Normal People Gaming

2025 delivered some of the most revealing signals the industry has seen in years—and not from the usual blockbuster suspects. In this episode, we break down the breakout indie success of Clair Obscur and Arc Raiders , and why their reception says more about the future of gaming than any annual franchise release. From player trust and long-term support to pacing, tone, and mechanical restraint, the...

Xbox just dropped a huge bombshell: Game Pass is jumping from $20 to $30/month—and gamers are NOT happy. In this episode of Normal People Gaming, Duane and Michael dive deep into the Game Pass controversy, whether the new price hike is worth it, and what it really means for Xbox fans. We also share what we’re currently playing—Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light: The Beast—and preview one of the most exci...

In this episode of Normal People Gaming, Michael and Duane dive into one of the most shocking stories in the industry: how the creators of Subnautica were fired from their own company after selling to Krafton. Along with many other similar stories! Is this just business—or is it a warning to every indie developer? We also catch up on what we’ve been playing lately (like Clair Obscur), break down s...

📦 Sponsored by Magic Mind: Try it today and use code NORMAL60 for 60% off:https://www.magicmind.com/normal60In this episode of Normal People Gaming, we dive into the weird, the wild, and the wonderfully dark world of video games. Michael becomes obsessed with Crime Scene Cleaner, a gory and hilarious indie sim where you mop up murder scenes (before the cops arrive). Meanwhile, Expedition 33 sits...

Michael and Duane kick off this week’s show by unpacking Rockstar’s record-shattering GTA 6 trailer—from the jaw-dropping lighting engine to the surprisingly subtle (yet headline-grabbing) booty physics. That sparks a broader dive into the long, bumpy history of “jiggle physics,” from Dead or Alive: Beach Volleyball to modern Pixar-level character animation, and why believable body movement no lon...

Nostalgia vs. New Blood — Two Takes on the  Oblivion  Remaster Get the podcast ad-free and early by supporting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NormalPeopleGaming Chat with us and other fans in our discord: https://discord.gg/3AX5nfqutd What happens when a 2006 classic drops in 2025 with a fresh coat of Unreal Engine polish? Michael (the battle-scarred  Oblivion  veteran) and Duane (the wide-e...

Michael and Duane lament Warner Brothers' shutdown of Monolith studio and discuss the efforts made in game preservation by companies like Good Old Games. We also talk about Avowed, Uncharted and more!

In this episode, Michael and Duane talk about the pros and cons of playing Robocop: Rogue City, the old trope of Punk Rocker Villains, and where we would draw the line between inspiration and outright copying someone else’s game. Get the podcast ad-free and early by supporting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NormalPeopleGaming Chat with us and other fans in our discord: https://discord.gg/3AX...

Duane and Michael talk about the new PS5 Pro, game subscriptions like Game Pass and Playstation Plus, why Nintendo can just make you happy, and whether Shigeru Miyamoto is a genius or not. They also talk about playing Alan Wake and Call of Duty Black Ops 6! Get the podcast ad-free and early by supporting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NormalPeopleGaming Chat with us and other fans in our dis...

Michael and Duane talk about Alarmo, Nintendo’s new alarm clock. Are you going to buy Alarmo? They also speculate on the new Shinobi movie news, the possibility and viability of Concord as a free-to-play game, and Space Marine 2’s “compromises.” Get the podcast ad-free and early by supporting our Patreon:

 https://www.patreon.com/NormalPeopleGaming 
Chat with us and other fans in our discord:

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Duane and Michael talk about new game purchases, the No Man’s Sky World Part 1 update, Mod Creators getting jobs in the games industry, and whether Apple can compete in the video game space. We also talk about the ‘real’ reason Metal Gear Solid was ahead of it’s time. Finally we talk about some controversies around some streamers in reason news. #normalpeople #gaming #nomanssky #metalgearsolid Get...

Michael and Duane talk about the huge release schedule for the Nintendo Switch and wonder if this is a grand send-off for the console. We also dive into the latest gaming news every time Michael encounters bad game design, he assumes it’s all his fault. Get our content ad-free and early by supporting our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/NormalPeopleGaming Chat with us and other fans in our discord...

Live Service Games Are Great/Awful In this episode of the Normal People Gaming podcast, Duane and Michael talk about #Snowrunner, #Expeditions, #hellblade, Games, small developers, #liveservice games, the mass appeal of video games, offline mode in games, and concerns over the the #SilentHill 2 remake. And a bunch more stuff too. Watch all our videos ad-free and early by supporting our Patreon! ht...

In the premiere episode of the Normal People Podcast, Michael and Duane talk about recent events in the world of Video Games! We talk about Water Levels, Suika Game, Lethal Company, Review Bombing, Helldivers 2, Hi-Fi Rush and the studio closure. We also dive into Game development getting bigger and more complicated and putting ads in games. Watch all our videos ad-free and early by supporting our...