Cold Open And Welcome Back

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Riverside, yeah. It's everywhere. It's the same. Oh shit. Oh, that's right. They don't have the thing anymore.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Hey guys. Welcome, welcome.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Yeah, thank you. Thank ah fuck. Thank you, and welcome back to another episode of Carolina Utaku Podcast. I am Afro and I'm here with my co-host.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

Alexi.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Yeah, um, welcome back. I was just talking about how Riverside has so much C AI shit. Um, but anywho, uh welcome back. You guys know uh it's been a while.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Um not really. I just didn't fill out a record last week.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Um, but we're back. Uh had some good I'm and I'm kinda happy we didn't record last week because of what has happened in the past. Ugh, yeah. Anyways.

Travel Plans And Winter Prep

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Um, but yeah, you know, we thought these uh out with what we've been up to, what's been going on. So, Lexi, what have you been up to?

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Um not much. I went to New York like two weeks, like two weekends ago, so like a week two weeks ago. Um really just kind of gearing up for the next two months. I've got some trips I have to take, and like some of them are back to back.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Is this work or leisure?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Work impersonal.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Right. Yeah. Um sound like another California trip again.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

It is, it is. So it's so like uh it's nothing like private, but like next month I have to go to California for TwitchCon. Um, and then after that, um in December, I have to go to um forgot. Oh, I gotta go to Vegas. I gotta go to Vegas uh for my friend's wedding. So the colors were black and white, so I gotta find a black dress, but um and then right after that I have like I have to go back out to California for something, and like it's just back to back to back, and then January's my birthday, and like if you know me.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

So you're gonna be gone for a month.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

I'm gonna be gone.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

And it's just like you gonna be back home for the holidays or no?

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Yeah, I'll be back home for the holidays. I will be here.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Okay. Um I'll actually be back at home home uh for like that whole month of December.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Again? Didn't you go last year? Mm-mm. Most here last year. Oh.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Um but it's uh dad's turning 70 this year. So, you know, doing something for him and all that stuff, and um we're gonna be doing Christmas at my mom's house this year instead of them coming down here. So haven't done that in a while, so that's gonna be nice. So I'm just gonna be like switching between houses and crashing on crashing in extra bedrooms. So that's what I'm gonna be doing. Um but yeah, really nothing else. Just working, uh, you know, dealing with car shit. Uh nothing crazy. Had to get the CV axle changed on the new Evolvo. And um just getting like fall and winter ready. Just because I I feel like we're gonna get a lot of snow. I don't know why, but it's just this feeling that I have that we are gonna get like snow. No, I'm serious. Like, it's just I have this feeling that we are going to get something, and yeah, it's it's I don't know what, I don't know when. It's probably gonna be like in like February or some bullshit, just come out of nowhere. Um and basically in the south, the snow comes at the times where it's about to go into like spring or some shit, and it's like f end of February or like mid-February, and you're like, fuck, it's a snowstorm? What the hell? Last year we got the thick one inch of ice on the cars and stuff, everything was closed for like a week. Um, so yeah, I just think something's gonna be coming. So just want to get everything prepared, make sure everything is just like up to snuff. So when I come back home, like I don't have any like bursted pipes or anything like that with water and all that shit. So um, yeah, you know, nothing too crazy. Um, I think you guys are gonna enjoy this episode. Uh, I kind of do it's just gonna be kind of questions. We got some stuff that happened within the gaming world recently. Um, which now I know a lot of people can be upset about this, but it I think they kind of put they kind of did this to themselves a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Yeah, you know, um and and it was just more of a financial thing.

The Weekenders Love And Voice Actors

SPEAKER_00 5:11

But before we get there, I uh earlier today, I saw an ad, right? I was like, it was a certain show I haven't watched in like a long time, and it was on Disney Plus. I didn't grow up watching Disney shows like that, but there's a couple that I did. Um like Fillmore, Hepperan, I think the Doug Disney was shit. Um whoever liked the Doug Disney, yeah, whoever liked the Doug Disney, you're out of your fucking mind. Um But the show that I was that I was watching before we got on to this was The Weekenders.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

I forgot all about that show until you said it. And like but I did used to watch that too. It used to come on that same little ABC Disney crossover with like pampering and all it was like Saturday morning.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Yep, yep. And I uh they have the they have the two seasons on Disney Plus, and I started watching it, and when you look at the the cast or the voice actors on there, you you see people that you see before, but the theme song is sung by Wayne Brady.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Um about that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Yeah, and when you you think about one of the like I think one of the best voice actors who he gets his credit, but not really. And he's actually a really funny comedian too, and like sketch comedy guy, is Phil fucking Lamar. Phil Lamar is actually really fucking funny. He has done a lot of voiceover, like amazing voiceover work. Like, I mean, he played Jon Stewart, he was the great justice league. He he played Carver in the Weekenders, he played Carver's dad. Kree Summers played the sister, the brother, the baby brother, and the mother. Like it's putting in that word. Yeah, like Phil Lamar was like, I mean, shit. Phil Lamar played Vamp in one of my favorite games in Metal Gear. He played Vamp. Like, this, and he was on Mad TV.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Like, first, like, I think maybe like second in a couple seasons of Mad TV. He was, yeah. And I mean, the dude, he he's just a voice acting machine, and he's a fucking black man that does it.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

I mean, there's also Deborah. She was on she was on Mad TV too, but she does amazing as a Wolfenstein.

SPEAKER_00 7:47

I mean, she was in Wolfenstein.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

Yeah, she's also in um in um God, I can't even say it. Destiny, she's she voices some people, so like she's they all have like a great lineup.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

I don't know if this is true or not, but I saw something that said that she's not a fan of when the video game companies like make them look like her. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, she said she's not a fan of that, and I get that because it's like I'm doing this voice, and this is something, this you this voice is something unique to you know this character. I don't need this character to like me. I just want to give them the voice that I can give them. You know what I'm saying? Oh, yeah, and Phil Lamar played Hermes on uh Futurama. Um but it's just it's when you meet like when you see like really good voice actors that are also black, another one is Kevin Richardson. Kevin Richardson played uh Cleveland Jr. on the Cleveland Brown show. Like he's done a lot of shit too. Um but yeah, man, that it was just the weekenders. I as soon as I heard a theme song, I was in it. It had really good, just like it had really good life lessons. And these kids were in fucking middle school, like they lived like on a pier in like the beach and the mall all the time. It was like, yeah, it was like, yo, that's crazy. That's crazy to think about.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

So I think my favorite little show out of that little blockage though was recess.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Like that's recess was cool. Recess was cool. Um, I'm happy they didn't do the whole bullshit of like, oh, let's see what they turn into when they're older. Thank God. Kind of like what Rugrats did with all grown up, which was a horrible show. They should have. This is what Rugrats should have done. I remember when it was this big deal. Hey, we're gonna see the Rugrats older. We're gonna see Tommy, we're gonna see Dil, Chucky, Phil and Lil, Angelica, Susie, all of them are gonna be older. And I remember the scene where it happened, they come out of this closet and everybody's older, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

And they had the whole episode. That's where it shoulda stopped.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Stop.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

We did not need a whole fucking series of all grown up. Because this is what it showed. It showed that Angelica's mother was working hard as fuck because her father was kind of just like on some crazy shit. Um, Tommy's dad, Stu, was a huge dreamer and had these crazy goals, but could never get to them. And we learned that fucking the only person that was actually like, you know, we know that Chucky's mother passed away, but out of all of those relationships that we saw, Chucky's dad and his stepmother, they had like the best relationship. All the other relationships were like shit. And you had a grandfather that was like watching porn like in the show. That was like the first couple episodes. That was that was literally the first couple episodes. Yeah, a lot of people don't even remember that. That was the first fucking episodes when he was like, Oh, yeah, I'm this old dude and I watch porn, but I take care of my grandchildren, though. That is so fucking crazy to think about.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

Okay, all right. I don't know if you ever seen Little Miss Sunshine.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Yes, yes, the grandfather that was doing all the drugs.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Yes, yeah, them two. They remind me of each other.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Yeah, like in it, and it was so it was so like like when you're at a young age, you just hear grandfather say something about aliens. Like it was like some movie he got. And then when you're older, you're like, that motherfucker went to a fucking video store and went behind the beat it curtain.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

Oh, and we know what the beating curtain was.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

Yeah, we know what the beat it curtain is and got himself something. I was like, ain't that a bitch? And they had this in a show like this. That was it was that was crazy. That was crazy.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Yeah, that was crazy. But having the, you know, watching the weekenders, it was it's great. You know, I I wish they did more seasons of that, but two was good. I'ma watch that and kind of go through that and all that shit.

Songs That Time Cannot Erase

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Another thing I thought about, right? I was swiping through Instagram, and it was his mother with her child, and she was playing a song for her child. Oh god.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

What was you playing?

SPEAKER_00 13:02

And the song was this is crazy. Because the girl looked at her like, what the fuck is he talking about? The song was say I by the Yin Yang twins, right? I forgot about that song. I know every word, I know every fucking word to that song. Swear I do. I know every word to that song. And what came into my head was what are certain songs that I'm I'm a 35-year-old man, right? So what are certain songs that I know can come on, and I'm like, oh, that was that's a crazy song, but that was good. That was a really good song. And most of the songs that I that came into my head were like really like buck fucking songs, like some of the most like craziest shit. Like when I think about it now, like kids, kids will never know who the fuck Mike Jones is. They would never know who the fuck Mike Jones is. They won't. Like Mike, I people don't understand that motherfucker had a goddamn, he was that motherfucker was on a roll. Mike Jones was he had the number. You call the number still to this day, yeah, and you still get Mike Jones. Like it's insane to me. It was say aye. Uh the Mike, Mike Jones, and I don't know why I have a lot of Texas shit in my head. Cause I'm thinking about sitting sideways.

SPEAKER_02 14:59

Sitting sideways.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Yeah. Um like it's it's a lot of shit. The whisper song by the Yin Yang twins. Crazy. Crazy. There was a time, shit, there was a time when like I don't I don't even think a lot of people remember this shit. What do they do? There was a time where like a lot of people don't talk about them now, where Trey Songs was like on like a crazy path. That motherfucker was like untouchable. He was that motherfucker was untouchable at a time. Like, it was it's crazy to think like, damn, those motherfuckers actually like had a role going, like coming out with shit like all the time. And it just and it just went no sub, right? Yeah, it it just where the fuck are they now? Like right, it just went fucking silent. I got another artist for you too, but he was more popular within middle school to high school, Sean Paul.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

I was never a big Sean Paul fan. Uh no.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

That's crazy. Are you serious?

SPEAKER_02 16:07

Yes, I'm dead ass serious. I was not a big Sean Paul fan.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

That's wild. Nah, Sean Paul was on the radio all the fucking I know.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

I know.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

He did a song with Beyonce. I I know at the time that that was crazy. But wow. So what what's the song? What's the song that you can hear? I got one more, but I'll let you go. What's the song that you could hear right now, and you're just like, Yeah, that's the one for me.

SPEAKER_01 16:43

Like, I can get it.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Hit them up cell came on by Blue Cantrell.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Really?

SPEAKER_02 16:53

Yes. And I was just like, right, and I was like, oh shit. I know every word to this freaking song.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

Jeez, I haven't heard Blue Cantrell. The name Blue Cantrell in our lives.

SPEAKER_02 17:05

It took me back to like sitting in my grandma's living room watching BDT and this music video coming on and just like singing it. Like, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Blue can't trull. Oh, yeah, yeah. I haven't heard that in a long time. Um, another one I remember when it came out was Dilemma with Nelly McKelly Rowling. Oh boy. That shit was crazy.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

I got one for you. Like, I don't like the song, but if we're gonna talk about that whole like Nelly era, yeah. I had my my English teacher, and for honest English, my eighth grade year, she was in love with the Tim Ragras and Nelly song.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

And would play it all the fucking time.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

Yo, what is I you know what? I had an AP English teacher. She used to play a lot in Natasha embedding field. Swear. Like that. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Yeah, that shit. And I was like, God damn. And I think she was playing it to like give us like some type of type of fucking motivation. I was like, girl, turn this shit the fuck off. Put some PYT on or something. God damn, I don't want to hit none of this. I'm gonna hit none of this shit. So it was, yeah, that's that's crazy. But that's like, yeah, if I if I had kids and I was playing and there were certain songs that I grew up hearing from my childhood, Dilemma was a big one. Anything with Sean Paul, early Sean Paul, fucking yin yang twins were like everywhere. I can't really say like outcast and stuff because everybody knew that outcast was they always they always had shit out. Outcast is always killing shit. But it's like it's the ones that you that you would hear. Oh, slob on my mob, slob on my knob too.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

O B O B yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

That's that's a crazy one. That's a crazy one. Um but damn, they don't make music like that no more. And I'd be that old dude to say that shit. But it it doesn't, I don't know, man. It's it's man. I I heard that, I heard that say aye aye, and I said, Whoa, I have not heard this in a long time. And you're saying blue cantrell, and I said, What the fuck? Wait, the blue cantrell uh was the dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. Who was that?

SPEAKER_01 19:41

I don't know. Who was that? That's not blue catrell.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

I could have sworn that was blue can't trell.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

Maybe I'm that's not blue catrell?

SPEAKER_02 19:55

What I'm humming is that's what I was just humming. Oh, it didn't sound like it, but yeah, that's that's it. Oh, another one. Um, there's a stranger in my house.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Who sings that?

SPEAKER_02 20:09

Um, what was it? Tmia, tmia, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. See, when you said that, I thought about fucking uh Drew Hill, somebody sleeping in my bed. Right? I when you said that, I thought about Drew Hill as somebody sleeping in my bed, right? I listened to that with like good headphones on. God damn, that is a banger. Um, those motherfuckers just made a new age Jody. It's uh yeah, they just made a new age Jody zone. But um, but yeah, that was that was something that really like got me, and I was just like, wow. Like some of this stuff I haven't listened to in a long time. You need to change your smoke detector.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

Probably like dead ass, like probably.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Niggas.

SPEAKER_02 20:56

All right, it's funny because they came and like checked them like two weeks ago, and so it's just like, oh, now you want to start making

EA Announces BioWare Closure

SPEAKER_02 21:04

noise.

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Alright, so let's get into this second topic. Um, let me prep let me break let me take this out, right? So I'm working, you know, working on my couch, got TV on, get a message from Lexi, and she tells me that Bioware is shutting down. And I said, Damn, that was random. Where the fuck did that come from? This is how I knew it was serious, because I sent her a voice message and then she sent me one back right during the day. So I said, Oh, this is serious. So we Bioware was is a Canadian uh publisher started in 2007. Has this is the crazy shit here. The games that they have are in basically coming off like a crazy high with With Baldur's Gate winning, didn't that win Game of the Year?

SPEAKER_02 22:14

Bouldersgate?

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

Not the same studio. So the Baldur's Gate that they made was the uh first. Not the first. Wait, did they make the first one? I think they did make the first one, and then the second one. So that's one of the games they made, but not just that, they also did Dragon Age, which is one of the more popular ones.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

Star Wars, Knights of the Republic, and Anthem. We all know how to Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

Oh, let's not go to that.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

Oh God. So we list off, you hear these games, right? So October 21st, 2026, EA announced Bioware's closure and the end of early development on the next Mass Effect project. Right? Reports indicate EA planned around 400 job cuts company wide, including approximately 50 associated with Bioware. 400 job cuts. That's a lot of fucking people.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

Yeah. That are now without a job.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Right. That's a lot of fucking people. Jesus. EA said it was focusing investment on fewer large-scale projects and franchises with stronger growth opportunities.

SPEAKER_02 23:38

So pretty much they want to bang on the games that like make them money, pretty much. Um, like EA, don't they do like the 2K and shit? Um The Sims? Yeah. That's a whole nother topic. But like um Apex Legends, the games are just are cash cows for them. And fortunately, Bioware just was not one of their biggest cash cows. And the main reason why is because it's their own fault. It's literally their own fault.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Let's let's so let's do this. So, why did this happen? I'm gonna go through a list of some things here, right? Mass Effect and what is this Andromeda 2017 faced criticism for technical issues, animation, and storytelling compared with the original trilogy. That's 2017, right? This is this is where we're starting, all right? 2017. 2019, Anthem comes out. I remember Anthem because they were advertising the fuck out of this.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

I played Anthem.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Yeah, they were advertising the fuck out of this shit hard. Yeah, like really hard.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

That hard.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Bioware tried a multiplayer live service game. It failed to build a long-lasting audience, and the plan and the planned major overhaul was canceled. That's 2019. 2024, two years ago. The what Veilguard? EA reported approximately 1.5 million players in it in its launch quarter and half the company's expectations. This was a player count, not confirmed sales. 1.5 million players in it in its launch, and half the it and it it just no. This was this based off these three games that I just listed, they they saw this coming a long time ago. A long time ago.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

But it's not even just that, like those failures, it's other things too. Like the Mass Effect 3, we go back, like with them promising us that the decisions that we made in the first two games were gonna impact what happened in the in the third game, and then turns out like when we play it, no, it didn't. So everybody got pissed off about that. They had to they had to fix that, right? So we're gonna start there. They also have issues with keeping people on board with them. Like, so many departures, like they keep like, especially with like Dragon Age, Dragon Age didn't have a lot of the original team, like everybody had almost left at that particular point. So you had a whole new team doing an IP, and this is supposed to be like the last one, you know. So, like there's no continuity, and then the big thing about it is like this game did not connect to all the other games, as far as like continuity-wise, and like things that they were just putting in the storyline, and then like abilities of certain characters, but just it yeah, it it was a mess. And then with Anthem, like that was a shit show. That was a shit show. They hyped it up so much, yeah, like and then just fell flat. We had server issues. Like, I played a game, you're supposed to get like specific loot at the end. I didn't get my specific loot at the end. Like, it got boring, it was repetitive, like it was fun for a little bit, but then it got really repetitive. And then they took it down and they're like, hey, we're gonna make it better, and they never made it better. They was like, Oh, never mind.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Yep, it it it you know the publisher said it would no longer proceed with early development on the next Mass Effect and would close the Bioware's Edmonton Studio, Edmonton, Canada. Bioware did not close because EA itself went out of business. EA made a corporate decision to close the studio while prior tourism, like I said, other projects. The game's performance appears to have contributed to Bioware's situation. But EOA, EOA, but EA has not published a single figure showing that any one game directly caused a closure because they don't want to do that because that's just gonna look worse on EA.

SPEAKER_02 28:33

Yeah, it's literally through like three games in a row that they have like dropped and have not been successful, and Dramada was horrible, right? And like I'm a massive fan. Yeah, like I remember when that game came out, I had just had my like gastric bypass, and I was out of work for six weeks, so I was excited about this game because I'm gonna do what I'm out, right? Right, get a chance to finish this. What the fuck was that? It was it was so so bad. It was just like you had like you had so many bugs. Yeah, you had the story was like shit compared to like the other games. It was just it it just wasn't it like it was a shell of itself, like for Mass Effect fans. And so that was strike one. The whole anthem thing, that's strike two, Dragon Age, that's like strike three, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

Unfortunately, at that point you you're out, like it this uh we can we can I'll say this with with a publisher like this, and this wasn't like a crazy big publisher, no, but I I'm not saying other other publishers should be like oh shit, if it can happen to them, it can happen to us, which I mean it can. It really can. Like it can happen to any of these smaller publishers, it really can. My biggest thing is I would, you know, I I hate, you know, we bring them up all the time, and I'm not saying Bethesda is as like small or I don't know the exact size compared to Bioware, but I mean, yo, it it Bethesda could be in that same fucking shit.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

They really like I mean you you're speaking the truth because literally look at Bethesda lately, like 76 was a failure.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Their their games like have not been hidden.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

Starville was a failure.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

And you gotta think about we haven't had a release, a major release for them since Starville.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Which is what, like almost three years ago, three, four years ago now at this point.

SPEAKER_00 31:05

So it it's it's possible, it really is. I would say because there are some games they came out with years ago, like Deathloot, right? I know a lot of people played the game, but it wasn't like because I played it myself and I liked it, but it's not something that like really was pushed or like it was like for the masses. That is for a specific type of gamers that like to play certain shit like that. So it's I don't know, it it it could definitely happen to them for sure. And I guess that's the I I would think that's like kind of the scary part for any of these like smaller publishers is that these bigger companies like a Microsoft, especially if they got you, can say, Alright, you hey, this is it. This is it. We're gonna give you this one chance. Honestly, I feel like that's where Xbox is with Bethesda. I really do. I don't know what's her what her name is, but I know she's like Todd. Hey Todd. She like out there at the window. She just like showing up out of nowhere, like Brawman in the in the house.

SPEAKER_02 32:27

She's got it going on. Yeah, she's working on, yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 32:31

Nothing. I'm just chilling. Wanting me to make some sandwiches. Like she's just in the place, just like, hey, how's that game coming? What you got going on? I know that you got ESO going, but you know, how how's that? How's that?

SPEAKER_01 32:49

Is that how how's that Fallout 76 going?

SPEAKER_00 32:53

Oh are you guys doing another uh remake of something? You know, it it could happen to any of these smaller publishers. It's sad, but it's also like, yo, you gotta you gotta do something better. You do. So let me ask you this.

Grief For Mass Effect And Dragon Age

SPEAKER_00 33:12

When you how did you feel when you read or heard that BioWare was closing?

SPEAKER_02 33:20

I was sad because this is like Mass Effect and Dragon Age are both games that like when I started gaming, like those are games that like I gravitated toward, I play or whatever. And like Mass Effect, even to this day, like I still will go back and play it every once in a while, right? Um, so it just uh the company that is making those games is now closed. Like any hope I had for another Mass Effect is now gone with that studio. Now, not necessarily, but right now and in this present state, in this present time, it is gone. So like I'm kind of putting like one of my like two of my favorite gaming franchises to bed.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

So yeah, it it's sad. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

Do you think that the do you think that Anthem was probably like their biggest mistake? Like, do you think like them trying to get into the realm of like a multiplayer live service type shit was like a little bit too much for them, and they should have just stuck with like good storyline and the shit that they already had?

SPEAKER_02 34:39

No, I don't. I don't think it was just Anthem that causes, it was just you gotta think about it. It was basically what a perfect storm for this chaos to happen because everything we talked about so far just added more fuel to the fire.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Right.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Right? And then you gotta think about also, we haven't talked about it, but it happened, you know, they went private, they got sold out to this Saudi Arabian company and like they had debts.

SPEAKER_01 35:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

So you know, it's it's just it was just a basically a perfect storm. So I I don't think like for me, this whole thing, I wish they would have maybe sold the rights to Mass Effect before closing down.

SPEAKER_00 35:31

Um do you think it was random or do you think they knew about it beforehand?

SPEAKER_02 35:35

I'm pretty sure they knew about it beforehand. Like I am pretty sure when they sold or before they sold that company, EA sold the company. Um I think they knew. Uh I think it was just writing on the wall, like, all right, we're already being sold out to this company.

SPEAKER_01 35:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

And now we have new owners. And you know what happens when a company is acquired.

SPEAKER_00 36:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:01

The new people come in and it they clean the house.

SPEAKER_00 36:04

Oh, yeah. Quick.

SPEAKER_02 36:05

Quick.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

Quick. Look, if you if you got shares and there was a merge, you better cast some shares out and go find a new job. Live off of that for a little bit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

And we see a little time intact. Like, company gets acquired, shit changes real fast.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 36:28

And they start trimming, okay, where are we bleeding money from?

SPEAKER_01 36:31

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 36:32

Oh, here? Okay. You probably gave them a little plan, say what we're doing to work this out.

SPEAKER_00 36:37

Yeah. He's just Yeah, either either you go with it or you don't. Yeah. It's crazy. So this is this is more like I want to ask this more to like the audience and stuff. Just because we know that it is a big deal to some people. Um, and it's also weird that this happened while the new Call of Duty came out. Interesting. Um, because not really. But not really, but it kind of like the people that care about it care about it.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

I'm just glad I didn't do it on in seven day.

SPEAKER_01 37:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

That that would have been heartbreaking, right? Like, yeah, we're all celebrating our favorite game, and then they tell us yeah, nah, we ain't no more. So I'm glad they did it beforehand. But like, I also feel hopeful too, because there's so many people that are on board or trying to save Mass Effect.

SPEAKER_00 37:36

Yeah, I was about to get into that.

SPEAKER_02 37:38

Yeah, the whole billboard, yeah. Um, and the trailer came out and all that stuff. So we'll just have to wait and see.

SPEAKER_00 37:49

Yeah. I will ask this to the people. What is your favorite Bioware game of all time? Did Bioware lose what made its older game special? And who deserves more blame? Bioware, EA, or both? I will give my answer to this. I'm not gonna say, I'm not gonna say both. I'm sorry, I'm not gonna say EA for this. I'm not. Um just just because I I can see Ashley both. I I can't say that. I I can't. That's like Microsoft. If if fucking Microsoft was like, all right, we're closing Bethesda. Would you put that, would you put that on Microsoft, or would you put that on Bethesda based off their track record?

SPEAKER_02 38:42

Based off their track, but it depends on which direction. So you gotta think about EA. They're they're cash cow games right now. Most of them are multiplayer, online, live service type games. Except for the Sims. That's just whatever. So, but you gotta think about Bioware. Most of the games for Bioware are single player, right? And the only when they tried to go online at Bioware for Anthem, it was an epic failure.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

And I think they may not have done that if it wasn't necessarily for EA, probably trying to push them to be like, hey, you want to try multiple, you know, like live service, let's push this more in this direction or whatever. Um you gotta think about even before then, they were having layoffs from you know, at Bioware, and all that comes from above, which would be EA. So it just I don't wouldn't say it's just one company, I I think it's both, but I can see why you would say it would be just Bioware.

SPEAKER_00 39:50

So as Lexi said, you know, there are people trying to save just the Mass Effect.

Save Mass Effect And New Studios

SPEAKER_00 39:58

Let's be let's be let me be clear. They don't give a fuck about other games, just Mass Effect. So uh fans have launched the hashtag save Mass Effect petition asking EA to continue developing the franchise with proper resources or license it to another studio. The petition petition passed 200,000 signatures within days of the announcement. A petition is not a guarantee EA will change its decision. Would you play a new Mass Effect if it was made by another studio?

SPEAKER_02 40:37

Yeah, I would play it if it was made by a different studio, just because that's also happened with Fallout. Fallout has been through several, you know, companies since its inception, right? So like one and two, their play style is very different. If Bethesda hadn't come in at Fallout 3, I may not have never been a Fallout fan because one and two, the way they're they're played and designed, doesn't necessarily appeal to me that much. But like me starting off at three and then going to New Vegas, and then hey, let me try out one and two, like it's it could be a good thing.

unknown 41:15

Right.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

Mass Effect it could be uh get into a good direction, but I think with Mass Effect's fan base, a lot of us would probably like to see it going to maybe a company that has a lot of old B or excuse me, old Bioware employees just so we can have that original story and kind of continue from there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:37

So would you rather get another game or leave the original trilogy alone? Like would you rather get like a whole new trilogy?

SPEAKER_02 41:44

I would like the way they were going with Mass Effect Universe. So it was like what 700 years from the story and and continue or 250, I can't remember now from the trailer, but like I liked how that was going. So I would say leave the original trilogy alone if things have happened, and just like start out in the whole new direction where the universe was going.

SPEAKER_00 42:06

Gotcha. Okay, okay. And would you trust the new developer to like do the franchise justice?

SPEAKER_02 42:14

Like with that I can't even trust the original developer to do the story justice, obviously. So, like you're just gonna have to show me and prove it to me. I ain't trusting nobody at this point.

SPEAKER_00 42:29

So to the audience, you know, should Mass Effect come back under a different developer? Would you rather have a remake, a sequel, or a completely new storyline? Is it better to revive a beloved franchise or leave it alone? It all depends on the franchise. It all depends on the franchise to me. That's it. Like, for me, is it better to revive a beloved one? It all depends. Like, honestly, I would not want them to come back with Metal Gear. I don't I don't give a fuck if Kojima was on it. Leave that shit be. He left that shit a long time ago. We don't need nothing else with that. Don't bring that shit back. Just let people play the games that they got. Fine, cool, whatever. Um so with uh Mass Effect, you know, kind of stop development and stuff like that, this also brings up the question who can acquire this publishing-wise. So, of course, you got Xbox and Microsoft, which that's scary. You got Sony and PlayStation, which is also scary because they'll probably turn around and make that bitch an exclusive. Um then you have uh Larian Studios, the developers of Baldur's Gate 3, which possibly, yeah. Um Have CD Project Red, they're the developers of Witcher and Cyberpunk 277, which with that style, I like The Witcher, and I I look, Cyberpunk seems to be having a resurgence of like popularity, yeah, shit going for it. So, I mean, why not? Or you can do, or it might be an independent studio that basically is founded by Bioware developers, right? Um I don't know. I I think you know, these are it's a it's a lot of people that can kind of take that IP and just be like, yeah, I want that. Give me that. If they can get it. So in your eyes, who would you, out of that list I just gave you, who would you trust the most with Mass Effect? Your baby. Like this is your baby, and you want this to continue. Who would you trust the most with it?

SPEAKER_02 45:12

Oh, I I that's a hard one, because I have to pick just one, but if you had to pick like two, like let's say it was a toss-up in. I would say probably CD Project Red and uh Bavarian Studios. Just because they've already taken a bioware game and created a massive hit out of it. So definitely they would be like, okay, I might trust you because you already technically have done that. But then, yeah, I think about CD Project, right? They have Witcher, yeah, of uh Cyberpunk. Witcher has a phenomenal story, but like Witcher 2 and 1 are not that great as far as like game mechanics and and things of that nature. But three is a phenomenal. I I think now where they are, I can trust them with specific.

SPEAKER_00 46:10

So the so what about seeing the Bioware developers start a new studio? Or do you think that would be too much of a that would be a lot for new developers, especially if it's like I'm not saying developers can't start their own shit, but developers are developers.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

I would like to see that too, if they did do an independent one.

SPEAKER_01 46:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:40

But I think the best thing probably at this point would be having an already established studio, buy the you know, the license, and then hire a bunch of ex-bioware employees to work on said game. Um I I think that might be the faster route to go.

SPEAKER_01 47:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:05

You know, than them having to do it independently, you know?

SPEAKER_00 47:09

Yeah, definitely, definitely. And would you accept like a different style of Mass Effect if the story was good?

SPEAKER_02 47:17

I think the story was good. Like, I don't know. I don't know. Like I'm sitting here thinking about like in my head, would I like Mass Effect if it was in like Boulder's Gate 3 format? I don't know. Like I don't know. Like, or would it be okay? I think I would like Mass Effect if it was more for CD Project Rec, instead of doing like a Witcher-based one, like going in Cyberpunk 2077's direction would fit better with Mass Effect, I would say.

SPEAKER_01 47:51

Damn, okay, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 47:56

So I guess, you know, with you know, us closing and stuff like that, I'll bring this to the audience and you too.

Canceled Games We Still Miss

SPEAKER_00 48:07

But if you could bring back one closed game in studio or revive one canceled game, which would it be for you? I'm not gonna ask you why, but just like one canceled game where you were just like, fuck. I was really looking forward to that, and it just didn't fall through. I got one off the top of my head already.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

Oh my god, go ahead, go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 48:40

Mine is God, uh, ashes of creation.

SPEAKER_01 48:46

Why?

SPEAKER_00 48:48

Because I was actually like really like on that. Like I was really like looking forward to it, and they were like having meetings and all this bullshit about it, showing like what they were doing and everything. Like, it was like literally like the best like hood wink bamboozle shit you ever see in your life. And then it's just like, oh hey, yeah, y'all ain't getting that shit. Sorry. And then this is how you should have knew it was bullshit. They put it on Steam and it was oh, you can play it, but we're gonna be making changes as you play it. Get the fuck out of here, bro. That's bad testing. I'm sorry, that is bad fucking testing. That is a bad way to test the game. I and you still had to pay for it. You still had to pay for this game. Yeah, yeah. While it wasn't fully like developed, that was that was something I was looking forward to. Seriously.

SPEAKER_02 49:55

I think mine, I'm trying to remember the name of it. Oh, because it was um is it Paragon?

SPEAKER_01 50:05

Was it Paragon?

SPEAKER_00 50:07

Nah, I I know some pe I watched a lot of Paragon videos. I did. And it looked amazing. I actually played it for a little bit. And I know that hurt a lot of fucking people when that shit um, when that shit went away. That hurt a lot of people. That was a sad one to see.

SPEAKER_02 50:32

Yeah, that that one kind of pissed me off. And it's kind of the reason why I didn't play Fortnite for so long, is because Paragon was made by Epic, and they chose to go with Fortnite when it became a hit instead of working on fucking Paragon. So like I was like, fuck Fortnite because of that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:54

That yeah, that was that was a that was a sad one. That was a really sad one. That was a bad one. Oh, but yeah, that's just a creation for me. I was like I said, I was like in the Discord keeping up with stuff and all that shit, and I was just like, Jesus Christ. I feel sorry for people to actually like put some money into this because they were still because they were selling cosmetics.

SPEAKER_02 51:17

Yeah, I I know. I keep up with the story. Like, yeah, I watch a lot of like uh MMO like history or um cancellations or like MMO scams videos.

SPEAKER_00 51:30

Yeah, like expensive cosmetics. And I kind of wonder who the fuck was buying those. It that blows my mind. I was like, people actually buying this shit? That is insane. What is wrong with y'all? Yeah, that was oof, goddamn. Yeah, if I had to, if there was one that I could bring back, it was it was probably like getting another studio to do as creation and do it the right way. Honestly, if Bethesda had if they had Ash of Creation and they did it almost like an ESO but a little bit better, that would be great. I think they would do really well with that. That'd be great, like amazing shit.

Local Cons And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_00 52:12

Um anywho, I think we're gonna close this one out. Uh this is a good one. Like I said, we didn't record last week, and you know, this came up, and it was just something that I I think we're gonna see a lot more happen in like the coming years just because you know, it's the whole like David and Goliath shit. You know, they're gonna the big places are either gonna acquire you or you're gonna have to, you know, kind of just close. And it it sucks, but I think it's gonna be a lot more uh gaming publishers that are going to be doing this for sure, especially if the fan base isn't like the fan base is there, but I just think it's a whole bunch of other shit that happened. There's just a whole bunch of shit that happened. But um, yeah, thank you guys for listening. Make sure to follow us on all our socials and everything like that. Um, you know, I'll advertise this because we were sponsored, but also if you're in the South Carolina Rocco area, you know, uh check out VillainsCon. You know, uh new location has grown like a lot since we went the first year. Yeah, has grown a lot. Um, so that's always great. Good to see that. And definitely go check that out if you're in that area. I think it's um it's good to see. Like, this goes back to the conversation that we had last time. We posted that shit on TikTok, and everybody agreed with what we were saying about going to your local cons and how people complain about fucking cost of cards. Like, start local, start still small until they grow people. Right. Like, you know, don't complain about the shit. If you can't go, don't go. Nigga. All right. So follow us on social media.

SPEAKER_02 54:25

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 54:26

And uh, we'll see you guys next time. Bye. Bye guys.