Kinda Funny Games Daily: Video Games News Podcast
Xbox Series S Compatibility isn’t Going Away, Says Phil Spencer - Kinda Funny Games Daily 01.27.25
Tue, 28 Jan 2025
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — go to http://betterhelp.com/kindafunny to get 10% off your first month. Go to http://joinbilt.com/kindafunny to start earning points on your rent payments today. Xbox Series S compatibility isn’t going away, Helldivers 2 director says he’s taking a break before his next game, and Techland is planning ‘multiple unannounced’ Dying Light projects. Run of Show - - Start JERICA’S NEW SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tDtMaGga-4 - Housekeeping Today after, KFGD, you’ll get: GAMESCAST - Mike’s preview of Exoborne The STREAM is Kingdom Hearts 2 w/ Mike If you’re a Kinda Funny Member: You can get today’s Gregway about people we didn’t hire! Thank you to our Patreon Producers: Delaney Twining & Karl Jacobs The Roper Report - - Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Series S compatibility requirement isn’t going away - Tom Ivan @ VGC - Helldivers 2 director says he’s taking a break before starting on his next game - Chris Scullion @ VGC - Ad - Techland is planning ‘multiple unannounced’ Dying Light projects - Tom Ivan @ VGC - Roman Reigns headlines WWE 2K25 alongside largest-ever wrestling roster - Ed Nightingale @ Eurogamer - Phoenix Labs lays off 'majority of studio' two years after Forte Labs acquisition - Bryant Francis @ Game Developer - Wee News! - SuperChats - You‘re Wrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What are the latest Xbox Series S updates?
Today in the nerdy news you need to know about, Xbox Series X compatibility isn't going away. The Helldivers 2 director says he's taking a break before his next game, and Techland is planning multiple unannounced Dying Light projects. We'll have all this and more because this is Kinda Funny Games Daily.
what's up everybody welcome to kind of funny games daily for tuesday january 28th 2025 i'm one of your hosts greg miller alongside jk games podcast's very own jerica hannah
Hello. I'm so glad to be back. I'm glad you're back. I left too much suspense.
I've already told you. You left the thing. Should I say hi? Should I not say hi? I don't know. You're not in the room. There's the thing. There's the vibe. I don't know, Jerrica.
I don't know. I got my hat on today.
You fucked it up. You fucked it up.
I know. It's usually the part where... I just don't know how to verbally handshake with people. That's really the thing. But yeah, I'm great. I'm here. Ready to talk about games with you. Thanks for having me back.
You were saying it beforehand. How sick are you?
You know, on a scale of 1 to 10, probably now like a 4. I feel fine. It's just like my voice is a little deeper than usual. Some people have said they liked it. You're going to keep it. Maybe that's a win.
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Chapter 2: What does Phil Spencer say about Series S compatibility?
But some developers have argued that having to cater to Microsoft's entry-level console limits the potential of current-gen games. In December 2023, Baldur's Gate 3 received a delayed release on Xbox Series X slash S after Microsoft allowed Larian Studios to launch the S version without split-screen co-op, a mode it had been struggling to get working sufficiently on the lower-powered console.
And this month, Black Myth Wukong developer Game Science blamed the Series S console for the game's no-show on Xbox platforms. However, in a new interview with Destin Laguerre, Microsoft's gaming boss claimed that having, you know, I want a full stop too. Remember, of course, Destin went independent from IGN. He has his own YouTube channel.
You could put in Destin Laguerre, but it's Save State Plus. Is that right, Kev? Jerrica?
Nope.
I don't like that people aren't citing the thing. It'd be like, Greg Miller interviewed. Yeah, but Greg Miller's got a website to go to. Chat, I'm right, right? Save State Plus. I want to make sure I'm not screwing it up. Thank you. Everybody's saying, yes, I am. Give Destin the click. Go over there. He interviewed me on the first one of his podcasts.
Then he had some jabroni named Phil Spencer show up. I don't know. Anyways, in an interview with Destin Laguerre on the show, Save State Plus. Microsoft's gaming boss claimed that having to develop games for Series S could be advantageous for studios targeting a variety of platforms, including handheld gaming systems.
Asked about the potential of dropping or relaxing Xbox Series S requirements, Spencer said, quote, In a way, I think about it in almost the exactly... In a way... In a way, I think about it in almost exactly the opposite way right now.
With the rise of handheld PCs and even the introduction so far of the Switch 2, as developers were building on more device specs from lower powered, because they're battery powered devices, all the way through things that plug into the wall. I actually think we have a real advantage because we've seen targeting S for quite a while. We've been targeting S for quite a while.
And our games have been built and they're portable across many different specs. So when we look at something like a Steam Deck or ROG Ally or something, we've got this S version of the games that are more tailored to the device specs of a lot of devices that, frankly, are getting introduced right now. And I think that helps us. End quote.
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Chapter 3: How is Jerica adapting to independent content creation?
In a statement posted to X, game director and Arrowhead Game Studios co-founder Johan Pylstad explained that he had been working on the game for around nine years and the entire Helldivers series more than a decade.
According to him, the lengthy development took a toll on him and forced him to limit his time with his family and friends, so he plans to make up for lost time before starting on Arrowhead's next project.
Quote, I'm going to do a sabbatical for a while, he wrote, explaining, while you have been enjoying Helldivers 2 for almost a year, I have been living it since early 2016, and with Helldivers, it's since 2013. 11 years of working quote-unquote around the clock on the same IP has made me set aside family, friends, and my lovely wife, dot, dot, dot, and myself.
I am going to take some time now to redeem what was lost from all of those that supported me for over a decade. I am sure my friends at Arrowhead will do their utmost in the meantime to deliver amazing stuff to Helldivers too. When I'm back, I will start working on the next Arrowhead game, end quote. Jerrica, shout out to Johan.
Yeah, I was going to say, good for him.
Amazing work. You got it across the finish line. Now go take a break. Get out there and do it, especially with the team that Arrowhead has assembled over there to work on Helldivers. Talk to me about what angle do you want to take? You want to take the burnout angle? You want to take the Helldivers angle? You want to talk about what's next for Arrowhead, Jerrica? It's up to you.
Oh, this one's interesting to talk about, like maybe a combination of burnout and what's next. For Helldivers to be such the rage, especially the beginning of last year, and it's like even dropping, you know, I haven't hopped back into the DLC, but the trailer got me hyped.
It made me think about hopping on, which makes, you know, makes me pretty excited, you know, and eventually I'll get back to it. But God, they've put out content for it and just maintenance for it for the whole year. I couldn't imagine. I don't know if they anticipated it being such a success as it was.
I mean, Shuhei Yoshida talked openly on our interview, right? Like, no, PlayStation, you would have tossed in Arrowhead there. Did not expect this by any stretch of the imagination.
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Chapter 4: What is the future of Helldivers 2?
Yeah, for sure. But Helldivers is one of those that's on my list to just check back in, because it was such a good time, just that... not even know what to expect and hop in and have a good time. Like, cause I've never played hell divers. I didn't know what to expect. Um, but it was so much fun and easy to play. Like, it was just some friends here and there.
Super chats. I want to know for you, what would you want next for arrowhead? Do you want them to go and do hell divers three? Do you just want more hell divers to content? Why have you come back? Why haven't you come back? super chat, all that on youtube.com slash kind of funny games. While I remind everybody, Hey, how are you? It's kind of funny games daily.
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Chapter 5: How does burnout affect game developers?
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And we're back over on YouTube.com slash kindoffunnygames. I put up a poll. Helldivers 3, Helldivers 2 DLC, or a new game. Right now, new game is winning with 50% of the vote, 48% of the vote. They're fighting. 51% of the vote with Helldivers 2 DLC. Close behind, 34%, 36%, depending on the moment. Helldivers 3, pitiful, 11%. So don't worry about that. Get that hell out of here.
In the chat of what people would want, I'm seeing a lot of different stuff, but Bender of Strings says, what if a Master Chief skin came to Helldivers? That'd be cool. Somebody chimes in wanting a Warthog. Since they can't get the game on Xbox, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion you'd get Xbox content over there. Lucid Dream just wants a damn minigun, he says. A lot of people still out there.
Bender of Strings, I want Helldivers 3 and a better engine. Lots of stuff happening in terms of what people want. I like this one. Luke says, Arrowhead plus Blizzard equals Starcraft skin. Helldivers would get me back 1,000%. Day two of vacation and watching live. Much love to Jerika. Aww.
Oh, that's so sweet.
Thank you. SortByFirstName says, I feel like Helldivers 2 is the epitome of a Helldivers game. Making a third could not go as well. I'd love to see Arrowhead apply the Helldivers 2 formula to a licensed IP of some kind, maybe. Interesting. I agree that it's the epitome of a Helldivers.
So if you can just keep supporting and putting out content and getting people to come buy Battle Passes and whatever, and that supports what PlayStation wants, I think that'd be the way to go. But the formula to an IP... What are we talking about? We're just making a Starship Troopers game. We're the snake eating its own tail. We don't even know where the joke is anymore.
And then final one comes from Lightning. Don't want a new game. Keep supporting Helldivers 2. Also for Helldivers 2, I want three things. Number one, Xbox release and Halo collaboration. Number two, Starship Troopers collaboration. And number three, a Star Wars collaboration.
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