IBIF Podcast 176 – AI Touched Our Children

In this podcast episode, Eric and Jason kicked off their recording session with discussions on network infrastructure limitations, local weather events, and digital ownership concerns regarding SaaS pricing. They examined the societal impact and content restrictions of AI tools, alongside technical topics such as emergency patches for a critical PHP vulnerability and AI-assisted PlayStation emulation on PC. The conversation also covered major gaming industry updates, including the closure of BioWare, development delays for Beyond Good and Evil 2, and hardware speculations surrounding Microsoft's Project Helix and Sony's PS6. Additionally, Eric and Jason shared personal updates and reviews of beers from 10 Barrel Brewing and OSO Brewery, as well as their recent progress playing games like The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, and Control. They discussed spooky season horror movie viewings, upcoming family concert plans, and addressed a listener question debating moral sympathy in villain origin stories.

In episode 175 of the podcast, the guys crack open award-winning beers before diving headfirst into an action-packed review session covering everything from the brutal combat of Marvel's Wolverine and the shopkeeping mechanics of Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault to the nostalgic charm of the Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD 2D Remake and narrative depth of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The conversation turns spicy as The Guys tackle major gaming industry drama, dissecting Sony’s controversial digital licensing stance, Sony's sudden funding cancellation for Hideo Kojima's project, and Microsoft's dystopian ad-injection patent. After geeking out over revolutionary AMD ray tracing technology that reduces RAM requirements by 98%, the guys wrap up with retro gaming anecdotes, community banter, and plugs for network shows like Cutscene and Patch Notes.

The Guys officially gave the podcast a makeover, prioritizing actual game talk and industry news before spiraling into their new, mandatory segment, "You’re wrong because reasons." They dove into the chaotic energy of managing a gas station and hunting deer for Juice in Goo Deer, dissected the strategy of Unicorn Overlord, and had a collective "we're officially old" moment while celebrating Samsung’s new hearing-aid earbuds. Amidst the existential dread over digital-only game ownership, The Guys also took a trip down memory lane to their childhoods—where "replayability" meant playing Mega Man or Final Fantasy 7 on loop simply because that was the only game they could afford. Goo Deer Steam page

Join The Guys as they attempt to balance serious industry analysis with the realization that they’re mostly just two adults screaming into the digital void. Between dissecting why modern gaming performance feels like a dumpster fire and ranting about daylight savings like the retirees they aspire to be, they also find time to recap their latest convention disasters—including the time they accidentally convinced security they were crusading against Cocker Spaniels. From obsessing over bizarre 2000s-era gun-shaped computer mice to pranking their own bosses via comic books, The Guys deliver a mix of sharp industry critique and "we have absolutely no idea what we’re doing" energy. It’s the gaming podcast for anyone who loves the industry but is mostly just here for the jank.

Join the guys as they tackle everything from the aggressive price gouging in GTA 6 to the existential dread of losing your digital game library. In this episode, the guys sip "juice bomb" beers, complain about survival game mechanics until they’re blue in the face, and try to justify why they’re still playing niche titles from the PS2 era. Whether they’re dissecting corporate greed or debating the merits of a pinball-war-strategy hybrid on the GameCube, the guys are just here to prove that while they might not know everything, they certainly have strong opinions about it.

The guys are back after a two-month hiatus, jumping straight into a lively session that kicked off with some beer tasting and a critique of increasingly generic AI-generated descriptions. After experimenting with new prompts to inject some humor back into the AI's output, the guys shifted gears to discuss recent gaming developments, including the new direction for Dragon Quest 12 and the expanding cinematic universe connecting Control and Alan Wake. The bulk of the conversation focused on the "hate-playing" phenomenon—the shared habit of sticking with subpar games until the credits roll, from frustrating NES platformers to disappointing PS3-era shooters. Looking ahead, the guys are already prepping for the next episode, where they’ll be digging into games they believe only they have played.

On this episode of "I Beat it First," hosts Eric and Jason kick off with a high-ABV beer review, complete with dramatic and humorous AI-generated flavor descriptions, before diving into the high-cost future of entertainment by debating if immersive dome theaters (like the one where Eric saw Empire Strikes Back with expanded scenery) can save cinema from expensive concessions and streaming competition. They then cover the games backlog, praising unexpected hits like the "couch cozy survival game" Pacific Drive and Dead Island 2, while warning about Sony's concerning new online connectivity policies and lamenting the shock of rising Warhammer model prices. Finally, the segment "You Are Wrong Because Reasons" sparks a debate over games they deliberately abandoned out of dislike, featuring critiques of titles like the "Chore Simulator" Assassin's Creed 3 and the inventory-heavy Final Fantasy Stranger of Paradise, and ends with a tease for the next episode’s ultimate challenge: naming the single game they "fucking hated" but still earned the Platinum trophy for.