The big question around Game Pass ever since the ABK acquisition, other than "Will Call of Duty come to Game Pass?", has been "Will Xbox raise prices on Game Pass?" We now have that answer, and it is yes. The pricing isn't the only thing changing though, as Microsoft has taken the bold step of removing Day-One first party releases from all Game Pass tiers except for the most expensive option. On top of that, PC Game Pass players do get access but for almost half the cost of what console players have to pay. Is Xbox giving the middle finger to their dedicated console base? The other big topic for the week is Kevin was finally able to jump into Shadow of the Erdtree and he shares all of his thoughts after spending 28 hours in the DLC. Just like Sean, he is absolutely in love with it, and addicted to it. Other topics include the new Captain America trailer, and sales results in the US for May.

Start - 00:00

Housekeeping - 00:10

Sean's Dinner Cruise - 2:00

Captain America: Brave New World Trailer - 7:15

Shadow of the Erdtree is a Masterpiece - 22:30

Xbox Finally Raises Game Pass Prices - 53:20

NPD/Circana May Results - 1:03:50

Wrap-Up - 1:10:45

After a couple of weeks away on vacations, the guys have returned! They kick things off by discussing what they have both been up to in their various vacations, before getting to Shadow of the Erdtree, which Kevin hasn't had a chance to play yet. Sean, no surprise, has beaten the DLC and is here to give is full thoughts on what is being called the greatest DLC ever made. Kevin took the opposite approach to gaming over his vacation, by purchasing Switch Online's Expansion Pass and diving head first into Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga. Speaking of Mario & Luigi.... they also go through all of their favorite moments from the recent (and maybe last of the Switch era) Nintendo Direct!

Start - 00:00

Housekeeping - 00:10

Sean's Great Wolf Lodge Trip - 2:10

Kevin's NY Trip - 11:20

Sean Beat Shadow of the Erdtree - 37:50

Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga - 1:00:00

Nintendo Direct Highlights - 1:06:45

Summer Predictions/Hopes/Dreams Update - 1:34:40

Lengthy News Wrap-Up - 1:36:00

To say that Xbox has had a rough go of it lately would be an understatement. Because of that, Microsoft had a lot riding on their Xbox Showcase for 2024. With a true PlayStation Showcase nowhere in sight, could Xbox FINALLY get back some positive momentum? In a word, that answer was a loud and resounding YES! The guys cover everything that was announced in what was probably Xbox's best showcase of all time. From Doom: The Dark Ages, to Perfect Dark, to Fable, to Gears of War: E-Day, and everything in-between, Xbox brought the heat. Unfortunately they also have to cover Summer Game Fest Live, which may have been, in their eyes, the worst Keighley show we have ever seen. There is a lot to discuss, so let's dive right in!

Start - 00:00

Housekeeping - 00:10

Infinity War Rewatch - 2:30

Beating Paper Mario Thousand Year Door - 4:15

Bioshock Infinite - 19:25

Playing PSVR2 w/ a 5 Year Old - 21:15

Xbox's BEST Showcase Ever - 27:00

Summer Game Fest's WORST Showcase Ever - 1:16:40

Ubisoft Forward - 1:29:40

Predictions/Hopes/Dreams Results So Far - 1:33:05

Wrap-Up - 1:39:30

The time has come for one of the guys' favorite traditions on the pod, predictions hopes and dreams for what is to come in all of the summer game showcases! Before getting to that, they talk more Paper Mario, run through a decent State of Play that was saved by Astro Bot at the end, and the NPD/Circana for April 2024.

Start - 00:00

Housekeeping - 00:10

Dad Jokes & Mike the Headless Chicken - 2:05

Rubber Duckies in Jeeps? - 10:20

Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door - 15:15

AEW Fight Forever - 36:20

State of Play Recap - 42:20

NPD/Circana April Results - 1:06:25

Not-E3 Predictions, Hopes, and Dreams - 1:08:15

Wrap-Up - 1:43:40

After nearly two years of speculation, Microsoft finally gave an answer to whether or not new Call of Duty releases would come to Game Pass. The answer, is YES. While this is great for Xbox owners, Kevin believes we will look back on this decision as the final nail in the coffin for the Xbox brand as a whole. The guys also discuss their love for Animal Well, Paper Mario the Thousand-Year Door, Assassin's Creed Shadows' reveal, and much more!

Square Enix has always been a third-party developer/publisher, but over the years they have become synonymous with PlayStation. That seems to be changing in the very-near future. After announcing that both FF7 Remake and FF16 failed to hit internal targets, some questionable publishing decisions, and layoffs across the US and EU, Square Enix has announced they will be getting aggressive with more multi-platform releases. Overall this is a good thing for gamers everywhere, but the biggest question right now is what this means for the FF7 Remake project moving forward. In other news PlayStation announced that they have named not one, but TWO new CEOs to replace Jim Ryan and Interim CEO Hiroki Totoki, and the fallout from Xbox's shocking studio closures continues to reverberate through the industry. The guys also discuss playing Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Animal Well, and Sean finally trying out Tunic! Start - 00:00 Housekeeping - 00:00 PlayStation Announces TWO CEOs - 3:30 Sean Finally Tried Tunic - 12:05 Animal Well - 15:00 Tales of Kenzera: Zau - 24:25 Square Enix Getting "Aggressive" w/ Multiplatform Releases - 36:15 Xbox Studio Closures Updates - 48:45 Wrap-Up - 1:03:45

The guys were all set to have a really fun and upbeat podcast, and then Xbox threw the whole industry into a tizzy by shutting down four studios, two of which were beloved to say the least. It is yet another example of how Game Pass makes no sense as a business model, and why spending upwards of $80 BILLION on two acquisitions is only a good thing for shareholders. Once again, the frontline workers get absolutely screwed. Outside of that tirade, they also discuss the newest (and most promising so far) leaks about the successor to the Switch, Sean's Platinum for Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Kevin gushing about beating Bioshock Infinite, our first look at Henry Cavill's replacement Superman, and lots more. Start - 00:00 Housekeeping - 00:10 Superman First Look Thoughts - 3:45 Sean's First Monster Truck Rally - 18:40 Flat Top Grill Adventures Part Deux - 22:20 Dave the Diver - 25:10 Tales of Kenzera: Zau Platinum - 27:30 Beating Bioshock Infinite - 35:10 Even More Switch 2 Leaks - 44:15 Xbox Kills Four Studios - 56:10 NPD/Circana March Results - 1:06:30 Wrap-Up - 1:12:15

In the midst of a gaming lull after finishing up FF7 Rebirth, Kevin finally decided there was a game that had been in his backlog for far too long. 11 years after it's initial release he is finally playing through BioShock Infinite. To say that he is loving the game would be an understatement, so he is here to gush about his time with the game so far. He also tried out the new metroidvania Tales of Kenzera: Zau, and likes what he has seen so far after about an hour. Other topics include Sean added another Platinum Trophy to his collection with Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, their thoughts on the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer, and a discussion around the confusing topic of potentially tipping game developers. Start - 00:00 Housekeeping - 00:10 Sean Got Invisalign - 2:35 NFL Draft Therapy Session - 11:40 Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer - 22:55 Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Platinum - 29:05 BioShock Infinite 11 Years Late Review - 35:25 Tales of Kenzera: Zau First Impressions - 48:50 Should you be able to tip game devs? - 54:15 Wrap-Up - 59:10

The long-rumored-but-yet-to-be-officially-confirmed PS5 Pro has had even more details leak, this time around what will be required for a game to be labeled as PS5 Pro Enhanced. At this point, we seemingly know everything about this console except what it looks like, what it will cost, and when it will finally be released. We also heard from Saber Interactive that the KOTOR Remake is "alive and well" and Eurogamer unearthed the canceled Nolanverse Batman game that ended up turning into Shadow of Mordor. Other topics include the guys trip to see the eclipse at 100% totality, the first trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux, their thoughts on WrestleMania 40, and lots more.

Start - 00:00 Housekeeping - 00:10 Our Eclipse 100% Totality Experience - 2:45 Joker: Folie à Deux Trailer - 8:35 WrestleMania 40 Review - 16:30 Stellar Blade Demo - 33:35 Sean Tried Cyberpunk 2077 - 36:05 Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - 38:15 Immortals of Aveum - 44:35 PS5 Pro Enhanced Details - 51:35 KOTOR Remake is "Alive and Well" - 56:35 Shadow of Mordor Started as Nolan Batman Game - 59:35 Wrap-Up - 1:03:30

Re-uploading due to an audio issue on the original file, sorry about that!

The time has come for the guys to do their first WrestleMania predictions episode in 5 years! Clearly, they are beyond hyped for a Mania for the first time in a long time. They kick off the episode by reminiscing about their 30 years as WWE fans, before getting into their thoughts on the two-month build since the Royal Rumble, and their predictions for every match of the two night extravaganza. Start - 00:00 WrestleMania Memories - 1:05 Thoughts on the Build for WM40 - 27:45 Night 1 Predictions - 36:10 Night 2 Predictions - 1:00:05

The guys return after a couple of weeks off with lots to discuss! First, Kevin goes into detail about his week-long family trip to LA to do all the touristy stuff along with Disney, Universal Studios, and Super Nintendo World. When it comes to the news, we got more details on the yet-to-be-officially-announced PS5 Pro, including the specs for the machine and some insight into what it may actually mean for PS5 games, and some of the gaming press were able to go hands-on with Ken Levine's highly anticipated Judas. Other topics include their spoiler-free thoughts on beating FF7 Rebirth, the NPD/Circana results for February, the continued meteoric success of Helldivers 2, and more. Start - 00:00 Housekeeping - 00:10 Kevin's Trip to LA/Disney/Super Nintendo World - 3:55 NFG's 20th Anniversary of Catalyst - 31:50 Spoiler-Free Thoughts on Beating FF7 Rebirth - 33:15 Hello Neighbor 2 - 46:45 PS5 Pro Leaked Specs - 48:50 Judas Hands-On Previews - 58:25 NPD/Circana February Results - 1:05:25 Lengthy Wrap-Up - 1:10:00