🎙️ Press Start Select Podcast Ep 64

This week, Antonius and Tim go all in on gaming industry burnout — and the companies fueling it. We break down Ubisoft’s investor call meltdown, the real reason Star Wars Outlaws failed, and how the Assassin’s Creed Netflix show might be their last shot at relevance.

We also talk Splitgate 2’s shutdown, the ridiculous pricing of Outer Worlds 2, and the constant pressure gamers face from live service design and login rewards.

Later, we debate whether God of War should end before it burns out like Pokémon, Dragon Ball, or Uncharted. Oh, and yes — Dragonite's new design is not it.

Then we dive into the ethics of gaming: anime game cash grabs, Death Battle fatigue, and the exploitation of charity through VTuber mismanagement. Plus, a heated take on adult game regulation and why some titles are setting the industry back.

🕹️ Topics include:

• Ubisoft’s downfall and IP mismanagement

• Splitgate 2’s collapse & live service fatigue

• Pokémon burnout and Legends Z-A critiques

• God of War’s future and IP overstretching

• Ethics in the gaming & anime community

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CHAPTERS:00:00:00 – Podcast Intro 00:01:30 – Assassin’s Creed Live-Action Netflix Series Reactions 00:09:28 – Ubisoft Blames Star Wars for Outlaws’ Failure 00:19:30 – Splitgate 2 on Life Support & Studio Confidence 00:25:53 – Outer Worlds 2 Walks Back $80 Price 00:33:00 – The $70 Game Problem & AAA Greed 00:36:20 – What Is a AAA Game in 2025? 00:38:10 – Open World Fatigue & Studio Oversaturation 00:39:45 – Studio Acquisitions & Ownership Fatigue 00:42:10 – God of War’s Future & A New Pantheon Perspective 00:47:50 – Franchise Burnout: Ending Pokémon, God of War & More 00:49:45 – Naughty Dog Remasters & The Uncharted Reboot Cycle 00:53:10 – Pokémon Direct Breakdown: Legends Z-A & Fan Fatigue 00:59:30 – Dragonite’s New Design & Visual Regression 01:06:15 – Pokémon Reboots, Real-Time Combat & Spin-Off Quality 01:12:57 – Yu-Gi-Oh Game Fatigue & Gacha Monetization 01:18:35 – Hunter x Hunter Nen System & Anime Game Gimmicks 01:21:00 – Why Hunter x Hunter Hasn’t Impacted Anime Games 01:26:13 – The Anime Game Cash Grab Era Returns 01:38:28 – Dragon Ball Z Oversaturation & Franchise Overuse 01:43:20 – Deku vs Miles & Death Battle’s Credibility Issues 01:45:13 – Manufactured Outrage in Anime Debates 01:50:25 – VTuber Scandals: VShojo, Charity Funds & Immunity Claims 02:01:39 – No More Horny Games? Adult Game Regulation Debate 02:07:25 – Mandatory Standards for Games & Content Ethics 02:11:00 – Gamer Fatigue & The Consumer’s Role 02:15:00 – Final Thoughts & Podcast Wrap-Up