But Why Tho?

This week, Alex, Kate, and Matt talk about games as service. Which genres benefit from it? Which ones struggle with the pivot? And, we debate, the question: Sequel versus constant expansions? While live service may bring an eye roll from some gamers, we think they may just be an answer to some of gaming's problems. 

As the Assassin's Creed franchise returns to its roots in West Asia for Assassin's Creed: Mirage , allowing players to explore the splendor of Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th Century, Ubisoft has recruited a Persian legend to help bring this story to life. An icon in Iranian and many other SWANA communities and beyond, Shohreh Aghdashloo has paved the way for SWANA actors to have r...

Assassin's Creed Mirage   is bringing this iconic video game franchise back to its roots in more ways than one. Perhaps most significantly, by setting this installment in West Asia (the Middle East) once again, like the original Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft has moved the franchise forward by taking it back to its roots. By giving us another Arab Assassin protagonist (after Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad ) in Bas...

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1 is here and it's expanding the world of the hit series, that some people would say broke the video game adaptation curse (it's me, I'm some people). Set in the 18th century in the middle of the French Revolution, audiences are introduced to a new Belmont, and a new evil, the Vampire Messiah. In this interview, Directors Sam and Adam Deats and showrunner Kevin Kolde t...

This week, Alex, Kate, and Matt are on to talk about Rotten Tomatoes or, more importantly the "Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes," the Vulture article that questioned not only the legitimacy as the aggregator but the critics of it as well. Do we need a middle ground? Or is fresh and rotten enough? Also, how does widening access almost always result in high scores — hint, it's not from bribing. We d...

It's not every day that a studio gets handed the keys to Disney's most magical property, Mickey and Friends. Recently, Dlala Studios was given that chance and more in their new game, Disney Illusion Island . In their fresh take on the Metroidvania genre, Dlala got to create their own fresh story for Disney's Fab 4, and even were one of the historical few to create a new design for Mickey, Minnie,...

At PAX West 2023, we got the chance to talk to Design Director Artie Rogers and Narrative Director Sam Johnson, developers on  Wizard101  and  Pirate101.  In this interview, the duo discusses the importance of building an MMO that is driven by the community and how Wizard101  has been able to evolve over time to offer players the ability to play how they want to.

This week Alex, Katherine, and a Charles sit down to talk about how consumption and capitalism collide when a movie, game, or show launches. Is it your fault when something “underperforms?” Do studios give shows enough time to  breathe before canceling them? All that and more this week on But Why Tho. 

Phoenix Labs has swung for the fences with its cozy dungeoneering social sim Fae Farm.  With elements of core cozy games like managing your homestead, gathering materials, tending to animals, talking to villagers, fishing, and, of course, customizing your character's appearance whenever you want. But the added ability to find resources in dungeons and move through them, progressing from one floor...

Hans Vogel is Dead began as a webcomic nearly a decade ago, written and illustrated by Sierra Barnes. Now publishing its first of three volumes with Dark Horse , But Why Tho met Barnes at her studio to hear about the series, its origins, Barnes' influences, comic lettering, and what makes the series special.

Final Fantasy XVI, the latest addition to the storied Square Enix franchise, is a large and beautiful world with complex and dynamic characters. At PAX West 2023, we sat down with Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, and some of the voices behind beloved characters, including Clive Rosfield (Ben Starr), Margrace (Jonathan Case), and Benedikta Harman (Nina Yndis) to discuss what it's...

This week, Alex, Jason, and Kate talk about time - and more importantly how we just don't have any of it anymore. With longer games coming out like Baldur's Gate 3, a stacked movie season, and more on the horizon, how does anyone find the time to play and watch, well, everything they're interested in?

We were honored to chat with the voices that have skillfully brought some of the most iconic characters in anime to life in the English dub. Their work and dedication to this series have significantly shaped its charm, growth, and adventurous spirit. We dive into all that in this exclusive video featuring Colleen Clickenbeard, the voice of Monkey D. Luffy, Luci Christian, who voices Nami; Sonny St...

After 9 years, HexWorks is creating Lords of the Fallen , a sequel/reboot to the 2014 title of the same name. The original was one of the earliest games that attempted to put its own spin on the action RPG genre . After nearly a decade of innovation and mainstream success, the latest genre entry is attempting to capitalize on these lessons and invite newcomers to yet another grand adventure.  We s...

Hello Kitty Island Adventure  is a cozy and epic joining of Sanrio and open-world gaming. Described as a combination of Breath of the Wild  and  Animal Crossing,  this Apple Arcade exclusive from Sunblink is a large world. With the driving motto of "Small gift, big smile," Sanrio is a cultural touchstone, and in this game, players get the chance to talk to, make friends with, and adventure the wor...

This week, Alex, Neysha, and Kate talk about the things they love that people told them they couldn't. With Barbie smashing the box office, we discuss what to do when someone makes a piece of pop culture "not for you." Barbie isn't for Black girls, anime isn't for women; horror isn't real cinema. We talk about the lies that get told to stop your joy and why you should never listen to them. 

DC's Legends of Tomorrow  was one of The CW's most popular and critically acclaimed shows . Besides being very diverse for a mainline superhero show, it touched on almost every genre you could think of, and with its delightful cast and witty writers, both sets of whom are now on strike, it created something strikingly memorable. Along with her fellow co-showrunners, writer and co-showrunner Keto S...

Mel Blanc was a voice-over legend, originating and playing, for decades until his death, the voices of all the Looney Tunes characters and many more for Warner Brothers. When he passed away in 1989, another voiceover actor would rise to continue his legacy. From Bugs Bunny , Daffy Duck, Marvin, the Martian, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, and so many more icons of animation, legendary vo...

At San Diego Comic-Con 2023, we had the opportunity to sit down with E.K Johnston , the renowned author behind critically acclaimed Star Wars novels like Ahsoka and the Queens Trilogy . With her upcoming novel Crimson Climb on the horizon, Johnston shared insights into her approach to writing iconic characters such as Ahsoka and Padme, delving into their unique journeys while staying true to the b...

The WGA has been on strike for almost 80 days, just 20 shy of how long the strike of 2007-2008 lasted, and as of last week, SAG-AFTRA joined the picket line as the AMPTP refused to concede in contract negotions. To say that this is a watershed moment is some how not strong enough. As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike to ensure fair wages and working conditions and protect their craft from AI, we wanted...

This week Alex is joined by Swara and Adrian to discuss the state of Twitter, the Grimace Shake, and how to handle things that maybe didn’t age great. From the Problem with Apu to the Breakfast Club to Transformers, there’s a bit of everything here.

This week, Alex, Kate, and Matt discuss the interview with Xbox's Matt Booty that explained how long video games take to make. The trio discusses what kinds of expectations fans put on studios, what pressures studios put on developers, and where developers are in all of this. How long should games take to make? How soon should studios announce them? We dive in.

Kate and Matt got the chance to be on-site in LA for Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase, and the Ubisoft Forward. In this episode, they talk about the highs of the fest, their favorite hands-on previews for games and what they're looking forward to. From Alan Wake 2 to MK1 and Prince of Persia: Lost Crown, 33 Immortals, and Disney Illusion Island, they got you covered with their impressions...

At the pre-launch party for  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,  we got the chance to sit down with  GUN's Creative Director Ronnie Hobbs, actor Damian Maffei, the voice of Johnny, and horror legend Kane Hodder, about the game, and what its like to bring what has become a vital part of horror and Texas mythos to life. 

At Summer Game Fest 2023, we got the chance to play a demo that introduced us to about 45 minutes of gameplay in Dogtown. On a mission to find a relic, we work through the demo, fighting enemies and exploring the new zone. We also got the chance to speak with the “Phantom Liberty” Game Director, Gabe Amatangelo, who expanded on elements that players can look forward to when the expansion releases.