Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa
Science
Special Guest: Ben Ward

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
9:20 – The D.I.C.E. Awards
20:30 – Bluepoint’s Closure and Highguard’s Failure
30:10 – Shakeup at Microsoft Gaming
37:20 – Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse
42:20 – Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator
52:50 – Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
1:32:05 – Fallout 4, Modding, and Bethesda Games
2:03:15 – Interview with Ben Ward about Earth Must Die
3:22:25 – Conclusion
3:28:40 – A Special Announcement

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep118

Podcast header image from Earth Must Die. Linkdump and spoiler warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Wikipedia article on Carowinds.
• Steam store pages for Time Gentlemen, Please! and Ben There, Dan That! Special Edition Double Pack, Lair of the Clockwork God, and Earth Must Die.
• Wikipedia article on cyclobenzaprine.
• Merve sleeps on a Haugesund mattress from Ikea. It has been discontinued. (Source: Mattress Reviews)
• Ikea store page for the Billy series of bookcases.
• Wikipedia article on false friends.

The D.I.C.E. Awards (9:20)

• Wikipedia article on the 29^th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
• VoD for the 29^th annual D.I.C.E. Awards. (Source: IGN on YouTube)

Bluepoint’s Closure and Highguard’s Failure (20:30)

• Article on Sony’s closure of Bluepoint Games. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Confirmation: Sony announced the closure of Firewalk Studios on October 29^th, 2024. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Highguard. A shutdown of the game was announced after we recorded.
• Correction: Fallout 4 was announced two weeks prior to the E3 2015 presentation where more details about it were revealed. (Source: Wikipedia)

Shakeup at Microsoft Gaming (30:10)

• Report on Phil Spencer’s and Sarah Bond’s departures from Microsoft. (Source: IGN)
• The Rock Paper Shotgun story about Spencer’s retirement that Science referenced.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse (37:20)

• Steam store page for Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse.

Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator (42:20)

• Steam store page for Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (52:50)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Avatar: Fire and Ash

• Official website for Blazing Griffin.
• Steam store page for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
• Steam store page for Far Cry Primal.

Fallout 4, Modding, and Bethesda Games (1:32:05)

• Steam store page for Fallout 4.
• Wikipedia article on Canadian post-grunge band Thornley, fronted by Ian Thornley.
• Wikipedia article on the Fallout TV series.
• Starfield Wiki article on Jemison. (Source: Fandom)
• Steam store page for Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death.
• Wikipedia article on The Sarah Silverman Program.
• Wikipedia article on Dr. Pepper.
• The episode of Video Game Science on SWAT 4, featuring Merve, Science, and The Radio Cat. (Source: The Avocado)

Interview with Ben Ward about Earth Must Die (2:03:15)

SPOILER WARNING: Mild spoilers for Earth Must Die throughout

• Steam store page for Earth Must Die.
• Official website for Size Five Games.
• Wikipedia article on The Great Dictator.
• Wikipedia article on unobtainium.
• The element Ben referenced whose name means “hard to get” is dysprosium. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on the sonic hedgehog protein.
• Official website for the UK Games Fund.
• Wikipedia article on rubberducking.
• Report on Earth Must Die getting verified by Valve due to its “alien orgy.” (Source: PC Gamer)
• The artist who worked on Earth Must Die with the handle 2DForever is Tom Waterhouse. (Source: Tom Waterhouse’s official website)
• The short about the boy who makes “boing boing” noises was Gerald McBoing-Boing, and it was directed by Robert Cannon. (Source: Wikipedia)

Conclusion (3:22:25)

• Wikipedia article on Joel David Moore, who played Norm Spellman in Avatar.

A Special Announcement (3:28:40)

• The AVoCADo GamesCast’s contact page.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
1:25 – Dungeons & Dragons
14:20 – Big Hops
28:40 – Our 2025 Predictions
1:18:05 – Predicting 2026
2:01:10 – Games We’re Anticipating in 2026
3:04:40 – Rumoured Games
3:10:50 – The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results
3:22:55 – The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Contest
3:50:30 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep117

Podcast header image from Big Hops. Spoiler warning for The Last of Us Part II. Linkdump and time ranges for spoilers after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

No links here.

Dungeons & Dragons (1:25)

• Official website for Dungeons & Dragons.
• D&D store page for the “Heroes of the Borderlands” Starter Set.
• Correction: The series finale of Stranger Things came out on New Year’s Eve 2025, not Christmas 2025 or New Year’s Day 2026. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Official website for Roll20.

Big Hops (14:20)

• Nintendo Switch store page for Big Hops.
• Correction: Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain came out in 2024, not 2025. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Screenshots of cat hat. (Posted to imgur)

Our 2025 Predictions (28:40)

MAJOR SPOILERS: The Last of Us Part II

• Official announcement of the cancellation of the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. (Source: Ubisoft)
• Shinobi602’s comment that the Watch Dogs IP is not exactly dead. (Source: ResetEra)
• Correction: No release date has yet been announced for the God of War TV series. (Source: TV Guide)
• Episode #108 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, where Drinking with Skeletons discussed Metaphor: ReFantazio.
• Megami Tensei Wiki article on Kayo Tomiyama from Persona 5: The Phantom X, a 44-year old housewife who used to be a gyaru in her youth. (Source: Fandom)
• Article on Marathon preorders on Steam mistakenly causing Destiny 2 to download. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Report on Rockstar’s alleged union-busting firing of employees in the U.K. and Canada. (Source: CBC)
• Wikipedia article on Battlefield 6.
• Wikipedia article on Just Cause 4.
• Wikipedia article on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
• Wikipedia article on Marios Gavrilis, who played Emmerich Voss in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
• Wikipedia article on Hollow Knight: Silksong.
• Wikipedia article on the Grand Theft Auto series.
• World premiere trailer for Gang of Dragon. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)

Predicting 2026 (1:18:05)

• Merve 1^st realistic prediction: At least one more consumer computer parts manufacturer will leave the market.
• Correction: EVGA already left the graphics card market in 2022. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s 1^st realistic prediction: Cloud and on-demand computing take off.
• Report on Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella being opposed to referring to generative AI as “slop.” (Source: TechCrunch)
• Correction: The caret notation for the delete character is ^?. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Official website for Ask, which used to be Ask Jeeves.
• Merve’s 2^nd realistic prediction: Atlus will not announce Persona 6 this year.
• The Kappa’s 2^nd realistic prediction, which was actually his long shot: Either Microsoft will announce that they will not make another Xbox, or reporting will indicate that Microsoft has decided to stop making consoles.
• Wikipedia article on the Zune.
• Confirmation: The PS5 Pro did go up in price in the U.S. in 2025, but it did not receive a price increase in Canada, where it remained at its original MSRP. (Sources: PlayStation Blog, MobileSyrup, Amazon)
• Clarification: Sony has not officially exited the TV market yet, but will instead transfer its home entertainment business to a joint venture with TCL. It is expected that this joint venture will begin operating in 2027. (Source: Sony)
• Based off the unadjusted U.S. CPI, TVs declined in price roughly 32% between January 2020 and December 2025, while food increased in price roughly 31% over that same time period.
• Merve’s long shot prediction: Electronic Arts will experience a “Gigaleak” this year due to carelessness at one of the firms in the consortium that agreed to purchase it.
• Wikipedia article on the Nintendo Gigaleak.
• Wikipedia article on the Riyadh Comedy Festival.
• The Kappa’s actual 2^nd realistic prediction: Battle royale will become the main mode of most mainstream shooters.
• Wikipedia article on Highguard.
• Battlefield Wiki article on Gauntlet. (Source: Fandom)

Games We’re Anticipating in 2026 (2:01:10)

• Steam store page for Ghost Master: Resurrection, which is currently in Early Access. Clarification: The game was on sale while we were recording, but is not on sale as of this writing.
• Reveal trailer for There Are No Ghosts at the Grand. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Gameplay reveal for 007 First Light. (Source: IO Interactive on YouTube)
• Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase trailer for Pragmata. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. (Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube)
• Release date trailer for Romeo is a Dead Man. (Source: Grasshopper Archives on YouTube)
• Gameplay teaser for Fable. (Source: Xbox and Fable on YouTube)
• Overview trailer for Mario Tennis Fever. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Official gameplay showcase trailer for the Gothic remake. (Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
• Correction: The developers of the Gothic remake have admitted to using generative AI for animation and NPC face modelling, but have not stated that they are using generative AI for voice acting or story content. The developers intend to fill in plot holes from the original game but have not stated that they will be using generative AI to do so. (Sources: Tech Radar, DE Edition and Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for Earth Must Die.
• The Ben who co-led the development of Earth Must Die is Ben Ward. (Source: @timegentleman.bsky.social on Bluesky)
• Gameplay trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Correction: The Kappa was correct: the Insomniac ransomware hack happened towards the end of 2023. (Source: BBC)
• Story trailer for Showa American Story. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on the Hanazono Room, also known as “That Pool.”
• World premiere trailer for The Sinking City 2. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• First course reveal for Golf With Your Friends 2. (Source: Team17 on YouTube)
• Release trailer 2026 for Squadron 42. (Source: PGR on YouTube)
• Correction: The live gameplay reveal of Squadron 42 from 2024 featured both fighter jet combat and first-person shooter segments, not just FPS segments. (Source: Star Citizen on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for At Fate’s End. (Source: Thunder Lotus on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV. (Source: Warhammer on YouTube)
• Trailer for Road to Empress II. (Source: Jonooit on YouTube)
• Correction: Reshoots for Road to Empress II had not concluded at the time of recording, but are done now. (Source: r/roadtoempress on Reddit)
• Steam store page for Titan Quest II, which is currently in Early Access.
• Announcement trailer for ABYSS X ZERO. (Source: Studio Pixel Punk on YouTube)
• Release date trailer for Mouse: P.I. For Hire. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Virtue and a Sledgehammer. (Source: DevolverDigital on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Witchfire, which is current in Early Access.
• Confirmation: Immortals of Aveum was not on sale at the time of recording, but it is on sale for 93% off at the time of this writing on February 7^th, 2026. (Source: Steam)
• New gameplay trailer for Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Clarification: Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is being copublished by Hooded Horse and Ubisoft. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Reveal trailer for Styx: Blades of Greed. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)

Rumoured Games (3:04:40)

• The rumour from RebsGaming about a supposedly in-development Halo multiplayer game. (Source: The Game Post)

The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results (3:10:50)

• Spreadsheet of results.
• Report on Earthblade’s cancellation. (Source: Gematsu)
• Wikipedia article section on proper scoring rules.

The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Contest (3:22:55)

• Spreadsheet of predictions.
• Confirmation: The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is indeed being published by Square Enix. (Source: Square Enix Store)
• Some sleuthing to determine that the Highguard Bluesky account was fake. (Source: r/TwoBestFriendsPlay on Reddit)
• The last game on which Jade Raymond was credited was Star Wars: Battlefront II in 2017. (Source: Wikipedia)

Conclusion (3:50:30)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
Quinley Thorne
The Kappa
3rdstringhero
Jarathen
Little Mac
Science
Shambolic Rube Frossty

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
4:00 – The Game Awards: Future Class Controversy
12:25 – The Game Awards: The Awards
29:25 – The Game Awards: Announcements
1:05:20 – Little Mac’s Top 3
1:13:00 – Shambolic Rube Frossty’s Top 2
1:17:55 – Jarathen’s Top 3
1:20:10 – 3rdstringhero’s Top 3
1:24:20 – Science’s Top 3
1:30:00 – Our Favourites: Honourable Mentions
1:41:55 – Our Favourites: #5
1:54:25 – Our Favourites: #4
2:20:30 – Our Favourites: #3
2:53:15 – Our Favourites: #2
3:16:35 – Our Favourites: #1
4:16:25 – Our Biggest Disappointments
5:11:55 – Our Biggest Surprises, Part 1
5:29:20 – Television Tech
5:34:55 – Our Biggest Surprises, Part 2
5:35:05 – Relationship Stuff… And Gross Stuff
5:38:25 – Steam Machines
5:43:40 – Celebrities and Politicians
5:45:35 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep116

Podcast header image from (clockwise from top) Road to Empress I, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (source), and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Spoiler warning for despelote. Content warnings for sexual content and extreme scatological humour. Linkdump and time ranges for warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Wikipedia article on Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

The Game Awards: Future Class Controversy (4:00)

• VoD of the awards show. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Article on the controversy over the Game Awards’ Future Class. (Source: The Guardian)
• Wikipedia article on the D.I.C.E. Awards.
• Wikipedia article on Kinda Funny.

The Game Awards: The Awards (12:25)

• Winners at the Game Awards. (Source: The Game Awards)
• Wikipedia article on SonicFox.
• Wikipedia article on West End Girl by Lily Allen.

The Game Awards: Announcements (29:25)

• Gang of Dragon world premiere trailer. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Total War: Warhammer 40,000 world premiere trailer. (Source: thegamewards on YouTube)
• World premiere trailers for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst. (Source: thegamewards on YouTube)
• Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic teaser trailer. (Source: Star Wars on YouTube)
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer reveal trailer. (Source: Star Wars on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. (Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube)
• Know Your Meme article on the Ace Combat JPEG Dog.
• Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons world premiere trailer. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Divinity world premiere trailer. Content warning for extreme gore and violence. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Control Resonant. (Source: Remedy Entertainment on YouTube)
• The Game Awards teaser for Soulframe Founders bundles. (Source: Soulframe on YouTube)
• Warframe trailer featuring Werner Herzog. (Source: GamersPrey on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for The Free Shepherd. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Highguardworld premiere trailer. (Source: thegameawards and Highguard on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Coven of the Chicken Foot. (Source: Wildflower Interactive on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Orbitals. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)

Little Mac’s Top 3 (1:05:20)

• #3: Donkey Kong Bananza. (Source: Nintendo)
• Nintendo store page for Mario Kart World.
• #2: Hollow Knight: Silksong. (Source: Steam)
• Steam store page for Hades II.
• #1: Blue Prince. (Source: Steam)

Shambolic Rube Frossty’s Top 2 (1:13:00)

• First choice: Lies of P: Overture. (Source: Steam)
• Second choice: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader – Lex Imperialis. (Source: Steam)

Jarathen’s Top 3 (1:17:55)

• #3: Donkey Kong Bananza. (Source: Nintendo)
• #2: 9 Kings. (Source: Steam)
• #1: Absolum. (Source: Steam)

3rdstringhero’s Top 3 (1:20:10)

• #3: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. (Source: Steam)
• #2: The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-. (Source: Steam)
• #1: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. (Source: Steam)

Science’s Top 3 (1:24:20)

• #3: CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs. (Source: Steam)
• #2: Hades II. (Source: Steam)
• #1: Baby Steps. (Source: Steam)

Our Favourites: Honourable Mentions (1:30:00)

• Merve’s #10: Dear me, I was… (Source: Wikipedia)
• Merve’s #9: Dispatch. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s #8: Mario Kart World. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Merve’s #7: Many Nights a Whisper. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s #6: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. (Source: Steam)
• Correction: Danny Trejo was in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, not Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Quinley Thorne’s #10: Town to City. (Source: Steam)
• Quinley Thorne’s #9: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Quinley Thorne’s #8: Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Quinley Thorne’s #7: Donkey Kong Bananza. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Quinley Thorne’s #6: Umamusume: Pretty Derby. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia article on racehorse Haru Urara.
• The Kappa’s #10: Dynasty Warriors: Origins. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #9: Assassin’s Creed Shadows. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #8: Dispatch. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #7: Age of Mythology: Retold. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #6: Abiotic Factor. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia article on friendslop.

Our Favourites: #5 (1:41:55)

• Merve’s #5: Strange Jigsaws. (Source: Steam)
• Quinley Thorne’s #5: DEAD LETTER DEPT. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia article on Dead Mail.
• The Kappa’s #5: Battlefield 6. (Source: Steam)
• Correction: Battlefield 6 did win Best Audio Design at The Game Awards 2025. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our Favourites: #4 (1:54:25)

• Merve’s #4: Keeper. (Source: Steam)
• Quinley Thorne’s #4: Promise Mascot Agency. (Source: Steam)
• The protagonist of Promise Mascot Agency is named Michi. (Source: Kaizen Game Works)
• The Kappa’s #4: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. (Source: Steam)

Our Favourites: #3 (2:20:30)

• Merve’s #3: Donkey Kong Bananza. (Source: Nintendo)
• The name of the female Donkey Kong boss Quinley Thorne was talking about is Poppy Kong. (Source: Game8)
• Quinley Thorne’s #3: Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion. (Source: Steam)
• An explanation of how gravity acts on heavy and light objects. (Source: UCSB ScienceLine)
• The Kappa’s #3: Avowed.
• Article on Carrie Patel joining Night School Studio. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)

Our Favourites: #2 (2:53:15)

• Merve’s #2: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. (Source: Steam)
• Quinley Thorne’s #2: Girls Made Pudding. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #2: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. (Source: Steam)

Our Favourites: #1 (3:16:35)

• Merve’s #1: Road to Empress I. (Source: Steam)
• Moby Games page for the fell in love with coser series. There are 10 of them!
• Quinley Thorne’s #1: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. (Source: Nintendo)
• The Kappa’s #1: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia article on chiaroscuro.
• Steam store page for Blue Prince.

Our Biggest Disappointments (4:16:25)

MAJOR SPOILERS: despelote

• Merve’s biggest disappointment: despelote. (Source: Steam)
• Quinley Thorne’s biggest disappointment: Tekken 8’s second season. (Source: Steam)
• The r/LowSodiumTEKKEN subreddit.
• Tekken Wiki article on Fahkumram. (Source: Fandom)
• Tekken Wiki article on Miary Zo. (Source: Fandom)
• Report on the racial discrimination scandal at Bandai Namco. (Source: Kotaku)
• Report on layoffs at Bandai Namco. (Source: Game Developer)
• Correction: Bandai Namco did not announce that they were only focusing on legacy IP, but they did cancel several games in development, including a Nintendo exclusive and a new game in the Unknown 9 franchise. (Sources: Bloomberg and PlayStation Lifestyle)
• Report on the cancellation of the worldwide release of Blue Protocol in 2024. (Source: IGN)
• Report on Katsuhiro Harada leaving Bandai Namco. (Source: Sportskeeda)
• The Kappa’s biggest disappointment: Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. (Source: Steam)
• Meta store page for the VR edition of Sider Meier’s Civilization VII.

Our Biggest Surprises, Part 1 (5:11:55)

• Quinley Thorne’s first surprise: city builders like Town to City and Against the Storm. (Sources: Steam)
• Steam store page for The Wandering Village.
• Quinley Thorne’s second surprise: Steam Families. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s surprise: Microsoft leaving the console war.
• Report on the state of Xbox at the end of 2025. (Source: Kotaku)
• Jason Schreier and Dina Bass’s report on profit margin targets at Microsoft Gaming. (Source: Bloomberg)
• Microsoft is approximately 22 times larger than Sony as of this writing. (Sources: Macrotrends)

Television Tech (5:29:20)

• Wikipedia article on Sony’s Bravia line.

Our Biggest Surprises, Part 2 (5:34:35)

• Merve’s first surprise: Road to Empress I. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s second surprise: Many Nights a Whisper. (Source: Steam)

Relationship Stuff… And Gross Stuff (5:35:05)

CONTENT WARNINGS: sexual content; extreme scatological humour

No links here.

Steam Machines (5:38:25)

• Official website for Steam Machine.
• The WAN Show episode where Linus Sebastian discussed Steam Machine pricing. (Source: Linus Tech Tips on YouTube)
• Official website for iBUYPOWER.
• Wikipedia article on The Closer.

Celebrities and Politicians (5:43:40)

No links here.

Conclusion (5:45:35)

• Sarapen’s guide on how to make a podcast.
• Wikipedia article on Estonia.

Featuring:
Merve
Drinking with Skeletons
Colonel Mustard
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
1:35 – Twitch Scandals
14:15 – EA Goes Private
38:05 – Pirate Games
48:15 – Colonel Mustard’s Indie Mystery Picks
53:15 – Ghost of Yōtei
59:25 – Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
1:14:45 – Battlefield 6
1:31:25 – Digimon Story Time Stranger, Part 1
1:49:15 – A Digression on Pokémon
1:52:15 – Digimon Story Time Stranger, Part 2
2:02:05 – Electronic Arts and BioWare
2:13:35 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep115

Podcast header image from Digimon Story Time Stranger. Content warning: discussions of animal abuse, sexual assault, and suicide. Spoiler warning: Assassin’s Creed Rogue; Consume Me; despelote. Linkdump and timestamps for warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

No links here.

Twitch Scandals (1:35)

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of animal abuse and sexual assault

• Article on streamer Emiru being assaulted at TwitchCon. (Source: NBC)
• Wikipedia article on Dan Clancy.
• Article on the Hasan Piker dog collar controversy. Clarification: Despite how we may have discussed the issue during the episode, we would like to make it clear that the allegations have not been definitively proven. (Source: Forbes)

EA Goes Private (14:15)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Assassin’s Creed Rogue

• The press release about Electronic Arts being acquired by an investor consortium. (Source: Electronic Arts)
• Reporting on JPMorgan Chase’s loan to the consortium being expected to be rated B. (Source: @jasonschreier.bsky.social on Bluesky)
• Reporting and context on Saudi gaming investments. (Source: Game File)
• Correction: The DJ featured in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Salvatore Ganacci, is Bosnian-Swedish, not Saudi Arabian. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Article on Dragon Age games outselling Mass Effect games. (Source: The Gamer)
• Motive Studio is currently working on an untitled Iron Man game. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Depending on how you see it, the last Ultima game was either 2013’s free-to-play action RPG Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avataror 2018’s first-person action RPG Underworld Ascendant, which was permitted to use the Ultima lore and setting under a licensing agreement but was not permitted to use the Ultima name or branding. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Clarification: We recorded on October 19^th, 2025, before the remake of Plants vs. Zombies, subtitled Replanted, was released on October 23^rd, 2025. (Source: Steam)
• The last mainline, new, non-mobile, non-browser release in the Command & Conquer series was Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, released in 2010. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Official website for Star Wars Zero Company, releasing in 2026. (Source: Electronic Arts)

Pirate Games (38:05)

• Wikipedia article on Skull and Bones.
• Wikipedia article on Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
• The Kairosoft game that The Kappa was referencing was Game Dev Story. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Josh Sawyer’s comments on the commercial performance of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. None of the comments I could find specifically referenced the game’s pirate theme as an issue. (Source: jesawyer on Tumblr)
• Wikipedia article on Assassin’s Creed Rogue.
• “Truck” in the sense of a vehicle or transportation is a back formation of “truckle,” but “truck” in the sense of barter or exchange does indeed come from the Old French troquer, which means “to exchange,” as The Kappa alluded to. (Source: Dictionary.com)
• Wikipedia article on Sid Meier’s Pirates!

Colonel Mustard’s Indie Mystery Picks (48:15)

• Steam store page for Unheard – Voices of Crime.
• Steam store page for The Roottrees Are Dead.

Ghost of Yōtei (53:15)

• PlayStation store page for Ghost of Yōtei.
• The actress who played Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Jennifer English. (Source: Wikipedia)

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles (59:25)

• Steam store page for Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles.
• Wikipedia article on Tactics Ogre.
• Final Fantasy Wiki article on “You spoony bard!” (Source: Fandom)

Battlefield 6 (1:15:45)

• Steam store page for Battlefield 6.

Digimon Story Time Stranger, Part 1 (1:31:25)

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of suicide

• Steam store page for Digimon Story Time Stranger.
• The XKCD comic “Hyphen.”
• Wikipedia article on Summer Wars.
• Digimon Wiki article on Eater Eve. Clarification: Eater Eve is from Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, not Digimon Tamers.
• Correction: Digimon Tamers originally aired in Japan from April 1^st, 2001 to March 31^st, 2002, so its original premise and early episodes could not have been influenced by 9/11. (Source: Wikipedia)

A Digression on Pokémon (1:49:15)

• Nintendo store page for Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
• Wikipedia article on The World Ends with You.

Digimon Story Time Stranger, Part 2 (1:52:15)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Consume Me; despelote.

No links here.

Electronic Arts and BioWare (2:02:05)

• Wikipedia article on Anthem.
• Wikipedia article on Jack McBrayer.
• Wikipedia article on Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
• Wikipedia article on the upcoming video game Exodus.
• Steam store page for Megabonk.

Conclusion (2:13:35)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
2:10 – Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate
21:45 – Donkey Kong Bananza
37:55 – Adult Content and Payment Processors
1:06:20 – A Digression on Fanfic
1:08:15 – Microsoft’s Business and Generative AI
1:24:40 – Nvidia’s Business and Generative AI
1:44:25 – How We Talk About AI in Gaming
1:52:40 – The Business of Tech and Entertainment Conglomerates
1:58:15 – The Use of AI in the Workplace
2:01:40 – Search Engines
2:07:35 – AI, Labour, and the Politics of Tech, Part 1
2:15:00 – Recycling
2:21:00 – AI, Labour, and the Politics of Tech, Part 2
2:24:45 – Problems with Games Media Reporting on Business
2:35:50 – Holding Companies
2:40:30 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep114

Podcast header image from Donkey Kong Bananza. Mild spoiler warning: Donkey Kong Bananza. Content warning: discussions of sexual assault and sexual topics. Linkdump and timestamps for warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

No links here.

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate (2:10)

• Steam store page for Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate.
• Clarification: This episode was recorded before the announcement of Pete Parsons’s resignation on August 21^st. (Source: Bungie)

Donkey Kong Bananza (21:45)

MILD SPOILERS: Donkey Kong Bananza

• Trailer for Donkey Kong Bananza. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Super Mario Odyssey.
• The Zebra Bananza theme from Donkey Kong Bananza. (Source: Shacknews on YouTube)

Adult Content and Payment Processors (37:55)

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of sexual assault and sexual topics

• Collective Shout’s open letter to payment processors. (Source: Collective Shout)
• A recap of the story to the end of July. (Source: CBC)
• itch.io’s announcement of the partial reindexing of adult content. (Source: itch.io)
• GOG’s protest giveaway of adult games. (Source: GOG.com)
• Clarification: While ABC was fined by the FCC for nudity in NYPD Blue, the fine was ultimately struck down by a U.S. court. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Valve’s comments on Mastercard’s statement denying responsibility for the content takedowns. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Confirmation: Steam accounts are limited until at least $5 USD is spent on Steam, so activations of gifts and externally-purchased games don’t count. However, activating a Steam Wallet card does count towards the $5 USD, so a credit card is not required to lift the limitations. (Source: Steam Support)
• Fallout 3 was originally refused classification in Australia for its depiction of drug use, but it was later permitted for sale after it was altered to remove the offending content. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for HuniePop.

A Digression on Fanfic (1:06:20)

• Confirmation: Unfortunately, Archive of Our Own does not have any fanworks that feature both Commander Zavala and Donkey Kong. We also confirmed that there are no results when searching by tag instead of by keyword. (Source: Archive of Our Own)
• Destinypedia entry on Mara Sov.

Microsoft’s Business and Generative AI (1:08:15)

• Article about 9,000 layoffs at Microsoft. (Source: CNBC)
• Clarification: The news that development on Contraband had ceased came after we recorded. (Source: The Gamer)
• Satya Nadella’s open letter about Microsoft’s pivot to AI. (Source: Official Microsoft Blog)
• Know Your Meme article on Focus Group Man, the source of the “he admit it!” meme.
• Microsoft’s annual reports for FY2023 and FY2024. (Source: Microsoft)
• Spreadsheets Merve prepared analyzing Microsoft’s financials.

Nvidia’s Business and Generative AI (1:24:40)

• Report that Nvidia is set to slash RTX 5000 series card prices. (Source: Tech Radar)
• Article on Nvidia reaching $4 trillion US in market capitalization. (Source: Reuters)
• Report on the RTX 5060 review scandal. (Source: The Verge)

How We Talk About AI in Gaming (1:44:25)

• Report on the controversial New York Times article on AI in gaming. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Steam store page for the AI-driven remake of The Portopia Serial Murder Case.

The Business of Tech and Entertainment Conglomerates (1:52:40)

• The Google graveyard. (Source: Killed by Google)

The Use of AI in the Workplace (1:58:15)

No links here.

Search Engines (2:01:40)

• Wikipedia article on Google’s Gemini LLM.
• Wikipedia article on KartOO. Correction: the URL was http://www.kartoo.com, not http://www.kartoo.fr.

AI, Labour, and the Politics of Tech, Part 1 (2:07:35)

• Article on the UK’s new age verification laws. (Source: BBC)

Recycling (2:15:00)

• Correction: While aluminum is effectively infinitely recyclable and recycling rates in industrial markets are high (> 90% in the United States), rates are low in consumer markets (e.g. < 50% in the United States for beverage cans). (Source: The Aluminum Association)
• Correction: Recycling code 01 corresponds to PET, not LDPE. 03 is for LDPE. (Source: Wikipedia)
• An economic study of the Canadian plastic industry. The pie chart on page 6 shows that in 2016, the largest end-use market for plastic products was packaging. (Source: Government of Canada)

AI, Labour, and the Politics of Tech, Part 2 (2:21:00)

No links here.

Problems with Games Media Reporting on Business (2:24:45)

• Spreadsheets Merve prepared analyzing Microsoft’s financials.

Holding Companies (2:35:50)

• Wikipedia article on the Egmont Group.
• Correction: Burger King is owned by Canadian firm Restaurant Brands International. 3G Restaurant Brands Holdings LP does not own a controlling stake, but rather a 32% stake. 3G Restaurant Brands Holdings LP is an affiliate of 3G Capital, which is currently headquartered in New York, but evolved out of a Brazilian investment office. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, not to be confused with the Egmont Group.
• Correction: It is not possible to walk into the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units’ office, because its listed address is a PO box. (Source: Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units)

Conclusion (2:40:30)

• Wikipedia article on Sleepless in Seattle.

Featuring:
Merve
Lily Bones
Quinley Thorne
Wolfman Jew
Bloomed Wings
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
8:50 – State of Unreal 2025
11:45 – PlayStation State of Play
36:45 – Summer Game Fest Showcase
2:00:30 – Day of the Devs
2:17:20 – Xbox Games Showcase
3:09:05 – Mario Kart World
3:19:05 – Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
3:28:15 – Donkey Kong Bananza Direct
3:38:20 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep113

Podcast header image from Big Walk, taken from Gematsu. Episode contains major spoilers for Thunderbolts*. Linkdump and timestamps for spoilers after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Correction: In 1997 and 1998, E3 was held in Atlanta, Georgia, not Las Vegas, Nevada. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wolfman Jew’s Passing the Buck series on Game Pass. (Source: Source Gaming)
• Official website for Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
• Wikipedia article on Whippany, New Jersey.

State of Unreal 2025 (8:50)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Unreal Engine on YouTube)

PlayStation State of Play (11:45)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Recap of the presentation. (Source: IGN)
• Liveblog of the presentation. (Source: GamesRadar+)
• Announcement of Marathon’s indefinite delay. (Source: Bungie)
• An explanation of the Marathon plagiarism controversy. (Source: Esports Insider) Note: This article was written before the Marathon delay announcement.
• State of Play announcement trailer for Ghost of Yōtei. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• First Contact trailer for Pragmata. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. (Source: Marvel Entertainment on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for 007 First Light. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Code Vein II. (Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement. (Source: Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Romeo is a Dead Man. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)

Summer Game Fest Showcase (36:45)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Recap of the presentation. (Source: IGN)
• Liveblog of the presentation. (Source: GamesRadar+)
• Reveal trailer for Resident Evil Requiem. (Source: Resident Evil on YouTube)
• World premiere trailer for Mafia: The Old Country. No idea why it’s called a “world premiere” trailer when there have been previous trailers. Correction: The trailer only contains cinematics, not actual gameplay. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Story trailer for Stranger Than Heaven. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Official June 2025 trailer for Mouse: P.I. For Hire. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Official reveal trailer for Infinitesimals. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• World premiere trailer for Felt That: Boxing. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• World premiere trailer for Killer Inn. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• World premiere trailer for Game of Thrones: War for Westeros. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Chronicles: Medieval. (Source: Chronicles: Medieval on YouTube)
• World premiere trailer for ARC Raiders. Again, how is this a “world premiere,” Geoff? (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Official announcement trailer for Fractured Blooms. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Acts of Blood. (Source: Fajrul FN – Eksil Team on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for LEGO Voyagers. (Source: LEGO on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for LEGO Party. (Source: LEGO on YouTube)
• Release date announcement trailer for Mina the Hollower. (Source: Yacht Club Games on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Blighted. (Source: DrinkboxStudios on YouTube)
• Premiere trailer for Scott Pilgrim EX. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Summer Game Fest trailer for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. (Source: Sonic the Hedgehog on YouTube)
• YouTube essayist Jacob Geller’s commentary on Astro Bot and its use of other IP. (Source: Jacob Geller on YouTube).
• Correction: Wuthering Waves was not led by ex-Genshin Impact developers. Its director, Solon Lee, had been with Wuthering Waves developer Kuro Games since its inception. (Source: r/WutheringWaves on Reddit)
• Steam store page for Nitro Gen Omega.
• Clarification: This episode was recorded before Steam announced updated publisher guidelines prohibiting games that may violate payment processors’ standards. (Source: The Gamer)
• Wikipedia article on Ivy from the Soulcalibur series.
• Wikipedia article on Stellar Blade.
• Wikipedia article on Perfect Blue.
• Announcement trailer for Atomic Heart 2. (Source: Mundfish #AtomicHeart on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for The CUBE. (Source: Mundfish #AtomicHeart on YouTube)
• “Hat Guy” was 1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx. (Source: Rock Paper Shotgun)
• Article on the backlash to Clay Matthews’s remarks at the 2025 NFL draft. (Source: Yahoo! Sports)
• The Remap Radio podcast episode where Patrick Klepek interviewed one of the developers of Relooted.
• Steam store page for MindsEye.

Day of the Devs (2:00:30)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Day of the Devs on YouTube)
• Recap of the presentation. (Source: GamesRadar+)
• Official announcement trailer for Snap & Grab. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Relooted. (Source: Epic Games on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs trailer for Thick As Thieves. (Source: Thick As Thieves on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Semblance.
• Announcement trailer for Dosa Divas. (Source: Outerloop Games on YouTube)
• Gameplay overview for Big Walk. (Source: House House on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Ratatan. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Gameplay trailer for Mixtape. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Possessors. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Please, Watch The Artwork. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Consume Me. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• First look trailer for Tire Boy. (Source: GameTeam6 on YouTube)
• Launch date announcement for Sword of the Sea. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Tony Hawk.
• The non-violent MMO from thatgamecompany that we were referencing is called Sky: Children of the Light. (Source: Wikipedia)

Xbox Games Showcase (2:17:20)

• VoD of the showcase. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Recap of the showcase. (Source: Xbox)
• Liveblog of the showcase. (Source: GamesRadar+)
• Official launch trailer for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Trailer for Clockwork Revolution. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for The Blood of Dawnwalker. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Official reveal trailer for Mudang: Two Hearts. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for There are No Ghosts at the Grand. (Source: No Ghosts Game on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Keeper. (Source: Double Fine on YouTube)
• Official announce trailer for Grounded 2. (Source: Obsidian Entertainment on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for At Fate’s End. (Source: Thunder Lotus on YouTube)
• Correction: Microsoft Gaming and Xbox have been profitable. While Microsoft does not specifically report profit margins for gaming in its financial statements, leaked documents confirm that the segment was profitable in the first 9 month of FY22. (Source: TweakTown)
• World premiere reveal trailer for the ROG Xbox Ally. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Beast of Reincarnation. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong footage in the ROG Xbox Ally X reveal. (Source: Hollow Knight Archive on YouTube)
• Official teaser for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. (Source: Call of Duty on YouTube)
• Teaser trailer for Persona 4 Revival. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Aphelion. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Cronos: The New Dawn. (Source: IGN on YouTube)

Mario Kart World (3:09:05)

• Trailer for Mario Kart World. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour (3:19:05)

• Launch trailer for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)

Donkey Kong Bananza Direct (3:28:15)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Thunderbolts*

• VoD of the Direct. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)

Conclusion (3:38:20)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
2:30 – Randy Pitchford and Video Game Pricing
14:20 – What’s Going on with Bungie and Marathon
37:00 – Many Nights a Whisper
46:55 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
1:00:30 – Back 4 Blood
1:10:00 – Doom: The Dark Ages
1:18:15 – Metaphor: ReFantazio
1:30:25 – Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
1:50:55 – The Ending of Urban Myth Dissolution Center, Part 1
1:56:20 – Indie Game Art
1:59:20 – The Ending of Urban Myth Dissolution Center, Part 2
2:00:20 – Some Other Games
2:03:55 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep112

Podcast header image from Many Nights a Whisper. Mild spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur’s Gate 3 from 46:55 to 1:00:30. Major spoilers for Urban Myth Dissolution Center from 1:50:55 to 2:00:20. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Official websites for Craig and Giarc.
• Official website for Audacity.

Randy Pitchford and Video Game Pricing (2:30)

• Report on Pitchford’s original comments. (Source: Eurogamer)
• Report on Pitchford’s later clarification. (Source: GamesRadar+)
• Official statement on the Take-Two EULA controversy from the Borderlands developers. (Source: Steam Community)
• Information on Borderlands 3 Shift codes, which we mistakenly referred to as “vault key codes.” (Source: PC Gamer)

What’s Going on with Bungie and Marathon (14:20)

• Report on low morale at Bungie. (Source: Forbes)
• Report on stolen art assets in Marathon. (Source: Windows Central)
• Official website for ARC Raiders.
• Wikipedia article on the cancelled game Hyenas.
• Wikipedia article on Tom Clancy’s The Division.
• Clarification on what was said about Marathon’s overseas marketing plans on the Sacred Symbols podcast. (Source: r/Marathon on Reddit)
• Wikipedia article on Escape from Tarkov.
• Wikipedia article on Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Many Nights a Whisper (37:00)

• Steam store page for Many Nights a Whisper.
• Steam store page for The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (46:55)

MILD SPOILERS: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33; Baldur’s Gate 3.

• Steam store page for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
• Wikipedia article on Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Wikipedia article on Final Fantasy XIII.
• Wikipedia article on Dante’s Inferno.
• Online Wordle-like Guess The.Game.

Black 4 Blood (1:00:30)

• Steam store page for Back 4 Blood.
• Steam store page for Left 4 Dead.

Doom: The Dark Ages (1:10:00)

• Steam store page for Doom: The Dark Ages.
• Wikipedia articles on Doom and Doom Eternal.

Metaphor: ReFantazio (1:18:15)

• Steam store page for Metaphor: ReFantazio.
• Our 2024 game of the year episode, Episode #108, “Catgirls for Hire.”
• Wikipedia article on Cris Tales.
• Steam store page for the upcoming Digimon Story Time Stranger.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (1:30:25)

• Steam store page for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.
• Wikipedia article on Humankind.
• Wikipedia article on Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth.

The Ending of Urban Myth Dissolution Center, Part 1 (1:50:55)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Urban Myth Dissolution Center

• Steam store page for Urban Myth Dissolution Center.
• Wikipedia article on M. Night Shyamalan.

Indie Game Art (1:56:20)

• Steam store page for Phoenix Springs.
• Wikipedia article on Blue Prince.

The Ending of Urban Myth Dissolution Center, Part 2 (1:59:20)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Urban Myth Dissolution Center

No links here.

Some Other Games (2:00:20)

• Steam store page for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
• Steam store page for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
• Steam store page for despelote.
• Wikipedia article on Mario Kart World.

Conclusion (2:03:55)

• Merve’s Bluesky profile.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
6:00 – GameStop Leaves Canada and France
18:40 – Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
29:35 – Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
37:30 – Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1:11:15 – Metaphor: ReFantazio
1:19:15 – Total War: Warhammer III
1:22:20 – inZOI
1:23:00 – Ixion
1:26:30 – Urban Myth Dissolution Center and Social Media
1:38:25 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep111

Podcast header image from Urban Myth Dissolution Center. Podcast header font Pixeled by OmegaPC777. Mild spoilers for Assassin’s Creed Shadows from 37:30 to 1:11:15. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Report on Skype’s shutdown. (Source: CNN)
• Official website for the Discord bot Craig.

GameStop Leaves Canada and France (6:00)

• Report on GameStop’s intent to sell Canadian and French assets. (Source: CBC)
• Wikipedia article the Hudson’s Bay Company. Confirmation: It is not only the oldest company in Canada, but in all of North America.
• Report on the closure of fabric retailer Joann. (Source: CNN)

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct (18:40)

• Archive of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Confirmation: The MSRP for the PS5 Slim with a disc drive is $649.99 CAD, so it’s in the same ballpark as the MSRP for the Switch 2. (Source: Best Buy)
• Report on Nintendo shutting down Switch 2 preorders in the United States. (Source: The Verge)
• Clarification: The announcement that preorders of the Switch 2 were also being suspended in Canada came two days after we recorded. (Source: MobileSyrup)

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (29:35)

• Steam store page for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
• Wikipedia article on Mass Effect 2.
• Confirmation: The Mass Effect 2 Vanguard power Merve was describing is indeed called Charge. (Source: Mass Effect 2 Wiki on FextraLife)

Assassin’s Creed Shadows (37:30)

MILD SPOILERS: Assassin’s Creed Shadows

• Steam store page for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
• Wikipedia article on American Football (the band, not the sport).
• Wikipedia article on Yasuke.
• Wikipedia article on the kusarigama.
• Clarification: Historically, the naginata was used by both male and female warriors. Nowadays, the martial art of naginatajutsu is more commonly practiced by women in Japan than by men, but the gender balance of the sport is more equal in other countries. (Sources: Wikipedia)
• An explanation of the choice of siding with Yaya or with Mitsumune in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. (Source: GamesRadar+)
• An article about not being able to harm animals in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. (Source: Kotaku)
• Wikipedia article on Ghost of Tsushima.
• Wikipedia article on the 2025 live-action Snow White.
• Wikipedia article on kawaii.
• Correction: Merve was thinking of the bamboo strike minigame from Ghost of Tsushima. The wood chopping minigame he mentioned was from Like a Dragon: Ishin! (Sources: Ghost of Tsushima Wiki on Fandom; The Gamer)

Metaphor: ReFantazio (1:11:15)

• Steam store page for Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Total War: Warhammer III (1:19:15)

• Steam store page for Total War: Warhammer III.
• Wikipedia article on Creative Assembly’s cancelled game Hyenas.
• Steam store page for The First Berserker: Khazan.

inZOI (1:22:20)

• Steam store page for inZOI.

Ixion (1:23:00)

• Steam store page for Ixion.
• Steam store page for Metal Eden.
• Steam store page for Doom: The Dark Ages.

Urban Myth Dissolution Center and Social Media (1:26:30)

• Steam store page for Urban Myth Dissolution Center.
• Steam store page for Emily is Away.
• Wikipedia article on Myspace.

Conclusion (1:38:25)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
4:30 – What We’ve Been Playing
23:40 – Lost Judgment and Stories about Bullying
30:20 – The D.I.C.E. Awards and the Canadian Game Awards, Part 1
38:45 – Dragon Age: The Veilguard
43:10 – Peter Molyneux and His Games
45:20 – The D.I.C.E. Awards and the Canadian Game Awards, Part 2
1:05:00 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Overview
1:13:05 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Some Criticisms
1:19:40 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Prologue and Marshall College
1:30:10 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Vatican
1:40:55 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Gizeh
1:45:00 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Himalayas
1:52:25 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Shanghai and Sukhothai
2:06:05 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Ziggurat of Ur
2:10:20 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Marketing and Product
2:15:20 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Future of the Franchise, Part 1
2:28:00 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Fun and Goofy Moments
2:29:35 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Stealth Gameplay
2:32:30 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Potential Influence
2:43:30 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Future of the Franchise, Part 2
2:49:55 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep110

Podcast header image from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Mild spoilers for the game from 1:05:00 onward. Full spoilers for the game from 1:28:55 onward. Mild spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard from 38:45 to 43:10. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:10)

• Wikipedia article on Edgar Allan Poe.

What We’ve Been Playing (4:30)

• Steam store page for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
• Steam store page for Avowed.
• Steam store page for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

Lost Judgment and Stories about Bullying (23:40)

• Wikipedia article on Lost Judgment.
• Wikipedia article on Girl from Nowhere.

The D.I.C.E. Awards and the Canadian Game Awards, Part 1 (30:20)

• VoD for the 28^th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• List of nominees and winners at the 28^th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. (Source: Wikipedia)
• VoD for the Canadian Game Awards. (Source: Canadian Game Awards on YouTube)
• List of nominees and winners at the Canadian Game Awards. (Source: Canadian Game Awards)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (38:45)

MILD SPOILERS: DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD

• Wikipedia article on Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Peter Molyneux and His Games (43:10)

• Wikipedia article on Peter Molyneux.

The D.I.C.E. Awards and the Canadian Game Awards, Part 2 (45:20)

• Wikipedia article on The Game Awards.
• Announcement trailer for Digimon Story Time Stranger. (Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube)
• Official reveal trailer for DokeV. (Source: DokeV on YouTube)
• The educational video game The Kappa mentioned was called Donald Duck’s Playground, released in 1986. Donald Duck also starred in a 1959 animated/live-action educational featurette about mathematics called Donald in Mathmagic Land. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Clarification: When Merve mentioned “GameStop,” he was referring to their then-defunct magazine, Game Informer. Since recording, the magazine has been revived under new ownership. (Source: Wikipedia)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Overview (1:05:00)

• Wikipedia article on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
• Correction and clarification: PG-13 was added to the U.S. Motion Picture Association film rating system in 1984 in response to complaints about violence and gore in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doon and Gremlins (not The Goonies, which came out in 1985). However, the first film to be released with this classification was Red Dawn. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Correction: The achievement for hitting an enemy with a fly swatter is called Pest Control. (Source: Steam)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Some Criticisms (1:13:05)

No links here.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Prologue and Marshall College (1:19:40)

MILD SPOILERS for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle until 1:28:55. FULL SPOILERS afterwards for the rest of the episode.

• Wikipedia article on Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• Wikipedia article on Tony Todd (RIP).

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Vatican (1:30:10)

• Wikipedia article on Deus Ex.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Gizeh (1:40:55)

• Correction: Modern Egyptology ramped up in the early 1800s, not the late 1800s. (Source: Wikipedia)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Himalayas (1:45:00)

• Wikipedia articles on Alessandra Mastronardi, Troy Baker, and Marios Gavrilis.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Shanghai and Sukhothai (1:52:25)

• Confirmation: Some puzzles actually are different on the Light puzzle difficulty. (Source: Facebook)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Ziggurat of Ur (2:06:05)

• Wikipedia article on the Ziggurat of Ur.
• Smosh Wiki article on The Chosen. (Source: Fandom)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Marketing and Product (2:10:20)

• Wikipedia article on MachineGames.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Future of the Franchise, Part 1 (2:15:20)

• Wikipedia article on the Thief reboot.
• A blog post on how E3 2012 was “The year of the bow.” (Source: VentureBeat)
• Wikipedia article on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
• Correction: You do not play as a police officer in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but rather as a member of the Special Air Service of the British Army. (Source: Wikipedia)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Fun and Goofy Moments (2:28:00)

No links here.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Stealth Gameplay (2:29:35)

No links here.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Potential Influence (2:32:30)

• Wikipedia article on Batman: Arkham Origins.
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has sold over 10 million copies. (Source: Wikipedia)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Future of the Franchise, Part 2 (2:43:30)

• Wikipedia article on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Conclusion (2:49:55)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
Lily Bones
QuinleyThorne
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
2:10 – What We Played Over the Holidays
38:30 – Nintendo Switch 2 Teaser
43:40 – Evaluating Our 2024 Predictions
51:25 – Our 2025 Predictions
1:18:15 – What We’re Looking Forward to
1:32:15 – The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results
1:41:00 – The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Contest
2:53:00 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep109

Podcast header image from the upcoming Digimon Story Time Stranger, sourced from its Steam page. Header image uses font On Fire by Typefactoryco. Linkdump, predictions, and mathematical appendix (seriously) after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Steam store page for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

What We Played Over the Holidays (2:10)

• Steam store page for Mortal Kombat 1.
• Nintendo store page for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
• Steam store page for Sorry We’re Closed.
• Steam store page for Misericorde Volume Two: White Wool & Snow.
• Steam store page for We Know the Devil.
• Steam store page for Heaven Will Be Mine.

Nintendo Switch 2 Teaser (38:30)

First-look trailer for Nintendo Switch 2. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)

Evaluating Our 2024 Predictions (43:40)

• Episode #99 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “The Ribisi Spectrum.”
• Wikipedia article on Marvel Games.
• Correction: Only Marvel has a character named Mister Fantastic. Merve was thinking of the DC character Mister Terrific. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Confirmation: Valkyria Chronicles III was the Valkyria Chronicles game that didn’t make it out of Japan. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our 2025 Predictions (51:25)

• Merve’s first realistic prediction: Ubisoft will either be sold or go private this year.
• Lily Bones’s first realistic prediction: Microsoft will publish more games on each of PS5 and Switch 2 than Sony will publish on PS5 and Nintendo will publish on Switch 2.
• Correction: Sony actually released four first-party games in 2024. We missed MLB The Show 24. (My First Gran Turismo is just a demo for Gran Turismo 7 and therefore doesn’t count.) (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s first realistic prediction: Sony will begin licensing their IPs (including their biggest ones, like God of War and Uncharted) to third-party developers.
• Quinley Thorne’s first realistic prediction: Atlus will announce an expanded re-release for Metaphor: ReFantazio that will add Catherina as a party member, make Glodell a “social link” (i.e. a Follower), and add more candidates for the throne, one of whom will be a Mary Sue pseudo love interest that will play an outsized role in the plot.
• Merve’s second realistic prediction: Persona 6 will be announced at Summer Game Fest for 2026 release.
• Lily Bones’s second realistic prediction: Both Marathon and Grand Theft Auto VI will be delayed.
• The Kappa’s second realistic prediction: The Nintendo Switch 2 will initially flop and have a slow launch.
• Quinley Thorne’s second realistic prediction: We will see a trend away from live service games.
• Steam store page for Deadlock.
• Merve’s long shot prediction: Media.Vision will put out either Valkyria Chronicles V or the next Digimon Story game this year. Both will eventually come to the Nintendo Switch 2, one within three months of the console’s launch. Clarification: Digimon Story Time Stranger had not yet been officially unveiled at the time of recording, and its developer had not yet been announced as Media.Vision; all that was known was that a new Digimon Story game was in development. (Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube)
• Lily Bones’s long shot prediction: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will keep its momentum and be a game of the year nominee at the end of 2025.
• The Kappa’s long shot prediction: Game Pass everywhere.
• Quinley Thorne’s long shot prediction: Hollow Knight: Silksong will come out.
• Wikipedia article on Kentucky Route Zero.
• Confirmation: Cooking Mama: Cookstar’s publisher, Planet Entertainment, claimed that the game would use blockchain technology, but it was not present in the final version of the game. (Source: Wikipedia)

What We’re Looking Forward to (1:18:15)

• Steam store page for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
• Steam store page for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.
• Steam store page for Avowed.
• Steam store page for Split Fiction.
• Steam store page for Dead Letter Dept.
• Steam store page for Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land.
• Steam store page for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
• Wikipedia article on Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
• Steam store page for Wanderstop.
• Steam store page for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
• Steam store page for Pathologic 3.
• Nintendo store page for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time.
• Steam store page for the upcoming re-release of OFF.
• Steam store page for Coffee Talk Tokyo.
• Steam store page for Deltarune.
• Wikipedia article on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
• Steam store page for despelote.
• Steam store page for Elden Ring Nightreign.
• Steam store page for Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater.
• Nintendo store page for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
• Wikipedia article on Croc: Legend of the Gobbos.
• Steam store page for South of Midnight.
• Steam store page for Shadow Labyrinth.
• Shacknews’s review of Ebenezer and the Invisible World.
• Steam store page for OPUS: Prism Peak.
• Steam store page for Strange Jigsaws.
• Steam store page for MIO: Memories in Orbit.
• Steam store page for Unbeatable.
• Steam store page for Golf With Your Friends 2.
• Steam store page for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.
• Steam store page for Tokyo Stories.
• Steam store page for The Explorator.

The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results (1:32:15)

• Episode #99 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “The Ribisi Spectrum.”
• Wikipedia article on scoring rules.
• Clarification: Earthblade’s cancellation had not yet been announced at the time of recording. (Source: Gematsu)
• Correction and clarification: Tarsier Studios’ Reanimal is a spiritual successor to the Little Nightmares series, but it has not yet been released. The acquisition of the of the studio by Embracer Group is indeed part of why Little Nightmares IP owner Bandai Namco put a different studio, Supermassive Games, in charge of developing Little Nightmares III. (Sources: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on the von Mises distribution.

The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Contest (1:41:00)

• Clarification: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s release date of April 24^th, 2025 had not yet been announced at the time of recording. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Clarification: Earthblade’s cancellation had not yet been announced at the time of recording. (Source: Gematsu)
• A freaky creation from the Black Desert Online character creator. (Source: Rock Paper Shotgun)
• Correction: The song featured in the trailers for DokeV is not a pre-existing song by Itzy, but rather an original song for the game called “Rockstar” by GALACTIKA and Luena. (Source: DokeV)
• Music video for “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars. (Source: ROSÉ on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Cabbie Richards.
• Correction: The world premiere trailer for John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando was at Summer Game Fest 2023, not The Game Awards 2023. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Correction: Gameplay footage for John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando has been shown off. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Fifth Third Bank.
• Clarification: Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black had not yet been announced at the time of recording. (Sources: Xbox on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York.

Full predictions list:

Conclusion (2:53:00)

No links here.

Appendix: Why You Should Always Pick 0 or 100

Let p be the probability that you think the game is going to come out. Let a be the guess you supply. Then your expected number of points is:

p*a + (1-p)*(100-a)

This can be rearranged as:

(2p-1)*a + (1-p)*100

Clearly, if p > ½, then this is maximized with a = 100, and if p < ½, then this is maximized with a = 0. If p = ½, then this reduces to ½*100 = 50, which does not depend on a, so any a ∈ [0,100] is optimal.

Featuring:
Merve
LittleMac
Drinking with Skeletons
The Kappa
3rdstringhero
Jarathen

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
4:15 – The Game Awards 2024
45:15 – Studio Closures and Studio Survival
1:01:55 – 3rdstringhero’s Top 3
1:05:45 – Jarathen’s Top 3
1:08:25 – Our Favourites: Honourable Mentions
1:16:00 – Our Favourites: #5
1:25:15 – Our Favourites: #4
1:41:50 – Our Favourites: #3
2:02:15 – Our Favourites: #2
2:33:05 – Our Favourites: #1
3:01:00 – Our Biggest Disappointments
3:26:30 – Our Biggest Surprises
3:44:55 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep108

Podcast header image from Metaphor: ReFantazio. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Official website for Bojangles.
• Clarification: Merve has driven through North Carolina before, but he has never stayed overnight there. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Peggy’s Cove.
• Facebook page for Tom’s Lobster Shack.
• Wikipedia article on pescetarianism.
• Correction: “Sea beans” is the American term for the species of Salicornia eaten in North America. Specific Atlantic Canadian terms would be “samphire greens” or “crow’s foot greens,” though Merve does insist that he has heard “sea beans” on a Canadian cooking show. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Game Awards 2024 (4:15)

• Official website for The Game Awards.
• Wikipedia article on Astro Bot.
• Official trailer for Mafia: The Old Country. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Teaser trailer for the Okami sequel. (Source: Capcom USA on YouTube)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s retrospective on Okami. (Source: The Avocado)
• Announce trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword. (Source: Capcom USA on YouTube)
• Reveal gameplay trailer for Elden Ring Nightreign. (Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube)
• The A.V. Club’s feature where Ryan Zickgraf (formerly Smith) attempted to teach Alex McLevy how to play first-person shooters.
• Official reveal trailer for Dispatch. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Powerless.
• Clarification: A pilot was ordered for Marvel’s Damage Control, but it was never ordered to full series. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Correction: “Gotham P.D.” was simply called Gotham. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Official gameplay reveal trailer for Split Fiction. (Source: Electronic Arts)
• Announcement trailer for Turok: Origins. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• World premiere trailer for Project Century. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. (Source: Nintendo of America)
• The boss of Act 2 of Ninja Gaiden is Bomberhead. (Source: Ninja Gaiden Wiki on Fandom)
• Official announcement trailer for Thick as Thieves. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Interview with Warren Spector on Episode 413 of Dropped Frames. (Source: itmeJP on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Shadow Labyrinth. (Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Secret Level.
• Official gameplay trailer for The Outer Worlds 2. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Paradox Interactive.

Studio Closures and Studio Survival (45:15)

• Report on the closure of Ouka Studio. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)
• Announcement of the closure of Humanoid Origin. (Source: LinkedIn)
• Report on the closures of Ubisoft San Francisco and Ubisoft Osaka. (Source: Reuters)
• To be specific regarding Roundhouse Games’s fate, the studio was merged into ZeniMax Online Studios. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Wikipedia article on Creative Assembly.

3rdstringhero’s Top 3 (1:01:55)

• #3: Metaphor: ReFantazio. (Source: Wikipedia)
• #2: Unicorn Overlord. (Source: Wikipedia)
• #1: The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak. (Source: Wikipedia)

Jarathen’s Top 3 (1:05:45)

• #3: Unicorn Overlord. (Source: Wikipedia)
• #2: Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut. (Source: Wikipedia)
• #1: Astro Bot. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our Favourites: Honourable Mentions (1:08:25)

• Merve’s #10: Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Merve’s #9: Animal Well. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Merve’s #8: individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware rant manifesto. (Source: itch.io)
• Merve’s #7: I Am Your Beast. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s #6: 20 Small Mazes. (Source: Steam)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s first honourable mention: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s second honourable mention: Zephon. (Source: Steam)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s third honourable mention: Solium Infernum. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #6: Helldivers 2. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s #7: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s #8: V Rising. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s #9: Dragon Age: The Veilguard. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s #10: The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our Favourites: #5 (1:16:00)

• Merve’s #5: Echo Point Nova. (Source: Steam)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s #5: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #5: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our Favourites: #4 (1:25:15)

• Merve’s #4: Children of the Sun. (Source: Steam)
• LittleMac’s #4: Princess Peach: Showtime! The name of Grape’s minions is the Sour Bunch. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s #4: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #4: Age of Mythology: Retold. (Source: Steam)

Our Favourites: #3 (1:41:50)

• Merve’s #3: Dungeons of Hinterberg. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for Slaycation Paradise.
• The Canada’s Drag Race spinoff Slaycation is set in The Blue Mountains, Ontario. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Little Mac’s #3: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. (Source: Steam)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s #3: Astro Bot. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s #3: Balatro. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our Favourites: #2 (2:02:15)

• Merve’s #2: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Little Mac’s #2: Darkest Dungeon II. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s #2: Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #2: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Report on the development of Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40,000 series. (Source: Deadline)

Our Favourites: #1 (2:33:05)

• Merve’s #1: 1000xRESIST. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Little Mac’s #1: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s #1: Persona 3 Reload. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s #1: Dragon’s Dogma 2. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our Biggest Disappointments (3:01:00)

• Merve’s biggest disappointment: Neva. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Little Mac’s biggest disappointment: missing out on Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. (Source: Steam)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s biggest disappointment: Metaphor: ReFantazio. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Confirmation: The monk chant vocals in Metaphor: ReFantazio’s soundtrack are a mixture of Esperanto and an original language created for the game. (Source: Siliconera)
• The Kappa’s biggest disappointment: MechWarrior 5: Clans. (Source: Wikipedia)

Our Biggest Surprises (3:26:30)

• Merve’s first surprise: Strands. (Source: The New York Times)
• Merve’s second surprise: NOTTOLOT. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s third surprise: Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. (Source: Goodreads)
• LittleMac’s biggest surprises: Princess Peach: Showtime! and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s first surprise: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Drinking with Skeletons’s second surprise: Songs of Silence. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s first surprise: the release of Skull and Bones. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Kappa’s second surprise: “This Is an Xbox.” (Source: Xbox Wire)
• The Kappa’s third surprise: Fortnite’s new “Ballistic” mode. (Source: Fortnite)

Conclusion (3:44:55)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
Captain Blasto
QuinleyThorne
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
3:45 – The Game Awards Nominations
34:40 – The Supposed Influence of Baldur’s Gate 3
36:35 – Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
44:35 – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
51:05 – Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
1:11:30 – Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven
1:26:40 – Metaphor: ReFantazio
1:56:45 – Dragon Age: The Veilguard
2:41:20 – The Elder Scrolls Online and MMO Discussion
3:07:40 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep107

Podcast header image from Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Spoiler warning for Act 1 of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Linkdump and timestamps for warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Official website for Bluesky.
• Official website for Mastodon.

The Game Awards Nominations (3:45)

• Official website for The Game Awards.
• Official webpage for the D.I.C.E. Awards. (Source: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences)
• Abel Tesfaye is the real name of singer-songwriter The Weeknd. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Report on Bloober Team’s comment about being done making “shitty” games. (Source: GameSpot)
• Requirements to play the Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. (Source: RadioTimes)

The Supposed Influence of Baldur’s Gate 3 (34:40)

• Wikipedia article on Baldur’s Gate 3.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (36:35)

• Wikipedia article on Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.
• Announcement of the Amazon Studios Warhammer 40,000 series starring Henry Cavill. (Source: IGN)

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (44:35)

• Wikipedia article on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
• ThorHighHeels’s video on game length, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Merve has indeed watched it. (Source: YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Jerry Gergich from Parks and Recreation.
• Correction: The original Final Fantasy VII used an Active Time Battle system, not a traditional turn-based system. (Source: Wikipedia)

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (51:05)

• Wikipedia article on Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.
• Correction: The dungeon Merve referred to as “The Trials” is actually called The Proving Grounds. (Source: IGN)
• The pink-haired character whom you need to recruit in order to unlock card battles is Glen. (Source: The Gamer)
• Confirmation: The Beigoma professor is indeed Dr. Corque, not Dr. Coque. (Source: IGN)

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (1:11:30)

• Steam store page for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.
• Confirmation: The first of the Seven Heroes in Romancing SaGa 2 is indeed named Kzinssie. (Source: SaGa Wiki on Fandom)

Metaphor: ReFantazio (1:26:40)

• Correction: This game came out before Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, on October 11^th, 2024, so we didn’t actually go fully chronologically. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia article on Metaphor: ReFantazio.
• Concept art for “Project Re Fantasy” featuring a redheaded elf knight. (Source: Sega Bits)
• Correction: The game does state how many candidates are protected by the Royal Magic. It’s 20, not 50. (Source: Merve’s screenshots on the Steam Community)
• Correction: The amphibious boat tour vehicle in the National Capital Region is dubbed the Amphibus, not the Amphibibus. (Source: Lady Dive)
• The Trickster Archetype evolves from the Faker Archetype. (Source: Megami Tensei Wiki on Fandom)
• Correction: Merve was correct that there would be 780 pairs of distinct Archetypes if there were 40 Archetypes, but: A) there are 46 distinct Archetypes, not 40, which makes for 1035 pairs; B) an Archetype can sometimes synthesize with another member of the same Archetype; C) the availability of Synthesis skills depend on Archetype lineages, not specific Archetypes; D) as QuinleyThorne pointed out, there are some Synthesis skills that need three lineages present in the party; E) not all lineages have Synthesis skills with each other; and F) different Synthesis skills are available to different Archetypes within a pair. (Sources: IGN and Game8)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (1:56:45)

SPOILERS: Act 1 of Dragon Age: The Veilguard

• Wikipedia article on Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
• Confirmation: Bellara’s ex is Irelin. (Source: Dragon Age Wiki on Fandom)
• Correction: The correct name for the faction of treasure hunters is Lords of Fortune, not Fortune Hunters or Seekers of Fortune. (Source: Dragon Age Wiki on Fandom)
• Reporting on legal action following BioWare’s layoffs last year. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)
• Confirmation: The Inquisition’s fate as the Divine’s personal honour guard (i.e. being under the Chantry) is indeed one of two options at the end of the Trespasser DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition. (Source: Dragon Age Wiki on Fandom)

The Elder Scrolls Online and MMO Discussion (2:41:20)

• Wikipedia article on The Elder Scrolls Online.
• Official Twitch channel for sodapoppin.
• Episode #99 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, in which The Kappa (correctly) predicted that Blue Protocol would never get released in the West.
• Official extended gameplay trailer for DokeV. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• A guide for the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding, Final Fantasy XIV’s equivalent of marriage. (Source: Official website for Final Fantasy XIV)

Conclusion (3:07:40)

• Wikipedia article on imaginary numbers.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
3:10 – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
22:15 – Helldivers 2
47:10 – Hell of an Office, Part 1
53:55 – A Digression on Emo
58:35 – Hell of an Office, Part 2
1:03:35 – Indie Games in 2024
1:08:55 – The Audience for Games from Major Publishers
1:15:35 – A Digression on JRPGs
1:20:30 – Tourism in Canada and the United States
1:36:00 – Our Gaming Hells
2:30:05 – Fiction about Hell
2:33:40 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep106

Podcast header image from Hell of an Office. Content warnings: gore; sexual violence; graphic sexual content; cultural genocide; suicide. Spoiler warning: early hours of Metaphor: ReFantazio. Linkdump, timestamps for warnings, and resources for Hurricane Helene assistance after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Baldur’s Gate Wiki article on Shadowheart.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (3:10)

• Steam store page for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
• Steam store page for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.
• Steam store page for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.

Helldivers 2 (22:15)

• Steam store page for Helldivers 2.
• Steam store page for Helldivers.
• Clarification: Merve was specifically referencing Planetside 2, not the first game in the series.
• Report on a culture of toxic positivity at Concord developer Firewalk Studios. (Source: The Gamer)
• Clarification: Sony first announced a PSN requirement for Helldivers 2 on PC but then backed down from it a few days later after backlash. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)
• When this linkdump was being prepared, Helldivers 2 was in the top 50 of games on Steam with the most concurrent players. (Source: Steam Charts)

Hell of an Office, Part 1 (47:10)

• Steam store page for Hell of an Office.
• Correction: The game that The Kappa referred to as “Douglas and Dewey” is actually called Dale & Dawson Stationery Supplies. Merve says that you have permission to turn this into our “Spoonheaven.” (Source: Steam)
• Steam store page for Backfirewall_.

A Digression on Emo (53:55)

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of gore, sexual violence, and graphic sexual content

• An archive of promotions for the Xbox “Game with Fame” campaign. It doesn’t look like Further Seems Forever participated, but Killswitch Engage did. Here’s their promo. (Sources: xboxgamewithfame on YouTube and Wikipedia)
• Correction: Jason Gleason actually is the current lead singer of Further Seems Forever. Chris Carrabba left the band in 2021. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Correction: Drive Like Jehu is from San Diego, California. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Emogame.
• Steam store page for Continue?9876543210.
• Wikipedia article on Hot Water Music.

Hell of an Office, Part 2 (58:35)

CONTENT WARNING: Allusions to sexual violence and graphic sexual content

• Wikipedia article on n.

Indie Games in 2024 (1:03:35)

• Steam store page for Dustborn.
• Steam store page for Cryptmaster.
• Steam store page for Clickolding.
• Steam store page for Palworld.
• Correction: Mintrocket isn’t being spun off from Nexon as an independent company, but rather as a subsidiary corporation wholly owned by Nexon. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)

The Audience for Games from Major Publishers (1:08:55)

• Wikipedia article on the Overwatch franchise.
• Wikipedia article on Heroes of the Storm.
• Goodreads page for Jason Schreier’s Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment.
• Epic Games Store page for Star Wars Outlaws.
• Kinda Funny’s review of Star Wars Outlaws. (Source: Kinda Funny Games on YouTube)

A Digression on JRPGs (1:15:35)

• Steam store page for Metaphor: ReFantazio.
• Wikipedia article on the Persona series.
• Wikipedia article on the Xeno franchise.

Tourism in Canada and the United States (1:20:30)

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of cultural genocide

• Wikipedia article on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• Wikipedia article on the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Wikipedia article on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Wikipedia article on the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• Official website for the city of Toronto.
• Official website for New York City.
• Official Facebook page for Tom’s Lobster Shack in Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia.
• Wikipedia article on the Lions Gate Bridge.

Our Gaming Hells (1:36:00)

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of suicide. MILD SPOILERS: Early hours of Metaphor: ReFantazio.

• Official website for Nexus Mods.
• Adult Swim’s “Too Many Cooks.” (Source: Adult Swim on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Far Cry 5.
• Nintendo store page for Princess Peach: Showtime!
• Wikipedia article on Heaven’s Gate.
• Confirmation: The “last chance to evacuate planet earth before it is recycled” speech was by the leader of Heaven’s Gate. (Source: Genius)
• Wikipedia article on Far Cry 6.
• Wikipedia article on XDefiant.
• Steam store page for Metaphor: ReFantazio.
• Steam store page for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.
• Steam store page for Pillars of Eternity.
• Wikipedia article on Tales of Zestiria.
• Wikipedia article on the Xenoblade Chronicles series.
• Steam store page for Final Fantasy XIII.

Fiction about Hell (2:30:05)

• Wikipedia article on the Divine Comedy.
• Wikipedia article on Paradise Lost.
• Wikipedia article on Dante’s Inferno.

Conclusion (2:33:40)

• Wikipedia article on ayahuasca.
• An explanation of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google. (Source: TechTarget)

Hurricane Resources

• Resources for local organizations helping out in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (Source: ResetEra)

Featuring:
Merve
QuinleyThorne
Wolfman Jew
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
4:50 – Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
28:40 – 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
48:10 – Skyrim Modding
1:06:20 – Fields of Mistria and Cloud Meadow
1:17:35 – Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind
1:31:10 – Microsoft Gaming Layoffs
1:43:35 – Mass Resignation at Annapurna Interactive
1:54:35 – PS5 Pro
2:30:20 – Concord, Live Service Games, and Sony’s Future
3:53:30 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep105

Podcast header image from Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. Content warning for explicit sexual discussion. Linkdump and timestamps for warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• PlayStation Studios Wiki article on Concord. (Source: Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on Rob Liefeld.
• Wikipedia article on the WildStorm character Grifter.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (4:50)

• Steam store page for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.
• Confirmation: The vehicle in Disintegration is indeed called the Gravcycle. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Character info page on Battlefield 2042’s Emma “Sundance” Rosier. (Source: Electronic Arts)

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (28:40)

• Wikipedia article on 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.
• Wikipedia article on the Covert-One book series.
• Wikipedia article on Lance Reddick.
• Wikipedia article on Farzar.
• Wikipedia article on the Resident Evil streaming series.

Skyrim Modding (48:10)

• Wikipedia article on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
• Nexus Mods page for BHUNP. [NSFW]
• A screenshot of the mod page for “Lick Any Woman’s Armpit Shout.” (Source: fandaniel on Tumblr)
• Elder Scrolls Wiki page for M’aiq the Liar. (Source: Fandom)

Fields of Mistria and Cloud Meadow (1:06:20)

CONTENT WARNING: Explicit sexual discussion

• Steam store page for Fields of Mistria.
• Steam store page for Cloud Meadow. [NSFW]

Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind (1:17:35)

• Nintendo store page for Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind.
• The Bluths are the family from Arrested Development. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The original teaser for Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on MadWorld.

Microsoft Gaming Layoffs (1:31:10)

• Article on the layoffs. (Source: The Verge)
• Microsoft acquired ZeniMax for $7.5 billion US in 2021. (Source: The Verge)

Mass Resignation at Annapurna Interactive (1:43:35)

• Report on the mass resignation. (Source: Bloomberg)
• Report on Annapurna’s (not Interactive specifically, the wider company) near-bankruptcy in 2019. (Source: IndieWire)
• September 20^th report on what happened at Annapurna. (Source: IGN)
• September 27^th report on what happened at Annapurna. (Source: Bloomberg)
• Steam store page for Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.

PS5 Pro (1:54:35)

• Article on the PS5 Pro’s price. (Source: MobileSyrup)
• The Game Pass tier that comes with both console and PC games is called Ultimate. (Source: Xbox)

Concord, Live Service Games, and Sony’s Future (2:30:20)

• Wikipedia article on Concord.
• Concord timeline, prepared by Wolfman Jew.
• VGChartz page for Folklore.
• Wikipedia article on Secret Level.
• Steam store page for Helldivers 2.
• Steam store page for Tekken 8.
• Correction: We could not find any statements from Sega or RGG regarding a negative impact of Game Pass on the Like a Dragon series. In a 2022 interview, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama praised Game Pass for contributing to the series’ success in the West. In a 2023 interview, he explained why the then-upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth would not be coming to Game Pass at launch. (Sources: Twinfinite and Automaton)
• Steam store page for Palworld.
• Wikipedia article on Kantai Collection.
• Wikipedia article on the Marvel’s Avengers video game.
• Top PS5 games by monthly active users. (Source: Newzoo)
• XCXpedia article on the Square Garden Festival, the Minecraft event organized by 100 Gecs where Charli XCX gave a virtual performance. (Source: Fandom)
• The 2024 SAG-AFTRA video game strike began only July 26^th and as of this upload is ongoing. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Faith No More’s “Epic,” featuring the iconic lines “What is it? / It’s it.” (Source: Faith No More on YouTube)
• Article on Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki’s comments on the company’s IP. (Source: Game Rant)
• Wikipedia article on Crystal Dynamics.
• Steam store page for Various Daylife.
• Screenshot of Nintendo’s ill-advised turnip campaign

• The infamous “You guys all have phones, right?” moment from the Diablo Immortal reveal at BlizzCon 2018. (Source: MrNinjaBurger on YouTube)
• Lemmings Wiki article on Lemmings: The Puzzle Adventure, the free-to-play mobile Lemmings game. (Source: Fandom)
• Official website for Houston’s Cidercade.
• Rooster Teeth Wiki article on The Gauntlet. (Source: Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on Candy Crush Saga.

Conclusion (3:53:30)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
1:45 – Cycling Adventures
3:45 – The Borderlands Movie
19:15 – Diablo IV
33:20 – Clickolding
39:55 – Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
44:10 – RollerCoaster Tycoon
51:25 – Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
1:01:30 – Dragon Age Worries and Hopes
1:08:50 – Krafton Acquires Tango Gameworks
1:20:25 – Bungie Layoffs
1:57:55 – “Weird”
2:01:30 – Gamestop and the Shutdown of Game Informer, Part 1
2:13:20 – Football Video Games
2:20:00 – Gamestop and the Shutdown of Game Informer, Part 2
2:31:50 – Spending Time Outside
2:36:50 – Conclusion and VR Complaints

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep104

Podcast header image from Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Correction: 500 total hours of podcasting over 104 episodes would imply an average episode length of just over 4.8 hours, and as long as our episodes are, they’re not that long. (Source: a calculator)
• Wikipedia article section on the health hazards associated with bleach. In particular, chloramine gas can burn the lungs.

Cycling Adventures (1:45)

No links here.

The Borderlands Movie (3:45)

• Wikipedia article on the Borderlands film.
• A report on Randy Pitchford’s comments on the film. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Trailer for Borderlands. (Source: Lionsgate Movies on YouTube)
• Clarification: The Kappa was talking about domestic gross, not global gross, for the Borderlands film. At the time of recording, the film had grossed an estimated $8.8 million USD at the US box office. The film also did indeed earn a D+ CinemaScore. (Source: Deadline)
• The Rotten Tomatoes page for Borderlands. The Tomatometer score is now up to 10% from 9% at the time of recording.
• Wikipedia article on Madame Web.
• Wikipedia article on the Assassin’s Creed film, directed by Justin Kurzel.
• Report on the partial leak of Season 2 of Arcane. (Source: IGN)
• Wikipedia article on the Halo TV series.

Diablo IV (19:15)

• Wikipedia article on Diablo IV.
• Wikipedia article on Overwatch 2.
• Correction: The cancelled story missions for Overwatch 2 were intended to be co-op, not single-player. (Source: IGN)

Clickolding (33:20)

• Steam store page for Dungeons of Hinterberg.
• Steam store page for Clickolding.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (39:55)

• Steam store page for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.
• Official reveal trailer for Civilization 7. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on the Knights of Malta.

RollerCoaster Tycoon (44:10)

• Steam store page for RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic.
• Official website for OpenRCT2.
• Correction: RollerCoaster Tycoon came out in 1999, not 1995. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Announcement trailer for Planet Coaster 2. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.
• Wikipedia article on Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (51:25)

• Steam store page for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.
• Wikipedia article on the Xenoblade Chronicles series.

Dragon Age Worries and Hopes (1:01:30)       

• Wikipedia article on Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
• Clarification: Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s release date was announced as October 31^st, 2024 a few days after we recorded the episode. (Source: Dragon Age on YouTube)

Krafton Acquires Tango Gameworks (1:08:50)

• Report on Krafton’s acquisition of Tango Gameworks. (Source: Windows Central)
• Kenji Kimura was the director of Ghostwire: Tokyo. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Immortals of Aveum.
• Fanatical’s online store.

Bungie Layoffs (1:20:25)

• The official announcement of the layoffs. (Source: Bungie)
• Additional reporting on the layoffs. (Source: Bloomberg)
• Correction: Around 40 employees will be joining the new spin-off studio under Sony Interactive Entertainment. (Source: The Friends Per Second podcast, hosted on Skill Up’s YouTube channel)
• Wikipedia article on Destiny 2.
• Official website for Foamstars. The game does not have its own Wikipedia entry. (Source: Square Enix)
• Steam store page for Concord.
• Rebekah Valentine’s December 2023 report on layoffs at Bungie and the clause in their deal with Sony that allows Sony to dissolve Bungie’s board if certain financial targets are not met. (Source: IGN)
• Official website for the upcoming Marathon reboot.
• Report on Pete Parsons’s classic car acquisitions. (Source: Kotaku)
• Some of the $1.2 billion USD spent on employee retention in the Bungie acquisition went to buying back stock from employees. (Source: Forbes)
• Wikipedia article on Michael Salvatori.
• Report on fire damage nerfs in Helldivers 2. (Source: IGN)
• At the time of preparing this linkdump, Destiny 2 was not in the top 25 most played games on Steam, but it was in the top 50. (Source: Steam Charts)
• Correction: The statement explaining the reason for the cancellation of the Last of Us multiplayer game was an official statement from Naughty Dog, not a direct statement from Neil Druckmann. (Source: Naughty Dog)

“Weird” (1:57:55)

• An explanation of the JD Vance couch joke. (Source: Cincinnati Enquirer)

Gamestop and the Shutdown of Game Informer, Part 1 (2:01:30)

• Report on the shutdown of Game Informer. (Source: The Verge)
• Game Informer’s website is now just a farewell page. (Source: Game Informer)
• The Jimquisition’s “Game Journalism of Thrones” video essay. (Source: Jim Sterling on YouTube)
• Official websites for MinnMax, Kinda Funny, Giant Bomb, and Remap Radio.

Football Video Games (2:13:20)

• Remap Radio episodes 56 and 58, which heavily discuss football video games.
• Wikipedia article on EA Sports College Football 25.

Gamestop and the Shutdown of Game Informer, Part 2 (2:20:00)

• Gamestop’s loyalty program is called Edge. (Source: Gamestop)

Spending Time Outside (2:31:50)

• Canada geese are primarily herbivores but will occasionally eat insects and fish. (Source: Wikipedia)

Conclusion and VR Complaints (2:36:50)

• Wikipedia article on Google Glass.
• Correction: Google’s phone-based VR platforms were called Cardboard and Daydream. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Apple Vision Pro. The introductory price is $3,499 USD.
• Wikipedia article on fattoush.
• A recipe for green pea guacamole, which the AVoCADo GamesCast absolutely does not endorse. (Source: NYT Cooking)

Featuring:
Merve
ThoughtsThoughtsThoughts
Wolfman Jew
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
5:40 – Might & Magic Heroes VII and the State of Ubisoft
20:35 – Baldur’s Gate 3
38:35 –  Borderlands
54:15 – Dungeons of Hinterberg
1:05:10 – “7/10” Games: Intro
1:07:20 – “7/10” Games: Resident Evil: Revelations
1:11:55 – “7/10” Games: Ace Combat
1:21:45 – “7/10” Games: Kingdom Hearts
1:43:45 – “7/10” Games: Strange Brigade
1:51:15 – “7/10” Games: Rapid-Fire Round
2:08:00 – “7/10” Games: Community Choices
2:23:10 – Superhero Games
2:29:55 – Bethesda, Microsoft, and the State of the Industry
2:49:55 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep103

Podcast header image from Dungeons of Hinterberg. Spoiler warning: Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix; Baldur’s Gate 3; Resident Evil: Revelations; the Kingdom Hearts series; Scarlet Nexus. Linkdump and timestamps for spoilers after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Aaron Sorkin’s bizarre fantasy editorial about replacing Joe Biden with Mitt Romney as the Democratic presidential candidate that became completely moot the very day it was published. (Source: The New York Times)
• An editorial on Roger Ebert’s pronouncements on video games. (Source: Polygon)

Might & Magic Heroes VII and the State of Ubisoft (5:40)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix

• Wikipedia article on Might & Magic Heroes VII.
• Wikipedia article on Ubisoft’s crossover series Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.
• Wikipedia article on XDefiant.
• Wikipedia article on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s media company HitRecord.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (20:35)

MINOR SPOILERS: Baldur’s Gate 3

• Wikipedia article on Baldur’s Gate 3.
• The interview with Kevin Bacon where he reveals that he once disguised himself as a regular person. (Source: Vanity Fair)

Borderlands (38:35)

• Wikipedia article on Dark Souls.
• Steam store page for Balatro.
• Steam store page for Celeste.
• Steam store page for Borderlands.
• Correction: The font used on the Borderlands box art is likely some variant of Compacta, not Comic Sans. (Source: FontBolt)
• Wolfman Jew’s article on Borderlands. (Source: Source Gaming)
• Wikipedia article on Candy Crush Saga.
• Wikipedia article on Genshin Impact.
• Wikipedia article on Destiny 2.
• Wikipedia article on Deep Rock Galactic.

Dungeons of Hinterberg (54:15)

• Wikipedia article on Dungeons of Hinterberg.
• Correction: The technique used to create texture and shading in Dungeons of Hinterberg is not cross-hatching, but Ben Day dots. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on the Persona series.
• Wikipedia article on Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
• Wikipedia article on Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale.

“7/10” Games: Intro (1:05:10)

• Wikipedia article on Super Mario Sunshine.

“7/10” Games: Resident Evil: Revelations (1:07:20)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Resident Evil: Revelations

• Wikipedia article on Resident Evil: Revelations.
• The single-legged wetsuit outfit of Resident Evil: Revelations character Jessica Sherawat. (Source: Resident Evil Wiki on Fandom)

“7/10” Games: Ace Combat (1:11:55)

• Wikipedia article on the Ace Combat series.
• Clarification: “Itasha” is a Japanese term referring to painting figures from otaku media on cars. (Source: Wikipedia)
• An example of an anime character painted on a plane. (Source: Reddit)
• A screenshot of Rosa Cossette D’Elise from Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. (Source: Gaming Bolt)

“7/10” Games: Kingdom Hearts (1:21:45)

MAJOR SPOILERS: The Kingdom Hearts series

• Wikipedia article section on Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories.
• Wikipedia article on the mobile game Kingdom Hearts Coded.
• Correction: Anthony John Agnello’s piece on Kingdom Hearts for The Escapist compared it to outsider art, not fanfiction. (Source: The Escapist)
• Wikipedia article on Kingdom Hearts III.
• Wikipedia article on Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

“7/10” Games: Strange Brigade (1:43:45)

• Wikipedia article on Strange Brigade.
• Correction and confirmation: Strange Brigade does not have any story or lore connections to the Sniper Elite series, but it does use the same engine. (Source: Source Gaming)
• Steam store page for Zombie Army Trilogy.
• Steam store page for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

“7/10” Games: Rapid-Fire Round (1:51:15)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Scarlet Nexus

• Steam store page for Starfield.
• Wikipedia article on Alpha Protocol.                
• Wikipedia article on the Batman: Arkham series.
• Confirmation: The average of the scores Merve cited is 6.75, which is indeed in the 7-ish range. (Source: Google)
• Wikipedia article on Brütal Legend.
• Wikipedia article on Psychonauts.
• Wikipedia article on the Darksiders series.
• Wikipedia article on the Dynasty Warriors series.
• Wikipedia article on Fallout Tactics.
• Wikipedia article on Ryse: Son of Rome.
• Wikipedia article on WarioWare: Get It Together!
• Wikipedia article on Scarlet Nexus. The game sold 1 million units as of April 2022, and including Game Pass players, had around 2 million players total.
• Wikipedia article on the Tales series.

“7/10” Games: Community Choices (2:08:00)

• Wikipedia article on Pathfinder: Kingmaker.
• Wikipedia article on Pillars of Eternity.
• Wikipedia article on Chained Echoes.
• Wikipedia article on Tales of Legendia.
• Wikipedia article on Far Cry 2.
• Wikipedia article on Saints Row 2.
• Wikipedia article on Just Cause 2.
• Wikipedia article on Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.
• Dragon Quest Wiki article on the slime. (Source: Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
• Wikipedia article on Spy Fox 3: “Operation Ozone”.
• Wikipedia article on Lord of Arcana.
• Wikipedia article on American McGee’s Alice.
• Wikipedia article on Virtua Quest.
• Wikipedia article on the Mega Man Legends series.
• Wikipedia article on Tokyo RPG Factory.
• Gameological commenters on I Am Setsuna and Chrono Trigger. (Source: The A.V. Club)
• Wikipedia article on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game.

Superhero Games (2:23:10)

• Report on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s troubled development. (Source: Bloomberg UK through archive.is)
• Wikipedia article on City of Heroes.
• Clarification: A rogue, player-hosted City of Heroes server existed for many years, but in January of this year, it was given NCsoft’s official blessing. (Source: Massively Overpowered)

Bethesda, Microsoft, and the State of the Industry (2:29:55)

• Report on the new wall-to-wall union at Bethesda. (Source: IGN)
• Report on Microsoft underspending on Xbox marketing in Europe. (Source: Windows Central)
• An analysis of Sarah Bond’s interview with Bloomberg. (Source: Seasoned Gaming)
• Report on Matt Booty’s comments on leadership at Tango Gameworks. (Source: VGC)

Conclusion (2:49:55)

• An archive of Avocado politics threads.

Featuring:
Merve
QuinleyThorne
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:35 – Introduction
4:15 – Summer Game Fest: General Thoughts
6:45 – PlayStation State of Play
30:05 – Guerrilla Collective
44:10 – Access-Ability Summer Showcase
52:40 – Summer Game Fest Live
1:11:50 – Day of the Devs
1:21:00 – Devolver Digital
1:22:45 – Atlus Exclusive Showcase: Metaphor: ReFantazio
1:33:00 – Future of Play Direct
1:36:00 – Wholesome Direct and Paying for Showcase Spots
1:39:55 – Latin American Games Showcase and Women-Led Games Showcase
1:44:00 – Future Games Show
1:53:05 – Xbox Games Showcase
2:57:45 – PC Gaming Show
3:10:20 – Ubisoft and Star Wars
3:38:05 – Dragon Age: The Veilguard
4:36:30 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep102

Podcast header image from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, taken from Gaming Bible. Podcast header font is Balgruf. Spoiler warning: Dune; Dragon: Age Inquisition. Content warning: graphic sexual discussion. Linkdump and timestamps for warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:35)

• Leaker “Midori”’s confession. (Source: r/GamingLeaksAndRumours on Reddit)
• Daniel Ahmad’s Twitter account. (Source: @ZhugeEX on Twitter)

Summer Game Fest: General Thoughts (4:15)

No links here.

PlayStation State of Play (6:45)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• TV Tropes page for Team Fortress 2 fan film Emesis Blue.
• Report on the slowdown of PS5 sales. (Source: Forbes)
• PS5 has sold roughly half of PS4’s lifetime sales so far. (Source: VGChartz)
• Announcement trailer for Astro Bot. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Gameplay trailer for Infinity Nikki. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Release date trailer for Silent Hill 2. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Christina Aguilera’s 1999 Teen Choice Awards outfit. (Source: r/silenthill on Reddit)
• Gameplay trailer for Concord. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Report on “trans bullets” in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty: Warzone. (Source: Metro Game Central)
• Wikipedia article on Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.

Guerrilla Collective (30:05)

CONTENT WARNING: graphic sexual discussions

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Guerrilla Collective on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Fallen Aces.
• Fortnite left early access in 2020. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for Bellwright.
• Steam store page for SEX with HITLER. [NSFW]
• Steam store page for the upcoming Hollowbody.
• VoD of the OTK Games Expo. (Source: OTK on YouTube)
• Steam store page for the upcomingSky Oceans: Wings for Hire.

Access-Ability Summer Showcase (44:10)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: LauraKBuzz on YouTube)
• Periphery Synthetic Accessibility Trailer. (Source: LauraKBuzz on YouTube)
• An explanation of Street Fighter 6’s Modern control scheme. (Source: Polygon)
• An outline of Forza Motorsport’s accessibility features. (Source: Forza Support)

Summer Game Fest Live (52:40)

MILD SPOILERS: Dune

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Official teaser trailer for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. (Source: Sid Meier’s Civilization on YouTube)
• Official release date trailer for Once Human. (Source: Once Human on YouTube)
• “Blitz, Brawl, Blaze” gameplay trailer for Mecha BREAK. (Source: Mecha BREAK on YouTube)
• The Blumhouse Games section of SGF Live. (Source: thegamewards on YouTube)
• Clarification: Spooky’s House of Jump Scares is now officially titled Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion because of a potential legal battle. (Source: Steam)
• Official announcement trailer for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. (Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
• Alan Wake 2 – Night Springs expansion launch trailer. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Quantum Break.
• The actor who played Tommy Carcetti on The Wire and Littlefinger on Game of Thrones is Aiden Gillen. (Source: Wikipedia)
• World premiere trailer for Neva. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Summer Game Fest 2024 trailer for Delta Force: Hawk Ops. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• World premiere trailer for Dune: Awakening. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Sonic X Shadow Generations trailer at Summer Game Fest. (Source: Sonic the Hedgehog on YouTube)
• Know Your Meme page on Christian Sonic fanart.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II trailer at Summer Game Fest. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)

Day of the Devs (1:11:50)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: thegamewards on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs presentation on Phoenix Springs. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs presentation on Afterlove EP. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs presentation on Screenbound. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs presentation on Building Relationships. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs presentation on Tides of Tomorrow. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs presentation on Battle Vision Network. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Lies of P.
• Official website for Cheat Engine.
• Know Your Meme page for the “You Cheated Not Only the Game, But Yourself” copypasta.

Devolver Digital (1:21:00)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: thegameawards on YouTube)
• Possessor(s) reveal trailer. (Source: DevolverDigital on YouTube)
• The Crush House trailer. (Source: DevolverDigital on YouTube)

Atlus Exclusive Showcase: Metaphor: ReFantazio (1:22:45)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Official ATLUS West on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Bravely Default.
• Clarification: Archetypes are Metaphor: ReFantazio’s job system, and Archetypes can learn new skills, but each Archetype belongs to a lineage, and more advanced Archetypes (i.e. jobs) can be unlocked by deepening bonds with other characters who control a particular lineage. (Source: Official ATLUS West on YouTube)
• Correction: The main character in Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, Itsuki Aoi, mostly uses electricity skills and is by default weak to fire. (Source: Fire Emblem Wiki on Fandom)
• Denerim is the capital of Ferelden in the world of Dragon Age, Thedas. (Source: Dragon Age Wiki on Fandom)

Future of Play Direct (1:33:00)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
• Correction: Melios does appear to be a creation of GLITCH, the company that organized this showcase. (Source: GLITCH)
• Steam store pages for the upcoming ABYSS X ZERO, Cozy Marbles, and Sandara: City of a Thousand Eclipses.
• Tumblr for Twitch streamer Demily Pyro.

Wholesome Direct and Paying for Showcase Spots (1:36:00)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Wholesome Games on YouTube)
• Official website for Popagenda.

Latin American Games Showcase and Women-Led Games Showcase (1:39:55)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Latin American Games Showcase on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Slime Heroes. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Women-Led Games on YouTube)
• Release date trailer for The Star Named EOS. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Official trailer for Woodo. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Official trailer for Mexico, 1921: A Deep Slumber. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Steam store page for 1979 Revolution: Black Friday.
• Steam store page for Tenebris Somnia.

Future Games Show (1:44:00)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: FGS on YouTube)
• First Dwarf gameplay official trailer. (Source: GameSpot Trailers on YouTube)
• The Operator gameplay trailer. (Source: FGS on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Nobody Wants to Die. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Dustborn gameplay trailer. (Source: FGS on YouTube)
• The Precinct gameplay trailer. (Source: FGS on YouTube)
• Release date reveal trailer for Parcel Corps. (Source: FGS on YouTube)
• Sacrifire gameplay trailer. (Source: FGS on YouTube)
• Official Steam Next Fest trailer for SCHiM. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Gameplay trailer for Hell of an Office. (Source: FGS on YouTube)

Xbox Games Showcase (1:53:05)

CONTENT WARNING: graphic sexual discussion

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Official trailer for Starfield: Shattered Space. (Source: Bethesda Softworks on YouTube)
• Steam store page for the Starfield Creation Kit.
• Elianora’s YouTube channel.
• Nexus Mods page for Caliente’s Beautiful Bodies Enhancer (CBBE). [NSFW]
• Official website for LoversLab. [NSFW]
• Official website for Fallout: London.
• Wikipedia article on the disabled Hot Coffee content in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. [NSFW]
• LoversLab page for the milking fetish Old Hroldan Farm mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. [NSFW]
• South of Midnight gameplay reveal. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Fableofficial trailer. (Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
• Atomfallreveal trailer. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. (Source: Sandfall Interactive on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on the Turkish film Clair Obscur, which has nothing to do with the upcoming video game of the same name.
• Official gameplay reveal for Perfect Dark. (Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Life is Strange: Double Exposure. (Source: Life is Strange on YouTube)
• Gameplay reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. (Source: Call of Duty on YouTube)
• Official showcase reveal for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. (Source: Bethesda Softworks on YouTube)
• Official trailer 1 for DOOM: The Dark Ages. (Source: Bethesda Softworks on YouTube)
• Avowed story trailer. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Official announce trailer for Gears of War: E-Day. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• The Time of Opportunities trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Trailer for State of Decay 3. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Official extended trailer for FragPunk. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Mixtape. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• First look gameplay trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Sadly, because the Dorkly website no longer exists, and the video was never uploaded to their YouTube channel, we cannot dig up the “Gun Home” parody video. Here’s a link to a Eurogamer article about the video.
• Official website for LGBTQ gun rights group The Pink Pistols.

PC Gaming Show (2:57:45)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: PC Gamer on YouTube)
• Official story reveal trailer for Wander Stars. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Official announcement trailer for I Am Your Beast. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Unbeatable trailer. (Source: PC Gamer on YouTube)
• Deathsprint 66 trailer. (Source: PC Gamer on YouTube)
• Official reveal trailer for Crescent County. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Mars Tactics. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)
• Third faction reveal trailer and developer interview for Stormgate. (Source: PC Gamer on YouTube)
• Official trailer for Inferni: Hope & Fear. (Source: Inferni: Hope & Fear on YouTube)
• Steam store page for the early access game Core Keeper.
• Official gameplay trailer for Gunboat God. (Source: GameTrailers on YouTube)

Ubisoft and Star Wars (3:10:20)

• VoD of the presentation. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake trailer. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• New release date trailer for The Rogue Prince of Persia. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Confirmation and further details: The Sands of Time remake was originally being worked on by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai before it was given to Ubisoft Montreal. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on the 2008 Prince of Persia game.
• Game overview trailer of Star Wars Outlaws. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Metallica.
• Live action teaser for Anno 117: Pax Romana. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Launch trailer for XDefiant. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (3:38:05)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Dragon Age: Inquisition and its DLC

• Official reveal trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. (Source: Dragon Age on YouTube)
• Official gameplay reveal for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. (Source: Dragon Age on YouTube)
• The “stone statue” spell that Merve was referencing is called Stonefist. (Source: Dragon Age Wiki on Fandom)
• Report on layoffs at BioWare in 2023. (Source: Sports Illustrated)
• Report on Anthem’s development. (Source: Kotaku)
• Brendan Sinclair’s article on how development is chaotic for both good and bad AAA games. (Source: Remap Radio)
• YongYea’s examination of Glassdoor reviews at CD Projekt Red. (Source: YongYea on YouTube)
• Dragon Age Wiki article on Sera. (Source: Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on Hindutva.
• Mass Effect Wiki article on Ashley Williams. (Source: Fandom)
• Correction/clarification: Ashley Williams is supposed to be of partial Latina descent. (Source: Game Rant)
• Wikipedia article on Raphael Sbarge.
• Wikipedia article on Chesapeake Beach, Maryland.
• The name of the ancient elven capital in the Dragon Age series was Arlathan. (Source: Dragon Age Wiki on Fandom)

Conclusion (4:36:30)

• An interview with Dashiell Wood, the last person left playing Babylon’s Fall. (Source: Rock Paper Shotgun)

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:10 – Introduction
0:50 – Fallout Series on Prime Video
25:15 – The Prytania Media Snafu
47:40 – Recent Industry Data
1:11:05 – Children of the Sun
1:17:50 – Princess Peach: Showtime!
1:32:25 – Dragon’s Dogma 2
1:45:45 – ReCore
1:57:05 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep101

Podcast header image from Children of the Sun. Linkdump and spoiler warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:10)

No links here.

Fallout Series on Prime Video (0:50)

• Prime Video page for Fallout.
• Wikipedia article on the Warcraft film.
• Official site for the Halo streaming series. (Source: Paramount+)
• Report on Fallout’s renewal for a second season. (Source: Variety)
• Confirmation, correction, and update: Roundhouse Studios was indeed formed from the ashes of Human Head Studios, but it is located in Madison, Wisconsin, not Halifax, Nova Scotia. ZeniMax’s Halifax studio was called Alpha Dog Games, and they focused on mobile games. A couple of weeks after we recorded this episode, on May 7^th, 2024, it was announced that Roundhouse Studios would be folded into ZeniMax Online Studios, and Alpha Dog Games would be shut down. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for Fallout 76.

The Prytania Media Snafu (25:15)

• Confirmation and update: Prytania’s mobile-first, India-based studio was indeed called Dawon Entertainment. It was still operating at the time of recording, but it was shut down on May 10^th, 2024. (Source: Game Developer)
• Reports on the shutdown of Crop Circle Games and Possibility Space. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)
• Annie Strain’s statement on the closure on Crop Circle Games. (Source: @imranzomg on Twitter)
• Ethan Gach’s previous article on Undead Labs. (Source: Kotaku)
• Jeff Strain’s pre-emptive response to Gach’s article on Undead Labs. (Source: @jeffstrain on Medium, archived at the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, April 3^rd, 2022)
• Report on Ascendant Studios furloughing the majority of the remainder of its staff. (Source: Game Developer)
• Jeff Strain’s internal email to Possibility Space employees about the studio’s closure. (Source: @sweetpotatoes on Twitter)
• Report on Possibility Space’s shutdown and Project Vonnegut’s links to Microsoft. (Source: WCCF Tech)
• Report on Kotaku EIC Jen Glennon’s resignation over a corporate dictate to focus on guides writing. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)

Recent Industry Data (47:40)

• Report on Mat Piscatella’s analysis showing that the U.S. console market has peaked. (Source: Metro Game Central)
• Discussion of Daniel Ahmad’s mention of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s relative lack of sales success. (Source: ResetEra)
• Wikipedia article on Can’t Hardly Wait.
• Sleeping Dogs sold 1.5 million copies by the end of September 2012. Tomb Raider sold 3.4 million copies in the three weeks following its release. Hitman: Absolution sold 3.6 million copies at retail from November 2012 to March 2013. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for The Portopia Serial Murder Case.

Children of the Sun (1:11:05)

• Steam store page for Children of the Sun.
• Wikipedia article on the Marvel character Yondu.
• A piece on the dotted-line comics in Family Circus. (Source: NPR)
• The Avocado’s Comic Strip Club feature.

Princess Peach: Showtime! (1:17:50)

• Nintendo store page for Princess Peach: Showtime!
• Correction: The main collectible items in Princess Peach: Showtime! are called Sparkle Gems, not Stars. (Source: Super Mario Wiki)
• Steam store page for Dead Rising.
• Steam store page for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 (1:32:25)

MILD SPOILERS: Dragon’s Dogma 2

• Steam store page for Dragon’s Dogma 2.
• An article about Dragon’s Dogma 2’s microtransactions. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Steam store page for Pato Box.
• Steam store page for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
• Steam store page for Immortals of Aveum.

ReCore (1:45:45)

• Steam store page for ReCore.
• Wikipedia article on Kameo: Elements of Power.

Conclusion (1:57:05)

• The Google Graveyard. (Source: Killed by Google)
• Apple’s VR headset is called the Vision Pro. (Source: Apple)

Featuring:
Merve
LittleMac
Lovely Bones
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
5:05 – The Closure of Rooster Teeth
17:10 – Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
34:15 – NetHack
48:00 – Dragon Age II
1:04:15 – Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
1:19:45 – 100th Episode Q&A: Arcades
1:30:10 – 100th Episode Q&A: gen:LOCK
1:32:30 – 100th Episode Q&A: Sequels We Don’t Want
1:40:35 – 100th Episode Q&A: The State of the Industry
1:57:40 – 100th Episode Q&A: Lessons for Gamers
2:09:50 – 100th Episode Q&A: Smelly Platformer Characters
2:15:35 – 100th Episode Q&A: Long Gaming Sessions
2:21:15 – 100th Episode Q&A: Surprising Developments in the Games Industry
2:40:00 – 100th Episode Q&A: Biggest Disappointment
2:48:45 – Podcast Memories
3:02:20 – Careers and Sponsors
3:12:10 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep100

Linkdump and spoiler warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Wikipedia article on the Halo TV series.

The Closure of Rooster Teeth (5:05)

• Announcement of Rooster Teeth’s closure. (Source: Rooster Teeth)
• Steam store page for Vicious Circle, which is no longer available for purchase.
• Wikipedia article on Red vs. Blue.
• An explainer on the Adult Swim Games delisting situation. (Source: Polygon)
• Comments made by 3rdstringhero and Merve on Rooster Teeth’s closure. (Source: The Avocado)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (17:10)

• Steam store page for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

NetHack (34:15)

• Official website for NetHack.
• Wiktionary entry for YASD.

Dragon Age II (48:00)

MINOR SPOILERS: Dragon Age II

• Steam store page for Dragon Age II.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (1:04:15)

• Steam store page for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.
• Correction: Ruined King: A League of Legends Story was developed by Airship Syndicate. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Final Fantasy Wiki entry on Active Time Lore. (Source: Fandom)
• Steam store page on Wayfinder.
• Confirmation: Digital Extremes is no longer publishing Wayfinder; it is now self-published by Airship Syndicate. (Source: Sports Illustrated)

100^th Episode Q&A: Arcades (1:19:45)

• Unfortunately, the last Aladdin’s Castle closed in 2022. (Source: CodeWritePlay)
• Official website for Playdium.
• The trampoline basketball sport we mentioned was called SlamBall. (Source: Wikipedia)

100^th Episode Q&A: gen:LOCK (1:30:10)

• Wikipedia article on gen:LOCK.

100^th Episode Q&A: Sequels We Don’t Want (1:32:30)

• State of Play trailer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Confirmation: You do deliver mail in Lake. (Source: Eurogamer)
• Steam store page for Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
• Wikipedia article on Perfect Blue.

100^th Episode Q&A: The State of the Industry (1:40:35)

• Wikipedia article on Overwatch.
• Wikipedia article on Astro Bot Rescue Mission.
• Article about First Contact Entertainment’s closure. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)
• Official website for Multiversus.
• Diablo Wiki article on the Auction House. (Source: Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on Richard Garriott.
• Wikipedia article on Peter Molyneux.
• The @PeterMolydeux parody Twitter account.

100^th Episode Q&A: Lessons for Gamers (1:57:40)

• An explanation of what Sweet Baby Inc. does. (Source: Kotaku)

100^th Episode Q&A: Smelly Platformer Characters (2:09:50)

No links here.

100^th Episode Q&A: Long Gaming Sessions (2:15:35)

• Wikipedia article on EverQuest.
• Wikipedia article on Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
• Wikipedia article on Radical Dreamers.

100^th Episode Q&A: Surprising Developments in the Games Industry (2:21:15)

• Preview trailer for Life of Black Tiger. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on The Last Hope: Dead Zone Survival.
• Steam store page for Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta.
• Wikipedia article on E3.

100^th Episode Q&A: Biggest Disappointment (2:40:00)

• Steam store page for Disintegration.
• Confirmation: Disintegration developer V1 Interactive did shut down. (Source: Polygon)
• Steam store page for Murder by Numbers.
• Nintendo store page for ARMS.

Podcast Memories (2:48:45)

• Wikipedia article on Randy Pitchford.
• Episode #2 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “Liar Liar.”
• Episode #43 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “One Shaft, Four Prongs, All Party.”
• Episode #51 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “Whales.”
• Episode #50 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “The Perfect Ouya.”
• Wikipedia article on Sonic Underground.
• Episode #87 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “Esther Was Alone.”
• Wikipedia article on Pentiment.
• Wikipedia articles on BioWare, Bungie, Bethesda Game Studios, and Blizzard Entertainment.
• Episode #90 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “Tsundere Writers.”
• Episode #53 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “I Could Have Mined Bitcoin.”
• Episode #68 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “The Streamer Zoo.”
• Episode #60 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “A Developer Interview.”
• Episode #82 of the AVoCADo GamesCast, “Get Rekt, Your Honour.”

Careers and Sponsors (3:02:20)

• Official website for Hello Fresh.
• Lovely Bones’s Patreon.
• Little Mac’s Twitch channel.
• Merve’s blog, Refrigerator Rants. (Source: WordPress)

Conclusion (3:12:10)

• Correction: “Hej då” is Swedish for goodbye, and it is pronounced more like “Hey dhoh.” (Sources: Wiktionary and Google Translate)
• Confirmation: “Hello” in Swedish is “Hallå,” pronounced “Hahloh.” (Source: Google Translate)

Featuring:
Merve
Captain Blasto
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
2:00 – Awesome Games Done Quick 2024
7:35 – Regiments
14:25 – Puzzmo and Social Puzzle Solving
24:30 – Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
39:10 – Reviewing Our 2023 Predictions
55:20 – Our 2024 Predictions
1:46:35 – The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results, Part 1
1:52:40 – The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Predictions, Part 1
2:00:20 – The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results, Part 2
2:01:20 – The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Predictions, Part 2
2:40:35 – Our Most Anticipated Games of 2024
2:51:20 – Rumoured Games of 2024
2:58:05 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep99

Podcast header image from Harry Turtledove Wiki on Fandom. Image partially edited with LunaPic. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Official Ubisoft page for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Awesome Games Done Quick 2024 (2:00)

• The Gyromite run by Peanut Butter the Dog and JSR_.
• The Super Mario 64 drum kit run by CZR.

Regiments (7:35)

• Steam store page for Regiments.
• Wikipedia article on Sid Meier’s Covert Action.

Puzzmo and Social Puzzle Solving (14:25)

• Official website for Puzzmo.
• Official website for The Puzzle Society.
• Wikipedia article on Zach Gage.
• Wikipedia article on Zachtronics.
• Correction: We also confused Zach Gage with Zachtronics’s Zach Barth on our previous episode. We regret the error. (Source: AVoCADo GamesCast)

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (24:30)

• Epic Games Store page for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
• Wikipedia article on the Batman: Arkham series.

Reviewing Our 2023 Predictions (39:10)

• Our 2023 predictions episode. (Source: AvoCADo GamesCast)
• Wikipedia article on Red Storm Entertainment.
• Report on the existence of Hundred Star Games. (Source: Polygon)
• Correction: The studio The Kappa referred to as “Storm Giant” is called Frost Giant Studios, and their upcoming game is called Stormgate. (Source: Frost Giant Studios)

Our 2024 Predictions (55:20)

• Captain Blasto’s first realistic prediction: Double Fine will announce something this year that will make  him regret selling his Xbox and want to build a gaming PC.
• Wikipedia article on Brütal Legend.
• Wikipedia article on Brian Posehn.
• Correction: Of the two games remade for Another Code: Recollection (not “Realization”), the first, Trace Memory, was released for the Nintendo DS, and the second, Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories, was released for the Nintendo Wii. (Sources: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Meteos.
• The Kappa’s first realistic prediction: Larian announces their follow-up to Baldur’s Gate 3, and it’s a new game in the Divinity series.
• Wikipedia article on Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Merve’s first realistic prediction: The new Nintendo console will be a straightforward, backwards-compatible successor to the Switch with very few additional gimmicks.
• Wikipedia article on the Wii U.
• An overview of Hall Effect controllers. (Source: Windows Central)
• Correction: We couldn’t find any confirmation that Netflix’s absence from the Nintendo Switch had anything to do with the absence of a web browser.
• Clarification: The Twitch app for Switch no longer exists, as of January 31^st, 2024. It was still operational at the time of recording, but it hadn’t been available for download since November 6^th, 2023. (Source: The Verge)
• Captain Blasto’s second realistic prediction: More AAA games will come to the Mac.
• Mac App Store page for Death Stranding.
• The Kappa’s second realistic prediction: None of the announced Marvel video games will come out this year.
• Mary DeMarle currently works for BioWare. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Merve’s second realistic prediction: There will be more video game layoffs this year than last year.
• Correction: Sony did not delete P.T. off any PS4 users’ hard drives; users simply could not redownload P.T. if they deleted it, in contrast to most other games on PS4. (Source: Polygon)
• Captain Blasto’s long shot prediction: The Nintendo Switch’s successor will be announced this year but won’t come out until spring 2025.
• The Kappa’s long shot prediction: Game Pass on Switch.
• Merve’s long shot prediction: Media.Vision will release both the new Digimon Story game and Valkyria Chronicles 5 this year, and one of them will be the big launch RPG for the new Nintendo console.

The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results, Part 1 (1:46:35)

• Correction: We also did the predictions game back in 2021. (Source: AVoCADo GamesCast)
• Our 2023 predictions episode. (Source: AvoCADo GamesCast)
• Correction: There’s no special arrangement for Fortnite; the reason you don’t need a PS Plus subscription to access its online features on PlayStation is because it’s free-to-play. (Source: Playbite)

The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Predictions, Part 1 (1:52:40)

• The movie where Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey after sexual misconduct allegations against the latter was All the Money in the World. (Source: The Guardian)
• Reinhard Selten’s paper explaining why linear scoring rules are not incentive-compatible but quadratic scoring rules are, published in Experimental Economics. (Source: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
• Trailer for Wes Craven’s Mind Ripper. (Source: Multicom Entertainment on YouTube)
• Trailer for SubUrbia. (Source: Warner Bros. on YouTube)

The Delay Prediction Game: Last Year’s Results, Part 2 (2:00:20)

No links here.

The Delay Prediction Game: This Year’s Predictions, Part 2 (2:01:20)

• Steam store page for Tyranny.
• The Brain Age game that Captain Blasto mentioned that wasn’t released in North America was Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Xbox Developer_Direct 2024. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• The Chinese Room was acquired by Sumo Digital in 2018. (Source: Wikipedia)

Full predictions list:

Our Most Anticipated Games of 2024 (2:40:35)

• Transformation trailer for Princess Peach: Showtime! (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Main trailer for Dragon’s Dogma 2. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• God Killer gameplay trailer for Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Official extended gameplay trailer for Homeworld 3. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Clarification: Relic Entertainment did not work on Homeworld 3, but some key development personnel, formerly of Relic, who worked on the first two mainline Homeworld games are also working on Homeworld 3. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Story trailer for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. (Source: SEGA on YouTube)
• All You Need to Know trailer for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for The Plucky Squire. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Teaser trailer 2 for OPUS: Prism Peak. (Source: SIGONO on YouTube)
• 1^st promotion for Tokyo Stories. (Source: Tokyo Stories Game (in dev.) on YouTube)
• The Explorator trailer. (Source: ID@Xbox on YouTube)
• Day of the Devs trailer for Naiad. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Official reveal trailer for Hades 2. (Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
• Official gameplay trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)

Rumoured Games of 2024 (2:51:20)

• Reveal trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine. (IGN on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on the avant-garde musical duo ClownC0re.
• Thedas Calls trailer for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. (Source: Dragon Age on YouTube)
• Clarification: At the time of recording, it had not yet been announced that the upcoming Deus Ex game had been cancelled. (Source: IGN)
• Confirmation: Cloud Chamber is indeed the studio working on the next BioShock game. (Source: Cloud Chamber)
• Wikipedia article on the Crimson Skies franchise.
• Official website for Olympic Cards and Comics.

Conclusion (2:58:05)

• Wikipedia article on signed measure.

Featuring:
Merve
Science is Bad
Wolfman Jew
The Kappa
LittleMac
Bloomed Wings
3rdstringhero

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
3:05 – The Game Awards 2023: Discourse
32:25 – The Game Awards 2023: Announcements
1:02:20 – Layoffs and the State of the Games Industry
1:30:25 – LittleMac’s Top 3
1:38:05 – Bloomed Wings’s Top 3
1:40:35 – 3rdstringhero’s Top 3
1:45:05 – Our Favourites: Honourable Mentions
1:52:25 – Our Favourites: #5
2:05:05 – Our Favourites: #4
2:23:35 – Our Favourites: #3
2:56:25 – Our Favourites: #2
3:14:20 – Our Favourites: #1
3:52:15 – Our Disappointments and Least Favourite Games
4:49:00 – Our Surprises
5:07:20 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep98

Podcast header image from Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Major spoiler warning for Viewfinder. Minor spoiler warning for Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. Linkdump, including specific segments with spoiler warnings, after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• itch.io page for Butterfly Soup.
• Steam store page for Wilmot’s Warehouse.

The Game Awards 2023: Discourse (3:05)

• Official website for The Game Awards.
• Grant Theft Auto VI Trailer 1. (Source: Rockstar Games on YouTube)
• Official webpage for the D.I.C.E. Awards. (Source: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences)

The Game Awards 2023: Announcements (32:25)

• Announcement trailer for Marvel’s Blade. (Source: Marvel Entertainment on YouTube)
• Teaser trailer for Kemuri. Clarification: The description on the YouTube video does provide some information concerning what the game is about, but this information was not delivered at The Game Awards. (Source: UNSEEN on YouTube)
• Official trailer for the Dave the Diver/Dredge crossover DLC. (Source: MINTROCKET on YouTube)
• Official reveal trailer for No Rest for the Wicked. (Source: Private Division on YouTube)
• Power Surge: Sega reveal trailer – TGA 2023. (Source: SEGA on YouTube)
• Pony Island 2: Panda Circus announcement trailer. (Source: GameSpot Trailers on YouTube)
• The character whom SungWon Cho played in Lost Judgment is Tesso. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Reveal trailer for The Casting of Frank Stone. (Source: Behaviour Interactive on YouTube)
• Reveal trailer for Jurassic Park Survival. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Community Wiki article on the episode “Investigative Journalism.” (Source: Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on The X-Files episode “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat.”
• Official release date trailer for Black Myth: Wukong. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Rebekah Valentine and Khee Hoon Chan’s report on sexism at Game Science, the developers of Black Myth: Wukong. (Source: IGN)
• Announcement trailer for The Rise of the Golden Idol. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Light No Fire announcement trailer. (Source: HelloGamesTube on YouTube)
• Cinematic trailer for Exodus. (Source: Archetype Entertainment on YouTube)
• Reveal teaser for Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Visions of Mana. (Source: Square Enix on YouTube)
• Trailer for Usual June. (Source: Finji on YouTube)

Layoffs and the State of the Games Industry (1:02:20)

• A list of video game layoffs in 2023. (Source: Game Industry Layoffs)
• Wikipedia article on PM Entertainment.
• Report on layoffs and their circumstances at Bungie. (Source: IGN)

LittleMac’s Top 3 (1:30:25)

• Nintendo Store page for Disney Illusion Island.
• Nintendo Store page for F-Zero 99.
• Steam store page for Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons.
• #3: Chants of Sennaar. (Source: Steam)
• #2: Super Mario Bros. Wonder. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• #1: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. (Source: Nintendo Store)

Bloomed Wings’s Top 3 (1:38:05)

• First pick: Let’s! Revolution! (Source: Steam)
• Second pick: Birth. (Source: Steam)
• Game of the year: Against the Storm. (Source: Steam)

3rdstringhero’s Top 3 (1:40:35)

• #1: Baldur’s Gate 3. (Source: Steam)
• #2: Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. (Source: Steam)
• #3: Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader. (Source: Steam)
• A list of video game layoffs in 2023. (Source: Game Industry Layoffs)

Our Favourites: Honourable Mentions (1:45:05)

• Merve’s #10: Dordogne. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s #9: Super Mario Bros. Wonder. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• Merve’s #8: Backfirewall_. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s #7: Hi-Fi Rush. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s #6: A Space for the Unbound. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s #10: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s #9: Pizza Tower. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s #8: Quake II remaster. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s #7: System Shock remake. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s #6: Resident Evil 4 remake. (Source: Steam)
• Wolfman Jew’s #8: Sea of Stars. (Source: Steam)
• Wolfman Jew’s #7: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• Wolfman Jew’s #6: Metroid Prime Remastered. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• The Kappa’s honourable mention: Age of Wonders 4. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s honourable mention: GoldenEye 007 remaster. (Source: Xbox)
• The Kappa’s honourable mention: Hi-Fi Rush. (Source: Steam)

Our Favourites: #5 (1:52:25)

• Merve’s #5: Misericorde: Volume One. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s #5: Sludge Life 2. (Source: Steam)
• Wolfman Jew’s #5: Dredge. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s #5: Marvel’s Midnight Suns. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia articles on Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Fire Emblem Engage.

Our Favourites: #4 (2:05:05)

• Merve’s #4: Pikmin 4. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• Science is Bad’s #4: Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. (Source: Steam)
• Report on Mimimi Games’s upcoming shutdown. (Source: Game Developer)
• Wolfman Jew’s #4: Super Mario Bros. Wonder. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• The Kappa’s #4: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. (Source: Ubisoft)

Our Favourites: #3 (2:23:35)

• Merve’s #3: The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. (Source: Steam)
• The essay Merve wrote about The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. (Source: Refrigerator Rants)
• Science is Bad’s #3: Alan Wake 2. (Source: Epic Games Store)
• Steam store page for Control.
• Wolfman Jew’s #3: Pikmin 4. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• Pikmin 4 sold 2.61 million copies worldwide (both physical and digital) by the end of September, 2023. (Source: Nintendo Financial Results Explanatory Material, 2^nd Quarter of Fiscal Year Ending March 2024)
• Pikipedia article on Louie.
• The Kappa’s #3: Starfield. (Source: Steam)
• Fallout Wiki article on the Dunwich Building. (Source: Fandom)

Our Favourites: #2 (2:56:25)

• Merve’s #2: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s #2: Chants of Sennaar. (Source: Steam)
• Wolfman Jew’s #2: Resident Evil 4 remake. (Source: Steam)
• Resident Evil Wiki article on the Garrador. (Source: Fandom)
• The Kappa’s #2: Baldur’s Gate 3. (Source: Steam)

Our Favourites: #1 (3:14:20)

• Merve’s #1: Chants of Sennaar. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia article on logograms.
• Science is Bad’s #1: Baldur’s Gate 3. (Source: Steam)
• IMDb page for Jennifer English.
• Wolfman Jew’s #1: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. (Source: Nintendo Store)
• The Kappa’s #1: Fortnite. (Source: Epic Games Store)

Our Disappointments and Least Favourite Games (3:52:15)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Viewfinder

• Wolfman Jew’s pick: Sea of Stars. (Source: Steam)
• Steam store page for The Day Before. The game is no longer available for sale.
• Steam store page for Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta – Episode 1 – Gold Edition.
• Merve’s let’s play of Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta. (Source: Merve Mervington on YouTube)
• The Kappa’s pick: The Settlers: New Allies. (Source: Ubisoft)
• The Kappa’s pick: Company of Heroes 3. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s pick: Cities: Skylines II. (Source: Steam)
• The Kappa’s pick: Gloomhaven. (Source: Steam)
• Wolfman Jew’s pick: the continued success of Hogwarts Legacy. (Source: Steam)
• Science is Bad’s pick: Season: A Letter to the Future. (Source: Steam)
• Steam store page for Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between.
• The Kappa and Merve’s pick: Atomic Heart. (Source: Steam)
• Merve’s pick: American Arcadia. (Source: Steam)
• Steam store page for Viewfinder.

Our Surprises (4:49:00)

MILD SPOILERS: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

• Merve’s pick: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. Confirmation: It is indeed set in Sumida Ward. (Source: Steam)
• Wolfman Jew’s pick: Unity’s runtime fee. (Source: The Verge)
• Report on Unity’s revised pricing model. (Source: The Verge)
• Overview trailer for Another Code: Recollection. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• The developer of Another Code: Recollection has not been revealed. (Source: Cing Wiki on Fandom)
• The Kappa’s pick: The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. (Source: Epic Games Store)
• Science is Bad’s pick: Alan Wake 2. (Source: Epic Games Store)
• Merve’s pick: Wyna Liu’s Connections for the New York Times.
• GuessThe.Game.
• Official website for Puzzmo.

Conclusion (5:07:20)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
QuinleyThorne
Captain Blasto
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
13:20 – The Game Awards: Introduction
15:40 – The Game Awards: Nomination Discussion, Part 1
2:14:15 – The Game Awards: Nomination Discussion, Part 2
2:29:15 – The Game Awards: Predictions
2:55:35 – Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
3:11:55 – Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
3:27:25 – Marvel’s Midnight Suns
3:53:20 – American Arcadia
3:58:25 – Horror Recommendations
4:00:55 – The Lord of the Rings Online
4:04:25 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep97

Podcast header image from Pikmin 4. Spoiler warning (mild) for Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Mountain Dew Wiki article on Atomic Blue. (Source: Fandom)
• Steam store pages for PowerWash Simulator and Vampire Survivors.
• YouTube channel for Jelle’s Marble Runs.
• Wikipedia articles on Carly Rae Jepsen, Barenaked Ladies, Crash Test Dummies, Billy Talent, and Nickelback.
• An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, also known as Bill C-11. (Source: Parliament of Canada)
• Correction: The part of the ear that Merve was referring to is called the tragus. The pinna is the entire visible outer portion of the ear. (Sources: Otologic Surgery Atlas at Stanford Medicine; Johns Hopkins Medicine)
• Wikipedia article on Black Friday.

The Game Awards: Introduction (13:20)

• Official website for The Game Awards.
• Clarification: Spike TV is now known as Paramount Network, and Paramount+ is a streaming service owned by the same parent company.
• Correction: The Spike series comparing historical warriors was called Deadliest Warrior, not The Greatest Warrior. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Game Awards: Nomination Discussion, Part 1 (15:40)

MILD SPOILERS: Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

• Nomination categories for The Game Awards.
• Nominees for Game of the Year.
• Nominees for Best Game Direction.
• Nominees for Best Narrative.
• Nominees for Best Art Direction.
• Wikipedia article on the Simpsons episode “The Seven-Beer Snitch.”
• Nominees for Best Score and Music.
• Correction: The island on which the lotus-eaters resided is not named in the Odyssey. Some scholars believe it to be the Tunisian island of Djerba, known in ancient Greece as Meninx. This is not the same island on which Circe resided. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Nominees for Best Audio Design.
• Nominees for Best Performance.
• Nominees for Innovation in Accessibility.
• Nominees for Games for Impact.
• Correction: Games for Impact has existed since the first edition of The Game Awards in 2014, when it was known as Games for Change. Life Is Strange came out the following year. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Nominees for Best Ongoing.
• Correction: CD Projekt Red is not a relatively small developer in the AAA space; they have over 1,000 employees. (Source: CD Projekt Red)
• Correction: The Final Fantasy XIV dev team was estimated in 2019 to be around 300 people, so if anything CD Projekt Red is three times its size, not the other way around. (Source: r/ffxiv on Reddit)
• Nominees for Best Community Support.
• Nominees for Best Independent Game.
• Nominees for Best Debut Indie Game.
• Nominees for Best Mobile Game.
• The Japanese developer that QuinleyThorne mentioned that specializes in simulation games for mobile platforms is Kairosoft. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Nominees for Best VR/AR.
• Nominees for Best Action Game.
• Wikipedia article on Armored Core: For Answer.
• Nominees for Best Action/Adventure.
• Nominees for Best RPG.
• Nominees for Best Fighting.
• Nominees for Best Family.
• Nominees for Best Sim/Strategy.
• Confirmation: The Best Sim/Strategy award at The Game Awards was only Best Strategy until 2020, when Microsoft Flight Simulator was nominated and won. Microsoft Flight Simulator was also nominated the following year, but it did not win. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Game Awards: Nomination Discussion, Part 2 (2:14:15)

• Nominees for Best Sports/Racing.
• Nominees for Best Multiplayer.
• Nominees for Best Adaptation.
• Nominees for Most Anticipated Game.
• Wikipedia article on announcer Lenne Hardt.
• Nominees for Content Creator of the Year.
• The international jury for The Game Awards.

The Game Awards: Predictions (2:29:15)

• Official website for Avowed. (Source: Obsidian Entertainment)
• Wikipedia article on Naughty Dog.
• Report on rumours of a new Uncharted game being co-developed by Sony’s San Diego Studio. (Source: PlayStation Lifestyle)
• Wikipedia article on Sony’s Santa Monica Studio.
• Wikipedia article on Media.Vision.
• Correction: Valkyria Chronicles III is the Valkyria Chronicles game that never made it to the West. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Teaser trailer for MachineGames’s Indiana Jones game. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Mina the Hollower. (Source: Yacht Club Games on YouTube)
• Report on Certain Affinity’s Halo Infinite project. (Source: Video Games Chronicle)
• Correction: Kojima is working on a project involving Elle Fanning, not her older sister Dakota. This may or may not be the cloud-based game he’s working on with Microsoft or the horror game involving Margaret Qualley. It’s also possible that the cloud-based game and the horror game are the same game, and this ended up all but being confirmed at The Game Awards. (Source: Engadget)
• The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer ended up being released before The Game Awards. (Source: Rockstar Games on YouTube)
• The unofficial Hollow Knight: Silksong subreddit.
• Correction: Crossfire X came to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, but no other platforms (i.e. neither PlayStation nor Switch), so while Merve was technically correct about the game not being exclusive to a single console, he was not correct in spirit.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2:55:35)

• Steam store page for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
• Kiryu’s fighting styles in Yakuza 0 are called Brawler, Rush, and Beast, and Majima’s fighting styles are called Thug, Slugger, and Breaker. (Source: TrueAchievements)

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (3:11:55)

• Steam store page for Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key.
• The trilogy with a PS4 follow-up (so technically a quadrilogy) that QuinleyThorne was referencing was the Arland sub-series. (Source: Wikipedia)

Marvel’s Midnight Suns (3:27:25)

• Steam store page for Marvel’s Midnight Suns.
• Steam store page for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
• Wikipedia article on DC Universe Online.
• Steam store page for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
• Wikipedia article on the Deadpool video game.
• Wikipedia article on Marvel Heroes.
• Wikipedia article on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order.
• Wikipedia article on X-Men: Destiny.

American Arcadia (3:53:20)

• Steam store page for American Arcadia.

Horror Recommendations (3:58:25)

• Steam store page for Tenebris Somnia.
• The Nokzen Gaming YouTube channel.

The Lord of the Rings Online (4:00:55)

• Official website for the Corsairs of Umbar expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online.

Conclusion (4:04:25)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
QuinleyThorne
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
2:35 – Dordogne
11:50 – Alan Wake 2
25:25 – The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
34:25 – Wartales
37:10 – Super Mario Bros. Wonder
48:25 – Atelier Ryza 3 and Gust’s Work
57:40 – Bungie Layoffs and Sony Finances, Part 1
1:07:50 – Silent Hill: Ascension and Game Marketing
1:17:10 – Bungie Layoffs and Sony Finances, Part 2
1:24:50 – Starfield Spoiler Chat
2:29:40 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep96

Podcast header image is a modification of the Bungie logo. Major spoilers for Starfield from 1:24:50 onward. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• The ThorHighHeels YouTube channel.

Dordogne (2:35)

• Steam store page for Dordogne.
• Wikipedia article on the Occitan language.
• Steam store page for The Flame in the Flood.
• Steam store page for Kentucky Route Zero.
• Wikipedia article on Kakegurui.

Alan Wake 2 (11:50)

• Epic Games Store page for Alan Wake 2.
• Clarification: May 22^nd, 2012 was the North American release date for the PC version of Alan Wake’s American Nightmare. The game’s initial worldwide Xbox 360 release was on February 22^nd, 2012. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Control.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (25:25)

• Epic Games Store page for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.

Wartales (34:25)

• Steam store page for Wartales.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder (37:10)

• Nintendo store page for Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Atelier Ryza 3 and Gust’s Work (48:25)

• Steam store page for Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key.
• Steam store page for Blue Reflection.
• Blue Reflection Wiki article on Blue Reflection Sun. (Source: Fandom)
• The character design sheet for Junichi Hashiba, the protagonist of My First Girlfriend Is a Gal. (Source: Anime News Network)

Bungie Layoffs and Sony Finances, Part 1 (57:40)

• Reporting on layoffs at Bungie by Paul Tassi. (Source: Forbes)

Silent Hill: Ascension and Game Marketing (1:07:50)

• Official website for Silent Hill: Ascension.
• Correction: The offending phrase was “hideo kojima cummy in my tummy.” (Source: Kotaku)
• The ride at Walt Disney World that allowed riders to choose their own ending was Horizons, located at Epcot. As mentioned, it is no longer in operation. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The infamous Shenmue commercial where a man daydreams about the game during sex. (Source: Sega Fans on YouTube)
• Frequency Vibrations is the name of the main character from NBA 2K16’s career mode. (Source: Destructoid)

Bungie Layoffs and Sony Finances, Part 2 (1:17:10)

• Reporting on Sony’s live service plans from last year. Clarification: We recorded this before it was reported that Sony was delaying half its planned live service games. (Sources: TechCrunch and Video Games Chronicle)
• Reporting on Connie Booth’s departure from Sony. (Source: Video Games Chronicle)
• Wikipedia article on Folklore.
• Wikipedia article on Game Republic.

Starfield Spoiler Chat (1:24:50)

MAJOR SPOILERS: Starfield

• Steam store page for Starfield.
• Correction: Edge of Tomorrow was based on a light novel called All You Need Is Kill. “Live Die Repeat” was considered as a possible title for the film, but it was repurposed as the film’s tagline. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Official website for No Frills.
• Steam store page for OPUS: Echo of Starsong.
• Wikipedia article on the Hajj.
• Confirmation: You can combine the Neon Street Rat and Kid Stuff traits. (Source: r/Starfield on Reddit)

Conclusion (2:29:40)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
9:05 – Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play
18:20 – Unity’s Fee Restructuring
47:05 – Starfield: Intro and General Discussion
1:00:45 – Starfield: Characters
1:10:55 – Starfield: Combat, Part 1
1:18:30 – Starfield: Some Criticisms, Part 1
1:34:35 – Starfield: Exploration and Setting
1:41:25 – Starfield: Some Criticisms, Part 2
1:47:05 – Starfield: Mixing Genres and Aesthetics
1:57:30 – Starfield: The Main Quest
2:04:40 – Starfield: The Discourse
2:17:45 – Starfield: Exploration and Setting
2:25:20 – Starfield: Tone, Writing, and Quality
2:34:55 – Starfield: Combat, Part 2
2:39:55 – Starfield: Food
2:45:35 – Starfield: Ships
2:50:15 – Starfield: Quest Flexibility
2:53:10 – Starfield: Inclusion and Its Controversies
2:58:30 – Starfield: Amount and Depth of Content
3:00:45 – The Rest of the Year
3:03:25 – Starfield: Final Thoughts
3:05:05 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep95

Podcast header image from Starfield. Podcast header font is Gruppe A. Major story spoilers for Starfield (main quest up till end of “Into the Unknown” and early missions of each faction quest) from 1:47:05 to 2:34:55 and 2:50:15 to 2:53:10. Linkdump after the jump

Introduction (0:15)

• Wikipedia article on avocadoes.
• Clarification: Legumes are botanical fruits. (Source: Wikipedia)
• A botanical berry is a fleshy fruit without a stone, produced from a single ovary. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article on Mountain Dew.
• Mountain Dew Wiki article on VooDEW. (Source: Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on Swedish Fish.
• Wikipedia article on the lingonberry.
• The regulation forbidding the addition of caffeine to non-cola soft drinks in Canada was repealed in 2010. (Source: CTV News)
• Wikipedia article on Kinder Surprise.
• Clarification: Surprisingly, Merve was not mistaken about Canadian energy drink regulation, but he missed some important context. (Merve also repeatedly conflated regulation and legislation, but who’s keeping track?) Up until late 2012, caffeinated energy drinks were regulated not as food products, but as natural health products. This meant that they could be sold in the country, even prior to 2010, when non-cola soft drinks not marketed as energy drinks were prohibited from containing caffeine. In December 2012, caffeinated energy drinks were brought under the food regulatory framework, which put them under the same regulatory regime as other soft drinks. But by this point, non-cola soft drinks were allowed to contain caffeine, so as long as energy drinks’ caffeine content didn’t exceed regulatory limits, this didn’t affect their ability to be legally sold. (Source: Health Canada)
• Clarification: Jolt Cola was discontinued in 2019, so it’s not just unavailable in Canada; it’s unavailable everywhere. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Music video for “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys. (Source: BeastieBoys on YouTube)

Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play (9:05)

• The September 14^th Nintendo Direct. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• The September 14^th State of Play. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Super Princess Peach.
• Wikipedia article on Gang Beasts.
• The dodgeball game Merve mentioned is called Knockout City. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Correction: The Call of Duty games whose servers were brought back online were Black Ops, Black Ops 2, and Modern Warfare 3. (Source: NME)
• Wikipedia article on Wild Hearts.
• Report on recent fixes to Titanfall 2. (Source: Eurogamer)

Unity’s Fee Restructuring (18:20)

• Unity’s original blog post announcing the runtime fee. Update: As of September 22^nd, Unity has largely revised the policy.
• An outline of some of the backtracking Unity initially did on the policy. (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)
• Information on Unity’s business model. (Source: FourWeekMBA)

Starfield: Intro and General Discussion (47:05)

• Steam store page for Starfield.
• Correction: Merve had actually been to Cydonia at this point, because going there is necessary to complete The Old Neighborhood. (Source: Starfield Wiki on Fandom)

Starfield: Characters (1:00:45)

• Wikipedia article on Parks and Recreation.

Starfield: Combat, Part 1 (1:10:55)

• Correction: Merve was talking about the Equinox, and it is classed as a rifle, not a pistol. There is no weapon called the Eclipse. (Source: Starfield Wiki on Fandom)

Starfield: Some Criticisms, Part 1 (1:18:30)

• Starfield Wiki article on outposts. (Source: Fextralife)
• Steam store page for Grounded.
• Clarification: Golf Club Wasteland was forced to change its name to Golf Club Nostalgia earlier this year due to a legal claim. It was still called Golf Club Wasteland back when Merve played it, but it had already changed its name to Golf Club Nostalgia by the time of recording. (Source: Steam)
• Wikipedia article on Aaron Copland.

Starfield: Exploration and Setting (1:34:35)

No links here.

Starfield: Some Criticisms, Part 2 (1:41:25)

• Mass Effect Wiki article on the M35 Mako. (Source: Fandom)
• Elite Dangerous Wiki article on the Scarab. (Source: Fandom)

— SPOILERS BEGIN HERE —

Starfield: Mixing Genres and Aesthetics (1:47:05)

• Fallout Wiki article on the Dunwich Building from Fallout 3. (Source: Fallout Wiki on Fandom)

Starfield: The Main Quest (1:57:30)

• Correction: Merve’s correction of the pronunciation of Inon Zur’s name wasn’t wholly correct. It is pronounced more like “yee-non tsoor,” with “oo” as in “book” and “r” pronounced gutturally as in the French language. (Sources: Wikipedia)

Starfield: The Discourse (2:04:40)

• Steam store page for Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Dan Stapleton’s review of Starfield for IGN.
• Michael Higham’s review of Starfield for GameSpot.
• Nicole Carpenter’s review of Starfield for Polygon.

Starfield: Culture and Politics (2:17:45)

• The XKCD comic that The Kappa was referencing about digital infrastructure. Correction: The person in the comic is from Nebraska, not Akron, Ohio.

Starfield: Tone, Writing, and Quality (2:25:20)

• Steam store page for Fallout: New Vegas.

— SPOILERS END HERE —

Starfield: Combat, Part 2 (2:34:55)

• Steam store page for Atomic Heart.
• Wikipedia article on osmium. Correction: Osmium is not the densest element, but it is the densest naturally occurring one.
• Wikipedia article on the misericorde.
• Steam store page for Misericorde: Volume One.

Starfield: Food (2:39:55)

• Correction: The barbacoa-containing food item is a wrap, not tacos. (Source: Starfield Wiki on Fandom)
• Wikipedia article on tourtière.

Starfield: Ships (2:45:35)

• The Kappa’s tugboat ship. (Hosted on imgur)

— SPOILERS BEGIN HERE —

Starfield: Quest Flexibility (2:50:15)

No links here.

— SPOILERS END HERE —

Starfield: Inclusion and Its Controversies (2:53:10)

• Article on NexusMods banning the pronoun removal mod. (Source: Eurogamer)
• IGN Wiki article on religions in Starfield.

Starfield: Amount and Depth of Content (2:58:30)

No links here.

The Rest of the Year (3:00:45)

• Steam store pages for Cocoon, The Lamplighters League, Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue, Jusant, Thirty Suitors, The Invincible,and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
• Nintendo store pages for Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Mario RPG remake.
• Official website for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
• Steam store page for Total War: Pharaoh.
• Official website for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.

Starfield: Final Thoughts (3:03:25)

No links here.

Conclusion (3:05:05)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa
The Wasp

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
6:45 – Pikmin 4
15:55 – Game Boy Color Zelda Games and Nostalgia
26:30 – Baldur’s Gate 3
55:20 – Marvel Snap and Virtual Trading Card Games
1:07:35 – Venba
1:19:00 – The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
1:30:35 – Fall 2023 Preview: The Kappa’s Most Anticipated Games
1:36:20 – Fall 2023 Preview: The Wasp’s Most Anticipated Games
1:40:15 – Fall 2023 Preview: Potential Splashes, Part 1
1:53:50 – Fall 2023 Preview: Merve’s Most Anticipated Games
1:56:50 – Fall 2023 Preview: Potential Splashes, Part 2
2:03:25 – Fall 2023 Preview: Other Anticipated Games
2:10:05 – Fall 2023 Preview: Potential Bombs
2:36:50 – Ranking 2023
2:48:10 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep94

Podcast header image from The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. Header font is Pixeled. Linkdump after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Explanation of advantage and disadvantage in Dungeons & Dragons. (Source: 5^th Edition System Reference Document)
• Official website for the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Pikmin 4 (6:45)

• Nintendo store page for Pikmin 4.
• Pikmin 4 was first announced and said to be in development back in 2015. (Source: Wikipedia)

Game Boy Color Zelda Games and Nostalgia (15:55)

• Wikipedia article on The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.
• Wikipedia article on the American version of the Disney Channel.
• Wikipedia article on Nickelodeon.
• Clarification: The Canadian version of Disney Channel didn’t launch until 2015. Before that, Disney’s original programming used to air on Family Channel in Canada. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia article section on Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (26:30)

• Wikipedia article on Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Wikipedia article on New Haven-style pizza.
• Xalavier Nelson Jr.’s Twitter thread on Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Destin Legarie’s video on Baldur’s Gate 3 and the state of big-budget games. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Larian head Swen Vincke questioned the idea of Baldur’s Gate 3 setting a “standard.” (Source: PC Gamer)
• Confirmation: Baldur’s Gate 3 has a lower Metacritic score than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Baldur’s Gate 3 has a score of 96. Ocarina of Time has a score of 99. (Source: Metacritic)

Marvel Snap and Virtual Trading Card Games (55:20)

• Steam store page for Marvel Snap.

Venba (1:07:35)

• Steam store page for Venba.
• Wikipedia article on les filles du roi.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (1:19:00)

• Steam store page for The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.
• Original soundtrack for The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. (Source: Spotify)

Fall 2023 Preview: The Kappa’s Most Anticipated Games (1:30:35)

• Steam store page for Starfield.
• Steam store page for Dungeons 4.
• World premiere trailer for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Far Cry.

Fall 2023 Preview: The Wasp’s Most Anticipated Games (1:36:20)

• Steam store page for Age of Empires IV.
• Announce trailer for Suikoden I&II Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. The Wasp wasn’t kidding about the subtitles. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct. (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Sonic Superstars. (Source: Sonic the Hedgehog on YouTube)

Fall 2023 Preview: Potential Splashes, Part 1 (1:40:15)

• Gameplay reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. (Source: Call of Duty on YouTube)
• Clarification: Nexon was founded in South Korea but is currently headquartered in Japan. It’s possible that we were confusing it with NetEase. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for Thirsty Suitors.

Fall 2023 Preview: Merve’s Most Anticipated Games (1:53:30)

• Steam store page for The Invincible.
• Steam store page for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
• Reveal trailer for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Life of Pi.

Fall 2023 Preview: Potential Splashes, Part 2 (1:56:50)

• Story trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Lies of P.
• Steam store page for Sea of Stars.
• Wikipedia article on Marvel’s Midnight Suns.
• Gameplay trailer for Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Gameplay Trailer. (Source: Ubisoft on YouTube)
• Announcement trailer for Alone in the Dark. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)

Fall 2023 Preview: Other Anticipated Games (2:03:25)

• Trailer for WarioWare: Move It! (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube)
• Release date reveal trailer for The Lamplighters League. (Source: Xbox on YouTube)
• Correction: William Gibson lived in Toronto in the late ‘60s, not throughout the ‘70s. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Steam store page for Mortal Kombat 1.

Fall 2023 Preview: Potential Bombs (2:10:05)

• Gameplay trailer for Alan Wake 2. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Steam store page for Endless Dungeon.
• Epic Games Store page for The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.
• Epic Games Store page The Crew Motorfest.
• Steam store page for Riders Republic.
• Steam store page for Eternights.
• The “questions already answered by my shirt” Tweet that The Wasp was referencing. (Source: @shutupmikeginn on Twitter)
• Gameplay overview for Lords of the Fallen. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• Gameplay overview trailer for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. (Source: Focus Entertainment on YouTube)
• Trailer for Detective Pikachu Returns. (Source: The Official Pokémon YouTube channel on YouTube)
• Gameplay trailer for Payday 3. (Source: PAYDAY 3 on YouTube)

Ranking 2023 (2:36:50)

• Wikipedia article section on boomer shooters.
• Wikipedia article on Forspoken.
• Wikipedia article on Hogwarts Legacy.
• Wikipedia article on Atomic Heart.
• Wikipedia article on Pizza Tower.
• Steam store page for Backfirewall­_.
• Steam store page for Wartales.
• Wikipedia article on The Settlers: New Allies.
• Confirmation: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is still set to come out in 2023. (Source: Steam)

Conclusion (2:48:10)

No links here.

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa
Captain Blasto

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
14:15 – The Video Game Industry and the Rapidly Worsening Internet
55:45 – Viewfinder
1:05:50 – Pikmin 4
1:17:05 – Adventures in Mobile Gaming
1:31:00 – Persona 5 Royal
1:36:15 – Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access
1:50:30 – Master Detective Archives: Rain Code
2:02:25 – He F***ed the Girl Out of Me
2:06:00 – The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
2:11:20 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep93

Podcast header image from Viewfinder. Header font is Special Alphabets 4. Content warnings: discussions of domestic abuse and transphobia. Spoiler warning: Baldur’s Gate 3 (mild). Linkdump and timestamps for warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

• Wikipedia article on Friendster.
• Wikipedia article on GeoCities.
• Official website for Bluesky.
• Wikipedia article on Threads.
• Facebook’s monthly active user count has increased every quarter from Q2 2008 to Q2 2023, with the exception of Q1 2022 to Q2 2022, when it declined slightly. (Source: Business of Apps)
• Apple app store page for HEY Email.
• Official website for Hive Social.
• Official website for Marco Polo.
• Official website for Zoom.

The Video Game Industry and the Rapidly Worsening Internet (14:15)

• Cory Doctorow’s now famous “enshittification” essay. (Source: Pluralistic)
• Official website for YouTube.
• An article about the dangers of perineum sunning. (Source: Allure)
• Official website for comedian Chris Porter.
• Wikipedia article on recommender systems.
• Wikipedia article on generative AI.
• Official website for Kickstarter.
• Official website for Stormgate.

Viewfinder (55:45)

• Steam store page for Viewfinder.
• Wikipedia article on Kim Swift.

Pikmin 4 (1:05:50)

• Nintendo store page for Pikmin 4.
• Steam store page for Overlord.
• Steam store page for Darwinia.
• The current rating system used by the ESRB. The “Early Childhood” (EC) rating was retired in 2018. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Multiple corrections: There are two standalone virtual museums based off Assassin’s Creed currently rated by the ESRB: Ancient Greece (based off Odyssey); and Viking Age (based off Valhalla). The former is rated E10+, and the latter is rated E. Neither would have been eligible for an EC rating if it had been in use at the time. What The Kappa might have been referring to is the Edutainment content descriptor, which is no longer in use by the ESRB. (Source: ESRB)

Adventures in Mobile Gaming (1:17:05)

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of domestic abuse

• Wikipedia article on Candy Crush Saga.
• Google Play store page for Dreamdale – Fairy Adventure.
• Steam store pages for AdVenture Capitalist and AdVenture Communist.
• The Merge Mansion ad starring Pedro Pascal. (Source: IGN on YouTube)
• One of the Game of War ads starring Kate Upton (Source: Game of War: Fire Age on YouTube)
• Google Play store page for King’s Choice.
• Wikipedia article on Evony.
• Wikipedia articles on Brain Age and Big Brain Academy. The “doctor character” that The Kappa mentioned was called Professor Kawashima.
• The Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain ad featuring Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka. (Source: GameSpot Trailers on YouTube)

Persona 5 Royal (1:31:00)

• Wikipedia article section on Persona 5 Royal.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access (1:36:15)

MINOR SPOILERS:Baldur’s Gate 3

• Steam store page for Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Know Your Meme page for the Baldur’s Gate 3 bear sex scene.
• Correction: Bears form a taxonomic family, not a genus. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Correction: Baldur’s Gate 3 is slated to come to PlayStation 5 and macOS a month after its August 3^rd release on Windows PC. Contrary to what Merve said, the game is coming to macOS. (Source: Wikipedia)
• The Gameological Fantasy Critic league. Correction: Games that are currently in early access are banned from the league.
• Correction: Fortnite hasn’t been in early access since June 2020. What allows it to be played online on PlayStation without a PS Plus membership is that its battle royale mode is a free-to-play game. (Sources: The Verge and GameRevolution)

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code  (1:50:30)

• Nintendo Switch store page for Master Detective Archives: Rain Code.
• Wikipedia article on the Danganronpa series.
• Wikipedia article on Tokimeki Memorial.

He F***ed the Girl Out of Me (2:02:25)

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of transphobia

• itch.io page for He Fucked the Girl Out of Me.
• Correction: The retro-styled game Merve was thinking of was called Retro City Rampage, not “River City Rampage.” Its developer was working on a Game Boy Advance version of the game, but it was never released. (Source: Wikpedia)
• Wikipedia article on Dog Day Afternoon.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2:06:00)

• Wikipedia article on Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.
• Wikipedia article on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Conclusion (2:11:20)

• An explanation for where the term “glizzy” comes from. (Source: Dexerto)
• Wikipedia article on the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
• Correction: Merve was referring to a tonsure, not a tonsor. (Source: Wikipedia)

Featuring:
Merve
The Kappa

Editor:
The Kappa

Timestamps:
0:15 – Introduction
1:55 – What We’ve Been Playing
22:20 – May PlayStation Showcase
54:05 – Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct
1:28:15 – The PC Gaming Show
1:38:05 – Ubisoft Forward
2:07:20 – Guerrilla Collective
2:08:40 – Devolver Digital
2:10:25 – Tribeca Games Spotlight
2:17:30 – Future Games Show
2:24:25 – OTK Games Expo
2:28:25 – RGG Summit
2:37:20 – Xbox Showcase Extended and Tactics Games
2:42:45 – General Summer Game Fest Discussion, Part 1
3:02:15 – Trends in Geek Media
3:07:15 – General Summer Game Fest Discussion, Part 2
3:28:00 – Conclusion

Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep92

Podcast header image from Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer. Mild spoilers for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Major spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Linkdump and timestamps for spoiler warnings after the jump.

Introduction (0:15)

No links here

What We’ve Been Playing (1:55)

• Wikipedia article on Battlefield 2042.
• Wikipedia article on Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
• Article on the removal of the Nickmercs skin from Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. (Source: Eurogamer)
• Clarification: The system that uses matchmaking to encourage players to buy cosmetics was a patent filed by Activision, but as of 2017, Activision claims that this has system has not made its way into any of their games. The patent does not specifically mention showing people cosmetics belonging to the players who killed them. (Source: PC Gamer)
• Steam store page Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer.
• Steam store page Hypnospace Outlaw.
• The interview that the developers of Slayers X did in character with Nintendo Life.
• Wikipedia article on the Postal series.

May PlayStation Showcase (22:20)

• VoD of the showcase. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
• Official announce trailer for Marathon. (Source: Marathon on YouTube)
• Wikipedia article on Tom Clancy’s The Division.
• CGI reveal trailer for Fairgame$. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Foamstars. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Revenant Hill. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Correction: Foamstars is exclusive to PlayStation for now. (Source: Square Enix)
• Clarification: Haven was founded with an investment from Sony, but it wasn’t acquired by Sony until a year after its founding. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Announce trailer for Phantom Blade Zero. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)
• Announce trailer for Sword of the Sea. (Source: PlayStation on YouTube)