Episode #88: The Ultracup: The 2022 Year-End GamesCast
Featuring: Merve The Kappa Tereglith Science is Bad Doctuar 3rdstringhero Editor: The Kappa Timestamps: 0:15 – Introduction 4:55 – The Game Awards 31:15 – Industry Consolidation and Acquisitions 48:50 – Unionization 51:50 – E3’s Cancellation 58:20 – EA and FIFA Cut Ties 1:14:20 – Google Announces Stadia Shutdown 1:25:50 – Tereglith’s Top 2 1:27:20 – Science is Bad’s Top 3 1:35:20 – Doctuar’s Top 3 1:38:50 – 3rdstringhero’s Top 3 1:43:15 – The Kappa’s #5: Grounded 1:52:15 – Merve’s #5: Kirby and the Forgotten Land 1:56:10 – The Kappa’s #4: TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge 2:01:20 – Merve’s #4: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 2:12:55 – The Kappa’s #3: PowerWash Simulator 2:19:55 – Merve’s #3: NORCO 2:25:15 – The Kappa’s #3: Pentiment 2:38:50 – Merve’s #2: Neon White 2:46:15 – The Kappa’s #1: Total War: Warhammer III 2:59:20 – Merve’s #1: Pentiment 3:17:30 – Worst Games and Disappointments of 2022, Part 1 3:48:50 – The Future of Dragon Age 3:54:40 – Worst Games and Disappointments of 2022, Part 2 4:04:40 – Gaming Surprises 4:19:25 – Conclusion Download Link: https://archive.org/details/avocadogamescast_ep88 Podcast header image from Pentiment . Highlight text throughout this linkdump to reveal spoilers. Content warning for discussions of domestic abuse. Spoiler warnings for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and the Dragon Age series. Disclaimers and timestamps for warnings after the jump. Introduction (0:15) Official Canadian government webpage about the shortage of infant and children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen . (Source: Health Canada) Wikipedia article on febrile seizures . The Game Awards (4:55) Official website for The Game Awards . Wikipedia article on The Game Awards 2022 . Announce trailer for Crime Boss: Rockay City . (Source: PlayStation on YouTube) Reveal trailer for Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon . (Source: BANDAI NAMCO Europe on YouTube) TGA 2022 teaser trailer for Death Stranding 2 . (Source: KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on YouTube) Reveal trailer for Hades II . (Source: Supergiant Games on YouTube) Reveal trailer for Judas . (Source: PlayStation on YouTube) Official announce trailer for Transformers: Reactivate . (Source: Hasbro Pulse on YouTube) Announcement trailer for Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon . (Source: Nintendo of America on YouTube) World premiere reveal trailer for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden . (Source: PlayStation on YouTube) Reveal trailer for Hellboy Web of Wyrd . (Source: PlayStation on YouTube) Information on Steam’s Game Awards giveaway . (Source: Steam Support) Wikipedia article on Silicon Valley . Wikipedia article on the Simpsons episode “Last Exit to Springfield.” Wikipedia article on Universal Windows Platform (UWP) . News article on Milf Hunter winning a Steam Deck . (Source: Kotaku) Industry Consolidation and Acquisitions (31:15) DISCLAIMER: Allegations of domestic abuse and sexual misconduct against High On Life creator Justin Roiland had not yet surfaced at the time of recording. We apologize for any apparent insensitivity. Article on Take-Two’s acquisition of Zynga . (Source: TechCrunch) Article on Sony’s acquisition of Bungie . (Source: Engadget) Wikipedia article on Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision . Article on Embracer’s acquisition of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montréal, and Square Enix Montréal . (Source: GamesIndustry.biz) Xbox store page for High On Life . Article on Tencent’s acquisition of Inflexion Games . (Source: PC Gamer) Article on Embracer’s acquisition of Dark Horse . (Source: Polygon) Article on Embracer’s acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises . Clarification: Middle-earth Enterprises was previously owned not by Warner Bros., but by the Saul Zaentz Company. (Source: CNBC) Article on Epic Games’s acquisition of Bandcamp . (Source: TechCrunch) Correction: Both Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (released 2019) and Star Wars: Squadrons (released 2020) came out before it was publicly known that Electronic Arts’s exclusivity deal for Star Wars game rights had ended prematurely (2021).