The Easy Allies Podcast

We relish in the opportunity to chuckle at Google and Amazon’s development efforts after Schreier eviscerates Amazon and Google stops making games. At the same time it’s nothing but good news for multiple Warhammer franchises, Gearbox Entertainment, and the Mass Effect trilogy. 00:00:44 - Corrections 00:02:18 - Silver Lining 00:03:36 - Total War: Warhammer III 00:10:15 - Gearbox Acquired 00:23:22 - Stadia Studio shutdown 00:37:12 - Amazon’s development woes 00:54:06 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:57:21 - Mass Effect remaster details 01:09:09 - Personal 2020 PlayStation stats 01:19:34 - Also This Week... 01:27:08 - L&R - Update: Life without PS5 01:28:01 - L&R - Most memorable licensed tracks 01:30:27 - L&R - Game: Consolation Discontinued 01:34:47 - L&R - PS All-Stars Battle Royale 2 cast? 01:36:39 - Time For Bets 01:43:35 - Closing Go to http://upstart.com/easyallies to find out how much Upstart can save you today! Visit http://joinhoney.com/allies to get Honey for FREE. Learn more about your ad choices. V

GameStop shares and Xbox Live prices are going up. Or are they going down? We search for answers while lamenting Vicarious Visions getting absorbed by Blizzard, catching up on the Borderlands movie cast, and pondering Gabe Newell’s battle for your brain. 00:01:03 - Corrections 00:03:39 - Silver Lining 00:07:36 - GameStop Stock Squeeze 00:25:36 - Xbox Live Price Increase 00:40:06 - Vicarious Visions and Blizzard 00:49:28 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:51:29 - Borderlands Movie Update 00:58:33 - Gabe Newell and BCIs 01:09:30 - Also This Week... 01:16:18 - L&R - Game: Fiasconauts Characters 01:22:29 - L&R - Game: How Many GOTYs? 01:28:11 - L&R - Ever forget how to play an RPG? 01:30:27 - L&R - How do you explain our gaming language? 01:38:47 - Time For Bets 01:43:29 - Closing 01:45:28 - Producer Credits Visit http://joinhoney.com/ALLIES to get Honey for FREE today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Resident Evil gives us chills by how creepy Village feels and how weird Re:Verse looks in their recent Showcase. After replaying the Maiden demo a few times, we discuss Capcom’s plans for a successful 2021, the EU’s fines for companies that geo-block, and the big gaming investments of 2020. 00:01:02 - Corrections 00:03:46 - Silver Lining 00:06:07 - Resident Evil Village Showcase 00:36:21 - Capcom in 2021 00:51:05 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:53:27 - EU fines 6 companies for geo-blocking 01:01:08 - Gaming Investments in 2020 01:06:15 - Also This Week... 01:16:09 - L&R - Media events on your birthday? 01:18:51 - L&R - Game: Kirby with the Gravity Hammer in Spencer Mansion 01:23:07 - L&R - Recommended PlayStation exclusives 01:26:53 - L&R - Game: Either/Or, Schick or Xbox? 01:30:57 - L&R - Game: How Many Allies? 01:36:16 - Time For Bets 01:40:41 - Closing Visit http://expressvpn.com/allies to get an extra 3 months of ExpressVPN for FREE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lucasfilm re-invests in games so we share our excitement as Indiana Jones rides again and Ubisoft opens up the galaxy far, far away. Also worth speculating: new trademarks made by Square Enix, a very quick end-screen of upcoming Sony exclusive release dates, and some games you might not have heard of among Twitter’s biggest stats of 2020. 00:00:39 - Corrections 00:03:13 - Silver Lining 00:04:41 - Lucasfilm Games - Indiana Jones 00:27:16 - Lucasfilm Games - Ubisoft Star Wars 00:39:51 - Square Enix Trademarks 00:49:51 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:53:34 - Sony’s Exclusive Release Dates 01:12:30 - Twitter Gaming Stats 01:23:04 - Also This Week... 01:34:57 - L&R - Under-the-radar gaming stuff 01:40:04 - L&R - Game: E3 Conference Finales 01:45:22 - L&R - Helpless story moments 01:47:25 - L&R - Game: Name That Cheat Code 01:52:01 - Time For Bets 01:57:01 - Closing Go to http://upstart.com/easyallies to find out how much Upstart can save you today! Go to http://gabi.com/allies to see how much Gabi can save you! L

It’s time to look ahead at the next three months of releases using a time-honored tradition of ridiculous breakfast food comparisons; a Q1 2021 preview with sprinkles and spreadable frosting. Also, Amazon reveals its list of the top 100 best-selling products from last year and we try to find something on it to analyze that isn't a gift card or a game exclusive to Switch. 00:01:03 - Corrections 00:04:27 - Silver Lining 00:05:38 - Q1 2021 Preview - January 00:26:43 - Q1 2021 Preview - February 00:52:32 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:57:19 - Q1 2021 Preview - March 01:17:50 - Amazon’s Best Sellers of 2020 01:27:46 - Also This Week... 01:38:01 - L&R - Most memorable box art? 01:41:15 - L&R - Game: Name that Steam Tag! 01:47:51 - L&R - Favorite pre-rendered trailers? 01:52:00 - Time For Bets 01:53:32 - Or Wars 01:57:42 - Closing Go to http://hellofresh.com/10allies and use code 10allies for 10 free meals, including free shipping! Visit http://joinhoney.com/ALLIES to get Honey for FREE today! Learn more about you

This has been a strange and sometimes uncomfortable year to sort through, but before we tackle another 12 months we need to sort through the biggest headlines and most interesting stats of 2020. Also, Tencent picks up another handful of studio stocks and Star Citizen delays something yet again. 00:00:58 - Corrections 00:03:17 - Silver Lining 00:04:53 - Biggest Headlines of 2020 00:47:01 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:51:34 - Fun Stats from 2020 01:16:58 - Tencent acquires Leyou Technologies 01:23:26 - Squadron 42 delayed again 01:31:27 - Also This Past Two Weeks... 01:35:51 - L&R - How big is too big for indie? 01:42:01 - L&R - Game: Which open world is larger? 01:47:07 - L&R - Is hoarding skill points okay? 01:49:33 - Or Wars 01:57:59 - Closing 01:59:50 - Producer Credits Go to http://logitechg.com to get the G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel today! Go to http://hellofresh.com/10allies and use code 10allies for 10 free meals, including free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com

What games got banned in Australia? What games have the best nightlife? What’s the best game we’ve never played? What the heck does “Best Direction” mean? The answers to these and many more burning questions are answered in this special Love & Respect episode. 00:01:31 - Silver Lining 00:03:12 - L&R - What came first in 2020? 00:07:02 - L&R - Favorite thing to do in games? 00:09:42 - L&R - Excited for Wolf Among Us 2? 00:12:17 - L&R - Coolest you’ve felt playing a game? 00:17:37 - L&R - Best game you’ve never played? 00:19:29 - L&R - Game with the best nightlife? 00:22:31 - L&R - Best “movie night” game? 00:26:05 - L&R - Bring it back or let it rest? 00:31:33 - L&R - What does “Best Direction” mean? 00:40:34 - L&R - Game: Banned, Censored, or Unscathed? 00:44:44 - A Word From our Sponsor 00:47:22 - L&R - Does the industry reward crunch? 01:00:54 - L&R - How do you cater to the Wii Sports market? 01:06:42 - L&R - Game: Officially released in Japan? 01:11:26 - L&R - Must we stop overhyping games?  01:20:42 - L

November’s NPDs give us a clearer picture of what everyone wanted and was able to buy when next-gen launched, before we also dig into reports of EA outbidding Take Two for Codemasters and evaluate the big 3’s big ideas on “Safer Gaming.” But the real breaking news is Cyberpunk’s continued launch woes, including a hot headline hitting while the podcast was rolling. 00:00:37 - Corrections 00:05:15 - Silver Lining 00:07:19 - November NPDs 00:27:13 - EA’s bid for Codemasters 00:41:39 - A Word From our Sponsors 00:49:23 - “Shared Commitment to Safer Gaming” 01:02:54 - Cyberpunk 2077 Updates 01:26:56 - Also This Week... 01:34:09 - L&R - Holiday break backlogs 01:36:03 - L&R - PS1 demake requests 01:37:51 - L&R - Game: Fastest Any% Speedrun 01:43:03 - L&R - Most broken game we’ve played 01:44:15 - Time for Bets 01:48:54 - Closing Go to http://logitechg.com to get the G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel today! Go to http://gabi.com/allies to find out how much Gabi can save you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

The Game Awards changes its format but still delivers plenty of surprising announcements and winners. We rattle off our favorite moments from the annual ceremony and share the early bugs, memories, records, and scandals of Cyberpunk 2077’s launch. 00:00:49 - Corrections 00:02:11 - Silver Lining 00:03:24 - Game Awards Top Headlines 00:41:55 - Game Awards Other News 01:04:26 - A Word From our Sponsors 01:08:30 - Game Awards Winners 01:23:07 - Cyberpunk 2077’s Launch 01:54:18 - Also This Week... 02:02:36 - L&R - Game: Huber Quote Quiz 02:07:10 - L&R - Least ideal gaming circumstances? 02:11:06 - Time for Bets 02:16:17 - Closing Use code EASYALLIES for $5 off your first 5 orders when you download the Postmates app or sign up online! Go to http://luminskin.com/allies to get a one-month free trial of everything you need to start your skincare journey at home! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BioWare says goodbye to a pair of creative leads and faces an uncertain future, and 2020’s Black Friday weekend isn’t as lucrative as expected. Still, things are looking bright for Travis Scott’s bank account, Super Nintendo World’s impending launch, and Aardman Animations’ newest IP. 00:00:38 - Corrections 00:02:12 - Silver Lining 00:03:42 - Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah leave BioWare 00:24:27 - Super Nintendo World Sneak Peek 00:39:00 - A Word From Our Sponsor 00:41:57 - Black Friday 2020 digital decline 00:53:26 - Aardman and Bandai Namco's new IP 00:59:33 - Travis Scott's $20m Fortnite payout 01:04:53 - Also This Week... 01:11:10 - L&R - Black Friday gift card sales 01:13:58 - L&R - Why do bad side quests exist? 01:18:25 - L&R - Game: Worms or Frauds? 01:20:38 - L&R - Most memorable boss battle? 01:22:41 - L&R - Any hope for digital libraries? 01:27:10 - Time for Bets 01:31:44 - Closing Go to http://logitechg.com to get the G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po

Random glitches with our fancy new consoles continue including PS5 crashes and Xbox loading issues. While we wait for a fix, it’s therapeutic to celebrate a new sequel announcement, discuss the current state of gaming mental health, and share what we’re thankful for from this tumultuous year. 00:00:40 - Corrections 00:02:10 - Silver Lining 00:03:17 - Neo: The World Ends With You announced 00:15:19 - Next-Gen console jitters 00:41:58 - A Word From Our Sponsor 00:44:05 - Oxford mental health and games study 01:04:52 - What were thankful for from 2020 01:14:30 - Also This Week... 01:24:53 - L&R - How do you deal with FOMO? 01:27:41 - L&R - Bluepoint's next remake? 01:29:58 - L&R - Remember Overwatch 2? 01:31:16 - L&R - What MK 11 character would you replace? 01:33:24 - L&R - Game: Mash It or Trash It? 01:38:47 - Time for Bets 01:43:09 - Closing 01:44:32 - Producer Credits Go to HelloFresh.com/allies90 and use code allies90 to get $90 off including free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc

The Game Awards have been announced, so we have to discuss the inevitable shoe-ins and snubs. Also, IOI and 007 join forces, initial next-gen sales numbers come out of Japan, Twitch has a record October, and Embracer Group can’t stop buying companies. 00:00:35 - Corrections 00:04:38 - Silver Lining 00:05:30 - The Game Awards nominees announced 00:30:52 - Project 007 announced 00:38:47 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:41:48 - Next-Gen sales numbers from Japan/UK 00:51:39 - Embracer Group buys 13 new studios 01:01:37 - Twitch sees record viewership in October 01:09:54 - Also This Week... 01:18:29 - L&R - Could Microsoft's DRM plan return? 01:23:59 - L&R - Game: New Faces in New Places 01:27:20 - L&R - Genres due for a departure? 01:30:58 - L&R - Australia is in a funky place 01:34:29 - Time for Bets 01:38:41 - Closing Go to http://buyraycon.com/allies today to get 20% off your Raycon order! Go to http://everyplate.com and enter code allies3 to get 3 weeks of EveryPlate meals for only $2.99 per meal! Learn more

Whether you bought them and they actually shipped or not, the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S means the next-generation is now the current generation. We follow the updates and odd reports surrounding both consoles before guessing Q4’s total revenue and predicting Square Enix’s future based on their recent financial ups and downs. 00:00:51 - Corrections 00:02:00 - Silver Lining 00:02:51 - PlayStation 5 Launch 00:21:17 - Xbox Series X|S Launch 00:32:00 - A Word From Our Sponsor 00:34:59 - Q3 NPDs 00:45:03 - Square Enix 2021 Predictions 01:02:15 - Also This Week... 01:04:31 - Take-Two Buys Codemasters 01:09:18 - Dead by Daylight's New Villain 01:15:29 - L&R - What's your playground game? 01:17:30 - L&R - Language preference in games? 01:24:10 - L&R - Will we ever get a slim PS5? 01:25:35 - L&R - Why advertise consoles you can't buy? 01:26:55 - L&R - Easing European PS5 delay frustration 01:30:17 - L&R - What console would you be? 01:32:37 - Time for Bets 01:37:11 - Closing Go to http://hellotu

Only one week remains until the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are upon us, so it’s time to grade the marketing, hardware, and games of both consoles. What wins and losses led us to where we are, and what expectations should we have for launch week? 00:00:59 - Corrections 00:02:31 - Silver Lining 00:03:43 - Xbox Series X Next-Gen Report Card 00:51:43 - A Word From Our Sponsor 00:55:11 - PlayStation 5 Next-Gen Report Card 01:28:34 - Also This Week... 01:35:11 - L&R - What'll be in the gen, after? 01:38:55 - L&R - Real or Fake: Town Edition 01:43:57 - L&R - What generation is the Switch? 01:45:28 - L&R - Launch titles with good vibes? 01:49:15 - Time for Bets 01:55:07 - Closing Use code EASYALLIES for $5 off your first 5 orders when you download the Postmates app or sign up online! Go to http://luminskin.com/allies to get a one-month free trial of everything you need to start your skincare journey at home! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We finally got to touch the PS5 and Xbox Series X with our bare hands, so how do we feel about next-gen now? We also cope with perhaps the nastiest Cyberpunk 2077 delay yet, contrast Sony’s latest quarter financials with its personal next-predictions, and say goodbye to the Nintendo Partner Showcase series of 2020. 00:00:38 - Corrections 00:02:22 - Silver Lining 00:03:29 - Next-gen consoles unboxed 00:17:57 - Cyberpunk 2077 delayed 21 days 00:35:32 - A Word From Our Sponsor 00:39:46 - Sony Q2 2020 Earnings 00:58:04 - The final Nintendo Partner Showcase of 2020 01:17:20 - Also This Week... 01:28:14 - L&R - Which horror game ranked higher? 01:35:40 - L&R - Not-scary horror game recommendations 01:37:38 - L&R - Do question marks incentivize exploration? 01:43:18 - L&R - What games used the Dualshock 4 touch pad? 01:45:43 - Time for Bets 01:52:06 - Closing 01:55:33 - Producer Credits Go to http://hellofresh.com/ALLIES80 and use code ALLIES80 to get a total of $80 off across 5 boxes, including free shipping on y

Gaming’s bottom line is looking good, with another NPD that brings record-breaking results for multiple games. But your average streamer’s bottom line is in jeopardy, with Twitch purging video collections that use licensed music. Also, Ubisoft Connect follows a trend of service updates, and Devolver Digital buys Serious Sam. 00:00:00 - Opening 00:00:53 - Corrections 00:03:29 - Silver Lining 00:04:23 - September 2020 NPDs 00:28:59 - Twitch DMCA videos deleted 00:46:15 - A Word From Our Sponsor 00:48:32 - Ubisoft Connect 01:00:06 - Devolver Digital acquires Croteam 01:06:30 - Also This Week... 01:12:13 - L&R - How should Dead Space return? 01:16:26 - L&R - Game: K-pop or DS? 01:21:10 - L&R - Is Godfall the Knack of this generation? 01:23:04 - L&R - Is GoT Legends like other loot games? 01:25:35 - Time for Bets 01:29:37 - Closing Go to http://buyraycon.com/allies to get 15% off your order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To celebrate our Patron Party event, here's a bonus hour of questions from our $5 tier on Patreon. Moving past the week's headlines our panelists discuss the importance of back-of-the-box art, Sony fatigue versus saving Xbox's reputation, the future of the Ring Fit peripheral, and a few standout co-op releases from this year. 00:00:00 - Opening 00:01:15 - Does the back of the box matter anymore? 00:07:57 - Is there such a thing as "next-gen" for PC? 00:16:16 - Game: Deluxe Edition Doozie! 00:20:15 - Sony fatigue vs Xbox reputation 00:24:54 - Other uses for the Ring Fit peripheral? 00:28:49 - Should game casts get more recognition? 00:40:44 - Game: Dollar Duel 00:44:59 - Standout co-op releases of 2020 00:49:42 - Lengths to preserve your own head canon? 00:54:48 - Game: Find the anomaly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We recently learned of the 30 games officially launching on Xbox Series X, and also 10 PS4 games that won’t run on PS5, so we discuss what we will and won’t be playing. Also, the PS5 UI reveals itself, SEGA celebrates 60 years, and Amazon’s Crucible halts development. 00:00:00 - Opening 00:00:36 - Corrections 00:02:04 - Silver Lining 00:03:32 - Xbox Series X|S Launch Lineup 00:18:04 - 10 PS4 games not on PS5 00:21:18 - PS5 Surprise UI State of Play 00:38:52 - A Word From Our Sponsor 00:41:11 - SEGA's 60th Anniversary Games 00:52:04 - Amazon's Crucible halts development 01:02:49 - Also This Week... 01:09:40 - L&R - Opinions about StarTropics 01:12:44 - L&R - Game: Console Love, Not War 01:16:13 - L&R - Game: Zombie Mascots 01:20:30 - L&R - Interested in backwards compatibility? 01:26:34 - L&R - From Software Platinum update 01:27:28 - Time for Bets 01:31:32 - Closing 01:33:26 - Second Extinction Bet Gameplay Go to http://hellotushy.com/easyallies to get 10% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas

Brandon's on the move so Bloodworth picks up moderating duties for a week as we look inside the PS5 and look ahead to all the big releases in the next three months. 00:01:21 - Corrections 00:03:07 - Silver Lining 00:03:54 - PlayStation 5 Teardown 00:15:51 - Fall Game Preview: October 00:51:37 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:54:15 - Fall Game Preview: November 01:43:34 - Fall Game Preview: December 01:50:00 - GameSpot Layoffs 01:51:24 - Also This Week... 01:57:03 - L&R - Does industry experience diminish your excitement for new games? 02:01:09 - L&R - Underappreciated jobs in games 02:07:41 - L&R - Game: Timesplitters! 02:14:03 - Time for Bets  02:20:55 - Closing Get $100 of free delivery credit for your first SEVEN days when you download the Postmates app and use code EASYALLIES. Head over to http://att.com/galaxynote20ultra5g to learn how you can get the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G for free or the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G for $299.99 for a limited time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co

In 2019, CD Projekt RED promised they wouldn’t crunch their employees, and two years ago Insomniac introduced us to their new Spider-Man, but this week we learned that things change. Also, how did the latest Smash fighter reveal go, and what led to Genshin Impact’s incredible success? 00:00:00 - Opening 00:01:18 - Corrections 00:03:59 - Silver Lining 00:05:24 - Cyberpunk 2077 Launch Crunch 00:28:14 - Spider-Man's new face on PS5 00:40:39 - A Word From Our Sponsors 00:45:21 - Minecraft in Smash Bros Ultimate 00:58:32 - Genshin Impact's success 01:09:37 - Also This Week... 01:20:00 - L&R - Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing? 01:21:56 - L&R - Game: EZ-est 10 out of 10 Review 01:29:02 - L&R - Communities supporting old games 01:31:32 - L&R - The backlog of a doctor in Asia 01:33:21 - Time for Bets 01:39:54 - Closing For a limited time, at http://logitechg.com they’re offering our listeners 10% off select products. Use code EASYA for 10% off today. Head over to http://att.com/galaxynote20ultra5g to learn how you