it on a video or whatever so I have no idea how it holds up but back then it was fantastic.

We’re going to miss a lot from this company and those people. Monolith didn’t just make a new game, that made an innovation to go along with it. From the enemies they scanned for their first game, Blood, back in 97, to the enemy AI used in FEAR, to the most recent and most innovative NEMESIS system used in Shadow Of Mordor/War – a system they were planning to implement in their Wonder Woman game, now cancelled.

I hope in time we hear of people from the studio getting jobs elsewhere or forming their own studio, if possible. I think there’s a lot more to be offered here from them and I hope, somehow, we’ll be able to see that come to fruition. For now, however, it’s just goodbye.

It’s hard to go from that back into my schtick for poking fun at Ubisoft. I still want my Splinter Cell game and I’ll still tell you it has been 4,212 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released. But maybe now I’ll start also reminding you that there’s been 1200 job losses since January 1, 2025.

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