Xbox just confirmed a $400 million budget for Gears of War: E-Day — a game launching Day 1 on Game Pass. Greg, Ty, and Uly run the numbers, and they don't add up.
This week: the data is in from Summer Game Fest, and the games that actually won aren't the ones you'd expect. Steam wishlist rankings and search trends show the top spots all went to remakes and sequels — Resident Evil Code: Veronica leading the pack. The crew breaks down why that makes total sense, why RE4 only exists because of Code Veronica's weird release history, and the correct order to play Resident Evil 6 (no, really, there is one).
Then the $400M question: can an Xbox exclusive recoup that budget when your audience is on a subscription service you just made cheaper? Greg, Ty, and Uly don't pull punches.
Also: Persona 6 officially confirmed, Ocarina of Time remake reactions, the full Summer Game Fest winner list, Greg admits he's never played Until Dawn (and Ty has opinions about that), and a quick tease for GZ Chop Shop's 8th anniversary in July.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Recap of Summer Game Fest’s massive game announcement volume
00:31 - Discussion on game search trends, with a focus on Stellar Blade and God of War
01:16 - The influence of remakes and sequels on search popularity
01:51 - Highlighting fan favorites: Gears of War, Kingdom Hearts, and Spyro
02:40 - The surprising number 10 game: Until Dawn Two and fan reactions
03:12 - The debate over gameplay versus watching in horror and story-driven games
04:20 - Nostalgia for classic franchises like Star Fox and original Zelda titles
05:04 - The importance of remakes in preserving legacy titles and fan engagement
07:05 - The significance of game ordering and story experience in Resident Evil series
10:16 - The industry’s approach to remakes and the future of titles like Twilight Princess and Majora’s Mask
13:01 - Predictions on which Zelda remakes will come first and the challenges involved
15:05 - Timeline insights for Ocarina of Time and other classic titles
18:42 - Final Fantasy 7, 6, and 10: discussion on their lasting legacy and fan favorites
22:08 - Thedata on Steam wishlists and game sales projections for major franchises
25:28 - Analyzing the sales figures of Spider-Man, Gears of War, and the impact of digital and physical sales
28:46 - Insights into the evolving Xbox strategy, Game Pass budget, and industry economics
35:34 - Capcom’s strategy with Resident Evil remakes and the balance between nostalgia and innovation
42:00 - Industry speculation on Xbox’s future, hardware issues, and corporate direction
44:30 - Wrap-up of the showcase’s successes and the upcoming plans, including anniversary celebrations and giveaways
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