Gamers Week Podcast

Episode 202 - Highguard Shuts Down Six Weeks After Launch

Send a textIn this episode...--> Just over a month after it launched, the axe has fallen on troubled PvP shooter Highguard. Developer Wildlight Entertainment announced today that the game's next update will be its last, and it will be taken offline on March 12.--> Sony is reportedly abandoning its strategy of bringing its first-party PlayStation games to PC, with the company now set to return to console-only releases for all but a select number of online titles.--> Pokémon celebrated its 30th anniversary last week with the Pokémon Game Music Collection, a palm-sized music player that can be loaded up with 45 unique cartridges, each featuring a different melody or sound effect from the original games' soundtrack.--> Pack it in, everyone. Resident Evil Requiem has seemingly confirmed that Leon Kennedy is a married man.--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Music History 101We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw- Get creative with Pixel Pond production company at pixelpondllc.com- Visit Absolutely the Best Podcast: A Work in Progress at linktr.ee/absolutelythebest**Use this link to get a $20 credit when you upgrade to a paid podcast hosting plan on Buzzsprout! buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1884378Hosts: retrogamebrews, wrytersview, donniegretroOpening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli TakanenPatron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by donniegretroClosing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli TakanenSupport the show

Episode 201 - The Beginning Of The End For Xbox?

Send a textIn this episode...--> A shocking shakeup at Xbox: Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond are out. Asha Sharma (President of Microsoft’s CoreAI) is in, despite having no gaming experience. Game Pass is MIA in talks about Xbox's future, and Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley is predicting that the brand will be "sunsetted." Is this the beginning of the end for Xbox?--> Bluepoint (the studio behind the widely praised Demon's Souls remake and the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, among others) is being shut down by PlayStation.--> Video games are losing the "attention war" to gambling, porn, and crypto, according to a new industry report.--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Very Important PollWant more from Jim and Drink A Beer, Play A Game? linktr.ee/DBPGWe love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw- Get creative with Pixel Pond production company at pixelpondllc.com- Visit Absolutely the Best Podcast: A Work in Progress at linktr.ee/absolutelythebest**Use this link to get a $20 credit when you upgrade to a paid podcast hosting plan on Buzzsprout! buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1884378Hosts: wrytersview, retrogamebrews, abeerandagameOpening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli TakanenPatron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by donniegretroClosing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli TakanenSupport the show

Episode 200 - Could Cheaper Video Games Save The Gaming Industry?

Send a textIn this episode...--> Video games need to be cheaper to buy. At least, that’s the opinion coming from attendees at the DICE convention in Las Vegas this week, where thousands of video-game makers have been asking each other the same question: What can we learn from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?--> Video game stocks have been getting repeatedly KO’d in recent weeks following the launch of Google’s new generative-AI tool, Project Genie, but experts are saying the program in reality is not the industry killer investors seem to think it is.--> Exactly nine months away from the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, Norwegian electronics retailer Komplett has promised it will give away free copies of the game to anyone giving birth on the game's launch day of November 19, 2026.--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, The Tale of Gamers Week (200th episode celebration!!)We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw- Get creative with Pixel Pond production company at pixelpondllc.com- Visit Absolutely the Best Podcast: A Work in Progress at linktr.ee/absolutelythebest**Use this link to get a $20 credit when you upgrade to a paid podcast hosting plan on Buzzsprout! buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1884378Hosts: donniegretro, retrogamebrews, wrytersviewOpening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli TakanenPatron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by donniegretroClosing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli TakanenSupport the show

Episode 199 - PlayStation State of Play February 2026

Send a textIn this episode...--> PlayStation gave us the first State of Play of the new year, and it was a banger. The 60-minute plus event brought multiple new games, updates, and more across many storied franchises, including Castlevania, God of War, Silent Hill, and more.--> Discord announced on Monday that it’s rolling out age verification on its platform globally starting next month, when it will automatically set all users’ accounts to a “teen-appropriate” experience unless they demonstrate that they’re adults.--> Larian Studios’ multi-award-winning fantasy RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, is set for its own TV series on HBO, and will be helmed by The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin. --> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Whatever 101Stinger: "Ryan's Bedtime Lullaby" - The Tiny Boppers ℗ 2012 BPM Digital LtdWe love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw- Get creative with Pixel Pond production company at pixelpondllc.com- Visit Absolutely the Best Podcast: A Work in Progress at linktr.ee/absolutelythebest**Use this link to get a $20 credit when you upgrade to a paid podcast hosting plan on Buzzsprout! buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1884378Hosts: retrogamebrews, wrytersview, donniegretroOpening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli TakanenPatron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by donniegretroClosing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli TakanenSupport the show

Episode 198 - Sony Patents AI Podcasts Starring Its Characters

Send a textIn this episode...--> Publisher Sony has just embraced death and patented its idea for bespoke AI-generated podcasts starring the characters from its games.--> Unity Software Inc. and video game stocks plunged this past Friday on fears of possible artificial intelligence disruption after Google began to roll out Project Genie.--> Variety reported Tuesday that Tongal, a studio that has developed content for Netflix, NBC Universal and other major brands, is in the process of developing a feature film based on the 1980s gridiron video game, Tecmo Bowl.--> Netflix is being removed from the PlayStation 3 — yes, the PlayStation 3 — on March 2, 2026.--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Nerd History 101We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw- Get creative with Pixel Pond production company at pixelpondllc.com- Visit Absolutely the Best Podcast: A Work in Progress at linktr.ee/absolutelythebest**Use this link to get a $20 credit when you upgrade to a paid podcast hosting plan on Buzzsprout! buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1884378Hosts: wrytersview, donniegretro, retrogamebrewsOpening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli TakanenPatron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by donniegretroClosing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli TakanenSupport the show