Real Time Strategy

The Game Awards 2024 nominations are out, but what will win Game of the Year? Kaitlyn and Sam make their predictions on this final weekly episode of Real Time Strategy. They discuss Elden Ring’s DLC nomination, the difference between Game of the Year and Best Game Direction, if an RPG can take the crown, and more.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:00:32 – Final Episode Farewell 00:06:11 – Game of the Year Nominees 00:08:39 – The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Controversy 00:19:15 – Should We Be Surprised by Black Myth: Wukong’s Nomination? 00:25:57 – Our GOTY Frontrunners 00:37:43 – Best Game Direction Predictions 00:53:11 – Best Adaptation Predictions 01:02:14 – Announcement Predictions 01:08:27 – Outro   Stories discussed: Polygon – The Game Awards announces Game of the Year 2024 nominees  IGN – Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Game Awards Nomination Sparks Renewed Debate Among Fans Polygon – Black Myth: Wukong is one of the lowest-rated Game of the Year nominees in Game Awards history Dead Game – Unlocking The Cheat Codes To Geoff Keighley's Game Awards  Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Phil Spencer says Xbox is working on prototypes for a handheld console. Kaitlyn and Sam discuss how it can compete in a landscape dominated by phones, Nintendo, and the Steam Deck. Then they break down why Take-Two sold its indie-focused publishing division Private Division and how the Nintendo DS changed gaming in honor of its 20th anniversary.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:07:38 – Phil Spencer Says Xbox Is Planning a Handheld. What Should It Be? 00:31:27 – Why Did Take-Two Interactive Sell Private Division? 00:49:54 – Read of the Week: The Guardian’s 20-Year Anniversary Coverage of the Nintendo DS 01:19:17 – Outro   Stories discussed: Bloomberg – Microsoft’s Gaming Chief Is Still Looking for Acquisitions, Sees Future Growth GamesIndustry.biz – Zelnick on Private Division sale: "Those projects were smaller, we're in the business of big hits" Variety – Why Private Division's Mystery Buyer Probably Isn't a Gaming Giant The Guardian – Nintendo DS at 20 – the console that paved the way for smartphone gaming   Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Sean Murrin, CEO of gaming creative agency Waypoint, joins Kaitlyn and Sam to discuss the relationship between creative activations and PR. They highlight Waypoint’s work with physical goods, mailers, stunts, events, and more (including the Elden Ring Pot Boy puppet at the 2021 Game Awards), and how that work can drive word-of-mouth and media coverage.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:06:44 – What is Waypoint? 00:27:39 – Influencer Kits 00:41:40 – How Gaming Trends Have Changed Waypoint 00:49:18 – Making Elden Ring’s Pot Boy Puppet for TGAs 2021 00:59:15 – Sean’s Other Favorite Projects 01:02:00 – How to Be a Good Creative Client 01:09:49 – Outro   Find Waypoint’s work here, and watch the agency’s show, Side Quest Sessions, on YouTube.   Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Ubisoft has disbanded Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s development team, so does that make the game a failure? Kaitlyn and Sam discuss the game’s launch and what may have affected its sales, including its PC release strategy, January release date, and the state of the Prince of Persia franchise. Then they dissect the reception to Amazon’s Like A Dragon: Yakuza and discuss the awesome new showrunner for the God of War series.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:04:58 – Ubisoft Disbands Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s Team 00:34:21 – Amazon’s Like A Dragon: Yakuza Gets Mixed Reviews 00:49:15 – Amazon’s God of War Series Gets New Showrunner 00:55:09 – Outro   Stories/media discussed: IGN – Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Team Disbanded After Critically Lauded Platformer Fails to Meet Expectations - Report Eurogamer – Ubisoft responds to report Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown development team disbanded Polygon – Why did Ubisoft send Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown out to die?  Game – Consoles aren't dying, but they are changing  Kotaku – Amazon’s Like A Dragon: Yakuza Is Already A Divisive Adaptation Of The Beloved Games Deadline – 'God Of War': Ronald D. Moore Boards Amazon Series As New Showrunner Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden recently said AA games are gone, but what does that mean for the industry? Kaitlyn and Sam explain the state of mid-market games on this week’s episode and then dig into two of Amazon’s upcoming gaming shows, God of War and Secret Level.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:09:13 – The State of AA Gaming 00:30:42 – Amazon’s God of War Show Changing Creative Team 00:41:43 – Why We’re Excited for Amazon’s Secret Level 00:56:43 – Outro   Stories/media discussed: GamesIndustry.biz – Shawn Layden: "AA is gone and that's a threat to the ecosystem going forward" PlayStation LifeStyle – Space Marine 2 Studio Wants to Focus on ‘Middle Market’ Games Like Helldivers 2 Deadline – ‘God Of War’: Sony And Amazon Starting Over On Series After Departure Of EPs Rafe Judkins, Hawk Ostby & Mark Fergus  Collider – Tim Miller and Dave Wilson Describe Every Episode of 'Secret Level' [Exclusive]  Variety – Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger Among Voice Cast for Amazon Video Game Anthology Series ‘Secret Level’  Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Why did Annapurna Interactive’s staff resign? Kaitlyn and Sam dig into that question on this week’s episode. Then the pair breaks down GamesIndustry.biz’s great post-pandemic analysis of the games industry before concluding with a new segment about the hype for Nintendo’s next console.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:07:17 – Annapurna Interactive Staff Resigns 00:23:05 – Read of the Week: GamesIndustry.biz on “How the games industry turned pandemic success into disaster” 00:51:23 – Developer Cites “Future Nintendo Platforms” in Game Announcement. Was That a PR Tactic? 00:59:44 – Outro   Stories/media discussed: Bloomberg – Annapurna Video-Game Team Resigns, Leaving Partners Scrambling  Eurogamer – Developers rush to reassure players of forthcoming releases following Annapurna Interactive mass exodus GamesIndustry.biz – Cheap money and bad bets: How the games industry turned pandemic success into disaster IGN – My Time at Portia Dev Announces Sequel for PC, Xbox Series X and S, PS5 and ‘Future Nintendo Platforms Yet to Be Announced’ Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

PlayStation dominated headlines this week with the surprise shutdown of Concord, critical acclaim for Astro Bot, and the announcement of the $700 PS5 Pro. Kaitlyn and Sam dissect this rollercoaster week by discussing why Concord failed, why people are loving Astro Bot, and whether the backlash against the PS5 Pro’s price is deserved.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:04:16 – PlayStation Shuts Down Concord. Why Did It Fail? 00:30:49 – Why Is Astro Bot Such a Hit? 00:47:00 – PS5 Pro Announced 00:57:55 – Outro   Stories/media discussed: PlayStation.Blog – An important update on Concord IGN – Why Concord Failed The Guardian – Sony’s big-budget hero shooter Concord failed spectacularly – here’s where it went wrong Game File – Sony’s new game Concord has an unexpectedly lovely map  GameSpot – Astro Bot Is The Best-Reviewed Game Of The Year So Far Bloomberg – PlayStation’s 'Astro Bot' Is a Model for the Video-Game Industry Ars Technica – Sony announces PS5 Pro, a $700 graphical upgrade available Nov. 7 The Verge – Sony’s PS5 Pro is a pricey test of next-gen consoles Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Game Informer closed earlier this month, but its legacy will live on. Former online content director Brian Shea and video editor Alex Van Aken join Sam to discuss what they learned from their time at Game Informer, the state of games media, and what they have planned next, including Alex’s game documentaries at Viewport and Brian’s All Things Nintendo podcast.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:02:43 – Brian and Alex’s Favorite Game Informer Issues 00:08:45 – Brian and Alex’s Journey to Game Informer 00:32:03 – Learnings from Game Informer 00:46:07 – How is Games Media Changing? 00:59:30 – Viewport, Alex’s Game Documentary Project 01:04:51 – All Things Nintendo, Brian’s Nintendo Podcast 01:11:13 – Outro (Where to Find Alex and Brian)   Stories/media discussed: OK Beast – How Fortnite Battle Royale Reconnected a Family - Why We Play  All Things Nintendo – Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom New Details, Japan Storytime w/ Wesley Leblanc All Things Nintendo – Genesis and the '90s Console Wars w/ Blake J. Harris     Follow Alex @itsVanAken, watch his gaming documentaries at Viewport: Inside Looks At Video Games, and support his channel on Patreon.   Follow Brian @BrianPShea, and listen to and support All Things Nintendo on Patreon.   Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Borderlands and Deadpool & Wolverine are two of this summer’s biggest movie blockbusters, but they had wildly different outcomes. Kaitlyn and Sam discuss whether Borderlands’ poor performance means anything for gaming’s future in Hollywood and what other adaptations can learn from Deadpool & Wolverine’s hugely successful marketing campaign. Other topics include Krafton acquiring Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and the pair’s favorite summertime games.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:08:04 – Breaking Down Borderlands’ Critical and Commercial Reception 00:25:50 – Why Deadpool & Wolverine’s Marketing Was So Strong 00:42:59 – Krafton Acquires Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks from Xbox 00:49:33 – Read of the Week (Eurogamer’s Summer Gaming Feature) 01:01:38 – Outro   Stories/media discussed: Variety – Box Office: 'It Ends With Us' Beats Expectations, 'Borderland' Flops  The Town – 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and Marketing Disney's First R-Rated Marvel Movie  Variety – 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Crosses $1 Billion at Global Box Office  Campaign – How these 6 brands are collaborating with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Polygon – Microsoft just gave the Xbox controller a huge ass GamesIndustry.biz – Krafton acquires Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi Rush IP from Xbox Eurogamer – Can video games match the warmth of summer? No, but an Odyssey and a Wildlife Adventure are the next best thing   Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

GameStop shut down Game Informer last week, laying off its staff and unceremoniously ending the best-known gaming magazine in the U.S. Sam and Kaitlyn discuss what the publication’s closure means for games media, why it happened, and how games PR should react. Then they discuss another gutting layoff story—Bungie cutting its staff by 17%—before ending on a positive note with a discussion about Polygon’s music-focused FM column and their favorite gaming soundtracks.   Timecodes:  00:00:00 – Intro 00:04:00 – GameStop Shuts Down Game Informer 00:19:11 – What Does GI’s Closure Mean for PR? 00:26:49 – Bungie Lays Off 220 Employees, or 17% of Staff 00:42:51 – Read of the Week (Polygon FM and our favorite video game soundtracks) 01:00:23 – Outro   Stories/media discussed: Porter Robinson – Smile! :D Kotaku – GameStop Shuts Down Game Informer, The Longest-Running Gaming Magazine In The US The Verge – Bungie is laying off 220 employees and moving others to PlayStation IGN – Bungie Devs Say Atmosphere Is ‘Soul-Crushing’ Amid Layoffs, Cuts, and Fear of Total Sony Takeover Game File – Bungie's deep job cuts were in the works prior to Destiny's most recent release, sources say  Bloomberg – Sony’s Bungie Faces Reckoning After Mass Layoff  Polygon – Polygon FM  Polygon – When the soundtrack is better than the game, we all benefit    For physical game publications, support Patch and Lost in Cult. Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.