Jimquisition

Oh, you’ll never guess what madcap nonsense we got up to this time! Games we played this week include: All Will Rise (3:50) Crypt Custodian (13:55) Gori: Cuddly Carnage (19:30) Butts in Space (32:25) Concord (40:00) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (41:20) Path of Exile 2 (42:00) Date Everything (43:25) Immortal (45:50) Project Timmy: Sasha’s Curse (48:25) Civilization 7 (50:05) Monster Hunter Wilds (51:25) Proteus Accessibility Controller (52:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Accessibility advocate revealed to have never existed (1:04:40) https://www.ign.com/articles/a-prominent-accessibility-advocate-worked-with-studios-and-inspired-change-but-she-never-actually-existed Unionized workers at Raven Software allege bad faith negotiating from Microsoft and Activision (1:09:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/call-of-duty-studio-raven-software-alleges-bad-faith-bargaining-in-complaint-against-microsoft-and-activision Game workers at French studio Spiders plan to strike again (1:10:55) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/spiders-workers-to-strike-as-open-letter-calls-out-mismanagement --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com

Many tiny hands make light work. Games we played this week include: Doom/Doom II (7:15) Fallout: London (17:50) Strange Telephone (27:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Content creators get a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” for coverage of Black Myth: Wukong (32:20) https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/08/18/the-black-myth-wukong-no-feminist-propaganda-no-covid-19-discussion-email-is-real/ Uwe Boll surfaces to make fun of Borderlands (49:21) https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/even-uwe-boll-is-dunking-on-the-borderlands-movie-fiasconow-you-wish-i-directed/ Film based on 1993 fighting game Eternal Champions in the works (59:50) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sega-eternal-champions-movie-skydance-1235975970/ Bayonetta voice actress Atsuko Tanaka, dead at 61 (1:06:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/bayonettas-japanese-voice-actress-atsuko-tanaka-has-passed-away --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Everywhere you look, decay. Games we played this week include: Creatures of Ava (34:30) Paper Trail (40:45) Shadow of Rome (44:05) Doom/Doom II (50:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: New Valve game gets 20k concurrent players over weekend, bans anyone who talks about it (54:55) https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/12/24219016/valve-deadlock-hands-on-secret-new-game Roblox banned in Turkey to protect children (1:06:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/roblox-responds-to-platform-ban-in-turkiye Equity sets new minimum rates for video game performers in UK (1:10:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/uk-actors-union-equity-introduces-minimum-rates-to-address-systemic-low-pay-for-video-game-performers Bloober Team president asks gamers to trust them with Silent Hill 2 remake (1:12:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/bloober-ceo-dreaming-that-gamers-will-trust-us-to-deliver-silent-hill-2-remake Retro games based on Halloween and Ash vs Evil Dead announced (1:18:35) https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/rs-gaming/halloween-evil-dead-retrorealms-game-series-1235079059/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Just wait until you hear about the secret third brother, Clebby...

Nom nom nom nom nom. Games we played this week include: Thank Goodness You’re Here (07:20) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (21:35) Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (30:20) Tomba! Special Edition (47:25) World of Goo 2 (55:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Balatro creator’s will stipulates game cannot be licensed or sold to casinos (1:04:50) https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/you-wont-be-seeing-the-balatro-ip-used-by-casinos-or-gambling-companies-the-developer-has-forbidden-it-in-his-will Date Everything developer signs on to SAG/AFTRA interim agreement (49:30) https://x.com/robbiedaymond/status/1818395901154701581 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

That’s a lot of episodes. Games we played this week include: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (19:15) Dungeons of Hinterberg (32:05) Thumper (38:26) Earth Defense Force 6 (45:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: SAG-AFTRA calls for strike against AAA industry (4:40) https://deadline.com/2024/07/sag-aftra-strike-video-game-companies-1236020355/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

It’s what you might call a broad spectrum. Games we played this week include: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (7:05) Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (16:40) Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (24:45) Arranger (33:15) Danganronpa v3 (36:25) Silent Hill 2 (40:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft announces COD release dates, with Black Ops 6 launching after Game Pass changes (48:15) https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-is-now-on-xbox-game-pass/ The FTC is mad Microsoft did the thing the FTC knew Microsoft would do after buying Activision (49:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/ftc-slams-microsofts-xbox-game-pass-tier-changes-calls-it-a-degraded-product Ubisoft grovels to right-wing gamers over the black samurai in Assassin’s Creed (53:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-staffer-blasts-decision-to-lay-off-internal-team-focused-on-diversity-due-to-changing-business-needs Ziff-Davis lays off all staff at Humble Games (1:01:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/external-translators-hired-for-nintendo-projects-bemoan-lack-of-credit-in-almost-every-big-title Deadpool’s butt controller (1:03:00) https://www.polygon.com/24200443/xbox-deadpool-wolverine-wireless-controller-giveaway-ass --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

An historic trigger pull. Games we played this week include: Clickolding (11:15) Magical Delicacy (19:40) Concord (31:25) DMC: Devil May Cry (36:20) Reveil (43:15) Bokura (23:41) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft introduces new Game Pass tiers, increasing prices and stripping day-one releases (1:00:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-confirms-big-changes-for-xbox-game-pass-ditching-day-one-releases-for-basic-tier Internal Microsoft email reveals disposal of DEI team based on “business needs” (1:09:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-staffer-blasts-decision-to-lay-off-internal-team-focused-on-diversity-due-to-changing-business-needs Nintendo criticized for not crediting external translators (1:15:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/external-translators-hired-for-nintendo-projects-bemoan-lack-of-credit-in-almost-every-big-title --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Long live the Queen. Games we played this week include: Elden Ring (9:45) The First Descendant (16:20) Bokura (23:41) Deep Rock Galactic (30:30) Zenless Zone Zero (34:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Unplayed games in Steam users’ libraries estimated at $19bn (38:35) https://www.pcgamesn.com/steam/pile-of-shame Elden Ring DLC players hit 80% of base game’s launch numbers (42:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/segas-new-crazy-taxi-game-will-be-open-world-and-massively-multiplayer Nintendo might be coming after pornographic depictions of its characters (1:04:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-pledges-action-over-inappropriate-use-of-its-characters-so-players-not-made-to-feel-uncomfortable --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Break out the calipers. Games we played this week include: Bokura (6:40) Animal Well (13:10) Sherwood Builders (17:15) Hot Wheels 2 (25:30) Vampire Survivors (26:40) Elden Ring (41:40) Metal Slug Attack Reloaded (49:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Cloud Imperium made to pay for firing disabled worker after demanding they return to office (56:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/star-citizen-developer-ordered-to-pay-27k-to-disabled-worker-in-return-to-office-discrimination-claim Crazy Taxi reboot looking more and more like a free-to-play MMO (1:02:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/segas-new-crazy-taxi-game-will-be-open-world-and-massively-multiplayer Elden Ring’s creator cheeses his own game when playing (1:04:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/dont-worry-even-miyazaki-struggled-with-elden-rings-high-difficulty Nintendo not getting involved in generative AI, saying it’s theft (1:08:15) https://gameworldobserver.com/2024/07/03/nintendo-no-plans-to-use-genai-in-game-development Bethesda Montreal workers join with CWA union (1:09:40) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/bethesda-montreal-files-for-unionisation --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

We’re not dying. We’re not. Stop looking at us like that. Games we played this week include: Elden Ring (8:55) Still Wakes the Deep (26:55) Thank Goodness You’re Here (43:15) SCHiM (45:55) Metal Slug Attack Reloaded (48:05) Felvidek (50:15) Zet Zillions (54:10) Warhammer 40K: Boltgun (57:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft offers new explanation for Tango Gameworks closure (1:01:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/matt-booty-implies-tango-gameworks-closure-was-partly-due-to-leadership-change Polish developer required nude sauna visits for narrative team (1:03:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/polish-developer-apologises-following-criticism-for-naked-sauna-job-requirement Beyond Good & Evil 2 is totally still coming, honest, have some costumes from a 2016 trailer (1:09:15) https://gamerant.com/ubisoft-beyond-good-and-evil-2-status-update-june-2024/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com

It's the thirteenth episode, which means only one thing...

Look, we're under a lot of pressure. Games we played this week include: Garten of Banban (6:30) Oil Strike ‘75 (18:00) Metal Slug Attack Reloaded (25:20) Enotria: The Last Song (32:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Embracer shutters Alone in the Dark reboot developer Pieces Interactive (41:25) https://www.ign.com/articles/embracer-shuts-down-alone-in-the-dark-developer-pieces-interactive Lords of the Fallen is getting a sequel (45:10) https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/lords-of-the-fallen-2-which-is-technically-lords-of-the-fallen-3-is-due-in-2026-and-will-probably-be-an-epic-exclusive/ QA contractor for Activision, Microsoft, accused of firing workers for union organizing (46:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/company-that-provided-qa-testing-to-activision-accused-of-unfair-practices-after-160-people-laid-off --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Nobody understands the vision. Games we played this week include: RKGK (12:15) Alan Wake II: Night Springs (15:35) Dungeon Clawler (20:00) Just Crow Things (21:45) What the Car? (22:40) Killer Klowns from Outer Space (25:40) Wizard of Legend 2 (36:20) Amanda the Adventurer 2 (42:15) Schim (46:55) Building Relationships (48:20) Arranger (48:55) Thank Goodness You’re Here (49:50) Mexico 1921: A Deep Slumber (50:30) V Rising (52:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: ROM site Vimm’s Lair pulls much of its massive collection after legal threat (56:50) https://kotaku.com/vimms-roms-sega-sony-nintendo-dmca-removed-ios-delta-1851526609 IKEA is hiring people to shill to kids in Roblox (1:02:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/ikea-is-hiring-uk-workers-for-its-new-store-in-roblox --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: litlnemo / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Littlest memorabilia. Games we played this week include: Star Wars Hunters (6:55) Burgle Bros. (17:30) Nightmare Kart (22:15) Lunacid (32:20) Soulstone Survivors (38:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Sony makes $50 PC adapter for PS VR2 that won’t do most of the cool stuff (41:20) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/playstation-vr2s-pc-adapter-hits-this-august-with-missing-features/ Those missing PlayDate consoles have rematerialized outside a Las Vegas restaurant (45:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/400k-worth-of-stolen-playdate-consoles-make-heroic-return-after-getting-dumped-outside-a-restaurant Sony claims PS5 has broken records in revenue and profits (48:10) https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-5-generation-represents-sonys-most-profitable-console-generation-to-date Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be day-one release on Xbox Game Pass (50:55) https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-5-generation-represents-sonys-most-profitable-console-generation-to-date Atari bought Intellivision, left Amico behind (53:55) https://www.ign.com/articles/atari-acquires-intellivision-brand-but-leaves-disastrous-amico-console-behind --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Deshartes would be proud. Games we played this week include: Indika (9:10) Moving Out 2 (18:25) Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga (25:50) Duck Detective: The Salami Bandit (40:00) Mario 64 Maker (45:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Sony pulls Neil Druckmann interview after misleadingly editing his answers (47:40) https://www.psu.com/news/neil-druckmann-refutes-recent-redefine-gaming-interview-quote-this-is-not-quite-what-i-said/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Refreshing. Games we played this week include: Indika (7:20) Little Kitty Big City (26:05) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (31:25) Athenian Rhapsody (39:40) Hades II (48:00) Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga (49:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: IGN acquires Gamer Network of news sites, dominating the UK (1:05:00) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ign-entertainment-acquires-eurogamer-gi-vg247-rock-paper-shotgun-and-more Nintendo acquires Switch port developer from Embracer (1:10:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-makes-first-acquisition-since-2022-and-its-from-embracer Tesla is dropping Steam support for the “gaming computer” in its cars (1:14:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/tesla-pulls-steam-from-new-vehicles-as-its-new-gaming-computer-is-no-longer-capable-of-playing-steam-games --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Time to pivot. Games we played this week include: Hades II (8:45) Little Kitty Big City (20:00) Crow Country (22:45) Tales of Kenzera: Zau (28:20) Athenian Rhapsody (34:20) Vampire Survivors (43:55) Final Fantasy VI (49:35) Slayers X (50:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft tries (fails) to justify studio closures (56:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/xbox-president-responds-to-studio-closures-as-commitment-to-make-sure-that-the-business-is-healthy-for-the-long-term Mike Ybarra thinks people are being too mean to Microsoft executives (59:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/former-blizzard-boss-mike-ybarra-defends-xboxs-phil-spencer-following-arkane-austin-tango-gameworks-closures --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: ekstrazabawki.pl / CC BY 4.0 DEED

Podquisition 488: Bump on the Noggin It’s harder than you’d think. Games we played this week include: Hades II (3:45) Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (23:35) Puppet Master (30:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft shuts down studios, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin (44:10) https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-closes-redfall-developer-arkane-austin-hifi-rush-developer-tango-gameworks-and-more-in-devastating-cuts-at-bethesda A drunk Microsoft rep forgot to make their pitch to buy Media Molecule (52:45) https://kotaku.com/xbox-little-big-planet-steal-away-buy-playstation-sony-1851462178 Sony gets slammed, then backpedals, over Helldivers 2 PSN requirement on Steam (57:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-overturns-helldivers-2-psn-requirement-following-backlash --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Your robo-friend to the end. Games we played this week include: Stellar Blade (11:00) Hades II (18:25) Harold Halibut (25:45) Fallout (30:20) Vampire Survivors (37:10) Kaichu (40:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Square Enix abandoning projects they’ve spent a lot of money on (43:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/square-enix-abandons-112m-of-in-development-projects-in-an-effort-to-improve-quality Escape from Tarkov devs surprised by response to locking PvE mode to exorbitant special edition (54:15) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/escape-from-tarkov-boss-didnt-expect-players-to-get-mad-about-paid-pve-content/1100-6523084/ Embracer’s CEO admits he made mistakes (53:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/embracer-boss-admits-long-list-of-things-hed-have-done-differently-as-embattled-company-splits-into-three --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Wistful remembrances of days gone by. Games we played this week include: Another Crab’s Treasure (5:50) Slime 3K (28:55) Stellar Blade (40:35) Harold Halibut (51:40) Fallout (57:55) Balatro (1:04:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: ReedPop consolidating UK events EGX and MCM (1:07:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/egx-and-mcm-team-up-for-london-2024-dates Nintendo reportedly would have let Samus be in Fortnite, but only for Switch players (54:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/samus-skipped-fortnite-because-nintendo-got-really-hung-up-about-its-characters-on-other-platforms Embracer reorganizing into three companies (1:15:30) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/embracer-group-splits-into-three-everything-you-need-to-know World of Warcraft adding arachnophobia mode ahead of introducing arachnid characters (1:21:05) https://www.gameshub.com/news/news/world-of-warcraft-arachnophobia-mode-2639255/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Ian Line / CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED

A saga continues. Games we played this week include: Fallout TV series (8:55) Horrified (29:10) Princess Peach Showtime (36:00) Rose and Camillia (37:50) Balatro (43:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Apex Legends tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia (48:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/apex-legends-wont-censor-game-for-saudi-arabia-esports-tournament-respawn-says Final Fantasy VII Rebirth menu rephrased after many gameplay hours lost (54:15) https://www.ign.com/articles/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-patch-retry-from-this-battle-menu Alternate network for Wii U and 3DS online play up and running (56:55) https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24126064/pretendo-resurrects-wii-u-nintendo-network-without-console-hacking Hades 2 about to enter beta, sign-ups open https://www.eurogamer.net/hades-2s-technical-test-set-to-begin-shortly-and-sign-ups-are-open-now --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Blitzball? We prefer Miyazaki's Balls.

Anyone who says otherwise is probably an even bigger criminal. Games we played this week include: Botany Manor (9:25) Little Big Adventure (17:45) Virtual Springfield (20:20) Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (31:40) Final Fantasy X (47:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Management at Life is Strange developer Deck Nine seems pretty awful (49:10) https://www.ign.com/articles/how-hidden-nazi-symbols-were-the-tip-of-a-toxic-iceberg-at-life-is-strange-developer-deck-nine Roblox studio chief basically admits their business is supported by child labor (54:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/roblox-studio-boss-children-making-money-on-the-platform-isnt-exploitation-its-a-gift Yuji Naka claims Dragon Quest producer perjured themselves, provides no evidence (1:09:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/sonic-co-creator-yuji-naka-accuses-dragon-quest-producer-of-lying-during-insider-trading-trial --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

It is what it is, pal. Games we played this week include: Content Warning (11:00) MiG Switch (17:50) Rise of the Ronin (27:50) Islets (35:40) Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (43:30) Pepper Grinder (54:50) Final Fantasy X (1:00:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: ESRB claims software designed to age verify isn’t intended to be used by children (1:01:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/us-government-blocks-age-estimation-technology-that-would-have-analysed-faces After massive sell-offs, Embracer doesn’t think it’s ready to start acquiring again (54:10) https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/embracer-say-their-restructure-is-over-but-its-too-early-to-start-acquiring-studios-again --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Breathe it in. Games we played this week include: Princess Peach Showtime (6:30) Rise of the Ronin (23:10) Darkwood (34:40) Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line (43:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: First Neuralink patient, upon release, immediately pulls Civ 6 all-nighter (47:10) https://www.ign.com/articles/first-human-patient-to-receive-a-neuralink-brain-implant-used-it-to-stay-up-all-night-playing-civilization-6 $400k worth of PlayDate handhelds misdelivered and stolen (54:10) https://kotaku.com/playdate-handheld-stolen-1851369066 Microsoft wants to invite more storefronts to the Xbox platform (55:15) https://www.polygon.com/24108670/xbox-epic-games-store-phil-spencer-interview An Xbox handheld increasingly seems like a thing that is happening (1:00:30) https://www.polygon.com/24108660/xbox-handheld-console-phil-spencer-interview --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Like you’ve never thought about it. Games we played this week include: Balatro (3:20) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (10:35) The Veil: Shadow of the Crown (25:12) The Thaumaturge (29:20) Contra: Operation Galuga (29:55) Alone in the Dark (41:35) --- News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft’s AI NPC dialogue generator is pitiful (49:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-boss-generative-ai-is-just-another-new-technology-to-be-tested PS5 Pro confirmed by leak from third-party developer (53:10) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2024/03/19/ps5-pro-specs-leak-being-investigated-by-sony/ You can now drink mayo (55:15) https://kotaku.com/stardew-valley-16-update-drink-mayonnaise-1851344320 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

What a lovely surprise. Games we played this week include: Balatro (5:15) Pullfrog (13:40) Mars After Midnight (15:05) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (18:50) The Thaumaturge (31:15) Princess Peach Showtime (48:40) Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley (51:25) Rise of the Ronin (54:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: SAG-AFTRA’s video game voice actors might be next to strike over AI (1:01:30) https://variety.com/2024/gaming/news/ai-duncan-crabtree-ireland-sxsw-1235936090/ Bobby Kotick can’t stop, won’t stop, wants TikTok (1:03:05) https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-activision-ceo-bobby-kotick-wants-to-buy-tiktok-report-2024-3 600 QA employees unionize at Microsoft companies (1:05:30) https://www.polygon.com/24093254/activision-qa-600-workers-union-microsoft --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Yeah, that’s right. We said it. What do you intend to do? Games we played this week include: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (4:30) Supermarket Simulator (33:00) The Outlast Trials (41:05) Warhammer 40k: Boltgun (51:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Warner Bros. continues to learn the wrong lessons about live services (42:05) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/warner-bros-discusses-volatile-aaa-console-games-will-lean-into-free-to-play-and-mobile/1100-6521597/ Yuzu and Citra emulators quickly fold under legal action from Nintendo (49:05) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-lawsuit-shuts-down-switch-emulator-yuzu-and-3ds-emulator-citra/1100-6521589/ A complex scam involving imitated games hits Steam (1:15:50) https://www.ign.com/articles/valve-pulls-fake-steam-helldivers-2-games-but-devs-express-concern-they-appeared-in-the-first-place --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Forest Runner / CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED

It’s a lovely day for a drive. Games we played this week include: Pacific Drive (8:00) Geometry Survivor (30:00) Pocket Card Jockey Ride On (33:20) Pepper Grinder (37:30) Penny’s Big Breakout (38:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: WWE 2K24 seems to be dropping a couple of significant wrestlers (42:05) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/wwe-2k24s-confirmed-final-roster-seemingly-removes-vince-mcmahon-and-brock-lesnar/ Nintendo sues developer of Yuzu emulator (49:05) https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/27/24085075/nintendo-switch-emulator-yuzu-lawsuit --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

We welcome it. Games we played this week include: Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (6:35) Helldivers 2 (16:15) Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed (21:05) Cookie Cutter (25:00) Heartworm (31:15) Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (34:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: MS really bungled their cross-platform announcement (46:45) https://www.techdirt.com/2024/02/20/xboxs-business-update-event-attempts-to-address-rumors-vaguely/ Embracer-owned Flying Wild Hog joins with Polish Gamedev Workers Union (53:55) https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/embracer-owned-studio-flying-wild-hog-has-unionized ZA/UM continues to be a mess (1:04:05) https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-za-um-will-lay-off-25-percent-of-staff-after-project-cancellation --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

The bar has been raised yet again. Games we played this week include: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (10:50) Helldivers 2 (16:30) Mouthwashing (31:10) Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (34:25) Final Fantasy Rebirth (40:45) Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed (47:15) Hardcoded (49:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: MS to address rumors around console exclusivity (56:10) https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/12/24070445/microsoft-xbox-business-update-event-future-february-15 French worker unions call for strikes at Ubisoft (58:10) https://www.pcgamer.com/unions-call-for-strikes-at-ubisoft-studios-in-france-to-protest-wages-we-cannot-tolerate-being-treated-as-expendable-to-mitigate-their-bad-decisions Microsoft layoffs hit Toys For Bob hard (1:04:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-layoffs-affect-86-staff-at-spyro-crash-bandicoot-studio The FTC seems irritated by Microsoft’s layoffs (1:01:30) https://www.polygon.com/24065269/ftc-microsoft-activision-deal-layoffs-appeal Voice actor responsible for PEGI rating stingers was paid 200 Euros for the gig (1:05:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/the-voice-actor-behind-pegi-18-says-he-was-paid-just-200 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

A crisis averted. Games we played this week include: Silent Hill: The Short Message (7:15) Yakuza: Like a Dragon (27:30) Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (37:25) Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (39:03) --- News things talked about in this episode: Rumors swirl around possible changes to Xbox first-party exclusivity (53:20) https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-microsoft-rethinking-exclusivity-plans-to-bring-starfield-and-indiana-jones-to-ps5 Development of The Day Before was allegedly a shitshow (1:02:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/new-the-day-before-report-alleges-employees-fined-for-making-mistakes Square Enix has decided it wants to make better games (1:04:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/square-enix-reviewing-overall-game-development-to-improve-quality --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

We’re just not qualified. Games we played this week include: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (10:30) Metroid Dread (26:50) Granblue Fantasy Relink (32:50) Interaction Isn’t Explicit (35:30) Go Mecha Ball (40:30) Celeste 64 (51:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft lays off 8% of its game division despite 49% revenue increase in Q2 (59:05) https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/25/24049050/microsoft-activision-blizzard-layoffs Eidos Montreal staff laid off, previously unannounced Deus Ex game canceled (1:05:05) https://www.polygon.com/24054575/deus-ex-game-canceled-layoffs-eidos-montreal SEGA of America to drop 61 employees in March (52:15) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sega-of-america-to-lay-off-61-employees Early Suicide Squad players had the game finished for them (59:40) https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-league-game-pulled-offline-1235890502 Bloodborne Kart won’t be Bloodborne Kart anymore (1:10:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/bloodborne-kart-isnt-allowed-to-be-called-bloodborne-kart-anymore-but-it-is-still-coming --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

What a terrible strain. Games we played this week include: Piñata Smashlings (5:35) Turnip Boy Robs a Bank (16:15) Last of Us Part II Remastered (28:15) Palworld (33:35) Home Safety Hotline (48:05) Luck Be a Landlord (53:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: MiG Switch flash cart could lead to bans for second-hand game buyers (59:05) Rockstar and Remedy logo thing got settled late last year (1:05:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/take-two-and-remedy-in-trademark-dispute-over-r-logo Developer Piranha Bytes seemingly dropped by Embracer Group (52:15) https://www.pcgamer.com/embracer-owned-elex-studio-piranha-bytes-is-trying-to-save-itself-from-closure-dont-write-us-off-yet/ Riot lays off more than a tenth of its staff (59:40) https://www.riotgames.com/en/news/2024-rioter-update After selling off all their previously acquired IP, Square Enix things it needs more diverse offerings (1:10:00) https://www.ign.com/articles/square-enix-president-says-the-company-wants-to-release-fewer-more-diverse-games --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Rebecca Brown / CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED

Sounds like a cozy spot, doesn’t it? Games we played this week include: Luck be a Landlord (4:25) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (17:20) Last of Us Part II Remastered (24:30) The Gnorp Apologue (33:15) Legend of Grimrock (39:25) Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (39:25) The Shopping List (49:40) The Witcher 3 (51:20) Pokémon Scarlet/Violet (51:55) Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (53:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: UK retailer GAME ends trade-ins because locations are increasingly in Sports Direct stores (43:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/uk-retailer-game-to-cease-video-game-trade-ins-staff-say Rockstar and Remedy Games in a legal tiff over their logos (49:30) https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/01/16/rockstar-parent-company-take-two-files-trademark-dispute-over-remedys-logo Lost Boys latest studio hit by Embracer layoffs (52:15) https://www.pcgamer.com/embracer-owned-lost-boys-interactive-reportedly-undergoes-sizable-layoffs/ GameShark re-emerges as AI company and drops a Switch 2 release date rumor (59:40) https://kotaku.com/switch-2-release-date-leak-ces-gameshark-ai-shark-1851159992 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean we all should be. Games we played this week include: God of War: Ragnarok (7:45) Luck be a Landlord (15:50) Grand Theft Auto V (22:25) Lies of P (23:15) Buckshot Roulette (26:40) Pokémon (30:10) Orc Massage (33:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Another round of layoffs hits Unity, Twitch, and Bossa Studios (43:30) https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/8/24030695/unity-layoff-staff-25-percent https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2024/01/10/a-difficult-update-about-our-workforce/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/bossa-studios-lays-off-one-third-of-its-staff Netflix considering plan to insert ads into its published games (49:30) https://www.wsj.com/business/media/netflix-eyes-ways-to-make-money-from-videogames-in-potential-pivot-705bd3b3 SAG-AFTRA makes AI deal for game voice workers seemingly without consulting them (52:15) https://www.pcgamesn.com/sag-aftra-ai-voice-actor-reaction Lawsuit claims discrimination at Activision-Blizzard against old, white men (59:40) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ex-activision-exec-accuses-publisher-of-discriminating-against-old-white-guys Xbox bans Baldur’s Gate 3 players who have default share settings on while saving sexy content (1:05:45) https://www.pcgamer.com/xbox-insists-its-willy-nilly-bans-of-baldurs-gate-3-players-from-its-online-services-are-not-automatic-suggests-turning-off-its-opt-out-feature-to-avoid-horny-upload-crimes/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Santosh Kumar

Let the accusations commence!

The future is inevitable. Games we played this week include: Tekken 8 (23:35) Grand Theft Auto V (26:50) Midnight Suns (40:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Switch flash cartridge announced, internet immediately links Gary Bowser to it (14:55) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/jailed-nintendo-hacker-gary-bowser-denies-link-to-new-switch-flash-cart/ Square Enix will commit even harder to AI in 2024 (47:10) https://kotaku.com/square-enix-president-artificial-intelligence-ai-games-1851133573 As Kotick leaves ABK, former employees point out how he made games worse (1:21:50) https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/01/former-call-of-duty-dev-says-decisions-made-by-bobby-kotick-made-our-games-worse --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Hamed Saber

Oh, yeah, that thing is about to happen isn’t it? Games we played this week include: Vampire Survivors (18:35) Midnight Suns (19:40) Grand Theft Auto V (25:24) Pokémon Scarlet/Violet (33:25) Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising (41:15) Diceheart (53:20) Slay the Princess (1:00:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Ransomware group releases trove of material stolen from Insomniac Games (1:07:15) https://www.cyberdaily.au/culture/9959-snikt-rhysida-dumps-more-than-a-terabyte-of-insomniac-games-internal-data Internal Sony documents give candid view of concerns over ABK acquisition (1:19:15) https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/microsoft-could-disrupt-and-threaten-playstation-business-sonys-alleged-xbox-fears-laid-bare-in-massive-hack ABK studios are ending hybrid work (1:21:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/abk-workers-alliance-responds-to-activision-blizzard-ending-hybrid-working ABK settles California worker discrimination suit (1:24:20) https://www.wsj.com/tech/activision-blizzard-to-pay-around-50-million-to-settle-lawsuit-that-spurred-microsofts-takeover-4dc1178b Valve delivers festive DOTA 2 bans (1:26:00) https://www.polygon.com/24002666/dota-2-frostivus-2023-bans-valve-toxic-lump-coal --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Daderot

Back to the drawing board. Games we played this week include: Vampire Survivors (18:35) Grand Theft Auto V (26:40) Thirsty Suitors (33:55) Persona 5 Tactica (39:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: E3 officially pronounced dead after years on life support (41:15) https://kotaku.com/is-e3-dead-2023-canceled-esa-1851092261 Zelda producer thinks older style Zelda games are worthless garbage now (49:10) https://www.ign.com/articles/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-interview-nintendo-eiji-aonuma-hidemaro-fujibayashi The Day Before imploded a few days after (53:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/the-day-before-publisher-apologises-for-game-as-steam-refunds-open Union workers at Zenimax get historic win over use of AI (1:02:30) https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/zenimax-union-strike-tentative-agreement-over-ai-usage-in-workplace --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Tony Knox

Talk to your doctor. Games we played this week include: In Stars and Time (11:20) While the Iron’s Hot (26:25) PS Access Controller (36:10) Gangs of Sherwood (45:05) Pinball M (1:04:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Layoffs at New World Interactive and Codemasters (1:12:40) https://www.pcgamer.com/the-embracer-spiral-continues-as-insurgency-sandstorm-studio-new-world-interactive-lays-off-employees/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/f1-developer-codemasters-affected-by-layoffs Electronic Arts frees a few more accessibility patents (1:15:15) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ea-shares-more-accessibility-patents You could have a branded Yorkshire Tea controller (1:18:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/you-can-get-yorkshire-tea-xbox-and-playstation-5-controllers-for-150 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

A spooky mystery slides in through the back door.

Such pain. Games we played this week include: In Stars and Time (16:00) Loop Hero (27:25) Dave the Diver (31:00) Knuckle Sandwich (42:00) Lonovo Legion Go (49:50) Yakuza 0 (53:05) Deadly Premonition (54:50) Laika Aged Through Blood (1:07:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Layoffs at Unity, Free Radical and Fishlabs (1:12:40) https://www.polygon.com/23980876/unity-layoffs-weta-digital https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/embracer-ceo-confirms-timesplitters-studio-faces-closure-before-christmas/ https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/embracer-lay-off-around-50-people-at-chorus-and-galaxy-on-fire-developer-fishlabs Full-screen ads interrupt gameplay in Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft claims technical error (1:15:15) https://www.pcgamer.com/assassins-creed-players-started-having-their-games-interrupted-by-full-screen-pop-up-ads-but-ubisoft-says-it-was-a-technical-error-and-quickly-patched-it/ Court docs reveal Google wanted to acquire Epic with the help of Tencent (1:18:45) https://www.pcgamer.com/google-considered-buying-epic-games-according-to-updated-court-documents/ EA filed patent for using player’s voice for generated character speech in games (1:20:55) https://www.veryaligaming.com/ea-player-voiced-characters-games/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

We get the job done. Games we played this week include: PS Portal (5:40) Liyla and the Shadows of War (13:40) Karmazoo (17:05) An Arcade Full of Cats (23:40) FlipWitch: The Forbidden Sex Hex (25:55) AMC’s The Walking Dead: Destinies (34:45) Quantum Break (49:00) Dave the Diver (59:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Sexual bias case against Niantic moving forward (1:07:00) https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/22/23972339/niantic-sexual-discrimination-lawsuit-gender-bias-arbitration Epic rollout of age-restricted content in Fortnite has not gone well (1:08:40) https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-admits-fortnites-new-age-ratings-didnt-hit-the-mark-says-a-new-system-is-coming-soon-as-part-of-a-big-in-game-event/ Unity releases early access AI tools for developers (1:17:15) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/unitys-push-for-responsibly-sourced-ai-tools SEGA allegedly threatened its unionized workers with layoffs (1:15:45) https://kotaku.com/sega-sonic-union-layoffs-persona-yakuza-1851026309 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

It would take so little to change the tone. Games we played this week include: Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (9:55) Karmazoo (18:40) Alien Hominid Invasion (36:10) Backpack Hero (45:55) Bladestorm (51:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Call of Duty Modern Warfare III only given 16 months dev time (1:02:05) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-09/cod-modern-warfare-3-faces-bad-reviews-after-rushed-development Strauss Zelnick said a bunch of troubling stuff about AI, pricing (1:08:25) https://www.inverse.com/gaming/gta-6-generative-ai-take-two-ceo https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/gta-6-publisher-ceo-thinks-videogame-prices-are-very-very-low-for-what-they-offer Nintendo continues to suggest Switch 2 coming next year while not confirming its existence (1:14:15) https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/10/nintendo-president-reiterates-switch-software-support-into-fy2425 Layoffs hitting Free Radical, Humble Games, and Unity (1:15:45) https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/9/23954709/unity-layoffs-q3-earnings-runtime-program https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/timesplitters-devs-free-radical-are-reportedly-the-next-embracer-studio-facing-closure https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/humble-games-layoffs-report Sony significantly cuts plans for live service games (1:29:55) https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2023/11/09/sony-has-delayed-half-of-its-planned-playstation-live-service-games --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Your humble Trashgirls talk hard stuff!

Like (smuggling) ships passing in the night. Games we played this week include: Alan Wake II (5:05) Thirsty Suitors (17:05) Robocop: Rogue City (35:05) Dave the Diver (38:55) WarioWare: Move It (1:07:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Out of the blue, a live-action Zelda film is announced (52:10) https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/7/23951339/the-legend-of-zelda-movie-live-action-nintendo Microsoft going all-in on AI game dev tools (55:35) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/microsoft-and-inworld-team-up-to-create-ai-game-dev-tools Nintendo denies anyone has seen Switch 2 (1:07:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-addresses-switch-2-reports-denies-it-has-briefed-developers SEGA executive wants Sonic to surpass Mario as a franchise (1:10:40) https://noisypixel.net/sega-wants-sonic-games-movies-surpass-mario/ Epic Store still losing money, expected to own half of PC market by now (1:14:30) Ubisoft lays off another batch of employees (1:16:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-montreal-latest-studio-struck-by-layoffs --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Somebody is going to need to step up. Games we played this week include: Alan Wake II (6:10) Dave the Diver (47:22) Robocop (54:14) Spin Rhythm XD (1:07:50) Lords of the Fallen (1:09:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bungie lays off a hundred employees, delays projects (1:15:55) https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23938990/bungie-sony-layoffs-delays-destiny-final-shape-marathon Microsoft warns it will soon disable unlicensed peripherals on Xbox (1:03:20) https://variablemag.com/games/microsoft-banning-unauthorized-xbox-controllers-and-accessories/ Nintendo announces new restrictions on events involving their products (1:22:45) https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Legal-information/Community-Tournament-Guidelines-2467744.html Ubisoft Chief People Officer announces her departure (1:24:10) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/zen-studios-reportedly-has-more-than-30-redundancies --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

That part isn’t supposed to do that. Games we played this week include: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (8:15) Sonic Superstars (38:45) Sorry, We’re Closed (40:10) Ebenezer and the Invisible World (44:25) Vampire Survivors (49:25) Meta Quest 3 (49:50) Smash Drums (51:05) Metal Gear Solid Master Collection (52:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Game about drunk driving pulled from eShop for 3+ age rating (1:01:05) https://www.techradar.com/gaming/nintendo-switch/drink-and-drive-simulator-pulled-from-switch-eshop-after-releasing-with-a-pegi-3-age-rating Skull Island devs were given a year to develop, most of it crunch (1:03:20) https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/20/23925326/skull-island-rise-of-kong-development-gamemill-entertainment Doug Bowser says Nintendo of America employees too happy to want a union (1:09:05) https://www.inverse.com/gaming/doug-bowser-super-mario-bros-wonder-switch-2-nintendo-union Embracer Group cuts staff at Zen Studios (1:13:20) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/zen-studios-reportedly-has-more-than-30-redundancies --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com. Photo Credit: Hellerhoff / CC BY-SA 3.0

We ask the hard questions... hard like an erect penis (boner).

Utterly drenched. Games we played this week include: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (8:30) Sonic Superstars (18:30) Amanda the Adventurer (37:15) Spider-Man 2 (39:50) Lords of the Fallen (47:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft acquisition closed, Kotick expected to leave by end of year (1:17:05) https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/10/13/activision-blizzard-ceo-bobby-kotick-set-to-leave-in-december-heres-what-to-know-about-his-controversies/ Microsoft promises not to interfere with union organizing for a couple months (1:21:30) https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2022/06/02/employee-organizing-engagement-labor-economy/ PS5 Slim needs a $30 stand to go vertical (57:55) https://www.thegamer.com/sony-playstation-5-slim-vertical-stand-sold-seperately/ Modders have already made Mario Wonder flower say naughty words (1:27:15) https://www.ign.com/articles/super-mario-bros-wonder-mod-turns-talking-flowers-foul-mouthed-nintendo-quickly-takes-action --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

This is all on the up and up, we promise. Games we played this week include: PS5 Access Controller (8:30) Elemental Survivors (22:15) Warhammer 40k: Darktide (33:50) Stardew Valley (36:55) GWAR: Rumble in Antarctica (40:30) Forza Motorsport 2023 (44:10) A Tiny Sticker Tale (55:00) Whisker Squadron: Survival (57:05) Another Crab’s Treasure (58:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bungie sued for wrongful termination by former HR manager (1:17:05) https://www.ign.com/articles/former-bungie-hr-manager-is-suing-for-wrongful-termination-after-she-reported-potential-racial-bias BioWare accused of underpaying severance for laid off workers (1:21:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/former-dragon-age-staff-seek-further-compensation-following-layoffs Recently unionized QA workers for BioWare all lost their jobs (57:55) https://www.polygon.com/23903782/dragon-age-dreadwolf-qa-workers-laid-off-keywords-studios Game developer union forms in Poland, including staff at CD Projekt Red (1:27:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/cd-projekt-red-devs-unionise-after-its-third-round-of-layoffs-in-three-months John Riccitello quietly slinks away from CEO post at Unity (1:13:50) https://www.wired.com/story/john-riccitello-retires-unity-ceo-controversy/ Everything is okay at Ubisoft now, says Ubisoft, using Ubisoft surveys as evidence (1:16:20) https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/4/23901575/ubisoft-executives-arrest-sexual-harassment-investigation As ABK merger set to close, Kotick inflicts one more torment on employees (1:22:00) https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/activision-offers-a-timeframe-for-xbox-game-pass-inclusions-ahead-of-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3s-launch --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

I want something else. Like a bed. Games we played this week include: El Paso Elsewhere (8:30) Amanda the Adventurer (30:00) Model Builder (35:00) Deep Rock Galactic Survivor (49:30) Forza Motorsport 2023 (56:20) Dynasty Warriors 9 (1:02:10) Helldivers (1:05:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Epic lays off 16% of workers, gutting studios and seeking to liquidate assets (1:17:05) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/epic-laying-off-more-than-800 Hatoful Boyfriend dev claims two years of royalties unpaid by Epic (1:21:30) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/hatoful-boyfriend-dev-accuses-epic-of-unpaid-royalties Fortnite to implement individual age ratings for all third-party content (57:55) https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/3/23899988/fortnite-creative-age-ratings Team 17 also lays off workers (1:27:15) https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/10/02/worms-dredge-publisher-team17-is-the-latest-to-be-hit-by-layoffs Naughty Dog quietly severing developer contracts early https://kotaku.com/naughty-dog-ps5-playstation-sony-last-us-part-3-layoffs-1850893794 Former Ubisoft executives arrested on charges of sexual assault (1:33:55) https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/4/23901575/ubisoft-executives-arrest-sexual-harassment-investigation --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Worship that? Never. Games we played this week include: Payday 3 (12:30) Amanda the Adventurer (18:25) Rewind or Die (24:30) Sniper Killer (26:40) Train Sim World 4 (34:00) Pinball Wicked (36:55) Xenotilt (38:55) Trombone Champ (41:10) Halls of Torment (46:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: CMA withdraws major objections to Microsoft acquisition of ABK (52:42) https://gamerant.com/microsoft-activision-acquisition-cma-preliminary-approval/ More layoffs at Embracer Group, including Crystal Dynamics (50:45) https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/09/embracer-group-more-tough-decisions-to-come-as-crystal-dynamics-suffers-layoffs Capcom issues statement on Microsoft desire to acquire them (57:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/capcom-would-gracefully-decline-an-acquisition-offer-from-microsoft SAG-AFTRA votes to approve voice actor strike (1:00:00) https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hollywoods-video-game-performers-authorize-strike-if-labor-talks-fail-2023-09-26/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

It’s really important you know that they’re on your side. Games we played this week include: Lies of P (16:00) Solar Ash (17:35) F-Zero 99 (20:20) Nun Massacre (27:10) No One Lives Under the Lighthouse (27:35) Blood Wash (31:40) Trombone Champ (39:55) Gloomhaven (42:05) MythForce (47:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft leaks everything, like, everything, on FTC website (52:42) https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/19/23880165/xbox-leak-ftc-documents-new-xbox-series-x-controller-next-gen Ubisoft Montreal workers get screwed by sudden “return-to-office” demands (1:13:15) https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/09/11/xbox-mastercard/ Unity makes a crap “apology” for runtime fees, but has not reversed course yet (1:37:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/unity-apologises-for-confusion-and-angst-over-fee-changes Terraria developer Re-Logic donated $200k to alternative game engines Godot and FNA (1:25:35) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/re-logic-donating-100000-to-godot-and-fna-in-response-to-unity-backlash Bobby Kotick might be only person outside of Nintendo to play a Switch 2 https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/18/23878412/nintendo-switch-2-activision-briefing-next-gen-switch --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Everyone is being very reasonable about differences of opinion. Games we played this week include: Starfield (13:35) Stardew Valley (20:15) Lies of P (24:40) Pokémon Scarlet/Violet (56:50) Night at the Gates of Hell (58:15) The Booty Creek Cheek Freak (1:04:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Unity to introduce ‘Runtime Fees’, charging devs for every install of a game (1:13:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/unity-reveals-plans-to-charge-per-game-install-drawing-criticism-from-development-community An Xbox credit card is coming (1:36:10) https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/09/11/xbox-mastercard/ ReedPop officially pulls out of E3 after putting on zero events (1:37:30) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/reedpop-and-esa-part-ways-over-e3 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

It’s a good scene and all, but… Games we played this week include: Starfield (14:30) Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (45:05) Goodbye Volcano High (54:25) Halls of Torment (1:01:10) Sea of Stars (1:02:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Volition closed by Embracer Group (1:03:30) https://www.polygon.com/23853963/saints-row-volition-closure-layoffs Baldur’s Gate 3 wasn’t meant to be quite that horny (1:03:35) https://www.pcworld.com/article/2055007/baldurs-gate-iii-game-bug-made-its-characters-too-horny.html Charles Martinet doesn’t know what his new job is (1:23:15) https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/09/charles-martinet-on-his-new-role-as-mario-ambassador-i-dont-know-what-that-is-yet --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Painful payoff. Games we played this week include: Star Trucker (8:00) Pizza Possum (11:20) Immortals of Aveum (13:25) Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (24:00) Jackbox Party Pack 10 (32:00) Sonic Superstars (39:55) WrestleQuest (43:40) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (52:20) Black Myth Wukong (54:10) Homeworld 3 (58:35) Billie Bust Up (1:00:45) Space Boat (1:03:16) Sea of Stars (1:05:15) Goodbye Volcano High (1:08:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bethesda didn’t give Starfield review code to many UK publications (1:12:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/eurogamer-and-bethesda-starfield Black Myth Wukong developer’s CEO has made some weird, sexually inappropriate posts (1:15:50) https://www.resetera.com/threads/black-myth-wukong-developers-sexist-culture-and-sexually-explicit-remarks.474300/ Mortal Kombat 1 adds audio descriptors for fatalities (1:23:15) https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/08/mortal-kombat-1-ps5-has-gruesomely-descriptive-audio-fatalities Microsoft’s Xbox X/S parity requirements begin to erode with Baldur’s Gate 3 (1:25:30) https://www.vg247.com/baldurs-gate-3-could-still-get-split-screen --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Oh, did you expect it to be opened first? Games we played this week include: Atlas Fallen (5:50) Baldur’s Gate 3 (6:45) SnowRunner (23:25) Vampire Survivors (30:25) PowerWash Simulator (38:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: MS to sell 15 years of streaming rights for ABK games to Ubisoft if merger succeeds (40:50) https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-submits-revised-activision-blizzard-takeover-deal-2023-8 Charles Martinet announces retirement from voice acting for Nintendo (45:50) https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/mario-voice-actor-retires-charles-martinet-nintendo-1235701097/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

The PSP gets its due. Lobster stuff happens.

The answer was inside yourself all along. Games we played this week include: Baldur’s Gate 3 (13:50) 30XX (34:50) Stray Gods (42:00) Atlas Fallen (52:25) Vampire Survivors (54:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Failed Embracer Group deal discovered to have been with Saudis (58:50) https://www.axios.com/2023/08/14/saudi-arabia-savvy-games-embracer-group Pokémon Company announces tournament in Honolulu at the worst time (1:10:20) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-company-makes-donation-for-hawaii-relief-after-honolulu-2024-world-championships-announcement/1100-6516845/ New Xbox policy to ban players sure gives a lot of leeway (1:16:02) https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/08/15/xbox-enforcement-strike-system/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Peak comedy, that’s what this is. Games we played this week include: Vampire Survivors (7:45) Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (18:50) Halls of Torment (19:40) Venba (28:35) What the Golf? (34:50) My Friendly Neighborhood (36:35) Techtonica (44:20) Fall Guys (46:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Devolver announces delays in a very Devolver way (48:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvgkZH6hYc Microsoft makes its final appeal to UK’s CMA over their blocking of Activision merger (1:10:20) https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-sends-final-submission-to-cma-as-activision-blizzard-buyout-saga-enters-endgame Yes, Baldur’s Gate 3 has done very well (1:16:02) https://gamingbolt.com/baldurs-gate-3-sold-over-2-5-million-in-early-access --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

He's also divorced from reality, for what it's worth. Games we played this week include: Pikmin 4 (4:10) Zeno Clash (10:10) Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (16:35) Venba (23:05) Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons (29:05) Sony Assist Controller Support (47:10) --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Sometimes you just have to stick your arm in that hole. Games we played this week include: Pikmin 4 (7:45) Exoprimal (42:52) YEAH! YOU WANT "THOSE GAMES," RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET'S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM! (48:10) Spirit Hunters (54:50) Army of Ruin (56:05) Binding of Isaac: Repentance (59:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Games media being used by film studios to fill marketing holes caused by strikes (1:01:25) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvFZjo5PgG0 GLORBO (1:10:20) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/07/redditors-prank-ai-powered-news-mill-with-glorbo-in-world-of-warcraft/ Ubisoft poorly communicates their plan to prune inactive accounts (1:16:02) https://www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-is-suspending-inactive-accounts-disabling-access-to-game-libraries --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Obviously, the police just need more funding. Games we played this week include: Viewfinder (10:20) Frostpunk (18:55) Exoprimal (23:30) My Friendly Neighborhood (43.10) Gravity Circuit (53:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: UK games industry trade group agrees to guidelines regarding kids and loot boxes (58:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/uk-games-industry-to-restrict-access-to-loot-boxes-for-children Deadlines pushed back on closing date of Microsoft acquisition of ABK, UK authority decisions (1:12:10) https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/19/23797238/microsoft-activision-blizzard-merger-agreement-extension https://www.gamesindustry.biz/uk-regulator-extends-deadline-on-final-decision-over-microsofts-acquisition-of-activision-blizzard Sony deal ensures Call of Duty remains on PlayStation for a decade (1:02:25) https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/1680578783718383616 GTA 6 leaker deemed unfit to stand trial (1:03:15) https://www.reuters.com/technology/teen-hacked-uber-revolut-grand-theft-auto-maker-london-court-hears-2023-07-11/ TinyBuild CEO lays out how his company definitely isn’t using AI in their human resources department (1:05:35) https://whynowgaming.com/hello-neighbor-publishers-boss-says-his-company-uses-ai-to-monitor-employees/ New handheld consoles will be required to have removable batteries by 2027 (1:12:45) https://overkill.wtf/eu-replaceable-battery-legislation-steam-deck-switch-handhelds/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Cheese, chocolate, turds, and more!

Show some respect. Games we played this week include: The Last Hope (11:20) NieR:Automata (29:00) Pokémon Sleep (31:30) Bitzee (42.55) Common’hood (48:40) Aliens: Dark Descent (53:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Judge rules FTC cannot delay Microsoft acquisition of ABK, CMA still hanging on (1:01:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-wins-crucial-ftc-case-on-activision-blizzard-acquisition https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-11/ftc-leaning-toward-appealing-microsoft-activision-loss https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/12/23792245/uk-cma-microsoft-activision-blizzard-deal-negotiations The number of legally unobtainable games is staggering (1:12:10) https://gamehistory.org/87percent/ Nintendo hasn’t made much headway in terms of gender gap (1:21:55) https://www.axios.com/2023/07/06/nintendo-pay-gap-women Yuji Naka sentenced for his financial crimes (1:23:35) https://gonintendo.com/contents/22870-yuji-naka-sentenced-to-2-5-years-in-prison-for-insider-trading --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Our position is now in question. Games we played this week include: Everybody 1-2-Switch (1:05) NieR:Automata (24:10) Playdate (36:35) The Last Hope (54:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: So many things have leaked because of poor redaction by FTC (1:04:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-court-documents-removed-after-redacted-details-spotted Microsoft wanted to buy Square Enix in 2019 (1:01:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-considered-square-enix-buyout-court-documents-reveal Microsoft’s lawyer keeps saying unannounced things as though they’re public knowledge (1:04:07) https://www.theverge.com/23768244/ftc-microsoft-activision-blizzard-case-news-announcements https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-expected-to-release-a-playstation-5-slim-later-this-year-priced-39999-microsoft-says Satya Nadella claims he doesn’t like console exclusives (1:06:50) https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-ceo-if-it-were-up-to-me-id-get-rid-of-exclusives Ubisoft announces its first blockchain game (1:09:05) https://www.kotaku.com.au/2023/06/ubisoft-blockchain-champions-tactics-grimoria-chronicles/ Niantic lays off 230 people and cancels projects after successfully alienating Pokémon Go fans (1:10:37) https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/niantic-layoffs-pokemon-go-shutting-down-games-1235658759/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Little, but mighty. Games we played this week include: Choo Choo Survivor (13:35) Pikmin 3 Deluxe (25:00) Final Fantasy XVI (31:40) Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine (58:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Evidence in FTC hearings provide inside look into console manufacturers (1:04:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsofts-pledge-to-keep-call-of-duty-on-playstation-sparked-concern-at-bethesda-email-shows https://www.eurogamer.net/xbox-exec-matt-booty-wanted-to-spend-sony-out-of-business https://www.vg247.com/microsoft-bought-bethesda-zenimax-stop-starfield-playstation-exclusive https://www.eurogamer.net/in-private-playstation-didnt-seem-concerned-about-xbox-exclusivity-for-call-of-duty-at-all https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-says-we-have-lost-the-console-waras-ftc-hearing-gets-underway https://www.vg247.com/ps6-release-date-indiana-jones-exclusivity-game-pass-everything-learned-from-day-one-of-ftc-trial https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-says-it-wouldnt-share-ps6-details-with-microsoft-owned-activision https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-internal-documents-reportedly-show-it-considered-buying-sega-bungie --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

You just can’t depend on anything these days. Games we played this week include: Chocobo GP (8:30) Lies of P (14:20) Street Fighter 6 (20:28) Kapital Punishment 22XX (27:10) Aliens: Dark Descent (35:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Geoff Keighly wants you to know he wanted a woman at Summer Games Fest (46:50) https://kotaku.com/summer-game-fest-geoff-keighley-women-diversity-1850553957 After Redfall flop, Microsoft says they won’t close Arkane, honest (49:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/saints-row-owner-embracer-announces-comprehensive-restructuring-program-to-close-studios-cut-jobs Internal Microsoft email from 2019 has executive saying they want to put Sony out of business (53:55) https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671304215006773257 FTC is pointing to MS acquisition of Bethesda as evidence they would make Call of Duty exclusive (56:10) https://www.ign.com/articles/ftc-xbox-making-starfield-and-redfall-exclusive-powerful-evidence-against-activision-blizzard-merger --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Andrew F*ck is a game developer and the inventor of pineapple juice. We also talk about Final Fantasy XVI.

When faced with absurdity, return it in kind. Games we played this week include: Choo Choo Survivor (15:10) Street Fighter 6 (31:02) Ollie Frog: Toad Skater (48:50) Station to Station (50:05) Venba (51:30) Lies of P (53:50) Final Fantasy XVI (59:45) Cassette Beasts (1:11:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: FTC files case to block Microsoft acquisition of ABK until scheduled hearing in August (1:14:30) https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-activision-blizzard-xbox-ftc-ab5dd455ed5a2785983d8373915e3531 Embracer Group closing studios and canceling games after $2bn deal falls through (1:17:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/saints-row-owner-embracer-announces-comprehensive-restructuring-program-to-close-studios-cut-jobs Bioware announces and immediately canceled a collectible statue of floating dead FemShep (1:22:45) https://kotaku.com/mass-effect-shepard-dead-statue-bioware-pull-femshep-1850532001 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

A film out of time. Games we played this week include: Amnesia: The Bunker (19:00) Infernax (28:50) Street Fighter 6 (33:10) Outriders (40:50) Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (44:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bobby Kotick allowed to make wild claims about abuse allegations and unions in Variety interview (49:34) https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-blizzard-ceo-audaciously-claims-that-sexism-and-harassment-problems-were-made-up-by-an-aggressive-labor-movement-trying-to-destabilize-the-company/ Microsoft seems willing to pull out of UK over CMA refusal to allow merger with Activision (1:00:15) https://www.vg247.com/microsoft-withdraw-activision-uk Yuji Naka likely to do time for financial crime (1:01:35) https://kotaku.com/yuji-naka-prison-square-enix-sonic-final-fantasy-1850501221 Nintendo set to launch game reported to have performed very poorly in focus testing (1:03:15) https://www.polygon.com/23746686/1-2-switch-sequel-release-date-nintendo-party-game Report from Bloomberg sheds light on issues at Arkane which resulted in Redfall (1:07:30) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-01/arcane-s-redfall-misfire-for-xbox-panned-after-7-5-billion-microsoft-deal Niantic swears low shiny rate for remote raids in Pokémon Go event was totally an accident (1:11:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/pokemon-go-developer-sorry-for-technical-issue-which-saw-recently-nerfed-remote-raids-offer-worse-shiny-odds --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Zelda and sauce in the Trashverse!

These milkers won’t stop. Games we played this week include: Lord of the Rings: Gollum (12:30) Demon Throttle (34:00) Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (40:25) Outriders (49:05) Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (54:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: People Makes Games publishes deep investigation of Disco Elysium dispute (57:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGIGA8taN-M Microsoft appeals CMA decision rejecting ABK merger (1:00:15) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/how-microsoft-hopes-to-defeat-the-cmas-block-against-its-abk-acquisition Last of Us multiplayer game put on the backburner (1:06:15) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/how-microsoft-hopes-to-defeat-the-cmas-block-against-its-abk-acquisition Valve removes Dolphin emulator page from Steam after DMCA request from Nintendo (1:08:55) https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2023/05/27/dolphin-steam-indefinitely-postponed/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

We didn’t see it coming. Games we played this week include: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (12:10) Boomerang Fu (49:05) Warhammer 40k: Boltgun (52:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Activision-Blizzard pays a pittance for not disclosing loot boxes to PEGI (56:30) https://www.thegamer.com/activision-blizzard-fined-diablo-immortal-loot-boxes-pegi/ Nintendo sued for loot boxes in Mario Kart Tour (1:03:15) https://kotaku.com/nintendo-class-action-lawsuit-loot-box-mario-kart-tour-1850462828 Niantic gets backlash for rolling back Pokémon Go remote raids which aided disabled players (1:08:02) https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-go-developers-respond-to-remote-raid-criticism-announce-shadow-raids --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

It’s not tears, exactly… Games we played this week include: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (4:05) Humanity (57:00) Alundra (1:02:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Saudi Arabia makes another big investment in Electronic Arts (1:03:45) https://tech4gamers.com/call-of-duty-warzone-introduces-pay-to-win-dlc/ EU approves Microsoft acquisition of ABK; UK regulators hold firm against it (1:04:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/eu-approves-microsofts-687bn-activision-blizzard-bid Years after launch, only sequel-exclusive mode for Overwatch 2 got canned without release (1:08:02) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/overwatch-2s-pve-mode-is-being-scrapped-blizzard-explains-what-happened-and-why/1100-6514242/ Xbox’s Phil Spencer expected reviews of Redfall to be significantly better (1:10:50) https://www.thegamer.com/redfall-mock-reviews-ten-points-higher-says-phil-spencer/ Sony did not appeal Australian court requiring it to reimburse FIFA customers over gambling laws (1:15:50) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/report-sony-fails-to-appeal-austrian-loot-box-verdict Horror film lifts its Inquisition logo from Dragon Age (1:19:35) https://www.thegamer.com/the-popes-exorcist-dragon-age-inquisition-logo-mistake/ ESRB reveals very erotic pillow talk found in Starfield (1:21:05) https://www.esrb.org/ratings/39293/starfield/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Our Gods are many-armed. Games we played this week include: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (6:50) Redfall (32:30) Breathedge (44:25) Final Fantasy II (50:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Call of Duty Warzone DLC goes hard on pay-to-win feature (56:50) https://tech4gamers.com/call-of-duty-warzone-introduces-pay-to-win-dlc/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Very focused, just not on the right things. Games we played this week include: Redfall (13:00) Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (25:05) Jedi Survivor (29:10) Lollipop Chainsaw (38:25) Final Fantasy (53:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Vampire Survivors to be adapted into animated series (56:50) https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/28/23702522/vampire-survivors-animated-tv-show Next Forza game will feature accessibility features for visually impaired players (58:55) https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/04/27/forza-motorsport-accessibility-features-blind-driving/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Sleep paralysis has a brand new bag. Games we played this week include: The Machine (10:45) Dead Island 2 (15:00) Shadows of the Damned (24:25) 2021 Moon Escape (46:20) Dango Dash (49:40) Final Fantasy IV (53:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: UK regulators decide not to allow Microsoft to merge with Activision-Blizzard (56:50) https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/26/britain-blocks-microsoft-acquisition-of-activision-blizzard.html Horizon Forbidden West patched with features for those with thalassophobia (1:06:55) https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/18/23688151/horizon-forbidden-west-patch-thalassophobia-mode Hasbro sent Pinkertons after a YouTuber who received expansion cards before release (1:09:00) https://www.polygon.com/23695923/mtg-aftermath-pinkerton-raid-leaked-cards --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Your resident Trashgirls get tongue deep in tomatoes while discussing such Grasshopper classics as Killer7, No More Heroes, and Shadows of the Damned. Also, more obligatory Final Fantasy talk!

We disbelieve. Games we played this week include: Vampire Survivors (10:00) Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood (12:30) Killer7 (20:00) Gunsuit Guardians (40:20) Wildfrost (42.00) VHS Slaughter (46:25) No More Heroes (51:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: YouTuber Pointcrow aggressively targeted by Nintendo over Breath of the Wild mod video (1:06:10) https://www.dexerto.com/legend-of-zelda/pointcrow-pleads-with-nintendo-to-reverse-copyright-strikes-ahead-of-totk-release-2115124/ SEGA to acquire Angry Birds developer Rovio for nefarious purpose (1:10:25) https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/17/23686155/sega-sammy-acquires-rovio-angry-birds-developer-mobile-games Latest Peppa Pig game tells kids the Queen is dead (1:12:10) https://kotaku.com/peppa-pig-game-world-adventures-queen-british-reaction-1850243700 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

And not from an elastic member. Games we played this week include: Vampire Survivors (6:15) Kenshi (13:25) Road 96: Mile 0 (20:40) It Comes In Waves (28:00) Spiritfall (35:35) Gunsuit Guardians (39:00) Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (50.55) Dredge (53:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Sony tries to use Redfall port cancellation to stop Microsoft merger via the CMA (54:20) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/642e9aee7de82b0012313735/SIE_response.pdf Microsoft trots out another mobile streaming agreement (56:10) https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/1645668066578276352 That Mario movie seems to be doing alright for itself (57:15) https://variety.com/2023/film/news/super-mario-bros-movie-box-office-records-opening-weekend-1235577764/ Controller patent application from Sony suggests heat-based haptic features (1:14:55) https://exputer.com/news/industry/sony-elastic-improve-haptic-feedback/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Shit joke, innit? Games we played this week include: Burnout Takedown (13:45) Dredge (19:25) Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (26:50) Flame Keeper (32:35) Tokyo Mob (39:35) Unnamed Roguelike (41:25) 1-Bit Arena / 1-Bit Jetpack (45:30) The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (46:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Saudi Arabia making large investments into domestic games industry (52:50) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-03/saudi-arabia-is-investing-38-billion-to-become-a-video-game-hub Monster Energy sues game developer over spurious trademark infringement claim (54:30) https://www.thegamer.com/monster-energy-goes-after-glowstick-entertainment-for-using-the-word-monster/ E3 is dead (1:04:50) https://nordic.ign.com/news/65605/e3-has-been-canceled Sony adding accessibility tag features to PlayStation store (1:14:55) https://www.polygon.com/23668607/ps5-accessibility-options-settings-store-games-playstation --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Sneaks up on ya. Games we played this week include: Tax Heaven 3000 (3:05) Boneraiser Minions (13:45) Have a Nice Death (22:50) Before Your Eyes (32:20) Core Fault (34:10) Shining Gadget (35:35) Factory Farming (36:20) Resident Evil 4 Remake (40:55) Pizza Tower (50:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Confusion arises over discarded plans for PS5 version of Redfall (55:20) https://www.destructoid.com/redfall-ps5-microsoft-arkane-purchase-zenimax-xbox-exclusive/ UK’s Competition and Markets Authority expected to allow Microsoft merger (57:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsofts-activision-blizzard-takeover-will-not-result-in-a-substantial-lessening-of-competition-says-cma US Senator in Microsoft’s home state raises suggestion that Sony has the real monopoly (59:32) https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2023/03/cantwell-calls-out-sonys-gaming-monopoly-in-exchange-with-us-trade-rep-tai-00088607 Bobby Kotick promises not to be vindictive toward Sony over merger dispute (1:01:20) https://activisionblizzard.substack.com/p/microsoft-deal-update-march Publishers are showing their pullout game when it comes to E3 (1:02:35) https://www.ign.com/articles/rumors-swirl-around-e3s-future-as-sega-even-more-publishers-back-out --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The Trashgirls return to discuss Resident Evil, shifting cultural perspectives, and the terrible things a Tonberry might do to you at night.

Podquisition 430: A Champion In Our Midst Have you heard the news? Games we played this week include: Boneraiser Minions (9:35) Vampire Survivors (23:15) Pokémon Scarlet/Violet (24:45) Aliens Infestation (34:45) Anemoiapolis (38:10) Void Scrappers (44:05) Bloom (51:05) You Cannot Go Back (55:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft implementing machine learning to write NPC dialogue (58:55) https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-ai-writing-scriptwriting-ghostwriter-machine-1850250316 Sony claims the loss of Call of Duty would be irreparable to their business (1:06:50) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6411a823d3bf7f79daa1123b/Sony_Interactive_Entertainment_s_response_to_the_provisional_findings.pdf But Microsoft believes that Sony can replicate Call of Duty if they try (1:09:45) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6418811b8fa8f547c1112371/Microsoft_s_supplemental_response_to_the_notice_of_possible_remedies.pdf EU regulators push back date of their decision on the Microsoft merger (1:13:25) https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/microsoft-offers-eu-remedies-seeking-ok-activision-deal-2023-03-17/ Microsoft to launch their own mobile app store (1:14:05) https://www.ft.com/content/7707705e-b288-4531-b30d-7fa993325018 Canadian judge says EA loot boxes aren’t ‘illegal gambling’, lets deceptive practices claim move forward (1:16:51) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/canada-judge-rejects-unlawful-gambling-accusation-in-ea-loot-box-lawsuit Rare’s co-founder now has to lick a 25 year-old BAFTA made of chocolate (1:18:15) https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/03/random-tim-stamper-has-to-lick-25-year-old-chocolate-bafta-because-banjo-kazooie-won-a-twitter-tournament --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Make sure people know what they mean to you before it’s too late. Games we played this week include: France Horn (8:50) Bloom (11:20) Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Demo (16:40) Dome Keeper (32:50) Core Fault (37:55) Fatal Frame Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (44:35) Generations (53:20) Down the Oubliette (56:00) BROK the InvestiGator (58:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft takes out ads in UK papers to promote Activision-Blizzard merger (56:00) https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/8/23631142/microsoft-really-wants-call-of-duty Microsoft makes more deals promising to keep Call of Duty non-exclusive for ten years (59:20) https://news.microsoft.com/2023/03/14/microsoft-announces-partnership-with-cloud-gaming-provider-boosteroid-to-bring-more-games-to-more-players-around-the-world/ https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/1635989326202011655 Microsoft claims confidence in ability to bring Call of Duty to Switch (1:04:00) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64088cf9d3bf7f25f61ff804/Microsoft.Activision_-_Response_to_Remedies_Notice_-_NCV__2_.pdf Sony suggests Microsoft might use dirty tactics to make Call of Duty less desirable on PlayStation (1:03:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-says-microsoft-may-release-a-playstation-version-of-call-of-duty-where-bugs-and-errors-emerge-only-on-the-games-final-level-or-after-later-updates Newly discovered cockroach species named after Pokémon (1:05:30) https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/new-species-of-cockroach-discovered-in-singapore-named-after-pokemon --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Podquisition 428: Positive Feedback He’s trying. Games we played this week include: b360 (15:50) Ratcheteer (18:35) Dome Keeper (20:55) Final Fantasy IX (27:20) Recommendation Dog (33:50) Reel Steal (35:50) A Joke That’s Worth 99 Cents (39:05) Wo Long (41:15) Super Princess Peach (43:20) GameKid (48:05) Super Corporate Tax Evader (50:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Square Enix reportedly planning to replace CEO Yosuke Matsuda (56:00) https://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-square-enix-ceo-nft-crypto-blockchain-1850184312 Yuji Naka admits to insider trading (57:50) https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/03/yuji-naka-admits-guilt-during-insider-trading-case ABK acquisition expected to be cleared by EU regulators (59:20) https://www.polygon.com/23604013/blizzard-entertainment-mike-ybarra-qa-meeting Microsoft releases survey results suggesting few CoD players will jump ship from PlayStation (1:04:00) https://www.axios.com/2023/03/06/microsoft-key-call-of-duty-sony-uk-cma FTC judge gives Microsoft access to Sony communications regarding exclusivity agreements (1:03:25) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/microsoft-granted-access-to-sony-documents-the-ftcs-response-in-detail Activision accused of firing QA employees over protest (1:05:30) https://kotaku.com/activision-accused-of-illegally-fired-qa-testers-over-r-1850171073 Jack Black’s huge swinging balls censored on daytime television (1:09:35) https://kotaku.com/jack-black-bowser-super-mario-bros-movie-balls-nbc-1850181162 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

It's all about those family values. Games we played this week include: Ragnarock (08:25) Octopath Traveller 2 (15:39) Humanity Demo (44:28) Tentacular (49:05) Resident Evil Village VR (49:55) Kirby Return to Dreamland Deluxe (52:08) Laura's Playdate Corner (1:00:00) Battleship Godies (1:00:48) Forrest Byrnes: Up in Smoke (1:03:35) Fantavision (1:06:08) Sector's Edge Beta (1:20:31) --- News things talked about in this episode: Final Fantasy XVI Producer uses "Gamer Pride" to Justify Accessibility Option Choices (1:09:45) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-fantasy-xvi-producers-pride-as-a-gamer-influenced-new-take-on-difficulty-settings/1100-6511849/?fbclid=IwAR2eKM3uCCLPgO6_B3nhRAQSN0-Qp3Cfangbkv_yxSD4KCTqduefvLR7KaI Atomic Heart Contains a Racist Cartoon (1:23:33) https://www.eurogamer.net/mundfish-apologises-after-racist-cartoons-were-discovered-in-atomic-heart?fbclid=IwAR2SD5OvQIZT0CVt7VYUz1yDJpA3g0GDfNyE0ARCTspZwzj-WZ4LOFMRqwA Beyond Good & Evil 2 studio reportedly under investigation for "unprecedented" burnout and sick leave (1:25:48) https://www.eurogamer.net/beyond-good-evil-2-studio-reportedly-under-investigation-for-unprecedented-burnout-and-sick-leave?fbclid=IwAR1gV-LDO9JU0K_cUskP1ZlDHRbYI7QG1GKxSzQ27_4D2tO7wS42dnhCIco EA Lays Off 200 Apex Legends QA Workers (1:28:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/ea-reportedly-lays-off-200-apex-legends-qa-testers?fbclid=IwAR3UqMSL0EzK85VSfHGnBJ7mubWlML-MId3yDO_5X869CALiqI2W5oPWX1E Rovio Hides Angry Birds Because It Doesn't Have Enough Microtransactions (1:32:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/angry-birds-will-leave-android-store-developer-says-its-just-too-popular?fbclid=IwAR2aeomYoT3KMo_XpPhAfjn7V4wVjT1rAnMhJBH8eOOSpd45lFWu9ai3PVA

After a while, it all runs together. Games we played this week include: Rez Infinite (08:15) Horizon: Call of the Mountain (10:00) What the Bat? (11:45) Thumper (12:35) Tetris Effect Connected (13:05) Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (13:30) Townsman VR (24:45) Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge: Enhanced Edition (25:15) Moss 1 & 2 (26:30) Kayak VR Mirage (27:50) Jurassic World: Aftermath Collection (29:10) Atomic Heart (30:30) Cities VR (40:40) Gran Turisimo 7 (41:15) Atelier Breaker (44:40) Wanted: Dead (47:50) Snak (50:15) Sasquatches (52:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft makes deals with Nintendo and Nvidia in attempt to placate antitrust regulators (56:00) https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/21/23608634/microsoft-activision-blizzard-deal-nintendo-nvidia-partners Microsoft says ABK acquisition will not happen without Call of Duty (57:45) https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2023-02-21/microsoft-says-no-to-activision-merger-without-call-of-duty Mike Ybarra responds poorly to employee concerns at Blizzard (1:00:20) https://www.polygon.com/23604013/blizzard-entertainment-mike-ybarra-qa-meeting Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom art book leaks, reveals loads about the unreleased game (1:04:00) https://kotaku.com/legend-zelda-tears-kingdom-spoilers-art-book-leak-1850134905 Monster vaginas are in The Witcher III for a limited time (1:05:25) https://kotaku.com/witcher-3-wild-hunt-mod-hd-monsters-reworked-vaginas-1850114314

A very special friend returns. Games we played this week include: Redtape (15:45) Wanted: Dead (21:00) Spellcorked (35:00) Inventory Hero (40:00) Satisfactory (44:30) Metroid Prime Remastered (49:00) Commodore 64 Games (59:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Saudi Arabia believed to have increased investment stake in Nintendo (1:19:00) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/saudi-arabia-has-reportedly-increased-its-stake-in-nintendo-again/ Metroid Prime Remaster doesn’t credit original Metroid Prime team (1:20:15) https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/02/metroid-prime-engineer-let-down-by-exclusion-of-original-credits-in-remaster Bobby Kotick expected to stay in CEO role at Activision Blizzard if Microsoft merger fails (1:20:15) https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/activision-ceo-kotick-will-stay-in-unlikely-event-microsoft-merger-fails Sony claims Microsoft demands for documents in FTC case are harassment (1:24:55) https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-gaming-5a973220-9675-4245-964a-3476a3e9c4ec.html Square Enix delivers one obvious detail about their first blockchain game and little else (1:26:30) https://www.coindesk.com/web3/2023/02/15/gaming-company-square-enix-partners-with-polygon-for-nft-art-project/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Never trust a banana. Games we played this week include: Hi-Fi Rush (11:55) Final Fantasy XII (29:30) Final Fantasy XV (35.40) Star Sled (42:55) Saturday Edition (45:30) Tomodachi Life (53:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: UK regulators determine Microsoft and ABK merger might be bad for consumers, make demands (1:00:55) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/02/uk-regulators-come-down-hard-against-microsofts-activision-acquisition/ https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1623320803738517504?s=20&t=XSLimLtI9cihZE4jOiLQfQ Bobby Kotick suggests UK opposition to Microsoft merger could ruin its economy (1:05:50) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMhgIxo1Xi0 Unannounced single-player Titanfall/Apex Legends game gets axed, 50 employees affected (1:10:10) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-01/electronic-arts-cancels-secret-apex-legends-game-in-development --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Welcome to your home for the hottest reviews of imitation beef. Games we played this week include: Dead Space (2:20) Hi-Fi Rush (27:00) Forspoken (45:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft Paris workers perform strike action, plan more (1:00:55) https://www.axios.com/2023/01/30/ubisoft-workers-strike-paris Xbox exec claims Last of Us TV success means FTC should leave merger alone (1:02:20) https://kotaku.com/last-us-tv-xbox-activision-blizzard-acquisition-sony-1850051036 All three console manufacturers expected to pass on E3 show (1:08:15) https://www.ign.com/articles/xbox-nintendo-sony-skipping-e3-2023 Run-up to Sony VR2 launch doesn’t seem to be going well (1:14:40) https://kotaku.com/playstation-vr2-price-preorder-sony-ps5-virtual-reality-1850052811 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A brand new show comes to the Jimquisition Podcast Outlet! Our lovely Trashgirls Stephanie and Elsa try to stick to the script as they discuss everything around the topic they set out to discuss. Collector's editions, sausage boxing, Dragon Age, and the beloved Stranger of Paradise hat... what more could you want?

We’re seeing them. Games we played this week include: Forspoken (7:45) Cyberpunk 2077 (33:10) Hyper Meteor (46:10) Zipper (47:10) Theatrhythm Curtain Call (53:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Yves Guillmot tried to walk back “ball is in your court” comment to workers (1:01:45) https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-assassin-s-creed-mirage-far-cry-delay-canceled-1850001343 Ubisoft Paris workers will be striking (1:02:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-paris-unions-call-for-strike-on-friday Games industry layoffs are brutal (1:04:05) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/unity-lays-off-nearly-300 https://kotaku.com/microsoft-layoff-xbox-343-halo-bethesda-coalition-1850002600 Study finds self-regulation is inconsistent at labeling games with loot boxes (1:15:15) https://osf.io/asbcg/ Workers at Activision-Blizzard studio Proletariat drop bid to unionize following CEO pressure (1:20:55) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/proletariat-unionization-vote-request-dropped --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

One option seems less desirable. Games we played this week include: Melatonin (5:00) Hades (10:40) Cyberpunk 2077 (19:45) Omaze (38:40) Demon Quest 85 (41:35) Chibi-Robo! (45:25) A Short Hike (51:10) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (46:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft delays Skull & Bones again and ends development on three unannounced games (1:05:35) https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/01/11/ubisoft-cancels-three-unannounced-games-skull-and-bones-delayed-again Beyond Good & Evil 2 allegedly still in development despite other cuts at Ubisoft (1:09:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/beyond-good-evil-2-still-in-development-ubisoft-insists Ubisoft stock plummets, Yves pressures staff to take responsibility (1:13:40) https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-skull-bones-delay-assassins-creed-far-cry-cuts-1849975925 Workers being called to strike at Ubisoft Paris (1:15:25) https://twitter.com/SolInfoJeuVideo/status/1615263954955116546 Activision acquisition now coming under fire from Google, Nvidia (1:18:55) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-12/google-nvidia-express-concerns-to-ftc-about-microsoft-s-activision-deal The EU has their own antitrust concerns about Microsoft acquiring ABK (1:20:15) https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-faces-eu-antitrust-warning-over-activision-deal-sources-2023-01-16/ The Bored Ape game is hilariously convoluted and bad (1:22:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7LiVBCZ69Q --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Go go go Zilla. Games we played this week include: Satisfactory (11:20) Flipper Lifter (14:00) Echoic Memory (16:20) Chained Echoes (19:00) Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (30:45) Baba Files His Taxes (35:15) Hades (36:40) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (46:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Sony announces an accessibility controller (57:15) https://blog.playstation.com/2023/01/04/introducing-project-leonardo-for-playstation-5-a-highly-customizable-accessibility-controller-kit/ Majora’s Mask devs used in-game dialogue to express unhappiness about crunch (1:03:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/majoras-masks-most-infamous-line-is-actually-all-about-crunch Microsoft didn’t mean to file claim FTC lawsuit was unconstitutional (1:05:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-admits-unconstitutional-ftc-lawsuit-claim-was-a-mistake Vampire Survivors dev talks about how their mobile version happened (1:17:40) https://www.vg247.com/vampire-survivors-developer-talks-mobile-port Bloober Team won’t be touching the plot in their Silent Hill 2 remake (1:13:35) https://www.dreadxp.com/interview/bringing-the-fear-interview-with-anna-jasinska-from-bloober-team/ The Last of Us television series seems to be a critical darling (1:16:15) https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_last_of_us/s01/reviews --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Fun with bodies. Games we played this week include: Pick, Pack, Pup (15:30) Lost Your Marbles (18:00) Tamagotchi Pix Party (22:30) Satisfactory (31:55) Super Lesbian Animal RPG (37:15) Lil’ Gator Game (41:25) Spelunky 2 (50:45) Dragon’s Dogma (52:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Zenimax QA union formally recognized by Microsoft (53:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-recognises-300-person-zenimax-testers-union Microsoft’s responds to FTC suit attempting to block ABK acquisition (59:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-claims-ftcs-lawsuit-against-activision-blizzard-buyout-is-unconstitutional Square Enix dropping Bravely Default live service game, reiterates all-in position on blockchain (1:13:20) https://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/news/2023/html/a_new_years_letter_from_the_president_3.html Yuji Naka formally indicted on charges of insider trading (1:17:40) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/yuji-naka-indicted-in-square-enix-insider-trading-case/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Thanks for spending some of it with us. --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

One for you, one for me. Games we played this week include: High on Life (13:30) Vampire Survivors Moonspell DLC (50:40) Potion Craft (56:50) Blacktail (1:10:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Expensive Dual Sense Edge has less battery life than standard PS5 controller (1:07:40) https://www.theverge.com/23518070/sony-ps5-dualsense-edge-gamepad-battery-life Tesla cars can now play your Steam library (1:11:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/tesla-rolling-out-steam-integration-in-cars Activision COO leaving to run the ape JPEG company (1:15:10) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-19/activision-s-departing-coo-to-lead-startup-behind-bored-ape-nfts Chocobo Racing GP abruptly announces end of services (1:21:20) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/phil-spencer-claims-playstation-wants-to-grow-by-making-xbox-smaller/ Self-described “video gamers” file suit to prevent Microsoft acquisition of Activision-Blizzard (1:23:15) https://kotaku.com/microsoft-activision-merger-lawsuit-ftc-call-of-duty-1849917017 Goat Simulator 3 trailer pulled on copyright grounds for including leaked GTA VI footage (1:27:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/indie-dev-suggests-players-dont-buy-his-game-as-the-relationship-with-their-publisher-has-dissolved Limited edition G-Fuel energy drink powder based on Conker’s Bad Fur Day (1:29:55) https://gfuel.com/products/conker-mighty-poo-collectors-box --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Aw geez. Games we played this week include: High on Life (5:45) Yum Tum Cookstar (28:55) Clumsy Rush Ultimate Guys (33:15) Armored Core IV (37:25) Crisis Core Reunion (43:05) Potion Craft (54:00) Octopath Traveler (1:04:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Twitch drops anti-LGBTQ hate group from its list of supportable charities (1:07:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/twitch-removes-hate-group-from-approved-charities-following-backlash Activision countersues California Civil Rights Department, implies collusion with unions and media (1:10:20) https://www.axios.com/2022/12/08/activision-lawsuit-california-civil-rights-department FTC files to block Microsoft acquisition of Activision-Blizzard (1:15:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/ftc-suing-to-block-microsofts-69bn-activision-blizzard-acquisition Phil Spencer accuses Sony of attempting to grow by eating Microsoft’s dinner (1:20:10) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/phil-spencer-claims-playstation-wants-to-grow-by-making-xbox-smaller/ Microsoft reportedly offered to allow Call of Duty on PlayStation Plus to appease Sony and regulators (1:23:00) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-12/microsoft-s-offer-to-sony-for-call-of-duty-includes-subscription-service#xj4y7vzkg Indie dev sued by publisher after discouraging players from buying game, defacing Steam page (1:25:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/indie-dev-suggests-players-dont-buy-his-game-as-the-relationship-with-their-publisher-has-dissolved Days Gone director attributes his failures to ‘woke’ critics (1:30:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/days-gone-wasnt-a-hit-because-reviewers-were-too-woke-director-claims --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

All doctors are bastards. Games we played this week include: Callisto Protocol (6:00) Marvel’s Midnight Suns (27:55) Mirror Forge (39:35) The Devil In Me (49:45) Gungrave (56:25) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (1:06:20) Void Scrappers (1:12:45) Beautiful Mystic Survivors (1:15:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft agrees to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo for 10 years after Activision-Blizzard acquisition (1:20:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-agrees-10-year-deal-to-bring-call-of-duty-to-nintendo-if-activision-blizzard-buyout-goes-through https://www.eurogamer.net/ftc-reportedly-softens-stance-on-blocking-microsoft-activision-blizzard-merger QA unions formalized at Blizzard Albany and Zenimax studios (1:26:00) https://www.polygon.com/23490063/activision-blizzard-albany-qa-union-vote-win https://kotaku.com/microsoft-zenimax-bethesda-elder-scrolls-fallout-union-1849855756 Polygon’s games industry unionization explainer (1:29:35) https://www.polygon.com/23485977/video-game-unions-guide-explainer Twitch implements long-needed tools to deal with hate raiders (1:31:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/twitch-implements-shield-mode-to-improve-hate-raid-protection Newly published research shows loot boxes are harmful to children (1:32:20) http://www.gaminggamblingresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ESRC-BGG-Final-Report-2022.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMmNy11Mn7g Vampire Survivors first DLC announced (1:33:45) https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/6/23496626/vampire-survivors-legacy-of-the-moonspell-expansion-dlc-release-date Victoria 3 players are surprised to learn how communism and fascism work (1:34:25) https://kotaku.com/victoria-3-communism-op-paradox-simulation-capitalism-1849832954 https://twitter.com/Ancommiey/status/1599211229339594752 Yuji Naka has been arrested for insider trading… again (1:42:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/former-sonic-boss-yuji-naka-re-arrested-as-fresh-insider-trading-allegations-emerge --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Keep your head. Games we played this week include: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (14:10) Evil West (21:30) Gungrave VR (51:20) Gungrave G.O.R.E. (56:15) Roller Drama (1:00:45) What the Bat? (1:13:40) Among Us VR (1:16:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: Latest Super Mario Bros. movie trailer provides more plot and character details (1:23:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGl01FkMMo Australia now looking to regulate loot boxes (1:30:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/australian-mp-proposes-loot-box-regulation-bill Microsoft likely to make concessions on CoD exclusivity to avoid antitrust concerns (1:31:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-likely-to-make-eu-concessions-in-activision-blizzard-deal-soon https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/23/exclusive-feds-likely-to-challenge-microsofts-69-billion-activision-takeover-00070787 UK gaming startup announces gaming console specifically for dogs (1:34:55) https://www.axios.com/2022/11/28/dogs-video-games-joipaw --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

May all your issues be joyful. Games we played this week include: Gingrave G.O.R.E. (14:40) Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (27:15) The Evil Dead: The Game (1:06:10) Ghost Lore (1:09:15) God of War Ragnarök (1:11:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft offered to let Sony have Call of Duty for a decade after acquisition (1:15:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-says-it-offered-sony-10-year-deal-to-keep-call-of-duty-on-playstation Activision loosens multiplayer requirements, allowing non-contract phone plans for online gaming (1:17:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/activision-blizzard-eases-sms-verification-requirements-for-call-of-duty-and-overwatch Cooking Mama Cookstar publisher gets judgment in suit against developer (1:19:50) https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/11/cooking-mama-ip-holder-sues-planet-entertainment-for-sale-of-cooking-mama-cookstar Yuji Naka arrested on charges of insider trading (1:23:45) https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20221118/p2a/00m/0na/042000c Riot and Ubisoft coordinating their chat logs with AI to fight online harassment (1:29:40) https://www.vg247.com/riot-games-and-ubisoft-team-up-in-ai-research-project-using-player-chat-logs-as-training-data --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The fan base is fucking insufferable. Games we played this week include: Sonic Frontiers (9:30) Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (16:00) Fallout 4 (34:10) God of War Ragnarok (38:45) Ghost Song (44:20) Sonic Forces (54:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Translated tweet from Sonic Frontiers director suggests game shipped unfinished (59:45) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sonic-frontiers-is-a-global-playtest-and-there-are-still-improvements-to-be-made-director-says/ ZA/UM dispute raises questions about company sale and employee mistreatment (1:03:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/fired-disco-elysium-director-claims-new-owners-took-control-of-zaum-through-fraud Microsoft did make a streaming-only Xbox, literally shelved it (1:07:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/phil-spencer-says-xbox-shelved-game-streaming-box-because-it-was-too-expensive Sony files patent for means of tracking digital ownership with NFTs (1:08:25) https://gamesual.com/news/sony-patent-tracking-history-assets/ Rockstar was pitched a Grand Theft Auto movie with Eminem for the lead in 2005 (1:09:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/rockstar-once-rejected-a-gta-film-starring-eminem --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Someone will buy this premise. Games we played this week include: God of War Ragnarok (13:20) Sonic Frontiers (20:50) New Tales from the Borderlands (49:45) The Last Oricru (55:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey built a VR headset designed to kill the user (1:09:20) https://palmerluckey.com/if-you-die-in-the-game-you-die-in-real-life/ Activision-Blizzard attempts further stalling tactics, withholding (1:19:55) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/activision-blizzard-files-motion-to-impound-albany-union-vote-ballots Bobby Kotick supported election denier candidate in House race (1:21:40) https://kotaku.com/bobby-kotick-activision-mike-garcia-republican-election-1849754755 Activision-Blizzard drags feet on every issue in first Game Workers Alliance bargaining session (1:34:15) https://gameworkersalliance.com/2022/11/03/november-2nd-2022-bargaining-session-update/ League of Legends characters’ queer status will be erased in some markets (1:37:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/riot-admits-to-censoring-league-of-legends-characters-in-some-markets-in-wake-of-first-gay-black-champion Director Naoki Yoshida claims lack of racial diversity in FF16 based on historical accuracy (1:37:50) https://www.ign.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-square-enix-interview-lore Street Fighter VI adds “Dynamic Control” mode for the button mashers (1:40:20) https://www.gameinformer.com/exclusive/2022/11/08/street-fighter-6-exclusive-first-look-at-new-dynamic-control-scheme-meant-to --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Gotta pay those bills. Games we played this week include: God of War Ragnarok (11:40) Bayonetta 3 (20:40) Signalis (40:00) New Tales from the Borderlands (58:20) Super Lone Survivor (1:04:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: PlayStation VR 2 alone priced higher than PS5 console at $550 (1:08:00) https://kotaku.com/s5-psvr2-price-release-date-horizon-call-mountain-1849731902 Players are finding it easier to get Overwatch 2 skins by playing World of Warcraft (1:10:30) https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/its-faster-to-earn-overwatch-2-skins-through-playing-wow-than-the-actual-game-players-suggest Burger King promo skin for Call of Duty unavailable in US and UK getting high prices on eBay (1:13:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/call-of-duty-fans-spend-30-on-in-game-burger-king-skins Digital charm in Overwatch 2 priced higher than a real-world counterpart (1:14:20) https://www.vg247.com/overwatch-2-charm-cheaper-real-life-than-in-game Disc release of Call of Duty contains practically no data on the disc (1:15:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/modern-warfare-2s-disc-has-a-whopping-70mb-of-data Phil Spencer states commitment to releasing Call of Duty on PlayStation after Microsoft acquisition (1:17:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-will-keep-call-of-duty-on-sony-platforms-as-long-as-theres-a-playstation-out-there-to-ship-to Microsoft board urges shareholders not to investigate US defense contracts (1:18:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/microsofts-board-of-directors-votes-against-independent-report-into-military-contracts Tesla wanted to put Her Story and Untitled Goose Game in cars in exchange for exposure (1:12:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/sam-barlow-was-offered-exposure-to-put-her-story-in-a-tesla Square-Enix once again states commitment to blockchain strategy (1:22:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/square-enix-wants-to-make-global-hit-titles-and-believes-blockchain-will-play-a-key-part-in-future-growth --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We’re professionals, after all. Games we played this week include: Hot Tentacle Shooter (3:40) BOSSGAME: The Final Boss is My Heart (11:15) FAITH: The Unholy Trinity (17:10) Batman: Gotham Knights (24:10) Potionomics (35:05) Donut Dodo (42:50) Cultic (46:30) A Plague Tale: Requiem (49:55) Vampire Survivors (53:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Another charge of unfair labor actions by Activision Blizzard is filed (56:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/activision-blizzard-facing-new-charges-from-abk-workers-alliance-over-unfair-labour-practices Activision Blizzard marketing deal with Sony prevents Call of Duty from appearing on Game Pass (59:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-imposes-restrictions-on-call-of-dutys-ability-to-be-in-game-pass-xbox-claims Microsoft is working on their own mobile app store (1:03:10) https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/19/23411972/microsoft-xbox-mobile-store-games Overwatch 2 custom game modes need better/any moderation (1:04:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/blizzard-insists-its-working-to-improve-overwatch-2-moderation Voice actors still deserve better pay, even if Hellena Taylor sucks (1:08:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/bayonetta-voice-actress-issues-new-statement-defending-her-reputation-in-the-industry Robert Kurvitz, lead designer of Disco Elysium, has filed suit against ZA/UM (1:11:20) https://kotaku.com/disco-elysium-robert-kurvitz-suing-za-um-rpg-amazon-1849693328 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

So lifelike. Games we played this week include: Stories of Blossom (9:10) Scorn (12:30) Cryohazard (28:50) Alice is Missing (32:45) A Plague Tale: Requiem (38:35) Vampire Survivors (46:45) Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard (52:35) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bayonetta performer Helena Taylor raises controversy over voice actor pay (1:01:40) https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/oct/18/an-insult-video-game-voice-actors-speak-out-to-demand-fair-pay https://www.eurogamer.net/bayonetta-3-voice-actress-jennifer-hale-asks-fans-to-be-kinder-following-abuse Streamer Adriana Chechik breaks back jumping into foam pit at TwitchCon (1:07:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/streamer-who-broke-back-at-twitchcon-out-of-hospital-following-second-surgery Netflix considering expansion into game streaming (1:13:30) https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/18/netflix-to-expand-into-cloud-gaming-opens-new-studio-in-southern-california/ Activision only requiring phone verification for PC players of Call of Duty (1:15:25) https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2022/10/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-II-warzone-ricochet-anti-cheat-open-beta-recap Diablo quality assurance testers will have unionization vote (1:16:30) https://kotaku.com/blizzard-albany-qa-testers-diablo-iv-union-activision-1849674924 Nintendo settles with former QA worker, must post notification of worker rights in office (1:17:40) https://www.tweaktown.com/news/88846/microsoft-reveals-how-much-money-game-pass-actually-makes/index.html Apex Legends introduces trans woman, Catalyst, as latest character addition (1:19:35) https://www.gamesradar.com/new-apex-legends-character-catalyst-is-an-out-and-proud-transgender-woman/ Pilot for Kingdom Hearts animated series leaked by director following heart attack (1:20:45) https://www.vg247.com/kingdom-hearts-tv-pilot-shared-online Nintendo putting the squeeze on boobs in the eShop (1:21:05) https://www.vg247.com/nintendo-is-cracking-down-on-risque-content-on-the-eshop --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The only thing you have to lose is your dignity. Games we played this week include: Hazelnut Hex (10:30) Condemned: Criminal Origins (14:20) A Way Out (27:40) NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition (34:10) NeuroDeck (35:50) Fallout: New Vegas (40:20) Fallout 4 (46:35) Too Human (55:30) Red Faction: Armageddon (1:00:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Chris Pratt’s incredible voice in The Super Mario Bros. Movie finally revealed (1:04:25) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KydqdKKyGEk Scant additional details about ZA/UM Studio departures emerge (1:07:45) https://www.gamepressure.com/newsroom/fans-have-the-right-to-know-disco-elysium-co-creator-talks-zaum-l/z04ad7 Activision/Blizzard implementing verification process requiring players to have contract phones (1:11:10) https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-joins-overwatch-2-in-requiring-phone-number-verification/ Bug in Overwatch 2 causes accidental purchases, Activision/Blizzard refuses to refund (1:18:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/overwatch-2s-auto-purchase-bug-has-been-fixed-but-blizzard-still-wont-issue-refunds Yet another sexual abuse claim filed against Activision/Blizzard (1:19:35) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11300499/Call-Duty-video-game-maker-Activision-Blizzard-sued-female-worker-sexual-assault.html Cyberpunk 2077 QA contractor allegedly misrepresented themselves to CD Projekt Red (1:20:45) https://www.pcgamer.com/quantic-QA-tester-report/ Antitrust investigation reveals information on Microsoft’s Game Pass revenues (1:25:30) https://www.tweaktown.com/news/88846/microsoft-reveals-how-much-money-game-pass-actually-makes/index.html Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier shutting down after a year in service (1:29:45) https://kotaku.com/ff7-first-soldier-battle-royale-mobile-shut-down-pc-ps4-1849647758 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Our secret agenda is laid bare. Games we played this week include: Dreamlight Valley (16:00) Return to Monkey Island (22:00) BioShock 2 (30:30) FRANKEN (35:05) The Binding of Isaac (37:00) Trombone Champ (38:00) Middle Earth: Shadow of War (39:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Activision Blizzard found to have withheld raises from unionizing workers https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/10/03/activision-raven-union-raises-nlrb/ Key writers and artists on Disco Elysium were quietly pushed out of ZA/UM last year (47:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/disco-elysium-dev-reveals-some-team-members-left-involuntarily PC ports of PlayStation titles will arrive at least a year after console release (57:05) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-games-will-wait-at-least-a-year-before-their-pc-release-except-for-live-service-titles/ Stadia is dead (1:00:10) https://blog.google/products/stadia/message-on-stadia-streaming-strategy/ Saudi Arabia wants to own a major game publisher (1:04:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/saudi-arabia-is-eyeing-up-the-acquisition-of-a-major-game-publisher Tencent now wants controlling interest in game companies outside of China (1:05:35) https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/tencent-shifts-focus-majority-deals-overseas-gaming-assets-growth-sources-2022-10-01/ Beyond Good & Evil 2 has now been in development longer than Duke Nukem Forever was (1:06:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/beyond-good-evil-2-overtakes-guinness-record-holder-duke-nukem-forever-as-game-longest-in-development --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Love it when a plan comes together. Games we played this week include: Trombone Champ (16:30) High Speed II: The Getaway (26:30) Scratching Memory (29:45) My Time at Portia (32:15) BioShock 2 (33:20) Dreamlight Valley (38:00) Mail Time (46:05) CorpoNation: The Sorting Process (47:00) Railbound (49:30) BLINNK and the Vacuum of Space (50:15) Sonic Frontiers (51:30) Prodeus (57:30) Shovel Knight Dig (1:01:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Alleged GTA VI hacker arrested in UK (1:04:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/suspected-grand-theft-auto-6-hacker-set-for-court https://www.eurogamer.net/suspected-gta-hacker-teen-held-in-youth-detention-centre Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot seems happy with his company culture (1:08:00) https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-ceo-assassin-s-creed-far-cry-toxic-harassment-1849583341 ReedPop announces new format for E3, with separate days for press and public (1:12:00) https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/e3-is-back-in-a-new-form-in-june-2023-and-here-are-the-dates Hellblade II will not be using AI voice actors in the final product (1:14:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/ninja-theory-disputes-claims-it-is-using-ai-to-replace-voice-actors --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Cross it. Games we played this week include: The Secret of Monkey Island / LeChuck’s Revenge (10:00) Return to Monkey Island (16:35) My Time at Sandrock (22:20) Thymesia (29:00) Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (35:40) Ring of Pain (37:30) Wayward Strand (42:35) You Suck at Parking (47:00) Aliens Fireteam Elite (53:40) The Outbound Ghost (56:20) Soulstice (58:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Twitter account leaking info exposed as YouTuber breaking embargoes (1:02:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/youtuber-slips-up-reveals-he-was-behind-insider-twitter-account-which-leaked-ubisoft-details-and-more Massive leak of GTA VI in-development content hits the interwebs, FBI is on the case (1:05:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/fbi-investigating-hacker-who-claimed-to-have-breached-rockstar-and-uber Microsoft, like a fox, suggest they’d be crazy to take Call of Duty off the PlayStation platform (1:13:25) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/microsoft-activision-acquisition-expected-to-face-deeper-investigations-in-uk-eu Andrew Wilson claims to believe Battlefield could replace Call of Duty as a cross-platform juggernaut (1:15:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/ea-boss-says-questions-over-call-of-duty-exclusivity-tremendous-opportunity-for-battlefield Twitch’s gambling issue flares up again over public incidents, site bans some gambling content (1:16:20) https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/20/23363760/mizkif-trainwreckstv-sexual-harassment-twitch-adrianahlee Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 map has loads of poorly translated Arabic and cultural ignorance (1:23:05) https://www.thegamer.com/warzone-2-0-al-mazrah-city-incorrect-arabic/ Disturbing report shows how Twitch enables child predators to find targets (1:24:00) https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-twitch-problem-with-child-predators --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We’re being very respectful. Games we played this week include: Wayward Strand (13:30) My Time at Sandrock (20:20) Fall Guys (21:35) Ashigaru: The Last Shogun (24:30) Steelrising (27:35) Ayn Odin Pro (43:10) Justice Sucks: Tactical Vacuum Action (50:30) Splatoon 3 (53:15) The Last of Us Part II (54:10) HoloCure: Save the Fans! (1:03:50) Let’s Tap (1:07:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Unreleased Meta Quest headset found in hotel trash a month before public reveal (1:13:00) https://kotaku.com/meta-quest-pro-vr-oculus-quest-2-facebook-zuckerberg-1849524690 Babylon’s Fall shutting down after less than a year as a live service game (1:16:30) https://hanging-garden.babylonsfall.com/news/pages/63034abc74473009630079 Yves Guillemot calls decade of workplace abuse and cover-ups at Ubisoft a “stumble”; also Tencent owns most of them now. (1:19:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/two-years-on-from-its-workplace-crisis-ubisoft-boss-says-company-stumbled --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Just let us photosynthesize a little longer. Games we played this week include: A Plague Tale: Innocence (10:20) Vampire Survivors (19:30) Arcade Paradise (22:20) The Last of Us Remastered (28:00) Immortality (32:10) Red Steel (37:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: Supposed Silent Hill remake screenshots leak (40:00) https://www.vg247.com/silent-hill-2-remake-screenshots-reportedly-leaked Microsoft is *so committed* to keeping Call of Duty multiplatform (43:10) https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/2/23334619/microsoft-sony-call-of-duty-playstation-letter-commitment-activision-blizzard Of course, Call of Duty will be a day one Game Pass release, but it’ll be on Playstation same day (45:30) https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2022/09/01/gaming-everyone-everywhere/ UK regulators will perform an in-depth investigation into Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard (47:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/uks-competition-regulator-to-undertake-in-depth-investigation-of-microsoft-activision-deal --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Did you feel that? It’s the sensation of a rug being pulled out from under. Games we played this week include: Vampire Survivors (12:30) Steel Rising (21:30) Arcade Paradise (30:10) The Last of Us Remastered (41:15) Jetpack Joyride 2 (51:00) Control (56:20) We Are OFK (1:03:10) A Plague Tale: Innocence (1:07:40) Alien Isolation (1:11:15) Opoona (1:15:50) Mad Dog McCree (1:17:30) Wii Sports (1:19:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bizarre lawsuit tries to claim all of Sony’s profit from PlayStation Store in UK as “overcharging” (1:22:30) https://news.sky.com/story/sony-playstation-being-sued-for-5-billion-amid-claims-it-ripped-off-nine-million-consumers-12678949 Xbox boss Phil Spencer wants to see fewer platform exclusives, honest (1:27:20) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-24/microsoft-xbox-s-chief-see-progress-with-regulators-on-deal-for-activision Denuvo is pitching their anti-piracy software to third-party publishers on Switch (1:29:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/denuvo-may-start-appearing-in-switch-games --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

This has gone on far too long. Games we played this week include: Cult of the Lamb (31:15) Saints Row (34:45) Cursed to Golf (43:30) Vampire Survivors (53:20) Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (1:02:00) House of the Dead Overkill (1:03:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: No news is good news. --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Jordan’s here with the new hot diet. Games we played this week include: Rollerdrome (7:05) The Mortuary Assistant (16:15) Cult of the Lamb (26:45) Kirby’s Dream Buffet (53:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Nintendo brought up on another labor board complaint. (1:01:00) https://kotaku.com/nintendo-switch-labor-complaint-nlrb-lawsuit-union-1849396722 Picture painted of Nintendo QA shows it to be the same as the rest of the industry (1:02:15) https://kotaku.com/nintendo-of-america-sexual-harassment-sexism-aerotek-1849414921 Microsoft accuses Sony of buying exclusivity from Game Pass (1:05:30) https://kotaku.com/microsoft-sony-xbox-game-pass-playstation-ps-plus-1849400688 Reggie Fils-Aime reveals Nintendo was working on a universal accessibility controller (1:08:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-was-working-on-platform-agnostic-accessibility-controller-reggie-fils-aime-says --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Feels like home. Games we played this week include: Turbo Golf Racing (18:55) Cult of the Lamb (26:35) Metal Gear Solid V (32:00) Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (34:50) The Mummy Demastered (38:00) Demon Throttle (43:10) Escape Academy (46:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bridget of Guilty Gear now canonically trans (49:20) https://kotaku.com/guilty-gear-strive-evo-2022-bridget-dlc-trans-rights-1849386887 David Cage thinks people are being very mean to him (50:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/david-cage-defends-response-to-allegations-of-unhealthy-studio-culture-at-quantic-dream-in-new-interview Tencent seeking to be largest shareholder in Ubisoft (59:10) https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/exclusive-tencent-plans-raise-stake-assassins-creed-maker-ubisoft-sources-2022-08-04/ GameStop NFT marketplace sells stolen indie games, now there forever (1:01:40) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/08/indie-devs-outraged-by-unlicensed-game-sales-on-gamestops-nft-market/ Activision Blizzard’s revenue last quarter dominated by mobile gaming (1:04:10) https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-blizzard-earned-more-on-mobile-games-last-quarter-than-pc-and-consoles-combined/ Cheat codes for a stage select and two-player mode found in Super Punch-Out (1:05:05) https://twitter.com/new_cheats_news/status/1556727895778856960 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

It's not enough to just have power over someone's life. Games we played this week include: Stray (15:45) Multiversus (22:35) Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (38:50) Vampire Survivors (46:55) Frogun (51:30) LIVE A LIVE (54:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: First hints of what Disco Elysium devs are doing found in job listings (54:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/disco-elysium-dev-seeks-artists-with-a-love-of-sci-fi-and-video-games Former Xbox exec Peter Moore says Microsoft encouraged console wars (55:50) https://www.ign.com/articles/xbox-encouraged-console-wars-peter-moore Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is latest first-party Nintendo release to leak in advance of release (58:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/xenoblade-chronicles-3-leaks-playable-on-steam-deck-before-switch-release Resident Evil Village getting accessibility update, but third-person mode pushed to paid DLC (59:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/resident-evil-village-will-receive-free-accessibility-update-alongside-dlc Ubisoft’s failure to address their issues is making them worse (1:01:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/a-year-later-a-better-ubisoft-says-none-of-its-demands-have-been-met Rockstar has finally made some changes to work culture (1:07:45) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-27/gta-6-release-date-rockstar-cleans-up-image-after-employee-backlash Last of Us Part 1 remake includes audio descriptions of cutscenes for visually impaired players (1:06:05) https://kotaku.com/the-last-of-us-part-1-remake-naughty-dog-sony-playstati-1849320167 Sony expresses concern over Microsoft acquisition of Activision, specifically Call of Duty (1:08:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-doesnt-sound-thrilled-microsoft-is-buying-call-of-duty-maker-activision Diablo Immortal player spends so much the game becomes unplayable for them (1:12:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/diablo-immortal-player-spends-100k-on-game-now-cant-find-anyone-suitable-to-matchmake-with --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The character of the summer has arrived. Games we played this week include: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (7:30) Stray (17:15) As Dusk Falls (29:50) My Time at Sandrock (34:50) LIVE A LIVE (39:10) Hell Pie (48:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Blizzard Albany QA make moves to organize another union (51:25) https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxndpx/revealed-documents-show-how-roblox-planned-to-bend-to-chinese-censorship Nintendo didn’t ask for Bayonetta 3 ‘Naive Angel’ mode, wanted sexier Link costume (56:05) https://nintendoeverything.com/bayonetta-creator-says-nintendo-never-asked-to-make-the-series-less-risque/ Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is latest first-party Nintendo release to leak in advance of release (58:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/xenoblade-chronicles-3-leaks-playable-on-steam-deck-before-switch-release Twitch implements features to address hate raids, needs to do more (1:02:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/twitch-streamers-positive-about-new-raid-feature-in-response-to-harassment VRChat nopes out of moderating user-generated content, shuts down all mods (1:05:00) https://venturebeat.com/2022/07/26/vrchat-is-banning-all-mods-including-one-for-the-hearing-impaired/ Meta Quest 2 headset is getting a $100 price increase in August (1:07:45) https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/26/23279272/meta-quest-2-occulus-100-price-increase --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We know we said it was hot previously, but we’ve learned a lot since then. Games we played this week include: PowerWash Simulator (9:20) Metal Gear Solid V (20:05) Jekyll vs. Hyde (33:20) The Quarry (37:40) Monster Boy: The Dragon’s Trap (41:50) OVERWHELM (44:10) Billie Bust Up (47:30) Road Redemption (49:15) --- News things talked about in this episode: Blizzard Albany QA make moves to organize another union (52:20) https://www.polygon.com/23270111/blizzard-albany-activision-blizzard-union-vote-nlrb John Riccitiello calls devs who don’t heavily monetize, “fucking idiots” (56:40) https://www.pocketgamer.biz/interview/79190/unity-ironsource-john-riccitiello-marc-whitten-merger/ BioWare drops BioWare Points, makes DLC items purchasable with them free (1:01:30) https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/vy92np/ea_will_be_removing_bioware_points_as_of_october/ Modders have added online multiplayer, graphics to leaked beta of Skate (1:02:45) https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgp89y/play-skate-4-multiplayer-online-leaked-build --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

This podcast is too damned hot. Games we played this week include: Unplugged (11:30) The Thing (15:00) Resident Evil 4 VR (21:00) Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (24:45) Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak (27:30) Vampire Survivors (31:00) Satisfactory (34:00) Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick (34:55) Kill.Switch (37:00) TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge (38:40) The Quarry (39:25) Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde (41:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bayonetta 3 will have nudity options (49:00) https://www.polygon.com/23206846/bayonetta-3-naive-angel-mode-nudity-options Developer blasts NFTs at convention panel on stage paid for by NFT companies (51:40) https://www.pcgamer.com/developer-turns-future-of-gaming-talk-into-a-surprise-attack-on-conventions-nft-and-blockchain-sponsors/ Ubisoft promises it’s only taking your DLC away after Ass Creed Liberation debacle on Steam (55:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/assassins-creed-liberation-hd-steam-notice-states-game-will-become-inaccessible-from-september Photo of Hideo Kojima claimed to be of Shinzo Abe assassin finds its way into media (56:45) https://kotaku.com/shinzo-abe-assassin-killer-kojima-greek-news-confusion-1849157839 Convention organizer ReedPop to take over management of E3 in 2023 (59:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/reedpop-is-helping-bring-e3-back-in-2023 Activision-Blizzard employees plan another walkout demanding support for civil liberties (1:03:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/activision-blizzard-staff-plan-fresh-walkout-after-recent-attacks-on-the-civil-liberties-of-our-employees Monopoly regulators in Britain now examining Microsoft acquisition of Activision-Blizzard (1:07:22) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-07-06-uk-regulator-investigating-microsoft-activision-blizzard-acquisition Studio Canal films dropped from PlayStation Store in some regions, revoking licenses from purchasers (1:08:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/purchased-studio-canal-films-will-be-removed-from-playstation-store-in-austria-and-germany Electronic Arts alerts people to leaked version of Skate, politely asks people not to download it (1:10:05) https://www.ea.com/games/skate/news/an-update-from-the-team --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

And you thought this show couldn’t get filthier Games we played this week include: The Suffering (10:55) The Quarry (22:20) The Simpsons: Hit & Run (29:00) Mighty Goose (35:20) Satisfactory (36:35) Shadow Hearts (40:45) Drakengard (46:05) Darkwatch (48:25) Bujungai (50:50) Pupperazzi (53:50) Disc Room (54:05) Mercenary Kings (55:35) --- News things talked about in this episode: Itch.io launches bundle of nearly 800 games in support of abortion access (1:00:10) https://itch.io/b/1472/indie-bundle-for-abortion-funds Politicians in the Netherlands are eyeing a loot box ban (1:00:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/dutch-political-parties-back-gaming-loot-box-ban Blockchain-based games marketplace swipes name and design from itch.io (1:01:35) https://www.pcgamer.com/owner-of-itchio-accuses-newly-launched-alternative-w3itchio-of-theft/ As Ubisoft turns off online features, players will lose access to paid DLC (1:05:30) https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-to-pull-online-from-older-games-which-also-takes-away-your-dlc/ Sexy nightclub party brands itself with Final Fantasy assets (1:07:15) https://www.pcgamer.com/nobody-thinks-buying-billboards-to-promote-this-nsfw-final-fantasy-14-nightclub-was-a-good-idea/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We’re sorry for the first five minutes. Games we played this week include: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (5:00) Dynasty Warriors 3 (12:45) PlayStation Plus (20:25) Satisfactory (25:50) Warhammer 40k: Tau Fire Warrior(29:40) Live A Live (35:00) Vampire Survivors (39:00) Gitaroo Man (40:20) Dead Cells (46:20) Portal 1 + 2 Switch (48:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: MMO Studio behind The Day Before using unpaid labor for development (49:35) https://kotaku.com/the-day-before-fntastic-volunteers-steam-wishlist-1849113533 Yves Guillemot takes a one-third pay cut, still makes half a million annually to ignore misconduct (54:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/ubisofts-chief-exec-takes-sizeable-pay-cut-after-companys-poor-performance --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

For the moment, anyway Games we played this week include: Street Fighter 6 (12:30) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (21:40) Satisfactory (28:40) Terra Nil (32:55) The Last Worker (34:50) Tinykin (36:45) Ynglet (38:30) Nomad Survival (39:55) 20 Minutes Until Dawn (46:15) Overrogue (50:10) Exhausted Man (51:30) Endling: Extinction is Forever (53:30) Ultrakill (56:00) Agent 64: Spies Never Die (57:25) Cult of the Lamb (58:00) Fall Guys (1:01:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Activision Blizzard has determined Activision Blizzard did nothing wrong (1:04:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/activision-investigation-claims-no-widespread-harassment-at-activision Activision Blizzard shareholder vote for transparency seemingly brushed aside (1:07:00) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/06/21/activision-blizzard-shareholder-meeting-vote/ Shareholders also vote to keep Bobby Kotick on the board (1:08:45) https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/activision-blizzard-ceo-bobby-kotick-is-re-elected-to-the-board-for-another-year EA’s Andrew Wilson gets 50% pay cut… to 20 million dollars (1:10:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/ea-boss-andrew-wilson-sees-20m-annual-pay-cut# SEGA denies future woman and hedgehog romance (1:12:00) https://www.vg247.com/sonic-human-kiss --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A big fish come back to the pond Games we played this week include: Agent 64: Spies Never Die (13:25) Gloomwood (15:20) Anger Foot (20:40) Binary Domain (23:25) Melatonin (29:20) Spirit Swap (31:50) Typing of the Dead Overkill (33:05) The Textorcist (35:50) Lost in Play (39:45) Elden Ring demake (43:30) Getsugumaden (44:50) Satisfactory (47:45) Turbo Golf Racing (51:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Fake E3 week sure was a week. --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A dream realized. Games we played this week include: MIYOO-Mini (14:20) Warped Kart Racers (18:30) Satisfactory (23:20) Hardspace Shipbreaker (26:15) Binary Domain (30:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: ESA is saying E3 will return to an in-person event in 2023 (40:30) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/06/07/esa-e3-2023-summer-game-fest-nintendo-direct/ Nintendo pirate given 40 month prison term (46:25) https://kotaku.com/nintendo-piracy-case-bowser-xecuter-team-prison-pirate-1849026479 Classified military information is being leaked to settle disputes over a video game (50:15) https://www.pcgamer.com/more-classified-military-intel-gets-posted-to-war-thunder-forums-because-thats-just-what-happens-now/ Dragon Age QA contractors vote in favor of forming a union (53:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/dragon-age-contractors-vote-to-form-union --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We’re waiting with baited breath. Games we played this week include: Core Keeper (7:10) Satisfactory (11:00) Card Sharks (17:10) Pac-Man Museum+ (24:20) Hardspace Shipbreaker (30:30) Pocket Crystal League (33:45) Days Gone (37:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Sony planning to ramp up number of PC releases in coming years (45:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/playstation-expects-nearly-50-of-game-launches-to-be-pc-and-mobile-by-2025 EA won’t make a statement on abortion or trans rights, but isn’t stopping individuals (47:20) https://kotaku.com/ea-roe-v-wade-abortion-trans-rights-fifa-apex-legends-1848977494 https://www.eurogamer.net/ea-execs-individually-speak-out-on-womens-and-trans-rights Microsoft’s corporate culture maybe hasn’t undergone the dramatic improvements they claim (55:10) https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-toxic-culture-ceo-satya-nadella-sexual-harassment-pay-disparity-2022-5 Phil Spencer says Microsoft will recognize Raven QA union following acquisition of ABK (1:00:20) https://www.vg247.com/xboxs-phil-spencer-reiterates-company-will-recognize-ravens-union-once-activision-blizzard-deal-is-complete Shareholder group publishes open letter asking for Activision-Blizzard board to be voted out (1:01:35) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-05-27-soc-urges-shareholders-to-vote-against-reelection-of-activision-blizzard-directors --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

You can get in, but can you get out? Games we played this week include: Pokémon Go (7:45) Vampire Survivors (8:40) Riddled Corpses (14:45) Trek to Yomi (21:45) Steam Deck (24:40) Days Gone (25:45) Jurassic World Evolution 2 (31:50) Roller Champions (34:45) Lost Epic (40:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Raven QA workers successfully vote in favor of unionization (45:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/qa-testers-at-activision-blizzard-studio-raven-software-successfully-vote-to-unionise Activision-Blizzard worker committee forms, sends list of demands to management (50:50) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/05/24/activision-blizzard-breastmilk-harassment/ Sony sexual discrimination case lives on in new suit filed following dismissal (55:30) https://www.axios.com/2022/05/20/playstation-gender-discrimination-lawsuit-returns Sony restricting subsidiary companies from making statements supporting reproductive rights (57:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-reportedly-will-not-approve-any-statements-from-playstation-studios-on-reproductive-rights Bungie claims they won’t be “muzzled” in midst of acquisition by Sony (1:06:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/bungie-says-there-will-never-be-a-muzzle-big-enough-to-stop-us-from-standing-up-for-whats-right Electronic Arts seems thirsty to get acquired, but wants Android Wilson at the helm (1:09:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/ea-is-reportedly-pursuing-acquisition-and-merger-options-with-a-number-of-potential-suitors The Sims 4 now allows players to customize pronouns for their Sims (1:11:45) https://www.polygon.com/23140040/the-sims-4-custom-pronouns-create-a-sim --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com. Photo Credit: diamond geezer / Milton Keynes Central station / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Don’t rain on our brown parade. Games we played this week include: Steel Assault (14:25) Ravenous Devils (24:00) Evil Dead: The Game (25:10) Pokémon Go (34:55) Steam Deck (36:15) Fight Knight (42:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Organizing QA contractors for BioWare will not be forced to return to offices (45:10) https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/9/23063933/bioware-keywords-studios-contractors-unionize-return-office Nintendo of America’s Doug Bowser is “troubled” his contractors aren’t happy (46:35) https://www.axios.com/2022/05/12/nintendo-contractors-investigation PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wrote a weird and bad email to staff about abortion rights (48:20) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-12/sony-playstation-staff-fume-over-ceo-s-abortion-comments Images claimed to be from new Silent Hill project leak (59:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/looks-like-silent-hill-concept-art-has-leaked Fall Guys going free-to-play, coming to PS5, Switch and Xbox (1:04:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/fall-guys-goes-free-to-play-in-june-arrives-on-switch-and-xbox-at-the-same-time --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Take the good, take the bad, roll it up and there you have the rail system. Games we played this week include: Steam Deck (9:50) Vampire Survivors (14:45) Revita (26:22) Nightmare Reaper (31:30) Evil Dead: Regeneration (40:40) Sonic Lost World (49:10) Death Trash (56:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Reggie Fils-Aimé distancing himself from contractor claims against Nintendo of America (59:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/reggie-fils-aime-distances-himself-from-nintendo-contract-worker-reports Activision-Blizzard’s continued anti-union messages just keep getting sadder (1:03:00) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/05/09/activision-union-vote-begins/ Blizzard names a new VP in attempt to quell discrimination claims (1:04:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/blizzard-hires-new-vice-president-of-culture-amid-ongoing-company-controversies VR technology must be stopped (1:07:25) https://www.pcgamer.com/scientists-add-mouth-haptics-to-vr-complete-with-spiders/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com. Photo Credit: Brian Robert Marshall / Commuter train towards Reading, Kintbury / CC BY-SA 2.0

Just being honest. Games we played this week include: The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (7:55) Vampire Survivors (13:45) Peglin (26:25) Nintendo Switch Sports (29:40) Revita (36:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Dragon Age QA team seeking to form a union (43:30) https://kotaku.com/bioware-keywords-studios-qa-union-mass-effect-dragon-ag-1848847955 Square Enix selling off studios and IP to fund its crypto future (47:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/square-enix-sells-off-western-studios-and-ip-including-tomb-raider-and-deus-ex Reggie Fils-Aimé calls himself a “big believer” in blockchain (54:55) https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/04/reggie-fils-aime-is-a-big-believer-in-blockchain-and-play-to-own The global chip shortage is expected to continue on (56:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-hit-by-worker-complaint-over-right-to-unionise https://twitter.com/katiecasper/status/1518763066661425152 Yuji Naka claims Square Enix knowingly released Balan Wonderland in unfinished state (1:00:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/sonic-creator-yuji-naka-was-removed-as-director-of-balan-wonderworld-before-disastrous-launch --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

No more slouching for us! Games we played this week include: Elden Ring (6:10) The Force Unleashed (13:20) Nobody Saves the World (18:40) Lost in Random (25:40) Chernobylite (28:00) Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (32:30) The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (40:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg alleged to have helped bury story about Bobby Kotick restraining order (45:20) https://www.wsj.com/articles/sandberg-facebook-kotick-activision-blizzard-daily-mail-11650549074 Activision names two women to board despite their best effort not to (50:50) https://www.axios.com/activision-blizzard-board-women-lulu-cheng-meservey-bc7824aa-cfa8-4ab9-ab9b-392e8af8a543.html Raven QA testers gear up for vote to formalize union (53:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/call-of-duty-qa-testers-getting-closer-to-unionisation-regardless-of-activision-blizzard-wishes Nintendo responds to claim of union busting (56:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-hit-by-worker-complaint-over-right-to-unionise https://twitter.com/katiecasper/status/1518763066661425152 Thousands of Joy-Cons a week were being sent to Nintendo for repair weekly at height (1:00:50) https://kotaku.com/nintendo-switch-joy-con-drift-fix-repair-center-replace-1848828886 SEGA delisting original Sonic trilogy ahead of re-release in Sonic Origins (1:03:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/sega-delisting-standalone-versions-of-sonic-1-2-3-and-cd-ahead-of-sonic-origins-arrival Gender discrimination lawsuit against Sony to proceed after some counts dismissed (1:06:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/playstation-gender-discrimination-lawsuit-falters PlayStation hiring someone to get more games on PC (1:08:10) https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/sony-is-hiring-a-senior-director-for-pc-planning-and-strategy/ Elden Ring demake in development (1:08:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/playable-elden-ring-game-boy-demake-on-the-way --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Careful what you reach for. Games we played this week include: Two Point Hospital (8:50) Nobody Saves the World (13:15) Cho Aniki (25:50) Pix’n Love Rush (31:00) Pokémon Go (32:40) --- News things talked about in this episode: Sonic Origins needed a table to explain its launch DLC (39.55) https://www.ign.com/articles/sonic-origins-fans-arent-happy-with-locked-off-dlc-content Nintendo of America alleged to have violated worker’s right to unionize (45:30) https://www.axios.com/nintendo-nlrb-complaint-3bb227c7-40c3-40c5-9578-5190e595a00e.html Activision Blizzard surveyed players to gauge interest in crypto and NFTs (50:45) https://gamerant.com/blizzard-nft-survey-online-store/ Square-Enix still determined to shove the blockchain into their games (1:00:35) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/square-enixs-president-reiterates-desire-to-make-play-to-earn-blockchain-games/ Hideo Kojima up to his bullshit again, this time about a rumored acquisition by Sony (1:02:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/kojima-insists-kojima-productions-is-independent-after-posting-a-playstation-studios-banner-that-suggests-otherwise Kim Kardashian threatens to sue Roblox after son finds an ad in game for her sex tape (1:06:10) https://kotaku.com/kim-kardashian-roblox-sex-tape-advertisement-experience-1848811161 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

No gods, no underwater masters Games we played this week include: Pokémon: The Trading Card Game (11:10) Roombo First Blood (17:40) House of the Dead Remake (19:55) Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel (28:30) Skul: The Hero Slayer (30:50) LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (32:05) Tearaway (39:30) Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon (49:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: California Governor alleged to have interfered in DEFH suit against Activision Blizzard (52:40) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-13/california-lawyer-says-governor-interfered-with-activision-suit Activision-Blizzard pay bump for QA feels oddly like a union busting tactic (58:10) https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/7/23015033/activision-blizzard-full-time-qa-game-tester-20-dollars-hourly ABK workers walk out over company changes to vaccine policy (1:05:35) https://www.polygon.com/23010343/activision-blizzard-vaccine-mandate-demands-abetterabk Bungie announces remote work for most current and future roles (1:08:25) https://kotaku.com/bungie-remote-work-home-pandemic-covid-destiny-sony-off-1848785738 Twitch pulled paid Boost Train feature after users landed porn on the home page (1:10:45) https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/twitch-halts-paid-channel-boosts-after-people-pay-to-get-porn-on-the-front-page/ The Quarry will have a low-interactivity “movie mode” that skips all the gameplay (1:14:00) https://www.pcgamer.com/the-quarry-has-a-movie-mode-so-you-can-watch-it-instead-of-playing-it/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We’re taking this show to a new level. Games we played this week include: Elden Ring (8:30) Weird West (17:40) Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines (28:55) Resistance Burning Skies (34:40) Despotism 3k (39:30) Chibi-Robo Zip Lash (46:22) --- News things talked about in this episode: Undead Labs employees allege discrimination and abuse despite Microsoft buyout (51:55) https://kotaku.com/state-of-decay-3-xbox-series-x-s-sexism-microsoft-undea-1848728682 Ubisoft stops development of Breakpoint, tells NFT buyers they “own” a piece of history (56:20) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-04-06-ubisoft-ends-ghost-recon-breakpoint-development-working-on-nfts-for-other-titles NFT game using Formula One license shuts down after they can’t renew the license (1:03:35) https://kotaku.com/f1-formula-1-one-delta-time-nft-crypto-cursed-shut-down-1848748953 Ron Gilbert returning to Monkey Island for new sequel due this year (1:05:30) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-04-05-ron-gilbert-working-on-new-monkey-island-game Rearranged Kirby song wins Grammy Award (1:07:20) https://kotaku.com/kirby-grammy-award-8-bit-big-band-meta-knights-revenge-1848745709 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Games we played this week include: Guardians of the Galaxy (9:10) Shredders (11:25) Elden Ring (14:45) Kirby and the Forgotten Land (17:00) Skul the Hero Slayer (33:40) Tunic (36:10) Ghostwire Tokyo (40:35) Culdcept Revolt (46:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Wattam developer Funomena likely to close following abuse allegations (1:02:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-03-29-wattam-developer-funomena-reportedly-closing-following-allegations-of-workplace-abuse Another sexual harassment suit filed against Activision Blizzard (1:04:25) https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/activision-faces-new-suit-from-worker-alleging-rampant-sexism Judge ready to approve $18m settlement of EEOC case against Activision Blizzard (1:08:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-03-29-judge-prepared-to-approve-activision-blizzards-usd18m-sexual-harassment-settlement-with-eeoc Microsoft fine with Activision Blizzard workers forming union if Activision Blizzard is (1:09:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-03-25-microsoft-wont-block-unionisation-efforts-at-activision-blizzard Sony about to make PlayStation Plus more complicated (1:11:35) https://blog.playstation.com/2022/03/29/all-new-playstation-plus-launches-in-june-with-700-games-and-more-value-than-ever/ But Sony won’t put day-one releases on Plus (1:15:45) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-03-28-playstations-jim-ryan-our-games-could-suffer-if-we-put-them-straight-into-ps-plus Gran Turismo 7 to walk back its terrible pricing (1:18:00) https://blog.playstation.com/2022/03/25/gran-turismo-7-an-update-from-polyphony-digital/ Bloodborne Kart is apparently real (1:19:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-03-25-its-official-bloodborne-kart-is-coming --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com. Photo Credit: Stomp Photography

We demand restitution. Games we played this week include: Tunic (12:30) Final Fantasy Origin Stranger of Paradise (30:30) Inscryption: Kaycee’s Mod (35:15) Skul: The Hero Slayer (38:10) Chocobo GP (39:30) Retroid Pocket 2 Plus (43:45) Game Pass on Steam Deck (45:25) Rune Factory 5 (47:45) New Little King’s Story (52:00) Soul Sacrifice Delta (55:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: People Make Games report on abuse at indie studios (58:50) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDPzZkx0cPs Ori and the Blind Forest dev Moon Studios also accused of employee mistreatment (1:04:20) https://venturebeat.com/2022/03/18/despite-its-beautiful-ori-games-moon-studio-is-called-an-oppressive-place-to-work/ More litigants sign on to sexual discrimination lawsuit agains Sony (1:06:45) https://www.axios.com/sexism-playstation-lawsuit-sony-e0f42c61-8467-4940-884a-1885eb8189ff.html Bandai Namco Mobile switching to four day work week (1:07:40) https://medium.com/@BANDAINAMCOMobile/bandai-namco-mobile-transitions-to-the-four-day-workweek-df053bda8d0e --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Miracle of Sound Gavin Dunne rejoins the cast for a one-off Elden Ring special. Yes, we promised it years ago, and we delivered! Enjoy!

Big homes, low ceilings Games we played this week include: Steam Deck (9:40) Rune Factory 4 (21:20) Babylon’s Fall (24:35) Retroid Pocket 2 Plus (36:45) Are You With Us? (43:45) Uncharted Golden Abyss (45:00) Aperture Desk Job (50:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Vita software made to run on Switch (49:15) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/a-new-tool-claims-to-run-ps-vita-software-natively-on-nintendo-switch/ Forza Horizon 5 sign language features arrive four months after release (51:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-03-01-forza-horizon-5-adds-sign-language-support-today Activision Blizzard attributes failure to hire women executives to MS acquisition (52:25) https://www.axios.com/embattled-activision-facing-increased-attrition-18d74c45-d570-4a61-abcd-fed77be7243d.html Family of Activision Blizzard employee blames company for their suicide, files lawsuit (54:20) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/03/04/activision-blizzard-employee-suicide-lawsuit/ Former Epic employee claims they were terminated for speaking up about diversity practices (56:05) https://twitter.com/MagusFirebeard/status/1499767870003179520 You can pause Elden Ring (57:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-03-08-turns-out-you-can-pause-elden-ring-without-a-mod --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated? Games we played this week include: Steam Deck (11:15) Pokémon Legends Arceus (22:10) Elden Ring (23:50) Roboquest (49:20) Gran Turismo 7 (53:05) Undead Knights (54:45) Infernax (57:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Intellivision Amico looks about to cut bait (1:00:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-03-01-intellivision-cuts-fundraising-campaign-for-amico-short-setting-alarm-bells-ringing Nvidia hit by crippling cyber attack (1:05:35) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-25/nvidia-is-investigating-cyber-attack-but-business-uninterrupted Valve open to having Microsoft Game Pass available on Steam (1:07:05) https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/valve-has-no-plans-for-a-steam-pass-but-would-help-microsoft-put-game-pass-on-steam/ Pokémon Scarlet/Violet announced (1:11:10) https://scarletviolet.pokemon.com/en-us/ Ubisoft does, at least, protect its employees affected by Russian invasion of Ukraine (1:15:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-26-ubisoft-provides-additional-funds-advance-salaries-and-alternate-housing-to-staff-in-ukraine Ukranian developers discussing the invasion (1:16:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-25-ukraine-game-developers-speak-out-in-face-of-russian-invasion Lawsuits arise from Activision Blizzard King investors unhappy about Microsoft deal (1:17:20) https://www.polygon.com/22949594/activision-blizzard-shareholder-lawsuit-sec-violation Sony attempts to have gender discrimination suit dismissed (1:19:15) https://www.axios.com/sony-playstation-sexual-harassment-dismissal-dde3ab46-25c2-4b82-b028-582530617ece.html Epic Games is acquiring Bandcamp (1:21:15) https://blog.bandcamp.com/2022/03/02/bandcamp-is-joining-epic/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com. Photo Credit: Katrin Morenz, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

Wake us when it's over. -- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A not-so-subtle blend. Games we played this week include: Nintendo Switch Sports (10:55) Infernax (17:10) Dying Light 2 (19:55) A Little to the Left (22:40) RoboQuest (26:35) Skul: The Hero Slayer (31:50) Pokémon Legends Arceus (38:30) Horizon: Forbidden West (39:10) Pinball Heroes (40:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Activision Blizzard’s lawyers paint union members as “footloose and fancy free” (44:35) https://twitter.com/_TechJess/status/1496136624358494208 Accusations made against Activision Blizzard for union-busting practices at Raven Software (47:45) https://www.polygon.com/22939657/activision-blizzard-raven-software-union-nlrb-hearing Bobby Kotick has been covertly funding Republicans through businesses (53:35) https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/activision-blizzard-ceo-donated-to-republican-causes-3164956 Rainbow Six tournament in UAE, where homosexuality is illegal, is canceled (58:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-23-ubisoft-scraps-plans-for-rainbow-six-siege-tournament-in-abu-dhabi Ubisoft hints in earnings call that it may be open to a buyout (1:00:00) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-02-17-despite-consolidation-ubisoft-says-it-can-still-go-it-alone The Street Fighter 6 logo bears striking similarity to a stock image (1:07:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-23-street-fighter-6s-logo-looks-like-an-adobe-stock-image-and-its-creator-wants-a-cut Platinum Games takes hard stance against NFTs (1:09:50) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/platinumgames-2022/ Nintendo is closing the 3DS and Wii U eShops (1:10:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-16-3ds-and-wii-u-eshop-purchases-end-in-march-2023 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

One, then two? Two, then one? Games we played this week include: Horizon: Forbidden West (2:55) Infernax (16:25) Dreamscaper (27:15) Pokémon Legends: Arceus (34:05) God of War (39:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft suggests they’re only going to keep the good employees at Activision Blizzard (41:30) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/microsoft-is-watching-activisions-execs-so-the-right-people-are-in-power-after-its-acquisition/ Roblox has a sexual content problem, along with being a predatory child labor engine (43:25) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-60314572 Ubisoft isn’t doing a damn thing in terms of the demands of its workers (44:45) https://twitter.com/ABetterUbisoft/status/1493231476980293636 Team17’s NFT push has pushed employees to push back on company direction (50:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-14-team17-exec-promises-change-following-last-weeks-report Ubisoft internal discussion of NFT project got considerable negative feedback from staff (54:00) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-11/ubisoft-employees-push-back-hard-on-blockchain-initiative --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A tribute. Games we played this week include: Pokémon Legends: Arceus (14:10) Sifu (33:20) Silent Hill Book of Memories (39:10) Killzone Mercenaries (41:35) God of War Chains of Olympus (44:30) Unbound Saga (44:55) Unit 13 (45:55) --- News things talked about in this episode: Pokémon Legends Arceus sells 6.5m copies in a week, probably because it’s good (18:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-04-pokemon-legends-arceus-sells-6-5m-copies-in-seven-days Google rumored to be dropping Stadia, trying to shop its tech around (46:40) https://www.vg247.com/stadia-reportedly-deprioritized-inside-google-which-aims-to-secure-deals-under-google-stream-label Microsoft is rolling out the anti-trust defense propaganda, points cheeky fingers at Apple (50:15) https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2022/02/09/open-app-store-principles-activision-blizzard/ Ubisoft is licensing their characters to third-party NFT producers (56:44) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-09-ubisoft-rabbids-added-to-blockchain-metaverse-the-sandbox Itch.io calls NFTs what they are: a scam (1:00:00) https://twitter.com/itchio/status/1490141815294414856 No, Nintendo isn’t going to be buying up developers like Sony and Microsoft (1:02:25) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-03/nintendo-cuts-switch-outlook-again-on-supply-logistics-jam Kotaku feature on Steph (1:10:35) https://kotaku.com/jim-stephanie-sterling-youtube-interview-jimquisition-w-1848501185 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Well, we almost made it. Games we played this week include: Pokémon Legends: Arceus (6:45) Pupperazzi (27:15) Bloodborne PSX (33:45) Terraria (42:50) Megaman Zero (44:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Team 17 announces and abandons Worms NFTs in under 24 hours (48:14) https://www.pcgamer.com/overcooked-and-going-under-devs-revolt-against-publisher-team17s-nft-plans/ EA slowing its roll on NFTs (1:01:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-02-ea-seemingly-backtracks-from-earlier-nft-enthusiasm Troy Baker pulls out of his terrible NFT deal (1:03:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-31-troy-baker-u-turns-on-voice-nft-project Atari’s Loot Box NFTs are self-parody (1:05:15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSQIdTE3Npo Sony set to acquire Bungie, leverage its live service experience (1:11:50) https://www.bungie.net/en/Explore/Detail/News/50988 https://www.vg247.com/sony-plans-to-release-10-live-service-games-by-2026 Techland very nicely asks players not to play Dying Light before release (1:18:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-01-techland-asks-dying-light-2-fans-with-early-retail-copies-not-to-play-until-launch Activision Blizzard QA internal slack message shows typical anti-union moves (1:21:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-02-01-union-busting-staff-message-from-activision-blizzard-released-online Dark Pictures Anthologies games offer “Friend Pass” co-op for month of February (1:31:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-31-dark-pictures-anthology-owners-can-invite-a-friend-to-co-op-for-free-throughout-february --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Just find a damned ledge already. Games we played this week include: Pokémon Legends: Arceus (5:40) Gods Remastered (17:50) Labyrinth Legends (20:30) Pupperazzi (26:30) Dante’s Inferno (29:00) Super Star Path (35:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Raven Studios QA are forming their union Game Workers Alliance, ignored by Activision Blizzard (39:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-26-raven-software-union-bid-pushes-on-despite-activision-blizzard-missing-deadline-to-respond Kotick demonstrates typical disrespect to employees in all-hands meeting on Microsoft merger (43:55) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/01/20/bobby-kotick-activision-blizzard-chat-layoffs/ The next three Call of Duty games reportedly have to come to PlayStation (47:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-26-next-three-call-of-duty-games-reportedly-heading-to-playstation-despite-microsoft-acquisition LEGO game developer TT Games reported to have harmful crunch culture (48:00) https://www.polygon.com/features/22891555/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-has-led-to-extensive-crunch-at-tt-games --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Have a meaty one. Games we played this week include: The Procession to Cavalry (18:00) Buck Up and Drive (26:35) Super Bomberman R (32:28) Galaga Plus (38:35) The Anacrusis (39:10) Anvil (40:25) Forza Horizon 5 (41:20) Halo Infinite (45:30) Deep Rock Galactic (49:05) Blaster Master Zero 2 (51:45) The Gunk (58:35) Shadowman Remastered (1:00:55) Into the Pit (1:01:50) Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance (1:05:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft to buy out Activision Blizzard (1:07:00) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xbox-is-reportedly-nearing-a-deal-to-buy-activision-blizzard/ Microsoft announces well-timed internal review of sexual harassment and gender discrimination (1:19:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-18-microsoft-to-review-its-sexual-harassment-and-gender-discrimination-policies Bobby Kotick’s golden parachute is predictably obscene (1:22:05) https://twitter.com/gamesbizuk/status/1483435864378290179 Kotick alleged to have attempted burying employment figures to make issues seem smaller (1:24:02) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-17-activision-blizzard-has-pushed-out-almost-40-employees-since-july-2021 James Stephanie Sterling turned into an NFT, proving them right about NFTs (1:34:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-17-gaming-youtubers-have-had-their-likenesses-stolen-and-sold-as-nfts Continuing the trend of leaks from Nintendo, Pokémon Arceus is in the wild early (1:41:00) https://www.polygon.com/22891556/pokemon-legends-arceus-full-pokedex-leak-new-hisuian-forms --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com. Photo Credit: Gordon Joley, used under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0/

There are many barriers, even dangers, but we have no choice. Games we played this week include: Grim Valor (13:30) Terraria (18:30) Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (22:50) Uncanny Valley (27:45) Red Faction Guerilla (35:15) Shin Megami Tensei V (39:20) Breakneck City (42:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: LEGO puts Overwatch 2 release on hold (43:30) https://www.pcgamer.com/lego-halts-overwatch-2-set-while-it-re-evaluates-partnership-with-activision-blizzard/ Activision Blizzard claims they’re talking to Raven QA strikers, but… (48:30) https://twitter.com/RebelComicNerd/status/1479161800537034752 https://twitter.com/RebelComicNerd/status/1480673705391009794 Xbox relationship with Activision Blizzard has changed in light of allegations, won’t say how (56:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-11-xbox-has-changed-how-we-do-certain-things-with-activision-following-misconduct-reports Phil Spencer thinks cross-platform gaming should include cross-platform bans (1:02:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-11-xbox-boss-wants-console-makers-to-work-together-on-cross-platform-bans-and-user-blocking The latest Twitch fad involves illegally rebroadcasting television shows, with predictable results (1:04:15) https://gamerant.com/twitch-tv-show-meta-explained-dmca/ Horizon Forbidden West in the wild months in advance (1:09:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2022-01-11-horizon-forbidden-west-ps4-images-leak-online --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Time to get soaked. Games we played this week include: Super Mario 3D Land (7:10) The Pedestrian (15:30) The Short Games Collection #1 (19:40) Connection Rehaunted (25:45) Olija (29:50) Mini Trains (33:00) Tracks Toybox Edition (33:25) Flight Simulator (33:40) Aliens: Fireteam Elite (36:15) Mario Party Superstars (38:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Women of Treyarch issue statement committing to better working conditions (41:15) https://twitter.com/Treyarch/status/1473355739246710785 Riot Games settling 2018 discrimination suit for $100 million, agrees to reforms (43:30) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/12/27/riot-discrimination-100-million-settlement/ Square Enix CEO issues patronizing letter regarding their blockchain plans (47:15) https://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/news/2022/html/a_new_years_letter_from_the_president_2.html Ken Levine’s new game reportedly in development hell after nearly 8 years (54:05) https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/the-next-video-game-from-bioshock-s-auteur-is-in-development-hell-1.1702538 Sony seemingly hasn’t given up on VR, announces new headset and controller (57:00) https://blog.playstation.com/2022/01/04/playstation-vr2-and-playstation-vr2-sense-controller-the-next-generation-of-vr-gaming-on-ps5/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Thank God it’s over. Games we played this week include: Aliens: Fireteam Elite (7:20) Earwax (13:45) Backbone (17:50) The Short Games Collection #1 (21:55) Bloodroots (31:40) Hot Wheels Unleashed (34:30) Dandy Ace (37:10) Lemnis Gate (39:40) Curse of the Dead Gods (44:00) --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Santa Claus is coming. Are you ready for him? Games we played this week include: The Artful Escape (7:00) Serious Sam 4 (14:01) Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue (18:15) Nightmare Creatures (22:45) A Year of Spring (26:00) Hot Wheels Unleashed (29:00) Dodgeball Academia (35:10) Enter the Gungeon (36:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Workers are leaving Ubisoft in droves. (37:30) https://www.axios.com/ubisoft-assassins-creed-great-resignation-aef86e61-75a8-4446-8ad6-f2c58bd0b730.html Ubisoft NFT program has not been a hit, but they’re committed. (41:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-20-ubisoft-appears-to-have-sold-a-grand-total-of-15-nfts https://decrypt.co/88880/after-backlash-ubisoft-calls-gaming-nfts-a-major-change-that-will-take-time Peter Molyneux, on the other hand, is raking it in. (46:00) https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/peter-molyneuxs-next-game-has-sold-40-million-in-nfts Bungie having its own bad work conditions moment, HR head resigns position. (51:30) https://www.ign.com/articles/bungie-report-battle-soul-work-culture-harassment-crunch https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-16-bungies-head-of-hr-steps-down Chip shortage expected to persist into 2023 (57:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-21-intel-chief-reiterates-global-chip-shortage-will-continue-into-2023 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Ouch! Games we played this week include: Solar Ash (7:00) Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue (13:30) Loop Hero (23:30) Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon (33:00) Monster Rancher DX (40:20) Lawn Mowing Simulator (52:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Support the A Better ABK Strike Fund (56:00) https://www.gofundme.com/f/abk-strike-fund Activision Blizzard trying to squash unionization effort with promises to do better (58:30) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/12/09/activision-union-strike-fund/ Twitch Boost feature is as useless as expected (1:08:55) https://kotaku.com/twitchs-pay-to-win-boost-feature-doesnt-actually-help-p-1848216696 Roblox growth and policies can endanger kids, not just exploit them (1:11:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-14-roblox-accused-of-being-unsafe-environment-for-children Peter Molyneux is also doing a blockchain thing (1:17:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-13-peter-molyneux-is-creating-a-blockchain-business-sim --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Seltzer is nonsense. Games we played this week include: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (10:55) Gunfire Reborn (15:35) Kill It With Fire (21:50) Dauntless (23:40) The Binding of Isaac: Repentance (27:30) Mindscanners (30:10) Paradise Lost (37:05) Space Warlord Organ Simulator (41:10) Lawn Mowing Simulator (45:35) Townscaper (46:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Former Activision Blizzard employee comes forward in press conference (48:20) https://kotaku.com/sexually-harassed-activision-blizzard-employee-holds-pr-1848180146 Walkout staged at Raven software following QA layoffs (51:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-06-raven-software-employees-walk-out-following-layoffs-in-the-qa-team State treasurers getting involved in Activision Blizzard (56:35) https://www.axios.com/state-treasurers-pressure-activision-over-misconduct-352fe2e6-64d4-4f30-ba7e-39e0e13419de.html PlayStation exec fired after amateur pedophilia sting (1:00:05) https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/sony-terminates-playstation-exec-who-allegedly-appeared-in-pedophile-sting-video/ Ubisoft acknowledges their handling of workplace abuse has damaged trust in them (1:02:30) https://www.axios.com/ubisoft-workplace-scandal-anika-grant-interview-aac56bc7-1551-465a-85b8-6e6d7ca36816.html Ubisoft details first steps toward NFT integration in Ghost Recon Breakpoint (1:09:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-07-ubisoft-quartz-is-an-energy-efficient-nft-platform-for-aaa-games Voice acting studio OMUK agrees to union contract protecting workers (1:17:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-06-uk-voice-acting-studio-reaches-agreement-with-equity-to-safeguard-voice-actors-working-in-games Retail release of Halo Infinite unplayable for several hours after release due to online update (1:20:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-08-no-you-cant-play-halo-infinites-campaign-now-even-if-you-have-the-disc Pokémon Shining Pearl already beaten by speedrunners in 15 minutes (1:22:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-08-pokemon-shining-pearl-finished-in-only-15-minutes --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

No, not gamers. Games we played this week include: Ender Lillies (14:30) Death’s Door (19:20) Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (24:30) Gunfire Reborn (33:00) Warlock of Firetop Mountain (38:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: GTA San Andreas gets remastered with fog to hide how it looks (44:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-30-gta-trilogy-san-andreas-adds-ground-fog-option-to-improve-visuals Activision Blizzard protest organizer leaves company, decries Kotick on way out (47:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-01-activision-blizzard-protest-organiser-leaving-company Nintendo’s gender equality in management is pretty bad (49:30) https://kotaku.com/less-than-5-percent-of-managers-at-nintendo-hq-are-wome-1848137143 Twitch to identify ban evaders with machine learning (57:00) https://safety.twitch.tv/s/safety-news/detail?language=en_US&post=Using-Machine-Learning-to-Curb-Ban-Evasion Sony patent emerges for mobile phone controller clamshell (1:01:00) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-is-planning-a-playstation-mobile-controller-patent-suggests/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com. Photo Credit: Chris Birmingham, 2012. Used under CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Courtesy of Dwight J. Ingle Games we played this week include: Binding of Isaac: Repentance (10:35) Dead Estate (16:50) Death’s Door (19:00) Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (23:05) NERF Legends (26:25) Bloodrayne Revamped (27:05) --- News things talked about in this episode: Exiting Activision Blizzard boss Jen Oneal offered equal pay after resigning (31:45) https://www.ign.com/articles/blizzard-jen-oneal-mike-ybarra-equal-pay-after-resignation All three console manufacturers distance themselves from Activision Blizzard (35:20) https://www.fanbyte.com/news/nintendo-issues-internal-response-to-activision-blizzard-reports/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-17/playstation-chief-criticizes-activision-response-to-allegations https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-18/xbox-chief-says-he-s-evaluating-relationship-with-activision Activision Blizzard employees petition for Kotick’s removal and stage walkout (41:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-19-more-than-1300-activision-blizzard-staff-call-for-bobby-kotick-to-resign https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/11/16/activision-blizzard-kotick-walkout/ Activision Blizzard board backing Kotick, announces “Workplace Responsibility Committee” (44:50) https://www.gamedeveloper.com/culture/activision-blizzard-doubles-down-on-kotick-defense-in-all-hands-meeting https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-blizzard-board-directors-continues-build-upon-its Kotick reported to be willing to step down if unable to quickly address discrimination and harrassment (47:45) https://www.wsj.com/articles/activision-blizzard-ceo-bobby-kotick-tells-colleagues-he-would-consider-leaving-if-he-cant-quickly-fix-problems-11637533064 Former PlayStation employee alleges Sony fired them for raising discrimination issues (49:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-23-former-playstation-employee-files-lawsuit-alleging-gender-discrimination-and-wrongful-termination Avengers Spider-Man DLC is just Spider-Man and that’s it (54:55) https://www.ign.com/articles/avengers-spider-man-dlc-no-story-missions Chris Pratt’s got a special accent for Mario (58:05) https://toofab.com/2021/11/22/mario-producer-chris-meledandri-defends-casting-non-italian-chris-pratt/ Microsoft’s Phil Spencer encouraging legal emulation for game preservation (1:01:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-18-emulation-should-be-used-to-preserve-older-games-xbox-chief-phil-spencer-suggests --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

On the Third Day, A New World Record, Out of the Blue. Games we played this week include: Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Definitive Edition (13:30) Halo Infinite (27:15) Kill It With Fire (33:20) Skyrim (40:15) Shin Megami Tensei V (44:20) Binding of Isaac: Repentance (48:40) Dead Estate (49:30) Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (55:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bobby Kotick knew about sexual assault years ago (1:00:20) https://www.wsj.com/articles/activision-videogames-bobby-kotick-sexual-misconduct-allegations-11637075680 Elder Scrolls V confirmed launching exclusively on Xbox/PC (1:12:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-15-xbox-boss-discusses-the-elder-scrolls-6-console-exclusivity Nintendo acknowledges JoyCon drift (1:12:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-15-doug-bowser-says-nintendo-are-making-continuous-improvements-to-joy-con-controllers Chip shortages delay Steam Deck (1:14:10) https://www.pcmag.com/news/valve-delays-steam-deck-launch-by-2-months-due-to-component-shortages Spider-Man finally coming to Avengers (1:15:45) https://www.polygon.com/22532264/spider-man-marvels-avengers-dlc-release-date-ps5-ps4 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Have we said something to offend you? Games we played this week include: Lost in Random (8:25) Inscryption (14:15) Forza Horizon 5 (22:50) Popeye (31:50) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (38:15) Dying Light (39:15) Resident Evil Revelations 1&2 (39:55) Dorfromantik (41:15) Binding of Isaac: Repentance (43:00) --- News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft staff seek public support for better working conditions with petition (45:30) https://t.co/dqmQV96FOm EA wants to make NFT games too (48:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-04-ea-says-nfts-will-be-an-important-part-about-the-future-of-our-industry Nintendo can’t stop leaking games (58:05) https://kotaku.com/pokemon-brilliant-diamond-and-shining-pearl-leak-early-1848012271 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The time has come. Games we played this week include: Happy Game (14:05) Unpacking (18:25) What the Golf (22:20) Lady in a Leotard with a Gun (26:00) Netflix Games on Android (33:50) Inscryption (38:10) MARS (41:10) Head Over Heels (47:50) Moon (49:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Actiblizz commits to some changes that ABK were pushing for (54:00) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/28/technology/activision-blizzard-diversity-workplace.html Bobby Kotick takes a PR pay cut (56:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-28-activision-blizzard-boss-bobby-kotick-asks-for-huge-pay-cut-until-company-woes-sorted Valve isn’t allowing NFTs on Steam (59:15) https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/steam-is-removing-nft-games-from-the-platform-3071694 Ubisoft commits to contribute to global ruin with blockchain games (1:00:20) https://www.gameinformer.com/2021/11/01/ubisoft-reveals-plans-to-develop-blockchain-games-and-nfts Facebook rolling back account login requirement for their headsets (1:01:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-28-facebook-ditching-oculus-branding-as-part-of-company-name-change-to-meta Paid Twitch Boosts are now in the wild (1:04:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-29-twitch-tests-paid-boost-feature-despite-negative-feedback-from-streamers Seth Rogan allegedly to star in Donkey Kong spin-off film (1:07:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-03-seth-rogen-donkey-kong-solo-movie-reportedly-in-development Jen Oneal stepping down from co-lead position at Blizzard after only three months (1:10:30) https://kotaku.com/blizzard-is-already-losing-its-first-female-studio-co-h-1847985147 Blizzard games are bleeding players (1:11:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-03-as-blizzards-internal-troubles-continue-the-companys-games-continue-to-shed-players --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The horror is real (and somewhat itchy). Games we played this week include: Nuclear Blaze (3:15) Inscryption (7:30) Guardians of the Galaxy (13:20) Zombies Ate My Neighbors! (22:30) The Wine (26:30) Legend of the Mystical Ninja (29:30) Hentai vs Evil (31:00) Crysis 2 (32:30) --- News things talked about in this episode: Resident Evil VR doesn’t account for people with boobs (34:00) https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/qd8zbf/chest_items_a_practice_in_boob_punch/ Judge in sexual harassment lawsuit against Activision Blizzard denies move to pause proceedings (37:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-25-judge-rejects-activision-blizzards-attempt-to-pause-california-sexual-harassment-lawsuit Activision Blizzard skipping Blizzconline, conveniently avoiding uncomfortable questions (39.15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-26-next-years-blizzconline-on-pause-as-activision-blizzard-looks-to-reimagine-event Warner Bros reportedly working on crossover fighter(40:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-25-smash-bros-style-warner-bros-crossover-platform-fighter-reportedly-in-the-works Overwatch's McCree no longer named after serial abuser (41:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-22-overwatchs-mccree-will-be-renamed-cole-cassidy-next-week Sony patents function allowing stream viewers to boot players from games (44:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-21-sony-granted-patent-for-spectators-to-pay-to-remove-players-from-games Notorious Games, new studio formed by former Blizzard staff announced (45:30) https://venturebeat.com/2021/10/25/notorious-studios-breaks-free-from-world-of-warcraft-to-build-its-own-worlds/ Eidos properly credits former trans employee for their contribution (52:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-26-trans-dev-has-new-name-credited-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Can we interest you in a chalice? Games we played this week include: The Good Life (12:45) Back 4 Blood (19:30) World War Z Aftermath (21:35) Lego City Underground (24:15) Tanuki Sunset (32:40) Dusk (43:20) Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (46:15) Nuclear Blaze (52:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Twitch addresses contents of their massive leak (58:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-07-twitch-confirms-data-exposed-in-major-leak Twitch also had a do not ban list (1:00:00) https://kotaku.com/report-yes-twitch-once-had-a-do-not-ban-list-1847884492 Mercury Steam not crediting former staff for work on Metroid Dread (1:03:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-14-mercurysteam-responds-to-complaints-some-metroid-dread-devs-were-left-out-of-credits FIFA 22 pitch line feature causing issues for visually impaired players (1:08:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-19-fifa-22s-customisable-pitch-lines-are-causing-an-accessibility-problem More than 20 Activision Blizzard staff have now "exited" company since sexual harassment lawsuit became public (1:09:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-20-more-than-20-activision-blizzard-staff-have-now-exited-company-since-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-became-public New Animal Crossing DLC causes confusion regarding Nintendo online subscription (1:13:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-13-animal-crossing-new-horizons-gets-final-big-free-update-in-november Valve working on a ratings system for Steam Deck so folks will know before purchase if a game will run okay or not (1:24:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-18-valve-reviewing-entire-steam-catalogue-for-new-steam-deck-compatibility-ratings-system --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Yes, you, specifically. Games we played this week include: Rallyallyally (5:45) Morse (8:05) Neuronet: Mendax Proxy (9:45) Back 4 Blood (11:50) Paper Trail (16:00) D*Fuzed (17:50) You Suck at Parking (19:55) Fantasian (23:45) Grindstone (26:40) Metroid Dread (31:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: EA exec confronted regarding loot boxes in FIFA interview, uses weasel words. (43:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/amp/2021-10-05-the-big-interview-ea-fifa-and-loot-boxes Twitch leak exposes years-long security flaws (46:45) https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/7/22714160/twitch-hack-security-data-breach-problems Microsoft investigating alternate approaches to “right to repair” (49:30) https://www.vg247.com/microsoft-xbox-right-to-repair-consoles Conflict over Activision EEOC settlement could destroy California labor lawsuit (54:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-12-latest-activision-blizzard-legal-twist-sees-californias-recent-usd18m-objection-questioned Ubisoft employees raise concerns “role model” evaluation will suppress dissent (1:02:00) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-10-12-ubisoft-employees-call-for-removal-of-role-model-evaluation-goal-over-concerns-of-misuse Epic cops to ripping off Among Us, imply future collaboration https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-12-epic-games-now-credits-among-us-innersloth-as-inspiration-for-fortnites-imposters-mode Paradox staff speak out about culture of silence protecting abusive executives (1:08:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-12-paradox-staff-slam-culture-of-silence-which-let-man-with-reputation-for-harassment-continue-in-role-for-years Eidos Montreal instituting a four-day work week (1:11:55) https://www.businessinsider.com/4-day-work-week-workweek-hours-salary-eidos-montreal-2021-10 --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Gold provides many powers. Games we played this week include: Flynn: Son of Crimson (6:45) Nightmare on Elm St (9:05) Nier Reincarnation (13:30) Unsighted (18:10) ZombieRollerz (27:45) Missing Orpheus (30:00) Monster Train (32:10) Mighty Goose (37:20) Alan Wake Remastered (39:45) Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (42:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Twitch testing paid boost feature (44:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-04-twitch-testing-new-paid-boost-feature Twitch source code leaked online (48:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-06-twitch-source-code-leaked-by-anonymous-hacker Sony adds game trials to PS5, starting when download begins (1:00:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-02-sony-adds-game-trials-feature-to-ps5 Sony buys Bluepoint, will shift studio focus to new products (1:01:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-30-sony-buys-demons-souls-remake-developer-bluepoint-games Bloomberg reports on 4K Switch dev kits, Nintendo denies, then a patent appears (1:02:30) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-29/nintendo-switch-4k-developers-make-games-for-nonexistent-console https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-30-nintendo-issues-denial-on-new-4k-nintendo-switch-report https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/nintendo-patent-details-an-ai-that-could-upscale-console-resolution-3060571 Xbox adding system-level accessibility options and clearer labeling for products (1:05:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-01-microsoft-unveils-host-of-new-accessibility-features-for-xbox --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

But what else is new? Games we played this week include: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (6:40) Flynn: Son of Crimson (8:40) Deltarune (10:00) Deathloop (20:00) Dandy Ace (24:00) Eastward (33:15) Skatebird (37:00) Toem (39:20) --- News things talked about in this episode: Activision quickly settles federal labor lawsuit, denies wrongdoing again (41:10) https://twitter.com/Kellen_Browning/status/1442635053469556745?s=20 https://twitter.com/Kellen_Browning/status/1442670747487408134?s=20 Netflix buys Oxenfree developer to make Netflix games (45:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-29-netflix-acquires-oxenfree-developer-night-school-studio Illumination’s Mario Bros movie gets cast (48:40) https://variety.com/2021/film/news/super-mario-bros-movie-cast-chris-pratt-1235072946/ Twitch reportedly working on features to prevent hate raids (58:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-27-twitch-reporting-launching-new-security-tools-to-combat-hate-raiding Twitch partnering with Warner Music to bring acts to the platform (1:01:00) https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/warner-music-group-and-twitch-announce-first-of-its-kind-partnership-301385629.html PS4 now won't die completely when it's battery dies and stop playing games (1:04:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-23-sony-has-quietly-fixed-playstation-4s-dead-battery-issue --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

What could these mystery flavors be? Games we played this week include: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (19:10) Flynn: Son of Crimson (23:55) Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls (26:20) Zen Pinball (31:00) Skatebird (34:00) Wasted (40:05) Deltarune (44:40) Croc (48:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Bugsnax / Octodad developer moves all staff to four day work week (49:20) https://www.axios.com/bugsnax-developer-four-day-workweeks-9dbea139-cda0-4c93-83ca-d921e3eecd7b.html Judgment delivered in Epic v Apple suit (51:20) https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2021/9/10/22662320/epic-apple-ruling-injunction-judge-court-app-store https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1437129077111074824 Twitch brings suit against hate raid coordinators despite knowing little about them (53:10) https://kotaku.com/twitch-sues-hate-raid-organizers-1847653161 Former Tripwire CEO does swift rebrand after resigning in disgrace (58:00) https://twitter.com/Gameonysus/status/1436805531633475584 Konami wants you to preorder a lootbox for £33 (1:02:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-16-konami-selling-a-gbp33-efootball-premium-player-pack-you-cant-use-until-november Bobby Kotick subpoenaed as part of SEC investigation into ActiBlizz (1:03:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-21-activision-boss-bobby-kotick-subpoenaed-as-multiple-agencies-seek-truth-on-harassment-allegations --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Love is in the air (and on all the surfaces) --- Go check out Laura’s wife Jane at twitch.tv/janeiac or support her at patreon.com/StonedMonkeyRadio The links to her Twitter and Facebook, as well as all her work, including Podcasts, Livestreams, YouTube, Soundcloud, Spotify, Blog posts, T shirts with a spookkake ghost and more can be found at streamerlinks.com/Janeiac Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Chase that paper. Games we played this week include: Totally legal games (9:00) Encased (21:25) House of Ashes Demo (24:10) Apocalypse (31:15) Wasteland Golf Club (36:45) Life is Strange: True Colours (43:10) The Medium (48:20) No More Heroes 3 (49:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Tripwire CEO steps down after expressing support for Texas abortion ban (51:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-06-developers-distance-themselves-from-publisher-tripwire-after-boss-says-hes-proud-draconian-texas-anti-abortion-law-allowed-to-stand https://www.tripwireinteractive.com/#/news/tripwire-appoints-new-interim-ceo-alan-wilson Paradox Interactive employees allege mistreatment in survey (59:15) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-09-06-employee-survey-at-paradox-interactive-alleges-gender-discrimination-and-mistreatment Sony backpedals on PS5 upgrade fee for Horizon Forbidden West, but such fees are the future (1:01:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-05-sony-u-turns-on-controversial-horizon-forbidden-west-ps4-to-ps5-upgrade-policy-following-backlash Cloud Imperium warned by UK regulators to clarify to customers that in-game ships don’t exist yet. (1:03:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-08-advertising-standards-tells-star-citizen-dev-to-make-it-clear-for-sale-concept-ships-dont-exist-in-game-yet Ubisoft’s replacement CCO is another white french dude (1:08:55) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-08-ubisoft-finally-names-replacement-for-disgraced-chief-creative-officer New Pokémon Oreo cookies come at a time when Nabisco workers are on strike (1:11:30) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/business/nabisco-workers-strike.html --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Oh, you’ve got a new podcast to listen to? Must be fucking nice. Games we played this week include: Psychonauts 2 (6:00) Rustler (15:00) No More Heroes 3 (22:10) Aliens: Fireteam Elite (30:45) Lake (32:25) --- News things talked about in this episode: Unity employees are concerned about the company’s defense department contract work (34.15) https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3d4jy/unity-workers-question-company-ethics-as-it-expands-from-video-games-to-war EA exec claims toxic environments are ‘inevitable’ in large publishers (44:15) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ea-exec-says-toxic-environments-are-inevitable-inside-large-publishers-but-you-have-to-take-action/ CD Projekt Red hires CyberPunk 2077 modders (47:55) https://kotaku.com/kickass-cyberpunk-2077-modders-become-cd-projekt-red-de-1847590961 Apple will now let alternate payment systems be offered, but not through the App Store (49:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-27-apple-settles-lawsuit-to-let-developers-email-users-about-alternative-payment-options Steam refunds system abuse is hurting developers of short indie games (53:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-27-steams-two-hour-refund-policy-leads-to-indie-developer-quitting-game-development Epic hosts Martin Luther King Jr. experience in Fortnite, predictably unprepared for users (56:45) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-08-31-fortnite-disables-emotes-in-martin-luther-king-jr-tribute Activision responds to shredding claims, says they kept the important stuff, honest (59:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-25-state-of-california-alleges-activision-blizzard-hr-shredded-documents Wata co-founder accused of selling graded games online from personal collection (1:00:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-01-wata-co-founder-accused-of-breaking-companys-rules-on-selling-graded-stock --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We are cultured, worldly sophisticates. Games we played this week include: Road 96 (9:30) The Ascent (14:30) Aliens: Fireteam Elite (17:20) Twelve Minutes (23:55) Psychonauts 2 (29:25) Train Simulator (37:50) --- News things talked about in this episode: Roblox exploits child labor for profit (39:15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gXlauRB1EQ State of California expands suit, claims Activision may have destroyed evidence of abuse (44:30) https://www.axios.com/activision-blizzard-lawsuit-temporary-workers-4a8fa284-a003-4c56-819c-43c7c2d3f3ca.html Electronic Arts is releasing patents on accessibility features (49:20) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-08-23-ea-shares-five-innovations-via-accessibility-patent-pledge-wants-other-devs-to-do-the-same The market for retro games might be as full of fraud as every speculative market that came before. (53:25) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/report-alleges-auction-and-grading-fraud-is-behind-recent-surge-in-retro-game-prices/ Twitch’s tags are being used to engage in coordinated hate raids on minority streamers. (59:20) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/08/25/twitch-hate-raids-streamers-discord-cybersecurity/ --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

But disrespect the Moon Goddess at your peril. Games we played this week include: Road 96 (6:20) The Ascent (12:15) Boyfriend Dungeon (19:40) Back 4 Blood beta (26:15) Button City (30:25) Dodgeball Academia (33:00) Vampyr (36:15) Garden Story (37:10) Fortnite: Impostors (42:10) --- News things talked about in this episode: Among Us devs speak out about Fortnite's controversial Impostors mode (45:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-18-among-us-devs-speak-out-about-fortnites-controversial-impostors-mode Riot misled staff about their right to speak out on harassment and discrimination, California says (49:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-17-riot-misled-staff-about-their-right-to-speak-out-about-harassment-and-discrimination-state-of-california-says Activision Blizzard accused of routinely deadnaming trans staff (43:05) https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/13/activision-blizzard-trans-deadnamed/ Watchdog launches investigation into Ubisoft Singapore over alleged unfairness and sexual harassment (56:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-17-watchdog-launches-investigation-into-skull-and-bones-dev-ubisoft-singapore-over-alleged-unfairness-and-sexual-harassment -- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A week of listener questions because we love you. -- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

But for God’s sake, wash your filthy hands. Games we played this week include: The Great Ragtime Show (8:35) Cooking Mama Cookstar (16:45) The Evil Within 2 (23:30) Train Simulator (30:10) Castle Crashers (32:50) Samurai Warriors 5 (34:55) Neo: The World Ends With You (41:30) News things talked about in this episode: More Activision/Blizzard, More Problems (37:30) https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/7kvm8g/activision-it-worker-secretly-filmed-colleagues-in-office-bathroom https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-31-more-activision-blizzard-allegations-emerge-as-former-dev-calls-for-industry-unionisation https://kotaku.com/activistion-blizzard-faces-second-lawsuit-over-first-la-1847415904 https://kotaku.com/blizzard-president-j-allen-brack-is-stepping-down-1847412696 https://kotaku.com/what-really-happened-at-that-blizzcon-panel-according-1847408469 But we haven’t forgotten about Ubisoft (53:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-28-ubisoft-employees-sign-open-letter-slamming-managements-empty-promises-following-last-years-toxic-work-culture-allegations Maybe unions are a good idea? (56:25) https://www.wowhead.com/news/employees-form-abk-workers-alliance-send-new-letter-to-kotick-and-activision-323658 -- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Because apparently that’s a thing that just works. Games we played this week include: Pure Maiden Captures Uncle (0:30) Pokémon Unite (10:45) Mini Motorways (16:30) Microsoft Flight Sim (19:20) Samurai Warriors 5 (21:50) Spelunky 2 (31:30) Cooking Mama Cookstar (32:05) Silent Hill (35:30) News things talked about in this episode: California files suit against Activision for discrimination (37:30) https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/activision-blizzard-sued-by-california-over-frat-boy-culture https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-26/activision-blizzard-staff-sign-petition-supporting-labor-lawsuit https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-28-activision-blizzard-boss-bobby-kotick-tells-staff-companys-initial-response-to-discrimination-lawsuit-was-tone-deaf -- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We never just ask how you’re doing. Games we played this week include: SNKRX (3:20) Pokémon Unite (6:05) Scarlet Nexus (20:00) Offworld Trading Company (23:40) Pairanormal (26:10) Greedfall (30:20) Geometry Arena (32:30) The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD (38:20) News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft sued by French game workers union for institutional sexual harassment (42:15) https://www.pcgamer.com/french-game-workers-union-sues-ubisoft-for-institutional-sexual-harassment/ Ukranian warehouse full of PS4s used to farm FIFA game currency (46:15) https://www.engadget.com/ps4-farm-fifa-ultimate-team-accounts-cryptocurrency-182654013.html Valve announces handheld Steam Deck gaming devices (48:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2021-valve-steam-deck-spec-analysis Prototype designs for Wii remotes dredged from last year’s Nintendo leak (53:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-21-nintendo-leak-reveals-early-wii-remote-ideas Hackers allege they’ve stolen data from EA, ransom it. (54:55) https://twitter.com/UnderTheBreach/status/1417875645611249665 -- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Rules are rules. Games we played this week include: Mundaun (12:30) SNKRX (17:20) Myst: VR Edition (21:40) Scarlet Nexus (25:00) Rising Hell (33:30) There is No Game: Wrong Dimension (37:50) News things talked about in this episode: Resident Evil Village PC port performance issues linked to DRM (8:10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXZGCwAJpbM Ubisoft is concerned they might have problems hiring and keeping talent (38:55) https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/384905/Ubisoft_worried_inappropriate_behavior_could_hurt_staff_hiring_and_retention.php Tencent gets patent on digital goods inheritance (45:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-14-tencent-obtains-patent-for-digital-asset-inheritance Microsoft adds spending limit controls for child accounts (51:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-14-xbox-app-now-lets-you-set-spending-limits-for-child-accounts Kojima doesn’t like the “Director’s Cut” subtitle for Death Stranding (54:25) https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/1414442497401524224 Bloober Team dances around Silent Hill rumors (57:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-11-bloober-team-says-silent-hill-leak-is-based-on-outdated-or-incomplete-information -- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise from the Jimporium at thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

If we go missing, check under the piles of Skeleton Warriors cards. Games we played this week include: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus (11:20) Fury Unleashed (19:40) Rising Hell (22:15) Scarlet Nexus (25:20) Terminator Resistance (34:20) News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft making live service Assassin’s Creed, installs alleged abusers to run project (38:55) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-07/assassin-s-creed-infinity-to-offer-live-online-game-service Switch revision announced without rumored 4K upscaling (47:35) https://www.thegamer.com/switch-oled-model-dock/ More reports from indie developers on challenges of working with Sony (56:05) https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2021/07/report_how_playstation_is_failing_indie_developers Tencent deploying facial recognition to limit unsupervised children’s game time in China (59:45) https://uk.pcmag.com/games/134366/tencent-will-use-facial-recognition-in-china-to-prevent-late-night-gaming-sessions -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Yes, the pinball thing is still very much a thing. Games we played this week include: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus (6:10) Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (12:50) Chicory (16:00) Fury Unleashed (21:40) FF7 Remake (27:20) Neo: The World Ends With You (33:20) Skul: The Hero Slayer (38:00) Mario Golf Super Rush (45:40) Going Under (48:55) Monster Hunter Stories 2 (51:40) Sky: Children of the Light (52:35) Life in the Crow House with Jonathan (1:08:00) (https://dtersegno.itch.io/life-in-the-crow-house) News things talked about in this episode: Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 military simulation event did a bit of a racism (57:00) https://www.thegamer.com/sniper-ghost-warrior-contracts-2-press-event-military-training-experience-arab-middle-east/ https://twitter.com/CIGamesOfficial/status/1408023427664027653 Indie publisher bemoans fees and process allegedly imposed by PS Store (1:01:35) https://www.thegamer.com/sony-charging-devs-200k-placement-PlayStation-store/ Chris Avellone suing 100+ people who claimed knowledge of his misconduct (1:04:25) https://www.thegamer.com/chris-avellone-slapp-lawsuit-sexual-misconduct/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Get over here and listen to this nonsense!

This podcast is not brought to you by Snapple (yet; call us). Games we played this week include: EDF World Brothers (17:00) FF7 Remake Intergrade (32:15) Flower (39:40) Infamous: Second Son (41:50) News things talked about in this episode: Marvel's Avengers bug displayed users’ IP addresses on screen while playing. (47:30) https://www.polygon.com/22545442/marvels-avengers-bug-ip-address-cosmic-cube-update Developer of Abandoned pleads with people to believe he’s not Hideo Kojima. (51:35) https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2021/06/abandoned_dev_appears_on_camera_to_denounce_silent_hill_hideo_kojima_speculation Bobby Kotick gets $155m pay package approved by shareholders.(1:04:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-22-activision-blizzard-boss-bobby-koticks-usd155m-pay-package-approved-by-shareholders Among Us devs talk about the consequences of their surprise success. (1:07:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-20-among-us-devs-admit-they-felt-burnt-out-and-overwhelmed-following-the-indie-games-success First dev to announce in-game Facebook ads backpedals after consumer response. (1:08:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-17-facebook-is-testing-in-headset-vr-ads-for-oculus CyberPunk returns to Sony with fewer assets to make it run. (1:14:45) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2021/06/21/cyberpunk-2077-playstation-store/ Pokémon Go rolls back more accessibility options introduced during the pandemic. (1:15:30) https://www.thegamer.com/pokemon-go-post-pandemic-roadmap/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Unlike E3, these people know how to set appropriate expectations. Games we played this week include: Skatebird (15:30) Final Fantasy Origin (19:15) Tunic (26:00) Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (29:40) Earth Defense Force: World Brothers (37:15) Umarangi Generation (49:00) Going Under (51:05) Button City (54:10) Unbeatable (54:40) News things talked about in this episode: Cyberpunk returning to PSN, Sony suggests not buying the base PS4 version (1:10:25) https://www.gamesradar.com/cyberpunk-2077-returning-to-playstation-store-next-week-but-sony-says-ps4-problems-persist/ Ubisoft continues to be shit, but didn’t show Beyond Good & Evil for once. (1:11:45) Debate sparked by announcements of physical-only game releases (1:17:55) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/opinion/new-limited-physical-release-announcements-set-a-worrying-precedent/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Not the ball draining we signed up for. Games we played this week include: KeyWe (13:00) Crue Ball (20:25) Demon’s Tilt (24:00) Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (26:40) Virtual Pinball (39:25) Yoku’s Island Express (41:00) World’s End Club (42:30) Kung-Fu Kickball (43:05) Backbone (44:40) News things talked about in this episode: David Cage reportedly throws tantrum in court (49:30) https://twitter.com/BobToasters/status/1400478443326816263 Injustice 2 Mobile rewarded beating up bi-sexual character for Pride Month (57:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-04-injustice-2-mobile-dev-apologises-for-pride-event-that-challenged-players-to-beat-up-a-queer-woman The E3 Media Portal set up by ESA assumes everyone is male (1:01:30) https://twitter.com/KonaYMA6/status/1402294951816404999 Ubisoft to offer remote work options for some positions (1:07:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-09-ubisoft-moving-to-hybrid-approach-to-working-from-home Playdate portable gaming console with a crank available to pre-order in July (1:10:30) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/06/playdate-the-console-with-a-crank-gets-july-preorder-for-179-game-details/ Palworld looks like an edgelord Pokémon (1:12:20) https://www.polygon.com/22522497/palworld-trailer-release-date-steam -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Bask in the glow of her power. Games we played this week include: Necromunda: Hired Gun (17:20) Knockout City (32:10) BioMutant (36:50) Ghosts n Goblins Resurrection (44:10) The Wild at Heart (51:15) Fortnite (54:10) Maneater (58:10) Mass Effect 3 (59:25) West of Dead (1:03:10) News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft actually acknowledges political themes exist in Far Cry 6 (1:08:40) https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/jzZzBMLk8k4XAWgNpXfju/the-politics-of-far-cry-6 Borderlands 3 crossplay will not include PlayStation (1:11:40) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-27-randy-pitchford-blames-playstation-after-borderlands-3-crossplay-blocked EA made $1.62bn from Ultimate Team in its last financial year (1:15:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-27-ea-made-usd1-62bn-from-ultimate-team-in-its-last-financial-year Women now own more than 40% of PlayStation consoles (1:14:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-27-theres-loads-of-interesting-playstation-info-in-sonys-playstation-investor-relations-document -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Oh, you thought we were done with skin care? Games we played this week include: Psychonauts (6:15) BioMutant (8:00) Mass Effect 2 (28:10) Dark Pictures Anthology - House of Ashes (35:30) News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft makes wild claims regarding improvements to company culture (41:40) https://news.ubisoft.com/en-gb/article/6eNE6mnqcXT2qWS2vFWpZV/a-year-of-change-at-ubisoft Hackers get transphobic error messages into Little Big Planet (50:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-22-sony-disables-littlebigplanet-servers-due-to-the-severity-of-the-recent-attacks Twitch introducing additional identity tags (53:00) https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2021/05/26/celebrate-yourself-and-your-community-with-350-new-tags/ Derided Gucci branded content for Roblox nonetheless explodes in resale value (59:20) https://www.polygon.com/22446454/gucci-garden-experience-roblox-purses-ugc-price-marketplace Roblox rebrands as “not a game” in wake of Epic v. Apple lawsuit https://devforum.roblox.com/t/re-rename-the-new-discover-tab/1225357 https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/14/22436014/apple-roblox-epic-fortnite-trial-what-is-game-name-change Skyward Sword HD locks fast travel behind a sold out $25 amiibo. (1:04:10) https://twitter.com/HeyHeyItMaymay/status/1396142724718411778 Sony pushing to bring their franchises to phones (1:06:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-26-sony-exploring-the-mobile-market-with-some-wonderful-playstation-franchises Valve rumored to be releasing a handheld gaming pc (1:07:10) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/05/exclusive-valve-is-making-a-switch-like-portable-gaming-pc/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The last Uwe Boll film left to do before we can move onto some hopefully better flicks, In the Name of the King 3: The Last Mission is aptly named. It's also fittingly horrid.

Do not attempt the stunts performed on this show in your own home. Games we played this week include: Resident Evil Village (13:45) Mass Effect Legendary Edition (22:20) Monster Sanctuary (32:00) Dragon Quest Builders 2 (34:00) The Outer Worlds (35:30) Pine (41:15) News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft still hasn’t addressed the system of abuse at their studios (45:15) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-05-18-ubisoft-has-reportedly-made-minimal-changes-following-abuse-allegations Ubisoft also has a bad art contest you shouldn’t enter (52:20) https://www.thegamer.com/assassins-creed-valhalla-tattoo-competition-ubisoft-spec-work/ Unused Lady Dimitrescu voice file found to be very hot (56:25) https://www.thegamer.com/cut-lady-dimitrescu-voice-line-good-girl/ Epic v Apple devolves to porno finger-pointing (57:45) https://twitter.com/thedextriarchy/status/1394701570080743427 Redacted testimony points to Xbox Game Pass coming to Switch (1:01:45) https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1394618302475931649 -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

It dongs for thee. Games we played this week include: Resident Evil Village (05:15) Dragon Quest Builders 2 (19:00) Train Simulator (31:10) Bunny Bunny Dig Dig (33:30) Wind Waker HD (36:50) World’s End Club (43:00) Dex (48:00) Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (51:45) News things talked about in this episode: Is it porn for this banana to be naked? (56:00) https://twitter.com/thedextriarchy/status/1391782615909273600 Returnal update corrupted saves, people who downloaded asked not to play (1:01:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-07-returnal-reinstating-pre-rollback-fixes-in-new-patch-tomorrow Humble Bundle brings back charity sliders... for now (1:03:50) https://blog.humblebundle.com/2021/05/05/an-update-on-bundle-sliders/ Ubisoft pivoting towards more free to play titles (1:06:15) https://www.vg247.com/2021/05/12/ubisoft-free-to-play-strategy/ Epic pushed for Microsoft to drop Xbox live requirement for F2P games (1:10:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-05-epic-games-and-xbox-discussed-dropping-xbox-live-gold-requirement-for-f2p-games-last-year-emails-reveal -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Not to be confused with Microsoft and their exceptional line of products. Games we played this week include: Before I Forget (07:40) Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (19:45) Pokémon Snap (21:45) Undermine (28:25) Returnal (33:45) Disc Creatures (45:20) Tin Star (48:40) News things talked about in this episode: Epic v Apple court proceedings begin (50:30) https://twitter.com/thedextriarchy/status/1389595740519940101 Epic data on user-acquisition costs related to “free” game distribution leaked (1:02:20) https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-spent-more-than-dollar11m-on-free-games-in-the-first-nine-months-of-giveaways/ Info on quite how huge financially Fortnite has been (1:06:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-04-fortnite-earned-usd9bn-in-two-years How much Epic paid for six months of Borderlands 3 exclusivity (1:07:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-04-epics-fully-loaded-borderlands-3-deal-cost-usd146m-for-six-months-of-pc-exclusivity Sony agreed to cross-play when it could get its beak wet (1:10:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-04-epic-boss-says-sony-charges-publishers-a-cross-play-fee-in-certain-circumstances Microsoft to cut publisher fee to 12% on Windows Game Store (1:14:00) https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/29/22409285/microsoft-store-cut-windows-pc-games-12-percent Xbox is improving the framerate of many backward compatible titles (1:16:40) https://majornelson.com/fpsboost/ Witcher 3 Director resigns and apologizes after investigation finds no wrongdoing (1:17:20) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-04/top-director-leaves-embattled-game-developer-cd-projekt Sony makes a financial investment in Discord, securing it on PS5. (1:21:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-04-discord-playstation-integration New details emerge about last year’s Ubisoft hostage hoax (1:23:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-30-last-years-ubisoft-hostage-hoax-reportedly-the-work-of-notorious-rainbow-six-cheater 5 CDPR bosses take home nearly $30m in bonuses. (1:28:05) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-04-30/cyberpunk-managers-still-win-big-bonuses-after-shoddy-game-launch Bobby Kotick takes a meaningless 50% pay cut. (1:28:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-30-activision-blizzard-boss-bobby-kotick-takes-a-50-percent-pay-cut-but-could-still-earn-millions-in-bonuses -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

On the march and looking fab. Games we played this week include: PHOGS! (10:55) Ballistic Ecks vs Sever (18:35) Congo The Movie: Secret of Zinj (20:25) The Longing (24:20) Pathway (29:20) Steven Seagal is the Final Option (31:50) Road Runner Death Valley Rally (35:50) Train Simulator (39:00) Hypnospace Outlaw (42:00) The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (46:00) Judgment (49:55) Miitopia (53:15) News things talked about in this episode: Humble Bundle is significantly changing its revenue split system (1:01:10) https://blog.humblebundle.com/2021/04/23/a-note-about-sliders-and-our-bundle-pages/ Pokémon Go introduces sponsored branding balloons (1:08:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-27-pokemon-go-will-now-occasionally-float-sponsored-gifts-in-hot-air-balloons-around-your-screen First Monster Hunter Rise update adds price tag to character cosmetic changes (1:10:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-27-monster-hunter-rises-first-big-update-lands-tomorrow-heres-whats-coming Leaked FIFA marketing documents illustrate EA’s funneling of players into loot boxes (1:14:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-26-ea-denies-its-pushing-fifa-players-to-spend-on-loot-boxes-after-insider-leaks-marketing-documents Nier Replicant includes a gross achievement for staring at genitals (1:22:00) https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/04/22/nier-replicant-transphobia-trophy-daredevil-achievement-kaine-intersex/ CD Projekt Red had no financial consequence for abysmal CyberPunk launch (1:23:40) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/04/cyberpunk-2077-refunds-barely-dented-cd-projekt-reds-bottom-line/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Assess advantages afforded our arthropod associates Games we played this week include: Portal Reloaded (5:30) Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (13:30) Later Alligator (18:15) PS3 Emulation (22:35) Princess Farmer (30:10) Narita Boy (36:00) Resident Evil Village Demo (38:55) The Longing (41:35) News things talked about in this episode: LEGO Luigi teased in emotionally manipulative manner (49:40) https://www.ign.com/articles/lego-mario-firmware-update-makes-him-start-calling-for-luigi Nintendo suing a modder coincidentally named Bowser. (54:45) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-17-nintendo-suing-switch-hacker-gary-bowser Sony does a U-Turn on closing down the PS3 and Vita stores (56:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-19-playstation-u-turns-on-playstation-3-and-vita-store-shutdowns Troll fabricates story about Path of Exile ban, claims it was an academic demonstration (1:00:40) https://www.pcgamer.com/how-a-reckless-lie-caused-huge-internet-drama-for-path-of-exiles-developer/ Witcher 3 mod uses software to generate new dialogue for Geralt from existing recordings. (1:07:00) https://www.vice.com/en/article/3aq8gn/this-witcher-3-mod-got-geralt-to-read-new-lines-without-the-voice-actor Sony seems to be adding streaming video content to PlayStation Plus (1:10:15) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-looks-set-to-announce-playstation-plus-video-pass/ Sony files patent for AI system which learns and recreates your play for you (1:11:55) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-has-patented-an-ai-that-will-play-your-games-for-you/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Push your way into the depths of our bottomless lore Games we played this week include: Say No! More (9:15) Outriders (26:30) Adios (31:20) It Takes Two (35:20) Monster Hunter Rise (40:00) Balan Wonderworld (41:45) Narita Boy (51:15) Rain on Your Parade (52:55) Pac-Man 99 (58:45) Helltakers (1:00:55) Twerk Hero (1:02:30) Train Simulator (1:05:00) News things talked about in this episode: Nintendo doesn't want you to see unlicensed Bowser Dong (1:16:00) https://www.dailydot.com/irl/bowser-penis-patreon-nintendo/ Sony reportedly putting all its eggs in its biggest baskets (1:16:50) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-09/sony-s-obsession-with-blockbusters-is-stirring-unrest-within-playstation-empire Meanwhile, Nintendo emphasizes an increased focus on new properties (1:17:40) https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/nintendo-to-focus-on-creating-original-games-according-to-its-president/ Bigotry sliders are the future (1:19:35) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-08-intels-ai-powered-bleep-tech-lets-you-choose-exactly-how-much-hate-speech-you-hear -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Smell your way to a better life. Games we played this week include: UnderMine (9:30) Outriders (15:15) Cooking Mama: Cookstar PS4 (21:20) Gato Roboto (28:00) Disco Elysium: Final Cut (34:30) Monster Hunter Rise (36:50) Narita Boy (43:10) Oddworld: Soulstorm (47:00) News things talked about in this episode: Pokémon Go's Flower Happinny event more evidence the game is 100% lootboxes (50:00) Pac-Man 99 continues trend of Battle Royaling legacy properties (54:00) https://www.polygon.com/22371536/pac-man-99-battle-royale-nintendo-switch-online-exclusive-release-date Yet another study links loot boxes and gambling (57:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-03-link-between-loot-boxes-and-problem-gambling-robustly-verified Brazil is looking to ban lootboxes in video games as harmful gambling (1:04:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-07-brazilian-authorities-to-investigate-loot-boxes -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

No, we haven’t lost touch with the culture and are now desperately scrabbling for relevance. Why do you ask? Games we played this week include: Loop Hero (7:00) Nova Drift (15:15) Monster Hunter Rise (20:00) The Creature in the Well (34:15) UnderMine (34:45) News things talked about in this episode: Cooking Mama Cookstar comes to PS4 despite license issues (40:35) CDPR doing parallel AAA development, promises things (49:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-30-cyberpunk-2077-developer-cd-projekt-red-moving-to-develop-multiple-aaa-projects-at-same-time Balan Wonderworld unpatched version contains epilepsy trigger bug (52:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-26-square-enix-warns-players-to-patch-balan-wonderworld-to-avoid-epilepsy-trigger -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

How do you solve the problem? Games we played this week include: Fall Guys Season 4 (7:30) UnderMine (13:40) Taishogun Rise Of Emperor (20:30) Loop Hero (30:30) Apocalypse (37:00) Skeleton Warriors (41:40) Genshin Impact (47:00) News things talked about in this episode: Bobby Kotick getting $200m bonus while laying off hundreds again (50:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-20-as-activision-blizzard-boss-bobby-kotick-is-poised-to-earn-a-bonus-worth-millions-of-dollars-staff-brace-themselves-for-layoffs-across-europe Spider-Man content for Marvel’s Avengers still months away (55:00) https://www.ign.com/articles/marvels-avengers-spider-man-ps5-ps4-exclusive-not-before-summer -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

But we’ll tell you where you can stick your token. Games we played this week include: Werewolf: The Apocalypse Earthblood (13:25) UnderMine (21:00) War Tortoise - Idle Shooter (28:45) Prey (33:50) Persona 5 (37:30) News things talked about in this episode: Yes, Pokémon Go eggs are loot boxes, even if you think they’re fun (40:00) https://kotaku.com/pokemon-gos-eggs-arent-lootboxes-theyre-fun-presents Halo art found its way into the Snyder Cut of Justice League (56:35) https://www.pcgamesn.com/justice-league-halo Devotion returns to sale digitally two years after delisted for Winnie the Pooh joke (58:30) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-15-devotion-returns-to-sale-digitally-two-years-after-it-was-delisted Microsoft clarifies exclusivity plans for future Bethesda games (59:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-11-phil-spencer-says-future-bethesda-games-will-be-exclusive-to-platforms-where-game-pass-exists -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We’re gonna bring the flavor. Games we played this week include: Outriders (13:20) Anthem (27:15) Absolute Drift: Zen Edition (37:30) Curse of the Dead Gods (42:20) Pokérom (52:10) Werewolf: The Apocalypse Earthblood (58.30) God's Trigger (1:03:30) Blood Roots (1:06:20) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (1:07:20) News things talked about in this episode: Six Days in Fallujah publisher now says project is "inseparable from politics" (8:00) https://twitter.com/VicturaGG/status/1368924485676527623 Marvel's Avengers developer tries to explain away increased grind (1:09:30) https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayAvengers/comments/ly2ld5/more_clarification_and_details_on_the_recently/ Microsoft confirms "some" Bethesda games will be full Xbox and PC exclusive (1:17:45) https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/03/09/officially-welcoming-bethesda-to-the-xbox-family/ Denuvo anti-cheat coming to PS5 https://www.siliconera.com/ps5-denuvo-is-now-part-of-the-ps5-tools-and-middleware-program/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We don’t have time to really get into it, but he’s thoroughly underappreciated. Games we played this week include: Littlewood (4:30) Calico (12:10) World of Warcraft (14:40) Outer Wilds (16:45) Touhou Luna Nights (25:30) The Medium (31:15) Little Nightmares 2 (35:35) Bowser’s Fury (36:50) Persona 5 Strikers (37:55) News things talked about in this episode: BioWare stopped work on Anthem overhaul (39:35) https://blog.bioware.com/2021/02/24/anthem-update/ Epic acquires Fall Guys developer Mediatonic (46:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-02-epic-acquires-fall-guys-developer-mediatonic Hogwarts Legacy is getting a "trans character creator" (53.40) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-02/harry-potter-video-game-will-allow-for-transgender-characters The Sinking City dev accuses publisher Nacon of cracking the game to re-release it on Steam (58:50) https://frogwares.com/how-nacon-cracked-and-pirated-the-sinking-city/ Post Malone and Pokémon: It was just about the sex. (1:06:20) https://twitter.com/GenePark/status/1365825158146064388 -- Check out more of Mari at GeekRemix on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok! Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A steady hand and an even stroke can handle even the tiniest brush. Games we played this week include: Nioh 2 (5:50) Curse of the Dead Gods (10:55) Persona 5 Strikers (16:50) Factorio (22:55) Per Aspera (26:05) Control (28:45) Dinosaur Planet (36:00) News things talked about in this episode: Stadia can’t fix bug in Journey to the Savage Planet because they fired the developers (44:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-02-23-stadia-struggling-to-fix-journey-to-the-savage-planet-bug-after-firing-developer Paradox dropped Hardsuit Labs as the developer of Bloodlines 2 (45:55) https://www.polygon.com/2021/2/23/22296919/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-delayed-hardsuit-labs-fired-paradox-interactive Hogwarts Legacy gets attention for designer’s old YouTube channel (55:00) https://www.pcgamer.com/hogwarts-legacy-lead-designer-criticised-for-reactionary-youtube-videos/ Dying Light 2 developer struggling under CEO management style (59.55) https://www.thegamer.com/techland-report-bleeding-talent-autocratic-management-bad-feedback/ Sony brings Days Gone to PC, announces more ports coming (1:07:30) https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/playstation-vr-jim-ryan-interview-2021 Valve bans developer who sneakily named his company Very Positive on Steam (1:16:35) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-02-18-developer-banned-from-steam-for-naming-studio-very-positive -- Check out Casey Explosion’s stream at twitch.tv/caseyexplosion! Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Turns out none of the things they taught are true. Games we played this week include: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (18:00) 1001 Spikes (24:00) Lizard Lady vs. the Cats (28:20) Deep Rock Galactic (33:30) Steel Sword Story (37:15) Wilmott's Warehouse (40:00) SSX [2012] (40:55) Persona 5 (45:00) Sunset Overdrive (48:30) News things talked about in this episode: Six Days in Fallujah back from the dead (9:30) https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/2021/2/15/22279600/six-days-in-fallujah-interview-iraq-war-politics https://twitter.com/tha_rami/status/1361409118146334720 Stadia studios praised by leadership just before being shut down (52:10) https://kotaku.com/stadia-leadership-praised-development-studios-for-great-1846281384 Microsoft offers to help devs make games more accessible (56:25) https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/gaming/microsoft-announces-game-accessibility-testing-program-for-pc-and-xbox-4123269 -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Get your Rodimus primed, then Wheeljack until you Starscream. Games we played this week include: Goldeneye 007 XBLA (7:55) Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds Story (19:45) Pokémon Let’s Go (29:50) Monster Hunter World (33:55) News things talked about in this episode: Former Rare devs give insight into canceled Goldeneye 007 XBLA remake (12:00) https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/02/ex-rare-devs-open-up-about-the-canceled-goldeneye-007-remake-for-xbox-360/ Silent Hill composer silenced after teasing a new project (37:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-02-05-silent-hill-interview-pulled-after-composer-tease-set-tongues-wagging Mass Effect Legendary Edition cutting back on the butt (41:35) https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/02/mass-effect-remaster-interview-changing-femshep-but-not-the-ending-14008330/ Riot Games, CEO Nicholas Laurent sued for harassment by former assistant (50:15) https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/02/09/riot-games-laurent-lawsuit/ ESA reportedly looking at all-digital E3 event (56:40) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/e3-pushes-forward-with-plans-for-a-digital-2021-event/ Bloodborne modder releases 60fps patch for PS4 (1:01:10) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-02-09-bloodborne-modder-releases-60fps-patch CD Projekt targeted in cyber attack (1:02:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-02-09-cd-projekt-hit-by-targeted-cyber-attack Activision sued for copyright infringement over Call of Duty character (1:07:15) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-02-04-activision-faces-copyright-lawsuit-over-call-of-duty-character -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

There’s nothing sexual about this podcast. It’s educational. Games we played this week include: Cockhead (11:25) Hitman III (24:45) The Medium (32:25) Dom Rusalok (41:00) Destruction All Stars (45:15) Double-Kick Heroes (53:10) News things talked about in this episode: Blizzard says it’s “unworkable” to interview diverse candidates for every position (55:35) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-01-27-activision-blizzard-says-interviewing-diverse-candidates-for-every-opening-unworkable Google is killing off its Stadia game development teams (1:00:40) https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/1/22260803/google-stadia-game-development-studio-shut-down-jade-raymond Resident Evil 8 devs lean into the thirst for their giant vampire lady (1:03:30) https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/1/22261405/resident-evil-village-tall-lady-dimitrescu-height Goldeneye 007 remake leaks (1:06:05) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-01-30-cancelled-goldeneye-007-xbla-remaster-revealed-in-full-with-2-hour-playthrough-video Nintendo reportedly canned live-action Zelda series after Netflix leaked plans (1:06:50) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-02-02-nintendo-reportedly-canned-live-action-zelda-series-after-netflix-leaked-plans -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A merry band are we. Games we played this week include: Deep Rock Galactic (23:35) Monster Hunter World (26:00) Cyber Shadow (38:35) Babysitting Mama (41:15) Unworthy (46:30) The Red Lantern (48:00) News things talked about in this episode: Redditors inflate Gamestop stock value to an outrageous degree (4:05) https://www.wired.com/story/gamestop-stock-wall-street-bets-short-squeeze/ Capcom includes weak statement against lootbox mechanics in annual report (35:35) https://wccftech.com/capcom-shares-anti-gacha-lootbox-statement-in-2020-annual-report/ Dead by Daylight 2 confirms accessibility options after designer has outburst on stream (53:20) https://www.polygon.com/2021/1/21/22243029/dead-by-daylight-colorblind-mode-announcement-controversy-ui Ninja, obviously, doesn’t feel it’s his responsibility to educate his audience (1:05:00) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ninja-thinks-parents-should-parent-their-kids/1100-6486705/ Euro Truck Simulator 2 developer comes out against having an opinion on vaccines (1:13:10) https://www.thegamer.com/neither-for-or-against-vaccines-says-euro-truck-sim-2-dev/ Fox News scared BioWare into pulling back Mass Effect 2 LGBT romances (1:17:20) https://www.thegamer.com/mass-effect-2-jack-gay-pansexual-fox-news/ -- Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Get ready to be covered in the fluid of your choice. Games we played this week include: Double Kick Heroes (14:35) Deep Rock Galactic (18:05) Monster Hunter World (24:15) Sea Salt (37:20) The Red Lantern (42:35) Cooking Mama: Cookstar (50:05) News things talked about in this episode: Bloomberg report further examines Cyberpunk 2077 development woes (53:00) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-01-16-new-report-details-cyberpunk-2077s-development-troubles-almost-entirely-fake-e3-demo-and-cut-content Zelda 64 beta version unearthed and full of mysteries (1:01:00) https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/a-zelda-64-beta-version-has-been-discovered-and-fans-are-pulling-it-apart/ Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

We’re joined by Sophie (aka TheymerSophie / CurioVids) to witness the coronation of Loardy Sterling. Games we played this week include: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 (6:40) Cooking Mama: Cookstar (9:50) Wrestling Empire (22:30) Dead Space (30:30) Curse of the Dead Gods (33:30) Only Cans: Thirst Date (38:00) Umurangi Generation (42:55) Monster Hunter: Rise (44:55) Pokemon Liquid Crystal (55:05) Observer (57:05) Ghostrunner (58:50) News things talked about in this episode: CDPR under investigation by Polish consumer protection agency (1:00:30) https://www.ign.com/articles/cyberpunk-2077s-launch-and-ongoing-fixes-investigated-by-consumer-protection-agency Lucasfilm announces game projects with Ubisoft and Bethesda (1:04:40) https://www.wired.com/story/lucasfilm-games-star-wars-ubisoft-indiana-jones-bethesda Razer is making ridiculous face masks (1:09:20) https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-01-13-of-course-razers-face-mask-has-rgb-lighting-and-voice-amplification Twitch reworks Pogchamp emote to spotlight creators, leaves them to deal with the harassment (1:11:40) https://kotaku.com/twitchs-pogchamp-removal-was-never-enough-and-now-its-1846035307 Check out Sophie at TheymerSophie on Twitch and Twitter, watch their YouTube videos at youtube.com/CurioVids, and support them at patreon.com/CurioVids Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

A new year, a bold new direction for Podquisition. Games we played this week include: Pummel Party (12:30) Dead Space (20:45) Mass Effect: Andromeda (22:35) Cloudpunk (26:30) Yakuza: Like a Dragon (35:10) Carto (39:25) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (42:45) Hades (49:45) Curse of the Dead Gods (51:30) Microsoft Flight Sim VR (58:40) News things talked about in this episode: MS tried to buy everyone at the start of Xbox (1:02:30) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Oh, don’t act like you haven’t considered it. Games we played this year include: Final Fantasy VII Remake (14:00) Deadly Premonition 2 (21:10) Ooblets (25:20) TemTem (27:20) The Last of Us Part 2 (29:05) Streets of Rage 4 (31:55) No Straight Roads (34:20) Call of Duty: Warzone (37:45) Resident Evil: Resistance (39:00) Extreme Meatpunks Forever (40:20) Tonight We Riot (42:00) Maneater (1:00:20) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

It’s hard to be this correct all the time. Games we played this week include: A Plague Tale: Innocence (16:55) Catherine: Full Body (20:10) If Found (23:20) Metal Gear Solid 4 (28:30) Mass Effect Andromeda (34:35) Wilmot’s Warehouse (37:35) Railway Empire (38:55) Microsoft Flight Sim (40:00) Noddy’s Playtime (41:30) News things talked about in this episode: Everybody is giving refunds for Cyberpunk (6:15) PS5 now helpfully warns you’re playing a PS4 game (48:25) Nintendo leak includes report of company actions against 3DS hacker (48:55) eSports takes child labor a step further (43:50) The KFConsole does exist (56:50) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at Pinfultruth.com

The doctors are in! While we were meant to do Sonic ages ago, some things happened and we had to go with something else. Since most people know all about it, we went with something broad to get back into the swing. We did Star Wars. How original.

We feel confident saying, by way of comparison, that this podcast is very, very punk. Games we played this week include: Demon's Souls (21:05) Nullpointer (24:40) Visual Out (27:05) Grindstone (29:15) Dead to Rights: Retribution (32:25) Calico (38:10) Spinnortality (44:30) Dicey Dungeons (47:15) Observer (50:45) Among Us (54:45) Fall Guys (58:15) News things talked about in this episode: Cyberpunk has too many dildos (2:00) CDPR offers refunds on last-gen Cyberpunk without informing retailers (13:00) CDPR paying out staff bonuses previously tied to review scores (18:45) New Fortnite mode appropriates Among Us (1:03:19) EA’s entire library added to console version of Xbox Game Pass (1:05:13) Mass Effect trailer indicates canon ending for original trilogy (1:06:45) Omen wins ‘worst commercial’ at The Game Adverts (1:10:30) Twitch to ban hate content…in February (1:14:35) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

It’s important to have certain conversations before you get started. Games we played this week include: Yakuza: Like a Dragon (6:00) Factorio (8:50) Wilmot’s Warehouse (12:30) TemTem PS5 (15:00) Spider-Man: Miles Morales (16:30) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (19:50) Fall Guys (27:40) Doom Eternal Switch (31:25) Marvel’s Avengers (32:55) News things talked about in this episode: Dragon Age voice actor Greg Ellis produces in-character rant against ‘cancel culture’ (35:30) Monster Hunter movie pulled from theaters in China for offensive ‘joke’ (41:15) Twitch removes blind playthrough tag (45:35) Cyberpunk 2077 review backlash (47:35) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

Richly deserved recognition at last. Games we played this week include: Call of Duty: Cold War (8:55) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (13:15) Hades (22:00) Bugsnax (27:30) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (29:05) Demon’s Souls (30:30) Pokémon Sword/Shield (33:55) Ghostrunner (36:05) Worms Rumble (38:00) News things talked about in this episode: Uri Gellar is now fine with Kadabra after two decades of dwindling fame (43:15) Elliot Paige comes out as trans (1:00:10) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

The conspiracy is finally unmasked. Games we played this week include: Hades (12:20) Call of Duty: Cold War (15:50) Spider-Man: Miles Morales (17:00) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (26:30) River City Girls (37:30) Super Mutant Alien Assault (38:40) Yakuza: Like a Dragon (40:35) Sackboy: A Big Adventure (45:00) News things talked about in this episode: Capcom ransomware attack (50:20) Square Enix commits to permanent work-from-home option (55:00) Amazon PS5 shipping issues (1:06:30) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

It would be very inappropriate to laugh right now. Games we played this week include: Demon's Souls (10:58) Hades (22:25) Bugsnax (27:30) Spider-Man: Miles Morales (35:34) Astro's Playroom (43:40) Fall Guys (47:00) Godfall (49:10) News things talked about in this episode: Hostage hoax at Ubisoft Montreal (54:50) Ubisoft shuffles another executive around (57:40) MS says Bethesda games will continue to be multiplatform (1:00:40) FIFA 21 adds new ways to blame consumers for spending. (1:03:36) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

All things can finally go back to the way they were. Games we played this week include: Pokémon Go (6:40) Hades (13:45) Fall Guys (15:50) Astro's Playroom (18:53) Spider-Man: Miles Morales (21:40) Sackboy's Big Adventure (26:00) Bugsnax (26:45) Demon's Souls (28:33) Devil May Cry V: Special Edition (29:20) Tetris Effect (30:40) Saints Row: The Third (33:10) Fuser (36:05) News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft is still awful (41:35) PS5 has some good accessibility settings (45:15) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at pinfultruth.com.

If you're looking for comfort, we're out of stock, but we can offer a great deal on distraction. Games we played this week include: Xbox Series X impressions (9:35) Yakuza: Like a Dragon (17:05) Death Stranding (21:05) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity demo (25:30) Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (33:35) Cloudpunk (36:20) News things talked about in this episode: Ubisoft is still awful (03:25) PS5 controller features can be disabled (41:00) Marvel's Avengers gets a foreboding price drop (43:25) Hitman 3 VR support absent from PS5 version (45:50) Clive, the hero we need right now (49:05) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at Pinfultruth.com.

This is what fandom does to people. Games we played this week include: Jackbox Party Pack 7 (10:22) Vigil (22:46) ScourgeBringer (26:24) Little Hope (35:55) Fall Guys (43:11) Pokemon Sword & Shield Crown Tundra DLC (44:08) News things talked about in this episode: Cyberpunk 2077 gets delayed despite studio crunch (46:17) Streamers paying publishers to stream games (52:50) Control and Hitman 3 on Switch via streaming (1:04:41) Watch Dogs Legion bricks reviewer's Xbox One consoles (1:05:48) Minecraft Steve's dick meat is gone (1:07:29) Phil Spencer wants a little dongle (1:08:03) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at Pinfultruth.com.

We've got the scoop on where you can go to get more insightful commentary than you'll find in this podcast. Games we played this week include: Blaseball (00:00) Among Us (15:59) Oneechanbara Origins (25:00) Hades (26:52) Ikenfell (31:55) Amnesia (39:40) Day of the Tentacle (47:14) News things talked about in this episode: 2K Games continues to insert ads into released games (48:14) Marvel's Avengers pushes back its content (53:35) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at Pinfultruth.com.

The debate rages on. Games we played this week include: Hades (7:43) Fall Guys Season 2 (11:32) Ikenfell (19:55) Silent Hill 4 (32:33) Among Us (37:30) Phasmophobia (43:40) I Am Dead (46:55) News things talked about in this episode: CDPR's crunch and its defenders (49:37) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at Pinfultruth.com.

This week's episode is brought to you by Milkworms, the fabric you can drink. Games we played this week include: Hades (11:27) Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (21:13) Blaster Master Zero (25:58) Super Mario 35 (31:05) Rogue Company (37:01) BPM (38:04) The Solitaire Conspiracy (40:34) News things talked about in this episode: Mobile game Genshin Impact bans the words 'Kong' and 'Taiwan' because China (43:30) Ubisoft did a workplace survey and it's not good (46:12) Minecraft Steve steps out (56:25) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at Pinfultruth.com.

Everybody on this episode thinks Hades is very, very good. Please believe us. Games we played this week include: Hades (3:51) News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft's big buyout of Bethesda (30:35) Michel Ancel leaves Ubisoft ahead of allegations (35:37) CDPR crunches again on Cyberpunk 2077 (53:11) EA advertises loot boxes to kids (59:05) Pokémon Go is getting less friendly (1:00:50) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow ConradZimmerman on Twitter and check out his Patreon. You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at Pinfultruth.com.

Mystery abounds in this, the 300th episode of Podquisition, as the gang looks back on the best of the last six years of gaming. Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Conrad is actually worse at self-promotion than Jim is, but find them at ConradZimmerman on Twitter for now and maybe he'll write something more practical later.

It's a wild west, rootin-tootin', individual ownership of property adventure on this week's show. Games we played this week include: Spelunky 2 (6:10) Super Mario 3D Collection (15:10) Astroneer (22:25) Fall Guys (24:45) Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning (30:00) Paradise Killer (31:35) News things talked about in this episode: Apple lawyers call out Epic lawsuit as a marketing stunt (34:00) Ubisoft (a company with a barely acknowledged history of systemic worker abuse) continues to find novel ways to be terrible (38:30) 505 Games accidentally does the impossible with Control Ultimate Edition (48:37) Microsoft muddies their messaging on Xbox Series S/X (51:10) Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Conrad is actually worse at self-promotion than Jim is, but find them at ConradZimmerman on Twitter for now and maybe he'll write something more practical later.

We had a relatively nice time with video games this week. Games we played this week include: Fall Guys (10:30), Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 (16:00), Paradise Killer (21:20), Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning (32:45), The Last Campfire (39:55), and Spinch (42:45).

Tanya DePass joins the crew to discuss Marvel's Avengers, No Straight Roads, and Ubisoft's latest nonsense. Check out Tanya at cypheroftyr.com!

A musical gets a wax-based controversy. A senator refuses the charitable call. Also, Spiritfarer, Fall Guys, and No Straight Roads.

Astronauts are scary. Also we have Fall Guys, Mortal Shell, Rad, Spiritfarer, and all that nonsense between Apple and Epic.

A gigantic robot bollock. Also, Fall Guys, Marvel's Avengers, loads and loads of indie stuff. And Control being stupid about next-gen.

We ponder the hard questions asked of Westworld. Also, we talk about Fall Guys, Frog Fractions 3, and things Conrad Zimmerman played.

Just because someone's feeling queasy that doesn't mean we can't talk about games.

Sometimes we need to remember that we are not royalty in the Regency Crisis. Elsewhere, we discuss the latest horrors of the game industry, as well as Ghost of Tsushima, Paper Mario: Mr. Origami Man (mild spoilers at 54:00-55:00), and something else that I forgot.

Angry crew in this one, friends.

Learning lessons about love in the year 2020.

Don Lemon judges from afar, the Bad Boy of YouTube makes his mark, and we play some rubbish like Ninjala and stuff.

Donald Trump pulls horrible faces in our dark imagination. Elsewhere, things are bloody awful but at least we have a totally bleak and miserable game to cheer us up!

Cops fighting alligators? At last! Also, The Last of Us Part 2, Night of the Consumers, and Colt Canyon.

Eggs get wild here. Also lots of games in the Black Lives Matter Humble Bundle. Don't want to miss when we talk about accessibility. BioShock. We didn't see the PS5 reveal when we did this. Egg Pod.

Shawn Alexander Allen of NuChallenger joins the crew to discuss the game industry and the world. Originally recorded a week prior to release instead of a day prior, which is why some of the topics are already outdated in this ridiculously fast-paced world.

A regular Podquisition has been recorded but I'm waiting to be able to post it. Until then, I didn't want you to go without any delicious audio, so I recorded a mistake for you to enjoy! Your ol' pal Jim Sterling tried to record Podquisition. Alone. It went as well as you expect. I want to say it really picks up in the final act when Justin arrives and the Turkey Boy is born, but I really don't know.

Cats, sharks, firefighters, and Franz Ferdinand.

A mouse has eaten a cat, and a cloud with loads of teeth is laughing at a river made of eagle's laughter. It's proper weird! Elsewhere, we talk about Slay the Spire, Basingstoke, Beyond Good & Evil, and Galactus (the big lad).

Megatron from the Cash & Carry joins the crew to talk about next-gen letdowns, Tonight We Riot, and Dominique Pamplemousse.

Dick Swiss, Soldier of Fortune is here to investigate Nena's inflatable oversight. You will love the grappling fun of Dick Swiss! Also, we talk about Streets of Rage 4, movie theater silliness, and wacky Nintendo leaks.

The PQ Crew feel superior about face masks, there's more elderly dating, and that naughty old Predator is on the prowl.

Washing hands, cooking with Mama, and saving Midgar.

Bible studies, journalistic trespass, and the Bible all get discussed today. Some videogames too! Games like Final Fantasy VII Remake maybe? Maybe!

Fan mail has gotten interesting during these UNCERTAIN times. Also Final Fantasy VII Remake, Resident Evil, Totally Reliable Delivery Service. Also also, the PS5 controller looks cute.

Have you ever seen a hippo do a poo?

Thought you could escape mentions of Tiger King? We have mentioned it as well! Briefly, but we did it! We also discuss Resident Evil 3, Bleeding Edge, Saints Row 4, My Time in Portia, and HEY TIGER KING IS WEIRD!

The world may be going to hell, but the Moon will always have juice. Also on the docket is Doom Eternal, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, The Automatic Naughts, and Call of Doodoo Woozoo.

How has the Podquisition gang been during this weird scary time? Well, they're still here to tell you if your favorite games are great or perfect, so there's that. Let's talk about the PS5 for a bit!

Coronavirus killed Podquisition. Also, we talk about Call of Duty: Warzone's Gulag policy, Nioh 2, and Roller Champions.

CaseyExplosion joins the crew for this week's show as your old pal Jim Sterling is sick with flu. Don't worry though - the big sick idiot turns up partway through to complain about being ill. Join in the fun and frolics in a nice long episode!

Hidden Tic Tac truths are revealed, Devil May Cry 3 is good, Dreams is full of nonsense, and Laura played a ghost dating game.

Secrets and mysteries abound as Ryan Reynolds pretends to be a yellow mouse for a minute.

Swing by the studio and demand we take our clothes off! Podquisition gets a new groove as we try out a studio space and discuss Spec Ops: The Line, Sonic the Hedgehog, and house clothes.

Your old pal Jim Sterling is in Philadelphia now, though arriving did not come without a hefty price. Also, we discuss The Dark Crystal's bad game, pattern recognition in a game about trains, and other videogame nonsense.

Frankly, I think this one was really good. Anyway, we talk about monkey films, arcade tables, the official rap song for The Binding of Isaac, Wattam, and more. Oh, and at some point we remember to talk about the return of a certain game "developer."

This podcast is definitely not off the rails. Also, Disco Elysium, TemTem, and Terminator: Resistance.

Baby Butterbiscuits wants his ba ba! Also, we talk about Life is Strange 2, Disco Elysium, Assassin's Creed, and the next generation of consoles.

We take a brief detour from our scheduled Detective Pikachu episode, since we forgot to do a non-game film for the new year. Enjoy Demon Knight, a terrific Tales from the Crypt movie that features Billy Zane going full Billy Zane.

We definitely don't spend a large portion of the time talking about Cats and whether it is great or perfect. Nope, not this podcast.

With 2019 having concluded, 2020 envelops us in its warm tendrils. Let's look back at the past horrible year before we deal with another horrible year.

Yakuza, Pokemon, the Xbox Series X and the Game Awards all get talked about. Also, the greatest Urban Champion fan game in the world.

Talking about coffee problems, David Lynch, Aliens, Assassins, and... Urban Champion.

Eggs are amazing, and they get their dues - AT LAST - in today's videogame podcast. Also, we talk about Shenmue 3, that new Darksiders game, and Conrad's true gamer trial.

JOAN DARK and HECTOR SAVAGE fight one expensive monster suit in an otherwise dreary missed opportunity. Everything is here for a hilariously bad b-movie, but sadly the pacing is just too dull.

Fats Crendle performs some of his pool tricks before we discuss D4, Kingdoms of Amalur, Pokemon, and Google's utter nonsense.

One of us is reeling from being on the cover of an extremely limited edition of Deadly Premonition. It's... pretty amazing. Also, lots of great chat about Yaga, Pokémon, Bum-Bo, and that whole Half-Life VR thing.

We talk about Disney Plus for a bit because that'll help the old SEO won't it? Also, Death Stranding, Sword & Shield, and other things!

Somehow, Billy Zane is in this film. Nothing else worth mentioning is, but we mention it all anyway.

No Ekans? What on EARTH are they thinking with Pokémon Sword & Shield? Also, Disco Elysium, Blizzard being rubbish, and other things!

On today's packed episode we do more slander, we discuss Modern Warfare, The Outer Worlds, Disco Elysium, Oxygen Not Included, WWE 2K20, and loads more.

Joker is not a hero. If you think he is, you're an idiot. Also, we talk about things like The Avengers, Control, Sea Salt, and all sorts of early preview games that Laura played.

Imagine all the good we could do with that sweet Bezos dough. Anyway, let's talk about Blizzard's continued rubbish, Overwatch's shoddy Switch port, The Witcher 3's good Switch port, and Children of Morta.

This podcast is never political. Promise. We chat about Basingstoke, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and Pokemon a lot. We never mention Hong Kong. Promise.

Time for our New 52 reboot! Conrad Zimmerman joins the gang as we discuss taxes, giving up on life, and Untitled Goose Game. Also, Code Vein, Risk of Rain 2, and Gearbox's union issues!

After five years of service to the world of inane videogame chatter, Gavin "Miracle of Sound" Dunne is stepping back from our silly podcast. It's been a pleasure and a privilege, and we hope you enjoy Gav's final Podquisition as co-host in this double-length episode.

The one and only Ashens joins the crew this week to talk about the asstastic douching of Borderlands 3's script, alongside Blasphemous, card games, and Boglins!

This episode should have been called something else, but we couldn't call it what it should be called. This is as safe-for-work as we can make it. Mari and Stacy from Geek Remix/Pixel Squirt joins us for talk of Deadly Premonition, World of Warcraft, and some very sexy videogames.

Ellen Rose from Outside Xtra joins the crew as we discuss Control, Astral Chain, and how awesome The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is. Also, NBA 2K20's gambling, and a little dose of that good Deadly Premonition.

Norman Weedus does a wee-wee. Elsewhere, we discuss videogames and mosquitos with guest star CaseyExplosion!

It's just Jim and Gav in the house today, but we find plenty to chat about. Horror movies, social media, and sometimes even videogames!

The goofs never start when Grandma's Boy is in the house! How will the Boy cope when Grandma does her Grandma things? Let it end. Let it all end.

We're joined by Mike Bithell, developer of Thomas War Alone, Subsurface Circular, Volume, and the upcoming John Wick Hex! We discuss the videogame blame game, the ESA's almighty screwup, and playing Flappy Bird with a vagina. At least the last one's lighthearted.

Bethesda has been crapping the bed more than usual, between accidental Doom DRM and a whole confusing mess over Wolfenstein's microtransactions. Elsewhere, games were played and stuff happened!

Mysterio gets out his dark, dark berries and we all watch on in dismay. We also talk about Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Dragon Quest Builders 2, casinos in GTA V... and Bloody Boris.

The gang are all a bit sleepy, but that won't stop them talking about The Crow. Or that dead NCR guy. Or how sleepy they are!

Spider-Man: Far From Home happened, some gum problems got solved, a rusty nail sparks a legend, and Man of Medan gets previewed. Also, the first rumblings of the Superheavyweight Supervillain.

Mick Foley is a pretty cool dude! Also, we chat about The Sinking City's bizarre charm, Gav gets into Bloodstained, and Crash Team Racing is put through its paces.

Oh this one's bad. This one should be tried for war crimes. This is Uwe Boll's most hateful, humiliating, pathetic film ever. This is Blubberella, and it is for those who do not fear Hell.

Obviously we discuss EA trying to rebrand loot boxes as "surprise mechanics" because OBVIOUSLY! Also, Crash Team Racing, Bloodstained, Hollow Knight, Fallout 4, and The Sinking City!

How many dicks did HBO stuff into a locker room? And what do we think of games like Judgment, Cadence of Hyrule, and Bloodstained? Find out, for God's sake!

In a bumper edition of the show we talk about all the highs and lows of E3 2019. From Final Fantasy VII to Cyberpunk to Bethesda's whole mess.

Early thoughts on Judgment, mockery of Todd Howard's nonsense, and Gav doing lovely singing. Also, we promise The Thrills will not be performing.

The gang checks out that hot new Death Stranding trailer. Also, we discuss Kingdoms of Amalur, Lapis x Labyrinth, and Pokemon watching you sleep.

Game of Thrones and Street Fighter: The Movie have a lot in common. Also, Rage 2, Team Sonic Racing, A Plague Tale, and more!

Gotta love that Mysterio rub. Also, Rage 2 and other things!

They couldn't even be bothered to find a guy who actually looked like Hitler.

This week, Laura tells us all about Detective Pikachu, which she saw. Gavin surprisingly played Bloodborne. Jim did very little with his wretched life.

Sonic the Hedgehog is upsetting.

We bander all the snatches and learn that we were the Black Mirror all along.

Days Gone is fine. It's just a zombie game. Elsewhere we discuss Boxboy, audio hardware, and someone played Bloodborne yet again.

Soundcloud didn't have the characters available for me to call this episode "I Put Off Watching John Wick For Five Years Because I Didn't Want To See A Dog Get Hurt."

Gavin is unhappy about "lively" rumors concerning Dragon Age 4. Meanwhile, Laura played Labo VR, and other things happened!

The mouths are wet with meat this week. Also, more Sekiro talk, nostalgia, difficulty, and BRAIN TALK.

Fears about flies and bumhole terrorize the gang this week. Also, plenty of Sekiro talk, and some other stuff too!

The movie boys become series boys to look at Hi-Score Girl, a Netflix original anime. ANIME BOYS!

One of us watched Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. It was... an experience. Also, lost voices, Stadia, The Division 2, and much more!

One of us is remarkably under the weather but we're still bringing you hot chat. Let's discuss a bit of the ol' coke, more DMC5, and other things!

Devil May Cry 5 is very, very, very good. Also other things!

The UK hits of 1999 and beyond take center stage on this videogame podcast about videogames. Also, we chat about Anthem, and probably some other stuff.

This week's quite game heavy. We talk about the latest Fallout 76 hilarity, we talk about Gav's experience with Anthem, we chat Metro Exodus, Far Cry, and more. Wow, games!

What a blessed union we make on this podcast.

Be the best that you can be, and if a mustachioed dog kidnaps you, play along.

This week is a zesty one! We talk about movies, vibrato, throats, and maybe sometimes games like Apex Legends and other stuff.

Mickey Mouse joins us as a special guest, definitely, for Kingdom Hearts III.

Who the heck is discussing Halo Legends in 2019? We the heck!

On this week's episode, we talk about Hbomberguy's historic Donkey Kong 64 stream for trans charity Mermaids. Also, Resident Evil 2, and some other things!

Scurrilous rumors abound as a result of a dog with a very nasty habit. Elsewhere, we talk about Travis Strikes Back, Onimusha, New Super Mario Bros. U, and OTHER THINGS!

What can even be said about this hot nonsense? Treasure of the Four Crowns is a very special B movie in which dinosaur attacks barely warrant a mention and everything has to explode. It's a real... head turner.

How do you do Little Shop of Horrors without the plant? One self-aggrandizing drama teacher tried it. Also, we wrap up 2018's games and look forward to 2019's games. As you do.

It's almost Christmas time, so enjoy that. We also talk about Gris, Below, Pokemon battlin' and other stuff. Special thanks to "Ned Reid" for letting us use his wonderful 8 Bit cover of "Messing With The Best" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe1M5lNe1wE

There was a very brief period of "nerds are cool now" in the late 2000s and early 2010s. We all got over it pretty quickly, but boy did it make for some poorly dated films. Anyway, here's a movie about a bad human being getting everything he wants.

We need to talk about Sonic's horrifyingly muscular legs. Also, Smashed Brothers, BioWare, Street Fighter V ads, and other things!

We live in a society! Let's rise up together for an episode that discusses more Fallout nonsense, The Binding of Isaac card game, and the PlayStation Classic!

The best thing about yearly traditions is when they end. This will be the final word on Pixels, as we produce our third podcast about Adam Sandler's masterpiece.

We had to talk about the Fallout 76 canvas bag scandal. Also, more Pokemon, more mockery of Bethesda, and some sad dissection of Darksiders III.

A podcast of two halves, almost. Jim and Laura talk Pokemon Let's Go, then Jim and Gav dump hard on Fallout 76. The whole gang joins in for in-game gambling though.

Netflix is back with more Castlevania. Twice as long, and ever better, so let's get into it!

So how about that Fallout 76? I should point out, this podcast was recorded after only a few hours with the game, before your old pal Jim was utterly sick of it. Expect a more generous appraisal here, and that's saying something, because this appraisal isn't generous at all! Elsewhere, Pokemon Let's Go, a bit more Red Dead Redemption 2, and some o' that Spyro!

The Quiet Man gets eviscerated like it deserves, Gav has more troubles with Red Dead, and HAPPY DRUMS GAME!

This week Gavin has a list of questions regarding Red Dead Redemption 2's more questionable elements. Also, Rockstar did a naughty thing! We discuss Deltarune, of course. Timestamp there is 46:09 - 57:30 if you totally want to avoid it!

There are movies that have dated quite badly... and then there's this tale of broken ethics and jawdropping CGI.

Unsurprisingly, Red Dead Redemption 2 gets a lot of airtime. Also, plenty of our evil liberalisms, and a bit o' Dark Souls.

This is definitely a podcast about videogames, not anime. Anyway, we talk about The Missing, Warriors Orochi, Switch NES 'romhack' fun, and of course that Red Dead Redemption 2 stuff.

This awful movie about moderately giant ants looks at a SyFy Original and wishes it could be that funny... and it's not like SyFy Originals set a very high bar.

Because Rowan Atkinson would do well in an Ubisoft game.

Fist of the North Star, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, Wandersong, and Monster Party!?

Bowsette, Nintendo Switch Online, shrinky horseballs, and Bowsette.

Ready Player Dumb.

We've somehow made it to 200 episodes of this weekly gibberish! We raise a glass of Fantarito and Cyberpunk beer, we go round the twist, we reminisce, and we talk about some of our favorite games of the past four years.

GOD DAMN IT, PETER PARKER, GET ME PHOTOS OF THAT SPIDER-MAN!

A documentary about some fascinating men. And also Roy Shildt.