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Lucasfilm re-invests in games so we share our excitement as Indiana Jones rides again and Ubisoft opens up the galaxy far, far away. Also worth speculating: new trademarks made by Square Enix, a very quick end-screen of upcoming Sony exclusive release dates, and some games you might not have heard of among Twitter’s biggest stats of 2020.00:00:39 - Corrections00:03:13 - Silver Lining00:04:41 - Lucasfilm Games - Indiana Jones00:27:16 - Lucasfilm Games - Ubisoft Star Wars00:39:51 - Square Enix Trademarks00:49:51 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:53:34 - Sony’s Exclusive Release Dates01:12:30 - Twitter Gaming Stats01:23:04 - Also This Week...01:34:57 - L&R - Under-the-radar gaming stuff01:40:04 - L&R - Game: E3 Conference Finales01:45:22 - L&R - Helpless story moments01:47:25 - L&R - Game: Name That Cheat Code01:52:01 - Time For Bets01:57:01 - ClosingGo to http://upstart.com/easyallies to find out how much Upstart can save you today!Go to http://gabi.com/allies to see how much Gabi can save you!

It’s time to look ahead at the next three months of releases using a time-honored tradition of ridiculous breakfast food comparisons; a Q1 2021 preview with sprinkles and spreadable frosting. Also, Amazon reveals its list of the top 100 best-selling products from last year and we try to find something on it to analyze that isn't a gift card or a game exclusive to Switch.00:01:03 - Corrections00:04:27 - Silver Lining00:05:38 - Q1 2021 Preview - January00:26:43 - Q1 2021 Preview - February00:52:32 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:57:19 - Q1 2021 Preview - March01:17:50 - Amazon’s Best Sellers of 202001:27:46 - Also This Week...01:38:01 - L&R - Most memorable box art?01:41:15 - L&R - Game: Name that Steam Tag!01:47:51 - L&R - Favorite pre-rendered trailers?01:52:00 - Time For Bets01:53:32 - Or Wars01:57:42 - ClosingGo to http://hellofresh.com/10allies and use code 10allies for 10 free meals, including free shipping!Visit http://joinhoney.com/ALLIES to get Honey for FREE today!

This has been a strange and sometimes uncomfortable year to sort through, but before we tackle another 12 months we need to sort through the biggest headlines and most interesting stats of 2020. Also, Tencent picks up another handful of studio stocks and Star Citizen delays something yet again.00:00:58 - Corrections00:03:17 - Silver Lining00:04:53 - Biggest Headlines of 202000:47:01 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:51:34 - Fun Stats from 202001:16:58 - Tencent acquires Leyou Technologies01:23:26 - Squadron 42 delayed again01:31:27 - Also This Past Two Weeks...01:35:51 - L&R - How big is too big for indie?01:42:01 - L&R - Game: Which open world is larger?01:47:07 - L&R - Is hoarding skill points okay?01:49:33 - Or Wars01:57:59 - Closing01:59:50 - Producer CreditsGo to http://logitechg.com to get the G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel today!Go to http://hellofresh.com/10allies and use code 10allies for 10 free meals, including free shipping!

What games got banned in Australia? What games have the best nightlife? What’s the best game we’ve never played? What the heck does “Best Direction” mean? The answers to these and many more burning questions are answered in this special Love & Respect episode.00:01:31 - Silver Lining00:03:12 - L&R - What came first in 2020?00:07:02 - L&R - Favorite thing to do in games?00:09:42 - L&R - Excited for Wolf Among Us 2?00:12:17 - L&R - Coolest you’ve felt playing a game?00:17:37 - L&R - Best game you’ve never played?00:19:29 - L&R - Game with the best nightlife?00:22:31 - L&R - Best “movie night” game?00:26:05 - L&R - Bring it back or let it rest?00:31:33 - L&R - What does “Best Direction” mean?00:40:34 - L&R - Game: Banned, Censored, or Unscathed?00:44:44 - A Word From our Sponsor00:47:22 - L&R - Does the industry reward crunch?01:00:54 - L&R - How do you cater to the Wii Sports market?01:06:42 - L&R - Game: Officially released in Japan?01:11:26 - L&R - Must we stop overhyping games? 01:20:42 - L&R - Game: What game is this song from?01:25:07 - L&R - Last game inside an old console?01:28:20 - L&R - Is “Games as a Service” dying?01:32:59 - L&R - Pick these GOTY category winners01:39:02 - Or Wars01:44:04 - ClosingGo to http://logitechg.com to get the G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel today!

November’s NPDs give us a clearer picture of what everyone wanted and was able to buy when next-gen launched, before we also dig into reports of EA outbidding Take Two for Codemasters and evaluate the big 3’s big ideas on “Safer Gaming.” But the real breaking news is Cyberpunk’s continued launch woes, including a hot headline hitting while the podcast was rolling.00:00:37 - Corrections00:05:15 - Silver Lining00:07:19 - November NPDs00:27:13 - EA’s bid for Codemasters00:41:39 - A Word From our Sponsors00:49:23 - “Shared Commitment to Safer Gaming”01:02:54 - Cyberpunk 2077 Updates01:26:56 - Also This Week...01:34:09 - L&R - Holiday break backlogs01:36:03 - L&R - PS1 demake requests01:37:51 - L&R - Game: Fastest Any% Speedrun01:43:03 - L&R - Most broken game we’ve played01:44:15 - Time for Bets01:48:54 - ClosingGo to http://logitechg.com to get the G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel today!Go to http://gabi.com/allies to find out how much Gabi can save you!

The Game Awards changes its format but still delivers plenty of surprising announcements and winners. We rattle off our favorite moments from the annual ceremony and share the early bugs, memories, records, and scandals of Cyberpunk 2077’s launch.00:00:49 - Corrections00:02:11 - Silver Lining00:03:24 - Game Awards Top Headlines00:41:55 - Game Awards Other News01:04:26 - A Word From our Sponsors01:08:30 - Game Awards Winners01:23:07 - Cyberpunk 2077’s Launch01:54:18 - Also This Week...02:02:36 - L&R - Game: Huber Quote Quiz02:07:10 - L&R - Least ideal gaming circumstances?02:11:06 - Time for Bets02:16:17 - ClosingUse code EASYALLIES for $5 off your first 5 orders when you download the Postmates app or sign up online!Go to http://luminskin.com/allies to get a one-month free trial of everything you need to start your skincare journey at home!

BioWare says goodbye to a pair of creative leads and faces an uncertain future, and 2020’s Black Friday weekend isn’t as lucrative as expected. Still, things are looking bright for Travis Scott’s bank account, Super Nintendo World’s impending launch, and Aardman Animations’ newest IP.00:00:38 - Corrections00:02:12 - Silver Lining00:03:42 - Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah leave BioWare00:24:27 - Super Nintendo World Sneak Peek00:39:00 - A Word From Our Sponsor00:41:57 - Black Friday 2020 digital decline00:53:26 - Aardman and Bandai Namco's new IP00:59:33 - Travis Scott's $20m Fortnite payout01:04:53 - Also This Week...01:11:10 - L&R - Black Friday gift card sales01:13:58 - L&R - Why do bad side quests exist?01:18:25 - L&R - Game: Worms or Frauds?01:20:38 - L&R - Most memorable boss battle?01:22:41 - L&R - Any hope for digital libraries?01:27:10 - Time for Bets01:31:44 - ClosingGo to http://logitechg.com to get the G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel today!

Random glitches with our fancy new consoles continue including PS5 crashes and Xbox loading issues. While we wait for a fix, it’s therapeutic to celebrate a new sequel announcement, discuss the current state of gaming mental health, and share what we’re thankful for from this tumultuous year.00:00:40 - Corrections00:02:10 - Silver Lining00:03:17 - Neo: The World Ends With You announced00:15:19 - Next-Gen console jitters00:41:58 - A Word From Our Sponsor00:44:05 - Oxford mental health and games study01:04:52 - What were thankful for from 202001:14:30 - Also This Week...01:24:53 - L&R - How do you deal with FOMO?01:27:41 - L&R - Bluepoint's next remake?01:29:58 - L&R - Remember Overwatch 2?01:31:16 - L&R - What MK 11 character would you replace?01:33:24 - L&R - Game: Mash It or Trash It?01:38:47 - Time for Bets01:43:09 - Closing01:44:32 - Producer CreditsGo to HelloFresh.com/allies90 and use code allies90 to get $90 off including free shipping!

The Game Awards have been announced, so we have to discuss the inevitable shoe-ins and snubs. Also, IOI and 007 join forces, initial next-gen sales numbers come out of Japan, Twitch has a record October, and Embracer Group can’t stop buying companies.00:00:35 - Corrections00:04:38 - Silver Lining00:05:30 - The Game Awards nominees announced00:30:52 - Project 007 announced00:38:47 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:41:48 - Next-Gen sales numbers from Japan/UK00:51:39 - Embracer Group buys 13 new studios01:01:37 - Twitch sees record viewership in October01:09:54 - Also This Week...01:18:29 - L&R - Could Microsoft's DRM plan return?01:23:59 - L&R - Game: New Faces in New Places01:27:20 - L&R - Genres due for a departure?01:30:58 - L&R - Australia is in a funky place01:34:29 - Time for Bets01:38:41 - ClosingGo to http://buyraycon.com/allies today to get 20% off your Raycon order!Go to http://everyplate.com and enter code allies3 to get 3 weeks of EveryPlate meals for only $2.99 per meal!

Whether you bought them and they actually shipped or not, the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S means the next-generation is now the current generation. We follow the updates and odd reports surrounding both consoles before guessing Q4’s total revenue and predicting Square Enix’s future based on their recent financial ups and downs.00:00:51 - Corrections00:02:00 - Silver Lining00:02:51 - PlayStation 5 Launch00:21:17 - Xbox Series X|S Launch00:32:00 - A Word From Our Sponsor00:34:59 - Q3 NPDs00:45:03 - Square Enix 2021 Predictions01:02:15 - Also This Week...01:04:31 - Take-Two Buys Codemasters01:09:18 - Dead by Daylight's New Villain01:15:29 - L&R - What's your playground game?01:17:30 - L&R - Language preference in games?01:24:10 - L&R - Will we ever get a slim PS5?01:25:35 - L&R - Why advertise consoles you can't buy?01:26:55 - L&R - Easing European PS5 delay frustration01:30:17 - L&R - What console would you be?01:32:37 - Time for Bets01:37:11 - ClosingGo to http://hellotushy.com/easyallies to get 10% off!

Only one week remains until the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are upon us, so it’s time to grade the marketing, hardware, and games of both consoles. What wins and losses led us to where we are, and what expectations should we have for launch week?00:00:59 - Corrections00:02:31 - Silver Lining00:03:43 - Xbox Series X Next-Gen Report Card00:51:43 - A Word From Our Sponsor00:55:11 - PlayStation 5 Next-Gen Report Card01:28:34 - Also This Week...01:35:11 - L&R - What'll be in the gen, after?01:38:55 - L&R - Real or Fake: Town Edition01:43:57 - L&R - What generation is the Switch?01:45:28 - L&R - Launch titles with good vibes?01:49:15 - Time for Bets01:55:07 - ClosingUse code EASYALLIES for $5 off your first 5 orders when you download the Postmates app or sign up online!Go to http://luminskin.com/allies to get a one-month free trial of everything you need to start your skincare journey at home!

We finally got to touch the PS5 and Xbox Series X with our bare hands, so how do we feel about next-gen now? We also cope with perhaps the nastiest Cyberpunk 2077 delay yet, contrast Sony’s latest quarter financials with its personal next-predictions, and say goodbye to the Nintendo Partner Showcase series of 2020.00:00:38 - Corrections00:02:22 - Silver Lining00:03:29 - Next-gen consoles unboxed00:17:57 - Cyberpunk 2077 delayed 21 days00:35:32 - A Word From Our Sponsor00:39:46 - Sony Q2 2020 Earnings00:58:04 - The final Nintendo Partner Showcase of 202001:17:20 - Also This Week...01:28:14 - L&R - Which horror game ranked higher?01:35:40 - L&R - Not-scary horror game recommendations01:37:38 - L&R - Do question marks incentivize exploration?01:43:18 - L&R - What games used the Dualshock 4 touch pad?01:45:43 - Time for Bets01:52:06 - Closing01:55:33 - Producer CreditsGo to http://hellofresh.com/ALLIES80 and use code ALLIES80 to get a total of $80 off across 5 boxes, including free shipping on your first box!

Gaming’s bottom line is looking good, with another NPD that brings record-breaking results for multiple games. But your average streamer’s bottom line is in jeopardy, with Twitch purging video collections that use licensed music. Also, Ubisoft Connect follows a trend of service updates, and Devolver Digital buys Serious Sam.00:00:00 - Opening00:00:53 - Corrections00:03:29 - Silver Lining00:04:23 - September 2020 NPDs00:28:59 - Twitch DMCA videos deleted00:46:15 - A Word From Our Sponsor00:48:32 - Ubisoft Connect01:00:06 - Devolver Digital acquires Croteam01:06:30 - Also This Week...01:12:13 - L&R - How should Dead Space return?01:16:26 - L&R - Game: K-pop or DS?01:21:10 - L&R - Is Godfall the Knack of this generation?01:23:04 - L&R - Is GoT Legends like other loot games?01:25:35 - Time for Bets01:29:37 - ClosingGo to http://buyraycon.com/allies to get 15% off your order!

To celebrate our Patron Party event, here's a bonus hour of questions from our $5 tier on Patreon. Moving past the week's headlines our panelists discuss the importance of back-of-the-box art, Sony fatigue versus saving Xbox's reputation, the future of the Ring Fit peripheral, and a few standout co-op releases from this year.00:00:00 - Opening00:01:15 - Does the back of the box matter anymore?00:07:57 - Is there such a thing as "next-gen" for PC?00:16:16 - Game: Deluxe Edition Doozie!00:20:15 - Sony fatigue vs Xbox reputation00:24:54 - Other uses for the Ring Fit peripheral?00:28:49 - Should game casts get more recognition?00:40:44 - Game: Dollar Duel00:44:59 - Standout co-op releases of 202000:49:42 - Lengths to preserve your own head canon?00:54:48 - Game: Find the anomaly

We recently learned of the 30 games officially launching on Xbox Series X, and also 10 PS4 games that won’t run on PS5, so we discuss what we will and won’t be playing. Also, the PS5 UI reveals itself, SEGA celebrates 60 years, and Amazon’s Crucible halts development.00:00:00 - Opening00:00:36 - Corrections00:02:04 - Silver Lining00:03:32 - Xbox Series X|S Launch Lineup00:18:04 - 10 PS4 games not on PS500:21:18 - PS5 Surprise UI State of Play00:38:52 - A Word From Our Sponsor00:41:11 - SEGA's 60th Anniversary Games00:52:04 - Amazon's Crucible halts development01:02:49 - Also This Week...01:09:40 - L&R - Opinions about StarTropics01:12:44 - L&R - Game: Console Love, Not War01:16:13 - L&R - Game: Zombie Mascots01:20:30 - L&R - Interested in backwards compatibility?01:26:34 - L&R - From Software Platinum update01:27:28 - Time for Bets01:31:32 - Closing01:33:26 - Second Extinction Bet GameplayGo to http://hellotushy.com/easyallies to get 10% off.

Brandon's on the move so Bloodworth picks up moderating duties for a week as we look inside the PS5 and look ahead to all the big releases in the next three months.00:01:21 - Corrections00:03:07 - Silver Lining00:03:54 - PlayStation 5 Teardown00:15:51 - Fall Game Preview: October00:51:37 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:54:15 - Fall Game Preview: November01:43:34 - Fall Game Preview: December01:50:00 - GameSpot Layoffs01:51:24 - Also This Week...01:57:03 - L&R - Does industry experience diminish your excitement for new games?02:01:09 - L&R - Underappreciated jobs in games02:07:41 - L&R - Game: Timesplitters!02:14:03 - Time for Bets 02:20:55 - ClosingGet $100 of free delivery credit for your first SEVEN days when you download the Postmates app and use code EASYALLIES.Head over to http://att.com/galaxynote20ultra5g to learn how you can get the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G for free or the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G for $299.99 for a limited time!

In 2019, CD Projekt RED promised they wouldn’t crunch their employees, and two years ago Insomniac introduced us to their new Spider-Man, but this week we learned that things change. Also, how did the latest Smash fighter reveal go, and what led to Genshin Impact’s incredible success?00:00:00 - Opening00:01:18 - Corrections00:03:59 - Silver Lining00:05:24 - Cyberpunk 2077 Launch Crunch00:28:14 - Spider-Man's new face on PS500:40:39 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:45:21 - Minecraft in Smash Bros Ultimate00:58:32 - Genshin Impact's success01:09:37 - Also This Week...01:20:00 - L&R - Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing?01:21:56 - L&R - Game: EZ-est 10 out of 10 Review01:29:02 - L&R - Communities supporting old games01:31:32 - L&R - The backlog of a doctor in Asia01:33:21 - Time for Bets 01:39:54 - ClosingFor a limited time, at http://logitechg.com they’re offering our listeners 10% off select products. Use code EASYA for 10% off today.Head over to http://att.com/galaxynote20ultra5g to learn how you can get the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G for free or the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G for $299.99 for a limited time!

Xbox was busy buying up Bethesda this week while its community was trying to buy up the remainder of Series X|S pre-orders. Amazon also made a big move by announcing their own streaming platform, Rayman-creator Michel Ancel leaves game development entirely, and at the drop of a shadow Kirby is fighting himself again on the Switch.00:00:00 - Opening00:01:24 - Corrections00:03:58 - Silver Lining00:05:41 - Microsoft buys ZeniMax Media00:27:14 - Xbox Series X|S Preorders00:50:51 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:56:30 - Amazon's Luna Announced01:09:11 - Michel Ancel quits Game Dev01:16:11 - Kirby Fighters 2 Shadow Drop01:21:02 - Also This Week...01:29:19 - L&R - Game: Skyrim's the Limit!01:33:10 - L&R - A Gaming Quantum Leap01:34:28 - L&R - Microsoft's Smash Bros?01:35:53 - L&R - Konami/PlayStation partnership?01:39:15 - Time for Bets 01:45:10 - Closing01:47:01 - Producer CreditsFor a limited time, Logitech G is offering our listeners 10% off select products at logitechg.com when they use code EASYA.Go to http://buyraycon.com/allies to get 15% off your order!

Microsoft just made a surprising deal, and we have to talk about what it means for the future of Xbox.News sources referenced:https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/21/welcoming-bethesda-to-the-xbox-family/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-09-21-xbox-buys-bethesda-parent-zenimax

The PlayStation 5 Showcase had so many updates this week, we spend more time covering those than the actual games. Nintendo shares another round of new Partners on Switch and finally discontinues the 3DS, Facebook premieres the Oculus Quest 2, and August is another record-breaking month for the NPDs.00:01:11 - Corrections00:03:28 - Silver Lining00:05:36 - PlayStation 5 Showcase00:37:03 - Nintendo Partner Showcase00:45:33 - A Word From Our Sponsors00:49:58 - August NPDs01:03:55 - Oculus Quest 2 Announced01:17:51 - Nintendo 3DS Discontinued01:22:52 - Also This Week...01:27:01 - L&R - Ian lost a bet01:28:33 - L&R - Hoops jumped for a console?01:33:33 - L&R - Game: Know Your Platinum01:37:58 - L&R - Weird old cross-gen games01:40:03 - Time for Bets 01:46:17 - ClosingLogitech G is offering our listeners 10% off select products at logitechg.com for a limited time. Use code EASYA for 10% off today.See why Upstart has a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot and hurry to upstart.com/easyallies to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate can be. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes!