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EA has officially changed hands, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund taking control of one of gaming’s biggest publishers. We dig into what that could mean for EA, while also trying to understand Netflix’s bizarre six-hour GTA VI trailer exclusivity stunt. We also talk Marvel Tōkon hype, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, new Fire Emblem, Warrior Cats, and why people seriously need to stop calling Beast of Reincarnation a Soulslike.

That and more on this episode of Spectator Mode Podcast!

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro and games we've played
10:49 - Let's talk about how good Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is
16:18 - Netflix’s Brief GTA 6 trailer exclusive nonsense
21:01 - Spider-Man: Brand New Day reactions
32:39 - Fire Emblem: Fortunes Weave Direct reap
43:51 - Warrior Cats JRPG reveal
46:36 - Why Every Action Game isn’t a Soulslike
54:26 - Electronic Arts is owned by the Saudis and how bad this deal is
1:01:25 - Podcast wrap-up and PAX West plans
1:06:16 - Closing remarks and outro

Thanks for listening, and please, if you enjoy the show, leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Music.

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#xbox #playstation #nintendo #electronicarts #soulslike #grandtheftauto6 #GTA6

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On Spectator Mode Podcast Episode 230, we share our Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls beta impressions and discuss the recent Xbox and PlayStation outages. We also cover Double Fine’s layoffs, the return of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, and EA’s latest controversy.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Into
1:08 – Games played discussion
15:54 – Xbox Double Fine layoffs
27:04 – Marvel Tokon: Fight Souls Open Beta impressions
46:04 – EA layoffs and executive bonuses
56:57 – PlayStation and Xbox service outages
1:05:31 – Hardware shortages and GPU prices
1:12:20 – Closing comments & outro

Thanks for listening, and please, if you enjoy the show, leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Music.

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And if you have questions for us or want us to discuss a topic, let us know by contacting us at tips@theouterhaven.net.

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On Spectator Mode Podcast Episode 228, we discuss why Echoes of Aincrad has become such a polarizing game and whether the criticism surrounding it is justified. We also examine Lenovo’s rumored C700 cloud gaming handheld and question whether dedicated cloud-streaming devices still have a place in the market.

Topics discussed include:

00:00 - Podcast intro and welcome
00:45 - Recent games played roundtable
15:13 - Brief Ghost in the Shell (2026) chat
18:35 - Echoes of Aincrad is a mixed bag discussion
35:07 - Lenovo enters the cloud gaming with the Legion C700
48:24 - Digital ownership and access debate
1:05:26 - Final recommendations and sign-off

As more players build entirely digital libraries, the question of ownership becomes increasingly important. What happens to our games when storefronts, publishers, or online services disappear?

#SpectatorModePodcast #EchoesOfAincrad #LenovoC700 #DigitalOwnership #videogames #gameshow

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Xbox had a rough couple of weeks, and honestly, "rough" might be underselling it. On this week's episode, Scott and Keith, break down the fallout from Microsoft's latest round of cuts, a gut-punch that cost an enormous number of people their jobs, sent four studios packing from the Xbox family, and left id Software a shell of what it used to be.

We get into what actually happened, why it happened now, and what it says about where Xbox is headed as a platform. Simply put, this isn't just bad news for the people affected, though that's the part that matters most. It's a signal. And we're not convinced it's one Microsoft can walk back from easily.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro and episode focus
01:40 - Asha email and layoffs
04:52 - Senior talent losses discussed
10:25 - Projects spared, platform reset
17:46 - id Software and Bethesda fallout
23:46 - New Xbox structure and priorities
30:06 - Minecraft, digital future, preservation
43:02 - Reset timeline and sale rumors
45:46 - GTA 6 revenue tangent
52:01 - Final thoughts and sign-off

Thanks for listening, and please, if you enjoy the show, leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Music.

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And if you have questions for us or want us to discuss a topic, let us know by contacting us at tips@theouterhaven.net.

#xbox #gaming #idsoftware #pcgaming #gamingpodcast

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PlayStation’s future will not include physical games, with Sony reportedly ending physical game production in 2028. But what does that mean for gamers, collectors, consumers, and the industry? Will games become more expensive? Will the second-hand market disappear? Are players losing more control over the games they buy? We discuss all of that and more in this episode of Spectator Mode Podcast.

Read the article: https://www.theouterhaven.net/playstation-just-confirmed-that-its-physical-game-discs-are-dead-by-2028/

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Opening banter and introductions
[00:01:07] PlayStation announcement overview
[00:03:07] Scott opposes digital-only move
[00:17:25] Keith's PC gamer perspective
[00:23:18] Retail, ownership, and preservation worries
[00:31:53] Broader consequences and final takes
[00:38:12] Closing plugs and outro

#playstation #playstation6 #gaming #gamingpodcast

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Nine months after Xbox raised the prices on its Xbox Series X|S consoles, the console maker has revealed that prices are going up again. As of August 1, 2026, all Xbox consoles will see a massive price hike, to where it's going to be harder to justify purchasing an Xbox, while frustrating its fans. What is going on?

#xbox #gaming

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This week on The Spectator Mode Podcast, we kick things off with what we’ve been playing before diving back into the rest of our Summer Game Fest 2026 coverage. That includes the stuff we couldn’t talk about last time, such as Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and more.

We also discuss Sega’s recent financials, Bungie revealing Marathon’s new Vault Breaker PvE mode, and why the upcoming Steam Machine has us feeling more than a little frustrated.

Give the episode a watch, let us know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more gaming, tech, and geek culture discussions from The Outerhaven.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction
01:01 Mortal Shell II Open Beta impressions
01:54 Final Fantasy XIV, Trails Through Daybreak, and Steam Demos
03:25 Blood Dungeon Demo impressions
06:39 Lunistice impressions
09:40 Echoes of the End impressions
15:21 Arknights: Endfield
16:47 Gaming Chat With an Uber Driver
23:36 Keith's Son Wants to Play Dark Souls II Without Him
25:36 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 SGF 2026 Impressions
53:19 Star Wars: Galactic Racer SGF 2026 Impressions
1:11:54 Sega Financials and Underperforming Games
1:22:07 Marathon Vault Breaker PvE Mode Revealed
1:28:39 Steam Machine Controversy
1:53:27 Final Thoughts and Outro

#dragonballxenoverse3 #starwarsgalacticracer #marathon #summergamefest #steammachine

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Keith and Scott attended Summer Game Fest 2026, and got to check out some of amazing upcoming titles, and play a number of them. However, due to embargos we had to delay this episode of the show until we could talk about certain things. This one is a bit late due being in LA and some of the stuff we discussed was still under NDA/embargo at the time. So, enjoy our Summer Game Fest 2026 recap.

Timestamps coming soon!

Head over to our website to check out our Summer Game Fest content: https://www.theouterhaven.net/tag/summer-game-fest-2026/


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Support the show

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