Grenades and Gatekeeping: Debating Console Exclusivity with Helldivers 2

Hellblade 2 DRAMA, Gears 6 RUMORS, and Should We All Switch to PC Already?

What's going on, everybody?! Is Hellblade 2 cursed? We dissect the recent drama and what it means for the future of the game. Gears of War 6 whispers! Are rumors of a summer reveal true? We speculate and share our hopes. Xbox to the rescue? We discuss their new game preservation team. Bungie's content U-turn: Did they listen to the community on timed-exclusives? The PC vs Console debate: Can a PC permanently replace your trusty console? We weigh the pros and cons.

Stellar Blade demo, Borderlands 4, and Imagining a World Without Xbox

Following the Games Developers Conference this year, reports [https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/publishers-are-reportedly-questioning-support-for-xbox-amid-flatlining-sales/] started popping up sharing that certain developers don’t know why they still support Xbox, due to the “flatlining” sales. Then, Xbox-boss Phil Spencer shared [https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xbox-boss-phil-spencer-says-multiplatform-brand-pivot-partly-driven-by-gen-z-habits/] during an interview that research on Gen Z is why they’re changing their strategy to include multiplatform publishing. The landscape seems to be priming for an Xbox console-less future, but rumors [https://www.purexbox.com/news/2024/03/xbox-boss-on-handheld-rumours-hardware-team-considering-different-form-factors] of Xbox working on a handheld system would seem to refute this speculation. Could building a handheld to compete with Steam save Xbox? What if the reports of Sony developing a native handheld are true?

What Game Franchise Would We Remake?

With Square Enix remaking Final Fantasy VII, Capcom remaking Resident Evil, and EA remaking Dead Space - all at such a high-quality, and with quality-of-life improvements and creative re-imagining - it begs the question; what game or franchise would we like to revitalize in this way? You’re given a blank check by the publisher, the development studio of your choice, and you’re involved in the writing process.

Are There Too Many Games?

It seems like every time we turn around, there’s another game releasing that demands our attention. Games like the original Dying Light kicked down the door for the post-holiday season break gamers used to have, and the summers being void of new releases has been a thing-of-the-past for years now. With limited time, and limited resources, gamers have to be more judicious than ever with how they spend their precious commodities. Not to mention, bloated game development budgets are making releasing a game to commercial success more critical than ever, but if one reads the tea leaves, it’s clear that studios are feeling the heat of spending too much on games that people aren’t buying at full price, or even worse, not at all. Additionally, we discuss the latest news, what we're playing, and serve some hot takes. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:37 - Why Can't We Sell Our Data? 00:01:58 - Mad Men 00:03:36 - Ben's Walking Dead Story 00:05:04 - Warhammer 00:06:27 - Borderlands Update 00:11:02 - No-life Gaming 00:12:04 - Are There Too Many Games? 01:22:03 - Facts & Feelings 02:46:04 - What We've Been Playing 03:14:25 - Say It With Your Chest 03:31:34 - Outro

Grenades and Gatekeeping: Debating Console Exclusivity with Helldivers 2

Welcome to Save Scummers, your weekly gaming conversation! Helldivers 2’s popularity has many questioning console exclusivity; some even going as far as petitioning Sony to bring the game to Xbox. Recently, Xbox announced plans to bring four previously exclusive games to PlayStation (Pentiment, HiFi Rush, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded), with Xbox boss Phil Spencer commenting that he doesn't understand who it helps to keep Helldivers 2 off of Xbox. There’s been a lot of debate about console exclusivity lately, so we figured we’d hell-dive into the subject. Additionally, we discuss this week's gaming-related news, share what we've been playing, and serve up some hot takes.