YoVideogames!

A commentary on gaming lifestyle: its history, its news, and all things hype!

YoVG # 500 The Most Trash Games We've Ever Played! 08/06/2025

YoVG # 500 The Most Trash Games We've Ever Played! Episode 500 is for the haters! We've been on a positive upswing for almost two years now, but it's time to return to our roots. We were born haters, and haters we shall remain! Actually, we've spent so long focusing on staying positive that we had sort of a hard time being too harsh - even when the games deserved it. But we still had fun and I bet you will too! So, jump in and enjoy the most trash games we ever spent our dollars on. Maybe, you also feel this way. Maybe, you played something worse. But if you say Blasto... Oh my momma if you say Blasto! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37647285

YoVG # 499 We Need a New Fighting Game IP 07/30/2025

YoVG # 499 We Need a New Fighting Game IP Something entirely new. Not based on an existing IP. Built from the ground up by a good team without the restrictions of making characters that match expectations. How do you do it? Matt brings out his Fighting Game Triangle: Content, Roster, Presentation and we dig into finding a balance among the three. He does not like my ideas. :P /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37608145

YoVG # 498 The Best Games of (the first half of) 2025 07/23/2025

YoVG # 498 The Best Games of (the first half of) 2025 Taking a suggestion from you guys: we decided to talk about games we hope don't get forgotten by end of year. And maybe a couple we know definitely will. So, let's talk early GOTY contenders, and a couple disappointments. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37518800

YoVG # 497 Do Gamers Want More of The Same? 07/16/2025

YoVG # 497 Do Gamers Want More of The Same? The reactions to Ghost of Yotei have been mostly positive, but one common complaint is that there was "no reason" to not continue Jin Sakai's story. In my opinion, it's okay that his story is done and it is more interesting to leap to a new time and new character. This provokes another conversation about sequels/franchises in general: do gamers want more of the same? Is there no market incentive for new ideas? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37428150

YoVG # 496 Microsoft Ruins Matt's Birthday 07/09/2025

YoVG # 496 Microsoft Ruins Matt's Birthday Microsoft has ruined all its goodwill from even six months ago. Is that Phil Spencer's fault? Probably not. In fact there is evidence that ol' Philly boy has done his best, but that doesn't help the thousands Microsoft laid off - so our sympathy is limited. I don't think Xbox is ever going to climb out of the hole it dug itself fifteen years ago. This may all just be the long slow death spiral. ANYWAY, it's Matt's birthday episode! Besides Microsoft we talk about Matt's strong thighs, Donkey Kong setting up for GOTY, Ghost of Yotei, and we fan-cast James Bond. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37347515

Death Stranding 2 and What Sells Us a Sequel? 07/02/2025

Death Stranding 2 and What Sells Us a Sequel? Hey! Welcome back. You may have noticed a lack of episode last week, and that is because of not one, but three freak acts of nature. It is not an exciting story, but it does emphasize that I might be cursed. Anyway, the delay meant that I could buy and check out Death Stranding 2. I didn't play DS1. I had seen enough of it at several E3s to know it wasn't gonna be my jam. But it is a Kojima game. So, I'd be a liar if I didn't say I was always tempted. Now, here comes a sequel. It looks like Kojima has gone maximalist. The writing? Max Kojima. Now with more combat. More stealth. More weirdness. And it hadn't been shown to death at several conventions. So... I decided to go for it. Now, I am several hours in and I am beginning to think my initial instincts were right. This one isn't for me. If you liked DS1, though? You're probably going to love DS2. My yapping to Matt about it inspired the topic for this episode, because it turns out: Matt isn't sold on a coming sequel that everyone is amped for. So, what sells us a sequel? Why did I get DS2, and why isn't he interested in Resident Evil 9? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37257935

YoVG # 494 Not E3 - The Dust Has Settled 06/18/2025

YoVG # 494 Not E3 - The Dust Has Settled 2025 Sony State of Play, Summer Games Fest, and the Xbox showcase have come and gone. We've had some time to step back, come down from the hype, and think of what really grabbed our attention last week. So, what stood out to you? What got you hyped in the moment, but now that you've had a minute, the optimism has cooled? Was Not-E3 a major success? For us: it's looking like a good year. Let's talk about why. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37058480

YoVG # 493 Guest Rick Lagnese of Madfinger Games! 06/11/2025

YoVG # 493 Guest Rick Lagnese of Madfinger Games! This week we have a special guest on the show: Madfinger Games' PR and Comms Director - Rick Lagnese! Madfinger Games is currently developing Grayzone Warfare, an MMO FPS in early access, but has its beginnings in mobile games. You might think that is a huge leap, but there is a clear through-line from their earliest games to today. Developing and self publishing a AAA title is no easy feat and we get into what that means for the team and why early access is what makes it possible. Jump in, meet Rick, have good times with us! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36954445

YoVG # 492 Sony State of Play - Summer 2025 06/05/2025

YoVG # 492 Sony State of Play - Summer 2025 Oh, okay Sony. I don't know why people are so hard to please these days, but this was a solid presentation. Went from one game on the horizon to now like half a dozen dropping just in September? Pragmata isn't dead? Romeo IS dead? Overall this is one of Sony's better state of play presentations - let's get into why! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36864515

YoVG # 491 The Doldrums 2025 05/28/2025

YoVG # 491 The Doldrums 2025 It's that time of year where things slow down. The calm before the storm of summer announcements. E3 may be dead but the excitement of E3 week lives on. Unfortunately, it means this time of year - unless there is a major leak - is usually quiet. But that's okay because this episode we talk about areas of the world, mythologies and cultures that could come to prominence in gaming. With the US industry seemingly stumbling, are there other countries that could grow to dominate the industry? Also, at the end of the end of the episode I mention a great horror book, but couldn't recall the exact title: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36746680

YoVG # 490 Is Any Game Worth $80? 05/23/2025

YoVG # 490 Is Any Game Worth $80? Subjectively, yes. There are games I would pay 80 for and not feel bad. Although one problem may be that you don't know until you own it and have played it - whether it is worth it. Profits in the game industry have never been higher, so why is Randy saying he needs the real fans to shell out 80 bucks for a game? What makes a game "high end" in his mind, and thus worth the extra money? The fact is: 80 dollar games are coming. And that means that the market is likely going to shrink. F2P is going to continue to dominate because most people will play that and only occasionally buy other games. And maybe that's okay. Personally I think that will cause a bigger contraction than expected, but again, maybe that is for the best. Randy only wants real fans buying Borderlands anyway. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36689545

YoVG # 489 Peak Anime & Summer Games Fest Possibilities 05/14/2025

YoVG # 489 Peak Anime & Summer Games Fest Possibilities Alright, who the hell knows what's coming for Summer GamesFest 2025. Microsoft has blown it's load so maybe we have a shocking Xbox Games Showcase in June, or maybe it is a dead zone. Sony has Ghost of Yotei and Marathon, but Marathon is in rough shape by many accounts. And Nintendo is going to do its own thing. What's that leave? Two hours of Death Stranding 2? We spend half the episode talking anime and movies too because it was fun. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36564175

YoVG # 488 1000xRESIST Creative Director Remy Siu! 05/07/2025

YoVG # 488 1000xRESIST Creative Director Remy Siu! 1000xRESIST was a GOTY contender for Matt last year and by a twist of good luck we got to sit down with Remy Siu, the creative director, for the one year anniversary of release. With such a small team, Remy wore a lot of hats. He comes from a performing arts background, and during the COVID shutdown he found himself with the time to start learning Unity, and the prototype for 1000xRESIST was born. We talk inspiration, process, and delivery. Plus Remy drops hints for some special One Year Anniversary news. You can find Remy on: Bluesky @sunsetvisitor.studio & Twitter @remysiu /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36471025

YoVG # 487 Industry Obscur Expedition Stonks 05/02/2025

YoVG # 487 Industry Obscur Expedition Stonks This week saw the buying of Polygon (and subsequent layoffs), GiantBomb's implosion (and subsequent staff exodus) and in a bright spot Clair Obscur Expedition 33 released (it is great!) So, why is the industry seemingly cannibalizing itself at the height of its fortunes? Well, we've said it before: short term gains to entice investors. Alanah Pearce just did a deep dive video all about it. In her video she discusses an investment analysis of the video game market and she talks to investors to get their takes. We reference her video a lot because it confirms things we have said over the last year - now with hard data! Watch here: /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36410150

YoVG # 486 F Realism! 04/23/2025

YoVG # 486 F Realism! In this week's episode we wanted to keep it fun and light again. So, we talk about the true enemy of a good time: realism. Okay not always. Some realistic elements can really add to a game. Certain mechanics being realistic adds authenticity, or keeps a loop challenging and fresh. But when does realism go too far? Also in this episode: reasons Miami sucks. Reasons LA sucks. Matt finally played GTA5. Reasons so many people died on the Oregon trail. And The Hatchet. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36278810

YoVG # 485 PS6 Rumors, Already!? 04/16/2025

YoVG # 485 PS6 Rumors, Already!? There are already PS6 rumors gaining momentum. Does this further prove that PS5 has been sort of a dud? I don't know. And we aren't going into how true or possible this rumor is: just talking about what it would take to be a success. Plus, I share more YoVG deep lore. correction I misspeak about Marathon: I have only seen the official gameplay trailer and I say "when you watch the influencer/content creator gameplay it is much faster/more interesting." BUT I meant their videos TALKING about their gameplay. As far as I have seen, no content creator has released footage of themselves actually playing. Just thoughts on their playtest experience which gives me hope that it will be good. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36187095

YoVG # 484 Switch 2: Failure to Launch? 04/09/2025

YoVG # 484 Switch 2: Failure to Launch? The Switch 2 was revealed a week ago and for a short time, a very short time, spirits were high. Since then, Nintendo has had to push back the pre-order date, take back the announced price, and do damage control on their planned variable pricing for games. The biggest culprit? Trade uncertainty as big ol' tariffs start hitting everywhere. But it turns out: the increased price was planned BEFORE tariffs came into the picture... So, where does that leave gamers? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/36069500

YoVG # 483 Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Direct! 04/03/2025

YoVG # 483 Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Direct! I think the technical term for this is: a pickle. In a vacuum, Nintendo had an excellent direct. This is shaping up to be a wonderful launch. Especially if you consider players who will only own a Switch 2 - there is a host of excellent games coming to the Switch 2 within the first few months, to say nothing of excellent games in the first year! But this isn't a vacuum, so we have to address the elephant in the room: tariffs. And that means higher prices. The Switch 2 will be $450 at launch ($500 bundled with Mario Kart and this is the much better deal here). Games will range from $80 to $90 dollars and there are no free upgrades. This is a return to 90's pricing it feels like. Well, technically still cheaper, but not by much and it has to be pointed out: the market was smaller, and sales volume MUCH smaller than today. Only time will tell how this plays out, but I have a feeling if the tariffs last, next years sales numbers will not be as insane as we expected. Thoughts? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35990885

YoVG # 482 Switch 2 Direct Predictions w/ Stealth40k! 03/26/2025

YoVG # 482 Switch 2 Direct Predictions w/ Stealth40k! Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct is coming and all the rumors say it is going to be one hell of a show! We have special guest Stealth40k on to discuss what we know, rumors and hopes. Also, apologies for my audio quality on this one: Windows switched my mic to my webcam, and because we were recording when it happened - no pop up to let me know. So cool. Very good feature. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35871030

YoVG # 481 We Were Wrong! 03/19/2025

YoVG # 481 We Were Wrong! We've gotten plenty of things wrong over the years. It's rare to say it as content creators, but for another evergreen episode this week, we thought: lets talk about being hilariously wrong. We cover everything from anime we were wrong about to being wrong about one of the biggest games of all time. So, lube up your ears and let us guide you on a journey of a few of our favorite missed calls! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35777050

YoVG # 480 Best Genre Set in Each Decade (of the 20th Century) 03/12/2025

YoVG # 480 Best Genre Set in Each Decade (of the 20th Century) Comin' in with another breezy fun evergreen episode! Industry news is still sort of rough - although there is some cool rumors/leaks - and we wanted another fun episode. So, let's talk about game genres. We are going decade by decade from 1900 - 2000 and picking a genre, and making up a game that would best encapsulate that decade in our minds. We are mostly referencing the USA, because we are of course USians, but this could be done with any country's history. It's a good excuse for me to learn more of another country's history, so hit me with a favorite decade and the genre/game! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35653275

YoVG # 479 Standing 7s 03/06/2025

YoVG # 479 Standing 7s Industry news is mostly sad atm and we decided we need a fun episode. A positive episode. We need to bring back the solid game. The 7 outta 10 - you're gonna have a good time, it's worth the money game. Maybe a hidden gem, maybe a game that we just need to admit got too much hate. Was I braver than Matt with my choices? Yes. Does that mean I am correct? Also, yes. I keep winning! Let us know your solid 7s! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35560725

YoVG # 478 More Short Term Thinking From WB 02/26/2025

YoVG # 478 More Short Term Thinking From WB The hits keep coming to development teams everywhere. At least this time it can't be said to be a surprise... Well, at least not totally. WB "old yeller'd" 3 studios this week, including Monolith Productions. Which is surprising given that team's pedigree and the fact that it was working on a big budget Wonder Woman game. When we look closer at the Wonder Woman game, though, it seems it was still years from completion and perhaps WB saw short terms gains to cutting the cost. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35438950

YoVG # 477 More Signs of Industry Pain 02/19/2025

YoVG # 477 More Signs of Industry Pain Look, if you have a game that fails spectacularly you can expect to be laid off. If your game explodes, and hits the top of the charts? Well, you can expect to be laid off then, too. It's only business. An increasingly volatile, confusing business. Marvel Rivals has been a massive success for Chinese publisher NetEase, and just as season two is about to release: they did the natural thing. They laid off, or fired, the entire American development team. This could be politics. This could be "just business". Either way, it's rotten. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35351530

YoVG # 476 Sony Gets a B! (State of Play) 02/13/2025

YoVG # 476 Sony Gets a B! (State of Play) Maybe my expectations were super low, but I thought this was a pretty good State of Play. Was it incredible? Face Melting? No. But there was something in there for everyone. And a couple things looked right up our alley. So, successful in my mind. What did you grade this State of Play? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35272655

YoVG # 475 Capcom Spotlight 2025 02/05/2025

YoVG # 475 Capcom Spotlight 2025 Capcom had a pretty awesome spotlight. Granted - lots of stuff from last year, but announcing demos for a lot of them was very cool. Personally, I got the main thing I wanted which was more info about Onimusha. Plus we got more eyes on with Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (which I couldn't remember the name of because ya boy started running again and I made the mistake of doing it too close to recording time. Find me here: a little breathless, thirsty and apparently woozy - BUT I'LL GET GUD I SWEAR). Beyond those two games, of course we should all be excited for Okami 2 and most of us are very excited by the new Monster Hunter. Other whoozy brain farts (new band name): The Don Lee movies I was talking about Binging was the Round Up franchise. Very Fun, just solid cop movie shit and Don Lee is a tank as always. This franchise has the added benefit that many of the great Korean character actors are featured through out and you'll recognize them all over Korean cinema and TV after you watch this. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35163255

YoVG # 474 Xbox's Changing Philosophy 01/29/2025

YoVG # 474 Xbox's Changing Philosophy The recent Xbox Developer Direct was... Pretty dang good. Refreshing after several years of lackluster showings. Shortly after, Phil Spencer gave an interview that added fuel to this new fire. Xbox is committing to a new philosophy. Will Sony change things up too? Nintendo? Ok, probably not Nintendo; things are going well for them. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/35067100

YoVG # 473 Nintendo (Finally) Announces Switch 2 & Is Bioware in Trouble? 01/23/2025

YoVG # 473 Nintendo (Finally) Announces Switch 2 & Is Bioware in Trouble? Nintendo has finally made an official announcement about the Switch 2. No real information was included/confirmed but there were hints to where they are going. Additionally EA revealed a shortfall in sales with Veilguard. We discuss whether or not this puts Bioware in danger, but also whether their expectations would have caused a shortfall no matter what. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/34976020

YoVG # 472 Ubisoft is For Sale 01/15/2025

YoVG # 472 Ubisoft is For Sale Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, decided to address the rumors that Ubisoft is for sale. The buyout by Tencent failed, because the Guillemot family wanted to sell the company, but somehow retain control. Which, as you may already know, is insane. So Tencent apparently passed. But Yves says Ubisoft is not actually for sale. in his words, they are exploring: "various transformational strategic and capitalistic options to extract the best value for stakeholders." So, to reiterate, Yves says NO, Ubisoft is not for sale. It's just "for sale". Now what does that mean? Which franchises could they sell off to save the body? Which franchises would anyone want? And most importantly, who would be a good fit for bringing the best out of those franchises? Side note: We gave up on the no cursing thing. Well, I haven't as a resolution, just not gonna worry about making the show radio-clean. Matt explains in detail toward the middle of the episode. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/34867425

YoVG # 471 Lessons Learned & Trends We See In 2025 12/31/2024

YoVG # 471 Lessons Learned & Trends We See In 2025 Happy New Year! I hope you're spending this time with family, and friends - but if you have to work, I hope our sweet salty voices keep your ear holes good company. 2024 was a year full of lessons. Some good, some bad, but lessons nonetheless. And with those lessons we are going to try and pick out some trends for 2025 and beyond. Which is always fun because if we are right, cool, if we are wrong, fun. It's a win-win! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/34562635

YoVideogames!

TOPICS