Game Mess Decides

93: RAY TRACING, PRIVATE DICK

The GamesBeat Decides podcast is back, and it's going to get it right this time. On this episode, GamesBeat PC gaming editor Jeffrey Grubb and review editor Mike Minotti talk about video games and private detective Ray Tracing. The crew also dives into the NPD numbers for July. Nintendo did really well, and so did Octopath Traveler. WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING Jeff: Dead Cells The Messenger Samsung ultrawide monitor MIKE: The Messenger World of Warcraft News: NPD Battlefield V preorders Xbox O...

92: An artisanal, locally plagiarized podcast

The GamesBeat Decides podcast is here this week to present other people's work as their own. On this week's episode, hosts Mike Minotti and Jeffrey Grubb talk about new developments in the Filip Miucin plagiarism story at IGN, Ninja's no-girls-allowed rule, and Discord's new store. Mike and Jeff also gush more about Dead Cells, and they get into the new World of Warcraft expansion. Join us, won't you?

91: LUIGI'S BLOATED CORPSE

We've only had 5 days between recordings of the GamesBeat Decides podcast, so we weren't expecting to have a lot to talk about on this week's episode. That was our first mistake.  The GamesBeat Decides crew has spent most of the last week playing Dead Cells, and that's what they spend the top half of this week's episode talking about. But then it is a huge news section with several major stories including IGN's plagiarism problem, Riot's sexism problems, and Steam's Fallout 76 problem.

90: Wait ... How Many Songs Mention Colin Kaepernick?

It's time for another GamesBeat Decides podcast. This week, PC gaming editor Jeffrey Grubb and reviews editor Mike Minotti get together to talk about some games and the news.  On this episode, the crew discusses virtual bedrooms, Donkey Kong '94, and World of Warcraft. The duo also talk about EA Sports bleeping Colin Kaepernick's name in a song on the Madden NFL 19 soundtrack, and how that is part of why it's hard for Jeff to enjoy Madden on PC. In the news, it's mostly the monthly game sal...

89: TRUTH IN CLOUD ADVERTISING

PC gaming editor Jeffrey Grubb is on vacation, but he came back for the podcast because what if everyone realizes they don't need him. This is why his hair is going white. Capitalism is going to kill him.  On this week's episode, fellow host and GamesBeat reviews editor Mike Minotti talks about Mega Man X. Jeff talks about Dead Cells and Spintires: Mudrunner. And together they tackle the news. Join them, won't you?

88: WE DEMAND SEXY SHE-RA

This week, co-host Jeffrey Grubb has begun calling himself the "godking" because his people in Frostpunk have started worshiping him. This has left GamesBeat reviews editor Mike Minotti, fellow GamesBeat Decides podcast co-host, frightened and alone. You'll have to listen to see if he decides to submit to lord Jeffrey's rule.  On this episode, Mike and Jeff also talk about She-Ra, Danger Zone 2, and Dead Cells on Switch. In the news, the crew discusses how typos can destroy a game, Epic's bo...

87: YOUR FEEDBACK ON WHO TO FIRE IS VALUABLE TO US

We're back after taking a week off for Independence Day, and everyone is talking about ArenaNet for some reason? Well, the GamesBeat Decides podcast is not going to miss out on a mess like this. That studios decision to fire two of its Guild Wars II writers for being mildly of abrasive on Twitter takes up a good portion of this week's news section.  In addition to overreactions from ArenaNet management, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti also talk about the first 10 hours of Octopath Trave...

86: HAMMOND IS VERY GOOD

On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti talk about Summer Games Done Quick, Mario Tennis Aces online, and more. We also had some news with Microsoft's Xbox Community Content platform and more. Listen, won't you? Here's what we talked about: Here's what we talked about: Wolfenstein 2 Battlefield V Overwatch with Hammond Mario Tennis Aces SGDQ Xbox One gets Steam Workshop-like platform Amy Hennis left EA Bluehole dropped Fortnite lawsuit Hollow Knigh...

85: WE'RE E3 GHOSTS NOW

We're back from the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show, and we learned a lot about video games ... and even more about ourselves. Also, we're dead and ghosts now. It was a wild event, and we're going to wrap it up on this week's episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast. Co-hosts Mike Minotti and Jeff Grubb also talk about Mario Tennis Aces and that new Sega classics collection. In the news, the Decides team breaks down the latest monthly NPD report from May. It turns out that people st...

E3 2018 DAY 4

We went to the fig, and we are drinky and sleepy. This is a podcast we did earlier this evening.

E3 2018 DAY 3

The GamesBeat Decides crew has come together to talk about Nintendo's tight 45-minute direct and what they've seen now that the E3 show is officially open. Mike is way into Smash Bros. and Mega Man 11. Jeff saw impressive demos for Dying Light 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. And Stephanie brings all the indie games. It's been a good E3 so far, and we're trying to keep it going.

E3 2018 Day 2

I'm tired and drunk. I'll fill this out tomorrow.

E3 2018 Day 1

We've been in Los Angeles for two days, and boy, we have a lot to talk about. Join us as we look back on three major conferences from Saturday and Sunday. Bethesda may have captured the weekend by saying out loud that it is making that game that we all know that it is making. But Microsoft also came out strong with a conference that featured new Halo, Gears 5, and lots of third-party games. EA, meanwhile, had exactly what we thought it would have and nothing else. We're tired and hungry, ...

84: VALVE NO SPEAK GOOD

It's the last show before E3, and everything was already announced. So on this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, your hosts Mike Minotti and Jeffrey Grubb spend a long time ranting about Valve. The verdict? That's the one company on Earth that needs more lawyers and PR people crafting its public statements. But don't worry, Jeff and Mike also have plenty to say about the E3 leaks. That includes trying to figure out what is going on with Crackdown 3 and its delay into 2019. Finally, Jeff i...

83: SONIC'S FOR FURRIES, AND THAT'S OK!

We kept putting off recording the latest episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast this week because more news kept happening. But we finally committed, and that's when Ubisoft decided it was time to confirm Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and someone leaked a few Nintendo Switch surprises (Fortnite!).  Oh, well. This episode has almost all of the news from the last week or so, and that's what PC gaming editor Jeffrey Grubb and reviews editor Mike Minotti are going to talk about this week. It's all...

82: TASTEFUL WESTERN SEX

Co-host and GamesBeat reviews editor Mike Minotti has returned from E3 judge's week for another entry in the GamesBeat Decides podcast. He has brought with him tales of loud media presentations and Disney games.  While in Los Angeles to get briefed on a handful of games along with his GamesBeat colleagues Dean Takahashi and Stephanie Chan, Mike played Kingdom Hearts III, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and more. Now, he is ready to tell co-host Jeffrey Grubb (and the rest of the world) all about ...

81: E3 IN MAY

Thanks to Walmart Canada and publishers wanting to avoid getting buried, the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show has already begun for the GamesBeat Decides podcast. The event may not open until June 12, but that doesn't matter since we're already getting leaks and announcements. For this episode of the podcast that does all of your thinking for you, host and PC gaming editor Jeffrey Grubb and VentureBeat editor Jeremy Horwitz get together to talk about the great E3 expansion, Tempest 4...

80: THE PINTO OF CONSOLES

It's only five weeks until E3, and that is both exhilarating and frightening for the GamesBeat Decides podcast crew. On this week's episode, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti, try to figure out what is happening in the world of games so you don't have to think for yourself. The duo dive into the latest updates for Fortnite and PUBG, Mike talks about his concern that Ni No Kuni 2 isn't challenging, and they both wonder which game is the most flammable. In the news, the Decides team talks...

79: HOME OF THE CLASSY TAKE

It took us until well into spring, but Mike Minotti and Jeffrey Grubb finally did two episodes together back-to-back. On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, your hosts spend a lot of time talking about God of War. In the second segment, the squad digs into the best reboots of all time. They also try to define a reboot in the age of the "sequel" that resets almost everything. The past week also had major stories like our Battlefield V Battle Royale report and Valve acquiring Firewatch dev...

78: 90/100? WHY SO LOW!

n this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti are mad, but they're also dads -- so they feel guilty about it. Hey, that's just like Kratos from God of War! Mike has played a lot of God of War and written a review, so expect a lot of non-spoilery talk about one of the biggest Here's everything that we talked about: God of War Wolfenstein 2 on Switch Underworld: Ascendant The Messenger Trailermakers Scum/teethmeter Ghost Recon: Wildlands Radical Heights Call ...

77: THE YOSHI'S ISLAND SHADOW REALM

This special edition of the GamesBeat Decides podcast comes to you live from the bowels of Boston. This live recording captures the PAX East panel where we decided what makes a core Mario game. Join us, won't you?

76: RIP JEFF GRUBB

On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, co-host Jeff Grubb prepares for PAX East by getting a cold. As co-host Mike Minotti points out, this is probably the big one, so it's time to start the GamesBeat Decides farewell tour. In addition to Jeff's impending doom, the crew also talks about buying houses, "Bob Ross rooms," and this new video game thing ... turns out that they're not just Pac-Man anymore. Here's what we discussed on the show this week: Fortnite Star Wars: Battlefront II Th...

75: MIKE MINOTTI VS. ROSEANNE

It's time for another GamesBeat Decides podcast because games are happening and someone has to figure out what the heck it all means.  On this week's episode, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti talk about Mike's first Victory Royael in Fortnite that happened right before they recorded. Jeff also dives into Far Cry 5, which he is conflicted about for a lot of reasons. The industry is recovering from Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week, and Mike shared some stories from the...

74: NO ROBOT MAYORS

Most of GamesBeat is off at GDC in San Francisco (Frisco, as the locals call it), so host Jeffrey Grubb has brought in some of the fine citizens of his Eco server to talk about the labor-intensive, ecological and economics simulator.

73: FARMERS ONLY; NO FASCISTS!

The GamesBeat Decides podcast is back on its schedule of recording on Mondays, and we've got Mike back from his trip to Valve. Mike was in Bellevue to talk about Valve's upcoming trading card game Artifact. We break down everything he learned in the first segment of the show. Jeff meanwhile has ... well, it's complicated. He started capitalism in the game Eco, and he was met with a communist uprising that wants to put him in a dungeon. Join us, won't you? Here's everything that we talk ...

72: TRUMP'S SECRET MEETING

We're back with one dang busy week. We broke a couple of big stories, and the White House is bizarre even when it comes to planning meetings. Here's what we talked about this week: - Into the Breach - Stardew Valley - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege - Mike's GPU died at an inopportune time - World of Warcraft on the lowest settings - Battlefield V is coming this year; it's a World War II game - White House claims it is meeting with the gaming industry next week, but the gaming industry says...

71: THAT PAVLOVIAN STUFF

On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, hosts Mike Minotti and Jeffrey Grubb talk about some recent releases and some that are not quite as recent. The duo also examine the pending loot-box regulation in Hawaii. Here's a full rundown of what we talk about this week: World of Warcraft Celeste Steep Descenders Age of Empires Bayonetta 2 Shadow of the Colossus sales Loot box regulation Spyro trilogy THQ Nordic acquires Koch Media, Deep Silver, and Saints Row Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Goo...

70: YOUR FILTHY BOY

https://youtu.be/_aW3Rs2fQ-E On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, host Mike Minotti has returned from vacation to talk about going into VR with his family. Co-host Jeffrey Grubb, meanwhile, plays with his steering wheel for the entire show. The squad gets into a lovely platforming game, the news, and the best game from January as part of a new monthly segment. Games a rundown of the show: Celeste Dandara Spintires Rainbow Six: Siege Super NT Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire Bandai Nam...

69: Gaming Hates The Super Bowl

In this special episode, host Jeffrey Grubb breaks down why you don't see video game commercials during the Super Bowl. Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2, and others are big games due out later this year, but publishers have better ways of spending their cash.

68: The Game Liars Podcast

It's the first big, busy week of the year, and we have a ton of games and news to go over. Also, 50 Cent found $8 million in Bitcoin. Games we talk about: Sea of Thieves Dragon Ball FighterZ Celeste Monster Hunter World Shadow of the Colossus Remake

67: DECISION SQUAD

I apologize for the thumbnail. On this week's show with hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti: - World of Warcraft - Darkest Dungeon - Logitech G920 racing wheel - Spintires: Mudrunner - Rainbow Six: Siege - Nintendo Labo - AGDQ 2018 - Fable sequel from Forza Horizon developer Playground? - Super Meat Boy's success on Switch - NPD's 2017 report

66: IT'S ALL ABOUT US NOW

Friendship ended with 2017. Now 2018 is my best friend, and it's time to look at its games. On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, we pick out the five biggest upcoming releases that you should get excited about. Friendship ended with 2017. Now 2018 is my best friend, and it's time to look at its games. On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, we pick out the five biggest upcoming releases that you should get excited about. Hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti also talk about their holi...

GOTY PT. 5 - THE TOP 10 GAMES OF 2017

We get together to discuss the last year's best gaames, and we put together a list of the 10 best, according to the staff of GamesBeat. It takes a while, and Dean forgot to record, but here's almost 2.5 hours of talk about games regardless.

GOTY PT. 4 - 2017 TREND, BEST NEW CHARACTER, MOST BEAUTIFUL

GOTY PT. 3 - STANDOUT MOMENT, BEST WRITING, BEST ONGOING GaaS

The crew gets together to pick the Standout Gaming Moment of the year, Best Writing, and Best Continuing Game Experience.

GOTY PT.2 - BEST COMPANY AND FRESHEST UNIVERSE

GOTY PT. 1 - THE NON-AWARDS

65: CHICKEN DINNER VERSION 1.0

On this special episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast, Jeff interviews Brendan Greene, PUBG creative director and the titular PlayerUnknown. Enjoy, and come back next week for our GOTY GAMESBEAT REWIND SPECTACULAR!

64: LET 2017 END

GamesBeat Decides hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti pop in for a quick catch up. The crew is busy picking the best games of the year, so that means time is running short for your normally scheduled program. But on this week's episode, Jeff and Mike talk about Hellblade, Gorogoa, and Hearthstone. They then dive into a news appetizer with some NPD numbers, PUBG on Xbox One, and more. Games discusses: Hearthstone Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Gorogoa What Remains of Edith Finch PlayerUnkn...

63: THROAT BABY TUMBLR MEMES

It was a busy week in video games. The Game Awards unleashed its "world exclusives" on Thursday, and we dive deep into all of the announcements from that show on this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast. On this episode, GamesBeat IndieBeat editor Stephanie Chan and VentureBeat managing editor Jason Wilson join host Jeffrey Grubb. The trio spends time trying to pick up the pieces of their lives as they catch up Game of the Year and prepare to cover Sony's PlayStation Experience.  As part of the...

62: I WON'T KILL YOU FOR 6 MONTHS

Star Wars: Battlefront II has emoted and win poses just like in Overwatch, but one thing you can't customize most of the heroes with are costumes. While different outfits -- often called skins -- seem like a great fit for this take on the Star Wars universe, it's not here because Lucasfilm and Electronic Arts couldn't agree on how to bring them into the game. On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti talk about this news and other reasons Battlefront II's ...

61: RECURRENT CONSUMER SPENDING

Star Wars: Battlefront II comes out this week and a lot of people are already playing it and yelling about it on the internet. A significant number of fans don't like its business model and progression system, and it is letting publisher Electronic Arts know it. On the GamesBeat Decides podcast, host Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti got together with guest Bob Gardner from Intel to talk about Battlefront II, EA, and the most downvoted comment in the history of Reddit.  In addition to EA, we as...

60: A CUP FOR FLUID

Mike has returned from BlizzCon, and Jeff Kaplan is his best friend now. We spend a portion of this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast going over what happened at BlizzCon and some of the games Mike got to play. In addition to Minotti's Anaheim Adventures, we dig into the news and the difference between a cup for liquids and a cup for wieners. Games we talk about this episode: Super Mario Odyssey Doom on Switch Need For Speed: Payback Call of Duty: WWII BlizzCon games

59: KILLING NAZIS AND KINECT

Sony Interactive Entertainment showed off a brutal scene from The Last of Us: Part II at Paris Games Week on Monday, and the cruelty in that clip generated a loud response from fans and others who were watching the publisher's live show. On this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti discuss why Sony would want to use shocking violence to market a blockbuster sequel. In addition to watching The Last of Us characters smash arms in with a hammer, we also talk ab...

BONUS: THE BEST MARIO YET

This is a special moment because it is time for a bonus episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast and it is also, officially Mario time. In this show, hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti discuss Super Mario Odyssey. Mike has put in a lot of time with it, and he gave it a 100 out of 100 in our review.  During this episode, Mike explains why he loves Odyssey so much. Join us, won't you? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, or Stitcher Listen on Cast GB Decides on Facebook Watch liv...

58: Crush Me With Games

It was already a busy year, but publishers are apparently trying to test if they can kill people through overexposure to huge game releases. On Friday, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Super Mario Odyssey, and Assassin's Creed: Origins launch for various platforms, so I hope you're caught up on your backlog. We've spent some time with a couple of these games, but on this episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast, we can only talk about Ubisoft's open-world historical murder simulator.  Origi...

57: ANDREW WILSON EATS DEVELOPERS

This week's GamesBeat Decides podcast was already a long one, and then -- right before we were going to upload it -- we had to make it even longer. That's because hosts Jeffrey Grubb and Mike Minotti pulled an emergency bonus session to talk about the breaking news that Electronic Arts has closed Dead Space developer Visceral and canceled its Star Wars game. That revelation is shocking on its own, but EA made it even more startling with a candid blog that explains why it made this choice. ...

56: VICE PRESIDENT HELICOPTER

The evil White House in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid parody game Never Stop Sneakin' includes Health and Human Services secretary Dr. Acula (who is probably a vampire) and Vice President Helicopter (who is a helicopter), and that nearly kills host and PC gaming editor Jeffrey Grubb on this week's GamesBeat Decides podcast.  Never Stop Sneakin' is a new stealth action game from Dust: An Elysian Tail developer Humble Hearts, and Jeff and co-host Mike Minotti talk about it on this week's episo...

55: The Core Marios

The Super Nintendo Classic Edition is out this week, and we got our hands on one. On this week's episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast, host and PC gaming editor Jeffrey Grubb asks co-host and reviews editor Mike Minotti whether it lives up to the excitement. We also talk about the news from the last week. Bethesda wants to get close with Nintendo and its fans. Game developers admit they're afraid to speak out due to "toxic" gamer culture. Xbox boss Phil Spencer gets a promotion. And w ea...

54: CALMING HULK WITH FISTS

Fall is upon us, and we are gasping for breath under a deluge of games. That's one of the reasons this week's episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast is extra long. We spend a ton of time talking about games before diving into some news, but the big topic this week is all about big games like Lawbreakers, Agents of Mayhem, and Battleborn crashing and burning immediately after launching.  Lawbreakers has only a couple hundred people playing at any one time, and Agents of Mayhem was the No. 1...