Miscellaneous
Become a Patron! Who knew that the fantasy dangers in Fallout 76 would be brought to the real world! GameStop has recalled the Power Armor Collectible Helmet - Nuka Cola edition due to health hazards. This story and more are part of our news lineup. Let us get into what is happening in the geek and video game world. Geek News Kevin Feige and Star Wars Marvel's Kevin Feige is rumored to produce his own Star Wars project. It seems that he will be part of the new wave of projects to be set in the Disney Star Wars Universe. Feige has met with Kathleen Kennedy and studio co-chairman Alan Horn and Alan Bergman. Feige has also declared that he wants Bree Larson to star in the next Star Wars project where he is the producer. Wakeen Phoenix's Joker Controversy Wakeen Phoenix's Joker is just around the corner, and the internet never disappoints in drumming up controversies. Different groups are declaring that the movie will be a rallying cry for different groups to enact violence. Jon and I find the claims ridiculous. This movie is a piece of art and should be allowed to explore important topics. The topics of mental health and how we treat other people are topics that have profound relevance in our society. What pushes a man to the breaking point? What could we do for our neighbors to prevent what happens to Wakeen Phoenix's Joker? These and other questions we should be able to explore in films. Ninja on Masked Singer On Masked Singer, the ice cream mask is revealed as Ninja! He performed Old Town Road as he rode out on a lawn mover. An impressive performance from the career video game streamer! It amused us that he was introduced as a prominent Twitch streamer. Either this show's recording was before his transition to Mixer, or they improperly said where he currently hosts his channel. It is nothing major but enough to make us chuckle. Video Game News Mario Kart Tour Microtransactions Mario Kart Tour has released on mobile devices. It is a time for celebration! Or is it? The game is fun and entertaining, but the microtransactions are steep. The 200cc, the game's fastest mode, will cost the player five dollars a month subscription. The subscription also includes gold gifts by racing in tours and badges from challenges. Mario's name is in the game, so he is one of the main playable characters, right? Wrong! He is behind a paywall. There are two ways the player can acquire Mario. The mobile game has a 20 dollar Mario pack. The pack includes Mario, Mario's kart, and other specialty items. The other method to acquire Mario and other characters is through their premium currency. Their top rupees option at 135 rupees will cost the player 70 dollars. The player then pays with the rupees to utilize the "Warp Pipe" to fire off characters, karts, and other items. One fire cost five rupees, and ten fires cost forty-five rupees. Will this monetization model be able to compete with the other options on the market? Only time will tell. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare The next Call of Duty is just around the corner, and it appears that some familiar faces will be greeting us again. This Modern Warfare will be a soft reboot of the 2007 release. The 2019 CoD: Modern Warfare will bring back well-known characters and voices back in the game, but the story will be updated to reflect the times. Every CoD has a core focus on multiplayer, and it looks like the game is here to impress. The developers have put in a new "Realism" mode that removes the HUD. In the match, the player can breach doors for ambushes and utilize night vision goggles on nighttime maps. Two new modes will be coming to this title. A 2v2 mode called Gunfight and Groud Wars, which sets large teams against each other. The developers went out of their way to emphasize that Ground Wars isn't a battle royale and that they had no plans to implement such a mode into the game. As of right now, PlayStation has a year-long exclusive on the Special Ops: Survival Mode. Google Play Pass Apple Arcade made a splash in the mobile market by providing premium quality games for five dollars a month. To our surprise, Google is joining in this mobile model. Google is releasing Google Play Pass. The service will be 5 dollars a month, and it will include a wide selection of games. Part of the game collection includes Stardew Valley, Limbo, Old Man's journey, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. If you are interested in trying this service, then their free trial might be a great deal. They offer a 10 Day Free Trial. Then after the trial, the first year is charged at 2 dollars a month. Hearthstone Pro Caught Playing Two Games At Once Lihn "Seiko" Nguyen competed in the Grandmasters League match, but he decided to play this game a bit differently. Instead of giving the game his all and demonstrating is real prowess at the game, he tried to play Hearthstone and Auto-Chess at the same time. People on the stream noted that he looked distracted, looking from his lap to the screen regularly. His made a misstep during that game that turned out to be his undoing. He played the Legendary Minion Shirvallah the Tiger which is an excellent source of healing. For the current meta of the game, the proper play is to play Shirvallah and then use the Baleful Banker card to shuffle a copy of Shirvallah back into the deck. He missed this step which sealed his loss. The Hearthstone commentators and communities were upset and outraged that "Seiko" took up a Grandmaster spot from players who would have taken the match seriously. Ultimately, his heart and head weren't where they were supposed to be. The Grandmaster League is the pinnacle of Hearthstone, and it is disrespectful to the Grandmasters, and it is rude to those who want to be in his position. On top of it all, the audience watches these matches to see the top players in the world compete. If Esports is supposed to be taken as seriously as regular sporting events, then these expectations are not out of line. Honestly, at the level, you are a professional and should conduct yourself as such. Showstopper Fallout 76 is the gift that keeps on giving. However, this time, it doesn't look as if Bethesda is directly responsible for this debacle. A recall issued for the Power Armor Collectible Helmet - Nuka Cola which was sold by GameStop due to the helmet being a health hazard. Reports say that mold can be present on the fabric insert inside the helmet. This mold can lead to respiratory or other infections with compromised immune systems or damaged lungs. At this time, no incidents have been reported. Though the manufacture was Chronicle LLC, of Irving, Texas, the helmet was manufactured in China. If you have this helmet, then go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. We will also leave the consumer contact information for GameStop. Consumer Contact: GameStop at 800-883-8895 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at ProductSafety@gamestop.com with "Product Recall" as the email subject, or online at www.GameStop.com and click on the "Recall" link at the top of the page for more information. Thank You For Listening! If you have an idea for an episode or a person of note in the video game industry, i.e., a developer, influencer, illustrator, etc. then let us know! 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