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The VGBees Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by VGBees
Host and founder of VGBees, John Warren, is joined every week by cohost Niki Grayson and illustrious guests adjacent to video games and culture for candid, funny, and enlightening conversations about an art form that is both uniting and dividing us. Every week, The VGBees Podcast will explore trends and touchpoints you need to know in order to have the most well-rounded idea of what's going on in games. Explore vgbees.com after each episode for notes on each episode as well as written pieces by our collaborators and guests. We all have to work together to build a brighter future for games, so Join The Honey Hive today!
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago2h 47m
Ep 106: Xbox Preparing Layoffs, Nintendo Direct, Pokemon Go Military Defense Data
Lotus, Niki, and John recovered from Summer Game Fest 2026 and reconvened (in home studios, not John's car) to discuss an extremely busy news week, including Xbox preparing major layoffs, Nintendo Direct revealing the Ocarina of Time remake, and more information dropping about Pokemon Go and its role in data gathering for defense purposes.00:00:00 Intro & how waffle fries are madeGo to nogamesforgenocide.com to learn more about the BDS movement and Microsoft's continued role in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.00:08:20 Asha Sharma writes memo to Xbox staff; heavy layoffs reported00:25:00 Xbox console exclusives are returning00:37:30 Lotus' 50 most anticipated indies from the week's showcases00:40:10 Nintendo Direct reveals Ocarina of Time remake; is Nintendo bored?00:47:10 Kingdom Hearts IV is here and looks like it looks00:49:00 Final Fantasy Resonance strips the gacha out of mobile game inspiration00:52:00 God of War Laufey creates an interesting branch for the series00:55:37 How do waffle fries work? (part 2)00:56:38 RGG wants to explore what Tupac's life could've been in Stranger Than Heaven01:01:17 PlayerUnknown facing layoffs01:03:56 RPG Maker forums shuttering and migrating01:11:20 Team17 eliminating marketing department01:13:24 Crazy Taxi reboot working with generative AI art flow01:16:45 GOG sends out email with Nazi symbols in subject line01:25:06 <a href="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/ubisoft-closing-winnipeg-and-bel
- 3 days ago23 min
VGBees SGF 2026 Post-Show Debrief
Join Niki and John from Los Angeles as they debrief from a lively Summer Game Fest 2026.At this point, most embargoes were still in effect, but we hope you enjoy discussion regarding:Blood Dungeon, Messhof's latest gameSonic Pico ParkThe Games Business interview with Matthew Ballbad hotel fish tacosThanks for listening!Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
- 1 weeks ago1h 38m
Ep 105: Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase, Tupac, Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Folks, our schedules were so packed that John & Niki had to join Lotus from the car again. Sorry! This week, it's all about Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase, which featured reveals of Resident Evil Veronica, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, and Tupac appearing in Stranger Than Heaven.Time stamps and more SGF bonus episodes coming soon!Thanks for listening!Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
- 2 weeks ago3h 8m
Ep 104: Witcher 3 DLC, Steam Deck Price Hikes, & 007 First Light w/ Jeff Gerstmann
John and Lotus are joined this week by Jeff Gerstmann to discuss the week's biggest games news, including: The Witcher 3's surprising expansion coming in 2027, Steam Deck's massive price hikes, and what we thought of 007 First Light.00:00:00 Intro & podcasting at yourself00:08:56 The Witcher 3 is getting new DLC in 202700:13:10 A moment for Unreal Engine 600:15:57 Ikaruga creator's next game has been canceledGo to nogamesforgenocide.com to learn more about the BDS movement and Microsoft's continued role in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.00:19:14 Microsoft must pay $250m to settle class action lawsuit00:23:30 Modern Warfare 4 and the great Call of Duty fall-off00:29:18 Fable delayed from fall 2026 to February 202700:38:30 Hoyoverse is investing $14.6b in AI initiatives in the next three years00:42:20 Roblox and how to navigate its ubiquity as a parent00:49:15 Steam Deck price hikes and the rare appreciation of gaming setups00:57:13 Steam updates tags and Workshop features01:14:44 TheGamer shifts to pay-per-click for its writers01:24:32 The PlayStation 5 Pro is tall01:27:01 007 First Light is a great Bond game even for people who aren't Bond superfans01:38:32 Carrot Kingdom--not the Atari shareware--is a fun and very short puzzler01:39:58 Panthalassa features a gorgeous underwater alien world01:41:57 Phonopolis is the latest from Amanita Design01:45:06 Mina the Hollower is Yacht Club's most interesting game01:52:12 Pictonico is WarioWare for your phone...without the Wario01:59:36 We answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord03:01:23 SGF 2026 plans & outroThanks for listening!Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
- 3 weeks ago3h 9m
Ep 103: Embracer Restructures Again, Destiny 2 Development Ending, PS Plus Price Hikes
John, Lotus, and Niki discuss the biggest news of the week, including Embracer's head-scratching restructure, Destiny 2's final update, and PlayStation Plus price hikes.00:00:00 Intro & Niki Buys a Porsche00:09:50 Terraria celebrates 15 years of absolutely bonkers player counts00:25:15 Tom Kane passes away at 6400:26:41 PlayStation Plus gets price hikes00:35:47 US National Recording Registry adds DOOM soundtrack to its library00:44:28 Stig Asmussen Dungeons & Dragons game canceled by Wizards of the Coast00:55:20 Embracer restructures their game organizations again01:04:20 Quantic Dream's MOBA is shutting down01:06:14 Bungie ending Destiny 2 development and facing layoffs01:27:30 Everyone roasts John for buying a PS5 Pro01:39:00 Niki continues to build a NAS for their home01:51:28 The crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from Discord03:04:15 Outro & SGF PlansThanks for listening!Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
- 3 weeks ago1h 43m
The Pittcast Season Two w/ Danielle Riendeau
Content Warning for graphic medical procedures, assault, sexual assault, suicide, and death in this episode. The Pitt is a show with a lot of tough ingredients thrown into a stew--we try to navigate these with tact and care but be forewarned the entire episode has a lot of potentially triggering discussion.GameDeveloper.com Editor-in-Chief (and Polygon, Waypoint, and Fanbyte alum) Danielle Riendeau joins John Warren for a recap of season two of The Pitt, one of VGBees' favorite television shows.Danielle lends her experience as a volunteer EMT in New York City to the duo's analysis and critique of the HBO Max medical drama. Included topics:The role of AI in healthcareThe role of compassion in emergency medicineUsing the show to demystify difficult subjects regarding sexual assault and deathICE and their miserable role in American healthcare in 2026and much, much more!Thanks for listening!Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
- May 17, 20262h 27m
Ep 102: Subnautica 2 Smashes Sales Expectations, Leaked Xbox Controllers, More Game Unions
Lotus and John discuss the biggest games news of the week, including Subnautica 2 creating a big bonus problem for KRAFTON's CEO, leaked Xbox controllers, and Marathon's interesting PVE-focused roadmap.00:00:00 Intro & Buc-ees Fare00:10:05 Subnautica 2's massive sales creates an interesting problem for KRAFTON's CEO00:13:15 Steam Controllers look bad, feel good, and scream when you drop them00:21:43 Sony takes huge loss on Bungie acquisition; Marathon gets new PVE-heavy roadmap00:30:20 Wizards and Hasbro fail to recognize the new MTG: Arena union00:33:25 Double Fine is also unionzing00:35:35 New Xbox controllers were leaked00:38:45 Microsoft fires executive for ties with Israel Ministry of Defense00:41:35 Sony says studios are using AI, but we have questions00:49:10 Tekken producer Harada leads new SNK studio00:53:05 Niki joins the show on locations to run down news so far00:54:45 Sega backs off of live services games00:58:38 GameStop's offer to buy eBay thoroughly, hilariously, decisively rebuffed01:04:12 Nintendo's fiscal report reveals reasons for Switch 2 price hike01:07:40 House Hunters is the best hotel television show01:09:10 The story in Digimon Story: Time Stranger is pretty bad01:18:10 The crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord02:21:50 Reviews & OutroThanks fo
- May 10, 20262h 10m
Ep 101: Star Fox 64 Remake, LEGO Batman, Mina the Hollower Release Date
Niki, Lotus, and John embark on a "no bummers" episode of the show, complete with discussions about the new Star Fox game, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight's endless charm, and Mina the Hollower's long-awaited release date.00:00:00 Intro & John's parking lot predicament00:12:15 Star Fox 64 Remake00:17:15 Mina the Hollower gets a release date at long last00:19:16 Copilot removed from Xbox plans (please go to nogamesforgenocide.com to learn about the ongoing boycott of Microsoft and Xbox products)00:23:53 LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight looks great00:28:27 More "no bummers" news round-up00:31:42 Niki's new Logitech MX Master 4 mouse00:43:37 Niki continues loving Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream00:46:07 Echo Chaser is a slick PICO-8 free game00:47:28 Family is a great music-centric game you can play for free right now00:50:20 mini pharma is a charming PICO-8 puzzler00:57:59 We answer your burning Hive Questions straight from our Discord02:07:58 OutroThanks for listening!Please leave us a review! We'll read it on the show and it helps us out a lot.VGBees is ad-free, AI-free, and completely supported by you! https://vgbees.com/joinVGBees is a weekly games media podcast hosted by Niki, John, and Lotus.
About The VGBees Podcast
Host and founder of VGBees, John Warren, is joined every week by cohost Niki Grayson and illustrious guests adjacent to video games and culture for candid, funny, and enlightening conversations about an art form that is both uniting and dividing us. Every week, The VGBees Podcast will explore trends and touchpoints you need to know in order to have the most well-rounded idea of what's going on in games. Explore vgbees.com after each episode for notes on each episode as well as written pieces by our collaborators and guests. We all have to work together to build a brighter future for games, so Join The Honey Hive today!
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