Why games are better and worse than ever before
Post Game's gives video game culture its first annual physical
Welcome to Post Game’s first annual physical, in which a special guest joins me to assess the health and stability of gaming, from the creators to the players, the industry to the culture. I’ve invited one of the smartest, analytical, and forward-thinking minds in video – writer, developer, publisher, critic, analyst, and occasional voice actor Xalavier Nelson Jr. – to give video games a thorough workup.
Bonus Patreon Prologue: The state of games 10, 20, and 30 years ago
Act 1: The best of times - Why 2025 could be the golden age of video games
Act 2: The worst of times - Why video games feel doomed
Bonus Patreon interview segment: Xalavier on gaming’s past, present, and future
Act 3: The news of the week, including the ghoulish mass layoffs at Xbox
Today's episode's act-interstitials feature music from the games of Strange Scaffold!
Subscribe to Post Games on Patreon. For $5, subscribers get bonus segments in every episode — and none of the ads! They also have access to a monthly video series, receive new episodes days before the ad-supported feed, and ensure the show stays alive! Now available: the first two videos in the Video Game Journalism 101 series!
Act 1: The golden era of gaming
Strange Scaffold games
GDC Vault (Game Developers Conference)
‘Skibidi Toilet’ Film and TV Franchise in the Works From Michael Bay, Adam Goodman — Listen to the Exclusive Interview (Variety)
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Is an Astounding, and Sometimes Frustrating, Masterpiece (Inverse)
Act 2: Video games are doomed
Paradox Interactive's leaders think you deserve an explanation (Game File)
If You Don’t Count Everyone Else, All Devs Are Solo Devs (VGbees)
No, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wasn't "made" by 30 people (RPS)
Inside the Dragon Age debacle (Bloomberg)
Glen Powell’s face (Glen Powell’s parents)
Fortnite’s Darth Vader Is A.I.-Powered. Voice Actors Are Rebelling. (NYTimes)
Act 3: The News of the Week
Xbox has mass layoffs, cancels games, and closes the studio making Perfect Dark reboot (Eurogamer)
Fears for 100 jobs at Galway-based Romero Games (RTE)
I’m Getting Real Tired Of Not Being Able To Trust That A Video Game Doesn’t Have AI Crap In It (Aftermath)
Death Stranding 2's most important reference isn't a movie, it's a really depressing novel
Extinction entity. (Eurogamer)
Red Dead Online gets a big update… after being presumed dead (YouTube)
The launch of Endless Mode (Endless Mode)
G/O Media sells Kotaku to Gizmodo owner Keleops (Axios)
For Patreon supporters
Bonus segments and links!
This episode’s bonus content includes a history of video games 10, 20, and 30 years ago, along with an extended conversation about the past, present, and future of video games.
The free game of the week
The week in video game links
What else I’m enjoying
And more!!!