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The VGBees Podcast

Host and founder of VGBees, John Warren, is joined every week by cohosts Niki Grayson and Lotus for candid, funny, and enlightening conversations about the video games industry and video games medium (two very different things).

Every week, The VGBees Podcast will explore trends and touchpoints you need to know in order to have the most well-rounded idea of what's going on in games.

Explore vgbees.com after each episode for notes on each episode as well as written pieces by our collaborators and guests.

We all have to work together to build a brighter future for games, so Join The Honey Hive today!

The VGBees Podcast is produced by Jordan Mallory with thumbnail art by LB Hunktears.

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This week, John and Niki are joined by Jesse Vitelli, fresh off a five day subathon on his Twitch channel after being laid off at Restart.Run. Together, they take a hard look at Matt Karch's history of odd behavior, Netflix's most recent studio closures, and Star Wars Zero Company.00:00:00 Intro & Raising Cane's talk00:11:25 Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch did something very weird and has done many weird things previously to this new weird thing00:34:14 Netflix closes Night School, Moonloot, and lays off others00:41:35 Restart.Run's remaining leadership releases a bizarre statement00:48:23 Pokémon Pokopia sold five million copies00:54:00 Take-Two looks to be getting deeper into simulation sports00:56:00 Wolverine & Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave previews dropped01:11:20 South of Midnight now listed as self-published, but is that the whole story?01:12:55 Esoteric Ebb serves the best of Disco Elysium without some of the baggage01:20:30 Knytt Classic is a faithful update of a 2006 freeware standout01:23:27 Niki's in the Splatoon Raiders endgame now01:26:55 Star Wars Zero Company is a lot more than a new XCOM01:47:00 HIVE QUESTIONS02:20:55 OutroThanks for listening!Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.

Ep 115: Saber CEO's Outburst, Netflix Closes Studios, Star Wars Zero Company Impressions

This week, Lotus, Niki, and John discuss their very enjoyable time together with Big Walk, Devolver Digital's move off of the London Stock Exchange, and Netflix's incredibly bizarre six hour rental of Grand Theft Auto VI's deeper dive trailer later this month.00:00:00 Intro & laundry hamper talk00:14:30 Netflix's Grand Theft Auto VI "exclusive" look00:47:26 EA's big deal with the Saudis and Jared Kushner closed01:12:30 Halo Studios parts ways with contractors01:20:32 Devolver Digital moves to unlist from London Stock Exchange to go private01:33:30 Square Enix is collaborating with Google Gemini for AI-based QA01:40:43 PlayStation by far the most played console in the US01:41:53 Restart Run staff laid off01:44:43 Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the best the MCU has been in a very long time01:51:40 Splatoon Raiders continues to delight us01:57:37 AYN Thor is probably the best one of these emulation handhelds02:02:10 The VGBees Crew is having a blast with Big Walk02:37:25 HIVE QUESTIONS03:10:57 Reviews & outroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 114: Big Walk Impressions, Devolver Digital Going Private, GTA6 Exclusive Look at Netflix

This week, Lotus, Niki, and John discuss Xbox's 7% revenue decrease year over year, Tencent's alleged "Grand Theft Auto killer" Last Sentinel facing major problems, and impressions of one of 2026's most pleasant surprises, Splatoon Raiders.00:00:00 Intro & drug testing00:08:35 Double Fine lays off 23 after going independent00:13:07 Xbox reports $1.7b loss due to critical business failures00:17:07 Tencent's Last Sentinel quietly lays off staff, possibly canceled00:32:50 Super Mario Sunshine coming to Nintendo Switch Online00:38:55 Splatoon Raiders is what Splatoon probably should've always been00:54:25 Endacopia is a surrealist point-and-click jaunt00:58:18 Midnight Moments is a pleasant, but perhaps shallow, cyberpunk diorama-builder01:01:52 Niki's Apple TV came!01:08:53 VGBees Baseball Talk01:20:35 HIVE QUESTIONS02:40:35 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 113: Xbox Down $1.7b, Tencent's Latest Misfire, Splatoon Raiders Impressions

This week, John, Lotus, and Niki discuss the Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls open beta, Unity 7's announcement and features, EA's approved sale to the PIF, and Deltarune Chapter 5.00:00:00 Intro & some strong Splatoon opinions00:21:35 Hasbro cancels projects slated for 2028 and beyond00:26:58 EU approves EA sale to the PIF00:33:30 Unity 7 announced with some interesting new features in tow00:42:35 Poinpy is free now and is still great00:45:08 Hey, Left 4 Dead 2 is still really great, too00:52:20 Paragnosia is like Five Nights at Freddy's but in a house with demons00:55:45 Deltarune is stretching its welcome with Niki00:58:50 Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls balances simplified inputs with nuanced complexity undearneath01:04:30 Niki tearfully admits they're excited about Wolverine01:12:06 A detour to Love Island and Ariana Madix's whole deal01:16:10 HIVE QUESTIONS02:11:05 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 112: Marvel Tokon Open Beta Impressions, Unity 7 Announced, EU Approves EA Sale

This week, Niki, Lotus, and John discuss the extremely convenient news dump regarding beloved games in the Fallout franchise, other Xbox teams facing decimation in the initial layoffs, and the God of War show's choice to recast its Kratos.00:00:00 Intro, new dog, blood stuff, & kidneys00:22:53 Latin America ID@Xbox teams decimated by layoffs00:32:48 Inside look at Xbox layoffs from people experiencing it00:33:48 Fallout deluge of information to distract people from the layoffs00:46:18 CWA files lawsuits alleging Xbox mishandling of layoffs00:49:50 College Football 27 removes microtransactions from single player mode01:03:40 ZA/UM to lay off 32 after slow sales of ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies01:05:00 God of War show to recast Kratos after injury to Ryan Hurst01:15:15 Update on Niki's NAS01:30:40 Update on Niki & NBA 2K261:40:40 HIVE QUESTIONS02:32:30 Outro & Interview Shows!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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 111: Xbox Jingles Fallout Keys, LATAM ID@Xbox Team Dismantled, God of War Recasts Kratos

Last year, we chatted with Joe from hit YouTube channel Joe Is Hungry. Now that we have this fun new interview format show officially on the feed, I decided it was time to have him back on!00:00:00 Intro00:01:33 Joe's wife still plays games00:02:50 Why do gaming communities seem to gravitate toward Joe?00:08:10 Does Joe keep tabs on other food reviewers?00:11:50 What does attention from other channels do for Joe?00:13:18 How does Joe keep up with the algorithm and how does he engage with AI?00:17:20 TikTok monetization00:22:00 How does Joe deal with criticism online?00:25:00 A quick Georgia geography lesson & lamenting Whataburger going corporate00:28:35 Detour to talk about Cook Out & crowd control00:32:25 Joe's car setup and new technology00:35:10 Joe developing his stop motion animation skills00:41:15 Adopting new elements to avoid stagnation00:45:30 Joe's relationship with Shadow Joe00:47:20 Joe's spicy food tolerance00:50:10 Joe's relationship to aging and existing online00:51:20 Back to the TikTok algorithm & pricing00:54:18 Balancing creativity and growth metrics00:57:15 The brief shelf life of food reviews01:00:18 Is YouTube Joe's most physically taxing job yet?01:00:25 How Joe's local celebrity has impacted the work01:04:15 What is Joe eating when he's not eating fast food?01:06:25 Joe rails against Amazon; an ode to Micro Center01:13:10 Where does Joe see the channel in one year?01:18:05 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

The VGBees Interview: Joe Is Hungry

This week, Niki, Lotus, and John address the sweeping, disastrous layoffs and closures stemming from the "reset" Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has started.00:00:00 Intro & Cup Talk00:11:40 Xbox layoffs by the numbers00:14:55 Id Software decimated by the moves00:18:52 Obsidian loses staff and shifts focus to Fallout (a previous report that Avowed 2 has been canceled has been refuted by the developer since this recording)00:25:32 Zenimax loses over 350 employees00:29:11 350 others are left without jobs from divested and sold studios00:32:47 IOI closes Istanbul studio after Xbox divestment00:41:18 Hardship fund created for laid off developers00:47:35 Bethesda union holding protests at different cities July 1500:55:00 Niki proposes an analogy to the US Men's Soccer Team01:02:08 Do average gamers know or care that this is all happening?01:14:45 Niki has returned to NBA 2K26 and is having fun now01:24:55 HIVE QUESTIONS02:05:00 Outro & Interview ShowsThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 110: Mass Xbox Layoffs Begin, Id Software Decimated, Obsidian Focusing on Fallout

Hey! It's a brand new show here on The VGBees Podcast feed. We'll be taking the time every once in a while to sit down and go deep with interesting figures around the games industry and beyond. Our very first guest is Phil Salvador, Library Director of the Video Game History Foundation.00:00:00 Intro00:02:05 What is the Video Game History Foundation?00:03:45 What has surprised Phil the most about the work of games preservation since joining?00:05:37 What in Phil's life created this fascination with historical preservation?00:08:11 What's the last thing Phil pulled out of the archive that surprised or delighted him?00:11:20 How does Phil feel about the end of physical game discs?00:20:32 Do major games corporations show signs of meeting preservationists halfway?00:23:04 Notes about the 2023 study Phil wrote about pre-2010 game availability00:28:50 Is there a notable distinction between preservation and accessibility?00:32:27 What is piracy's role in game preservation?00:39:44 What kind of legal team does VGHF engage?00:42:53 Phil digs into one of his favorite collections added since the 2025 launch of the digital archive00:49:55 Does the VGHF and its digital archive care about growing its audience?00:54:58 What is the path from collection acquisition to availability online in the digital archive?00:59:45 What kind of backend does the digital archive use to organize the collection?01:02:15 What's the most technically harrowing preservation project VGHF has taken on?01:09:00 How does the archive decide what is worthy of inclusion?01:13:15 How is the archive's magazine collection shaping up?01:17:24 Where does Phil see the foundation and the archive in five years?01:20:10 John looks up Shenmue in the digital archive01:22:14 How can you help the Video Game History Foundation and its mission?01:25:10 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

The VGBees Interview: Phil Salvador, Library Director at Video Game History Foundation

This week, Lotus, Niki, and John dive deep into the end of physical discs for Sony (and likely Xbox), the impending closures of the PS3/Vita digital stores, and the potential for Arkane to be on the Xbox reset chopping block.00:00:00 Intro & everything you need to know about donuts00:18:50 Sony stopping disc support in 2028; the gang goes long on the loss of physical games media01:06:30 Sony is also closing the PS3/Vita stores01:15:05 IOI to lay off staff on Project Fantasy, which was backed by Xbox01:21:07 Arkane may be part of the upcoming closures at Xbox01:25:55 Memory manufacturers the target of a class action lawsuit alleging price fixing01:29:55 Summer Games Done Quick 2026 Preview01:31:35 Star Wars Galactic Racer is the VGBees Game of Show at Summer Game Fest 202601:40:20 Anode Heart: Layer Null strips away the mess from card battling RPGs01:51:54 A very quick note about the AYN THOR01:56:20 Niki is dipping back into Slay the Spire 201:58:07 Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage adds a welcome single player mode to the game02:02:30 HIVE QUESTIONS02:50:12 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 109: Sony Discontinuing Physical Discs, Closing PS3/Vita Stores, IOI Laying Off Staff After Xbox Shakeup

This week, John and Niki discuss the biggest news of the gaming week, including Grand Theft Auto VI edition details, Steam Machine details, and more price hikes for Xbox consoles.00:00:00 Intro & when it became Turkiye00:12:30 Steam Machine is in the wild and available for waitlisting00:28:13 Xbox consoles increase in price again00:33:08 Grand Theft Auto VI isn't on disc and somehow people were shocked00:46:38 Bungie lays off Destiny 2 team; Hermen Hulst writes bad blog post01:04:00 Tim Sweeney thinks you owe it to yourself to play his games01:07:07 LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight looks great, feels great, and deftly balances multiple tones01:10:50 Niki bought NBA 2K26 for cheap and still regretted it01:20:05 Beatdown City Survivors successfully riffs on a familiar formula, but is it enough?01:23:42 Niki talks about Carly Rae Jepsen's new album while agonizing over whether to buy a new television01:27:55 Outlier is a great new online word game you're going to get sucked into01:33:45 Niki updates us on their NAS system (and hating Linux)01:39:07 HIVE QUESTIONS02:00:45 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 108: GTA6 Pricing, Xbox Price Hike, Steam Machine Details

This week, John, Niki, and Lotus go very long on this week's seismic Xbox news, including the numerous studio closures on the table, key departures, and Microsoft CEO's Satya Nadella's curious take on why their gaming arm is struggling.00:00:00 Intro & Lotus' Big Saturday00:11:10 South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games is the unsurprising yet disappointing first studio to confirm possible closure or spinoff00:17:00 A long, great conversation about the games media's role in reporting on these layoffs and closures00:28:00 How Xbox got here (mostly)00:48:52 Satya Nadella seems to be confused about how Xbox got into this jam00:54:00 That Senua sequel was only announced to help fuel a possible sale of Ninja Theory01:02:14 The weight of working in corporate-owned game development right now01:06:34 Key personnel leaving Xbox01:07:56 What's the plan moving forward for Xbox?01:16:10 EA introducing new in-game advertising platform01:25:57 UK government is banning teens from social media; plan will not work01:33:10 Fuck's Quest 2 lacks consistent humor and mechanical clarity01:37:07 Niki played the first two Sonic games on Genesis (skip this part, Sonic fans!!!)01:45:10 John decided to give Ocarina of Time another try01:49:10 Our latest (possibly final) thoughts on 007 First Light02:02:47 Hive Questions02:18:12 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 107: Xbox Studios Facing Closure, EA's New Ad Platform, UK Teen Social Ban

Lotus, Niki, and John recovered from Summer Game Fest 2026 and reconvened (in home studios, not John's car) to discuss an extremely busy news week, including Xbox preparing major layoffs, Nintendo Direct revealing the Ocarina of Time remake, and more information dropping about Pokemon Go and its role in data gathering for defense purposes.00:00:00 Intro & how waffle fries are madeGo to nogamesforgenocide.com to learn more about the BDS movement and Microsoft's continued role in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.00:08:20 Asha Sharma writes memo to Xbox staff; heavy layoffs reported00:25:00 Xbox console exclusives are returning00:37:30 Lotus' 50 most anticipated indies from the week's showcases00:40:10 Nintendo Direct reveals Ocarina of Time remake; is Nintendo bored?00:47:10 Kingdom Hearts IV is here and looks like it looks00:49:00 Final Fantasy Resonance strips the gacha out of mobile game inspiration00:52:00 God of War Laufey creates an interesting branch for the series00:55:37 How do waffle fries work? (part 2)00:56:38 RGG wants to explore what Tupac's life could've been in Stranger Than Heaven01:01:17 PlayerUnknown facing layoffs01:03:56 RPG Maker forums shuttering and migrating01:11:20 Team17 eliminating marketing department01:13:24 Crazy Taxi reboot working with generative AI art flow01:16:45 GOG sends out email with Nazi symbols in subject line01:25:06 Ubisoft shutting down two studios01:28:05 Pokemon Go likely being used to collect data for defense contracts01:31:15 Blood Dungeon is Vampire Survivors in platformer mode01:35:10 Onimusha: Way of the Sword is perfectly competent action combat from Capcom01:40:18 John (almost) corrects the record on last week's Code Veronica misadventure01:43:55 NBA The Run is a shallow facsimile of better arcade basketball games01:46:20 Niki opens a Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes pack01:50:45 Lotus went to Distant Worlds (the Final Fantasy concert) and did not have a great time02:19:25 We answer your burning Hive Questions02:44:06 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 106: Xbox Preparing Layoffs, Nintendo Direct, Pokemon Go Military Defense Data

Join Niki and John from Los Angeles as they debrief from a lively Summer Game Fest 2026.At this point, most embargoes were still in effect, but we hope you enjoy discussion regarding:Blood Dungeon, Messhof's latest gameSonic Pico ParkThe Games Business interview with Matthew Ballbad hotel fish tacosThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

VGBees SGF 2026 Post-Show Debrief

Folks, our schedules were so packed that John & Niki had to join Lotus from the car again. Sorry! This week, it's all about Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase, which featured reveals of Resident Evil Veronica, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, and Tupac appearing in Stranger Than Heaven.Time stamps and more SGF bonus episodes coming soon!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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 105: Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase, Tupac, Final Fantasy VII Revelation

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 yourself00:08:56 The Witcher 3 is getting new DLC in 202700:13:10 A moment for Unreal Engine 600:15:57 Ikaruga creator's next game has been canceledGo 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 lawsuit00:23:30 Modern Warfare 4 and the great Call of Duty fall-off00:29:18 Fable delayed from fall 2026 to February 202700:38:30 Hoyoverse is investing $14.6b in AI initiatives in the next three years00:42:20 Roblox and how to navigate its ubiquity as a parent00:49:15 Steam Deck price hikes and the rare appreciation of gaming setups00:57:13 Steam updates tags and Workshop features01:14:44 TheGamer shifts to pay-per-click for its writers01:24:32 The PlayStation 5 Pro is tall01:27:01 007 First Light is a great Bond game even for people who aren't Bond superfans01:38:32 Carrot Kingdom--not the Atari shareware--is a fun and very short puzzler01:39:58 Panthalassa features a gorgeous underwater alien world01:41:57 Phonopolis is the latest from Amanita Design01:45:06 Mina the Hollower is Yacht Club's most interesting game01:52:12 Pictonico is WarioWare for your phone...without the Wario01:59:36 We answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord03:01:23 SGF 2026 plans & outroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 104: Witcher 3 DLC, Steam Deck Price Hikes, & 007 First Light w/ Jeff Gerstmann

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 Porsche00:09:50 Terraria celebrates 15 years of absolutely bonkers player counts00:25:15 Tom Kane passes away at 6400:26:41 PlayStation Plus gets price hikes00:35:47 US National Recording Registry adds DOOM soundtrack to its library00:44:28 Stig Asmussen Dungeons & Dragons game canceled by Wizards of the Coast00:55:20 Embracer restructures their game organizations again01:04:20 Quantic Dream's MOBA is shutting down01:06:14 Bungie ending Destiny 2 development and facing layoffs01:27:30 Everyone roasts John for buying a PS5 Pro01:39:00 Niki continues to build a NAS for their home01:51:28 The crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from Discord03:04:15 Outro & SGF PlansThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 103: Embracer Restructures Again, Destiny 2 Development Ending, PS Plus Price Hikes

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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

The Pittcast Season Two w/ Danielle Riendeau

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 Fare00:10:05 Subnautica 2's massive sales creates an interesting problem for KRAFTON's CEO00:13:15 Steam Controllers look bad, feel good, and scream when you drop them00:21:43 Sony takes huge loss on Bungie acquisition; Marathon gets new PVE-heavy roadmap00:30:20 Wizards and Hasbro fail to recognize the new MTG: Arena union00:33:25 Double Fine is also unionzing00:35:35 New Xbox controllers were leaked00:38:45 Microsoft fires executive for ties with Israel Ministry of Defense00:41:35 Sony says studios are using AI, but we have questions00:49:10 Tekken producer Harada leads new SNK studio00:53:05 Niki joins the show on locations to run down news so far00:54:45 Sega backs off of live services games00:58:38 GameStop's offer to buy eBay thoroughly, hilariously, decisively rebuffed01:04:12 Nintendo's fiscal report reveals reasons for Switch 2 price hike01:07:40 House Hunters is the best hotel television show01:09:10 The story in Digimon Story: Time Stranger is pretty bad01:18:10 The crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord02:21:50 Reviews & OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 102: Subnautica 2 Smashes Sales Expectations, Leaked Xbox Controllers, More Game Unions

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 predicament00:12:15 Star Fox 64 Remake00:17:15 Mina the Hollower gets a release date at long last00:19:16 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 great00:28:27 More "no bummers" news round-up00:31:42 Niki's new Logitech MX Master 4 mouse00:43:37 Niki continues loving Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream00:46:07 Echo Chaser is a slick PICO-8 free game00:47:28 Family is a great music-centric game you can play for free right now00:50:20 mini pharma is a charming PICO-8 puzzler00:57:59 We answer your burning Hive Questions straight from our Discord02:07:58 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 101: Star Fox 64 Remake, LEGO Batman, Mina the Hollower Release Date

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.

The Pittcast Season One w/ Danielle Riendeau

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 Friday00:06:05 GameStop could be prepping for an eBay takeover00:13:50 Saudi Arabia is divesting from some entertainment properties00:20:36 Atari acquires emulation studio Implicit Conversions00:24:39 MTG: Arena devs unionize00:28:48 usTwo CEO speaks way too candidly about labor relations within company00:39:45 GreedFall dev Spiders being liquidated; mismanagement alleged00:44:22 GameMaker integrates with Claude Code00:48:00 The program is interrupted by Niki's neighborhood "Snacks Man"00:51:55 Mac Minis are super expensive now because of AI00:58:58 Last Flag not continuing content updates or console development01:05:15 Thick as Thieves gets shorter, cheaper01:08:08 AV Club Games is no more, which spells the end of Paste Games01:14:50 Flotsam is a cell-shaded city builder on sea that Lotus really likes01:22:22 Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is playing with dolls01:36:00 CorgiSpace is a collection from one of the medium's most prolific creators01:42:44 Titanium Court avoids Balatro time suck because of reading01:44:00 Niki continues to build a NAS01:54:55 We answer your Hive Questions for Episode 10003:06:40 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

Ep 100: GameStop Preps eBay Purchase, usTwo's CEO Blunder, Paste Games Shuts Down

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/join00:00:00 Intro00:05:46 Mr. Beast sued by former employee00:13:11 Ludum Dare to "end" in 202800:18:10 Playdate to block generative AI asset games; allow generative AI coded games00:26:55 BAFTA Game Awards pulls trailer of "triggering" game00:35:48 Sanrio & Toei both form game subsidiaries00:39:39 Xbox carves out Call of Duty from Game Pass00:50:17 Nintendo sued over tariff refund hoarding00:54:49 Titanium Court is a feast for players looking for more substance in their roguelikes01:02:20 Lotus went to a bunch of live sports events01:14:05 Lotus went to Little Craft Fest 202601:25:00 Lotus & John answer your Hive Questions straight from the Discord02:04:05 OutroThanks 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/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.

It's Okay For The Boys To Be Childish

SUPPORT US BY JOINING THE HIVE!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.

VGBees Woke Camp 2026

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.

The Assassination of Piglet by the Coward Buzz Lightyear

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!

Garry's Mod II: Electric Boogaloo

Support us by joining The Hive!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!

Nintendo's Slice of Life Spring

Support Us! Join The Hive!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!

Deep Learning Super Sampling Five

Support us by joining The Hive!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!

The Battle of Yerba Buena

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.

At Long Last, Nintendo Gets Litigious

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!

Voluntarily Surrendering Your License To Print Money w/ Michael Higham

Support us by joining The Hive!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!

Xbox Deserves This

SUPPORT US BY JOINING THE HIVEFolks, 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.

Are You Strong Enough To Be My Cat w/ Charles Harte

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.

Tycho and The Heavy Fold

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?

Abandoning Your Launch Strategy 101

This week, Niki, John, and Lotus confront the biggest gaming stories of the week, including:Ubisoft's major reorg, including game cancelations and new structuresTencent getting into podcasts, which we're sure will go greatMarathon gets a release date and a surprising collector's editionCapcom experiments with generative AI to stop being creativeFable takes a baffling stance on morality in the year 2026Highguard is out so very soonWe played:Animal Crossing: New HorizonsSéance at Blake ManorPocoTR-49Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Ubisoft Creative House Six: Earmarked for the Public Investment Fund

This week, Lotus, Niki, and John set out to dissect the price sensitivity opus laid out by Peak's devs in an interview with Stephen Totilo. Is eight bucks really five bucks? This and much more, including:AGDQ's haul and interesting futureHytale's long path to Early AccessMeta's VR investment goes toe upSteam Community Awards face major changesSpry Fox spinning out of NetflixInverse & The Verge see games-related layoffsSteam rewrites their generative AI disclosure rulesWe played:Animal Crossing New HorizonsAngeline EraType HelpAlso, your burning HIVE QUESTIONS are answered from our lovely Discord.

Two Bucks is Free (Except When It's Not)

This week, Lotus, Niki, and John are back and ready to tackle the first fresh news of 2026, including:The passing of Sega cofounder David RosenDiscord files for an IPONew Life is Strange is leaked to ratings siteJason Schreier causes Take-Two's stock price go down, kindaMinecraft getting new baby animalsLarian's CEO still doesn't seem to understand Gen AIIndependent Games Festival nominees announcedWe played:Vital ShellAlso, your burning HIVE QUESTIONS are answered straight from our lovely Discord.

PEGI 16: Bad Language, Drugs, Discourse

This week, John, Niki, and Lotus stare down the barrel of a very slow gaming news week, so they tackle some additional stuff, too, including:Twitter's Gen AI CSAM and sexual violence catastropheMicrosoft's CEO begging us to stop calling Gen AI "slop"GOG cofounder buys GOG from CD PROJEKT (which he also cofounded)GPUs are going to get even more expensiveSplitgate sequel is not going very wellWe played:Formless Star, the follow-up to sublime FrankenFinal Fantasy IX, perhaps the best of the entire franchiseWe also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our lovely Discord.

Running Out of Stuff to Safely Say About Gen AI in Public

Note: a better quality audio upload will be available in a couple days.Hello! Another year has flown by and Niki, Lotus, and John are here to talk about their favorite games and gaming-adjacent things from 2025! Included in the GOTY chat:Donkey Kong BananzaHades IIAvowed*Ball X PitPokemon Legends: Z-ABlippo+KinophobiaMario Kart WorldThe Nintendo Switch 2Also, the news of the week!Star Citizen will eclipse one billion dollars in investment soonClair Obscur's Indie Game Award was rescinded for AI inclusionVince Zampella dead at 55We answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord!*Microsoft and Xbox are still complicit in the genocide in Gaza. Go to nogamesforgenocide.com for more information and to sign the pledge today.

VGBees Games of the Year 2025

This week, Niki treats John and Lotus to the first ever VGBees Podcast Edition of Scam Text Theatre! After this momentous occasion, the crew turns its sights to the biggest news of the week, including:Larian's CEO decides to drag his company into a gen AI quagmirePeople Make Games boycott Xbox (and transforms John's thinking in the process)League of Legends is getting a massive reworkNaughty Dog is already crunching on Intergalactic: The Heretic ProphetJK Rowling likely to pocket a ton of royalty dollars on the Harry Potter x Fortnite collabPhysical games and hardware had its worst month in basically foreverand more!We played:Pokemon Legends: Z-AQ-UpPOCODeadlockAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our wonderful Discord.

Gibbed in the MRI Machine

Editor's note: this week's episode failed to upload individual stems of each recording, which means this final product is a bit rougher than usual. This is John and Streamyard's fault. Jordan did a great job with it.This week, Niki, Lotus, and John are all here to discuss the Biggest Night in Gaming™ aka The Game Awards. Included in the overall discussion:Casey Hudson's Star Wars RPGLarian's horrifying trailer for DivinityCapcom flubbing Leon Kennedy and Mega Man, somehowControl Resonant isn't quite what we want but that's okayStar Wars Galactic Racer is the Y2K game our failing economy yearns forThe Street Fighter movie's vibes are off-the-charts badGang of Dragon sure does look like a YakuzaAce Combat 8 is also here to remind us that the economy is in great shape4Loop and Highguard are both incredibly DOA gamesCoven of the Chicken Foot is cute, but what else?Jon Blow's Order of the Sinking Star is a bunch of other stuff in one kind of confusion packageTrailers allegedly cost anywhere between $450,000 and $1,000,000 to show at the event19,000 games were released on Steam in 2025 and 49% of them have fewer than 10 reviewsWe played:Angeline EraMetroid Prime 4: BeyondPokémon Legends: Z-AAs always, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Protecting Muppet Kayfabe

This week, John and Lotus celebrate the return of Niki to the show by immediately yelling at them for saying no one knows who Ron Gilbert is. Also!Netflix is buying Warner Bros. for $82.7b, including WB's gamesRon Gilbert's Death by Scrolling had big trouble finding publisher moneyHorses banned by Epic Games StoreEA's buyout is going 93.4% to the SaudisMina the Hollower needs to be a huge hit, Yacht Club admits for some reasonNo Players Online is back on Steam after spurious DMCA takedownTim Cain is back...well kind of he wasn't ever really gone it seems like...at ObsidianWe played:Metroid Prime 4: BeyondHorsesPokémon Legends: Z-AAsbury PinesAngeline EraAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Everything is Safe in Netflix's Capable Hands!

This week, Lotus and John dissect the biggest news stories of the week, including:Horses banned from Steam and the oddities surrounding itSplash Damage enters consultation ahead of layoffsCoatsink to lay off roughly half their studioNintendo to acquire 80% of Bandai Namco Studios SingaporeDDR5s and SSDs face massive price hike amidst shortageDemonschool does something fun with their creditsHere's what we played this week:HYPERBEATMorselsFinally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Hold Your Horses

This week, Lotus and John are feeling particularly thankful for the handful of absolutely bananas stories that dropped in their laps! Including:Tencent's ultimate investment in UbisoftYoko Taro's projects keep getting canceledUnity coming to UnrealMegabonk withdraws from The Game AwardsUnknown Worlds vs Krafton gets unbelievably weirdRoblox CEO says the wildest things you can imagine on a podcastAlso, Lotus and John played/watched/listened to:One Battle After Another (film)Lingo 2Berserk B.I.T.S.The Phlegms' new album Gulp (album)Pluribus (television show)We, of course, answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

The Joe Pesci of Podcasts

This week, Lotus and John tackle an absolute boatload of games news and notes, including:Valve's Steam Machine, Frame, and Controller all due in 2026Halo Infinite's final update coming this monthThe mishandling of The Game Awards Future Class is another black mark on whatever legacy Geoff Keighley is trying to leaveSony's fiscal report shows 40% share of software revenue to live service gamesMarathon apparently coming by the end of March 2026Arc Raiders uses AI voices and people are weird about people being weird about itAmbrosia Sky suddenly has a complicated release structure for some reasonThe Indie Game Awards are back on December 18thThe average games industry salary is $142,000 but please do not believe thatThey gave Samus Aran a shitty little sidekick in Metroid Prime 4Also, John & Lotus played:The Meow Wolf Grapevine missing kid ARGDreamfather Loves YouThe Good Old DaysSkies of Arcadia LegendsWe, of course, answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Even You Could Be Samus Aran's Sidekick!

This week, Niki returns after a taxing move to talking to Lotus and John about a game they played called Life's Eternal Puzzle. Not out on any consoles I can find but still interesting!Also!Grand Theft Auto VI is delayedRockstar's fired employees were allegedly leaking information (uh huh)Protests erupt outside RockstarTexas sues Roblox (get ready to get acquainted with Ken Paxton, one of the worst dudes in the world)Borderlands 4 sales laggingAvowed 2 might be coming (according to disgraced Obsidian founder)Surprise! Executives believe Steam has a monopoly on PC Games market!Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has been delayedConcord is fodder for UK House of Commons debateSquare Enix lays off over 100Square Enix wishes to move 70% of QA and debugging to generative AIUnbeatable delayed at the finish lineThis week, the crew played:The Outer Worlds 2KinophobiaSettlemoonPokémon Legends Z-AMarvel SnapAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Matt Booty's 10,000 Testers

From the VGBees Bonus Feed -- join The Hive today to get bonus episodes like this all year.John gave himself such a strange and wonderful birthday gift this year by asking Joe from the Joe Is Hungry YouTube channel for ninety minutes of his time. Joe, kindly, obliged. And this is the result. If you've never watched Joe Is Hungry, it is a fast food review channel with a growing and vocal fandom. You'll understand. Interview includes:Joe's background as a nursethe origin of the huge knifethe cats!Joe's video editing philosophies and how he learned the tradeJoe's feelings on the GoPro 10Joe's origins on the webJoe's stance on drive-thru AI botsand much, much moreIf you like bonuses like this, please tell your friends to JOIN THE HIVE.

Sneakadoodle Interview w/ Joe is Hungry (Bonus Episode)

This week, Niki has been taken by the Swamp Monster so Lotus and John are fending for themselves. Lucky for you, they love to yap! Included in the gab sesh:EA's generative AI tools all suck and no one likes themAmazon is cutting tens of thousands of jobsMany Amazon Games projects have shut downAmazon Games was apparently (???) competing with Steam the whole timeDon't Nod is working with Netflix IP for upcoming projectHuge Animal Crossing New Horizons update is comingNintendo is selling a huge Breath of the Wild vinyl setTake-Two & Rockstar do some union bustingStasisDeep Sleep TrilogyKinophobiaNinja Gaiden: RageboundShinobi: Art of VengeanceOnce Upon a KATAMARIPlus, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord.

Competing with Steam as a Goof

On this week's episode, Niki, Lotus, and John discuss Microsoft's extremely weird week/month/year/decade. Including:the 30% margin mandateflooding the zone with Fallout news, The Outer Worlds 2, Keeper, and Ninja Gaiden 4the inevitable return of HaloHalo Campaign Evolved being one of the worst titles everGrunts aren't supposed to glistendev kits see huge price hikePLUS:Krafton is "AI first"Jennifer Hale doesn't know Mass Effect 5 is doomedPokemon Legends Z-A is really funny??? On purpose????Ball x Pit is one of John's games of the yearWe also answer your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely (free!) Discord.

Phil & Todd Flood the Zone

Hi folks! This week, Niki fills out an application for an apartment, John gets something wrong (again), and Lotus explores Steam Next Fest! Included in their discussion:Assassin's Creed lead departs UbisoftTencent and Sony apparently worked on a The Last of Us project togetherTomunobu Itagaki's legacyHard Drive's descent into 2005 internet bullshitQuantic Dream's new multiplayer projectLumines AriseBall x PitPokémon Z-ADanchi DaysHorripilantThe Third ShiftThe Séance of Blake ManorSepulchronand much more!Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Body Works, Body Worlds, Body Bath & Beyond

This week marks the beginning of the Lotus era at The VGBees Podcast. She joins John and Niki as the third permanent cohost of the show and immediately brings insight to the program like...what if Nintendo likes making money?But also!the dense delight of Digimon Story: Time Strangerthe apparent end of Hyper Light Breaker's developmentthe rumor that AMD needed a 10,000,000 unit commitment for Xbox's dedicated handheldNintendo's slide into DisneyficationUbisoft's canceled Reconstruction Era, anti-Klan Assassin's Creedwhy is former Halo art director vagueposting on LinkedIn?Megabonk's relationship with cringe and Risk of Rain 2Shadow Labyrinth being itself, for better or worseHades II's self-inflicted narrative challengesa thorough review of a new Windows PCAbsolum's rapid ascent to many Best of 2025 listsWe also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Assassin's Creed: Roku City

This week, Niki and John have a lot to chat about in and around a busy few days in video games, including:Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's huge price hikeinterpreting the latest in Microsoft's non-planObsidian bearing the brunt of Microsoft's decision-makingJared Kushner and Saudi Arabia are taking EA privateSeumas McNally Award Winner Consume Me's greatnessWheel of Fortune on the PlayStation 5Hades II is simply wonderful to playFinal Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles gets an apology from JohnSuper Mario Galaxy 2 continues the odd but welcome tradition of cutting room floor direct sequelsAll of this and your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord.

Flashing Neom Lights of Late Stage Capitalism

This week, Niki and John are joined by none other than Michael Higham on this, the very special 69th episode of The VGBees Podcast. In this jam-packed episode, we cover:Wolverine's profoundly bloody introductionthe Returnal of it all of Sarosa brief look at new Virtua Fighter Project detailsthe impossible bigness of Anantaa conversation about remakes prompted by the perplexing Deus Ex remasterForza Horizon 6 and how the game can recapture past magicEasy Delivery Co. and John unironically calling a game cozy in 2025Niki's evolving relationship with skate.Higham going long on Trails in the Sky and its new remakeBaby Steps As always, we also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

It's Time For Wolf Girls w/ Michael Higham

This week, John regrets to inform you and Niki that Borderlands 4 is just more Borderlands, for better or worse. John thinks maybe worse. Niki's right, it's just 2K's Madden. Also:the very interesting misfire that is Skate.Dying Light: The Beast is apparently great but we can't get past the Hinterlands of Dying Light 2the poor PC performance of Borderlands 4 and Randy Pitchford's admittedly very, very, very funny (if wildly unprofessional) responses to that criticismthe flatness of NBA 2K26Tears of the Kingdom two and a half years laterPeloton's Lanebreakthe inextricable link between Queen Elizabeth dying and our layoff at Fanbytehow free to play trains us to invest lessWe, of course, answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Borderlands: The Borderlands of Borderlands: Now With More Borderlands

This week, Niki and John dive way way way into the mega-sized Nintendo Direct this week. Did you know that Super Mario is 40 years old??? Just like John! Wow! Also:paying for Super Mario Galaxy againNintendo remembers Super Mario Galaxy 2 existsthe new Mario movie is just Super Mario GalaxySuper Mario Wonder for Switch 2Mario Tennis FeverYoshi and the Mysterious BookVirtual Boy on Nintendo Switch OnlineSamus has a cool bike in Metroid Prime 4 Beyond nowHades II is out SO soonPokemon PokopiaDinkumFire Emblem Fortune's WeaveDonkey Kong Bananza DLCDragon Quest VII Reimaginedand more!Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Pokémon Dinkum

Hello! This week, John and Niki discuss the most explosive game release of the year, Hollow Knight: Silksong. 500,000 concurrents? Broken shops? Unfathomable discourse? You got it, baby.That, and:The downfall of games critThe value of asking piracy forum dwellers to weigh in on the most popular game of the year007 First Light gameplayFootball Manager 26College basketball coming to NBA 2KFiraxis layoffsKirby and the Forgotten Land for Switch 2Also, we answer your HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

Silksong Is And Always Was Coming Out

This week, John is back at full strength and here to discuss all the games Niki has played! Among the discussion points:Layoffs at Giant Squid & Rec RoomConversation boundaries and etiquetteSword of the SeaWe Are OFKCircuits RoyalePokemon Red Rescue TeamPokemon Rescue Team DXMetal Gear Solid 3 Deltaand more!Also, we answer your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

This Podcast Was Built In The Frostbite Engine

With John on the International Space Station, Niki and Lotus talk all things Gamescom 2025, including:Call of Duty: Black Ops 7Black Myth: Zhong KuiResident Evil RequiemWorld of Tanks: HeatGhost of YoteiWorld of Warcraft MidnightUNBEATABLEJohn Carpenter's Toxic CommandoHollow Knight: SilksongLEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark KnightPlus, a big, big dive into why Lotus is DONE with Marvel Rivals.Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS directly from our Discord.

Stuck in a House, No Outside w/ Lotus

This week, Niki and John are joined by Lotus, who has a lot of smart ideas about how messy the "reporting" around itch.io has gotten, frozen alcohol, and whole word comprehension. Also:the breakdown of "games journalist" as an ideaHardspace Shipbreaker goes to Blackbird 100%common core mathdrinking in parking lotsFrankenstein shoesadult bracesgetting addicted to going to the hospitalWe also answer your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord.

1-900-GAMBLER w/ Lotus

Niki and John had a great time talking about the Nintendo Indie World Showcase this week on the show right after they spent twelve minutes talking about a thing that's embargoed! When will you hear about it? Next week!What remains is still a rip-roaring two hours of video game bliss, including:Mage ArenaMerge MaestroPrimal PlanetFortnite's new Power Rangers/Halo seasonPuzzmoand more!Also, we answer ALL your HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord.

Twelve Minutes, Not the Video Game

This week, John and Niki discuss the latter's big media day with Battlefield 6, the game that's aiming for 100,000,000 players! Do they think it can happen? You'll have to listen to find out. Also:The stranger side of big PR gaming eventsTerri Schiavo (really)Ray Romano's net worthNintendo Partner ShowcaseDonkey Kong BananzaWhich eight Capcom games outsold Monster Hunter Wilds this quarterand much more!We also answer your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our Discord.

Battlefield Now with More Battlefield

Hi there! This week, Niki and John went super long and recorded three solid hours of discussion, including:College Football 26Donkey Kong BananzaWhat if the Switch 2 Lite has an OLED?The simple brilliance of TennoconWhat other PR teams miss about the process of making gamesThey also go very deep on this week's payments processor crackdown on adult Itch.io games and the government's continued assault on sex work, queerness, disability, etc. We offer a whole lot of unfiltered thoughts with very little by way of a solution. :-)Anyway, we also had a blast cracking a cold one and answering ALL of your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS this week from our Discord.

The Podcast with All the Answers

Niki's live from London, Ontario this week at Tennocon while John's getting up at the crack to podcast. What a show, too! We're absolutely loving Donkey Kong Bananza and John might be obsessed with the Horse Girl Game????Also, we discuss the rise of fascism as expressed via:Roblox verifying the identities of children via AIFinancial transaction companies cracking down on Steam's adult contentThe 24/7 amateur surveillance stateAlso, books! Ever heard of them? We answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS directly from our Discord.

Donkey Kong Will Fix You

Niki is IN JOHN'S HOUSE this weekend. Wild stuff. They grabbed lunch at Hurtado BBQ and ate a truly irresponsible amount and then decided to podcast! Smart? Not really. But here we are! Discussion points:AEW All In TexasThe Steam Summer SalePeakRematchSongs/games of the summerSeasonal/weather-specific gamesWe also answer your HIVE QUESTIONS from Discord.

The We Ate Too Much Hurtado BBQ Special

On a very special public bonus of the show, John is joined by fellow disabled games media person Grant Stoner (IGN, Polygon, VGBees) to celebrate Disability Pride Month! How do they celebrate? By regaling each other with tales of crippledom from yesterday and today! Also:The importance of sources in investigative journalismAdvice for disabled writers working in the fieldThe most out of pocket interactions we've had as disabled people (oops, all Christian mysticism!)The joy of breaking outside of accessibility coverage (to some extent)The excitement of community reportingHow layoffs disproportionately affect disabled workersAnd much more!We also answer some of your HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord. We also compare head and torso sizes/shapes. You're welcome!

Big Head, Keg Torso, Can't Lose w/ Grant Stoner

This week, Niki and John are joined by perhaps the greatest games media talent scout in the industry's history, Endless Mode's Editor-in-Chief Garrett Martin. He hung out to tell us about the new site, what to expect from its amazing writers, and, of course, theme parks! Also:nearly half an hour of AEW All In Texas preview discussion (sorry non-wrestling fans)Kotaku's sale to KeleopsMicrosoft's astonishing layoff round of 9,100 employeesPerfect Dark reboot canceled and studio shutteredEA's bonkers 100,000,000 player expectation for BattlefieldBonk!Shmups!Half SwordSGDQ 2025Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord.

Beard Care At the End of the World w/ Garrett Martin

This week, Niki and John go deep (again) on Mario Kart World and its most head-scratching design choices. Tired of us talking about that? Okay! We also talked about:Andrew Wilson's obscene pay bump at EAMicrosoft's upcoming massive layoffPeak sells 2m copiesNintendo "fixes" something everyone thought was fine in Mario Kart Worldthe dark corners of Cyberpunk 2077and much more!Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord!

The Miracle of Childbirth

John returns to the podcast after spending last week in the hospital and joins Niki to talk about the second full week of Switch 2 as well as:the indefinite Marathon delay3rd party titles apparently lagging on Switch 2historic sales figures for Switch 2Xbox's core strategyMario Kart WorldDonkey Kong BananzaCyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2PoxelFBC: FirebreakDeltaruneAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord community.

This Sense of Impending Doom Is an Xbox

This week, John was zooted in the hospital recovering from surgery (he's fine!), so Niki and Lotus took the reins and delivered a banger of an episode, featuring:Summer Game Fest swagSonic Racing: CrossworldsLumines AriseMindsEyeMario Kart Worldthe rise of fascism and incompetence of our oppressorsNintendo Switch 2 first week sales figuresand much, much moreAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our lovely Discord.

Gamifying HIPAA Violations w/ Lotus

John broke his ankle in a car accident so couldn't make it out to SGF this year, so instead Niki attended the planned VGBees Mixer and we decided to set up a little area for John to digitally greet guests. And then we decided to make it into an episode. Smart? Not really! Jordan Mallory, our intrepid producer, did a marvelous job making this at least listenable, but conceptually it was not smart. But we did it anyway!The VGBees Way.Is it a fun episode? Yes. John tackles the Sony State of Play and thoughts on Elden Ring: Nightreign while we get lots of really fun cameos from folks across games media!Video version recommended on this one, but the audio is definitely worse there. We'll record more "normal" eps during SGF.Thanks for your patience and support! Hive Questions will be called upon this weekend!

Audio Poison: The VGBees SGF Mixer 2025

Niki and John are riding solo this week while we prepare for Summer Game Fest. Included in their hangout:Coverage expectations of Geoff's big showEA's cancelation of Black Panther and the closure of CliffhangerMemories of E3Battle Aces shutting downTencent's recent catalogXbox moving away from proprietary handheld (for now)Elden Ring Nightreign's PC problemsgetting paid to hate a gameAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord!

There's An Ys In Here Somewhere

This week, Niki and John are joined by one fifth of the owners of Giant Bomb, the unfathomable Dan Ryckert! Yes, wrestling comes up. Yes, fast food brands are discussed. Yes, extremely local minutia is mentioned. Also:Joe is HungryTommy Tallaricoowning a business like owning a car?Death Stranding 2: On the BeachTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical TakedownTo a TDeliver At All CostsStar CitizenWe answer your HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord like we do every single week!

Randy's Looking Over Your Shoulder w/ Dan Ryckert

Hello Hive! This week, Niki and John are joined by extremely talented and funny video essayist, streamer, and podcast host Jenna Stoeber! In addition to a lively discussion of whether can is barrel, the group discussed:Jenna's PAX EastKaraoke go-tosEnding our time with Blue PrinceNintendo Switch 2 colliding with Summer Game FestThe non-story of Kingdom Hearts IV's screenshot dropBungie possibly lifting stolen art directly into Marathon's alphaand more!Also, we answer your HIVE QUESTIONS, which you can provide for us every single week on our Discord.

Basic Bogging w/ Jenna Stoeber

This week, John and Niki ride as a duo to talk about the big American Pope. Also:big questions about how independent games outlets can survivekilling Avatar Aang in Fortniteflying an X-Wing in Fortniteglitching a car out of existence in Fortnitethe genius of Fortnite nearly eight years inthe act of play in Despelotegrounding yourself when you're disappearing into games (or whatever, frankly)We answer your HIVE QUESTIONS every single week on the show, but you must JOIN THE HIVE to do so!

Conclave Elimination Chamber

This week, Niki and John were supremely lucky to have Jeff Gerstmann on the show to discuss the shocking sale of Polygon to Valnet (laying off the vast majority of the team there) and the implosion of Giant Bomb, the very website Jeff cofounded 17 years ago. We did not plan Jeff's appearance like this! We promise. Niki, as of this recording, was still technically under contract there!Very wild and sad and emotionally-draining day, but we still go around to other topics, including:What to make of the State of Play for Borderlands 4Apple losing the ability to block third party payment platformsXbox price hikesSkin Deep, the new hilarious immersive sim from BlendoJar Jar's in Fortnite nowClair Obscur is still unbelievably FrenchWe even got Jeff to briefly talk about Blitzball. What a treat.As usual, we pulled your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our Discord like we do every single week.

Inside Blitzball w/ Jeff Gerstmann

This week, Niki and John are joined by game developer and former colleague (and current friend) Fūnk-é Joseph to discuss the Nintendo DS! That's it! That's all! Just two hours of Nintendo DS! Actually, you'd probably be totally cool with that, but we did move onto other topics, including:the Nintendo Switch 2 preorder messDonkey Kong Bananza's clear connection to Red Factionhow Mario Kart World is attracting the hatersMarathon alphaClair Obscur: Expedition 33, the world's most French gameexplaining Blue PrinceAll of this and your HIVE QUESTIONS, answered each and every episode.

French Robert Pattinson w/ Fūnk-é Joseph

This week, Niki and John are joined by the wonderful Jessica Cogswell of Gamespot dot com. We talk hot neighborhood gossip including a harrowing tale from Jess right from her own back yard. Of course, we also talked about games, including:The reveal of Bungie's MarathonNew Mario Kart World detailsThe good and bad of Blue Prince, one of the year's most polarizing gamesLeaving the bloat behind in Final Fantasy VII RebirthAlso, Jess commits to getting John into Magic: The Gathering at SGF this year. Niki's clean and will not participate.Finally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS, featuring some bangers about music, mediocre games that never drop price, and snacks.

Possums in the Blueprints w/ Jessica Cogswell

This week, John & Niki are joined by former Fanbyte colleague and current social media manager at System Era, Lotus! We started by getting caught up on Starseeker, the next game from the makers of Astroneer, one of the many titles affected by the odd YouTube technical issues during the Nintendo Direct. Also:More tariff changesMore Switch 2 preorder delaysThe GameCube controller has bizarre limitationsThe Piranha Plant camera for Switch 2 is 480pThose Titanfall 3 rumorsA Slay the Spire mod with waifusAlso, we played:South of MidnightHot WaxMTG ArenaAs always, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS, which you can ask each and every week if you're a member of The Hive.

Inquiries On Animes w/ Lotus

Only two short days after the announced details of the Nintendo Switch 2 and about twelve hours after we recorded this week's main VGBees Podcast episode, Donald Trump's trade war with the rest of the world created the environment responsible for Nintendo announcing the delay of US pre-orders for their new console.I decided it was worth recording a public feed bonus with my friend and former colleague Imran Khan to discuss the event. We covered a lot of ground, including:A recap of Wednesday's announcementsTrump's specific new tariffs announced Wednesday afternoonNintendo's response on FridayHow this expands WAY beyond Switch 2Why manufacturing jobs will not be created sustainably here in the USWhy this moment may or may not radicalize the average gamerHow these conditions may cause more delays, price increases, and supply issuesIf this is your first time thinking about things like this, welcome! We don't judge! Just consider looking at your hobbies getting priced out of your comfort zone as the first step in looking at the world in a more intersectional way! Okay!?!If you like the idea of maybe making more bonus podcasts, consider supporting us at vgbees.com/join.

Trade War 2025 w/ Imran Khan

In this supersized episode, John and Niki are joined by Game Informer Associate Producer Charles Harte to unpack the 60 minute Nintendo Direct for Switch 2 and all of the accompanying (and globally relevant) stories coming out of the event. Including:The console's price pointMario Kart World's features & $80 price pointWhat $80 Nintendo games mean for the industryWhy Switch 2 costs what it costsDouble mice with Drag x DriveThe shocking reveal of Bloodborne spiritual successor The DuskbloodsEnhanced editions of Nintendo Switch gamesDonkey Kong BananzaAlso, we discuss games we've been playing, including:South of MidnightAtomfallAvowedFinally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS, including one about exploring weird themed grocery store Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati.

Bananza at Jungle Jim's w/ Charles Harte

This week, John and Niki are joined by the wonderful Ben Pack to discuss this week's fascinating, funny, and sometimes confusing Nintendo Direct!The strange (reported) rollout plan for Switch 2Metroid Prime 4: BeyondEternal Life of GoldmanTomodachi Life: Living the DreamRhythm Heaven GrooveMarvel Cosmic InvasionNintendo Virtual Game Cards (?????)Also discussed:Cristiano Ronaldo joining Fatal Fury: City of the WolvesTencent & Ubisoft creating a new subsidiary to house certain IPAvowedR.E.P.O.All Systems DanceAssassin's Creed ShadowsThe crew also answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS like we do each and every week!

Galileo Galiwho w/ Ben Pack

Texas, my home, has been a battleground over the soul of the American Dream as it pertains to immigrants from around the globe. I want to use whatever platform I have to educate myself and my audience about things that matter to me. Right now, our laws are eroding around us and immigration attorneys like my guest in this bonus episode are part of a group fighting for the vulnerable every day.Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch (aka Abogada Kate) is an immigration attorney in Austin, TX, serving families and individuals through the complicated and sometimes harrowing immigration process. In this conversation we cover:How the day to day work of an immigration law office has changed since November 2024 and since Trump took officeHow our rule of law has eroded and what advice Kate would have for citizens and non-citizens during this unstable periodThoughts on the Mahmoud Khalil caseHow the legal profession is responding to the Trump administration's tacticsThe process of becoming a US citizenThe prospect of overhauling our immigration systemThe beauty of being a country of immigrantsHow attitudes about labor can shape the immigration conversation for better and for worseHow we can protect non-citizens and permanent residentsIf you would like more resources on the rights of immigrants, go to https://www.abogadakate.com/safety/ to download guides on what to do if an immigrant is approached at home, at work, in their cars, etc.

An Immigration Conversation with Abogada Kate

This week, Niki joins (for about half an hour) from the Fandom Chamber of Audio Recording in San Francisco to help John find a Lexus LS 400 he can buy. They're joined by special guest Tim Rogers, who helped the crew rethink their camera and monitor setups. Whatever notes John had for the show...don't worry about it. Instead, Tim and John spent 2.5 hours discussing:Yasuke being cool as hell in Assassin's Creed ShadowsThe Easy-Bake Oven Witcher 3-ification of Assassin's CreedSports gambling and the possible equivalent in gamesHorse ArmorPomeraniansLost media (and if that's even what we'd call what people are referring to as "lost media" now)Kitchen NightmaresAnd a lot more, honestly! We also answer some of your burning HIVE QUESTIONS, including a rundown of all the weird things we call our dogs.

The Draft Kings of Gaming w/ Tim Rogers

This week, Niki and John are joined by Polygon's Patrick Gill, who goes deep on why Monster Hunter Wilds is so good, his most recent video guide on the game, and which weapons Niki and John should used based on their chosen professional wrestling style. Good stuff. Also:The fucking Strains are at it againScopely buys Niantic's gaming wing for $3.5bSaudi fund inks 3-year deal with Capcom for Street Fighter 6 tournamentsThe Elder Scrolls: Oblivion is getting a remake soonPower Wash Simulator 2 announcedAlso discussed:FortniteThe Forever WinterSkin DeepHalf SwordAvowedMullet MadjackFragpunkAs always, we answer your HIVE QUESTIONS like we do each and every week! Lots of wrestling chat in this one, if that's your pleasure.

Suing Yourself for Fun & Profit w/ Pat Gill

This week, Niki and John are joined by former Fanbyte colleague and current PC Gamer writer Andrea Shearon! We had to ask our resident Final Fantasy XIV expert about Yoshi-P leaving the Square-Enix Board of Directors and about the future of the company. Also:Sega is the best-reviewed publisher of 2024Sega is releasing fewer games but doubling down on big franchisesMonster Hunter Wilds has a massive launchClair Obscur: Expedition 3325 years of PlayStation 2AvowedLost Records: Rage & BloomRue ValleyFruit FightKingdom Come Deliverance IIAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS like we do each and every week.

Jesus Underscore Christ with Andrea Shearon

This week, Niki and John are joined by bestie of the show Michael Higham to discuss cooking habits, the games we're playing, and the news of the week, including:the secret to great homemade ranchthe Pokémon PresentsPokémon Legends: Z-APokémon ChampionsWarner Bros. closing Monolith and canceling Wonder WomanCEOs and their marketing strategiesBossa Games' CEO's weird LinkedIn postAvowedSouth of MidnightWe also answer ONE of your Hive Questions this week. Yep. Ran out of time. We're going to record a bonus to get to the rest of them, so stay tuned for that if you're a Hive Member!

Marketing Strategies for CEOs: A VGBees Masterclass w/ Michael Higham

This week, John and Niki are joined by the one and only Merritt K, one of the brilliant minds behind Fledgling Manor. The show starts, of course, with the most important news of the week: how much the Nintendo Tip Line cost per minute. Also:NetEase laying off the Seattle Marvel Rivals teamMicrosoft's new Muse generative AI initiativeNiantic in talks to be purchased by Scopely for $3.5bHades II gets a big update (and into some interesting territory with SAG-AFTRA)Also, we talk about Avowed and 1994's hottest game, Stone Protectors.We answer your HIVE QUESTIONS, including who we would cast in this year's star-studded Call of Duty ad.

The Saudis Own VGBees Now w/ Merritt K

This week, John asks Niki all about Split Fiction, the follow-up to award-winning It Takes Two. It is another one of those, for better or worse (mostly better). They also dive way, way, way into the big changes coming to Overwatch 2. What are they? Do they matter? Where did this franchise lose its way?Also:Sony's State of PlaySarosTides of AnnihilationShinobi: Art of VengeanceDarwin's ParadoxOnimushaReality BreakTekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U EditionAvowedOf course, your HIVE QUESTIONS are also answered like they are each and every week!

Not About Divorce and Being Mean to Your Kid

This week, John and Niki discuss what it would take to get them to attend the new ESA-fronted conference called iicon starting next April in Las Vegas. It's like GDC but worse, somehow. Also:Metal Gear Solid Delta gets a release dateGrand Theft Auto 6 confirmed for fall 2025timeline on new Nvidia cards coming back in stockKingdom Come: Deliverance 2Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward VectorVirtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.Marvel RivalsEternal StrandsAnimal Crossing: New HorizonsOf course, we answer your HIVE QUESTIONS like we do each and every week.

John & Niki: True iicons

The entire sports world was shocked when 5-time All-NBA 1st Teamer and 25 year old megastar Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for a Randy's donut and some unpaid parking tickets. Okay maybe it's not quite that bad, but it's really, really, really close.Your local basketball experts and fans of both teams in question, John and Niki, break down what you need to know about why the trade happened, what happens to both of these teams, and the long-term effects this trade may have around the league.They also get into why sports are great and why the current crop of major team ownership is in it for entirely the wrong reasons. Come for the jokes about how this basically shaved 10 years off of John's life, stay for the genuinely heartfelt conclusion about why sports are all about community.Some media you might be interested in:ESPN's longform piece about the tradeThe bizarre Nico Harrison press conferenceThe Shams tweet everyone thought was fake

Emergency Basketball Podcast: The Luka Doncic Trade

This week, Niki and John dive into the news that BioWare is downsizing and outsourcing part of Mass Effect 5's development. More than that, it strikes our hosts that maybe the series should go away if it means saving the jobs of the remaining employees tasked with such a burden. Anyway, it's a good discussion about a complicated problem. Also:the Video Game History Foundation's excellent new digital archives have launchedForza Horizon 5 is coming to PS5 with crossplayMicrosoft's two-sided strategyEternal StrandsVirtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.Ninja Gaiden II BlackWe also answer your HIVE QUESTIONS, including "what's the video game equivalent of 'hot singles in your area?'"

It's Hard to Let Go

This week, Niki and John take in the most recent Xbox Direct showcase and dive into each game discussed, including:Ninja Gaiden 4South of MidnightExpedition 33Doom: The Dark AgesThey also discuss the cancelation of Celeste follow-up Earthblade and the blog post announcing it. In addition, the news that EA is disappointed in the sales of both Dragon Age: The Veilguard and EA Sports FC 25 is examined through a lens that understands the latter is much, much, much more interesting and noteworthy than the former.As always, the duo answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS, including whether $100 video games will catch on and which game would make the best musical.

Boy the Musical

This week, Niki and John discuss the biggest story in games. That's right, it's the MegaByte Nation Gaming Expo from Los Angeles, CA! What are Game Hogs up to? What does a UMD of old Family Guy episodes cost?Oh also we discuss the official announcement of Nintendo Switch 2, including:form factor changesJoy-Cons are also mice?guesses about the new Mario Kartspeculation on release dateand much more!We also answer your Hive Questions like we every single week! Which game would change the hearts and minds of a Footloose-style town that hates video games?

Mario Kart 2

This week, Niki is laying low to escape the horrible fires facing Los Angeles. John runs solo, discussing the games news of the week, including:Nintendo Switch 2 rumorsthe delay of Assassin's Creed ShadowsTencent's designation as a military organizationthe new LEGO Game BoyWe also answer your HIVE QUESTIONS and discuss John's fleet of emulation devices.Here are some links for donations/causes to help aid in the recovery of Los Angeles.Watch Duty - donations go toward running an incredibly helpful tracking service for AngelenosCanine Rescue Club - helping match displaced pets with fosters in times of great distress like thisGear Drive Fire Support - organizing local needs in a handy spreadsheetPasadena Humane - providing emergency care and treatment of animals affected by the firesCalifornia Community Foundation - donating to their wildlife recovery fund directly contributes to local recovery effortsWorld Central Kitchen - providing meals for first responders and others in need of nourishing mealsAll Power Books - local Los Angeles bookstore organizing distribution of shelf stable food, water, and other necessities to people in need

All the Ingredients for a Speedrun

This week, Niki and John both shake off their respective Holiday illnesses to come together for the first episode of 2025! They reflect on what they might have missed in 2024, including:Mouthwashing1000xResistMetaphor: ReFantazioThe Rise of the Golden IdolAlso, what would the first episode of the new year be without predictions for games to play in 2025:Death Stranding 2: On the BeachFBC: FirebreakPokemon Legends: Z-ASkateJudasWe also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS like we do each and every week!

Why Don't These Games Make Me Cry?

It is that time of year! VGBees has awarded its official (well John and Niki's) Games of the Year 2024! We had two overlaps, so we cover eight total games and wow we had a blast revisiting the year's very best games.Not to spoil the surprise (stop reading if you don't want to know), but in alphabetical order we discuss:Astro BotBalatroCall of Duty: Black Ops 6Content WarningCrow CountryIndiana Jones and the Great CirclePath of Exile 2Thank Goodness You're Here!No HIVE QUESTIONS in this special episode, but you can always join and ask us questions every single week and we'll answer them on the show!

The VGBees 2024 Games of the Year

Niki and John go through a whirlwind of big games news this week, including the revelation that Woody Johnson is steering New York Jets personnel decisions with advice from his sons, Brick and Jack, derived from Madden 25 player stats. Also:the Charlotte Hornets Grinch a PS5 away from a childSony invests big in Kadokawa (FromSoftware's parent company)the Switch 2 is called Switch 2 (probably)As far as what we've been playing, well:Path of Exile 2Indiana Jones and the Great CircleMarvel RivalsAs always, we answer your HIVE QUESTIONS on the show and this week we went deep on why we're not convinced Indy's new adventure is a true immersive sim. Stay tuned this week for our first ever Hive Five Games of the Year podcast!

Brick & Jack: Football Geniuses

This week, Niki worked an entire human day within the span of two human days to work Gamespot/Giant Bomb's TGA coverage and lived (thrived!) to tell about it. John asks burning questions like "what was the deal with those long sandwiches Dan Ryckert was giving to people?"Then, they get into the meat of The Game Awards 2024, including:The Witcher 4Elden Ring NightreignVirtua FighterOnimusha: Way of the SwordOkami SequelProject: RobotIntergalactic: The Heretic ProphetAstro Bot winning Game of the Yearand much more!Also, what did giving the Game Changer Award to a (perfectly nice and helpful) business development director at Tencent say about the industry's current tenuous situation?We, of course, answer your HIVE QUESTIONS like we do every single week.

The Game Awards 2024 Postmortem

HARK! An early holiday gift from VGBees is upon us!We have reunited Nerium, Natalie Flores, and Michael Higham to unpack Dragon Age: The Veilguard in the style of acclaimed former Fanbyte podcast 99 Potions.Did we like it? Who are our favorite companions? Did Solas live up to the villain hype?If you like this bonus, know that in the future, we'll be putting big fancy bonus episodes like this behind The Hive, VGBees' premium subscription. Your support allows us to do many more of these! We'd love to do more of these!