408: The Game Deflators E402 | Mario Kart Tour Delisted and Xbox Layoffs Hit

Gaming pickups, Xbox employee concerns, Mario Kart Tour shutdown, Xbox layoffs, PlayStation backlash, SGDQ talk, and an A Short Hike review.
Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:28 Game Pickups and Miniatures Discussion03:32 Current Games: Evil West and Short Hike06:11 Physical Game Pickups and Onimusha08:56 Summer Games Done Quick and Speedrunning Community11:27 Xbox’s Corporate Changes and Employee Sentiment20:20 Mario Kart Tour Shutdown and Digital Game Concerns23:21 Xbox’s Restructuring and Layoffs26:58 The Future of Game Studios33:25 PlayStation’s Digital Shift and Consumer Backlash39:21 Game Review: A Short Hike50:13 Outro Video
John and Ryan return with another packed week of gaming talk, starting with their recent pickups. John adds A Short Hike and new D&D miniature materials to his collection, while Ryan dives into The Adventures of Elliot. John continues sharing his experience with Evil West on PS5, and Ryan spends time watching SGDQ and talking about standout runs.
In the news, the guys break down reports that Xbox employees are unhappy with leadership, feeling the company is being run like a startup and prioritizing consumer sentiment over developer needs. They also discuss the shutdown of Mario Kart Tour this September, with no offline version planned.
The conversation continues with Microsoft’s latest shakeup as Xbox lays off 3,200 employees, followed by reactions to PlayStation’s first tweet since announcing plans to end physical discs — and how poorly it’s being received.
To wrap up the episode, the Inflation Deflation Game of the Week features a review of A Short Hike on PC, as John and Ryan evaluate the game’s charm, pacing, and current market value.
 
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18