Sean is joined by Jordan Andow, a game developer and game journalist for The Outerhaven and soon also of Analog Stick Gaming in discussing their thoughts on the highly criticized PlayStation Showcase. Does it really deserve all of the "disappointment" discourse? Did everyone just get overhyped? Or is it a case of Sony setting too high expectations? We also give out some of our favorite games from the showcase as well.

One game that was not shown was the much anticipated Last of Us Factions, which according to a report from Bloomberg, has been scaled back after Sony's newly acquired major studio and makers of Destiny 2, Bungie, informed Naughty Dog that the game would not keep players interest for very long. Was this the right move? Hasn't Naughty Dog earned enough cache to do their own thing? Does this worry you about Sony's new live-service direction?

Plus, Jordan shares his gaming origins, more discussion on Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, thoughts on Sony's Cloud direction, why games have come out with issues this year, Final Fantasy may no longer have numbers, and much more!
You can also watch this episode on video via the W2M Network Youtube channel. Please like and subscribe to us over there as well: https://youtube.com/live/etGBXb-Raw8

* Jordan had a lot of insight into what was discussed both as a gamer and a game developer. Hence, there are times when the timestamps will not line up because this podcast wound up being more of a conversation about various things and not so rigid on the topics listed. So there may be a bit of blending of topics discussed. So apologies if the timestamps aren't exact. *

Timestamps:

00:00:30 START

00:04:50 Housekeeping

- Games We Are Playing -

00:06:20 Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Jordan). Also discussed here: Why some games have been released with Performance Issues and why Tears of the Kingdom is such a marvel from a technical standpoint.

00:22:05 Cassette Beasts (Sean & Jordan.) Also discussed here: Why Cassette Beasts' fusing mechanic could have been a good direction for Pokemon to go in, why we shouldn't treat every small-scale title in the same way, why aesthetics for a game are very important, What's always made Jordan a gamer and some cool info on one of his favorite games, Shenmue, and why Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus are vital for gaming going forward.

00:50:15 Ravenlok (Jordan). Also discussed here: The nuance of game reviews and why Ravenlok and It Takes Two are perfect examples of deceptively good games, plus more on how variety from Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus is so helpful for gaming.

01:01:15 Planet of Lana. (Sean)

- Getting to Know Jordan -

01:03:20 Jordan's Gaming Origins (including some more of his favorite games, what console he prefers, what made him go from gamer to game developer to journalist, and why Remakes are important beyond just putting it on modern consoles, Jordan's ideas behind game reviews, and more!)

- Does PlayStation deserve the hate -

01:41:00 PlayStation Showcase Thoughts (Why it really isn't as disappointing as many are making it seem like it is, reasons why it is a good showcase, Sony's live-service strategy, inside perspective on game development challenges.

02:05:10 Last of Us Factions Scaled Back By Sony

02:06:30 Jordan's Favorite Games from the Showcase and Thoughts on Project Q and Sony wanting to do more with Cloud Gaming

02:17:00 Jordan promo time!

- Sean Goes Solo for News Quick Hits -

02:18:15 Project Q (PS5 Remote Play Device), its potential price, and if it is needed at all

02:23:50 Square-Enix is Potentially Considering Removing Numbers from Mainline Final Fantasy Games

02:28:30 Samba De Amigo Party Central Gets Release Date, AEW Fight Forever Release Date, Super Mario Bros Movie Hits 1.2 Billion Worldwide and Alone in the Dark News

02:32:45 Sean gives out some favorite games from the PlayStation Showcase

- The END -

02:40:00 Games Coming Out This Week: Street Fighter 6, Super Mega Baseball 4, Etrian Odyssey HD 1-3 & More!

- Links -

More on Last of Us Factions: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-26/-last-of-us-multiplayer-video-game-faces-setbacks-at-sony?leadSource=uverify%20wall#xj4y7vzkg

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