YoVideogames!

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

YoVG # 526 Developer Slates 2026 & Beyond 02/18/2026

YoVG # 526 Developer Slates 2026 & Beyond In the 90's and early 00's you typically saw multiple (2 or more) entries into a series per decade. That meant you could really fall in love with a series, and it also meant you could overlook an entry that sucked. This is a story about DragonQuest. It's a story about Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Mario, Zelda. Basically all of the beloved franchises today. As development costs soar, development time does too, and that means you aren't getting as many games in a series per decade. There's pros and cons to that I guess, but one major con is that any single game that releases can tank a franchise, or company. Is there anyone who still has an output that looks like this? We think there is, and they are clearly doing something right. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/40152020

YoVG # 525 Sony Delivers! 02/13/2026

YoVG # 525 Sony Delivers! Sony's State of Play 2026 finally delivers a show worth watching. If it were a competition (it is), this would be the first big win of 2026! 30+ games over 70 minutes. Some weird, some wonderful. Lets dig in! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/40099135

YoVG # 524 Nintendo Direct Could Have Been An Email 02/08/2026

YoVG # 524 Nintendo Direct Could Have Been An Email No big surprises this time, but not a bad direct. I think we all know partners will mostly be porting games for Switch 2. We talk about the direct, what Nintendo's year is looking like and then finally: the rumored Xbox Magnus. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/40034065

YoVG # 523 VirtuaBoy, E-Shop, & Game Preservation 01/29/2026

YoVG # 523 VirtuaBoy, E-Shop, & Game Preservation The VirtuaBoy re-release is one of those things where the more you look at it, the dumber it gets, but also if it brings someone a lot of joy to own: who am I to judge? I hope it DOES make someone out there deliriously happy. But all the games will be on the e-shop only, and only accessible via a subscription. And THAT is downright criminal. Because there will come a day when you lose access to that. Then, the VirtuaBoy becomes detritus that sits on your desk or in a closet. All of this to say the High Seas will be the only place to find these things and it'll be (insert company here)'s fault piracy makes the comeback it does. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39923415

YoVG # 522 Where's The Hype For 2026?! 01/21/2026

YoVG # 522 Where's The Hype For 2026?! Are we burned out? Probably yes. 2026 has started with 20 days of constant churning news. But there are good games coming this year. Games we should be seeing lots of hype for. Instead it seems like the hype train has derailed. So, why is that? What brings the hype back? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39813105

YoVG # 521 The Honeymoon is OVER 01/15/2026

YoVG # 521 The Honeymoon is OVER Clickbait title is clickbait. Sorta. Because Matt is back from his honeymoon, and maybe the industry is entering a new spiral phase... But the title is about Matt's honeymoon. We cover a lot this episode. Matt finally saw Titanic and he's got some feelings. I go a little overboard talking about Billy Zane. We discuss games we waited to play and are happy we did because they are great. It's an eclectic but fun episode. And it won't make sense until you listen to the episode all the way, but I just want everyone to know I pronounce Appalachia correctly and Matt is wrong :P /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39750185

YoVG # 520 2025 Year in Review! 12/31/2025

YoVG # 520 2025 Year in Review! As the year comes to a close we like to review the past twelve months in gaming with an eye on what to expect next year. What games missed the mark? What games ended up sticking with us (sometimes to our great surprise)? Was it overall a good or bad year for the industry? For the gamer? Happy New Year! We hope you guys are having a wonderful holiday. Here's to 2026 being a great year for games, but also a great year for each of us in our personal endeavors! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39575855

YoVG # 519 Holiday 2025 - Ghosts of Christmas Past 12/24/2025

YoVG # 519 Holiday 2025 - Ghosts of Christmas Past A Christmas Carol themed holiday episode? That's right. It's a Christmas Carol themed holiday episode. But... What does that mean? It means we are going to look at ghosts of Christmas Past (1995), Christmas Present (what it's looking like this year) and Christmas Future (if nothing changes) to try and figure out what is going on with the industry and where it might be going. So, if you're stuck driving to your in-laws, visiting family, or have to work this Christmas Eve and need the company of foul-mouthed nerds - we are here for you. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39530090

YoVG # 518 Larian Studios Says AI is Good For Game Devs? 12/17/2025

YoVG # 518 Larian Studios Says AI is Good For Game Devs? Small bomb dropped when indie darling Larian revealed it uses AI in the preproduction and ideation phase of game development. Naturally, opinions deviate strongly, especially because artists have left Larian over their use of AI. In this episode, we discuss Jason Schreier's Bloomberg interview with Larian CEO Swen Vincke. Specifically, we discuss Vincke's quote about how Larian uses AI, and what, if any positive effect it has had. For the full context and a great read - check out the full article here: It is no secret that neither of us are fans of AI, but I take the devil's advocate position this episode. I do actually think there are spots where AI could help creatives with busy work. (Our problem is: we all know that isn't what AI is targeting.) /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39441805

YoVG # 517 Marvel Tokon vs Avatar Beta 12/10/2025

YoVG # 517 Marvel Tokon vs Avatar Beta Recently, both Marvel Tokon and Avatar: The Last Airbender had their beta weekends. In a shocking turn - the perception of each game FLIPPED. Where players expected Tokon to dominate attention, and Avatar to be a fun but forgettable curio tie-in game; we instead watched people lose their minds at just how good Avatar was while also being underwhelmed by Tokon. Nothing is set in stone and Tokon is by no means bad, but I don't think anyone was expecting how good Avatar has turned out to be. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39355570

YoVG # 516 Free Game Ideas 12/04/2025

YoVG # 516 Free Game Ideas Like all gamers, we sometimes get hit by ideas we just NEED to see made into a game. From extraction shooters to racing games, here are some ideas we have been noodling on for a while. Comment with your burning idea (unless of course you are currently developing it)! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39268615

YoVG # 515 FGC 2026 - IP Based Flood 11/27/2025

YoVG # 515 FGC 2026 - IP Based Flood Next year looks pretty cool for the FGC. Three promising games, from promising teams, are coming at some point in 2026. An interesting connection between all three games? They are all based on animated shows/comic books IP... Huh. Is this a good thing? Or is this a trap? To all our listeners in the USA - Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful meal with family and friends. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39192870

YoVG # 514 The Rise of Handhelds - Holiday 2025 11/19/2025

YoVG # 514 The Rise of Handhelds - Holiday 2025 Handhelds are on the rise! Where once the only option was a Switch or a Steam Deck, now we have Android devices like Ayn's ODIN line, Lenovo's Legion Go, and ROG's Ally series. Plus, Playstation and Xbox are expected to commit to hybrid or handheld consoles in the near future. So, how do you know where to start? Do OS's matter? Do price points differ greatly? Here's a casual guide to handhelds on the market today or coming very soon. Their price points, who we think they are for, and why you might choose one over the other. We aren't trying to be Digital Foundry. We aren't going in depth into tech specs. This is just an overview of what we like and don't like of each. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39097610

YoVG # 513 Sony's State of Play Japan 2025 11/12/2025

YoVG # 513 Sony's State of Play Japan 2025 Sony dropped a State of Play just for its Japanese Developers. Matt and I are split on this one. He feels it fell flat, I feel it says: Sony is finally waking up to the type of games it should be pushing harder. Plus: We debate horror elements and their effectiveness. I love ambience and build up, he loves sudden unavoidable terror. We score the State of Play out of TEN. We talk Marvel Tokon and how maybe Sony didn't think this was going to get much attention (Kpop Demon Hunters all over again!?) And we close talking about alleged Rockstar Union Busting. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/39009820

YoVG # 512 Unlikely Tie-In Games (That Should Exist) 10/28/2025

YoVG # 512 Unlikely Tie-In Games (That Should Exist) In the 90's tie-in games for movies and TV shows were pretty much BS. I mean most of the time they had little to nothing to do with the property they were tying into, and in the worst of cases actively made the original property worse by association (ET). Not to say that there weren't good ones, too. But more often than not, a tie-in game never raised expectations. That isn't true into the 00's and later though. So, we get to thinking, what would be an unlikely tie-in game for a movie, or tv show or book - whatever. And what genre/gameplay would the game have? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38804130

YoVG # 511 Expecting 2026 Turbulence 10/22/2025

YoVG # 511 Expecting 2026 Turbulence Hey, so all these layoffs? Well, it means lots of projects are dead in the water. And that means we are going to see a serious dip in games coming to market. Will that be next year some time? Maybe the year after? And I hear you - AI is gonna solve this problem! But what if it doesn't? What if AI goes bust? No your highly profitable money printing game business is limping because you shot it in the foot. Also, because it was fun we talk about theme parks and which, if any, are worth the money right now. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38742275

YoVG # 510 The GameFreak Leak 10/15/2025

YoVG # 510 The GameFreak Leak I liked the title The Freak Leak, but then who would click on it? GameFreak had a leak. It was possibly an old school phishing scheme, which is sort of hilarious. That leak did tell us what games they are working on for the coming five years or so, but that isn't what we are interested in - two guess what it the games are though lol. No they leaked GameFreak budgets and earnings for the last several games, and what that tells us is pretty interesting. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38592405

YoVG # 509 Fallout New 3rd Party 10/08/2025

YoVG # 509 Fallout New 3rd Party It's Microsoft. Rumor has it that Microsoft wants out of the hardware business (surprise, surprise!) and that means Xbox may not have a new generation next year. But does that mean Xbox is dead? Maybe not. As we have seen: Xbox branded portable could lead into Xbox branded gaming PCs and so on. So, if 3rd party is close to dead in the US, and Microsoft is considering taking up that mantle instead of 3rd party - where does that leave Indie Games? Kickstarter. I've never been a huge fan of crowdfunding games (or movies to be honest) but it is undeniable that good things have come from the platform. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38511960

YoVG # 508 State of Games - Holiday 2025 10/01/2025

YoVG # 508 State of Games - Holiday 2025 What is the state of the gaming industry going in to Holiday 2025? Shockingly fragile. There is only one major third party publisher left in the US. Microsoft is backing away from hardware. Sony is facing down stagnation. And then there's Nintendo. Who's mostly fine. They aren't happy about tariffs, but for the most part they are weathering this storm exceedingly well? Why is that? Let's get into the State of Games! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38424435

YoVG # 507 Tokyo Game Show 2025 09/26/2025

YoVG # 507 Tokyo Game Show 2025 Sony and Microsoft had their showcases this week for TGS 2025. We dive into what's exciting, what's confusing, and what is just plain bad. Join us for some musings on the next six months in gaming! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38368170

YoVG # 506 Will Games Be Worth The Price In 2026? 09/17/2025

YoVG # 506 Will Games Be Worth The Price In 2026? The price of gaming keeps going up. Sure, part of it for those of us in the US is tariffs. But gaming has become much more expensive world wide. Especially AAA gaming. However, with games like Clair Obscur and Silksong coming in well under AAA pricing, and punching far above their weight - we need to ask: will triple A games be worth the price next year? /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38252785

YoVG # 505 Did Nintendo Meet or Beat Expectations? 09/13/2025

YoVG # 505 Did Nintendo Meet or Beat Expectations? Did Nintendo beat expectations? No. Well, according to Matt. While nothing was BAD in the direct, and plenty was GOOD: Nintendo didn't justify the new system or the cost increases (Tariffs not included). Personally, I was easier to please. Maybe because I know I am not going to buy a Switch 2 for at least a year. We gave the PS5 a year to try and justify itself, I think we need to be fair and give the Switch 2 the same amount of time. Positive side: at least Nintendo is supporting its platform. They have a slate of good games and a large one at that. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38207895

YoVG # 504 Game Journalism & What Happens If It Dies? 09/03/2025

YoVG # 504 Game Journalism & What Happens If It Dies? Game journalism is often derided as pointless or nonexistent. We ourselves have made those jokes in the past, especially when talking about the old school game magazines. But what happens when game journalism dies? Journalism in general is on its last legs, and game journalism seems to be on the very edge of disappearing. Content creators sometimes conflate themselves with journalists, or pretend they are doing the same job, and it is important to realize that much of the content we love could not exist without the work actual journalists do in investigating the business, and interviewing game devs. /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38072825

YoVG # 503 Games People Love That We Don't Get 08/28/2025

YoVG # 503 Games People Love That We Don't Get Or "Old Men Yell At Cloud" There's a lot of great games. Honestly, there might actually be more good games than bad ones these days. But sometimes, even a good game, that people love, make us scratch our heads. We've talked about them here and there in the past, but now we are going to focus on them. For fun. Don't take this too seriously. Enjoy the goofs and hop in with some of your own. The more over the top, the better. You don't understand why people still love Mario games? Hell yeah, brother. Don't get how anyone could care about the new Shinobi game? Okay well, hey now... Wish people would shut up about Xenoblade? We're getting a little hurtful... Lets-- WISH PEOPLE WOULD JUST STFU ABOUT CLAIR OBSCUR!? Getting carried away boys! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/38001270

YoVG # 502 A Bit O' Gamescom 2025 08/23/2025

YoVG # 502 A Bit O' Gamescom 2025 I held it together and we recorded a little Gamescom talk. We didn't go super deep on any one game, but the biggest takeaway this year? Horror fans are gonna EAT. At least, in my opinion. Hop in, hang out, I only cough twice and never into the microphone. I was very brave: say it! /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37930710

YoVG # 501 Gen Z Stops Spending! 08/14/2025

YoVG # 501 Gen Z Stops Spending! We're in the doldrums before Gamescom, so there is a tight lid on anything new and exciting. I just got back from a week of travel so bad I'm having flashbacks straight out of Apocalypse Now. And that means: we meander a bit this episode. We cover a bunch of small topics and tangents. Enjoy us in your ears as we cover industry panic, and the usual "back in my day" generational hate that corpos love to pump out whenever the newest punching bag is old enough to "kill industries". /episode/index/show/phunkmachinemedia/id/37817180

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

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