Shifting Gaming Landscapes: Cuts, Releases, and Awards S4E45

In our latest podcast episode, we dive into the shifting landscapes of gaming. Activision Blizzard's esports division sees cuts, marking the end of an era with GameBattles, a renowned tournament platform, also shutting down. On the hardware front, Valve's Steam Deck OLED gears up for release, addressing concerns about bot purchases. Meanwhile, Rocksteady's Suicide Squad game resurfaces, teasing a vast map and hinting at live-service elements, despite past criticisms. In a surprising move, 505 Games' parent company, Digital Bros, announces mass layoffs, attributing the decision to consumer preferences for established IPs over new games. Lastly, as the Game Awards nominations roll in, the competition for the coveted "Best Game" title intensifies, promising an exciting event with an impressive lineup of contenders. 0:00 Intro 0:30 Updates 14:53 Activision Blizzard closes GameBattles https://tinyurl.com/yvfjnjvn  27:16 Valve Reveals Steam Deck OLED https://tinyurl.com/23h6dc8p 37:35 Suicide Squad Game Resurfaces https://tinyurl.com/bddtkx84  48:53 505 Games lays off 30% of staff because reasons https://tinyurl.com/26ctur22  1:03:28 The 2023 Game Awards Nominations Are IN https://tinyurl.com/2kydvtp2  1:22:48 Outro Leave a LIKE and a comment, thanks for watching/listening! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PODCAST ►► https://anchor.fm/m2podcast AMAZON Music ► https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/091902c3-b83b-487c-8fe7-4c96787434fe/M2-Podcast APPLE ► https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1531832410 BREAKER ► https://www.breaker.audio/m2-podcast-2 CASTRO ► https://castro.fm/podcast/6f69d373-d879-46d9-9f1c-bcf7c4bf1741 GOOGLE ► https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zNTYwNWZiMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== OVERCAST ► https://overcast.fm/itunes1531832410/m2-podcast POCKETCASTS ► https://pca.st/5jghvf6e RADIOPUBLIC ► https://radiopublic.com/m2-podcast-GMZkY4 SPOTIFY ► https://open.spotify.com/show/2VedhO03IRoHERJqF6Sy87 STICHER ► https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/m2-podcast TUNEIN ► http://tun.in/pj3ZI #podcast JOIN THE DISCORD! ►► https://discord.gg/Kp5Gre6 FOLLOW THE TWITTER! ►►https://twitter.com/m2_podcast KyleHeath Socials: TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/mrjkheath MadMikeWillEatU Socials: TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/madmikewilleatu