The VGBees Podcast

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 team
• Microsoft's new Muse generative AI initiative
• Niantic in talks to be purchased by Scopely for $3.5b
• Hades 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.

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 Play
• Saros
• Tides of Annihilation
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
• Darwin's Paradox
• Onimusha
• Reality Break
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
• Avowed

Of course, your HIVE QUESTIONS are also answered like they are each and every week!

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 date
• Grand Theft Auto 6 confirmed for fall 2025
• timeline on new Nvidia cards coming back in stock
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.
• Marvel Rivals
• Eternal Strands
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Of course, we answer your HIVE QUESTIONS like we do each and every week.

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 trade
• The bizarre Nico Harrison press conference
• The Shams tweet everyone thought was fake

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 launched
• Forza Horizon 5 is coming to PS5 with crossplay
• Microsoft's two-sided strategy
• Eternal Strands
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.
• Ninja Gaiden II Black

We also answer your HIVE QUESTIONS, including "what's the video game equivalent of 'hot singles in your area?'"

This week, Niki and John take in the most recent Xbox Direct showcase and dive into each game discussed, including:

• Ninja Gaiden 4
• South of Midnight
• Expedition 33
• Doom: The Dark Ages

They 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.

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 changes
• Joy-Cons are also mice?
• guesses about the new Mario Kart
• speculation on release date
• and 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?

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 rumors
• the delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Tencent's designation as a military organization
• the new LEGO Game Boy

We 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 Angelenos
• Canine Rescue Club - helping match displaced pets with fosters in times of great distress like this
• Gear Drive Fire Support - organizing local needs in a handy spreadsheet
• Pasadena Humane - providing emergency care and treatment of animals affected by the fires
• California Community Foundation - donating to their wildlife recovery fund directly contributes to local recovery efforts
• World Central Kitchen - providing meals for first responders and others in need of nourishing meals
• All Power Books - local Los Angeles bookstore organizing distribution of shelf stable food, water, and other necessities to people in need

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:

• Mouthwashing
• 1000xResist
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• The Rise of the Golden Idol

Also, what would the first episode of the new year be without predictions for games to play in 2025:

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• FBC: Firebreak
• Pokemon Legends: Z-A
• Skate
• Judas

We also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS like we do each and every week!

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 Bot
• Balatro
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Content Warning
• Crow Country
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Path of Exile 2
• Thank 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!

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 child
• Sony 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 2
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Marvel Rivals

As 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!

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 4
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Virtua Fighter
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword
• Okami Sequel
• Project: Robot
• Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
• Astro Bot winning Game of the Year
• and 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.

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!

This week, Niki calls in from the cartoon construction zone that is their house this week. That didn't stop Niki and John from talking about this week's video game news, including:

• Ubisoft studio closures
• XDefiant's shutdown
• Elden Ring follow-up not in development
• the forbidden conversations we're hearing during Call of Duty matches

We also talk about the stuff we're playing AND we answer so so so so many of your amazing Hive Questions, which had us planning a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

It's a Thanksgiving Week miracle! Niki and John recorded a podcast early in the week so they could take the rest of the week off! Wow! What foresight!

Sure, there's some video game talk, but Niki also introduces the podcast to Car From Japan, the most important website of all time. Need a short truck? Need an old Lexus LS 400? This site has you covered.

Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS, including:

• What has to be in your Thanksgiving spread?
• Which games get you in the holiday spirit?
• Which games have you played many times and still return to?
• What's the "but doctor, I am Pagliacci" of video games?

This week, Niki presents John with a long dissection of Days Gone, not even remotely a new video game. Still, it is welcome information which it is a game both of them missed when it came out five years ago. Did you know the main character's name is Deacon St. John? Now you do! Also:

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• YIIK: A Postmodern RPG
• Star Wars Battlefront
• Battlefield
• Titanfall
• Apex Legends

We also gave The Game Awards on this one! You're welcome, Geoff! As always, we answer your HIVE QUESTIONS and it took us directly to the heart of All Elite Wrestling this week.

This week, Niki is back and with them comes the revelation that Xbox has gone and found itself an official breakfast partner. That's right IHOP is the official breakfast partner of Xbox and Niki and John are going to bring you all the crucial details right here on this very podcast. In less vital news:

• Nintendo's desired damages from Pocket Pair
• Everything is Xbox (according to Phil Spencer)
• Balatro
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

And of course, all of your burning HIVE QUESTIONS are answered!

This week, Niki is on vacation and John is left to his own devices. After planning a 99 Potions reunion to discuss Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the Election happened! Between the emotional fallout from that and other scheduling issues, we're delaying that for a couple weeks.

So yeah! It's John, talking to you, dear listener, about video games.

But also...the Election. If you're bummed about it and don't want to hear it, I understand. You can skip to the 24 minute mark to get past it and onto Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two CEO, being way too excited about the Election and the company's sale of Private Division.

Also:

• Switch 2's backward compatibility
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Astro Bot
• Marvel Snap

John also answers your burning Hive Questions. Be good to each other, everyone! See you next week.

This week, Niki and John explore the world of Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chornicles, an Ubisoft-published video game that wants you to shell out a preposterous amount of money on NFTs. Can you image a better time to be launching a game like this? Wow!

Also, the dynamic duo discuss:

• the closure of Firewalk Studios
• the new Pokemon pack-opening game
• the Nintendo Music app
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard

And much, much more. As always, your Hive Questions are answered, including John's admission of his worst ever Halloween costume. It's worse than you think!

This week, Niki and John could not for the life of them remember the names of the peak Covid Call of Duty games, so they leaned into it for content. Gotta find inspiration where you can these days. Frank Underwood also makes his return the show! VGBees only does big guests. Also:

• Hades 2 new updates
• Balatro
• Dave the Diver
• UFO 50
• Halo 2

John enlists Niki to help him buy a new TV, which just depresses him. Why are TVs expensive?

As always, we answer your burning Hive Questions, including one about whether VGBees is a pro Mario Party publication.

On this weeks' show, Niki and John go DEEP on the new NBA 2K25 DLC Gravity Ball. What does it mean for the franchise, its audience, and new players? Hope you like 50 minutes of exploring all of that!

But that's not all! There was a big third party partner Xbox Showcase that was actually pretty good, including:

• Alan Wake II: The Lake House
• FBC Firebreak
• Blindfire
• Cronos: The New Dawn
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

There was a Pokemon leak, too! Busy week! And of course, we answer your burning Hive Questions.

Editor's note: this week's episode contains an incredulous collective unpacking of an explosive investigative report about Roblox which goes into the many ways the game is dangerous for children. While not going into graphic detail about what was found in the report, it's still a troubling look into the different ways Roblox and its ownership have put children in danger.

This week, John & Niki are joined by none other than IGN's Michael Higham, VGBees' number one fan and supporter. Michael played all of Metaphor: ReFantazio and graced us with a deep dive on the game's vibes, story, mechanics, and much more. Seems like another banger in a year full of them. Also discussed:

• Roblox and the Hindenberg Research report
• Nintendo Alarmo
• Starfield: Shattered Space
• Elder Scrolls
• Persona

We also answer your burning Hive Questions, including "what is the video game equivalent of Aaron Rodgers getting Robert Saleh fired?"

This week, Niki goes deep on Starfield's DLC, Shattered Space. It's about the snake people, the most interesting part of the original Starfield. Does the DLC have the juice to get folks back into Todd's big space sandbox? Will John have a meltdown comparing the narrative depth and nuance of Tali's Pilgrimage quest in Mass Effect to what happens in Shattered Space? You'll simply have to listen to find out.

The dynamic duo also answers your burning Hive Questions, covering ground including:

• naming pets after video game characters
• working on one game franchise for over a decade
• comparing Randy Pitchford favorably to Neil Druckmann
• 3D Mario games vs 2D Mario games
• the Megalopolis video game of our dreams
• the best steward of a future AEW video game
• and more!

This week, Niki and John discuss their favorites so far in the year's most astonishing release, UFO 50. What's your favorite from the collection? Also:

• Ghost of Yotei
• Legacy of Kain 1 & 2 Remastered
• Hell is Us
• Overwatch
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

As always, your burning questions from The Hive are addressed and answered!

Nintendo decided to sue Palworld this week so Niki and John would have something to really dig into. Thanks, Nintendo!!!!!!!

Also this week:

• Switch 2 possibly leaked
• Concord's team is in limbo
• shockingly positive Dragon Age: The Veilguard previews
• the PSX-styled PS5 fleet
• the breadth of UFO 50

Your Hive questions are also answered and the podcast got emotional over the loss of communal spaces and arcades!

This week, John breaks the news of Annapurna Interactive's staff resignation to Niki. They also break down the PlayStation 5 Pro reveal and talk about the 650 additional people laid off from Microsoft this week. As far as specific game chat:

• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
• Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
• I Am Your Beast
• Super Mario Odyssey
• Astro Bot
• Final Fantasy VIII
• Soulcalibur
• Power Stone

As always, we answer questions straight from The Hive!

Niki has been blessed to have several days with Astro Bot and decided to tell John all about it, despite the fact that John can't play it for another few weeks. Tragedy. It sounds absolutely lovely and what a time for it, too. In addition to contemplating the overall state of games, the two discuss:

• Concord
• Marvel Snap
• Balatro

We also answer your burning questions from The Hive and wow, y'all really asked some good ones this week!

As always, you can join The Hive and ask us questions each and every week!

Niki and John have a good old fashioned "hey are we separating art from artist now" conversation they didn't plan for when tackling the receptions to Black Myth Wukong, Star Wars Outlaws, and the inevitable Assassin's Creed Shadows. In lighter fare, the two also discuss:

• Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Remake
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
• Astro Bot
• the Double Dragon movie
• who we'd put in Fortnite next
• and much more!

As always, we answer YOUR questions from The Hive! You can join The Hive right now and ask questions each and every week!

This week, Niki and John celebrate the return of Peter Molyneux to the world of games with his main stage appearance at Gamescom Opening Night Live. We were just talking about needing more weird guys in games, and wow we got our wish! Will his game ever come out? How much did he actually make on that NFT game he probably used to fund this new game? Will he be sued by Microsoft even though "Albion" is not a trademarked name? This and much more:

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 6
• Lynked: Banner of the Spark
• InZOI
• Masters of Albion
• Civilization VII
• Borderlands 4

We also answer your Hive questions, like which celebrity should Hideo Kojima put in the next Death Stranding but is too scared to do so? Spoilers, there is one correct and immediately agreed-upon answer from your hosts!

As always, you can join The Hive to get your burning questions answered on the show each and every week!

We have a big confession to make, gamers. John and Niki have watched videos and read articles about a video game called Deadlock, which Valve has sworn us to secrecy never to divulge its very existence. Consider it then, dear gamer, a privilege that we've chosen your ears as the recipient of our knowledge. If we disappear from this earth, you will know our sacrifice. Also:

• 2XKO
• Madden 25
• Fortnite
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• The Plucky Squire

We also answer questions from The Hive and continue developing the all-important VGBees Census!

This week, John and Niki are joined by former Video Lead at Game Informer Alex Van Aken to talk about the abrupt, ghoulish closure of the storied publication. It's a great chat that illuminates what the past few months has been like at the magazine as well as a bit of a dive into some history and memories of the brand. Alex also pulls the curtain back on his new supporter-funded project Viewport.

Also discussed:

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• The Borderlands film
• Wolfeye's Dishonored/Prey-like new RPG
• College Football 25

With Hive questions like:

• When you do consider a game completed?
• What ancient game do you want to see a Balatro for?
• Does a LEGO minifig have fingers or thumbs?

As always, you can join The Hive and ask us questions we'll tackle every single week!

This week, Niki and John discuss a terrible week for Bungie employees, a terrible week for Jon Blow, and a terrible week for AI discourse in video games. All in all, it's a laugh riot for two straight hours! Also discussed:

• Thank Goodness You're Here!
• Steamworld Heist II
• College Football 25
• Madden NFL 25
• NBA 2K25

Also, Hive questions about:

• Richard Garriott
• Peter Molyneux
• Shane McMahon
• Bubsy (essentially)
• Grand Theft Auto (complete with thorough discussion about why the modern political nature of these games is so goofy and outdated)

As always, become a member of The Hive to have your questions answered on the show!

This week, Niki and John got way into it about Evo 2024, the brilliance of fighting games, and the way sports have (and haven't) infiltrated the industry's biggest event for the genre. Also:

• No Man's Sky 5.0
• Flock
• Dungeons of Hinterberg

The crew also (clumsily) dissected the ramifications of Bethesda and World of Warcraft teams forming wall-to-wall unions this week. Seems particularly big in the face of Humble Games shutting down and the weird spin Ziff Davis put on the closure.

Hive questions include:

• What's the gaming equivalent of saying Macbeth in a theater?
• Are curved monitors a scam?
• Who should write the Skibidi Toilet movie?

This episode marked the debut of The VGBees Census, a new segment designed to pull biographical and taste information from our guests. This week's test subject was cohost Niki Grayson. Thanks Niki! Also, happy birthday Barley!

As always, you can join The Hive and ask questions in our Discord and we'll answer them on the show!

This week, Niki and John tackle the most important news of the week, including:

• whether Niki should see Longlegs
• not wearing headphones on video calls
• hanging doors

Oh also video games, including:

• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
• Bioshock Infinite
• Emio - The Smiling Man

In hour two, they're joined by Secret Base's Kofie Yeboah, who is as excited as everyone else about the return of EA Sports' college football...aptly called College Football 25. John also asks about Skip Bayless, in what is likely the only time he will ever come in on this program. Thanks for your patience.

As always, join The Hive and ask questions and we'll answer them on the show!

This week, Niki and John are joined by The Verge's Ash Parrish. On the agenda:

- our favorite jazz musicians

- which wines pair best with human aging

- disgusting Aperol

- Cody Rhodes' appalling chosen aesthetic

OH ALSO video games!

- Zenless Zone Zero

- Supermoves

- Xbox Game Pass tier changes

- Steam Deck

- 2K's rumored FIFA game

- College Football 25

- Riot's canceled platform fighter

As always, you can support VGBees by joining The Hive over at https://vgbees.com/join

This week, John's riding solo due to holiday scheduling apocalypses. Never fear! He's here to chat about the best in games this week, including:

- The new Switch Online slate (it's weird)

- Fragpunk's closed alpha

- M. Bison is live in Street Fighter 6

- The Land Beneath Us puts an interesting spin on roguelites

ALSO, we answer questions directly from The Hive!

- Will AAA development ever find a path to sustainability?

- Which Kingdom Hearts game is the best?

- Have you ever thought about roasting your own coffee beans?

This and more in this week's episode!

Join the Hive at https://vgbess.com/join

John and Niki are back at it again with all the news and analysis in games you need to know. This time, they're joined by Imran Khan, who is totally normal when it comes to heating up leftovers!

Anyway! The crew covered a lot of ground this week including:

• Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm's overdue ouster from the public consciousness in the wake of the revelations of his "inappropriate" correspondence with a minor in 2017
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
• Chained Together
• Fortnite

The crew also discusses the best sales at the beginning of the Steam Summer Sale and answers the burning questions directly from The Hive!

John and Niki take a deep dive into a very strong Nintendo Direct, featuring discussion of:

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• Mario & Luigi: Brothership
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
• The New Denpa Men

Later, they're joined by writer, author, and budding miniature painting YouTuber Merritt K to chat everything Warhammer 40,000, including:

• What's in the heads of the guys from Space Marine 2?
• Do Space Marines have balls?
• Why did the Squats go away?
• and much more!

Don't forget to Join the Hive!

Niki and John are joined this week by Game Informer associate editor and MinnMax contributor Charles Harte. All three were all in Los Angeles to cover Summer Game Fest 2024 and came away feeling mostly energized by what they saw and played.

Covered in this episode:

- LEGO Horizon Adventures

- Wanderstop

- Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind

- Skate

- Fable

- Doom: The Dark Ages

- South of Midnight

- Gears of War E-Day

- Dragon Age: The Veilguard

- Monster Hunter Wilds

- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

- Fear the Spotlight

- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

- Hyper Light Breaker

On the eve of SGF, John posted up in his downtown Los Angeles hotel room to talk to himself for roughly 40 minutes. Niki's busy getting ready for Giant Bomb's extremely busy weekend and John's trying to get a website launched, so please enjoy this more low-key second episode before we go deep on everything going on with SGF.

Topics covered:

• Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has a new name and it's pretty bad
• Microsoft's rumored handheld
• The $200M disaster of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Thanks for being here! See you next week!

John & Niki are officially back in the saddle talking what it means to be back working in games media after a hiatus!

TL;DR, they're both excited to be doing this again together.

This week, our hosts are eaten up with what makes a game "finished" in 2024 and does it even matter? Hades 2 is certainly big for an Early Access game, but how does it evolve between now and 1.0?

John's wondering what was up with that weird Neil Druckmann interview and Niki's just asking questions about that very unfortunately Destiny 2 leak.

If you can believe it, another massive publishing company is getting in bed with AI for reasons that make sense (if you're a suit who doesn't care about the majesty of human creativity).

Also discussed:

• The Rogue Prince of Persia
• Wildermyth's bow and exit
• What we expect to see at Summer Game Fest

Head to VGBees to sign up to be informed when the site launches! We'll have tons of SGF coverage!