Video Games 2 the MAX

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 05/17/2024 * This week is packed with news from all sorts of gaming channels. Let's see if Sean and Marc can even get close to touching most of it. PlayStation made some big moves at the CEO level and announced 59.3 Million PS5's sold. They also might have a surprise H...

This week in gaming showcased a bombshell announcement from one of the big pillars of the industry. Microsoft and Xbox announced the closure of three Bethesda studios and the consolidation of another one. Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog, Tango Gameworks, and Roundhouse are all gone. Although some of the employees will be put into other places or studios, many of these wonderful developers are now out of...

This week saw a quieter period for gaming with everyone still catching up on the deluge of games released in the last few weeks and also some showcases highlighting upcoming games too. Marc has now been playing Stellar Blade and makes up for Sean not getting to make any progress in the game this week. With Marc having more familiarity with the Souls genre how does his opinion differ from Sean's la...

Gaming season has arrived at the end of April and the guys have some games to talk about on this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX. Sean's been playing Stellar Blade Another Crab's Treasure, and Tales of Kenzera Zau, and Marc's been playing No Rest For the Wicked. Quite a bit of Souls on this show. Also, Blizzard announced they will not have Blizzcon in 2024. Is this really a big deal? Or does it s...

As we await the big game releases of next week, there are a few minor ones that have already made their way out to PC and Consoles. Sean's played Stop Motion narrative wonder Harold Halibut and the Final Fantasy XVI Rising Tide DLC. Does the Rising Tide serve as a seemingly fitting finale to FF16's content? Is Harold Halibut another indie darling that everyone should play? There's quite a bit of v...

* Apologies for the audio version coming out a little later than usual. Sean had some family matters to attend to. * This week saw the premiere of the Fallout TV Series on Amazon Prime and Marc has binged through it all, while Sean has watched the first few episodes. So the duo discusses their impressions of the series that's already received the greenlight for a second season. Also, this was a we...

We are now fully into April and as we wait for the big games coming at the end of the month, there are some demos out for some of them. So, Sean has some Stellar Blade Impressions to share on this episode. Along with that, he's also played two versions of the Saga: Emerald Beyond. As well as a beloved game that was released bout a month ago in Unicorn Overlord impressions too. Marc is also just en...

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is so massive Sean had to bring in five guests to break down their thoughts on various parts of the game including The Ending and where we go from here into Part 3. So, if you didn't catch the title, there will be SPOILERS for the game on this special edition of Video Games 2 the MAX. Sean is joined by the man who loves Bad Brackets Randy Isbelle and two members of The Ou...

After a week that saw some big releases and exciting announcements, we have a week of interesting announcements, and more layoffs, Gearbox is free from Embracer Group, and Phil Spencer has a big interview talking about Xbox. Sean and Marc discuss it all in this edition of Video Games 2 the MAX. Phil Spencer had an interview with Polygon while at the Game Developer's Conference (links further below...

A huge week in gaming with some major releases all occurring on the same day and also big gaming news with GDC and PAX East happening this week as well. Right before recording Square-Enix had their Final Fantasy XVI: Rising Tide DLC panel and they gave some new info on what we'll be doing in the DLC, an all-important release date and so much more! Sean tries to go through the gist of it, probably...

It's another week in gaming and another week of Video Games 2 the MAX as Sean and Marc are near the end of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, (actually, Marc beat it before we started recording), so the guys have some more thoughts on the game (without spoilers). And something that will help FFVII Rebirth look even better is a PlayStation 5 Pro as more rumors abound about the specs and insides of the futu...

Sadly a huge loss was announced to the world late Thursday/Early Friday with the passing of the legendary Akira Toriyama. The creator of Dragon Ball undoubtedly leaves a huge legacy not just in the Manga/Anime world, but also in video games with his character art for Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon among others. Sean is joined by Marc and The Outerhaven's SithScott as they discuss wh...

This week has been absolutely incredible in showing the duality of the games industry at the moment. Two giants of video games, Sony and EA both have layoffs within a day of each other, closing studios, and echoing the same refrain of needing to reassess their strategies going forward. Embracer Group entered an agreement with Sabre Interactive so they can be owned by private investors. Borderlands...

It is nearly upon us, the moment Final Fantasy VII fans have been eagerly anticipating, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is mere days away. Sean is joined by Gaming Trends Writer at Inverse Hayes Madsen. Hayes has reviewed and played the full game already ahead of its official release. In this SPOILER-FREE discussion about the game, Hayes gives his thoughts on the new additions, what's improved from Fina...

This was a week of anticipation for the industry focused more so looking forward to two major games that are coming in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Not to mention, Nintendo finally dropped that Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase as well. Sean and Marc discuss all of these things, how reviews are shaping up for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, thoughts on t...

Randy Isbelle joins Sean and Marc on this week's big episode, as Microsoft had its business update and wound up announcing four games will be coming to other console platforms. And while they did not announce which ones they are, reports are already out there that namedrop Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Pentiment as the four coming over. There's also new console hardware being worked on...

This week has been a whirlwind of rumors, speculation, and reports centered around Microsoft's possible direction for the future of Xbox as a brand, as a console, and what that means for the gaming world in general. Gaming social media imploded so crazily that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer had to reveal a business summit is occurring next week that will cover this. Sean and Marc discuss this p...

This week, Sony graced us all with a rather lengthy PlayStation State of Play showing off the promised games such as Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, but also delivering a few surprises such as an almost 10-minute look at Death Stranding 2 among other announcements. Sean and Marc give their thoughts on the State of Play and if they are more hyped about anything that was shown than they were pr...

In a total shocker, the first big move from Microsoft acquiring Activision-Blizzard-King becomes 1,900 employees being laid off. Many of them involved Activision-Blizzard employees and also Xbox employees leading to a 9% cut in Xbox's total gaming division among all of their studios. They also canceled the Blizzard survival game, "Odyssey" due to the engine being used to make the game being far aw...

This week it feels like 2024 in gaming has begun in earnest with Microsoft's Xbox Developer Direct 2024 where they showed off Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, and the first look at the Machine Games Indiana Jones. Sean and Marc have their reactions primed and ready on the showcase itself, what they think of each game, if the surprise of Visions of Mana is a big deal or not,...

The new January 2024 game releases are nearly upon us, as this week, not one, but two demos dropped for major games releasing this month. Sean and Marc have played Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Granblue Fantasy Relink. How do they stack up? Did they get them even more excited for their perspective releases? You'll want to tune in for this. Also, Xbox announced their now yearly Developer Dir...

On this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX, Sean, Marc, and Randy take a look ahead at what's coming in 2024. Each of the guys give out their Top 10 Most Anticipated Games, some honorable mentions, and perhaps some predictions for the year as well. Everyone has games they are excited about. Let us know which ones you are most looking forward to as well. Could the new Switch successor finally be comi...

On this edition of Video Games 2 the MAX, we bid farewell to 2023 by looking back at the year that was and also giving out as has become tradition, our 25 Best Games of 2023, which means you'll get our Game of the Year on this episode. Sean, Marc, and a surprise appearance mid-show by Randy Isbelle discuss the list from Game #, 25 all the way to Game # 1, as well as some of the big news stories of...

After an unintended week off due to Sean having an internet outage on the day of recording last week, Video Games 2 the MAX returns in a very hectic week in gaming. Between last week and this week, more information has put into question the sustainability of AAA gaming with budgets ballooning, the increased amount of layoffs in 2023, and if games still don't cost enough to offset all of this. Is t...

What a week it has been for the industry as the Game Awards 2023 has wrapped up, Grand Theft Auto VI had its trailer revealed a little early, and Day of the Devs happened too. Sean and Marc have a full discussion on Game Awards 2023, the announcements, and if there can be any changes made after the appalling way award winners were treated during their speeches on a "night that's meant to celebrate...