Armstrong's Musings: Game Zone

Google Stadia is has been going through multiple PR missteps. Now it appears to have had its worst backlash yet. At launch, there will be numerous features missing from the service. What are those services not available at release? Let's tune in to find out.

Star Wars has been sub-par in recent years. However, this may be turning with properties such as the Mandalorian. It comes out the gate swing with intriguing characters, a great storyline, and a series that feels like Star Wars. We couldn't ask better people to be in charge of this series then Dave Giloni and Jon Favreau. We can only hope that they continue with the franchise.

Disney Plus is out, and it appears to be a sold service. There are many good movies and series on the platform with more to come. Disney Plus had some stumbles and hickups right out the gate, and there could be some improvements made; however, it is at least worth the time to try the free trial.

The monstrosity of the first Sonic trailer left the internet in an uproar. The studio went back to the drawing board and recently released a new trailer with a more faithful depiction of Sonic. It has been well received, and people on the internet have celebrated the studio listening and taking the request of the fans. However, the studio did increase the production cost of the movie due to the time taken to redo Sonic. It is up to people now to put their money where the mouth is. The studio should be rewarded for listening to the fans.

Pokemon has been going through a lot of controversies. Specifically, their most controversial decision was to change how they handle the National Pokedex. The most recent controversy was that they reused assets for Pokemon Sword and Shield. This discovery would go against Games Freak's statement that it would be a new Pokemon game from the ground up. Will this alienate fans, or is this a minor bump for the video game studio? We'll have to see how it develops.

Anthem appears as if the game has been left and forgotten. It has been a commercial and critical failure for EA and Bioware. However, the publisher and studio aren't finished with the franchise yet. The game is going to be put through another round of development to fix key game loop issues and create a more cohesive story. We love flying like Ironman; however, the game needs to be more then a couple of interesting mechanics.

As reported by Kotaku, Bioware is in the early development of Mass Effect 5. This announcement is exciting and never racking. Mass Effect Andromeda had a compelling premise for the game but failed to execute on launch; moreover, it had ample technical issues, the graphics were seemed at times worse than Mass Effect 3, and the story never was able to grab my attention. Let us hope the Bioware can salvage their reputation with the new titles coming out.

In short, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a good video game. It won't redefine the genre, but it does put the Star Wars games under EA on the right path. Here were some of the Jedi: Fallen Order scores:

IGN: 90

GameSpot: 80

Easy Allies: 90

Game Rant: 90

We enjoyed playing as Cal Kestis and would enjoy seeing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order become a running franchise.

Stadia has been attempting to roll out a revolutionary service; despite Stadia's lofty goal, they haven't done themselves any PR favors. Moreover, their PR blunders could leave them dead on arrival. The service won't have key features that were promised on release. A few of these features are Stream Connect, State Share, Crowd Play, Buddy Pass, and Family Sharing. Also, the services will only have Google Pixel phones and ChromeOS tablet support, and the Stadia controller can only connect to the Chromecast wirelessly. You'll have to wire in the controller to your phone, tablet, or computer to utilize the Stadia service. On top of it all, the service's highest date usage, which is their 4k visuals with 5.1 surround sound, comes in at a terrible 15.78 GB/hr. This usage will be unacceptable to most people. Let us know what will happen to Google Stadia in the comm...

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David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are controversial figures after the lackluster conclusion of Game of Thrones. They rushed the ending to get to their next project, Star Wars. However, it seems that them directing the future trilogy of Star Wars movies won't come to pass. They moved away from Disney to go to Netflix for 300 million dollars! Let's jump into the news.

Kotaku has been going through rough times as the digital landscape changes. However, it appears that the company is going to battle with the parent company, G/O Media. G/O Media decided to implement irritating autoplay ads on their websites, which neither the editors or readers wanted. Then the writers wanted autonomy to write what they wanted, but G/O Media told the writers to stick to their assigned topics. The directive didn't go over well. What will the future look like for the webpage? Only time will tell.

Game of Thrones as a franchise has been on shaky ground ever since the conclusion of Season 8. People are disgruntled and dissatisfied with how the series ended. Issues continue with the franchise as one of the prequels series is canceled. The series would have been named Bloodmoon, and it would have been set thousands of years before the mainline story. As of right now, the prequel series about the Targaryens is still going to happen. However, all future series seems to be in question.

People leave jobs and move on to different projects. That is a natural part of people's work life. However, when massive waves of people leave the company, then it may indicate things are not great in the company. The lead designer of Starcraft 2 and director of Heroes of the Dustin Browder departed Blizzard. Hearthstone had its production director Jason Chayes and director Eric Dodds leave the company as well. These departures were quite and unannounced, which is unusual for such accomplished individuals.

It has been a long time since EA games have been on Steam. Specifically, EA hasn't released its new games since 2013. They have released those games on their launcher, Origin. Now they are returning to Steam and will release Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Surprisingly, EA Access services will eventually come to Steam.

The PlayStation 4 will again hit another mile marker. The console has surpassed the Wii and PlayStation lifetime sales. The Wii sold 101.63 million, and PlayStation sold 102.49 million. However, the PlayStation 4 surpassed both by hitting 102.8 million lifetime sales. A spectacular accomplishment by the company. Sony has dominated this console cycle with Xbox One selling only 46.9 million.

Have you bee playing Outer Worlds? We have, and it has been a fun time. In general, people have been clocking in around 40 hours when they finish the main storyline. However, there is a niche for gamers to find out the way to beat the game in the quickest fashion possible. Outer Worlds now has its first speedrun time set by YouTuber Jabo at 25 minutes. It would be fantastic to see this game in future speedrun competitions.

We found wild rumors and speculation about the next Nintendo Direct. Some of the rumors sounded plausible, while others sounded extremely far-fetched. What do you want from the next Nintendo Direct, and what do you think they'll announce.

D&D rushed the final season of Game of Thrones so they could work on Disney's new Star Wars movies. Their actions angered the Game of Thrones fandom because the series being poorly concluded. Now, they have decided to move away from Star Wars, one of the largest franchises in entertainment, to go to Netflix. There are rumors that D&D will be working with a budget in the nine-figure range. Do you think that they made the right move, or have they burned too many bridges?

The game awards are here, and the year is almost most over! What are the categories this year, and is your game listed? Let's dive in and discuss.

We are a few episodes in the series, and we are excited were Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau continue to take the series. The relationship between the Mandalorian the child is a compelling story full a mystery and intrigue. We can't wait for the coming episodes.

Kathleen Kennedy, the president at Lucasfilm, will have her contract end in 2021. Now, before some become excited, this does not mean that she won't resume her role at Lucasfilm. However, Disney has not come out public state the Kathleen Kennedy will continue her position, and Kathleen has been vague about what the future holds for her. We hope that people like Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau with maybe a little Kevin Feige threw in there will hopefully be the next leaders for Lucasfilm.

The PS5 has been announced, and the console race between PlayStation and Xbox has begone. The big question is, what games and services will the PS5 be able to offer over the Xbox. It is shaping up to be a fantastic struggle for the consumer.

Google Stadia is here, and, to the surprise of none, the service is laggy, limited, and underwhelming. We have voiced heavy skepticism and cation when it comes to this service. Especially when there are better services such as xCloud around the corner. Even Amazon is looking to enter the video game streaming space. It will be a competitive market that will allow little room for error. It is our feeling that Stadia has made to many mistakes to correct the course promptly.

The Game Awards are here, and we are excited to list the categories here in the show notes! These are the following categories for the 2019 Game Awards: Game of the Year, Action Game, Action/Adventure Game, Art Direction, Audio Design, Community Support, Content Creator of the Year, Esports Coach, Esports Event, Esports Game of the Year, Esports Host, Esports Player, Esports Team, Family Game, Fighting Game, Fresh Indie Game, Game Direction, Game for Impact, Independent Game, Mobile Game, Multiplayer Game, Narrative, Ongoing Game, Performance, Role-Playing Game, Score & Music, Sports/Racing Game, Strategy Game, and VR/AR Game.

If you are interested in voting, then go to the Game Awards website! Let us know in the comments the games you think will win, and what you hope will win.

If you have an idea for an episode or a person of note in the video game industry, i.e., a developer, influencer, illustrator, etc. then let us know! Email us at:

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We appreciate you listening and hope to hear from you. Stay Strong!

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Blizzard had a vast PR mountain to overcome this year's Blizzcon. They would have to walk the fine line of wooing people over with new titles, but not aggravate their audience with bad corporate decisions. Did they succeed in doing this? Let's get into the stories!

We believed that Joker would be successful and profitable, but I don't think we could have called how profitable the movie would become. As of the recording, the has grossed 957 million at the box office. This achievement is incredible because the film had a 62.5 million production cost. This success almost guarantees there will be a sequel to the Joker movie. Do you want a sequel? Let us know!

I have been itching to rewatch and finish Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Disney Plus will have that series and many other movies and tv series on their streaming platform. The streaming services coming in at a reasonable price and very well be worth the look. Plus, the Mandalorian had a well-received reception.

COPPA appears to be a game-changer for YouTube in a very negative way. We believe that the mass majority of people don't want big companies collecting kids' information. However, there is a difference between collection information and displaying ads. The network channels have never had an issue with displaying advertisements. If you ever watch a channel like Nickelodeon, then you will see ads for Legos, Paw Patrol, and a mix of different toys for kids. In spite of that precedent, it seems that YouTube will be cutting ads to content for kids by a significant amount. These actions make the kid-specific channels unlucrative overnight. Plus, if your content is deemed "Kid Friendly," then you could be heavily fined. What defines the content as "Kid Friendly"? No one knows. We'll have to see how the platform and the content creators handle these changes.

There is a scam happening on YouTube that is happening right now. The scammers send a message about being an affiliate marketing opportunity; however, they need the YouTuber to download a specific piece of software first. Once the YouTuber does this, then it gives the scammer the ability to steal the channel. It even bypasses double-verification checks. It still has not been uncovered how they can accomplish this. Despite these atrocious acts, YouTube has been silent and unhelpful in this matter. Once again, YouTube is benefiting from content creators, but not assisting them in their struggles.

I gave the Xbox Game Pass a try on the computer to see if the service was worth it. I have seen the service on the Xbox console, and it fantastic; however, the PC version needs to be worked out. The games did not seem optimized for the PC. There were multiple stutters and dropped frame rates. The service has promise, and we look forward to seeing it improved.

Fortnite continues to be a pillar game in the gaming industry. The game has millions of players and thousands of content creators that are specialized in this game. Some players rise to the top, such as Ninja, LazerBeam, and Lachlan. However, Jarvis Khattri, a prominent Fortnite content creator, made the cardinal sin. He enabled aimbots and produced content for his viewers. His action became a massive mistake because Epic immediately acted and put a lifetime ban on him. This action cut Jarvis off from future tournaments and future Fortnite content creation.

Blizzard had a lot of hurdles to overcome. Did they do this? Yes and no. They did an excellent job of not escalating the PR troubles. Blizzard allowed people to ask the questions they wanted to ask and didn't censor people's dress attire. However, the game release information was mostly subpar. The Overwatch 2 information has us excited, and the trailers for Wow: Shadowlands and Diablo 4 had the excellent Blizzard quality. However, Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 are still ways away when Blizzard needs a win much sooner. Ultimately, this Blizzcon was in the middle of the road and unmemorable.

If you have an idea for an episode or a person of note in the video game industry, i.e., a developer, influencer, illustrator, etc. then let us know! Email us at:

[email protected]

If you love the content and want to support us, then join us on Patreon! We love to have you part...

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After the turbulent news cycle, we ease into a week with more consistent ups and downs. This week consisted of highs with Pokemon, Capcom, Star Wars, and Minecraft and lows with Stadia and Blizzard. Let us jump into the news!

Pokemon continues to be a powerhouse franchise throughout the world. The appeal for Pokemon is popular from young audiences to adults. The love for Pokemon was present in London this week. On 18 OCT 19, a Pokemon Center opened in London. The Pokemon fandom came out in droves to see the Pokemon Center. Though the store opened at 10 AM, there were those that arrived as early as 4 AM. There are not too many brands, especially in this digital age, that can attract people to wait hours in line to enter the store. The store closing hour was 10 PM, and they had to end the line at 1 PM when they determined it had a 9-hour queue.

We dedicated our last Showstopper on Episode 12 about how Blizzard's ineptitude led to mass outrage. That outrage continues to haunt them as they cancel the Overwatch Launch event that was to take place at the Nintendo New York store. The event was scheduled to take place on 16 OCT 19, but Blizzard, on short notice, canceled the event on 14 OCT 19. This cancellation surprised us because of how long these events take to plan. Blizzard even had scheduled to have the voice actors in the Nintendo New York store. This action means, to us, at least, they feared the outrage from their current choices more than the wasted planning and effort. Did the Blizzard make the right choice, or should they have made a different choice?

Capcom has seen significant success in titles such as Monster Hunter World and Resident Evil 2. Monster Hunter World has sold 58 million copies, and Resident Evil 2 has sold 4 million copies. With these recent achievements, they are looking to revive a few of their titles. Which titles would you want to see be brought back?

We have been open about our skepticism and reluctance when it comes to Google Stadia. From the price of games, the data caps, and latency, there is a decent amount of questions that will need to be answered when the service is officially launched. The next that gives us pause is that as of right now, the Stadia controller will not have wireless capability to connect with other devices. A Chromecast device will need to be plugged into a television or computer to utilize the controller. To use the controller with a cellphone, the controller will need to be physically connected via a wire. This lack of a simple feature seems to be an oversight for the fledgling product. It is not the end of the world, but it seems to be one more hurdle for Google Stadia.

There has been a loud outcry about the suspension of "blitzchung." Many people have rallied around "blitzchung" and in solidarity, have repeated his liberate Hong Kong statement. People have even brought similar pro-Hong Kong messages on the official Blizzard Twitch channel. It has been reported that there have been multiple bans due to these posts. However, Blizzard states that it has nothing to do about the pro-Hong Kong posts. The posts are being banned due to them being spammed in the chat. Though it is understandable, it is another PR debacle that Blizzard seems to find themselves in again.

Electronic Art's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order continues to intrigue us here at AM: Game Zone. We discussed the game on Episode 2 and how the trailer didn't win us over yet. However, the developers continue to release information about the game that increases our interest in the game. IGN released a 28 new gameplay features in Jedi: Fallen Order. Features such as accessing any of the planets in any order, diverting blaster fire from Stormtroopers is necessary for large crowds, and Obi-Wan Kenobi will appear in hologram form. These features and the new gameplay trailer brings a fresh appeal for the game. Also, the game will have three different difficulties in the game so you can create the experience you want.

Minecraft is a substantial cultural phenomenon that has let gamers vast and expansive worlds. With 176 million sold copies, Minecraft is a corn...