Game Buoy Podcast Episode 194B – Summer Game Fest Side B

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Ahoy, mateys, and welcome to the GAMEBUOY.ORG video game podcast – your port of call for gaming news and views that maybe aren’t on your radar, but most definitely should be! On this episode, recorded Sunday, July 19, 2026, Captain Spike and First Mate Slaggy McWaggy continue their discussion of Summer Game Fest showcases!

This episode is the A-side of a two part episode. The B-side, Game Buoy Podcast Episode 194A – Summer Game Fest Side B, isbe a discussion on the main showcases from Summer Game Fest.

HOT TOPIC IS THE WAY THAT WE RHYME

• Sony to end discs for new PlayStation releases as gaming shifts online | Reuters 
• Analyst says Sony ending physical discs was inevitable as full game digital sales on PlayStation have risen from 10% before the release of the PS4 to 80% today 
• PlayStation Is Shutting Down The PS3 And Vita Stores Next Year
•  Statement from VGHF director Frank Cifaldi on the discontinuation of physical PlayStation media, and the closure of the PS3 and PSP digital storefronts.
• Post by @frankcifaldi.bsky.social 
• Valve Says RAM Prices Are ‘Lagging’ And Will Only Get ‘Worse’ 
• Xbox To Lay Off 3,200 In ‘Most Significant Restructure’ In Its History  
• Xbox Spins Off Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Undead Labs, And Ninja Theory While Blade Maker Arkane Reviews ‘Potential Strategic Options’  
• Unions File Unfair Labor Complaints Against Microsoft Over Decision To ‘Unlawfully’ Fire Xbox Workers  
• Game Workers Rally Against Microsoft Layoffs: ‘Corporate Greed Is Destroying Our Games And Our Livelihoods’  
• Fans Rail Against Xbox Layoffs, Which Also Did A Number On Teams Responsible For The Platform 
• A Studio Shattered: The Aftermath Of The Mass Bungie Layoffs 
• Prinny Party: Going Overboard! Game Heads West 
• MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls open beta test set for July 24 to 26

RELEASE UPDATES

• Hard Edge: War Zone launches July 23
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered for Switch 2 launches August 11
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date moved up to September 4
• Hot Wheels Infinite Rush release date moved up to September 10 
• Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Switch Version Launches Alongside Others
• Ratatan delayed to October 15

RETRO RELEASE UPDATES

• Console Archives 6-25-26 – bokosuka wars (NES, ASCII, 1985)
• Console Archives 7-2-26 – TRAG (PS1, Sunsoft, 98)
• Arcade Archives 7-2-26 – Lady Bug (Arcade, Universal, 1981) 
• NSO Classics GB – 7-7-26 – Sword of Hope, Fortified Zone, SML3 Wario Land
• NSO Classics GBA – 7-7-26 – Dr Mario + Puzzle League
• Console Archives 7-9-26 – Rhapsody (PS1, Nippon Ichi, 98)
• Arcade Archives 7-9-26 – Hyper Crash (Arcade, Konami, 1987)
• Console Archives 7-16-26 – Hercules no Eikou 2 (NES, Data East, 89)
• Arcade Archives 7-16-26 – Syvalion (Arcade, Taito, 1988)

CULTURE CLUB

• It Sure Sounds Like Persona 4 Revival Is Getting Rid Of The Homophobia
• Hasbro wins license to make Legend of Zelda toys, action figures, and more from 2027   
• Dying Light: The Beast canceled on PS4 and Xbox One as Techland says the 13-year-old consoles can’t handle “the experience we set out to create”
• As Sony prepares to shut down the PS3 store, RPCS3 devs promise “75% of all PlayStation 3 games are now playable on PC”  
• World Of Warcraft Plague Kills Players, Makes Infected Spread Nasty Green Goo 
• PS5 Emulator Making Big Progress, Can Boot Up GTA V Menus And Play Some 3D Games  
• Kingdom Hearts Fans On High Alert As Disney Reveals D23 Panel   
• Former PlayStation boss thinks “we’ve lost a lot of the variety in games,” and we can thank the “rising cost” of new titles for that: “We had so many crazy games on PS1”
• Indie Game Engine Godot Bans AI After Massive Coding Mess  
• The Duskbloods Closed Network Test Starts August 21, 2026 

MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

• Once Upon a Katamari and Rolling Live DLC Head to Switch 2 
• Guilty Gear: Strive guest DLC character coming this winter 
• BlazBlue: Central Fiction new DLC character announced for PS4, PC
• Pokemon Pokopia Gets Zorua’s Hide-and-Sneak Contest Event  

SO CONTROVERSIAL

• As Xbox fan goes viral for losing account with games worth “thousands of euros” and their “son’s baby pictures,” official support says it’s “working to restore access”
• Xbox User Got His Baby Pictures Back But Says The Process Felt ‘A Little Bit Shady’ 
• Star Ocean: The Second Story R Switch 2 Launches With no Upgrade Pack 
• Octopath Traveler 1 and 2 Switch 2, Octopath Traveler 0 Update Coming
• Love and Deepspace Discord Removes Valko, Character Page Removes ‘Coming Soon’
• Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced DRM Causes Misery  
• Gay As A Service Game Hard To Find On Steam Despite No Explicit Nudity  
• Games Done Quick ‘Excited’ To Work With Saudi-Owned SNK For Around Three Hours Before Pulling Sponsorship Deal
• Pokémon’s Big 30th Anniversary TCG Release Is An Even Bigger Mess Than Usual   

DOOM AND GLOOM

• Disco Elysium Studio Says Game About People Forced Into Impossible Situations Didn’t Sell Well Enough To Prevent Layoffs
• Mario Kart Tour Game Ends Service on September 29
• Final Fantasy XIV Mobile to end service on September 30 in China, global version canceled
• News Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis Game Ends Service on October 6   
• Marathon Game Director Leaves As Player Counts Dwindle  

RUMOUR HAS IT

• Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Might Be Getting Story DLC Based On New Leak   
• Xbox working on a way to digitize your physical game collection as Sony abandons discs 
• Unannounced Metroid Ravenous rated in Brazil

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and First Mate Slaggy McWaggy continue their discussion of Summer Game Fest showcases! The Podcast Pirates discuss the focus of each showcase and share some personal highlights from the many, many games featured. They close out the discussion by highlighting trends they noticed in the featured games, as well as the importance of showcases featuring diverse voices.

Sources cited:

• Summer Game Fest 2026 Catch-Up: links to all streams and summary threads (ResetEra)
• Summer Game Fest (Games Recap)

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike has been playing Final Fantasy XIV, Esoteric Ebb, Denshattack, Star Fox, Rhythm Heaven Groove, Deck of Haunts, and Vargrus – The Riven Realms, while First Mate Slaggy McWaggy has been playing Final Fantasy XIV. The Podcast Pirates also discuss their experiences visiting a retro game store and Round1.

EXITLUDE

SHOUT OUTS – “FRIENDS OF BUOY”

• Orange Lounge Radio IIDX, where every geek has a voice
• Aftermath, an independent, worker-owned website about video games, other media and internet culture
• Game Mechanics, where TTRPG designers “kick tires and run diagnostics on tabletop experiences”
• Walloping Websnappers! A Spider-Man Podcast, a dive into every Spider-Man cartoon ever made
• Neo Geo Go!, a show that takes on the Neo Geo library chronologically and quickly.
• The Bobby Blackwolf Show, a weekly internet radio show and podcast discussing the latest news in gaming as well as sometimes reminiscing about gaming’s history
• Video Game Realness, a dose of gaming chit chat among friends
• Nintendo Pow Block, a dive into the week that was in the world of Nintendo
• Super Phillip Central, a video game blog that is your source for video games with a heroic touch
• Standard Issue Computing, retro and modern computer games, hardware, software, and history
• Sasha’s Retrobytes, “bytes” of vintage gaming including magazine scans and photographs
• Defunct Games, your daily source for modern video game reviews, exciting trivia competitions and old school magazine analysis
• Thomas Game Docs, where each video covers “a different aspect of video game history”
• Craig, Slaggy McWaggy’s robot boyfriend a multi-track voice channel recording bot for Discord