What a week! It seemed like we were just done recording last week when Helldivers 2-related drama broke out, and yet by the time we were ready to record this time around, the situation had mostly settled. How serendipitous for us and our analysis. Now, we're left to reflect and ask some questions, starting with why Sony had to push the first domino in this scenario over at all. Couldn't they just leave well enough alone? And how does this portend the reception of future PC releases from the PlayStation camp? Other news this week includes major layoffs and closures at Fallout and Doom publisher Bethesda (plus what that means for Xbox's uncertain future), percolating rumors of an imminent PlayStation Showcase, confirmation that -- yes indeed! -- Media Molecule is making a game and not a service or toolset, Remedy bailing out of its multiplayer project as Alan Wake 2 still fails to break even, and more. Then: Listener inquiries. How do we choose what game to play next? Was Days Gone 'right-wing'? Are in-game animations getting out of control? Can Colin help revive a long-maligned (but incredibly descriptive) word?

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:27:43 - King Radec0:33:36 - Too long?0:45:03 - R word uptick0:56:14 - Derek’s Journey0:59:28 - Colin, the gardener1:01:01 - Next PS Showcase1:14:15 - Helldivers 2 Drama1:45:06 - Xbox/Bethesda studio closures2:47:55 - Switch 2 incoming2:54:31 - Media Molecule’s next game2:55:38 - Alan Wake 2 hasn’t made a profit3:02:31 - April’s best selling PSN games3:05:03 - What we’ve been playing3:30:15 - How do we decide what to play next?3:38:22 - Why Sony killed Days Gone3:42:23 - Returnal turning point3:44:48 - Too much realism?3:53:01 - Saved video game item from a natural disaster3:59:24 - Being watched (playing video games)Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices