Why The Video Game Industry Is Struggling

What will this next year bring? And what does it mean for gaming? Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go over last year's predictions to see who won the big bet, then throw down some hot new declarations for what's to come in 2024.One More Thing:Kirk: Learning to Play Piano When There Is No Recital, by Kelsey McKinneyMaddy: Dark SoulsJason: Ace Attorney 4: Apollo JusticeLINKS:Chris Dahlen’s excellent 2012 essay about Dark Souls: https://kotaku.com/what-dark-souls-is-really-all-about-5874599Kelsey McKinney’s essay “Learning To Play Piano Where There Is No Recital”: https://defector.com/learning-to-play-piano-when-there-is-no-recitalSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/PREDICTIONSKIRKThe new Nintendo console will have "Switch" in the nameUbisoft will be acquiredREDACTED will still die in FFXVII RebirthAn indie game (small team) will win GOTY at the game awardsNintendo will announce a remake of A Link to The PastAt least one video game will use generative AI in the game itselfBethesda/Microsoft will announce an Elder Scrolls TV showHollow Knight: Sillksong will come out in MayValve will announce a non-VR Half-Life gameNvidia will announce a Steam Deck CompetitorBonus: Apple buys NintendoGame: Far Cry 2MADDYThe Switch 2 will be called the Super Nintendo SwitchMetroid Prime 4 will be a launch game on the Switch 2 in 2024Summer Game Fest 2024 will get material participation from either Sony or Nintendo (showing games on campus)Warner Bros. will announce a sequel to Hogwarts LegacyTears of the Kingdom will announce DLC after allFF7 Rebirth will NOT kill off that one character who we all know died in the original game and instead a different character will be killed in that same wayThree major games will use AI voices in a method similar to The Finals, meaning human actors’ performances are bolstered by AI trained on their voicesGeoff Keighley will become embroiled in a career-threatening scandal (people will refer to him as “canceled”)We will see a major biopic film announced about a video game streamerDragon Age Dreadwolf will be canceledBonus: Kristen Stewart will get cast as Link in the Zelda movieGame: Ocarina of TimeJASONMetroid Prime 4 will launch on Switch and Switch 2 - day one of Switch 2Konami will release the Suikoden remastered collection within 4 weeks of Eiyuden ChronicleA different character will die instead of REDACTED in FFVII RebirthElden Ring DLC is so substantial it turns into a standalone budget-priced game (like Lost Legacy)Nintendo will do something substantial with the Mother series (Earthbound remake, rerelease, etc)Apple will announce a big-budget exclusive game for Apple Vision Pro Civilization 7 will be announced and released this yearMicrosoft's Activision will bring back Guitar HeroThe new Switch will make you pay for backwards compatibilitySaudi Arabia will buy a major video game companyBonus: The Zelda movie will feature a COMPLETELY SILENT LinkGame: Crosscode 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

4 Jan 202456min

It is time once again for that wonderful annual tradition: the best video games of 2023. One More Thing:Kirk: Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation (Kevin Roose, 2021)Maddy: Pit Bulls and ParoleesJason: DredgeLINKS:Jason’s piece on the Insomniac hack: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-12-22/playstation-employees-at-insomniac-studio-fear-identity-theft-after-massive-hackFeaturing soundtrack excerpts from Jusant, Hi-Fi Rush, Alan Wake 2, and Super Mario Bros. WonderSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/GAMES OF THE YEARJasonOctopath Traveler 2The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomBaldur’s Gate 3Chants of SennaarSuper Mario Bros. WonderStar Wars Jedi: SurvivorParanormasight: The Seven Mysteries of HonjoSpider-Man 2Diablo IVCase of the Golden Idol DLCKirkJusantDredgeLies of PHi-Fi RushAlan Wake 2Baldur's Gate 3Chants of SennarCyberpunk 2077 2.0Shadow Gambit: The Cursed CrewThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomMaddyThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomAlan Wake 2Baldur's Gate 3Metroid Prime RemasteredVenbaDredgeChants of SennaarCocoonDead SpaceSuper Mario Wonder 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

28 Des 20231h 11min

Jason, Maddy and Kirk take on the clickers once more in this spoiler-filled discussion of HBO's hit adaptation of The Last of Us.LINKSKirk's 2013 article about the game's endingSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

21 Des 20231h 18min

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy determine who won last week's award predictions before jumping into a jam-packed episode full of hot news and video games. They talk about The Game Awards, the GTA VI reveal, and the cancellation of E3, then talk about games like Avatar, Fortnite, and God of War Ragnarok's new Valhalla DLC, plus much more.One More Thing:Kirk: GPT4Maddy: Amsterdam (2022)Jason: Eiyuden ChroniclesLINKS:Featuring excerpts from “Love is a Long Road” by Tom Petty from Full Moon Fever, 1989, and the A Highland Song soundtrack, composed by Laurence ChapmanGames Discussed: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, A Highland Song, Lil’ Gator Game, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Fortnite (Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival/Main Stage), God of War Ragnarok: ValhallaJason’s GTA VI article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-27/gta-6-release-date-rockstar-cleans-up-image-after-employee-backlashSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

14 Des 20231h 9min

The Triple Click Trio takes on The Game Awards: Who will win? Who'll get snubbed? What's an Action/Adventure game, again? Also, the hosts make some predictions!One More Thing:Kirk: JusantMaddy: Chants of SennarJason: Going Infinite (Michael Lewis)LINKS:Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

7 Des 20231h 1min

Maddy, Kirk, and Jason pull out their red-stringed corkboards for a dive into the world of connected universes. What's the deal with games that seem connected in both subtle and blatant ways? Why does Jason hate multiverses so much? And what's a "brand-iverse"?The Types of Connected Universe:Shared Universe - A collection of stories and characters that all occupy the same time and place, e.g. MCU, most Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Star Wars, Assassin's Creed, Persona, etc.Transmediaverse - A collection of stories and characters that exist in parallel across media and occasionally intersect, often abstractly but sometimes concretely. A great source of easter eggs. E.g. any transmedia adaptation, MCU, novel adaptation, TLOU show, Alien: Isolation, so many moreMultiverse - An explicit fictional construct in which multiple timelines exist in parallel, allowing for infinite variations of various characters, storylines, and events. E.g. Everything Everywhere All at Once, Spider Man: No Way Home, Into/Across the Spider-Verse, Flash and the Arrowverse, Post-Thanos MCU, Dungeons & Dragons, etc.Brand-iverse - A collection of characters united primarily by their shared brand ownership and/or licensing deals between IP owners. E.g. Space Jam, Smash Bros, MultiVersus, the Sonyverse, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Fortnite, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Indie game cameosFan-iverse - A shared universe as imagined and defined by fans of an existing set of characters or stories. E.g. The Zelda Timeline, The Pixar TheoryAbstractiverse - A shared universe defined according to abstract, shifting rules. Often but not always the product of a single creative vision. E.g. Zelda, The Kingiverse, Final Fantasy, The Remedy Connected Universe, Mario, Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop settingsOne More Thing:Kirk: Steam Deck OLEDMaddy: VenbaJason: BillionsLINKS:Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

30 Nov 20231h 7min

Maddy, Kirk, and Jason take a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom and almost get skewered by a giant sword as they play through Super Mario RPG, the new remake of the iconic Super Nintendo game. The gang talks about how it's aged in 2023, the turn-based combat, and just how damn funny the whole thing is.One More Thing:Kirk: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Maddy: Grand Theft Auto 5Jason: Interest ratesLINKS:J Kenji López-Alt’s YouTube Channel and his book, The Food LabSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

23 Nov 20231h 8min

What's the deal with multiple endings? Does the gang save-scum and look up which ones they're going to get? Are multiple endings better than singular ones? And is this all just a thinly veiled excuse for Maddy, Kirk, and Jason to keep talking about Baldur's Gate 3?One More Thing:Kirk: The Vorkosigan Saga (Lois McMaster Bujold)Maddy: The Marvels (2023)Jason: Red Dead Redemption 2LINKS:A More Civilized Age plays Knights of the Old Republic: https://amorecivilizedage.netKirk’s review of Red Dead Redemption 2: https://kotaku.com/red-dead-redemption-2-the-kotaku-review-1829984369A great reading order for the Vorkosigan Saga: https://bookriot.com/vorkosigan-saga-reading-order/Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

16 Nov 20231h 5min