Gaming Subscriptions: The beginning or end? 🤔- Episode 58

Episode 61 - Expo-nentially Awesome! 📺

🎙️ Join Leon, Tom, and no-longer-young Tommy as this week’s episode tackles their favourite gaming convention moments. We explore what made the conventions feel magical, and discuss whether digital showcases are a good replacement, as well as which moments became iconic or stayed in the cringe handbook. From legendary E3 reveals to epic console launches, this episode reveals how the biggest gaming events have shaped the industry—and why they still matter today—plus all the usual chat, news, and chaos. Stick around for the quiz at the end, too. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro & What We've been playing 25:13 Gaming news & upcoming games 📰 36:09 Questions from Discord❓ 50:28 Main topic: Favourite Gaming Convention Moment's 📺 01:34:46 Comments from the Discord 01:43:04 Gaming Quiz Time! 01:49:33 Shout outs and Goodbye! Find all of our links here: Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/gameolder2024⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/gameolder2024⁠⁠⁠⁠] Discord:⁠ ⁠https://discord.gg/VzmAnSA7xa⁠ [https://discord.gg/VzmAnSA7xa⁠] Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/GameOlderPod⁠ [https://x.com/GameOlderPod⁠] Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GameOlder2024⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@GameOlder2024⁠] Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/game_older_podcast__/⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/game_older_podcast__/⁠⁠⁠⁠] Contact us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠gameolder2024@gmail.com [gameolder2024@gmail.com]⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Discount codes and shout-outs: We are all going to Timeless 2026, and if you would like to join us and meet us go to https://timelessgaming.co.uk and use the code OLDER26 to get 15% off all tickets. Bitmap Books 5% off all purchases: OLDER5 ⁠⁠bitmapbooks.com [http://bitmapbooks.com] ⁠⁠ Please don't forget to rate and review us wherever you listen, along with hitting the follow/subscribe button! ________________________________________ 🎮 What we’ve been playing: Leon is playing more than he realised: o Playing the lovely but creepy The Bramble of the Mountain King. o Chasing that high of intense PvPvE battles-Marathon is still an addiction. o Becoming a pirate is not for everyone, but it is for Leon and his friend in Windrose. o Ignoring the horrors of Resident Evil 9 for his free PC Game Pass month on South of Midnight, but why does he have mixed feelings about it? Tommy has been busy: o Still playing Borderlands 4 for the collectibles for a trophy that doesn't exist. o From Forza Horizon 5 to Forza Horizon 6-is Tommy worn out from the racing genre? o Still hooked and nearing the end, Tommy is still playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. o Stu won't be happy, as Tommy picks up and completes Split Fiction. o Is Ball x Pit a way to justify your doom-scrolling? Tommy seems to think so. o Tommy becomes The Dark Knight, but in Lego form, in LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of The Dark Knight. Tom has not had a lot of time to play, but he has still fitted in some gaming time: o Pragmata has got Tom so hooked he's already back on New Game+. o Is Tom realising that older platformers are harder by playing Tiny Toon Adventures? o Tom has returned to his love, Yakuza 3, but why is he annoyed with it? ________________________________________ 📰 Gaming News Highlights: o Destiny 2 is dead: "active development" ends next month after one final update, but Bungie says the MMO will still be "playable" - the final update is coming June 9 o Fable is still coming to PS5 despite Xbox's plans to "reevaluate our approach to exclusivity," - Good news for PlayStation gamers! o PlayStation have announced their next State of Play event for 2nd June which will be a 60-Minute-Long Showcase - The only game that has been officially confirmed for the presentation is Marvels Wolverine, but many expect more from Naughty Dog's Intergalactic. ________________________________________ 🎮 Upcoming releases: o 007 First Light (PC, PS5, XSX) – releasing May 27th o Stray (NS2) – releasing May 28th o Mina The Hollower (PC, PS5, NS, NS2, XSX) - releasing May 29th ________________________________________ 💬 Side chats & moments: o Are we missing the magic of conventions? ✨ o Was E3 as good as we remember? 🤔 o What would we choose to be in our "picky tea"? 😋

Bonus Episode - Chat with MAGG from Timeless Gaming Con 2026

Listen as Leon and Tommy catch up with MAGG (AKA Middle Aged Gamer Guy). MAGG is a twitch streamer and one of the organisers of Timeless Gaming Con. "Timeless Gaming Convention is about bringing gamers, geeks and nerds together as part of a friendly and welcoming community. As an event Timeless is about a celebration of geek culture, with a heavy leaning towards gaming, but also including cosplay, content creation and collectibles. " - timelessgaming.co.uk [http://timelessgaming.co.uk] Timeless Gaming Con 2026 will take place on Wednesday 12h August 2026 at Cains Brewery Village in Liverpool. Use our discount code OLDER26 for 15% off all ticket prices! ⁠https://timelessgaming.co.uk [https://timelessgaming.co.uk/discount] You can catch MAGG's Twitch stream here: https://www.twitch.tv/middleagedgamerguyuk [https://www.twitch.tv/middleagedgamerguyuk]

Episode 60 - Egg-static game discoveries! 🐣

🎙️ Join Heather, Stu, Leon, Tommy and Tom as this week’s episode tackles easter eggs — and not the kind you eat. We explore the world of Easter eggs in video games, sharing their favorite hidden secrets, memorable moments, and missed opportunities. From classic references to modern innovations, discover how Easter eggs enhance replay value and celebrate gaming history — plus all the usual chat, news, and chaos. Stick around for the quiz at the end too. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & What We've been playing 34:32 - Gaming news & upcoming games 📰 53:16 - Questions from Discord❓ 01:04:39 - Main topic: Easer Eggs in Games 🥚 01:25:39 - Comments from the Discord 01:36:46 - Gaming Quiz Time! 01:45:17 - Shout outs and Goodbye! Find all of our links here: Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/gameolder2024⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/gameolder2024⁠⁠⁠] Discord:⁠ https://discord.gg/VzmAnSA7xa [https://discord.gg/VzmAnSA7xa] Twitter/X: https://x.com/GameOlderPod [https://x.com/GameOlderPod] Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GameOlder2024 [https://www.youtube.com/@GameOlder2024] Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/game_older_podcast__/⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/game_older_podcast__/⁠⁠⁠] Contact us: ⁠⁠⁠gameolder2024@gmail.com [gameolder2024@gmail.com] ⁠⁠⁠ Discount codes and shout-outs: Bitmap Books 5% off all purchases: OLDER5 ⁠bitmapbooks.com [http://bitmapbooks.com]⁠ Please don't forget to rate and review us wherever you listen, along with hitting the follow/subscribe button! ________________________________________ 🎮 What we’ve been playing: Leon is having an intense week with a hint of chill: o Looping through bullet-hell chaos as Arjun Devraj on a haunted eclipse planet in Saros. o Chasing that high of intense PvPvE battles-Marathon is still an addiction. o Jumping around as Ditto Pokopia, doing dailies and building towns. o From not scared as Leon to having to play on the toilet as Grace-Resident Evil Requiem is giving Leon mixed emotions. Tommy has been busy: o Jumped back into Borderlands 4, enjoying it with a friend, and rates it above Borderlands 3! o Pragmata has him stuck on the last boss-will he return? o Hooked on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Tommy is falling in love with his first-ever playthrough of Skyward Sword. o Already in his Game of the Year list-Saros is done and dusted. Stu has had a quieter week but still managed to: o Easy but beautiful, Mouse P.I. has mixed feelings from Stu. o Kiln-liking it a bit better. Tom has been balancing gaming with serious retro collecting: o Going retro, Tom has been jumping into Zero Gunner, Border Down, Ikaruga, and Under Defeat to get him out of his gaming slump. o Even more retro, Tom has decided to finally complete the famously hard Cannon Spike. Heather has had a quieter week but still managed to: o Feeling like she is back in her teenage years, Mixtape has been a beautiful, nostalgic experience with many laughs and smooches. ________________________________________ 📰 Gaming News Highlights: o AI in PlayStation: Sony plans to use AI to enhance future PlayStation projects. o Nintendo Switch 2 Price Hike: Price increases to $500 in September. o PS5 Sales Drop: Sales down 46% due to market age and pricing. o Xbox Exclusives: New CEO may bring back exclusive titles. o Legendary Director Retires: Takashi Tezuka retires from Nintendo after 40 years. o Xbox Game Pass and Discord Nitro: Xbox Game Pass offers benefits for Discord Nitro subscribers, including access to select games. o Atari Acquires Wizardry Rights: Atari now owns the rights to the first five Wizardry RPGs, opening possibilities for re-releases or new projects. ________________________________________ 🎮 Upcoming releases: o Subnautica 2: Releases on May 14th. o Forza Horizon 6: Releases on May 19th. o Zero Parades for Dead Spires: Releases on May 21st. o Gallipoli: Releases on May 21st. o Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight: Releases on 22nd May. ________________________________________ 💬 Side chats & moments: o Why is everyone demanding games to be longer? 🕷️ o Additional Game Pass benefits are they worth it? o Guess what? More food discussion but this time about Easter Eggs! 🐣

Episode 59 - Hard Games, Git Gud or Go Home! 💪

🎙️ Join Heather, Stu, Leon, and Tom as this week’s episode tackles hard games — the kind that force you to improve… or give up entirely. From brutal difficulty spikes to that addictive “one more try” feeling, the crew dive into what makes challenging games so compelling — plus all the usual chat, news, and chaos. Stick around for the quiz at the end too. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro & what we've been playing 00:34:10 - Gaming news & upcoming games 📰 00:50:37 - Questions from Discord❓ 01:05:48 - Main topic: Hard Games! 💪 01:30:26 - Listener comments from Discord 01:48:49 - Gaming quiz time! 01:59:05 - Shout outs and goodbye Find all of our links here: Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/gameolder2024⁠⁠⁠ Discord:⁠ https://discord.gg/VzmAnSA7xa Twitter/X: https://x.com/GameOlderPod Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GameOlder2024 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/game_older_podcast__/⁠⁠⁠ Contact us: ⁠⁠⁠gameolder2024@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ Discount codes and shout-outs: Bitmap Books 5% off all purchases: OLDER5 ⁠bitmapbooks.com⁠ Please don't forget to rate and review us wherever you listen, along with hitting the follow/subscribe button! ________________________________________ 🎮 What we’ve been playing: Leon has been all over the place (in a good way): o Sailing the seas in Sea of Thieves, enjoying the chill co-op vibes (and avoiding sweaty PvP chaos) o Still completely hooked on Marathon, running squads and chasing that “flow state” o Jumping back into Returnal ahead of Saros, loving the insane haptics and gameplay-first design o Dabbling in Resident Evil 9, but already getting humbled by its difficulty Stu has had a quieter week but still managed to: o Finish Resident Evil 9, praising how it ramps up and gets better toward the end o Try out Kiln, a quirky arena-style MOBA from Double Fine — interesting idea, but maybe a bit shallow (for now) Tom has been balancing gaming with serious retro collecting: o Playing Yakuza 3, Dead Rising, and a bit of Neo Turf Masters o Deep into Pragmata, absolutely loving it — describing it as a mix of RE4, Souls-like combat, and puzzle mechanics o Also showed off some incredible pickups (Street Fighter merch, Rival Schools, Mega Drive classics, and more) Heather has been busy travelling (Dubrovnik trip!) but still found time to: o Finish Tides of Tomorrow, a narrative-driven game with a unique asynchronous multiplayer twist o Pick up Life is Strange Reunion, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and Astro Bot o Highlight how narrative-heavy games are still hitting strong ________________________________________ 📰 Gaming News Highlights: o Confusion over a possible new PS5 DRM/internet requirement — though Sony hasn’t confirmed anything yet o Alien: Isolation 2 teaser drops out of nowhere, giving fans hope 14 years later o Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resync becomes a huge pre-order hit already o Atari acquires a retro porting studio, hinting at more classic games returning o Expedition 33 hits 8 million sales and gets a small content update o Sega teasing OutRun & Streets of Rage returns — but it might just be merch (for now) o Game Pass price drop sparks debate after recent increases — but comes with trade-offs o Rising CPU and memory costs could push up future console and PC prices ________________________________________ 🎮 Upcoming releases: o Saros – 30 April (PS5) – Housemarque’s next big action title o Mixtape – 7 May – narrative-driven adventure with a killer soundtrack o Directive 8020 – 12 May – sci-fi horror from the Until Dawn devs o Forza Horizon 6 – 19 May – open-world racing set in Japan ________________________________________ 💬 Side chats & moments: o Tom’s spider incident causing lifelong towel trust issues 🕷️ o Debate around Game Pass value and pricing shifts o Ice cream preferences (unexpectedly intense discussion) o Hidden talents… including some questionable ones 😂

Gaming Subscriptions: The beginning or end? 🤔- Episode 58

🎙️ Join Heather, Tom, Stu, and TommyT as this week’s episode dives into gaming subscription services — are they actually saving us money, or just quietly costing more over time? The crew break down the value (or lack of it), alongside a packed catch-up on what they’ve been playing — plus a quiz at the end if you fancy testing yourself. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro & what we’ve been playing 00:25:12 - Gaming News & New Games! 🗞️ 00:42:21 - Questions from Discord ❓ 01:06:58 - Main topic : gaming subs 01:46:21 - Gaming quiz time! 🥳 01:53:18 - Pun of the Week! & Shout outs Find all of our links here: Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/gameolder2024⁠⁠⁠ Discord:⁠ https://discord.gg/VzmAnSA7xa Twitter/X: https://x.com/GameOlderPod Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GameOlder2024 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/game_older_podcast__/⁠⁠⁠ Contact us: ⁠⁠⁠gameolder2024@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ Discount codes and shout-outs: Bitmap Books 5% off all purchases: OLDER5 ⁠bitmapbooks.com⁠ Please don't forget to rate and review us wherever you listen, along with hitting the follow/subscribe button! ---------------- 🎮 What we’ve been playing: Stu has been smashing Resident Evil 9: Requiem, calling it unreal and praising its mix of classic exploration, crafting mechanics, and modern polish. He’s loving both Grace and Leon’s sections and is already eyeing up Resident Evil 4 next. He also dipped back into Marathon, though admits it’s best played with friends. TommyT is still deep in Resident Evil Revelations, enjoying finally playing one he hasn’t touched before. But the big one is Crimson Desert — now fully hooked after multiple updates, praising its stunning world, addictive gameplay loop, and constant improvements, despite still criticising its weak story. Tom has been mixing things up with a bit of everything: Yakuza 3 (mostly ignoring the story for chaotic side content like “dad simulator” and biker gang battles) OutRun 2 for a leader board challenge Dead Rising (Xbox 360) — revisiting the janky but nostalgic original Plus a bit of retro anime pickup nostalgia with Dominion Tank Police Heather finally finished Death Stranding 2 (100+ hours deep), praising how incredible it looks on the PS5 Pro. She’s also completed Reanimal, started Little Nightmares 3, played Frostpunk 2, and jumped into Dying Light: The Beast — enjoying its classic zombie-smashing chaos despite some co-op issues. 📰 Gaming News Highlights: Rumours suggest Call of Duty may skip Xbox Game Pass, raising questions about the value of subscriptions vs full-price releases. Rockstar Games reportedly hacked again, with threats to leak data unless a ransom is paid — continuing the chaos around GTA 6 leaks. YouTube Premium price increases highlight the wider trend of rising subscription costs across entertainment services. Epic Games faces criticism for raising prices (like V-Bucks) while also cutting staff. Amazon Luna is dropping game purchases entirely, shifting fully toward streaming/subscription access. Dreamcast modding scene continues to impress, with a fan-made Resident Evil 4 style demo proving what the console can do — plus wild hardware mods like DVD support. Xbox UI and achievement system updates finally roll out, bringing long-requested quality-of-life improvements. 🎮 Upcoming releases: Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss (16 April) – narrative cosmic horror investigation Mouse: P.I. For Hire (16 April) – stylish 1930s cartoon shooter Outbound (23 April) – cosy co-op survival builder Pragmata (24 April) – highly rated sci-fi action title from Capcom He-Man: Masters of the Universe (28 April) – classic-style co-op beat ‘em up