CORE: September 2022 Q3 - Special Issue

SP EC IAL

Metal: Hellsinger • Omega Strikers • Gunfire Reborn 2 0 22 3R D • MOBILE PC • STEAM DECK • PLAYSTATION 5 • XBOX S/X • VR • SWITCH QU AR TE R IS SU E

Core Gaming for Core Gamers

CYBERPUNK 2077 GETS AN UPGRADE

We’re back in Night City thanks to patch 1.6 and Netflix’s Edgerunners.

Will this be 2022’s Game of the Year?

September 2022

KEEP O N

GAM ING, GAM ERS

Breath of the Wild 2

Is it a true sequel? Do the weapons still break?

Will Scott stick with skeleton arms over swords?

Guild Wars 2 - Revisited

We logged back in, dusted off our characters, installed some mods, and bought too much DLC

And So Much More Too!

• Jon’s Return to Monkey Island was a Real Treasure • Interview: Gaming Chairs with Nicholas De Leon • S. Beckett Takes Us Back through Gaming History • Beau Asks: AI for Self Driving Cars or NPCs?

volume one

04

www.frogpants.com

• Google Cancels Stadia, As Everyone Expected • We Sit Down with Artanis at McDonald’s • CORE’S Complete Bathroom Etiquette Guide

00334 09292022

What happens in Night City, stays in Night City...except on CORE After a rocky launch with numerous bugs and some time for the hype dust to settle, CORE finally goes all in on Cyberpunk 2077. Although the game was released close to two years ago, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the lively show discussions.

With each host playing the game in their own style, leading to different outcomes, relationships, romances, and endings, you are definitely going to want to read what they had to say about Scott’s potential Game of the Year for 2022. Yes, you read that right.

Join Jon, Beau, and Scott in their deep dive into all things Cyperpunk 2077 on page 13.

“10 OUT OF 10” - SCOTT JOHNSON, F R O G PA N T S

DISASSEMBLE SPACE SHIPS TO EARN A LIVING SALVAGE VALUABLE MATERIALS FROM DERELICT VESSELS

UPGRADE YOUR TOOLKIT WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECH GAIN ACCESS TO NEW LASERS, DEMO CHARGES, AND MORE!

CAN YOU CUT IT OUT HERE IN HARDSPACE?

September 2022

13

Contact CORE the Magazine Taz Publishing, Inc. 1234 Main Street, Anytown, USA 56789 Advertising 202. 555. 0198 Editorial 202. 555. 0168 E-mail: CoreOnline@email.com FAX 202. 555. 0184 If you have questions about a subscription, please contact us.

Customer Service 202. 555. 0154 Customer Service fax 202. 555. 0100 E-mail: CoreOnline@email.com with “Core Magazine” as the subject line

Editorial editor-in-chief Taz managing editor Taz features editor Taz reviews editor Taz art director editor Taz new media editor Taz Editorial Contributors Scott Johnson, Jon Jagger, Beau Schwartz Photography Taz

The Core Discussion

CORE’s big look into Cyberpunk 2077. Featuring talk about who romanced who, Keanu Reeves’ performance, the new Netflix anime show from Studio Trigger, Edgerunners, and more!

17

Advertising advertising manager Taz advertising coordinator Taz ad assistant Taz

Production production director Taz production coordinator Taz graphic designer Taz

Taz Publishing, Inc. publisher Taz circulation director Taz single copy sales director Taz circulation analyst Taz newsstand sales manager Taz vice president/CFO Taz president Taz

Thank You Scott, Jon, and Beau for the countless laughs over the years.

It was an honor making this.

Left: Nintendo gives us a tease of Breath of the Wild: Tears of the Kingdom and Scott and Jon get into a debate on what a sequel is. Right: Return to Monkey Island with Ron Gilbert, Guybrush Threepwood, and the rest of the lovable crew.

9 MEET CORE & FROGPANTS

18

Learn more about CORE and the Frogpants Podcast Network

13 THE CORE DISCUSSION 19

16 PREVIEWS AND REVIEWS

20

S e p te m b e r 2022

CORE dives into the rich world of Cyberpunk 2077 and Edgerunners

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

INTRODUCING

Featuring: Breath of the Wild 2, Return to Monkey Island, and Guild Wars 2

19 INTERVIEWS The exclusive interview with Artanis

20 THE CORE SPECIAL Top Left: CORE checks in on Guild Wars 2 after a hiatus.

Top Right: Scott and Jon do a surprise interview with Arty.

Bottom: CORE’s bathroom hygiene guide for anyone who asked, even though it’s obvious that nobody did.

The bathroom etiquette guide that nobody asked for, but we did anyway

23 JULY REWIND Revisit the best stories from July

29 AUGUST REWIND

23

Revisit the best stories from August

33 DEAR MARTHA Jon takes us back in time with letters and reviews from gaming magazines that have long been forgotten about

29

37 GAMES WE’VE PLAYED A summary of the games that CORE has been playing this month plus Scott’s top games of the year so far

41 THE BEAU ZONE Prioritizing artificial intelligence, lying game directors, and Corpo Beau

Top Left: The best of July kicking off with Gordian Quest.

Top Right: More July highlights with PowerWash Simulator.

Bottom: August stories featuring Diablo IV and Skyrim VR.

45 GAMER GRANDMA Grandma Jagger is back to try and make sense of all that we talked about

5

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

CORE! Core gaming for Core gamers

S e p te m b e r 2022

Scott Johnson

Jon Jagger

Beau Schwartz

The face behind all of your favorite shows from Frogpants Studios, Scott hosts CORE with Jon and Beau. His love of video games is unparalleled and is instantly recognized in all his shows, especially CORE. Through his vast gaming experiences, Scott’s perspective is knowledgeable, relatable, and thanks to his famous analogies, easily understood. You’ll find that what makes CORE different from other video game podcasts is the craftsmanship that Scott has perfected in his years of podcasting, with a sincere, dedicated discussion to a variety of topics that are entertaining, enlightening, and worthwhile.

Time and time again, Jon is the voice of reason on the CORE podcast, reigning in Scott’s whimsical, fun opinions and Beau’s intense enthusiasm. His down to earth and quiet nature, along with a wide breadth of knowledge of topics spanning from MMOs, Star Wars, comics, Final Fantasy, and more helps ground the show’s conversation. With that being said, some of the show’s best moments is when Jon goes off the rails when you were least expecting it.

The resident VR gamer of CORE, Beau brings a passionate dedication to each episode. With his appreciation for rich, immersive gameplay and complex mechanics, his insight and discussion enables the show to have a strong and well rounded feel. Oftentimes Beau will explore the bigger picture of games and the gaming industry as a whole, leading to some thought provoking and interesting discussion among the three hosts. Other times, he’s been known to occasionally share a little too much info, thus leading the group on a wild, but hilarious and memorable tangent.

Scott plays almost everything out there, just look at his Steam history.

Here is a sample of his games: Hardspace Shipbreaker, Red Dead Redemption, Rogue Legacy 2, Steamworld Dig 2, Lawn Mowing Simulator, and countless others.

Jon is currently playing through the entirety of the Final Fantasy franchise and can be found playing other games such as: Fortnite, Magnum Opus, and on occasion Resident Evil or other horror games.

Sadly, he has still yet to play Orc Massage despite his Twitch chat’s strong desires.

You can find Beau playing games such as: Heroes of the Storm, Half Life: Alyx, Skyrim VR, Metal Hell Singer, Divinity II, Warhammer: Vermintide, Farthest Frontier, and exploring the latest virtual reality offerings such as VRchat.

“So happy I found this podcast! Love the fact that you guys talk about all video games, not just console specific video games. Love the banter, knowledge, and difference of opinions between Scott, Jon & Beau...”

- Apple Podcast Reviews 9

Frogpants Studios Video games, movies, comics, and more.

There’s a show for everyone!

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

MEETING

S e p te m b e r 2022

Hosted by Scott Johnson and Brian Dunaway! From the hosts of The Final Score, BOOP, Filmsack, and ExtraLife Radio, comes a show that does one simple thing: Covers retro video games! If you’re into that sort of thing, you know who you are.

Scott and Kim Johnson chat about life, family, marriage, food, dogs, and everything else that happens to come up in the moment.

Hosts Scott, Jon, and Beau, are CORE gamers who love gaming and passionate discussion about games and all its connected tissue! This will be something you can’t wait to download every week.

TMS is the Frogpants morning show, but not like the kind you’re used to. Join Scott Johnson and Brian Ibbott 4 days a week! Great guests, great laughs, and all kinds of stupid stuff awaits you here.

Join Scott, Brian, Randy and Brian each and every week as they tackle a gem of a film from the archives of movie history and rip it apart on the air. Trust me, this is one show you don’t want to miss!

Scott Johnson’s personal audio diary, a solo show whose topics cover anything under the sun.

And knowing Scott, it can literally be anything.

Currently on hiatus – Hosted by Scott Johnson and Brian Dunaway! Indie video games news, views, and more!

Currently on hiatus – A live Frogpants Network custom D&D campaign!

With Scott, Beau, Jon, Kristen, and Kyle!

You can follow the Frogpants Network on a variety of internet platforms:

@scottjohnson

Frogpants Studios

r/frogpants

FROGPANTS

@FrogPants

Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson 24

10

Beau Schwartz, the streamer formerly known as G0R4TH If you’re into ARPGs like Grim Dawn, complex strategy games such as Farthest Frontier, and any number of VR games like Skyrim VR, Half Life: Alyx, and VRchat then look no further because Beau has you covered!

As a core PC gamer with a dedication for strong narratives, compelling gameplay, and the occasional poo joke, his streams are always entertaining, relaxing, and thought provoking.

Check him out on Twitch today!

Virtual Reality Games

Strategy Games

Chair Streams

In Cyberpunk 2077, you play as V, a mercenary whose story, appearance, and life choices are all up to you.

CORE HACKS INTO

CYBERPUNK

2077 Episode 330 - 334 | September 2022

After patiently waiting for years from the initial game announcement to the multiple delays from CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 finally launched on December 10, 2020. The game unplayable. That was the experience during the rough launch that was riddled with game crashing bugs, numerous graphical and performance issues, and too many other gameplay nightmares. CORE’s anticipation for the long sought “game of the year” was shattered in an instant. Scott and Jon were disappointed, but not nearly as much as Beau. He had been studying the world of cyberpunk in the TTRPG, getting familiar with the concepts, mechanics, and the overall setting of living in a future where if you wanted to be relevant, you would need to upgrade your human body from

organic flesh to cutting edge machinery. It would be close to a year and half later before all three of them would step back into that futuristic world. While the game continued to slowly improve from when it launched, but CORE had moved onto covering the next best games and had shoved Cyberpunk 2077 to the back burner. As time passed and the game was patched, Scott, Jon, and Beau would test it out here and there but never fully committed to the game. That was until now. With the release of patch 1.6 and the new Netflix anime, Edgerunners, from Studio Trigger, CORE is all in on the violent, tech centric world of Night City and Cyberpunk 2077.

Beau has already finished the game, with Scott and Jon knee deep in the intense action.

“[Edgerunners] got me and I was not interested in playing Cyberpunk again.” - Jon

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine S e p te m b e r 2022

The game, which takes place in Night City, is filled with corporate corruption, organized gang violence, and people attempting to survive their harsh and unforgiving reality. These ideas are fully represented in Edgerunners. For example where the characters go, which mods they get, and what they do can be done in the actual game. This ability sparked Jon to give Cyberpunk another try after binging the Netflix show. “That anime is so good.

I watched the entire thing in one day.” However, just like the game having a history of being haunted by bugs, Jon ran into trouble. After updating the game, it would not load in Steam on his PC despite him trying just about everything. He was eventually able to bypass the issue by buying and playing it on Good Old Games, and then did the unthinkable.

He formatted his computer. It still wouldn’t launch on Steam, but continued to run fine on GOG. Scott, who also had a few technical hiccups with the latest updates, but not to the level of Jon, has been playing on his PC, Xbox, and Steam Deck thanks to the new cloud saving feature added in with patch 1.6. Having the ability to play both on his Xbox and Steam Deck with relatively no issue while the PC version works itself out has made a world of difference for. And like Beau and Jon, Scott has been steeped into the story and universe of both the show and game. “...There have been some moments in this thing where I was really transfixed by what they were doing and it’s usually the moments where they had gone far into...you entering cyberspace by jacking into some computer or you getting...ripper doc’d getting a...new whatever.

It’s the moments where they really just dive into that’s the culture, everyone’s augmented except these monks they have it all torn out of them...These sort of concepts and world build’y stuff are really working for me.”

Part of the reason why CORE has been loving Cyberpunk has to be the compelling and diverse cast of people in the game. From the get go, you are surrounded by and interact with some of the most dynamic characters in awhile, including everyone’s favorite Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves. With Reeves’ iconic look modeled in game, you initially think he’ll be similar to his role as Neo from The Matrix. Turns out it is quite the opposite. Johnny is a foul mouthed tough guy with a jagged edge but with some clever story bits, is able to get inside your head. Over time his character develops more and you come to find out that he isn’t just this shallow trope of being another hot head. Other characters include Judy, a techie with an anarchist attitude, Panam, a strong willed mercenary who has had a rough past, and Jackie Welles, the troubled family man. And with this being an RPG, you can try your luck at romancing them.

DISCUSSING

Set in the same world as the game, Edgerunners, follows a set of different characters such as David Martinez and Lucy, voiced by Zach Aguilar and Emi Lo.

You come across quite the range of people in Cyberpunk 2077, including the tough Panam Palmer, the punky Judy Álvarez, and the loyal Jackie Welles.

If you’re lucky you, can bang one of them in a tank like in Beau’s play. through.

14

All in all, CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is a worthwhile game no matter which platform you play it on. Although it has had its fair share of issues, they stuck with it and didn’t give up on what they promised.

With the release of Edgerunners and patch 1.6, the game is having a resurgence and has recently been a top seller on Steam. They also announced that there would be an expansion out in 2023 that would be on par with the scale of the Witcher 3 DLC. If that’s the case, the future looks pretty bright for a game that had a dark and stormy beginning. We’ll see if it’s Scott’s game of the year come December.

On episode 333, the three of them summarized it quite nicely with the following quote:

Beau: “Sometimes it’s not what we do, but it’s what we do after what we do that really matters.”

Scott: “That’s right, that’s what my mom used to say. She’d say, ‘it’s not about the dump you’re taking, but the toilet paper you pull the right direction’.”

Beau: “Really? Is that’s real? That sounds real.”

Jon: “Yes, that’s an actual mom’ism!”

Scott: “She said, ‘it’s not about how you poop honey, it’s how you wipe.’ Is what she’d say.”

Jon: “Really? That’s an interesting saying.”

Beau: “It’s just like, I like the wisdom, it’s kind of gross.”

Scott: “It’s very gross!”

Breath of the Wild 2: Tears of the Kingdom

Nintendo finally teases the latest game in the iconic Legend of Zelda franchise.

Episode 331 September 15, 2022

Nintendo Switch Nintendo Nintendo EPD May 12, 2023 Japan

S e p te m b e r 2022

Platform: Publisher: Developer: Release Date: Origin:

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

PREVIEWING

T

he Nintendo Direct on September 13 finally revealed more details on the sequel to the huge hit, Breath of the Wild. The Legend of Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom is a direct follow up to the previous game, after much debate between Scott and Jon. While details are still sparse, they did show a teaser trailer that depicted ominous ruins about Princess Zelda, as well as Link skydiving between floating islands that looked to be above the Kingdom of Hyrule. There were a few

“...They have been saying Breath of the Wild 2 and now that game has a title...”

“Is it a sequel?”

“Yes.” “How do we know this?”

“Because it is.”

- Jon and Scott

Tears of the Kingdom is believed to take place in the cloud realm above the lands of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild.

instances of Link climbing vines and scaling large, floating blocks but no weapons so far.

All three hosts have a Nintendo Switch and own Breath of the Wild, while Beau has yet to play it. Jon and Scott have yet to finish it and have found the weapon system to be frustrating enough to not want to continue playing, despite the game’s numerous awards and listener appeals.

Scott, who is notoriously on record for fighting monsters with a skeleton arm, one of the weakest weapons in the game, just needs to make it out of the starting area and will discover the weapons are fine and don’t break that often.

It has yet to be revealed whether or not the controversial breakable weapon system from Breath of the Wild will be in the 2023 sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.

16

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

Return to Monkey Island

S e p te m b e r 2022

Episode 333 September 23, 2022

R

Explore Melee Island with old friends and several new faces.

17

eturn to the fun puzzle filled adventure world of Monkey Island with the latest game in the beloved series.

Ron Gilbert, the original creator of the Monkey Island games, is back for another swashbuckling endeavor.

Reunite with most of the original voice actors, including Dominic Armato as Guybrush Threepwood and Alexandra Boyd as Elaine Marley.

This love letter of a game is perfect for fans who have played the series before and will be sure to delight new players with its witty humor and delightful yet challenging puzzles. If you haven’t played any of the other games, don’t worry because Return to Monkey Island includes the story from the other games to catch you up to speed. This surprisingly emotional journey is a must have for fans of the series and those who love adventure games.

The real treasures of Monkey Island were the friends that we made while playing these games over the years.

Platform: Publisher: Developer: Release Date: Origin:

All Platforms Devolver Digital Terrible Toybox September 19, 2022 USA & Europe

“This game has one of my favorite endings of all time because it just leans into the history.”

- Jon

Navigate this story driven swashbuckling adventure as Guybrush Threepwood, a mighty yet clumsy pirate.

Guild Wars 2 Episode 330 September 5, 2022 Episode 331 September 8, 2022

J

on, Scott, and Beau all had a small break in the games they had been playing and jumped back into Guild Wars 2, since they’ve had that itch to play an MMO. After playing Final Fantasy XIV, World of Warcraft, and a few other MMOs over the years, they had forgotten just how fun, laid back, and organic this game is. The art style makes it feel a little dated, but with a few shader mods it looked solid for what it was.

End of Dragons, the third and most recent expansion pack for Guild Wars 2, released on February 22, 2022

Turns out Guild Wars 2 is still going strong all these years later, who knew?

Platform: Publisher: Developer: Release Date: Origin:

S e p te m b e r 2022

Episode 329 August 25, 2022

PC NCSoft ArenaNet August 28, 2012 USA

What the three of them all enjoyed the most was how the game didn’t feel like you had to be doing something or crossing items off a checklist; you could play it how you wanted to, at your own pace, and you didn’t have to devote all your attention to it.

Guild Wars 2’s world not only encouraged organic exploration, but rewarded you for doing so.

They came across a few NPCs that would have dynamic events, such as a traveling caravan that would move through the zone, even if you decided to join them on their quest or not.

It was a worthwhile experience and they wish they had more time to continue playing on a regular basis.

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

REVIEWING

Rediscovering ancient dragons is one of the main aspects in the current story.

18

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

Interview with a

PROTOSS Bonus Pre-Show Episode 332: - September 15, 2022

S e p te m b e r 2022

Here are some highlights from the interview between Scott, Jon, and Artanis via VRchat: Artanis: “Greetings friend, Johnson. And Greetings friend, Jagger” Jon: “Hi Artanis...”

Scott: “Ok, so hold on a second, why is there a Mcdonald’s on the background of Artanis’ thing? Explain, Artanis, why.

Artanis: “I have come to the Terran homeworld to find allies.

The Zerg menace has returned, Zeratul is nowhere to be found.” ...

Scott: “Ok hold on, Mr. Artanis, I have a question. How many interceptors can you fit in one carrier when it has arrived?

How many interceptors” Jon: “Are you quizzing him on the mechanics?”

Artanis: “Typical carriers hold ten, but my great carrier can hold a great many...sixty-nine.”

Scott: “Sixty-nine, alright that makes sense, nice.”

Artanis: “It’s a nice amount.” ...

Artanis: “Can I purchase anything from the McDonald’s for you?”

Scott: “No, I had Burger King today. I feel like I’ve betrayed you by eating at the competitor.”

Jon: “You can’t do two fast food places in one day.”

Artanis: “I have no loyalty to any fast food chains.” ...

Scott: “Before you leave us, I believe you hold the key to intergalactic peace. Would you share that with our audience...What do we have to do to maintain it?”

Artanis: “I make no such proclamations. I take each day as it comes and try to find the greatest wisdom to move forward. I suggest Earth closes all of its Mcdonald’s, it’s not healthy and nutritious.” ...

Artanis: “And I leave you with these words to depart.

‘My life for Auir.’”

“You should improve your attitude about VR, it is like the Khala.”

- Artanis, leader of the Daelaam

CORE SPECIAL: Gaming Chairs with Nicholas De Leon Episode: September 23, 2022

19

Scott Johnson interviewed Consumer Reports’ Nicholas De Leon for a discussion about his recent article about gaming chairs.

De Leon talks about their findings of which chairs were the real deal, which ones didn’t cut it, and which were the best one on

the market. De Leon and Consumer Reports provide a thorough guide while considering budget, weight, comfortability, and appearance.

This is perfect for any gamer looking to upgrade their current gaming or desk chair this upcoming holiday season. Be sure to check it out!

Herman Miller’s Embody Gaming Chair

CORE BATHROOM ETIQUETTE GUIDE For those of us that aren’t, here is a special guide for three unique situations that you might find yourself in one day. We know nobody asked for this, but we thought it would be worthwhile if we shared our advice anyway.

You never know when it might come in handy. If it does just be sure to thank your favorite video game focused show, CORE, where the discussion is always certain to veer off course and wind up talking about poo.

SWIMMING IN A LAKE

S e p te m b e r 2022

No matter who you are or where you go, we all have to play the same dreaded game of finding out where the bathroom is and what to do when we get there. This is easier said than done and some of us are pros at it.

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

THE COMPLETE

Episode 323 - July 14, 2022

If you ever find yourself having to answer nature’s call while swimming in a lake, fear not! Just take off your swimsuit while treading water and “fertilize the seaweed”, as Beau would say. You’ll have to figure out the toilet paper situation on your own. Just be sure that you are not near any people or any other signs of civilization, because if you are you could simply go in the nearest toilet.

IN THE SHOWER?

Episode 290 - November 11, 2021 Sometimes life’s surprises aren’t so pleasant as Jon found out one day. If you’re going to the bathroom with a potential romantic partner and you’re asked to stand in the shower while they do their business, never bring it up. Ever. It’s best for the both of you.

AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE Episode 331 - September 8, 2022 As gamers, we’re used to thinking on our feet and improvising in certain situations. When you’ve gotta go and you can’t make it home, be like Mario and find your nearest pipe. Construction sites are your best bet and the cover of darkness helps when you have to go “visit the Mushroom Kingdom”. Just be sure that to do your business outside of view from any family members, they’ll be fine in the car.

20

Live Modern.

Play Retro.

Get the best of both worlds with the new Valve Steam Deck.

The Deck’s ability to run award winning, rich graphic games like Assassin’s Creed: Origins, with smooth frame rates or classic, yet difficult to find hits such as Drilldozer is second to none. The new Steam Deck can do it all!

Catch The Play Retro Podcast with Scott Johnson and Brian Dunaway every week to hear which retro game they’re playing and how it’s running on their Steam Decks!

Visit frogpants.com/playretro to learn more.

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

JULY 2022 On a Gordian Quest

S e p te m b e r 2022

Episode 322 - July 8, 2022

What happens when you combine Slay the Spire Diablo III, and Path of Exile? You get a crazy good, easy-to-play card combat game called Gordian Quest.

With nine different classes and an unbelievable amount of play style options through talent and ability systems, this game should be on your must play list.

The amount of content in this game is surprising! Not only does it offer a variety of classes with unique gameplay, but it also has a relaxed reward system that doesn’t feel like a chore, a beefy four act story mode, challenging end game content like Diablo III rifts, and even a PvP mode. Not to mention it also has JRPG and D&D mechanics too! Despite being somewhat unknown, it is the complete package.

Inside on GamePass

VRchat is Very Weird

Jon’s favorite indie game, Inside, is now available on GamePass. With it’s compelling narrative, rich and detailed characters, and immersive environment players are sure to be absolutely stunned by this epic experience. Hold on, wait a second. That’s Limbo, Playdead’s other game that isn’t’, “up its own ass indie.” Although Inside may not live up to the hype from the developer’s previous game, it is a quick play through that has some interesting and dark ideas at play with an ambiguous ending. 10/10.

Imagine a world where you can be anyone, do just about anything, go anywhere, and do it completely in virtual reality. Add in the best and worst parts of the internet and you have VRchat, a VR hangout space.

Beau played it and ended up dancing with a little anime girl as Megatron at a club. You never know what or who you might come across while in VRchat, such as Pepsi-Man!

Renowned indie game Inside from Playdead is a 2016 side scroller where you control a young boy in a mysterious adventure.

In VRchat you can be just about anything imaginable, including Pepsi-Man or bodybuilders riding barbells like cars.

Episode 324 - July 21, 2022

23

Gordian Quest features several complex systems, that look intimidating at first, but are simple and well rewarding.

Episode 323 - July 14, 2022

Episode 324 - July 21, 2022 After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Scott finally received his brand new Valve Steam Deck.

The Deck, which has a sturdy quality to it, is surprisingly big.

Your experience with the top bumper buttons may vary depending on your hand size.

Overall, the first impression is overwhelmingly positive.

The most impressive aspect of the Steam Deck thus far is how well it works with your Steam Library. Having the ability to play most of the games that you own on a handheld device is an incredible experience.

Scott tried out Gordion Quest, Dirt Rally 2, Alba, Cat Quest 2, RoboQuest, Gunfire Reborn, and Aperture Desk Job, to name a few.

Another surprising aspect of the Deck is it’s ability to run emulation software and play retro games with ease. Adding ROMs to the system is pretty straightforward and painless with the Linux operating system.

If you’re a fan of retro gaming you definitely need to get one.

“This is an amazing retro device...That’s now my go to retro device and I don’t think I need anything else ever again.” - Scott

S e p te m b e r 2022

Scott’s Steam Deck First Impressions (Hint: He Loves It)

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

HIGHLIGHTING

The Steam Deck is surprisingly large for a handheld. It is bigger than a Nintendo Switch, feels robust, and has a nice, sturdy quality to it and the joysticks.

Heroes of the Storm Sadly Has Gone Into Maintenance Mode...

Episode 322 - July 8, 2022

Blizzard finally put the nail in the coffin to Heroes of the Storm, announcing that there would be no additional updates and that the game would enter a maintenance mode, similar to Starcraft 2’s current status.

Although the writing was on the wall for awhile now, this is a big blow to fans of the game. Since its release in 2015, Heroes of the Storm was a solid game in the MOBA genre, but it didn’t pull in the revenue that Activision-Blizzard wanted. CORE owes everything to Heroes, for it would not be a show without it. Beau first met Scott and Jon while playing matches with the Into the Nexus podcast community and the rest is history, much like this beloved game. Although the show has since evolved beyond covering just Heroes of the Storm, this game will still be number one to CORE.

24

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

Diablo Immortal

S e p te m b e r 2022

Diablo Immortal earned more than $100 million in revenue in 8 weeks.

Episode 325 July 28, 2022 After launching on June 2, Diablo Immortal has now earned over $100 million after eight weeks. In comparison, Riot’s mobile MOBA, Wild Rift has earned over $500 million in revenue since October 2020. CORE speculates that as mobile games continue to generate a ridiculous amount of money versus console games, more studios like Blizzard and Riot will have a larger mobile presence.

25

They simply cannot ignore the amount of money that they’re currently earning from them, as well as how much they could make with more resources dedicated to the booming mobile market. This shift could be similar to how the music industry has transitioned from using only physical media, to now being a mostly digital format. Although this is speculation, it’s hard to argue why companies would not want to get into mobile gaming.

“If you’re the company earning $100 million in revenue in eight weeks and there’s a bunch of nerds outside your building going ‘you shouldn’t do this.’ ...Are you going to listen those chumps outside?

No.” - Beau

Diablo Immortal features multiple in-game micro transaction opportunities that can provide power and cosmetic options.

GAMESTORE’Y TIME

HE WAS A SK8TR BEAU

POWERWASH SIMULATOR

FROMSOFT’S SURPRISE GIFT

Ep. 326. Jon and Scott look back fondly on their time spent working for video game and electronics stores many years ago and share some hilarious stories.

Ep. 323. EA announces Skate 4 will be free to play. CORE’s resident skater, Beau, predicts the cosmetic micro transactions will reflect actual skate culture showing off their new gear.

Ep. 323. Finally, PowerWash Simulator is out of early access and is now on Xbox GamePass.

Scott, CORE’s chore core gaming expert says, “[It’s] an amazing, zen like experience.”

Ep. 322. FromSoftware surprised the infamous “Let me solo her” player with an awesome gift box complete with an actual Elden Ring sword for their countless Malenia charity runs.

RoboCop: Rogue City

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

HIGHLIGHTING

S e p te m b e r 2022

Episode 322 - July 8, 2022 Finally RoboCop is returning with a new game.

You become the iconic crime fighting figure, complete with all of the targeting reticles, HUD displays, and voice lines from Peter Weller, the original RoboCop. As excited as Jon is for this, he has his doubts.

“How do you make playing as RoboCop as a first person shooter cool?...His whole MO is you walk in and he gets shot a bunch but it doesn’t hurt him because he’s RoboCop. And then he slowly aims his gun at people and shoots them. If you’re going to be authentic to that, that’s not very exciting. But if you get too far away from it...now you don’t feel like RoboCop.” His consensus is that he thinks he wants it, but isn’t quite certain he does. Scott, on the other hand, is completely all in on all of this, with no fear of how clunky the game might be.

RoboCop: Rogue City is set to release June 2023.

Will the world of RoboCop translate into a compelling game? Who knows but it looks pretty bad ass.

“...I love Peter Weller walking around going, ‘drp yrr wepn.

Stp. Officr Mrppy.’

Just his whole thing, his whole vibe is one of my favorite things ever. ”- Scott

4 BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE LA

LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR

BEAU BOUGHT ORC MASSAGE

THE CHURCH OF NIER AUTOMATA

Ep. 322. A group of FFXIV players have set up billboards around Los Angeles for an in-game party. This was done without the dev’s permission and now the legal party begins...

Ep. 325. Everyone’s favorite (ok mainly just Scott’s) grass cutting sim is now free on the Epic Games store! Now get out there and smell that fresh cut virtual grass!

Ep. 324. Beau admitted to buying and playing the long sought game by CORE listeners, Orc Massage. Sadly the game was not the meme worthy sexy experience we wanted it to be.

Ep. 325. The peculiar story of the player who somehow entered the church has ended.

After fan theories and countless attempts to replicate it, the player revealed it was all just a mod.

26

Craftless Rogue, or better known as, Jon Jagger It’s probably not often that a Twitch streamer makes their profile in the middle of the night and for good reason, they might make a username they’ll regret. Not Jon. His laid back, chill streams live up to his name as he’s been playing through the entirety of the Final Fantasy series. He typically has a few warm up games of Fortnite or a topical game for CORE while chatting about Star Wars, Spider-Man, and life.

Give Jon a follow on Twitch and check out one of his streams.

Final Fantasy

Fortnite

Just Chatting

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

AUGUST 2022

S e p te m b e r 2022

Half Life: Alyx is the Pinnacle of VR Episode 327 - August 11, 2022

Beau finished Half Life: Alyx and according to him, it is the current benchmark for virtual reality video games. Alyx features riveting storytelling with, at times, otherworldly environments that are all compounded when you factor in the dynamic interactions with the characters in this 3D space.

No other game has come close to the polish that Valve has put into this game. Also as a result from finishing the game, Beau speculates that a sequel is in the works to continue the Half Life story.

Pac-Man the Movie Episode 329 - August 25, 2022

A live-action Pac-Man movie is currently being developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment and Wayfarer Studios. Jon, who is on record of being a big fan of Pac-Man (so much that he has Pac-Man emojis for subscribers on his Twitch channel) is worried that they’ll drop the ball on this like his appearance in Pixels, Guardians of the Galaxy Pt. 2, and Wreck It Ralph. However, Scott and Beau would like them to make it for adults and go full weird by having to ‘Activate Pac-Man’ to defend the Earth from giant kaiju-esque ghosts.

29

Released in 2020, Half Life: Alyx is Beau’s current front runner for game of the year for 2022.

Jon’s All In On FFXIV’s 6.1 Update

Episode 329 - August 25, 2022 Final Fantasy XIV’s Newfound Adventure 6.1 patch has Jon over the moon, he’s been playing as much as he can when he can these days!

Unlike previous MMOs (we won’t name any names but you know the one) he’s excited about nearly every aspect of this patch and for good reason too. This update is massive.

Additions include new raids, new dungeons, new trials, a new PVP season, and even an island sanctuary which is essentially an Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley minigame.

Microsoft and Sony’s FPS Beef

S e p te m b e r 2022

Beau Mods Skyrim

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

HIGHLIGHTING

Episode 329 August 25, 2022

Episode 326 - August 4, 2022 Sony has criticized the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard King by claiming that Call of Duty, an Activision property, is too big and will lead to a decrease in competition. Their argument is that Call of Duty, the FPS military shooter, is a brand that is on par with the likes of Star Wars, Marvel, and Game of Thrones. If MS were to own it, it would not be financially viable for new entries into this dominated genre. This argument probably won’t have any real affect on the merger, especially since Sony announced that they would be buying Destiny, which is also an FPS game.

Another major military shooter, Battlefront, is on PlayStation consoles but apparently that didn’t come up in their reasoning either.

With a lot of time left for the merger to take place, Scott suspects we’ll see more news stories like this pop up as competitors try to make some noise and do anything they can to slow it down. You could say that this feels like the console wars of old, but with big brands trying to one up each other with positivity instead of bashing one another about hardware and “blast processing” performance capabilities.

“That spider that fell off the ceiling, when I went to bed that night... it just kept entering my head... A giant spider descending on my bed and lifting me up into the ceiling and eating me...It was really impactful.” - Beau

“And a giant boss version just comes descending above my head and I’m like ‘ahhh!’” - Beau

Beau went full VR and added over 500 mods to Skyrim VR to get the full dovahkiin experience. Among them included extra scary spiders, violent death animations, and even a no clothes mod where you’ll suddenly be naked...just like that reoccurring nightmare you had in high school.

30

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

Gamescom 2022

The killer clowns from, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game, release date 2023.

S e p te m b e r 2022

Where Winds Meet, release date to be determined.

Episode 329 - August 25, 2022 The news out of Gamescom this year was somewhat all over the place. There were quite a few flashy trailers with next gen graphics and sweeping visuals, but little to no other details given for games like Everywhere and Atlas Fallen. Dune Awakening, a new survival MMORPG looks promising, but we will have to wait for more details from Funcom on its development. The biggest surprise came from Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game, a survival squad based shooter akin to Left 4 Dead. And of course we cannot forget to mention that Geoff Keighley revealed the next contender to compete for best game title since Old World with, Where Winds Meet, a visually stunning open world ARPG from Everstone Studio.

31

“How about, Where Winds Meet?

Alright, now let’s try not to be jaded old gamers who have heard every dumb title ever.”

“Obviously immediately I thought, ‘between the cheeks’.”

- Scott and Jon

STEAM DECK EYESTRAIN

RANKING THE ENTERPRISE

ONE D&D TO RULE THEM ALL

SCOTT’S WEIRD EGGS

Ep. 326. Scott admits that he hasn’t be able to put his new Steam Deck down and that it has started to cause him some eyestrain. The positive here is that he’s mowed a ton of lawns.

Ep. 327. Jon excitedly shares his Star Trek Enterprise ship rankings that he did on his Twitch stream, much to the dismay of Beau, who was distracted and daydreaming.

Ep. 334. Beau outlines the new One D&D announcement and gives his thoughts on it from a DM perspective and how these updates could impact There Will Be Dungeons.

Ep. 328. The CORE hosts talk about their go to cooking recipes.

Mad scientist Scott retells how he concocts a scrambled egg and ranch mixture that explodes in the microwave.

Diablo IV’s Dark Update

“[Diablo II] was dark as in not well lit.

Diablo was insanely red when he showed up, you just couldn’t see him until he was two inches in front of you and then you were like ‘oh jeez, red devil!’”- Jon

Diablo 4 Sorceress with muted colors.

S e p te m b e r 2022

Episode 328 - August 18, 2022 Blizzard announced a few news updates to Diablo IV, the next game in the storied franchise. These updates include the return of seasons, a battle pass system, and a cosmetic shop. Seasons will work similarly to Diablo III and Diablo II: Resurrected.

They are currently planning on having three to four a year.

The battle pass system will not feature any power rewards as far as we know.

Blizzard has yet to reveal an in-depth look into the free and paid systems, so time will tell. This new system

along with the cosmetic shop, have the CORE hosts worried that Blizzard may not provide a rich enough gaming experience for players who do not purchase the battle pass. Players could be limited in how their character looks, which could lead to feeling pressure to spend more on a game they’ve already paid for.

On top of this speculation, Jon is not a fan of the dark, muted art style and color palette, going so far to say that the game has, “...a smear of poop on top of the camera and that’s what we have to look through now.” Scott, who whole heartedly disagrees, believes that the art direction is a return to the series’ roots and could not be more excited for its look and feel. How the game will look like in its final form, the impact of a cosmetic shop, and controversial battle pass are all yet to be determined as we continue to wait for its eventual release sometime in 2023.

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

HIGHLIGHTING

Diablo 3 Wizard with rich, vibrant colors.

20 MINUTES OF SOLITAIRE+

PS5’S ELITE CONTROLLER

NETFLIX HAS GAMES?

BREAKING MULTIVERSUS BAD

Ep. 327. Jon could not stop playing Solitaire+ on Apple Arcade. Yes, that’s right, Jon not only played a mobile game, but enjoyed it and would not stop talking about it!

Ep. 329. Sony unveils their version of the Xbox’s Elite controller with the Dual Sense Edge, featuring remappable buttons, customizable elements, and more for $199.99

Ep. 327. Less than 1% of Netflix’s subscribers play their platform games. 1.7 million daily active users probably don’t know Netflix offers games and we’re not surprised.

Ep. 326. CORE checks out the new Multiversus game and brainstorms their own Breaking Bad Smash Bros. game complete with Walter, Jesse, Huel, and Badger.

32

CORE Au g ust 2022 CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

DEAR MARTHA Each week Jon takes us back through video game history with a look at old letters to gaming magazines or his review of the magazine art.

S e p te m b e r 2022

Episode 331 - September 29, 2022 Electronic Gaming Monthly 196 - Jul 2005 “My dearest Martha, I come to you with a problem.

My parents won’t let me buy M-rated games, I’m underage. Despite the fact that I lack about half the awesome games out right now, my parents also continue to hinder my gaming further by taking away the internet connection to my PS2 and my PC. They don’t understand online gaming. They think it’ll expose me to things unneeded for my development.

Help! My ‘rents suck.”

- Steve M. “My dear Steve M., if only there were more parents out there like yours, Steve. Now, be a good little tot and stay away from the big people games. Yours forever.”

- Martha.

Beau: J & S: Beau: Scott: Beau: Scott: Jon:

“Be a good little top?”

“Tot!” “Oh tot, okay.”

“What did you think? Todd?”

“Top. Top, like BDSM talk.”

“Oh jeez!”

“You know like a spinning toy, but Beau was like ‘no, bondage.’”

Scott: “...after Orc Massage, nothing’s

the same.”

33

Episode 334 - September 30, 2022 Electronic Gaming Monthly 5 - Dec 1989 “My dearest, Martha. As I continue my jaunt through time, I write to you with another gem of a magazine. This one being Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 5 from December 20 or as it advertises on the cover the ‘1989 buyer’s guide.”

The magazine featured the very modern trope of awarding ‘best ofs’ for the year that was. Ghouls and Ghosts got the top nod, Ninja Gaidan won for best Nintendo game, Wonder Boy 3 won for best Sega game, and something called The Legendary Axe won for best TurboGrafx game. But as I am a time traveler and not an old, I have no idea what that is.

Perhaps my favorite award was Tetris winning ‘Most Exciting New Theme in a Game’. Which I assumed was for the very catchy, ‘dunn da da dunn da da dunn da da dunn da da dunn da dun dun dun dunn dunn,’ Tetris music...but reading the text for the award I think they might have meant ‘genre?’ Either way buckle up because it’s going to stick around for a very long time.

S e p te m b e r 2022

Now every letter I do like to select a favorite A little thing that bugged me though, through the entire magazine was that they talked a lot about Ninja advertisement. Martha, I just couldn’t pick. Do I go with the River City Ransom ad that might be the Gaiden butmade Gaiden two words ‘gai’ and ‘den.’ most boring ad I’ve seen? Do I go with the ad for a Now, I’m not expert on things despite sometimes being held to expert expectations by others so I don’t contest that is being sponsored by a game company featuring the worst Alien knockoff I’ve know if that’s technically correct but it’s “It’s an ad for ever seen? No, as good or as bad as not what I’m used to and like most things controllers that these are I have to give the nod to the that are different and unexpected I didn’t like it. somehow makes me ad for “Joysticks by Bishu”. It’s an ad for controllers that somehow makes Considering they called this issue the ‘buyer’s guide’ you might have suspected feel like I’ve walked me feel like I’ve walked into a sex a little more recommendations on into a sex shop and shop and learned what a lot of people be into. I’m honestly at a loss how to spend your money but really learned what a lot of might for words describing it. Basically it’s a it seems like mostly a title to explain people might be into. just a bunch of controllers but they’re the issue is ninety percent previews of upcoming games. They do give a I’m honestly at a loss labeled with names like ‘hot stuff’, ‘the zinger’, ‘the zoomer’, ‘jazz stick’, or ‘the little insider advice that maybe the for words...” remote ultimate super stick’. They even Sega Master System is on the way out in light of the Genesis and the NES is still going included a bogus players seal of approval to make it all seem extra sketchy. That’s all for this one though, strong. They may be a little less accurate with their 1989 what a year. Things were just about to kick off in hype for the TurboGrafx 16, Atari Lynx, and Atari some really incredible ways. Forever Yours, S. Beckett.”

7800 previews.

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

READING

Stadia Canceled After 3 Years of Service Episode 334 - September 29, 2022

G

oogle has recently announced that Stadia, the online video game streaming service, will no longer be supported. This comes as a surprise to many developers and customers who were told

by Google on multiple occasions that it would be strongly supported for years to come. A few game developers had even made news that day stating their games would be coming to the platform.

Google has stated that everyone who has made any Stadia purchases will receive full refunds. As much as CORE doesn’t like saying ‘I told you so’, they felt that Stadia was doomed from the start based off of Google’s recent product track record with Google Glass, Google+, and Google Wave to name a few.

“They canceled it because nobody bought it, but nobody bought it because they knew [Google] would cancel it.”

- OmegaXnine, CORE Twitch chat

Rest in peace, Google Stadia. You only outlived a few other notable video game consoles such as the Virtual Boy and Ouya.

34

T H ERE E R E IS NO ES C

AFTER 30 MINUTES

CA P I N G DEATH. . .

F

ight hordes of deadly monsters laying waste to endless waves, growing more powerful with new abilities and talents. As you get stronger, so do they. How long you can survive depends on you and your load out.

Vampire Survivors has multiple ability and talent tree options for a variety of gameplay mechanics.

Mix and match skills, abilities, and avoid the creatures of the night as you battle to fight Death himself. If you’re lucky, you might survive...

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

GAMES WE’VE PLAYED

S e p te m b e r 2022

and tasks in this amazing alchemy puzzle game. The gif maker alone is worth it to try this out.

pong has simple mechanics and room for a lot of chaos and strategy with different classes, abilities, and even team drafting.

THE ASCENT Episode 331 - Beau

METAL HELLSINGER Episode 334 - Jon

A simple cyberpunk solo or co-op action shooter with fun abilities, moment to moment gameplay, and stunning environments.

We just wish it was bigger and more complete game.

Slay hell spawn to the rhythm of heavy metal music in this epic FPS. Battle through eight levels of hell, while shredding demons and music.

YOU SUCK AT PARKING Episode 332 - Scott Compete against others in this chaotic and silly racing game where the object is to be the first to park your car after avoiding dangerous obstacles. This is a must get for Steam Deck users who want a fun, challenging, and lighthearted game.

Be an electrician in Scott’s latest chore-core game.

Fix broken electronics by rewiring, changing out light bulbs, and managing circuit boards.

In this wacky, rogue-like 16 bit style game, you’re a golfer who dies and is cursed to golf in the underworld.

GRIM DAWN Episode 332 - Beau

37

Build simple machines to complete simple routines

FPS, RPG, and rogue like mechanics with satisfying shooting that results in a quick pace, but has some Sonic level interrupting dialogue moments.

ELECTRICIAN SIMULATOR Episode 333 - Scott

CURSED TO GOLF Episode 331 - Scott

OPUS MAGNUM Episode 331 - Jon

GUNFIRE REBORN Episode 331 - Jon

After getting through the first few levels, this ARPG is a solid game for fans of the genre. This criminally underrated game has buttery gameplay, cool monsters, convenient RPG features, and that has zen experience.

OMEGA STRIKERS Episode 333 - Beau

A perfect pick up and play 3v3 MOBA combat soccer

GROUNDED Episode 334 - Scott

You’ve somehow shrunk down to the size of an ant and must figure out how to live in this open world, survival game. Play with friends as you explore areas such as the backyard and gather resources along the way but be sure to watch out for spiders and other creatures now higher on the food chain.

GAMES OF THE YEAR thus far Honorable Mentions:

PRODEUS

An homage to ‘90s shooters, this modern FPS is addictive and rad.

Great music, sick graphics, with multiplayer included too!

• Rogue Legacy 2 • V Rising • Card Shark • Weird West • Red Dead Redemption 2 • Final Fantasy VII Remake • Forza Horizon 4 • Gordian Quest • Drilldozer • Dinkum • Assassin’s Creed: Origins • Forbidden West • House Flipper • Farthest Frontier • Demeo • Pokémon Pinball • You Suck At Parking • Baba is You

WARGROOVE

A classic x-com style turn based strategy game with fantastic illustrations and fun gameplay.

LAWNMOWING SIMULATOR

It is all the fun of cutting grass without ever having go outside.

A peaceful, relaxing experience, just like the chore you hate to do.

HARDSPACE: SHIPBREAKER

You get to salvage metal and other resources in outer space with lasers and explosions!

You’re going to want to get this.

CYBERPUNK 2077

The game everyone was talking about in 2020. It’s not perfect, but still is a pretty sweet time.

STEAMWORLD DIG 2

Manic metroidvania mining!

This game is a perfect sequel to incredible Steamworld Dig 1 and runs great on the Steam Deck.

As we all know the listeners never forget, so here’s the full list of games that Scott has completed thus far in 2022: • Steamworld Dig 2 (Ep. 312) • Alba* (Ep. 328) *Doesn’t count according to Jon and Beau

S e p te m b e r 2022

Scott Johnson’s

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

PLAYING

THE CORE TRACKER

SCOTT’S COMPLETED GAMES IN 2022:

2

38

Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo.

Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem.

Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga.

Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo.

Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem.

Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit

CORE

We’re working

on getting all of the patron names added...

Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem.

Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem.

Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga.

Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem.

Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem.

Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliThank you to all of our quiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quisupporters Patreon. duntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quaeon porum fuga. patreon.com/coreshow Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumenimus dolorep eliqui dolor aut haribus denim untiores dollendit, quiduntibus aut lant evenihitatus quam alit quatem que omnis auta consedite nam ut hiciis id quae porum fuga. Sedistor acesequisit opti des rem. Lorem. Piti aspelique sition etur sam doluptinihil eum quo core et et inverum que dolorestio comnis et aspitatint re etur, cullaborum si nonsece perferi cus, eri torempo ressundunt expe nos si alis doluptatur abore, aut laborem. Ut rerspid quissin istorio quam et ullest poremposam, sitat peliaer spellandus as dit Faceatus veliquam dolorernam ute reium labo. Et audi oditate nis ventius aspellor sed quamus ea volentia se del isquidelic to bla veliquiae. Nam, ommoluptis molorep erumeni-

HOUNDS

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

THE BEAU ZONE

S e p te m b e r 2022

Artificial Intelligent NPCs, Not Cars Episode 331 - September 8, 2022 Imagine how much more immersive video games could become if developers dedicated more time to building smarter NPCs. That’s the argument from Beau, who suggests that we should place more emphasis on utilizing artificial intelligence to build more complex and personal interaction in games. Currently when people think of artificial intelligence, they think of self driving cars or art programs like DALL-E Mini. Beau sees AI being used to create a web of character dialogue and

outcomes that are all dependent on the player’s choices throughout the game. “‘How do we get this car to not crash into a bridge that it doesn’t know is there? ...Why don’t you just make Elder Scrolls 6 better by helping Todd Howard with some sweet NPCs that aren’t scripted.”

Beau’s argument makes a compelling case for those who desire for the next evolution in video game stories, especially since we’re reaching a plateau in graphical advancement in the industry.

“Stop making self driving cars and make better NPCs... You think self driving cars are actual progress? Who cares. Drive your own cars you lazy schmucks.” - Beau

Video Game Directors Should Be Community Leaders, Not Liars Episode 331 - September 8, 2022

41

In a recent interview with L.A. Times, Mike Yberra, president for Blizzard Entertainment, said that the monetization for Diablo Immortal only affected the end game content. However, the free-to-play mobile game has a plethora of in-game currencies and power ups that can be purchased at any point in the game.

“If things are available for purchase and the way I enjoy my game is I want to have power, then you are affecting my game at all levels.” Beau’s concern in this situation is that Yberra is obfuscating the truth by jumping through legal hoops. This is hurtful to the player base by being disingenuous and skirting on outright lying to the community. Executives in the gaming industry have a responsibility to be ambassadors for their games, much like a Sheikh in Islam or other religious leaders. In doing so they provide the players with a sense of community, trust, and respect in and around their games.

Diablo Immortal, the highly successful mobile game for Activision-Blizzard has been making around $1 million a day.

THE BEAU ZONE

CORPO BEAU

( N O T A C O R P O R AT E S H I L L )

S e p te m b e r 2022

BUNDLE UP BECAUSE YOU’VE NOW ENTERED

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine

ZONING

Managing Artists in Game Development Episode 331 - September 8, 2022 With the rise of artificial intelligence making its way into the artistic world, a reoccurring discussion on CORE is how this will affect the video game industry.

Beau, using his experience as a manager, adopted a shareholder pleasing attitude and began a corporate thought experiment. In order to compete with A.I. art programs and their ability to produce artwork at an unimaginable rate he would become a true and hardworking businessman.

“Get to work and draw Jaina, you’re on the clock!”, Beau shouted demanding his workers get pencil to paper to make their quota. Who knows how long Beau would last as the head of the art department, but one thing for sure is that A.I. art generators are only going to get more accessible and better. With that said, he recognized that they’re one of the current issues with A.I. generated art is that it “trivializes the effort” made by real artists, especially those who do this as a hobby with real passion, not random inputs from machines.

Corpo Beau, seen here managing his department with a stern and controlling authority, ensuring shareholder results.

42

EXPLORE. CRAFT. BAT TLE.

Valheim,,, a brutal exploration and survival game for up to 10 players,,, set in a procedurally generated world inspired by Viking culture. Battle,, build,, and conquer your way to a saga worthy of Odin’s blessing.

CORE: The Podcast The Magazine S e p te m b e r 2022

45

GAMER GRANDMA “Everybody thank you. You stuck with it to the very end of the show and so we’re going to just go over any games in case you thought that sounded good but you forgot what we were talking about because you were too busy on the twitter and watching a movie, while you’re listening to a podcast.”

- Episode 322

“Beau, played Omega Pilot, which is a VR thing that I don’t understand because I’m old and confused, And VRchat which I believe is what the kids are into, making their avatars butts and things.

And Heroes of the Storm a game that I have actually outlived.”

- Episode 323 “Jon played Final Fantasy XIII, that’s the eighth one. And No Man’s Sky, which is a sexist space game.”

- Episode 325 “Scott talked about Cyberpunk 2077 and You Suck At Parking, it’s not just true it’s a video game!”

- Episode 332 “Beau played Half Life: Alyx, which is a game in VR, which is where he lives now...

We all saw the opening and we all saw he’s got a lot of avatars, so if you’re talking to the Cybertron or the furry man you might be talking to Beau.”

- Episode 325 “Scott played Electrician Simulator because he’s been without a real job for so long, now all he does is pretend he has a bunch of actual ones.”

- Episode 333

by Jamie Brand Every so often Tadpooler, Jamie Brand, gifts us with a roundup of the best sound clips from CORE episodes. These mashups are unbelievably well edited, and they keep on getting better and better over time. Here is a small sample from a recent mashup.

Be sure to check out his work!

Beau: “...these large German conglomerates own all of the Pious Hermanos...”

Jon: “Pious Hermanos is my favorite Warhammer character. ‘Report to Pious Hermanos immediately.”

Scott: “The omni-messiah!”

- From Episode 334 Follow Jamie online at: @TMSMashups on Twitter

oh Snap!