On this week's episode, Niki, Lotus, and John discuss Microsoft's extremely weird week/month/year/decade. Including:the 30% margin mandateflooding the zone with Fallout news, The Outer Worlds 2, Keeper, and Ninja Gaiden 4the inevitable return of HaloHalo Campaign Evolved being one of the worst titles everGrunts aren't supposed to glistendev kits see huge price hikePLUS:Krafton is "AI first"Jennifer Hale doesn't know Mass Effect 5 is doomedPokemon Legends Z-A is really funny??? On purpose????Ball x Pit is one of John's games of the yearWe also answer your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely (free!) Discord.
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1:50:40
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1:50:40
Body Works, Body Worlds, Body Bath & Beyond
Hi folks! This week, Niki fills out an application for an apartment, John gets something wrong (again), and Lotus explores Steam Next Fest! Included in their discussion:Assassin's Creed lead departs UbisoftTencent and Sony apparently worked on a The Last of Us project togetherTomunobu Itagaki's legacyHard Drive's descent into 2005 internet bullshitQuantic Dream's new multiplayer projectLumines AriseBall x PitPokémon Z-ADanchi DaysHorripilantThe Third ShiftThe Séance of Blake ManorSepulchronand much more!Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.
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2:31:35
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2:31:35
Assassin's Creed: Roku City
This week marks the beginning of the Lotus era at The VGBees Podcast. She joins John and Niki as the third permanent cohost of the show and immediately brings insight to the program like...what if Nintendo likes making money?But also!the dense delight of Digimon Story: Time Strangerthe apparent end of Hyper Light Breaker's developmentthe rumor that AMD needed a 10,000,000 unit commitment for Xbox's dedicated handheldNintendo's slide into DisneyficationUbisoft's canceled Reconstruction Era, anti-Klan Assassin's Creedwhy is former Halo art director vagueposting on LinkedIn?Megabonk's relationship with cringe and Risk of Rain 2Shadow Labyrinth being itself, for better or worseHades II's self-inflicted narrative challengesa thorough review of a new Windows PCAbsolum's rapid ascent to many Best of 2025 listsWe also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.
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2:54:15
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2:54:15
Flashing Neom Lights of Late Stage Capitalism
This week, Niki and John have a lot to chat about in and around a busy few days in video games, including:Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's huge price hikeinterpreting the latest in Microsoft's non-planObsidian bearing the brunt of Microsoft's decision-makingJared Kushner and Saudi Arabia are taking EA privateSeumas McNally Award Winner Consume Me's greatnessWheel of Fortune on the PlayStation 5Hades II is simply wonderful to playFinal Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles gets an apology from JohnSuper Mario Galaxy 2 continues the odd but welcome tradition of cutting room floor direct sequelsAll of this and your BURNING HIVE QUESTIONS from our Discord.
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2:27:46
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2:27:46
It's Time For Wolf Girls w/ Michael Higham
This week, Niki and John are joined by none other than Michael Higham on this, the very special 69th episode of The VGBees Podcast. In this jam-packed episode, we cover:Wolverine's profoundly bloody introductionthe Returnal of it all of Sarosa brief look at new Virtua Fighter Project detailsthe impossible bigness of Anantaa conversation about remakes prompted by the perplexing Deus Ex remasterForza Horizon 6 and how the game can recapture past magicEasy Delivery Co. and John unironically calling a game cozy in 2025Niki's evolving relationship with skate.Higham going long on Trails in the Sky and its new remakeBaby Steps As always, we also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.
Host and founder of VGBees, John Warren, is joined every week by cohost Niki Grayson and illustrious guests adjacent to video games and culture for candid, funny, and enlightening conversations about an art form that is both uniting and dividing us.
Every week, The VGBees Podcast will explore trends and touchpoints you need to know in order to have the most well-rounded idea of what's going on in games.
Explore vgbees.com after each episode for notes on each episode as well as written pieces by our collaborators and guests.
We all have to work together to build a brighter future for games, so Join The Honey Hive today!
Ireland