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Season 20, Episode 22 Jul 19, 2026

Show notes

So we finally have a week that isn’t dominated by bad news. But don’t get me wrong, it’s still there. From more layoffs to more physical media options being lost to the expectations that our RAM pricing issues will only get worse.

But let’s focus on the good for a bit at least. Summer Games Done Quick raised over TWO MILLION dollars for charity and that’s just an absolutely wonderful thing to share. I’m not sure where it stands among previous efforts but it doesn’t matter. Anything raised when there was none before is always a good thing.

In the “captain obvious” segment of the news we heard that analysts predict a slump in console sales on the horizon. Given the fact console prices keep increasing this didn’t really take a particularly strong set of mind powers to foresee. We again state, as we have for a while now, the best time to buy was yesterday. The second best time is today. This advice will now continue to be the case until sometime in 2028 or further.

And Ubisoft made the news but not for good reason as there have been more layoffs after the VERY successful launch of the Black Flag remake. They still have not yet released Splinter Cell.

Ubisoft, it’s been 4,717 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 8,527 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2026.

Season 20, Episode 21 Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

I don’t know how many more times I can start these things by saying we have more bad news but…

We have more bad news. Likely by now you know most of it. The gaming world has been dominated by the news from both Sony and Microsoft.

On the Microsoft side, it’s the layoffs. The big “reset”. We’d known cuts were coming and we expected it to be bad. We didn’t know how bad but it didn’t matter. Whatever we thought wasn’t near what actually happened.

In 2025 there were about 5500 jobs lost in the gaming industry. Just two weeks ago the number for 2026 was over 4500 jobs lost but after the Microsoft cuts, we’re at over 8000 jobs lost this year.

And it’s not over.

On the Sony side of things it’s the decision to stop producing physical discs for first and third party PlayStation titles beginning in 2028. This will likely spread across other gaming platforms as well. Sony took the hit for making the announcement but it’s almost a given that Microsoft and Nintendo will follow.

The future for physical media is bleak.

The future for video gaming is bleak.

The future for PC gaming/building is bleak.

And it’s not over.

Ubisoft, Splinter Cell will not save you, even though it’s been 4,710 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 8,312 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2026.

Season 20, Episode 20 Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

Before we get to the (bad) news this week, a reminder that we’ll be off next weekend due to the holiday.

Also, a massive thank you to all of you who helped us reach our goal covering our server costs for the year. We appreciate that more than you know and we can’t begin to express what it means to us. Seriously, thank you.

Now for the bad news. This was a week packed full of what normally would be pretty amazing news but it’s just all bad because of…everything.

In any other reality the Steam Machines release would have been a pretty big deal of good news but the prices threw water on that fire pretty quick. And it only made people look even closer into it to find more limitations than anything else – specifically because of how much you’re paying for the thing. The higher the price the more you need to know what you’re buying.

Staying in alternate realities, the pre-order for GTA6 would be massive! But we have no numbers yet on what that is and the price, ultimate edition, along with the whole “no physical” editions has turned the whole thing a bit sour to some folks.

While also being in the dark timeline, Xbox console prices are increasing a THIRD time. Six whole years into this generation this SHOULD NOT be happening, but it is. And it’s only going to get worse.

Then there’s the job losses. Which, as you’ll see below, has now increased and will increase again. Last year, in total, we had about 5,300 job losses and we’re very close to hitting that mark THIS year.

It’s bleak. And hope does not seem to be on the horizon.

But at least that new Star Wars racer plays like Burnout.

Ubisoft…it’s been 4,696 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 4,658 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2026.

Season 20, Episode 19 Jun 21, 2026

Show notes

And the bad news just keeps rolling on.

To start with, after the wonderful help and generosity with the help of our hosting costs – our host decided to increase our costs. If you are able to help, and I get that we’re living in times right now where helping, financially, is difficult, we appreciate even the least little bit. It’s all laid out in the post just below this one on our website. So, again, thank you.

As for the other bad news, Microsoft is currently in the reaping part of that whole phrase/verse/proverb. And it really sucks. We keep a running tally of job losses at the end of each of these posts and that number is about to go WAY up. Nothing has happened yet but it’s likely to in the weeks to come.

And it’s happening with Bungie & Sony as well.

I’m not sure what the good news could be or any kind of silver lining in all of this is, but I don’t think it’s going to stop or slow down any time soon. There’s a whole ripple effect that’s going on with a near perfect storm of economic issues, RAM issues because of AI (and the economy), and game/console development issues because of the RAM and the economy.

As much as I harp on Ubisoft for never releasing another Splinter Cell – it won’t save them. I get now why they are just, seemingly, going with a remake. It’s been…it’s been 4,689 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,895 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2026.

Season 20, Episode 18 Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

To start this off I need to thank all of you for listening over the years and being as supportive as you’ve always been. And to specifically thank Dave, Sarah, & Bryan.

We have hosting costs coming up next month and their generosity has gone further than I ever expected to make that possible. This is what was talked about at the beginning of the show and before the first hour was done, we’d already made our goal – thank you each from the bottom of our heart and thank you all for your continued support of this show.

As for the news, that’s about the only happy news we have. I mean, yeah, we cover some more of all the games shown off last week, but then we talk about more closings and people losing their jobs – at both Ubisoft and Microsoft. That and what’s to come for PC and console players alike – which is more price increases. And the outlook for how they’ll go about selling you a brand new Xbox or PS6. While no one has announced prices yet, I think it’s mainly because, right now, at this point in time with the way things are price wise, you’d be asking A LOT from your consumers. We’re likely talking 4-digit prices or the whole 999 thing.

I miss building PCs. That fun little hobby done every several years or so has evidently faded away as well given the prices of components.

Oh, I completely forgot about the “no shows” of our big games reveal week – and at the top of that list you have ONE guess as to what I’m talking about.

Ubisoft…it’s been 4,682 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,300 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2026.

Season 20, Episode 17 Jun 07, 2026

Show notes

Well, as is every year, we’ve reached the point where EVERYONE wants to show their games.

And it’s too damn much!

Seriously, spread the love here. Not everything has to be done in the first weekend of June. Also, why does everyone think it should? You are not doing any devs or publishers any favors by doing this. The big guns just drown you out. And I’m writing this right now before we get to Microsoft and the PC Gaming Show.

Hundreds of games revealed, announced, updated…and they’re just thrown into the maw. You could spread all of this out over the summer with nearly something almost every week for gamers.

But they wanna cram it into the span of about a week. Do yourself a favor and take some time to watch the different gaming showcases over a longer span of time. You’ll find more games you’re interested in and you’ll have the time to digest them, to think about them, and get a better indication of what all is out there.

This whole episode is a recap of Sony and Summer Games Fest and we barely get through all of it. And that’s just TWO shows. There’s been like…5 or 8 of them already with more to come. And I hate to complain about too many games, right? But that’s not it. I love all the games. I’m complaining because there is no time to come up for air or for any of them to get time in front of your eyes before the next shiny thing comes floating by.

Oh well, still a chance to get a Splinter Cell popping up at some point. Ubisoft, it’s been 4,675 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,300 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2026.

Season 20, Episode 16 May 31, 2026

Show notes

Goodbye. Again.

I was contemplating doing a post during the week break we took. When the Destiny news broke, I’d thought to say some words about it given we’d be another week before we could talk about it.

Never did get around to it so consider this THAT post.

It’s been a few years since I last played Destiny 2. After the ban there was no way for me to do so without starting completely over and I had no intention to walk that road again. Regardless, I was still absolutely stunned to hear that Bungie would cease updating Destiny 2 any further. It suddenly felt a bit like it did when I realized I’d never play the game again.

And then I started reading forums and Reddit posts. They read like eulogies. And suddenly everyone else was feeling what I’d felt a few years ago. I mean, they still had the game to play but they wrote as though the plug was pulled. I get that this means the end of the game. We won’t get new expansions, DLC, news coverage…and without content to fuel the conversations, that’ll eventually go away as well.

The ban never made me angry with the game or the players or the memories I had of it. Might have been a tad peeved with the customer service aspect but them’s the rules and I’d accepted it rather quickly.

But now everyone’s sharing in my feeling of the end of an era. It was a bit of a different ending for me but the result is pretty much the same. The game…is over.

And as I missed it before I will miss it again but this time as everyone else who are…mourning…their losses.

As much as I’d love to count the days until we get a Destiny 3, it’s unlikely to ever happen. Or, that if we do, it might not come from Bungie. So I’ll continue to count for Splinter Cell, and as much as I do want that game, I’ll always hope for what maybe possibly could have been in a 3rd outing of the Destiny franchise.

Ubisoft, it’s been 4,668 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,300 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2026.

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