Episode 254 - The Hot Takes Show With Guests Tony Polanco & The Huggable Hipster

[00:00:00] Right. So we're going to start because I know Ariel and Tony, we only got them from

[00:00:20] an hour tonight. And while Jerry's for the 200th episode. And it's been that long. So it's been like close to a year. November, November 20th of 2022 was the last time Tony was on the show.

[00:01:41] Dang.

[00:01:42] Yeah.

[00:01:43] It's interesting because I should have the same stuff because there's a new hit no impersonations. And then last but not least, the matriety of services, the man with the couch, our former busboy now back to tech. But obviously, there's a lot of overlap. So I still review the occasional game. But most of my gaming coverage is actually centered on hardware. Nowadays, gaming laptops, gaming house. I'm like the handheld guru now. I had time study. It kind of just happened. Steve Gagg, Lenovo Legion Go, ASUS.

[00:04:22] And yeah, man, I'm going to get slimed.

[00:04:25] I'm going to try don't want to do nothing but relax on. But we're going to go pretty legit. Don't move on. You're my taste for every day. Get there, man. Like, you have to cause an entire continent as I like half of the Pacific Ocean, you know, um, I guess that's part of the

[00:05:40] principle of the job, you know, quick advice if you guys want to

[00:05:45] beat Jeff, like, get jet life it up high as my website. I made it up and then the middle of the middle of the game, you know, you went to CES, right? And then this year, they kind of downscale things that we said 10 people total from across all the brands. But this year, I'm like to say, make sure we're going to kill one.

[00:07:01] It's going to be nice.

[00:07:02] You know, so yeah, yeah, long term it was good, man.

[00:07:05] Like it's good for your boy.

[00:07:06] Oh, look, out our content. It's amazing. But yeah, this was, I had planned originally Tony when we were talking about this, being a chill, and she talked about what we're looking forward to 24.

[00:08:22] And then we woke up this want to do that obviously. And trying to be conspiratorial here, I'm sorry if this had been Microsoft, no, everybody would be fact, I'm respecting you. I'm not going to discuss any of that stuff. If we see this in here, assessment that Insomniac is the MVP of PS5, it's going to be accurate. Like, I'm going to say about that. Oh, yeah. In Tony, you and I, you and I going back, we were going back before

[00:11:00] texting the night about it before the show. And for know what you're saying about this now? This is another, obviously, this is another horrible thing that happened to start gaming, man. Like this was really... This has been a badge here. Yeah. I mean, you look at, you know, studio is not taking cybersecurity seriously.

[00:12:20] Like, I guess for Theo and I, we've been in that,

[00:12:23] and you know, on that side of the industry,

[00:12:26] you know, IT-wise for a long time. doing, which included me. We found out that all of us had accesses to everybody's social security numbers. My gosh. Yeah. And we told management, we told the client, and they didn't do anything about it. What?

[00:13:40] That's actually life ruining.

[00:13:42] Yeah, dude.

[00:13:43] Yeah.

[00:13:44] Which is very scary.

[00:13:45] Or much scary. ages now. Didn't even talk about the amount of layoffs that we've had in the gaming industry. It was more glossed over. It's like, hey, look at all these studios. But let me look at Bungie and the other studios out there. I wouldn't really think that would be the time and place for that. Yeah, exactly. Like would you offer him to try and squeeze that in an award show?

[00:15:04] Okay. Is the Game Awards really an award show anymore anyways? in a segment of like, okay, we have to make sure we appease this group. We have to appease this group. Oh, this what happened. Oh, that's P Zach group. Oh, current event with P Zach group. Then you have a six hour show. Yeah. But I mean, even still you have like there is a time and place for it, but you just can't like focus on one thing, you know, I mean, that's why E3 is gone.

[00:16:20] They focused, they didn't focus on one thing.

[00:16:23] Now they're gone, you know, like they be doing something that's been done multiple times. Like why? As we said, there's a lack of originality these days and like it's just a money grab.

[00:17:42] Yeah.

[00:17:43] Focus on the last three or focus. time to a point of where it's just losing its meaning very slowly. And this would have continued that. I just don't understand where they even thought it would be needed because they've already seen that a story heavy game does not do well as multiplayer with Uncharted. Can't stop that now. Go ahead, Tony. What you were saying is that we have multiple players. The actual show, they have a team that will get tied over as we call it. The multiplayer. Where every game you can have some attack, that's what it's like.

[00:20:23] We have a movie.

[00:20:24] Tony, I think you need to check your micro-click.

[00:20:27] My new dude. like and and here's the things we talk about like the lat the uncharted multiplayer right the original last play last of us multiplayer wasn't great either and moe brings up a great point is companies need to learn that gamers generally. Remember that era? Right? Yeah. Every single player. They had to have some form of multiplayer. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. So we are 10 years removed from that. It is no longer necessary. And I

[00:23:00] understand there's some people that may get mad. Another hat take. It's coming for you couple more weeks and then it was like no. We were done horrible. And we actually have a point to make. I was like weakly raising my hand before visit. Did not pan out the way I hope to it. The only thing I'm like, I'm the middle of a rant. I got to keep going.

[00:24:20] You know, this is going to be my hot host. But someone was bringing up that they were really looking forward to skull and bones. I straight up on the in live on or what we were doing. I told that. That's so sad. That's so sad. Any get assassins? Creed Black. How many games have they played? Like have they not played? The game?

[00:25:40] Um, and then I was pretty much an Ubisoft skin C.A. be considered its own thing. So if you like Fallout, you're gonna like this game because basically it's Fallout in space, which is not a bad thing if you like that sort of game. There's just so much. It was just mislabeled. Yeah, exactly. And there's just so much in the game where when I did my first impressions, I felt like there was

[00:27:02] a lot of fallout, but there was a lot. Supreme meal with hot takes by the way.

[00:28:20] I'm working on a story over in a holiday story.

[00:28:24] The first five games to get for your Xbox is fresh. There you go. Okay. It's just a hot take on this podcast. Oh, the Xbox. Oh my God. The journal is. We all agree. It doesn't exist though. That's the thing. It's just trolls were angry at everything. They make up something and then it just sticks in the community and then everyone thinks it's real.

[00:29:40] I know.

[00:29:41] That's fair.

[00:29:43] I am guys.

[00:29:44] I am relabeling our episode on the fly.

[00:29:46] It is now going to be absolutely amazing. And there was another one that I already put in my wish list because I'm very excited about it. And Toria, the last song, that's a soul's like game that's supposed to be coming out and it's to be announced. So very excited about that. But mostly excited

[00:31:00] from Bloodlines too because Vampire of the Masquerade is one of my favorite series.

[00:32:02] saying, Khan, she needs to learn how to take an L. Let it go.

[00:32:04] She's just going after Microsoft for everything now.

[00:32:06] It's like, you lost, let it go.

[00:32:08] It's over.

[00:32:09] Please let it go.

[00:32:11] I'm tired of talking about this.

[00:32:15] It's true.

[00:32:16] The one thing about the acquisition was like,

[00:32:18] in the beginning, it was really helpful.

[00:32:20] That way people knew what was going on in the industry.

[00:32:23] Now it's just crying wolf because every time

[00:32:26] a new journalist comes on the scene or anything like that, is what's Xbox even doing? I mean, right, they announced perfect dark a couple years ago, coalition maybe working on Gears of War. And we know 343 is pretty much bungled the Halo franchise since they've gotten it. And yeah, they're pivoting with apparently there's going to be DLC coming out for infinite. Okay. Yeah. What are they going to play that thing. That is insulting. Like, give me what I want. I just wanted to have a good story. That's all I care about. Whatever comes to a game. That's not the problem. Apparently, like, if you go through it, it trickles out stories that that that

[00:35:04] I guess end up like it continues. Kratos' story to an extent and comes to an end with the remake. Yeah. Never the last one. I swear, that was a side note. If they remake that game, I will be just filled with the dream hall. I think any of us could have called it though that they were going to do the last part to remaster because of the show. We knew that was going to happen. Oh, that was coming. We already knew that was coming. Yep.

[00:36:20] No.

[00:36:21] And what I think, like, electives as we are, but still, I mean, I'm still gonna buy it.

[00:36:25] But I think what up to date, PS5, I'm going to get it.

[00:36:28] Got you. I'm gonna do that quick with that. Don't do that, bro. You know what's so unfortunate about that movie too? You know Mark Wahlberg was supposed to be Nathan Drake like a decade ago? That movie was supposed to be, you know, he was connected to that movie. That's what, he was in scrappy projects, right when they first talked about it, yeah.

[00:37:42] Yeah, he took so long,

[00:37:43] trying for that movie to get done.

[00:37:46] By the time he was one of the first ones I wrote. Like, you know, like when when he got the rice in the movie or when he got the movie. Yeah, it was 2010 2010. Yeah, I wrote reporting. And remember this is a blog. So I was like, you know, man, asshole about it. I was like, Marky Mark rumor to be playing Nathan Drake, you know, the actors. I remember that was around

[00:39:01] when I'm I believe was uncharted three was out of time. Yeah. All right. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry.

[00:40:03] If we leave God know it Nathan Fillion like

[00:40:07] Early castle or like like right after firefly

[00:40:10] Well, I mean But he wasn't big enough for that yet and obviously uncharted wasn't out yet

[00:40:14] But mid mid castle like well he was shooting castle like mid-season. Yeah, he's a little old and rookie for this man

[00:40:22] Yeah, he's told yeah, but like he is Nathan. franchise. Like I think they did it right. I'm yeah, it sucks that the original creator didn't agree with it, but that's what I think.

[00:41:42] Um, by the way, I just had to say is David Jeffy's a clown. Like,

[00:42:47] gamers expectations. We didn't work. So I think yeah. So I think what they did with it was necessary. And I'll say this though. Here's the thing like if you change the camera angle to what

[00:42:52] it used to be, it's still the same gameplay. It's still the same combat. It's still like visceral

[00:42:58] in everything. It's still engaging. It's just you get more like personal stuff with the story.

[00:43:02] And I again, I love seeing where Kratos, that it had to change. And we've talked about this, right? And I even told Corey Barlog on the show, Florida, E3, right? When they, when we got to meet him and I did not like the earlier gods got awards. I just wasn't a hack and slash button match thing game type of person. I just wasn't.

[00:44:22] And they didn't resonate with me. Second, I original franchise, which also adds to why it was successful. There was depth. There was character. There was, you know, all of that was put into it.

[00:45:40] You know, there's a reason for that.

[00:45:42] And yeah, it's frustrating when people kind lifespan of what that stranding is. So I feel like it's going to be done better than most game adaptations that we see nowadays from, you know, to the film. I mean, the only, I think the only really good game adaptation that we've really seen is both The Last of Us and The Silent Hill

[00:47:04] movies. Even though the Silent Hill movies were off in certain circumstances, they had right? We get a good product. Look, look at the one piece adaptation on Netflix, right? Oda is like, no, no, no, no, you're doing this, right? Invincible, right? Good. You want to talk about Robert Kirkman is one of the creator. He's one of the writers. Fucking good. Yeah. So invincible. Fucking amazing. Read the comics and watch the show. They're both in pure shock Listen to guys, you know

[00:51:03] They're stranding yes, give me that I'll be good stuff like you know We see the land that you're in right now we see the turmoil that you guys are going through a little bit and We want to be able to like send this message of unification and be like okay. Yeah, we see you we see what you're going through You know, this is kind of like our leave out stretching to you a little bit. It's another way that I saw it Yeah, that's a

[00:52:03] Yeah, good. Jim is an artist.

[00:52:04] He's, you know, he's going to do right by the show and I can't wait to see visually

[00:52:09] what he comes up with.

[00:52:11] See now we just see bloodboard to get turned into a movie or a show.

[00:52:14] Ooh, I would like to see that.

[00:52:16] Well, I think I think I think they should just leave it alone as the can we remake that?

[00:52:23] How about that?

[00:52:24] That's what that is.

[00:52:25] Bloodboard.

[00:52:26] Bloodboard. with cyberpunk the way they did that that would be yeah oh I know it's a master bloodborne I will every I watch all your streams I know my dream is to have a remaster of bloodborne sent to me as a review key so please I had a talk of me

[00:53:41] exactly please do do your magic okay make stuff. And I also again want to see more games. I think we finally hit that crest where finally going to get consistent games again because those those three years were always dry. Nothing was coming out like at least as far as like,

[00:55:01] you know, current gen like we were getting a lot of cross gen games or whatever. And some

[00:55:05] of them were great. Don't get me wrong. But that I'm too big to be mentioned. So it's like, I don't deserve it that much. Okay. But whenever people are, you know, whenever I see someone who has like a hundred subscribers and they're doing really great content, and I feel like they should get their notoriety, they should have like a section of where it's like up and coming talent or something.

[00:56:20] Another thing I really want to see is 2024 is more accessibility. Right. We saw a studio. It was games, and while there is a good substantial market for being the difficult game of the gaming community, simple things like text, being able to see, like I mean, I can see pretty well, but even I had a hard time seeing the text

[00:59:01] of the description of certain things in the game

[00:59:04] because of how much of like a color,

[00:59:07] there's no color difference at all whatsoever. the difficulty in this why because to me that sense of like oh shit if I am not careful I'm gonna lose all my stuff right that that's for aspect of those games like be deliberate you know but I'm like it goes the one 82 because like for me, I don't I don't You know the thing with ish and sword saints I literally thought there was a problem with my hands because I thought the controller I wasn't getting the controls right at first And that's the thing too like I was being so pressured by my community Not in a bad way

[01:01:40] But in a really irritatingly wholesome way to finish that game in a certain amount of time because I wanted to get

[01:01:46] I even got people screenshotting me if you look at what's coming out in the next year, Paul's Bloodborne Elden Ring formula of the tough boss fight. I mean, heck. Solve like six. All in order. Around six games are coming out within the next year that are going to be a franchise.

[01:03:03] Yeah, it's not even bad. Right? But that's the thing. So I think now we're going to start seeing an oversaturation of those type of games. And I think they're going to start becoming the general norm of like those games are going to start coming out more and more like souls. So I would say this for the viewers in the listener, we leave your comments on what you think when we release a video in a couple of days. I want to get Tony and Ariel out of here.

[01:04:23] So I want to thank everyone who did jump in a chat and in and out tonight. They just have to tweet something and people get mad. Right. Um, you just have to tweet one word and people get this. Oh, or you, or you're, uh, or you're considered a shil for, for game pass. Oh, you know, no, so what just called me a shil for PlayStation before that makes

[01:05:41] sales now.

[01:05:42] Well, we're all shills.

[01:05:43] We're all. I mean, come on.

[01:05:43] I'm shilling for these guys up in the background now.

[01:05:45] Um, anyway, so with everything going on in the world be kind and you know overall, let's just do better and be better and be safe everyone. And you guys be you, you do you. You do you boo. You do you boo. To Jason baby. To the name. To the name. Again, we are gonna be less than a week

[01:07:02] as a recording from Christmas, you know.

[01:07:05] So please just be safe. But you know, but something that I missed the most and I will never get tired of. Oh, learn. My man, my man, Dale Walski, Dale Walski. Then it's out like you do. So I do have a special request for Ariel that as soon as I'm done, I want your best walkie-talkie sign off.