Episoder
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John and Lotus are joined this week by Jeff Gerstmann to discuss the week's biggest games news, including: The Witcher 3's surprising expansion coming in 2027, Steam Deck's massive price hikes, and what we thought of 007 First Light.
00:00:00 Intro & podcasting at yourself
00:08:56 The Witcher 3 is getting new DLC in 2027
00:13:10 A moment for Unreal Engine 6
00:15:57 Ikaruga creator's next game has been canceled
Go to nogamesforgenocide.com to learn more about the BDS movement and Microsoft's continued role in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
00:19:14 Microsoft must pay $250m to settle class action lawsuit
00:23:30 Modern Warfare 4 and the great Call of Duty fall-off
00:29:18 Fable delayed from fall 2026 to February 2027
00:38:30 Hoyoverse is investing $14.6b in AI initiatives in the next three years
00:42:20 Roblox and how to navigate its ubiquity as a parent
00:49:15 Steam Deck price hikes and the rare appreciation of gaming setups
00:57:13 Steam updates tags and Workshop features
01:14:44 TheGamer shifts to pay-per-click for its writers
01:24:32 The PlayStation 5 Pro is tall
01:27:01 007 First Light is a great Bond game even for people who aren't Bond superfans
01:38:32 Carrot Kingdom--not the Atari shareware--is a fun and very short puzzler
01:39:58 Panthalassa features a gorgeous underwater alien world
01:41:57 Phonopolis is the latest from Amanita Design
01:45:06 Mina the Hollower is Yacht Club's most interesting game
01:52:12 Pictonico is WarioWare for your phone...without the Wario
01:59:36 We answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord
03:01:23 SGF 2026 plans & outro
Thanks for listening!
Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/join
VGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
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John, Lotus, and Niki discuss the biggest news of the week, including Embracer's head-scratching restructure, Destiny 2's final update, and PlayStation Plus price hikes.
00:00:00 Intro & Niki Buys a Porsche
00:09:50 Terraria celebrates 15 years of absolutely bonkers player counts
00:25:15 Tom Kane passes away at 64
00:26:41 PlayStation Plus gets price hikes
00:35:47 US National Recording Registry adds DOOM soundtrack to its library
00:44:28 Stig Asmussen Dungeons & Dragons game canceled by Wizards of the Coast
00:55:20 Embracer restructures their game organizations again
01:04:20 Quantic Dream's MOBA is shutting down
01:06:14 Bungie ending Destiny 2 development and facing layoffs
01:27:30 Everyone roasts John for buying a PS5 Pro
01:39:00 Niki continues to build a NAS for their home
01:51:28 The crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from Discord
03:04:15 Outro & SGF Plans
Thanks for listening!
Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/join
VGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
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Content Warning for graphic medical procedures, assault, sexual assault, suicide, and death in this episode. The Pitt is a show with a lot of tough ingredients thrown into a stew--we try to navigate these with tact and care but be forewarned the entire episode has a lot of potentially triggering discussion.
GameDeveloper.com Editor-in-Chief (and Polygon, Waypoint, and Fanbyte alum) Danielle Riendeau joins John Warren for a recap of season two of The Pitt, one of VGBees' favorite television shows.
Danielle lends her experience as a volunteer EMT in New York City to the duo's analysis and critique of the HBO Max medical drama. Included topics:
The role of AI in healthcareThe role of compassion in emergency medicineUsing the show to demystify difficult subjects regarding sexual assault and deathICE and their miserable role in American healthcare in 2026and much, much more!Thanks for listening!
Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/join
VGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
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Lotus and John discuss the biggest games news of the week, including Subnautica 2 creating a big bonus problem for KRAFTON's CEO, leaked Xbox controllers, and Marathon's interesting PVE-focused roadmap.
00:00:00 Intro & Buc-ees Fare
00:10:05 Subnautica 2's massive sales creates an interesting problem for KRAFTON's CEO
00:13:15 Steam Controllers look bad, feel good, and scream when you drop them
00:21:43 Sony takes huge loss on Bungie acquisition; Marathon gets new PVE-heavy roadmap
00:30:20 Wizards and Hasbro fail to recognize the new MTG: Arena union
00:33:25 Double Fine is also unionzing
00:35:35 New Xbox controllers were leaked
00:38:45 Microsoft fires executive for ties with Israel Ministry of Defense
00:41:35 Sony says studios are using AI, but we have questions
00:49:10 Tekken producer Harada leads new SNK studio
00:53:05 Niki joins the show on locations to run down news so far
00:54:45 Sega backs off of live services games
00:58:38 GameStop's offer to buy eBay thoroughly, hilariously, decisively rebuffed
01:04:12 Nintendo's fiscal report reveals reasons for Switch 2 price hike
01:07:40 House Hunters is the best hotel television show
01:09:10 The story in Digimon Story: Time Stranger is pretty bad
01:18:10 The crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord
02:21:50 Reviews & Outro
Thanks for listening!
Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/join
VGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
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Niki, Lotus, and John embark on a "no bummers" episode of the show, complete with discussions about the new Star Fox game, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight's endless charm, and Mina the Hollower's long-awaited release date.
00:00:00 Intro & John's parking lot predicament
00:12:15 Star Fox 64 Remake
00:17:15 Mina the Hollower gets a release date at long last
00:19:16 Copilot removed from Xbox plans (please go to nogamesforgenocide.com to learn about the ongoing boycott of Microsoft and Xbox products)
00:23:53 LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight looks great
00:28:27 More "no bummers" news round-up
00:31:42 Niki's new Logitech MX Master 4 mouse
00:43:37 Niki continues loving Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
00:46:07 Echo Chaser is a slick PICO-8 free game
00:47:28 Family is a great music-centric game you can play for free right now
00:50:20 mini pharma is a charming PICO-8 puzzler
00:57:59 We answer your burning Hive Questions straight from our Discord
02:07:58 Outro
Thanks for listening!
Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/join
VGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
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NOTE: This bonus episode contains discussions of medical trauma, sexual assault, addiction, child abuse, mass shootings, and generally some sad stories about real life emergencies. It’s hard to avoid those topics when discussing this television show, so if you need to duck out and catch the next regular bonus, we totally get it.
Additional note! This is a bonus episode of the show from 2025--we're freeing it from the confines of the bonus feed to prepare you for The Pittcast Season 2, which will be available for the public and not just in the bonus feed.
The Pitt is one of this year’s best TV shows and such a delightful surprise for folks who might have been missing a truly great medical drama in their lives. John treated himself to over an hour chatting about the show with full-time games media legend (Polygon, Waypoint, Fanbyte, and current EIC at Game Developer) and part-time volunteer EMS Danielle Riendeau.
They cover a lot of ground in a relatively short time, including:
Michael Crighton’s estate and the battle for the ER revivalNoah Wylie aging like fine wineThis wonderful cast (even the nepo babies are great)Advanced medical procedures and practical effectsHow Covid changed things for many medical professionalsManaging PTSD & addiction in the medical fieldIf you liked this bonus episode, consider telling a friend to JOIN THE HIVE. You get bonuses like these and access to special areas of our Discord.
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Niki, Lotus, and John celebrate 100 episodes and discuss GameStop's potential purchase of eBay, usTwo's CEO saying some wild stuff into a microphone, the final death of Paste Games, and more!
00:00:00 Intros & At Least It's Friday
00:06:05 GameStop could be prepping for an eBay takeover
00:13:50 Saudi Arabia is divesting from some entertainment properties
00:20:36 Atari acquires emulation studio Implicit Conversions
00:24:39 MTG: Arena devs unionize
00:28:48 usTwo CEO speaks way too candidly about labor relations within company
00:39:45 GreedFall dev Spiders being liquidated; mismanagement alleged
00:44:22 GameMaker integrates with Claude Code
00:48:00 The program is interrupted by Niki's neighborhood "Snacks Man"
00:51:55 Mac Minis are super expensive now because of AI
00:58:58 Last Flag not continuing content updates or console development
01:05:15 Thick as Thieves gets shorter, cheaper
01:08:08 AV Club Games is no more, which spells the end of Paste Games
01:14:50 Flotsam is a cell-shaded city builder on sea that Lotus really likes
01:22:22 Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is playing with dolls
01:36:00 CorgiSpace is a collection from one of the medium's most prolific creators
01:42:44 Titanium Court avoids Balatro time suck because of reading
01:44:00 Niki continues to build a NAS
01:54:55 We answer your Hive Questions for Episode 100
03:06:40 Outro
Thanks for listening!
Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/join
VGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
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Lotus & John discuss the lawsuit against Mr. Beast, Xbox Game Pass carving out Call of Duty, Playdate's interesting AI policy, and much more!
VGBees is 100% listener-supported. Join The Hive for bonus content, exclusive Discord access, and input on future content. https://vgbees.com/join
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:46 Mr. Beast sued by former employee
00:13:11 Ludum Dare to "end" in 2028
00:18:10 Playdate to block generative AI asset games; allow generative AI coded games
00:26:55 BAFTA Game Awards pulls trailer of "triggering" game
00:35:48 Sanrio & Toei both form game subsidiaries
00:39:39 Xbox carves out Call of Duty from Game Pass
00:50:17 Nintendo sued over tariff refund hoarding
00:54:49 Titanium Court is a feast for players looking for more substance in their roguelikes
01:02:20 Lotus went to a bunch of live sports events
01:14:05 Lotus went to Little Craft Fest 2026
01:25:00 Lotus & John answer your Hive Questions straight from the Discord
02:04:05 Outro
Thanks for listening! Please leave us a review!
We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/join
VGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
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Hi there! Lotus is still in space teaching the aliens about baseball (they like it!), while Niki and John are earthbound to discuss the week's biggest stories in games, including:
Disney lays off 1,000; Marvel visual effects guttedDisney quietly delists games from SteamXenosaga Pied Piper, somehow, is coming to Switch and PCIron Galaxy lays off unknown number of staffJollibee x Final Fantasy XIV crossover eventSeason 3 of Playdate is comingKingdom Come: Deliverance 2 creative lead is weirdLana Del Rey is the 007 First Light songstressEpic's HR lead also lost their jobImagine Dragons' capture the flag game is outMouse: PI for Hire is unremarkable in every way that mattersSetting up a NAS in the endtimesWe answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from the DiscordThanks for listening! Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.
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Support us by joining The Hive!
This week, Lotus repaired the toilets aboard the Artemis II on its way safely (!!!!) back to Earth. Niki and John were grounded, however, and came together to discuss the biggest games news of the week. Here's the run of show:
Is Sid Meier the Ken Burns of video games?The Pacers Couple is fine and goodEpic is in deep with Disney and making an extraction shooterPete Hines has choice words for MicrosoftState of Decay 3 didn't really exist when they released the reveal trailerGlen Israel apocalyptically posts about Microsoft on LinkedInDoki Doki Literature Club removed from Google Play StoreProve You're Human is the next game from the 1000xResist devsYoshihisa Kishimoto passes away at the age of 64Marvel Rivals will apparently evolve from 6V6 PVPGunzilla, the new owner of Game Informer, accused not paying games salaries and contracts for monthsSlay the Spire 2 took a while to beat, but it's been a blastNiki's upcoming appearances on AstrogoblinWe answer your burning Hive Questions, like "what's a food that's better left out a while?"Thanks so much for listening! Leave us a review and we'll read it on the show!
Note: we discuss three Microsoft stories this week. Microsoft continues to be a complicit player in the genocide happening in Gaza. Go to nogamesforgenocide.com to learn more about the BDS boycott and to make your own pledge.
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Support us by becoming a member of The Hive!
With Niki on board the Artemis II to fix their Outlook situation, Lotus and John tackle the news and games of the week, including:
Eidos-Montreal lays off 124 employeesStellar Blade's Shift Up acquires Shinji Mikami's brand new studioStormgate loses online support because their server provider was bought by an AI companyUS Patent Office rejects overbroad Nintendo patentS&box, the follow-up to Garry's Mod, is out later this monthPSA: the Steam versions of some classic Capcom games contain DRM not found on other storefrontsThe Gaming Historian retires from the channelThe Perfect Tower II exponentially expands the systems typically found in incremental gamesLucid Blocks has some charm, but maybe not the juiceProject Hail Mary is uneven but still made John cryAlamo Drafthouse has completely ruined its value propositionSummer House might be Bravo's most soulless show (that John can't stop watching)Your Hive Questions are answered, including if ET would be better with legsThanks for listening! Leave us a review and we may read it on the show! Join The Hive!
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This week, Lotus, Niki, and John contemplate Nintendo's strange (but maybe deliberate) choice to launch Animal Crossing's Switch 2 edition, Pokemon Pokopia, and Tomodachi Life in one tidy two month stretch. Also:
Epic lays off 1,000 due to Fortnite "underperforming"OpenAI cans Sora and Disney exits investmentAlex from Street Fighter 6 married his adopted sister!Nintendo to price digital and physical differentlyPlayStation raising all hardware pricesNintendo planning new Star Fox, Ocarina of Time remake, no 3D Mario in 2026Wanderstop dev Ivy Road is shutting downFuni Raccoon Game is Irish in surprising and delightful waysTomodachi Life's demo reminds us why the Wii era was so successfulMarathon might make it????BLΛƆKPIИK has a new EP out!We answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely DiscordThanks so much for listening! Leave us a review and we'll read it on the show!
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This week, the crew gets completely redrawn on the fly by Nvidia's new AI-powered technology that everyone besides Digital Foundry seems to hate! How do they look? So lifelike, I bet. While getting yassified (and polluting water sources near data centers!), John, Niki, and Lotus discuss:
DLSS 5 and its introduction to the worldWhy everyone hates DLSS 5Jensen Huang's hilarious responses to the criticismSaudi Arabia's EGDC acquires 5% of CapcomRemedy's FBC: Firebreak gets its final major update; commitment to stay onlineUbisoft's Red Storm Entertainment studio to cease game developmentCrystal Dynamics lays off 20 despite working on two Tomb Raider gamesRubato is a 2D physics platformer that scoffs at genreShould you play Slay the Spire 2 with a calculator on hand?Pokopia is a lot of gameFuni Raccoon Game asks "what if Super Mario 64 was made by the most online people you've ever encountered?"Your Hive Questions straight from Discord, including our thoughts on Geoff Keighley's dad not getting a mention during the OscarsAs always, thanks for listening, leave us a review, and considering joining The Hive!
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This week, Niki, Lotus, and John played some great games and took a full week off from games news because there just wasn't anything to talk about! What's that? [holds earpiece] I'm being told there was a lot of news this week. Okay. Well. Here's what they talked about, I guess!
Sony testing dynamic pricing everywhere but JapanEA conducting layoffs at Battlefield 6 devsGDC will return to San Francisco despite everythingResident Evil 4 director Shinji Mikami has a new studioSAG-AFTRA issues "do not work" order for Mega Man: Dual OverridePEGI ratings getting overhaul targeting loot boxes and dark patternsJeff Kaplan left Blizzard after CFO gave him a nightmarish ultimatumV-Bucks receive a significant price hikeSlay the Spire 2 is more of the same, yes, but it's also better than the first oneLost and Found Co. is impossibly cute and a lot of funPokémon Pokopia continues to delight and mechanically excelMarathon is the pleasant surprise of the yearYour Hive Questions have us wondering what we'd teach DittoThanks again for listening and please leave us a review and tell your friends about us!
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This week, Niki, Lotus, and John reconvene to rejoice over what seems like a masterpiece in the Pokémon oeuvre. But first, lots of big news, including:
Nintendo sues the US government over tariffsYoshi gets a bobblehead night with the LA DodgersNetflix CEO thinks $16b will be cut at Warner Bros after Paramount purchaseJapan's labor laws obfuscate games industry turmoilUnity cutting access to asset store to "Greater China Region"The Sims 4 is getting a rev share UGC marketplaceUS government allegedly looking at forcing Tencent to divest from American investmentsSony reverses PC porting policyAsha Sharma tweets about Xbox's next consoleKalshi engages a minor in affiliate workThe joy of community in Pokémon PokopiaMaximum everything in TerrariaResident Evil Requiem features an all-time great voice performanceMarathon is pretty great, actually, despite all of Bungie's troublesFinally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.
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On this week's show, the crew deals with several major post-scripts from last week's jam-packed news discussion block. Fortunately, Lotus, Niki, and John are joined by certified GOAT Michael Higham to unpack it all.
Michael beat Resident Evil Requiem and John played it on Switch 2The global storage shortage gets very real with Seagate and Western Digital allocating stock of hard drives through 2026Valve is revisiting the timeline of their new hardware suiteSteam Deck OLED stock is out intermittently in major regionsSony and Nintendo both evaluating delays and price hikes for hardwareTiMi's Montreal studio closingTurns out we were right about pretty much everything we discussed regarding Tencent and Highguard last weekMicrosoft Japan under investigation for monopolistic practicesDiscord delaying age verification amid backlashskate developer laying off unknown number of staffNew York Attorney General suing Valve over loot boxesUK Advertising Committee issues enforcement over loot boxesEurogamer hit with layoffsBlueprint pitched a Bloodborne remake before its closurePokemon Winds & Waves revealed for 2027 releaseMichael and Niki played MarathonNiki and John played Vampire CrawlersNiki played Titanium CourtMichael played CicadamataThe crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely DiscordThanks for listening! Join The Hive by going to vgbees.com/join today!
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This week's show was packed to the gills with discussion-worthy topics and that was before Phil Spencer announced his retirement, Sarah Bond resigned, and Asha Sharma ascended the Xbox throne. From there, Lotus, Niki, and John discussed:
Sony shutting down BluepointTencent allegedly funded HighguardCastlevania franchise and Metal Gear Solid V dev Shutaro Ida passed away at 52Hideki Sato, "Father of Sega Hardware," passed away at 77Open-source engine Godot overwhelmed by AI-generated change requestsCall of Duty: Black Ops 7 ad banned in the UKSubstack and Polymarket partner upSaudi fund takes full control of EvoWe played:
OverwatchMoonrotWe also answered your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord!
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Folks, this week was VERY jam-packed with discussion-worthy games news and that was BEFORE we even welcomed Game Informer's Charles Harte to the show. Together, Lotus, Niki, John, and Charles discussed:
Mewgenics' blend of deep, enjoyable tactical combat and off-putting breeding mechanicsThe, let's call them rancid, vibes of Mewgenics' central thesisMewgenics' commitment to not understanding a punchlineMewgenics' bewildering cameo listSony's State of Play was very busy, as well, including:
A Return to PS2 Era of sortsKena: Scars of KosmoraA new Dead or Alive game in a very different fighting game landscapeIs Control Resonant what we want? Does it matter? Are they even showing us much?Star Wars Galactic Racer sure does look like a Burnout game (complimentary)Marathon is actively lying about what it is, but maybe that's smart????Metal Gear Solid 4 is breaking PS3 containmentGod of War: Sons of Sparta looks kinda bad, but it's out nowAnd wow, the hits don't stop there:
Discord's age verification is going to get messyDiscord's Teen Council sounds like a waking nightmare2XKO lays off significant staff because the game failed to hit its audienceUbisoft employees in Europe begin three-day strike while the company explores "voluntary termination" option for 200 positions in FranceHighguard team lays off significant staff just weeks after launchWe played/watched:
MewgenicsRelootedTears of the KingdomPelotonIron Lung (the film)We also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our lovely Discord and update you on big happenings at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati.
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This week, the whole gang is back together to discuss the biggest games news of the week, which sometimes wasn't about games at all! Including:
Iron Lung opens #2 at domestic box office, paving the way for perhaps a new wave of independent film distributionAshes of Creation developer closes after clash between Creative Director and BoardBorderlands 4 Nintendo Switch 2 port "on pause" indefinitelyPoker Night at the Inventory is getting a new release after years of license limboCrunchyroll to produce original gamesPlus, there was a Nintendo Partner Direct:
Orbitals was best in show (again)Resident Evil Requiem actually looks great on Switch 2Final Fantasy VII Rebirth coming to Switch 2 this summerLotus and Niki bully John about disliking Fallout 4The entire panel is split about whether The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a good titleTurok: Origins looks like Monster Hunter with guns kindaWe played:
Ball x PitTears of the KingdomTitanium CourtHermit and PigFinally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our lovely Discord.
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With Lotus on the International Space Station this week, John and Niki wasted no time discussing these completely relevant topics:
MoisturizerHaircarePelotonTchoukballOkay but they did get down to the most important games news of the week, including:
The Highguard team quit their shadowdrop plans to take a slot at The Game AwardsCould Geoff not fill the last slot of the evening?What does it mean for next year's pricing for trailer space?Why Highguard's reworked launch strategy might not pay offWhy the Highguard preview event could've worked in their favor with a different strategyDr Disrespect lied about attending the Highguard preview eventVampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 missed expectations as Paradox is down year over year in operating profitJeffrey Epstein was banned from Xbox Live in 2013Peloton lays off 11% of its staff amid AI failuresShould we kill the CEOs in our heads?Is there literally any benefit from creating Nintendo knockoffs in Google Genie and writing about it?We played:
HighguardThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomMARVEL Cosmic InvasionWe also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord, including:
Which burner on your stove is the best burner?What's your next tattoo?Is an MBA worth it?If you couldn't talk about video games, what would the show be about?
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