Special thanks to TheBulldogOmega for joining us for another great year end podcast! We have an IBIF first with the very first UNANIMOUS #1 game; CONGRATS LARIAN STUDIOS AND BALDUR'S GATE 3!

Our lists are as follows:

Eric

1. Baldur's Gate 3
2. Marvel’s Midnight Suns
3. Final Fantasy XVI
4. Warhammer: 40k Rogue Trader
5. Labyrinth of Galaria: Covenant of Dusk

Jason

1. Baldur's Gate 3
2. Final Fantasy XVI
3. Sea of Stars
4. Super Mario RPG
5. Atomic Heart

Chris

1. Baldur's Gate 3
2. Dredge
3. Station to Station
4. The invincible
5. Last Train Home

Bulldog

1. Baldur's Gate 3
2. Lethal Company
3. The Invincible
4. For the King 2
5. Bred and Fred

Spoopy Season has come to an end, but you can still scare Eric by getting us to $2k on Nov 4th. Visit us at https://Twitch.tv/IBeatItFirst or donate at https://www.extra-life.org/participant/510652.

The long winter is over, now we begin the even longer winter of Microsoft world domination.

Rich old white guy is retiring because his commute is too strenuous.

We can't make this up, that's really why Jim Ryan is retiring.

Don't let engine or game devs gaslight you, Starfield is POORLY optimized and Unity is run run by a horrible CEO.

Sorry not sorry for the terrible singing

Can Microsoft find Hasbro's lost games? Do a lot fo CoD players cheat? Did Scalpers ruin the Spider-man PS5 launch? The answer to all of those is probably.

The FTC has lost and only time will tell if we've all lost. Let's discuss our impending doom.

Who wants to see what Chat GPT says are the main reasons for not allowing the Microsoft acquisition of Activison? Nobody... but here it is anyway.

The potential acquisition of Activision by Microsoft has raised concerns among industry observers and gamers alike. While Microsoft's acquisition of Activision would undoubtedly have significant financial implications and potentially strengthen its position in the gaming market, there are valid reasons why some argue that such a consolidation should not be allowed.

Firstly, allowing Microsoft to acquire Activision would result in a consolidation of power in the gaming industry, potentially reducing competition and limiting consumer choice. A merger of this magnitude could lead to a monopolistic situation, where Microsoft would have unprecedented control over a vast library of popular game franchises. This could stifle innovation, as smaller developers might face greater difficulty accessing the market and finding opportunities to release their games on competing platforms. Moreover, it could lead to an imbalance in negotiations with other console manufacturers, potentially resulting in exclusive content being locked behind Microsoft's ecosystem.

Secondly, the acquisition could have negative consequences for the diversity and creativity of the gaming industry. Activision is home to numerous studios with unique creative visions, and the acquisition by Microsoft could risk homogenizing the output of these studios. With Microsoft's primary focus being on its own platforms and services, there is a concern that creative freedom and the ability to take risks might be compromised in favor of safer, mass-market approaches. This could limit the variety of gaming experiences available to players and impede the industry's ability to explore new genres and ideas.

Considering these factors, it is important for regulatory bodies to carefully evaluate the potential consequences of the acquisition and ensure that the interests of consumers, developers, and the industry as a whole are protected.

It's that time of year again! Let's talk about games that we probably won't see for 2 years...