Day Zero Podcast

This episode was recorded a day or two prior to the big GTA 6 reveal on Netflix. While we were in two minds to take it live, re-listening to it shows a lot of what we discussed is still relevant despite what Rockstar and Take-Two would have you believe of its latest open-world crime simulator. From business strategy to leaks to pre-order forecasts and even developer comments from those at Rockstar India , we lay every element of the GTA 6 situation bare.Along with this we also discuss what to expect from the game itself, why it might not be all its hyped up to be, and how it would eventually fuel an industry that may just consume itself whole.Finally, we discuss the ongoing PlayStation blackout being organised by our friends over at Does It Play, what we’re playing this week, highlight some awesome Indies worth wish listing (Shutter Story and The Detective’s Apprentice), and a deep-dive into PlayStation’s India gift fiasco worth reading.Episode Timeline & Highlights00:00:03 | Welcome & The PlayStation Blackout Week* 00:00:03 – Intro & Warm-up: Hosts Rishi Alwani and Rahul Majumdar welcome listeners to Episode 37.* 00:00:18 – The PlayStation Blackout: A brief update on the week-long boycott movement organized by the game preservationist group “Does It Play?”, where gamers globally are avoiding turning on or using PlayStation services and products.00:00:33 | The GTA 6 Mega-Leak & Industry Fallout* 00:00:33 – Entering GTA Territory: Transitioning to the major topic of the week: the massive GTA 6 security leak.* 00:01:09 – Meet the Leaker: Introducing “Cyberleek”, the online persona behind the security breach.* 00:01:24 – 2022 vs. 2026 Leaks: Recalling the September 2022 Sunday afternoon leak that originated from Rockstar’s India office due to Slack-based social engineering.* 00:01:39 – Leaked Mechanics Breakdown: Analyzing the gameplay elements shown in the current leak, including gunplay, driving, a city tour, strip clubs, and a shooting-hoops focus-leveling mechanic.* 00:02:21 – Take-Two Silence & Xbox Support: Discussing the official silence from Take-Two and Rockstar, and reports that Xbox is actively assisting Rockstar in tracking the breach.* 00:02:51 – The Netflix Paywall Dilemma: Discussing the upcoming official 6-hour extended gameplay look paywalled behind Netflix.* 00:03:04 – Rahul’s Build Analysis: Contrasting the crude mesh maps of the 2022 build with this leaked developer build, which appears to be a polished, year-old dev kit closer to the final game.* 00:05:11 – Narrative Safeguards: Why major story details are still safe despite a few minor cutscene leaks (such as a character joking about avoiding the Feds with a VPN).* 00:05:53 – The Return-to-Office Irony: The hosts point out the irony of Rockstar ending remote work a year or two back and forcing employees back to offices to avoid leaks, only for this to occur anyway.* 00:06:36 – Pricing & Paywall Backlash: Discussing user frustration over rumoured $100 price points and locked marketing beats.* 00:07:13 – Watermarks & “Full Joker” Mode: Discussing the leaker’s crypto watermark and wallet details, including reports of him burning his own crypto coins “to send a message”.* 00:08:52 – OSINT Hunting & Toxic Discourse: Condemning internet sleuths who falsely blamed Rockstar India developers without proof, forcing many employees to lock down their personal social media.* 00:09:37 – Physical vs. Digital Breach: Comparing the Slack social engineering of 2022 with the potential of a physical security breach (such as a pen drive theft).* 00:11:43 – RDR2 Legacy in GTA 6: Spotting Red Dead Redemption 2’s design DNA in the leaks, specifically greeting and antagonizing NPCs.* 00:12:18 – Gradual WANTED Escalation: Exploring the non-binary, gradual escalation of wanted levels rather than a simple gamified response.* 00:12:37 – Manual Refueling Mechanics: Inspecting the leaked refueling mechanics and noting that they feel more “arcade-like” and less slow/self-indulgent than RDR2’s 1,500-year cabinet animations.* 00:14:10 – Developer Frustration & Schedule Realities: Referencing Jason Schreier’s reports that Rockstar devs are livid, alongside the revelation that the game was still in active development in August ahead of its planned November launch.* 00:15:03 – Crunch & Pre-Orders: Discussing the inevitable heavy crunch to hit release and the massive wave of pre-orders selling out physical “code in box” editions in regions like India.* 00:15:59 – Retail Strain & Gift Card Markups: Why Indian players are rushing to secure physical box copies due to PlayStation gift card scarcity and heavy retail markups.* 00:17:17 – Historical Leaker Tactics: Comparing this scenario to Valve’s classic “fake job trap” to capture the Half-Life 2 hacker, Assassin’s Creed Origins magazine leaks, and Titanfall 2 dress rehearsal slips.* 00:18:28 – The Great Community Split: Discussing the divisive community reactions—some being extremely vocal against Take-Two’s business practices, others showing support and empathy for the developers.* 00:19:36 – Empathy in an Artistic Medium: Rahul explains why players should show empathy to the individual artists, character designers, and environment designers who spend a decade of their lives on a game.* 00:21:21 – Targeting the Right People: Rishi stresses that player anger should not be directed at the developers, but at management and corporate greed (e.g., Strauss Zelnick and Andrew Wilson).* 00:21:28 – Outsourced India Crunch: Shading light on how major Western studios outsource their intensive crunch periods to offices like Rockstar India.* 00:22:45 – The Dev Toll: Rishi shares insights from speaking with Rockstar India staff after the 2022 leaks, recalling how depressed and disgusted they felt about their unready art being displayed publicly.* 00:23:49 – Pre-Order Projections: The hosts project that pre-orders will hit a billion dollars before official release, driven by marketing snowball effects.00:25:23 | Indies to Wishlist This Week* 00:25:23 – Supporting Indian Devs: Introducing two promising indie titles currently on Steam.* 00:25:29 – Shutter Story: A paranormal horror experience where players examine realistic photo albums for clues while supernatural occurrences happen around them.* 00:25:54 – Detective’s Apprentice: A deduction-based adventure following Ace, an apprentice solving complex cases that local police cannot crack.00:26:31 | What We’ve Been Playing* 00:26:31 – Weekly Gameplay Round-up: The hosts jump into their gameplay logs.* 00:26:43 – Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls: Rahul shares first impressions of Arc System Works’ new tag-team fighting game playing on a base PS5.* 00:27:50 – Striking Visuals & Campaign Presentation: Reviewing the manga-inspired character designs, right-to-left comic panel story mode, and highly polished 2D traditional anime cutscenes.* 00:29:00 – Tag-Team System & Combos: Evaluating the deep character combat mechanics, unified control setups (reminiscent of Marvel’s Avengers), and high skill ceilings of active character-switching combos.* 00:32:11 – Performance & DRM Woes: Detailing why the PS5 version runs smoothly while the official PC Steam release suffers from DRM performance issues.* 00:33:14 – Chibi Hub & Arcade Brawler Mode: Discussing the unique, interactive 3D lobby where players control chibi characters to gather resources and passive bonuses between matches.* 00:34:35 – Creative Team-Ups: Detailing the comic universe dynamics, such as Shuri stepping in as Black Panther, and unique squads like the Midnight Suns featuring Ghost Rider, Deadpool, Blade, and Loki.* 00:35:27 – Resonance First Impressions: Rahul reviews Asobo Studio’s third-person prequel/spin-off to A Plague Tale following the character Sophia 15 years prior.* 00:35:44 – Stealth to Action-Adventure: Detailing the shift from stealth to parry-heavy combat inspired by God of War, alongside environmental puzzles.* 00:36:44 – Greek Mythology & Setting: Navigating the Minotaur’s Island setting and its heavy mythological narrative beats.* 00:37:01 – AAA Polish & Venice Carnival: High praise for the cinematography, immaculate character models, and a gorgeous early mission set during the Venice Mask Carnival.* 00:38:03 – Dodging, Kicking & Momentum Skills: Spotting unique skill-tree traits like Sophia redirecting enemy momentum into other targets, shield-breaking kicks, and picking up throwables.* 00:40:07 – Asobo’s Polish Achievement: Expressing surprise at how clean the action combat feels from a studio primarily known for stealth games and flight simulators.* 00:41:16 – Rishi’s Xbox Gameplay Logs: Progressing through Control and Alan Wake 2 on the Xbox Series X.00:41:44 | Shoutouts & Recommended Readings* 00:41:44 – India’s PlayStation Gift Card Crisis: Shoutout to Karan Pradhan’s in-depth story for Story Mode detailing the retail scarcity of PlayStation vouchers in India.* 00:42:13 – GTA Leak Recommendations: Directing listeners to check out reporting from Jason Schreier and Kotaku.* 00:42:32 – Sign-Off & Outro: The hosts wrap up Episode 37.This is the Day Zero podcast. Every week we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

This week’s Day Zero episode focusses on GTA 6’s marketing (or lack thereof) which includes locking up specific marketing assets like its gameplay trailer behind the paywall that is Netflix (for about six hours) as well as Sony’s ongoing attempts to kill video game culture by killing physical media.Along with this we also discuss Ubisoft’s surprise update to Ghost Recon Wildlands which adds 60fps and 4K for current generation consoles, new story missions, and the return of fan favourites like the Predator mission. While Ubisoft’s preservation practices are dodgy at best what with recent games not shipping in their entirety on disc, we really can’t grudge the support it gives to some of its IPs like Ghost Recon, making us wish some other publishers would follow suit. Such as Xbox.Yes, we dive deep into the Frankensteined remake that is Halo Campaign Evolved and come back believing there’s more than just a little AI used to bring some of it to life, particularly its newer elements like the prequel mission cut-scenes. Finally we talk about what we’re playing and what you should wishlist this week, namely Ringwyrm and Thimbleweed Park 2. Timestamps as follows:* 00:00:03: Introduction to episode 36 and the hosts, Rishi Alwani and Rahul Majumdar.* 00:00:33: Sony’s “war on disc” and updates from the latest PlayStation investor call regarding digital-only trends.* 00:01:11: Local news regarding the difficulty of purchasing PlayStation gift cards in India.* 00:01:51: Ongoing PS5 hardware shortages in India and significant price hikes for both disc and digital editions,.* 00:02:36: Deep dive into the Ghost Recon Wildlands surprise update, including its 4K/60fps support for current-gen consoles,.* 00:05:27: Discussion of specific restored content in the update, such as the Predator mission.* 00:07:32: Analysis of how different publishers, like Ubisoft and Square Enix, handle post-launch support and live service models,,.* 00:11:43: Analysis of the Take-Two earnings call and CEO Strauss Zelnick’s recent comments.* 00:12:13: Critique of the decision to paywall GTA 6 marketing assets on Netflix for six hours before their YouTube release,.* 00:13:36: Strauss Zelnick’s predictions on the future of streaming and claims of low-latency “commercial streaming” arriving in three years,.* 00:15:53: The push for cloud gaming from various companies, including Netflix’s new mobile controller app,.* 00:17:36: Discussion on GTA Online’s massive revenue and expectations for the GTA 6 marketing playbook,.* 00:20:56: Rumours of a “one and done” limited physical release for GTA 6.* 00:22:31: The realities of game streaming, noting that GeForce Now is the only service currently seen as getting it right.* 00:25:22: “What to wishlist this week” segment, featuring Thimbleweed Park 2 and Ringwyrm.* 00:26:54: “What have you been playing this week” segment begins.* 00:26:56: Extensive critique of Halo Campaign Evolved, specifically regarding its art direction and “uncanny” cutscenes.* 00:35:48: Discussion of reported development troubles at Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) and their reliance on contract workers.* 00:40:42: Brief impressions of Genshin Impact and its combat system,.* 00:41:09: First impressions of Beast of Reincarnation, described as a mechanically fine but “soulless” title.* 00:45:34: Outro, social media handles, and sign-off.Welcome to Day Zero, the podcast that breaks down the bits and bytes behind the decisions that shape the world’s greatest entertainment medium — video games.Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

With gaming audiences increasingly sceptical of anything that looks remotely like a paid plug, game makers have to consider other options to get their message across. And this has resulted in influencers and content creators being a critical part of any modern video game’s launch campaign (or resurgence).For this special episode we roped in Rohin Bhaumik, co-founder of Aftermath to make sense of it all. Known as the Indian games industry’s Ari Gold, he explains what works and what doesn’t when it comes to influencers being a part of a video game’s marketing plan.From success stories to manufactured consent and why a degree of transparency matters more than you think, we got you covered.Aside from this, we also talk about what to expect from Gears of War: E-Day when it hits Xbox Series consoles and PC later this year. Time stamps as follows.Podcast Introduction and PlayStation’s War on Gaming* 00:00:03: Introduction to episode 35 and the guests.* 00:00:52: Housekeeping: PlayStation’s “War on Physical Discs” and the #PSBlackout community movement scheduled for the last week of August.* 00:01:23: Discussion on recent PSN and Xbox Live downtime and the industry’s readiness for a digital future.Guest Background: Rohin Bhaumik* 00:01:53: Rohin explains his history, starting as a first-generation Indian PC gaming creator in 2015-16.* 00:02:41: His tenure at Garena, where he managed the live-streaming platform Booyah and worked with 200–300 influencers.* 00:03:19: The transition to co-founding Aftermath and his current role in business development and partnerships.Influencer Operations and Marketing Strategy* 00:03:43: The challenges of scaling influencer management from a few individuals to hundreds on a platform level.* 00:05:40: Why brands integrate influencer marketing for specific target audience recall.* 00:07:54: Success stories in PC and indie publishing and the importance of due diligence.* 00:10:03: Measuring tangible sales and ROI versus “vanity metrics” like views.* 00:13:39: Identifying and managing the problem of bots and manufactured consent in influencer data.* 00:14:55: The strategy of nurturing micro-influencers as they grow into larger creators.* 00:16:08: The algorithmic and operational difficulties creators face when switching genres (e.g., mobile to PC or Battle Royale to RPGs).* 00:20:14: Discussion on transparency and ethics, including the use of #ad and following ASCI guidelines.* 00:23:15: Examples of effective ad integration from creators like Big Boss and SkillUp.Game Wishlists and Recent Plays* 00:23:45: Recommendation for Sketchy Fables, described as “hand-drawn Skyrim”.* 00:24:41: Recommendation for the classic stealth game Thief Gold on GOG.* 00:25:11: Ruwin discusses playing the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign and the high cost of modern games.Deep Dive: Gears of War: E-Day* 00:26:21: Rahul’s impressions of the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer preview.* 00:27:02: Details on the map (Kelowna) and the Horde Siege extraction-style mode.* 00:28:40: Significant movement changes, including a manual jump button, sliding, and increased fluidity compared to previous titles.* 00:30:45: Technical performance on PC (RTX 5070) and optimization observations.* 00:32:31: Discussion on weapons, specifically the origin of the chainsaw lancer.* 00:41:21: Flexible weapon mechanics, such as the ability to cancel reloads for shotguns.* 00:43:24: The history of the Gears of War franchise in India, including past celebrity launch events.Ubisoft and Immortals Fenyx Rising* 00:34:12: Rahul discusses Immortals Fenyx Rising (formerly Gods and Monsters).* 00:35:16: Comparing Immortals to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and discussing its quirky, fourth-wall-breaking tone.* 00:36:28: Gameplay mechanics, including stamina meters and world structure.* 00:38:38: A debate on whether Odyssey should have been branded as an Assassin’s Creed title.The Future of Halo* 00:45:32: Rishi’s experience with the Halo: Combat Evolved “remix,” including thoughts on the sprint toggle and broken checkpoint system.* 00:47:25: Critique of the writing quality in the new prequel missions.* 00:48:32: Rumours and “ping-ponging” reports regarding Halo 7, remakes of 2 and 3, and the status of Project Ekur.Closing* 00:50:42: Final thoughts on physical media and where to find the hosts and guests on social media.Welcome to Day Zero. This is a podcast about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Linkedin - Rohin Bhaumik* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced sold over three million units in a week. In this episode of the Day Zero podcast, we discuss what this means for Ubisoft and how it could signal a resurgence of the historical murder ‘em up franchise. From what to expect from upcoming games like Assassin’s Creed Hexe, Invictus, and Jade to how the power fantasy-fuelled gameplay of Black Flag Resynced could be the new playbook for the franchise that’s celebrating 20 years next year.Along with this, we also bring attention to PlayStation’s war on physical media which resulted in indie game developers being caught in the crossfire. With that in mind do wishlist Teeto and The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu.Time stamps and show notes as follows.Introduction* 00:00:03: Podcast Introduction: Rishi Alwani introduces episode 34 with co-host Rahul Majumdar along with what to expect.* 00:00:27: PlayStation’s “War on Discs”: Discussion on the petition (over 300K signatures) against Sony’s move away from physical media and the resulting “collateral damage” for indie developers.* 00:01:53: Xbox Rumours: Mentions of “Project Helix” potentially shipping with a disc drive and Asha Sharma’s leadership at Xbox.* 00:02:44: Indie Spotlights: Brief mentions of The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu and the 3D action platformer Teeto.Deep Dive: Assassin’s Creed Franchise* 00:03:36: Black Flag Resynced Reception: Rahul discusses the positive critical and fan reception, patches, and how it is outpacing previous entries.* 00:04:13: Sales Comparisons: Comparing Resynced to Shadows (5.7 million by July) and Mirage (5 million players).* 00:04:41: Players vs. Sales: A breakdown of how Ubisoft reports numbers across platforms versus subscription services like Ubisoft Plus.* 00:05:30: Success Factors: Why Resynced is working—lower price point, nostalgia for the PS3/PS4 transition era, and a “pairing back” of the “bloated” scale seen in Valhalla.* 00:06:58: Franchise History: A retrospective on the yearly release cadence from 2007 to 2015.* 00:07:53: The Shift to RPGs: How Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla changed the series and the division of work between Ubisoft Montreal, Quebec, and Bordeaux.* 00:09:52: Ubisoft Business Realities: Discussion on plummeting stock prices, the partnership with Tencent, and the creation of Vantage Studios to handle the franchise.* 00:12:54: Future Titles (Hexe and Jade): Speculation on Codename Hexe (set in Germany) and the silence surrounding the mobile title Assassin’s Creed Jade.* 00:13:55: 20th Anniversary Rumours: Potential for a remaster of the original Assassin’s Creed Codename Stardust in 2027.* 00:15:02: Assassin’s Creed Hexe Details: Discussion on the new creative director, Jean Guesdon, and rumours of a more focused, linear story with supernatural elements.* 00:18:11: Modern Day Narrative: How the Animus platform might handle the present-day story, including potential links to Ezio and the 2090s time period.* 00:21:27: Assassin’s Creed Invictus: Discussion on the upcoming multiplayer title and its departure from the social stealth of Brotherhood.* 00:23:40: AAA Strategy Trends: Comparing Ubisoft’s “remake and mainline” strategy to Capcom (Resident Evil), Konami (Metal Gear Solid), and EA (Dead Space).“What Are You Playing?” Segment and Outro* 00:25:33: Rahul’s Pick: The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, a narrative-driven hardcore RPG.* 00:26:14: Rishi’s Review: Final thoughts on Black Flag Resynced—praising the lack of bloat but criticizing the “procedural cutscenes”.* 00:27:19: Anticipated Titles: Rishi discusses his personal connection to the Halo franchise and his preparation for Halo: Campaign Evolved.* 00:28:07: Closing: Social media handles and sign-offThis is Day Zero. The podcast breaks down the bits and bytes behind the decisions that shape the world’s greatest entertainment medium — video games.Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

With two million copies sold since it hit the shelves last week, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced will likely end up one of the biggest-selling games of the year. And after spending quality time with the game it’s easy to see why. From a modern-day glow up to empowering gameplay and a dose of (somewhat dubious) portable play, it’s quite obvious that Ubisoft put in a lot of love into the remake of one of the series’ best ever entries.To guide you through what’s new, awesome, and somewhat butt ugly (i.e. not putting the entire game on disc), we’re joined by video games critic and all-round nice guy Vincent Peter of IGN and PC Mag Middle East fame who has a lot to say about what makes Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced worth your time.Before that though, there’s a quick segue to bring your attention to the current and warranted backlash regarding Sony killing off physical games and a petition well-worth signing if you care about owning the games you buy like the aforementioned Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.Finally, we round off the podcast with a couple of games worth wish listing —Winds Of Arcana: Ruination (also on Xbox Game Pass) and Trailblazers: Into the March.Intro and Housekeeping* 00:00:03: Introduction of hosts Rishi Alwani and Rahul Majumdar, and guest Vincent Peter.* 00:00:21: Brief overview of the episode’s agenda: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, current games, and the wishlist segment.* 00:00:33: Request to sign the PlayStation disc petition and concerns regarding Sony’s shift toward digital-only ownership.Main Feature: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced* 00:01:30: Discussion begins on Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.* 00:02:18: Vincent shares his background as a long-time fan of the series and his first-time experience with Edward Kenway’s story.* 00:02:55: Vincent’s impressions of the game’s writing, character arcs, and dialogue compared to the modern “RPG era” entries.* 00:04:10: Rahul discusses his initial skepticism regarding the remake’s move to the new Anvil engine.* 00:05:01: A deep dive into the evolution of parkour mechanics throughout the franchise, from the “puppeteering system” to automated movement.* 00:05:57: Analysis of the improved combat system and community-discovered button remappings to emulate older games.* 00:06:24: Overview of new content, including recruitable naval officers, alternate fire modes for the Jackdaw, and new recorded dialogue from original voice actors.* 00:08:32: Comparison of moment-to-moment gameplay to AC Origins and the “binary” nature of automated parkour.* 00:10:55: Detailed critique of the combat’s expressiveness and the limitations of only having dual swords.* 00:13:23: Technical performance on PC, including comparisons between the RTX 5070 and 3060 Ti.* 00:14:19: Discussion on modern features like ray tracing (including software-based RT for older GPUs), DLSS, and HDR support.* 00:16:36: Mention of the Advanced Parkour settings that allow for manual jumping and back ejects.* 00:17:43: Performance impressions on the PS5 Pro, Xbox Ally X, and the base PS5’s 30 FPS fidelity mode.* 00:18:06: DRM and Steam Deck issues, specifically the inability to play or save progress while offline.* 00:19:33: Backlash regarding microtransactions, the “Animus Hub,” and the “egregious” in-game storefront skins.* 00:20:52: Discussion on the Modern Day segment, its shift to a 2090s setting, and the lack of playable content compared to the original game.* 00:23:48: Recap of the original Black Flag modern-day ending involving the Sage and Abstergo headquarters.* 00:24:45: Mention of new endgame missions and narrative context for Edward’s crew.* 00:27:09: Sales update (2 million copies sold) and retail momentum.* 00:28:02: Frustration over the game not being entirely on the physical disc.* 00:28:49: Graphical critiques regarding character models and low-resolution flashback sequences.What to Wishlist* 00:29:19: Winds of Arcana: Ruination (an Indian-made Metroidvania).* 00:29:33: Trailblazers: Into the March (a roguelike colony sim inspired by Nausicaa).What We’re Playing This Week* 00:29:59: Vincent on Moss: The Forgotten Wreck, the flat-screen combined version of the VR titles.* 00:31:48: Vincent’s surprising recommendation of Echoes of Aincrad, a Sword Art Online game with “light Souls-like” combat and wholesome writing about MMO players.* 00:35:35: Vincent revisits Horizon Forbidden West, discussing “strategic expectation realignment” and gameplay changes from the first entry.* 00:37:17: Analysis of Aloy’s character arc and the Burning Shores DLC boss fight.* 00:38:57: Collective disappointment regarding the “off-screen” fate of Ted Faro.* 00:40:20: Rahul on Lego Batman and troubleshooting PC power supply issues.* 00:40:54: Rahul notes significant parkour updates recently added to Assassin’s Creed Shadows.* 00:43:13: Speculation on future Assassin’s Creed projects, including rumors of an AC1 remake and the narrative direction of AC Hexe.* 00:45:14: Rishi’s difficulties moving an Alan Wake 2 save file from PS5 to PC.Outro* 00:46:13: Sign off and social media handles for Vincent (halfbloodvince), Rahul (darthrahul), and Rishi (rishialwani).Welcome to Day Zero. This podcast breaks down the bits and bytes behind the decisions that shape the world’s greatest entertainment medium — video games.Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

PlayStation announced the end of physical discs by 2028 nearly a week ago which implies the end of owning games you buy on its consoles. The response from the community has been vociferous to say the least. Naturally we had to dissect what this means for the industry and more importantly, you. Along with this explore how the company manipulated sales data to make it seem like physical sales are in decline, how it has been manipulating communities and potentially the media from masking this, and how its own end-user agreements are fraught with concerns such as treating customers like criminals because it can’t get its own payment gateways running correctly (shout to friend of the podcast Vinayak Soni for tipping us off).We also dig deep into how ready PlayStation really is for such a move, using the Indian market as an indicator. Between PS5 stock remaining scarce, distributors artificially capping the amount of PlayStation wallet top-ups and gift cards sold in a week, and exceedingly high prices, the console giant has its work cut out for it.Finally, we round off the podcast with a couple of games worth wish listing — I’m Your Host and Dungeon Bodega Simulator.Time stamps as follows.PlayStation’s Shift to Digital (2028 Cutoff)* (00:00:03): Introduction to the podcast and the main topic: PlayStation’s perceived “disdain” for physical media.* (00:01:17): The primary news update: PlayStation is ending support for printing physical discs starting January 2028.* (00:01:29): Clarification that this policy applies to third-party publishers, not just Sony’s first-party titles.* (00:02:13): Sony’s clarification that games released before January 2028 can still have additional disc print runs.* (00:02:54): Discussion on “code in a box” releases where retailers may sell physical cases without actual discs.* (00:03:17): The loss of consumer benefits, such as the ability to install and play games offline directly from a disc.* (00:03:45): Why PlayStation’s digital shift is different from the PC market, citing the lack of competition compared to storefronts like Steam, Epic, and GOG.Market Data and Industry Backlash* (00:05:10): Analysis of Sony’s claim that only 15% of their audience buys physical discs.* (00:06:02): Counter-evidence from the Insomniac leak, showing much higher physical sales for major titles like God of War Ragnarok (76%) and Spider-Man (54%).* (00:07:25): Reports of the PlayStation subreddit removing mentions of the Insomniac data and “games journalists” avoiding the topic for fear of losing access.* (00:08:24): Anonymous feedback from publishers and business partners who were surprised by the announcement.* (00:09:14): Impact on the Indian market, specifically the conflict between this news and Sony’s mandate to open 100 exclusive retail stores in India by 2028.Future Hardware and Digital Ownership* (00:13:02): How Sony and Microsoft have “trained” audiences to prefer digital through cheaper discless consoles and subscription services like Game Pass.* (00:14:25): Concerns regarding limited internal storage on consoles and how physical discs provided more user control over installations.* (00:16:09): Speculation that the PS6 will be a digital-only console targeting a 2028 launch.* (00:19:15): Recent examples of “purchased” digital content being removed, specifically 500 TV shows/movies from Sony Pictures Core.* (00:20:06): News regarding the shutdown of PSN for PS3 and Vita.* (00:22:03): The role of physical boxes as a “marketing investment” and how their removal affects discoverability.Regional Issues and Final Advice* (00:30:41): Mention that Sony owns DADC, the division that prints the proprietary discs, meaning publishers cannot easily circumvent Sony’s decision.* (00:35:18): Discussion of the PlayStation Terms of Service (TOS) for India, including a clause that allows Sony to cancel accounts that are inactive for three years.* (00:36:00): Mention of Clause 17, where accounts can be suspended if a bank reverses a payment, requiring a gift card to release the account.* (00:37:08): Reports of arbitrary caps on the amount of PlayStation Store credit retailers in India are allowed to sell per week.* (00:40:43): Final recommendation for consumers to build a PC to ensure more user choice and better long-term savings.Gaming Updates and Recommendations* (00:41:43): “What are you playing?” section featuring Lego Batman, Starfox, and Absolum.* (00:46:24): “What to wishlist” section: Dungeon Bodega Simulator and I’m Your Host.Welcome to Day Zero. This podcast breaks down the bits and bytes behind the decisions that shape the world’s greatest entertainment medium — video games.Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

By now the discourse surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) is roiling to say the least. From Rockstar demanding pre-orders without showing much in way of gameplay to a suspiciously pro-corporate slant from consumers justifying the company’s many failings (including crunch and potentially killing an entire retail industry) it’s been a wild week. However is there more to it than just wanton outrage? Yes there is.For all of the internet’s echo chamber-fuelled glory, there’s a very real chance that GTA 6 may not be the messiah the industry hopes it to be. Simply because rising prices thanks to Sam Altman, Microsoft, Hynix, Samsung, Micron, and general stupidity from the AI sector have knee-capped hardware prices yet again, with potential price hikes for new consoles on the horizon. For a game expected to move PS5s and Xbox Series consoles, it could not have launched in a worse season.Time stamps as follows.GTA 6 Pre-Order Details* 00:00:03: Introduction* 00:00:21: Confirmation of the GTA 6 release date as November 19th.* 00:00:31: Rockstar begins digital pre-orders and reveals edition details.* 00:00:41: Standard Edition ($80) and Ultimate Edition ($100) pricing revealed.* 00:00:51: Standard Edition includes one month of GTA Plus and a Vice City pre-order bonus.* 00:01:05: Ultimate Edition details: Includes extra outfits, areas, and vehicles.* 00:01:17: Digital-only announcement: The physical version will only contain a game code in the box, not a disc.* 00:01:40: Discussion on the lack of a new gameplay video vs. existing in-engine trailers and screenshots.GTA 6 Market Performance and Community Reaction* 00:02:10: GTA 6 reaches number one on the PlayStation Store pre-order charts.* 00:02:24: IGN reports an 8:1 pre-order ratio of PlayStation to Xbox based on affiliate links.* 00:02:37: Comparison of PlayStation vs. Xbox market share in India.* 00:03:22: Discussion of rumors regarding a potential disc version arriving one month after launch.* 00:03:54: Precedent for delayed physical releases, citing Red Dead Redemption on current-gen consoles.* 00:04:09: Historical context of Rockstar’s pricing adjustments in India.* 00:04:36: Critique of reporting from IGN and Hollywood Reporter regarding disc release rumors.Rockstar Games’ Industry Impact and Ethics* 00:05:04: Rockstar’s historical opposition to the used game market.* 00:05:34: Story of Rockstar shutting down a pre-owned game trade-in initiative in India.* 00:06:36: Discussion on consumer ownership legislation and the “Stop Killing Games” initiative in the EU.* 00:07:44: Retailer frustration over the lack of a physical disc.* 00:08:21: Speculation that the game is barely meeting its release date and may lack polish at launch.* 00:09:50: Prediction that a physical copy may appear a few months later once the game is fully complete.* 00:11:45: Discussion on “manufactured consent” and social media discourse regarding pricing.Console Hardware and Pricing Concerns* 00:12:44: Impact of GTA 6 on console hardware sales and marketing deals.* 00:13:17: Rising component and memory prices affecting console hardware costs.* 00:13:53: PS5 R&D costs and the lack of price drops compared to previous generations.* 00:14:58: Critique of Ultimate Edition “gated” content, such as specific locations and missions.* 00:16:18: India-specific pricing: Standard Edition at ₹5,999 and Ultimate Edition at ₹7,499.* 00:17:04: The cultural loss of midnight launches due to the shift to digital.* 00:18:44: Estimated revenue loss from physical sales in emerging markets ($150M–$200M).* 00:20:19: Comparison of hardware costs to monthly salaries in India.* 00:21:43: The importance of content creators to GTA’s longevity.* 00:23:36: The barrier for mobile gamers (BGMI, Free Fire) moving to console hardware.* 00:24:29: Financial advice: Do not use EMI or “Buy Now Pay Later” for games/hardware.What After GTA 6?* 00:25:53: Discussion on the rising costs of game development in the US.* 00:27:03: Rockstar’s use of Indian developers (1,000+ devs).* 00:27:46: Speculation on a separate marketing beat for GTA Online and a future PC launch.* 00:29:38: Next-gen console (PS6/Next Xbox) R&D and the risk of delaying launches.* 00:30:23: Critique of the Steam Machine’s performance and marketing material changes.* 00:31:23: Rockstar makes the GTA 5 Next-Gen upgrade free for those pre-ordering GTA 6.* 00:35:54: Critique of the “Live Service” model using Concord and Destiny as examples.* 00:38:41: Consumer advice: Buying hardware at MRP and the long-term savings of physical media.What We’re Playing* 00:40:41: Rahul talks about Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.* 00:41:43: Details on Lego Batman’s story amalgamation and Arkham-style gameplay.* 00:43:51: Performance of Lego Batman on PC (RTX 5070) versus Steam Deck.* 00:46:27: Rishi talks about his time with Alan Wake 2 and experimenting with Amiibos in Breath of the Wild.What to Wishlist and Outro* 00:47:48: Recommendation for Joy Malignant (dice-based RPG).* 00:48:26: Recommendation for Odd Town (mini-imm sim).* 00:49:09: Podcast wrap-up.Every week we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry on the Day Zero Podcast.Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

While Summer Game Fest brought with it a stellar line up of games reminiscent of the best days of E3, Valve dropped what’s likely the most consequential update for game developers in recent memory. After being in beta for a few months, the Company that Can’t Count to Three revealed a Steam store refresh that changes how industry conducts business on the biggest storefront for PC games.For this special episode of Day Zero, we have Lokesh Joshi, marketing lead at Tathvamasi Studios, the developers behind Suri: The Seventh Note, an upcoming PlayStation India Hero Project game for PS5 and PC. Disclosure: Day Zero podcast host Rishi Alwani has consulted with the studio in the past.From the personal calendar coming in clutch closer to release date for some publishers (such as Loopr Partners who were generous enough to let us talk about Zombutcher as a current case study) to harnessing wishlist velocity and timing the right release date, we got you covered. Time stamps as follows.Introduction and Guest Welcome* 00:00:03: Host Rishi Alwani introduces the episode and guests: Rahul and Lokesh Joshi (marketing lead of Tathvamasi Studios).* 00:00:52: Introduction to the main topic: Big changes and updates to Steam.The Steam Client Refresh (June 5th Update)* 00:01:32: Overview of the June 5th update, including UI changes and backend management for developers.* 00:01:54: Details on the new homepage, featured section, and general usability improvements.* 00:01:59: Introduction of the personal calendar feature for players to track release dates and wishlist games directly.* 00:03:07: Changes to the “Popular Upcoming” algorithm, requiring higher wishlist counts to appear on the list.Impact on Wishlists and Discovery* 00:04:12: How the personal calendar affects niche genres by recommending games based on user taste.* 00:04:30: Speculation on whether wishlists are still the primary metric for success.* 00:05:21: Discussion on how the calendar might help developers acquire “meaningful wishlists” with higher conversion rates.* 00:07:12: The concept of “Wishlist Velocity”—the importance of recent wishlists over older ones.* 00:08:05: Setting context on the “previous meta” where wishlists were the sole driver of visibility and funding.* 00:10:53: Identifying the bottleneck for developers: the requirement of a hard release date to appear on the personal calendar.Platforms and Visibility Case Studies* 00:14:25: Case study of the game Zombutcher and how the Steam update affected its launch visibility.* 00:15:58: The role of Steam Next Fest as a source of free visibility for indie developers.* 00:18:04: Comparison of developer support between Steam and PlayStation, highlighting Sony’s YouTube slots and blog posts.* 00:23:24: Discussion on Steam’s algorithmic nature compared to PlayStation’s storefront.Marketing Strategies for Indie Developers* 00:24:18: The importance of community building and organic content.* 00:24:32: Leveraging Instagram Reels for wide reach and using Reddit for organic feedback.* 00:27:53: Utilising Twitter for the indie community, specifically “Screenshot Saturday”.* 00:29:18: Advice on paid advertising: Don’t do it until you have a playable demo.* 00:31:46: Examples of “gold standard” social media accounts, including No Man’s Sky and Among Us.* 00:32:50: Using Steamworks data to track impressions, conversion rates, and “wishlist deletions”.* 00:35:14: Tips for standing out during Next Fest, including working with content creators and using the Tagging Wizard.* 00:40:40: A reminder that product quality and QA are more important than marketing efforts.What We’re Playing This Week* 00:41:08: Lokesh discusses playing Space Marine 2.* 00:41:44: Rahul discusses the demo for 1666 Amsterdam and the backstory of creator Patrice Desilets and Ubisoft.* 00:44:16: Rahul discusses Echoes of Aincrad (a Sword Art Online title).* 00:46:15: Rahul discusses Valor Mortis, a first-person French “souls-like” set in the Napoleonic era.* 00:49:16: Rishi discusses playing Dishonored 2 and his frustrations with the pacing of Alan Wake 2.Closing and Recommendations* 00:50:31: Final recommendations for games to wishlist: Suri: The Seventh Note, Zombutcher, and Arms Dealer.* 00:51:25: Outro and where to find the hosts and guests on social media.Welcome to Day Zero. This is a podcast about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Linkedin - Lokesh Joshi* Instagram - @Lokesh Joshi* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

At this point we might as well call this the Xbox Podcast rather than Day Zero what with the sheer number of times we’ve had to discuss the platform’s ups and downs on the podcast. After a successful Summer Game Fest showcase, it appears that Microsoft realises that a paltry three percent margin isn’t enough to run the Xbox business and cuts are afoot. To the point where not only did Xbox CEO Asha Sharma surface the business margins publicly, but Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called out that Xbox makes more money from YouTube than games. Yikes.In this episode we discuss what to expect from the House of Halo. As well as highlight one of the cooler indie games out of India, Malhaar. It’s a slice-of-life RPG that warrants a wishlist or 20.Time stamps as follows. Xbox Leadership and Initial Reset (February – May 2026)* 00:01:04: Introduction to Asha Sharma’s timeline starting from her joining as Xbox CEO in February 2026.* 00:01:18: Asha Sharma’s first internal memo prioritising human art over “AI slop”.* 00:01:33: Leadership overhaul, including Matt Booty’s promotion to Chief Content Officer.* 00:01:43: Strategic realignment with the hiring of Matt Ball as Chief Strategy Officer.* 00:01:49: Shift in success metrics from Game Pass subscriber counts to Daily Active Users (DAU).* 00:02:03: Rebrand of “Microsoft Gaming” to “XBOX” in all caps.* 00:02:18: Internal discussions regarding the return of console exclusivity.Major Announcements and Fiscal Transparency (June 2026)* 00:02:34: Asha Sharma’s major Bloomberg interview discussing an internal reset and reaching players across all platforms.* 00:02:48: Global price decrease for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.* 00:02:53: Leaks regarding the next-gen hardware codename, Project Helix.* 00:03:05: Xbox Fan Fest highlights, including the translucent green Xbox and announcements for Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution.* 00:04:04: Detailed breakdown of Asha Sharma’s memo regarding a three percent accountability margin and a half-billion-dollar revenue decline over five years.* 00:05:20: Critique of the “toxic positivity” of previous management (Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond) compared to Sharma’s transparency.* 00:06:11: Analysis of the unsustainability of the Game Pass model and the difficulties of keeping publishers happy in a subscription service.Strategic Challenges and Future Revenue Models* 00:09:40: Matt Ball’s comments to The Game Business regarding the challenges facing the company.* 00:10:27: Discussion on the failed “This is an Xbox” campaign and the lack of a clear reason to buy a $500–$650 console.* 00:12:10: Exploration of potential revenue streams, including ad-supported tiers similar to Netflix and Prime Video.* 00:14:07: Identification of the target audience for these executive statements: investors and VCs rather than gamers.* 00:16:10: The expansion of the Xbox Game Studio Store and physical merchandise (e.g. Halo: Campaign Evolved and Fable Collector’s Editions),.Satya Nadella’s “Hard Fork” Interview and Structural Changes* 00:18:27: Detailed look at Satya Nadella’s interview with the Hard Fork podcast.* 00:19:02: Nadella’s “nuke”: Asserting that Xbox must become a sustainable business after 25 years of investment.* 00:19:34: Nadella’s admission that Microsoft has been subsidising entertainment, noting that monetisation is happening more on YouTube than on Microsoft platforms,.* 00:21:00: Rumours from The Information regarding spinning off the Halo franchise to external studios.* 00:21:32: Criticism of Microsoft’s failure to capitalise on the success of the Fallout and Halo TV shows with timely game releases.* 00:24:52: Concerns over the loss of institutional knowledge following the closures of studios like Arkane Austin.Hardware Future and Developer Impact* 00:25:46: Disclosure of A-B testing showing that pushing individual games sometimes performs better than pushing Game Pass.* 00:27:42: Potential risks to the Developer Acceleration Program (XDAP) and funding for developers in regions like India and Southeast Asia,.* 00:29:03: Discussion on rising component prices (up to 5x–7x).* 00:29:56: Estimated timeline for Project Helix hardware (late 2027 or early 2028).* 00:30:18: The possibility of Xbox moving to a reference design model, allowing third-party OEMs (like ASUS or HP) to build Xbox consoles.* 00:32:02: Rumours of over 1,000 layoffs planned for July 2026, specifically targeting marketing and regional teams.* 00:33:30: Mention of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20 announcement.* 00:34:55: Final thoughts on Xbox entering its “Dreamcast era”.* 00:35:21: Wishlist callout for Indian indie game, Malhaar and wrap-up.Welcome to the Day Zero Podcast. Every week we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

E3 is dead only in name. The Summer Game Fest has embodied the spirit of what used to be the convergence of the video games industry. And while everyone and their grandma’s cat has given a blow-by-blow account of what was, this episode of Day Zero takes a slightly different approach. We discuss what we believe are the biggest announcements from the week that was the Summer Game Fest. From Sony’s State of Play to Xbox’s exercise in exclusivity and even a sterling third-party showing from the likes of Capcom, Square Enix, and Sega, there’s a lot to unpack. And despite rising hardware prices and dubious decision-making, there’s some gaming goodness yet to be had this year.Bear in mind this was recorded before the Nintendo Direct or Microsoft’s ongoing public relations disaster that is its Xbox leadership. We’ll probably touch on those next week. Oh and if you were expecting us to opine on the India Game Showcase, we explain why we don’t in the first minute or so. Time stamps as follows:Introduction and Overview* (00:00:03): Welcome and introduction by hosts Rishi Alwani and Rahul Majumdar.* (00:01:04): Analysis of Sony’s State of Play (or what the hosts argue should be called a “PlayStation Showcase”).* (00:01:55): Discussion of major Sony first-party showings: Wolverine, Until Dawn 2, and God of War: Laufey.* (00:02:40): Commentary on missing Sony announcements like Fairgames (potentially renamed Break In) and the focus on Marathon Season 2.* (00:03:05): Analysis of the slump in exclusive sales and the unsustainable cost of game development.* (00:04:31): Frustration over the high pricing of PS5 consoles in India, which have reached 80k–90k INR ($800–$900) at exclusive stores in 2026.Xbox Strategy & Messaging* (00:06:03): Transition to Xbox’s “exclusive pivots” and confusing messaging.* (00:06:35): Comparison of exclusivity stances: Gears of War: E-Day remaining exclusive while Halo Campaign Evolved is announced for PS5.* (00:10:12): A historical look at Xbox’s 25-year relationship with exclusivity, noting that major IPs like Halo and Fable have historically been ported to PC.* (00:12:28): Discussion on the difficulty of buying Xbox hardware in India and the reliance on the used market.* (00:13:10): Reaction to strategist Matthew Ball’s admission that Game Pass lost millions of subscribers after price hikes.* (00:13:25): Critique of new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and the narrative surrounding her “first 100 days”.* (00:15:24): Surprise announcement of Senua coming to PS5.* (00:20:55): Announcement of 25th Anniversary Xbox Series X and controller in translucent green.Summer Game Fest Highlights* (00:22:52): Deep dive into Final Fantasy VII Revelation, including its use of Unreal Engine 4 and its simultaneous multi-platform release.* (00:24:50): Note on Travis Willingham replacing Tyler Hoechlin as the voice of Sephiroth.* (00:27:47): Technical discussion of Gears of War: E-Day, highlighting new movement mechanics (manual jump, prone cover) and ray-traced global illumination.* (00:32:52): Highlight of the Thief Remaster from Night Dive Studios, expected at the end of 2026.* (00:34:09): Discussion of God of War: Laufey, confirming it is a side-narrative taking place concurrently with the 2018 and Ragnarok titles.Final Segment: What We’re Playing* (00:42:43): Rahul’s impressions of Mouse: PI for Hire, noting its serious narrative balance and noir inspirations.* (00:45:29): Rishi’s experience with the rhythm strategy game War Drum and a “high chaos” run of Dishonored 2.* (00:46:40): Closing remarks and social media handles for Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani.Day Zero is a video games podcast from Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani. We break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.Comments? Opinions? Good takes or bad? Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

This episode of the Day Zero Podcast is out earlier than expected simply because we wanted to discuss all things PlayStation before the big PS5 State of Play later in the week. In this episode, we dissect ongoing security concerns that plague PlayStation users which can essentially have your entire digital library taken away from you. Along with this we also talk about the ungodly pricing for PS5 hardware (which doesn’t need be given how much money the megacorp makes), the PlayStation retreat from PC which makes exclusives the norm at the cost of accessibility, and high PS Plus Subscription costs to name a few.It’s not all doom and gloom though, we also highlight some of the good the company is doing through its India Hero Project programme, which is, in our opinion, the gold standard in how indie game devs should be treated. Time stamps as follows:Introduction and Overview* 00:00:03: An overview of the “State of PlayStation” discussion.* 00:00:25: Summary of topics to be covered: PSN security, the state of exclusives, anti-consumer hardware pricing, and indie studio support.PlayStation Network (PSN) Security* 00:00:59: Discussion on reported PSN security vulnerabilities and account theft.* 00:01:21: Detailed account of games media personality Colin Moriarty’s account hack, including how hackers spoofed official support numbers.* 00:04:37: Insights into how easily hackers can gain access using rudimentary information, such as credit card receipts from restaurants.* 00:05:52: Discussion on the high value of early PSN accounts and Sony’s lack of public acknowledgement regarding these security issues.* 00:06:58: Recommended security measures for users, such as using 2FA authenticators and removing payment information from the store.Future Hardware and Digital Strategy* 00:13:29: Discussion on evidence of Sony’s next-gen plans, including two versions of the PS6 and a PS6 handheld.* 00:13:51: Analysis of the shift toward a digital-only ecosystem and the push for PS Plus and cloud streaming.* 00:15:32: Comparison with Nintendo’s handheld success and Valve’s Steam Deck.PlayStation Exclusives and PC Strategy* 00:17:52: News regarding major exclusives like Wolverine and Saros potentially no longer coming to PC.* 00:18:35: Critique of Sony’s “territorial” move regarding accessibility and the mixed success of previous PC ports like The Last of Us Part 1.* 00:26:52: Discussion of the ballooning budgets and labor costs of AAA development in North America.Sony Studio Management and Live Services* 00:28:12: Analysis of studio mismanagement, such as using Bluepoint for live service pitches and the cancellation of The Last of Us online project.* 00:31:04: Critique of the “Jim Ryan era” focus on live services and the waste of specialized single-player talent.* 00:31:31: Discussion of the Bungie acquisition, the end of support for Destiny 2, and the failure of Concord.Hardware Pricing and Indie Support* 00:36:43: Discussion on why PS5 hardware prices have remained high years after launch and the increase in PS Plus subscription costs.* 00:39:57: Overview of Sony’s positive work with the India Hero Project and other regional indie initiatives.* 00:41:14: Recognition of Shuhei Yoshida’s influence on the indie division and second-party deals for games like Kena: Bridge of Spirits.Favorite Games of First Half 2026* 00:44:05: Segment on the best games worth playing from the first half of 2026.* 00:44:11: Rahul’s highlights: Resident Evil 9 Requiem, Nioh 3, and Pragmata.* 00:47:37: Rishi’s highlights: Fishbowl, Dosa Divas, and War Drum.* 00:49:14: Discussion of other notable titles: Esoteric Ebb, Romeo as a Dead Man, and Forza Horizon 6.Conclusion* 00:50:36: A look ahead to upcoming releases like Phantom Blade Zero and Gears of War: E-Day.* 00:51:27: Final wrap-up and social media handles.Welcome to the Day Zero podcast. We break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Welcome to a special episode of Day Zero. With us this time around is friend of the show and editor-in-chief of Story Mode, Karan Pradhan to discuss Ubisoft’s upcoming remake of historical murder ‘em up, Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag. Rechristened as Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, he’s played a close to final build of the game in the run up to its July 9 release date. Be it Resynced’s faithfulness to the original (or lack thereof), comparisons to newer games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows or Ghost of Yotei, we got you covered.In addition to this, we also talk about Tencent’s India ambitions following its big event with the Indian government. Then again calling Tencent’s efforts here as ambitious is charitable given that the megacorp has committed a paltry USD 1 million over three years versus the likes of Krafton, Garena, Xbox, and PlayStation spending a whole lot more with a lot less noise.Along with this, the event had the Indian games industry’s lobbying for government funding into the sector (which is an exceptionally bad idea) which we touch upon as well.Finally, we dissect PlayStation’s price hike for its PS Plus subscriptions for IndiaWelcome to the Show and What to Expect* 00:00:03 – Welcome and host introductions (Rishi Alwani, Rahul Majumdar, and Karan Pradhan).* 00:00:25 – Overview of the episode’s main topics: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, PlayStation Plus price hikes, and Tencent’s investment in India.Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Preview* 00:01:03 – Karan discusses his hands-on preview at Ubisoft Pune.* 00:02:07 – Initial impressions: The game feels like a modern 2026 title rather than a simple remaster.* 00:03:10 – Discussion on controls and parkour mechanics, including changes to the sprint and jump buttons.* 00:05:11 – Confirmation that the modern-day sections are removed and replaced by the Animus Hub.* 00:06:31 – Analysis of moment-to-moment gameplay, planning missions, and the “insta-fail” eavesdropping missions.* 00:08:42 – Deep dive into combat mechanics, including parry windows, “ugly but effective” sword fighting, and comparisons to Ghost of Tsushima.* 00:10:02 – Discussion on the nature of preview events and how being “overpowered” in a demo can skew early opinions.* 00:13:08 – Technical details: Playing on high-end PCs, visual optimization, and the quality of water effects.* 00:15:41 – Gear and Progression: A shift from stat-based DPS to rewarding player skill and flare, plus the introduction of trinkets similar to Far Cry 6.* 00:18:23 – Tailing and Eavesdropping: How mission structures have been tweaked to be more fluid and less punishing than the original game.PlayStation Plus Price Hikes in India* 00:20:42 – Introduction to the subscription price increases in the Indian market.* 00:21:12 – Pricing Breakdown:* Essential: Increased from ₹4,000 to approximately ₹5,100 yearly.* Extra: Jumped from ₹6,700 to ₹8,700 yearly.* Deluxe: Increased from ₹7,600 to nearly ₹9,900 yearly.* 00:23:49 – Impact on accessibility and the “sweet spot” of the middle-tier subscription.* 00:25:12 – Discussion on cloud saves being “held hostage” and manual workarounds for backing up PS5 save files.* 00:27:31 – Strategic concerns regarding a surge in interest for jailbreaking consoles due to rising costs.* 00:28:31 – Comparison between PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass, focusing on library depth versus day-one releases.Tencent’s ₹100 Million Investment in India* 00:31:30 – Details of the MOU signed with the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) to develop India’s AVGC ecosystem.* 00:33:59 – Critique of the investment amount (approx. $1.2 million), noting it is relatively small compared to other industry players like Krafton.* 00:35:08 – Debate on whether the Indian government should provide grants for game development versus relying on venture capital.* 00:39:06 – Analysis of Tencent’s institutional approach to engaging with the government to prevent “overnight bans”.* 00:39:39 – “Hawkish” vs. “Dovish” views on Chinese corporate influence in creative outputs.* 00:41:02 – Rumours regarding Valorant Mobile being published by Tencent in India instead of Riot Games.What Have You Been Playing This Week?* 00:42:22 – Rahul: Saros (review), Mouse PI for Hire, and anticipation for Lego Batman and 007 First Light.* 00:43:30 – Karan: Zero Parades and initial impressions of Lego Batman.* 00:46:22 – Rishi: Thick as Thieves and Forza Horizon 6.Closing and Socials* 00:50:11 – Final notes on physical game pricing for 007 First Light and consumer advice for day-one purchases.* 00:50:50 – Where to find the hosts and their work (The Screen Zone, Story Mode)Welcome to the Day Zero Podcast. Every week we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

It’s been a hot minute since the last episode of Day Zero, which we’ve been told, broke certain parts of the internet due to our reporting on all things Nintendo in India. For those of you that tuned in, subscribed, and reached out — thank you for supporting independent media. And for those of you that shamelessly stole our work without crediting it us for clout — may you be blessed with the sound of nails on chalkboards between your ears for all eternity.With that out of the way, this episode has us answering all your questions regarding Nintendo’s India entry. Along with this we also break down the company’s recent history of attempts to enter the country, its relationship with Indian developers, and discuss the surprisingly vibrant and vocal Nintendo India community. We also examine the subscription numbers for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass in India too.Furthermore, Subnautica 2 finds itself in the spotlight. Amidst a decline in the battle royale genre that Krafton itself pioneered and a CEO that’s more clanker than human — to the point of disregarding human legal advice in favour of ChatGPT leading to an embarrassing lawsuit with Subnautica 2’s developers — there’s joy to be had in the Korean megacorp’s comeuppance.Finally we discuss Xbox’s critical and commercial masterpiece that is Forza Horizon 6 in addition to what we played this week, including Dead As Disco. Time stamps as follows:Welcome to the Show, Here’s Why You Should Listen* (00:00:03): Introduction to episode 25 of the DayZero Podcast with hosts Rishi Alwani and Rahul Majumdar.* (00:00:13): Rishi’s career history, including his time as a games journalist at NDTV, IGN India, and his current work with games business newsletter and consulting.* (00:01:43): Rahul’s career history, including running the site TechQuila, working at IGN India and GLHF, his experience in the Indian film industry, and his current site, The Screen Zone.Nintendo’s Arrival in India* (00:03:45): Initial discussion on Nintendo officially entering the Indian market.* (00:04:32): History of Nintendo in India, specifically how consoles like the Wii and Switch have been available for years through the grey and parallel markets.* (00:06:30): Piracy vs. Spending Power, addressing the audience that chooses to spend on entertainment and the convenience of digital subscriptions like Nintendo Switch Online.* (00:07:34): The Indian Nintendo Community, highlighting the Super Smash Bros. scene and international representation.* (00:08:03): Comparisons to Sony’s PS2 strategy, discussing why Nintendo might launch the Switch 1 late in India.* (00:10:51): Logistics of the launch, including potential partnerships (Redington), the importance of the eShop, and after-sales service/warranties.* (00:12:30): Nintendo’s relationship with Indian developers, mentioning their support for games like Raji and interactions at the India Game Show.* (00:14:23): Manufacturing and BIS certification, discussing the possibility of local assembly and the hurdles of the Bureau of Indian Standards process.* (00:15:25): Broader state of the Indian gaming market, covering the dominance of PlayStation, PC gaming trends (laptops with 3050/4050 cards), and the small Xbox user base.* (00:17:09): Spending habits and the second-hand market, explaining the popularity of physical games due to resale value.* (00:18:49): Nintendo’s transmedia push, discussing how movies like Super Mario Bros. and the upcoming Zelda film factor into their expansion.* (00:20:26): Subscription numbers in India, estimating 100K-110K Game Pass subs and roughly 500K PlayStation Plus subscribers.Subnautica 2 and Krafton Controversy* (00:22:27): Overview of Subnautica 2’s successful early release and the drama involving studio Unknown Worlds and its parent company, Krafton.* (00:22:57): Hostile takeover attempt, detailing how the Krafton CEO allegedly used ChatGPT to consult on business decisions and tried to “kneecap” the studio to avoid paying a $250 million bonus.* (00:27:32): The state of the Battle Royale genre, noting its decline outside of mobile-heavy markets like India and China.Forza Horizon 6* (00:31:07): Impressions of Forza Horizon 6, including performance on gaming laptops and the Xbox handheld (ROG Xbox Ally X), plus a weird launch bug requiring an “Alt-Tab”.* (00:31:34): Indian pricing concerns, comparing the high cost of Forza Horizon 6 (₹5,499) to Forza Horizon 5 (₹3,299) and the lack of a physical Xbox release.* (00:32:59): The “Fable Engine” debate, debunking the idea that Forza’s high optimisation automatically means the upcoming Fable game will run well on mid-range hardware.Games Played This Week* (00:37:00): Game of Thrones: King’s Road, an action RPG from Netmarble currently unavailable in India on certain platforms.* (00:38:13): Dead As Disco, with impressions of its “Arkham-style” combat and Suda 51-esque vibe.* (00:40:17): Replaced, a brief mention of picking up the game.Closing* (00:40:23): Social media handles and sign-off.Every week we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry in the Day Zero Podcast. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Another week, another reason for GTA 6 to be in the news cycle. And like every generational pairing, be it peanut butter and chocolate, America and oil, or AI and circular funding, a Rockstar-developed game and crunch is one you can definitely count on. In this episode of the Day Zero podcast we discuss rumours of Rockstar’s India team crunching to meet the GTA 6 release date along with taking an “insider” to task for confusing a company with a long history of mismanagement as an “Indian work culture issue”.Along with this we talk about Nintendo’s imminent India arrival. Potential timelines, release dates, prices, and what to expect (spoiler: not the Nintendo Switch 2 it seems) are all laid bare complete with our thoughts on the company’s belated India return.Also, we weigh in on the controversy surrounding Mixtape, the latest game from indie publishing powerhouse Annapurna Interactive. Like most things in life, this too seems exaggerated by a set of grifters.Finally we round things off with what we’ve been playing this week, namely: Forza Horizon 6, Pragmata, Saros, and Mixtape. Time stamps as follows:Introduction and Overview* 00:00:11 – Overview of the episode’s main topics: GTA crunch, Nintendo’s India plans, and the Mixtape indie game controversy.GTA 6, Rockstar India, and Industry Crunch* 00:00:36 – Discussion begins regarding Glassdoor reviews of Rockstar Bengaluru alleging intense crunch (3am work hours).* 00:01:00 – Reaction to claims by “insider” Kiwi Talkz that crunch is simply “normal day-to-day work in India”.* 00:01:33 – Refutes the claim that extreme crunch is the standard across the Indian games industry.* 00:02:16 – Contextualising Rockstar’s history of crunch, specifically during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2.* 00:03:19 – Confirming that crunch is happening on GTA 6 and discussing how Rockstar has “exported” the problem to countries with less games journalism oversight.GTA 6 Release and PS5 Bundles* 00:04:37 – Discussion on the projected November release and a potential PS5 bundle.* 00:05:10 – Updates on PS5 supply issues in India and expected price hikes for the disc and digital versions.* 00:06:50 – Analyzing the “worst of both worlds” where US crunch culture meets Indian entertainment industry work habits.* 00:07:57 – Personal anecdotes about crunch in gaming journalism and the impact of the lack of specialized talent in India.Nintendo’s Official India Entry Plans* 00:10:02 – Introduction of the rumor regarding Nintendo officially launching in India.* 00:10:20 – Details on the planned launch: early next year at a price point of approximately 20,000 rupees.* 00:10:33 – Clarification that this launch is for the Switch 1, likely the base model, not the Switch 2.* 00:11:14 – Discussion on distribution, with Redington named as the likely partner.* 00:12:12 – Targeted launch window of February or March and details on the Nintendo India team.* 00:13:06 – Discussion on the “weird decision” to launch a 10-year-old console and how it compares to current grey market prices.* 00:15:44 – The challenge of brand awareness in India and how consumers want to be treated as “first-class citizens” regarding global release dates.* 00:17:38 – The hurdle of piracy and the potential “big win” for Nintendo’s IP like Pokemon and Zelda.The Mixtape “Controversy” and Online Discourse* 00:18:16 – Transition to discussing the indie game Mixtape.* 00:18:50 – Contrasting the game’s critical acclaim (including 10/10 scores) with the “culture war” attacks it has faced online.* 00:19:59 – Evidence of review bombing on Steam and the debate over “games as art” vs. traditional gameplay.* 00:22:33 – Personal impressions of the game.* 00:24:43 – Addressing the controversy surrounding Annapurna’s ownership and their connection to AI and surveillance.* 00:27:52 – Analysing the backlash to the IGN 10/10 review and the general misunderstanding of how media outlets review games.* 00:30:09 – Discussion on the harassment of journalists, such as Gene Park, following positive coverage of the game.What We’re Playing This Week* 00:31:04 – Rahul discusses finishing Pragmata, noting its short length and Resident Evil-style progression.* 00:32:25 – Rahul shares his experience with Saros, comparing its difficulty and accessibility to Returnal.* 00:34:41 – Rishi discusses playing Forza Horizon 6 on PC and checking out Mixtape and Saros.Outro* 00:35:22 – Social media handles and sign-off.This is the Day Zero podcast. Every week we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Another week, another episode. This time we’re focusing on Valve’s latest hardware drop: the new Steam Controller. It’s been a hot minute since the House Gaben built released its first-generation Steam Controller, only to be discontinued four years later. Fast-forward to now and the company’s second stab at it might be its most promising yet. We also discuss how you could get your hands on it if you aren’t living in a market Valve is selling the new Steam Controller in like India.Along with this, we discuss PS5 exclusive Saros’ gameplay chops and the early commercial response to it thus far, May Madness — our term for the veritable deluge of gaming goodness hitting shelves digital and physical this month such as 007 First Light, Dead as Disco, Thick as Thieves, and Forza Horizon 6, and Xbox’s revenue from games making it to the PS5 courtesy Alinea Analytics.Finally, we round off the episode with what we’ve been playing this week. Namely Crimson Desert, Pragmata, and Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred. Time stamps as follows:Introduction and Overview* (00:00:00): High-level overview of topics: Steam Controller, Saros, and the May Madness of game releases.Valve’s New Steam Controller* (00:00:31): Initial impressions and discussion of the $100 price tag.* (00:01:21): Hardware features, including dual trackpads and new TMR analog sticks to reduce stick drift.* (00:01:46): Discussion on software limitations, specifically that it only works natively through Steam without workarounds.* (00:03:34): Challenges of buying Valve hardware to India, including grey market imports and lack of official distribution.* (00:09:03): Speculation on future “Steam Machines” from third-party manufacturers like Asus and HP.Saros Deep Dive* (00:11:01): Introduction to Saros, the spiritual successor to Returnal by Housemarque.* (00:11:53): Impressions of the Saros haptic feedback and sound design on the DualSense controller.* (00:12:40): Comparison to other roguelikes like Hades regarding permanent progression and difficulty.* (00:13:30): Breakdown of new gameplay mechanics: shields, movement speed, and the Eclipse risk/reward loop.* (00:18:10): Analysis of the game’s sales performance and marketing in India,.Every Video Game You Should Care About in May 2026* (00:19:21): Overview of the major titles releasing in May.* (00:20:22): Forza Horizon 6: Discussion on its Day 1 release on PS5.* (00:20:44): Lego Batman: How it differs from the Arkham series with a populated open-world Gotham.* (00:22:16): Thick as Thieves: Excitement for the new game from immersive sim veteran Warren Spector.* (00:23:06): Dead as Disco: A viral rhythm-based brawler entering early access.* (00:23:38): Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Discussion on the upcoming Switch port.* (00:25:11): Other notable mentions: Zero Parades for Dead Spies, Paralives, and Romestead.Xbox Game Sales on PS5* (00:25:40): Breakdown of sales data from Alinea Analytics, highlighting that Forza Horizon 5 has sold 5.8 million units on PlayStation.* (00:26:49): The total gross revenue for the 13 analyzed titles reaching $667 million.What We’re Playing This Week* (00:28:01): Rahul’s progress in Pragmata via GeForce Now.* (00:28:20): Updates on Crimson Desert and its frequent patching.* (00:29:55): Rishi’s thoughts on Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and its “MCU-style” story.Closing and Giveaway* (00:31:21): Housekeeping and announcement of the Marathon Controller winner.* (00:31:41): Social media handles and sign-off.This is Day Zero, a podcast is about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Xbox promises a return to form with a chatty new memo while PlayStation’s silence suggests a heel turn no one wanted or asked for. All while Pragmata and Saros have us feeling that video games, unlike the industry that makes them, are alright actually.It’s been a loaded week in the games business and we’re here to break it all down. Unlike most of our usual episodes that focus on a single topic, there’s a lot to unpack this time around so we got timestamps for your perusal.Xbox Strategy — or Lack Thereof* 00:01:00 – The Xbox memo: We break down Asha Sharma’s leaked-and-then-revealed memo on the future of Xbox.* 00:02:08 – The “Northstar” metric: Xbox identifies daily active players as their primary metric for success. Not the first time engagement became a cornerstone metric. Some of us are old enough to remember it first introduced in 2015.* 00:03:08 – Hardware priorities: Xbox Series X|S plans ahead of a Project Helix launch.* 00:04:37 – Game Pass price drops: Apparent efforts to lower the cost of Xbox Game Pass and why it’s a bizarre idea at this point.* 00:06:09 – Global distribution critique: We berate the Xbox’s lack of hardware availability in India, Asia, and the Middle East amidst a memo that calls for more console hardware focus.* 00:08:52 – Feature Deprecation: Criticism over the removal of Xbox social features like Clubs.* 00:10:00 – Mobile storefront rumours: Discussion on potential plans for a mobile APK storefront.* 00:10:53 – State of Halo: Analysis of the management and current status of the Halo franchise.* 00:12:31 – Personal Xbox Series X experiences: Rishi explains why he has owned three different Xbox Series X consoles this generation.* 00:14:50 – Next-Gen OEM partnerships: Rumours regarding third-party partners like ASUS manufacturing Helix-based hardware.* 00:17:22 – Corporate culture: It’s wild how much heavy-lifting the memo does in terms of making Xbox cosplay as a startup rather than a subsidiary of a megacorp.* 00:19:39 – Call of Duty profitability: We parse through the strategic decision to remove Call of Duty from Game Pass to protect retail sales.PS5 DRM and What Could Happen Next* 00:31:52 – PS5 DRM: Details on the 30-day login requirement for digital purchases on PS4 and PS5.* 00:36:34 – The Crew 2 offline mode: Ubisoft’s response to the Stop Killing Games community initiative via the EU regarding live service games.Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: Everything We Know So Far* 00:37:39 – Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Resynced: Official announcement and details of the remake.* 00:40:54 – Assassin’s Creed roadmap: Discussion on Shadows, Hexe, and the rumored AC1 remake.* 00:43:16 – Gameplay overhaul: Improvements to stealth, tailing missions, and ship customisation.* 00:45:38 – Pricing & Indian retail: Details on the 4,999 INR price point and the legitimacy of the steelbook offer at Games The Shop.Pragmata, Saros, and the End* 00:47:37 – Pragmata: Rahul discusses playing Capcom’s Pragmata via GeForce Now.* 00:50:15 – Saros: Rishi reviews Housemarque’s spiritual successor to Returnal, featuring actor Rahul Kohli.* 00:52:48 – Saros mechanics: A look at the laser-focused gameplay and DualSense haptic feedback.* 00:57:05 – Outro & Giveaway: Information on the Marathon controller giveaway and closing out the podcast.Welcome to Day Zero. This podcast is about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

After a solid press event a few months ago, Nvidia finally lifted the lid on its GeForce Now streaming service India release. Following a couple of weeks of media previews, players can check it out from April 16 onwards in early access.In this episode of the Day Zero Podcast, we discuss our thoughts on GeForce Now after trying it out pre-release across a host of devices ranging from TVs to Steam Decks and a smartphone or two. We also discuss the state of the games business in India what with resurgent PS5 and Nintendo Switch (yes, Switch, not Switch 2) sales.Furthermore, we also address the RTX 5090-sized elephant in the room — if renting high-speed, performant servers to stream video games is all GeForce Now is, and if you still have to buy your own games — who is it really for in a market that’s dominated by free-to-play mobile games and value-conscious spenders?Finally, we discuss what we’ve been playing this week, including Pragmata, Dosa Divas, and to no one’s surprise, Starfield.This is Day Zero. It is a podcast on video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Day Zero is hosted by Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani.We’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Episode 20 of the Day Zero podcast is out. As the title suggests, we break down what to expect from the ShinyHunters hack of GTA 6 developer Rockstar. Keep in mind that this was recorded on April 12, a day before the hackers leaked details early. That said we parse what you can expect in the aftermath of this reveal and ponder how a company with more money than god can’t get its cybersecurity in order (what with this being the second known major hack since 2022).Along with this we also discuss friend of the podcast Kirk McKeand’s awesome interview with industry legend and Bethesda game deliverer of sick day notes Pete Hines, which pretty much confirms what we already know when mega-corps try to make sense of video games.Apart from this, we get into the weeds of one of the more ridiculous pricing moves for a video game in India — 007 First Light courtesy of IO — and make the argument for not buying anything from the publisher given its focus on live services.Finally, we also talk about what we’ve been playing this week, namely the excellent Dosa Divas and the not so excellent Starfield to name a few.The Day Zero podcast breaks down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. It’s run by Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani.Comments? Criticisms? Industry tips? Leather jackets? You can find us at the following handles to discuss all of that and then some:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

With the PS5 getting a much-maligned price hike this week, we discuss what to expect from PlayStation in terms of its impact on a potential PS5 Pro India launch and more importantly, how much more you could pay for a PS5 if you haven’t got one already. Along with this, we also discuss the company’s legacy of making games for India from India (or in the case of Singstar Bollywood, London). Before that though, we dig deep into Fishbowl. Developed by Goa-based imissmyfriends.studio, it’s a cosy slice-of-life game that has a surprising focus on details, a deceptively hypnotic gameplay loop, and an interesting story to boot. However there’s more to it, as the first game of the PlayStation India Hero Project — Sony’s latest attempt at curating the best Indian game developers have to offer — it’ll likely set a standard by which others will be judged. Without spoiling much, Fishbowl sets the bar high enough.Oh and, if you’re reading this the day it goes live and you want to win a limited edition Marathon DualSense controller, subscribe to us on Substack if you haven’t already. Winner to be announced on the next podcast.Finally, we discuss what we’ve playing this week and to no one’s surprise it involves a lot of crimson — in terms of deserts and demon blood.This is the Day Zero podcast. breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

AI slop and its proponents can’t stop clinging to an already hollowed-out games industry and this time it’s courtesy of Nvidia. By now the megacorp’s AI piss filter reveal or “DLSS 5”as its officially known has been universally panned to the point where our favourite leather clad CEO Jensen had to claim to hate AI slop after calling his audience wrong, all while the company has admitted that the level of control developers have isn’t as granular as it could be.In this episode of Day Zero we discuss everything wrong with Nvidia’s DLSS 5 reveal. From the games chosen to how it was framed and even the amusingly hilarious attempts at astroturfing to boot. Suffice to say, we had opinions aplenty.And for game developers, publishers, and industry execs listening, we also discuss if you should disclose if AI was used in making your game — or not. Spoiler alert: you should to understand why and how: we got you covered from 32:54 onwards.Welcome to Day Zero. This is a podcast about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Halo and Destiny hitmaker Bungie released Marathon earlier this month. It’s the legendary studio’s first game following Sony splurging $3.6 billion to acquire it. While there’s a lot of things in this extraction shooter that make it compelling to play, there’s also a lot of friction that make it impenetrable for some. And while certain sections of the internet might croon that it’s Concord 2.0 (probably the same lot fetishising Nvidia’s DLSS 5), Marathon’s actually a pretty solid game. We explain why in the first half of the Day Zero Podcast. Oh, and if you want to win a limited edition Marathon DualSense controller, subscribe to us on Substack if you haven’t already. Winner to be announced in two weeks.After that we talk about Microsoft’s new Xbox moves or lack thereof. At GDC 2026 Xbox revealed more details on Project Helix, the next iteration of its consoles. While a slew of technical information was made public, there was little in the way of innovation spoken and even less in terms of Xbox Game Pass, likely lending credence to the deprioritisation of a service some have referred to as ‘Welfare Pass’.Furthermore, the way forward seems to indicate lip service in terms of video games preservation rather than an earnest attempt at it.Finally we discuss Xbox’s duality in terms of keeping AI away from game development but still shoehorning it into Xbox Series X|S with Copilot coming in an update to the consoles.This is Day Zero. It is a podcast about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

After a recent Shark Tank India episode featuring a father and son duo making $221,000 in Roblox, we’ve been inundated with requests from our listeners — mainly those working in the video games industry — to break down what user generated content is for platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, and how that differs from (or complements) existing live service pipelines for such games. For what it’s worth, Roblox’s leadership is still cringe and can do better with its safety standards, our position on this has not changed and we’ve discussed this on a previous episode.That said, to break down the nuance behind user generated content on Roblox and Fortnite, we got special guest Rishabh Sabarwal to break down everything you need to know. Currently a gaming editor at Beebom India, focussing on live service games, he’s previously consulted studios making games in Fortnite. He sheds light on how game developers are making the switch and what are the common pitfalls of doing so.We also dive into how creators are earning millions by developing brain rot games that prioritise instant gratification and viral trends over complex design. This includes a deep dive into revenue which is primarily driven by engagement metrics and the sale of virtual items using in-game currencies like Robux.Finally, we also discuss how these kind of games/experiences built on Fortnite and Roblox live or die on basis of their update cadence and mobile accessibility rather than traditional gameplay loops. Time stamps as follows:Market Scenario* 0:00 – Introduction to the UGC Ecosystem* 1:30 – The Billion-Dollar Scale: we discuss how top UGC games on both platforms have already exceeded $1 billion in revenue, often outperforming traditional high-budget titles that are being shelved.* 2:45 – Monetisation: revenue streams breakdown including those where creators can keep up to 100% of the in-game currency spent.Case Studies: Brain Rot Performance Metrics* 5:00 – High-Performance Experiences: we look at Steal a Brain Rot the top-performing game driving 6 million concurrent users (CCU) daily on Roblox.* 7:30 – The Fortnite Inflection Point: how UGC experiences in Fortnite broke records with 6.5 million CCU, surpassing the player count of Fortnite’s own core Battle Royale mode.* 8:45 – Platform Marketing Shifts: insight into Fortnite’s decision to rebrand its App Store presence to feature UGC characters, highlighting a creator who earned $50 million in five months.User Psychology and Retention* 10:15 – Demographics and the “iPad Kid” Economy: why 15-minute dopamine loops are more effective for younger audiences than 30-minute battle royale matches.* 11:45 – Advanced Retention Tactics: discussion on “offline progression” (e.g., Grow a Garden) and live events, such as the Bruno Mars concert, used to drive exclusive cosmetic sales.Where Studios Fail and India Insights* 13:30 – Common Studio Failures: why traditional studios fail by over-investing in “perfect” game design documents rather than chasing viral TikTok trends and memes.* 15:00 – The “Live Ops” Mandate: the requirement for daily updates to maintain UGC momentum, contrasting with the multi-week cycles typical of mobile or PC gaming.* 16:30 – Regional Market Insights (India): analysis of the gap in the Indian market where local studios are failing to target the primary 7-year-old demographic already playing brain rot games.What Next?* 18:45 – Why Creators Don’t Go Solo: Roblox and Fortnite handle all server infrastructure, publishing, and marketing, making it risky for successful creators to build independent games.* 20:00 – The Disney Play: early indicators of how Disney is licensing official IP to creators within Fortnite’s Unreal Editor (UEFN), signalling a new era of corporate-UGC collaboration.Welcome to Day Zero. This is a podcast about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Capcom’s on a generational run with its survival horror series Resident Evil. The ninth mainline entry, Resident Evil Requiem is out now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. In this episode of the Day Zero Podcast we discuss our thoughts on the game (spoiler-free) along with how it’s sold in the Indian market (spoiler: good) and how the likes of Games The Shop — the country’s biggest retailer as well as Nvidia, did their bit to hype up the game. We also talk about how Resident Evil Requiem fits into the greater context of AAA game development and how games like this are few and far between due to what the industry at large optimises for (i.e. economics, not AI and lay-offs or so we hope). Mad props to David Goldfarb for the tweets that sparked this part of the conversation (and the title of this podcast) to begin with.Furthermore, we talk about Marathon, Bungie’s first game since Sony’s acquisition of the Halo and Destiny maker. From font choices (bad) to its visual direction (good) every aspect of this extraction shooter is laid bare. Along with some choice for words for those pushing out “reviews” for a live service game that isn’t out in a wide enough fashion to warrant the exuberance (or gloom).Day Zero is a podcast about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively bad takes. Let’s start a dialogue, preferably with enough branching paths favouring us.* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Industry staple Phil Spencer is moving on from Xbox. Megacorp Microsoft announced the Xbox CEO’s departure late last week. Heir apparent Sarah Bond revealed she would be moving on too. In their place is Asha Sharma is the new CEO of Xbox. She was previously the head of coreAI at Microsoft. In this episode of Day Zero, we discuss the ramifications of this move along with some community wisdom that’s probably done a better job of reading the room versus most (or even the official narrative). One of the points of discussion is deprioritising PC Game Pass and potentially Xbox Game Pass in itself given. Despite a strong slate of games and a rumoured new Xbox hardware next year, we may actually see Xbox being sold for parts or gutted completely.Before this, we discuss Sony’s scuppering of Bluepoint and how that it appears like an unwarranted move given that the company recently revealed its remaster plans for the God of War trilogy. And speaking of God of War, we also break down what we liked — and did not like — about God of War Sons of Sparta that was shadow dropped during the excellent State of Play earlier in the month.Day Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world's greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively bad takes. Let’s start a dialogue, preferably with enough branching paths favouring us.* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

The PlayStation State of Play for February 2026 was perhaps the strongest showing from any console maker in recent times. From the likes of John Wick to Kena: Scars of Kosmora, there’s something for everyone. It harkened back to the time of the original PlayStation’s (and arguably PlayStation 2’s) peak — so many games to choose from for any kind of gamer.In this episode of Day Zero, we discuss why this matters. With the state of the games business in flux courtesy of AI, a weak Xbox, and Nintendo yet to find its footing with the Switch 2, we talk about why the State of Play for February 2026 was a show of strength and how it could shape expectations for the year to come. More so when you consider that GeForce Now’s launch event is done and dusted and we still don’t have an actual launch date, and Xbox appears to be content doing absolutely nothing of value.Along with this we discuss some of PlayStation India’s marketing snafus, complete with select comments from Twitter on how the company could change it for the better. From marketing professionals to editors (and friends of the podcast) and even streamers, it appears that PlayStation’s vocal and loyal fan base has a lot to say. And some of it is even worth surfacing. In addition with how to save some money on PS5 games that fans of the podcast would be familiar with.Finally, we tell you what we’ve been playing this week, including a certain mystery game that Rahul can’t tell you about (just yet) and Rishi’s adventures with the latest Suda51 title, Romeo Is a Dead Man.Day Zero is a podcast that breaks down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. It’s run by Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani.Comments? Criticisms? Industry tips? Leather jackets? You can find us at the following handles to discuss all of that and then some:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

In this episode of Day Zero, we talk about Nvidia’s GeForce Now India media briefing which we were invited to ahead of its soon to be revealed release date. While the company valued at around $4.6 Trillion (at the time of writing this post) didn’t give us a concrete launch date or a price, it said enough and more importantly, showed just about enough to give us a modicum of confidence regarding its rollout. Considering the current competition from Xbox and Jio, the standard wasn’t really that high to begin with, but just enough that being pragmatic is the best way forward. For once, it was nice to see the business people in the room intensely aware of the market realities and more importantly — audience expectations.The silver lining aside from Team Green’s prudence, is that the Nvidia GeForce Now India launch is being helmed by the company itself, no local partners. This means Indian users should get the latest and greatest features the same time as those in regions like the US. Along with this, the company waxed eloquent at a host of features that go beyond just latency as well as highlighted a few key titles including Crimson Desert and Resident Evil Requiem, both which will make it to the service day one.Finally, we discuss what this means for gamers in the country, particularly those without access to high-end hardware and how the cost of GeForce Now’s accessibility may be thanks to AI companies, data centres, and perhaps even those of us buying GPUs — which Nvidia has reportedly dropped plans of shipping new ones this year. Welcome to Day Zero and thank you for stopping by. This is a podcast that breaks down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. It’s run by Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani.Comments? Criticisms? Industry tips? Leather jackets? You can find us at the following handles to discuss all of that and then some:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

In this episode of Day Zero, we discuss GTA 6, yet again. This time to parse through and make sense of a particularly spicy rumour doing the rounds about the lack of a physical copy on disc at launch. We go into the origin of this GTA 6 rumour, why it has traction, what it means for you as a consumer, and why if Take Two decides on such an approach, it nukes accessibility for markets that aren’t the United States as well as takes away from one of the core aspects of video games culture (in markets that aren’t the US) — midnight launches. Furthermore, given the tools at the disposal of megacorps like this, leaks can be squashed with ease if it so chooses. Well, unless your team skipped the day they were told about how to spot social engineering before being partly responsible for the greatest leak of all time.Along with this we discuss recently released multiplayer shooter Highguard, the team behind it, why it’s getting a negative reception, and why having access to the affection and following of Geoff Keighley has probably done more harm than good for a shooter that we do hope gets better.Finally, Rahul reveals what to expect from Nioh 3, which seems to be shaping up to be something quite special from Team Ninja given how it expands on the series’ well-worn souls like inspirations.Thank you for stopping by. Day Zero is a podcast that breaks down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. It’s run by Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani. Comments? Criticisms? Industry tips? You can find us at the following handles to discuss all of that and then some:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

New year, new bad news. This time, Ubisoft announced the end of its attempt to bring Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake to fruition along with a restructuring plan that is billed at a pricey € 200 million. We discuss the cultural relevance and importance of the Prince of Persia games, particularly touching on how an entire generation of gamers in India grew up playing Sands of Time on the PS2 and PC. Along with this, we dish out details on the first time the game was cancelled and taken out of the hands of Ubisoft’s Indian operations in Pune and Mumbai, which reek of corporate mismanagement.Furthermore, we also talk about Ubisoft’s new restructuring plans which doesn’t have us convinced that this has been done entirely for the right reasons. We also go through its recent financial performance (courtesy the fine people at GameMakers). All of it suggests a potentially elaborate system to ensure family control at the cost of the games and their fans.Finally we also talk about what to expect from Ubisoft’s future projects including Assassin’s Creed and Beyond Good and Evil 2.Welcome to Day Zero! This is a video games podcast where we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.Comments? Opinions? Good takes or bad? Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Xbox woke up and realised India is a market it actually where it sells controllers and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions (consoles have been unavailable here for quite a long while now) and in order to jumpstart that it did a marketing campaign focussing on the latest addition to its offerings — Xbox Cloud Gaming. In this episode of Day Zero we discuss what it did, what the outcome was, what’s next, and why we’re extremely skeptical of the future of Xbox in India, even if in the short term, Xbox has been able to win developer mindshare and interest with its Xbox Developer Accelerator Programme.Along with this we also discuss on-ground realities in terms of sales, user feedback, and why being at retail matters in markets that are not the US. In addition to this we dig into how Xbox Cloud Gaming’s infrastructure in India has impacted the overall experience, which seems to be a cause for concern.Furthermore, we also talk about what to expect from Xbox with its upcoming developer showcase later this month.Also, we zoom out on the bigger picture concerns plaguing Xbox, namely its parent company going all in on all things slop and how it ties into the tech billionaire delusion of ending consumer ownership of computers, consoles, and any kind of hardware, gaming or otherwise. To round off the warranted doomerism, we also muse on the possibility of Xbox pulling a Meta and gutting its studios wholesale to chase Microsoft’s AI ambitions.Oh and in one bright note: we also reveal the winner of the limited edition Ghost of Yotei controller — Darren Rodrigues. Congratulations, we’ll be sending it across soon.Day Zero is a video games podcast from Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani. We break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.Comments? Opinions? Good takes or bad? Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Of all the things to capture the headlines at the beginning of 2026, The Witcher 3 getting new content was not one we had on our bingo cards. And yet, here we are. Courtesy of some stellar reporting from Eurogamer’s Robert Purchese as well as welcome comments from Polish games industry insider Borys Nieśpielak and Noble Securities analyst Mateusz Chrzanowski, it’s quite likely that CD Projekt RED might usher in a new expansion/DLC to a nearly 11-year-old game that still holds up extremely well to this day.Along with this we discuss what we could expect from such an endeavour. Be it a potential release date, price point, impact on value-focussed markets like India, and of course, what to expect from an expansion/DLC to The Witcher 3 in 2026.Furthermore we also speculate on its potential creator — Fool’s Theory as well as the tech that’s being used given that CD Projekt RED has gone all in on Unreal Engine for its future games with The Witcher 3 being built on the in-house RED Engine.Day Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

2025 was an incredible year for video games.And while it was an even better year for self-inflicted industry drama with lay-offs, genAI (and lack of disclosure for such), platforms playing fast and loose with indie devs, and megacorps imploding, the games, were impeccable. With that in mind, we discuss the best of what the year had to offer. From the obvious such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to the obtuse like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, we’re joined by special guest (our first!) editor-in-chief of Story Mode, Karan Pradhan to let you know what you should have played. Be it indies like Herdling or jilted-at-The-Game-Awards-but-not-here games like Death Stranding 2, we got you covered.In addition to each of us listing our top five games of 2025, we also point out some honourable mentions to round things off. Eagle-eyed viewers would probably find the nearly hourlong length a concern as we’re usually a lot shorter for most episodes. With that in mind, we’ve kept timestamps for all sections for you to peruse through.00:00 Introduction02:15 Karan’s favourite games of 202511:33 Rahul’s favourite games of 202530:04 Why Dispatch surprised us all32:17 Who did you pick in Dispatch?32:39 Rishi’s favourite games of 202539:47 Karan’s honourable mentions42:15 Rahul’s honourable mentions46:47 Rishi’s honourable mentions50:42 OutroDay Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahulYou can also check out our special guest Karan Pradhan right here:* Twitter/X — @karanpradhan_* Instagram — @right_arm_over_ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

As the title suggests, we didn’t include GTA 6 in this list of what to look forward to in 2026. The reason is obvious: we don’t know if it will really ship in 2026. Rather than waste your time on a game from a publisher with no concrete date which you’d buy anyway, we figured it would be a better use of our time and yours to highlight everything else that is set to make 2026 one of the bigger years for video games.From heavy hitters like Wolverine and Control Resonant (we at Day Zero stan Remedy — even if Alan Wake 2 PC is stuck on Epic Games Store and Quantum Break may never make it to PlayStation platforms) as well as potential gems like Solasta II, and Crimson Desert, there’s a lot to look forward to.Along with this we also discuss indie efforts like the ambitious Napoleonic Europe-inspired Hunger to contained, emotional adventures like Fishbowl. The latter is of interest. Being the first game from PlayStation’s India Hero Project it could very well set the tone of what to expect. No pressure.In addition to this we also dive into some surprise picks such as Pragmata with its solid demo, Marathon, and Lego Batman. All while dropping some honourable mentions along the way. Which ones you ask? Listen to find out.Finally we discuss what we’ve been playing this week, including the excellent Dispatch and Baldur’s Gate 3.Welcome to Day Zero. It’s a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

In this episode Rahul and Rishi discuss Larian’s interview with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, what the Baldur’s Gate 3 hitmaker’s statement really means for the future of video game development and why CEO' Sven Vincke’s attempt at damage control just made everything so much worse. So much so that it appears that the company is on a generational speed run of ruining all the good will its garnered over the years.Along with this we also discuss Sandfall Interactive’s AI admissions that have resurfaced after being caught and why disclosures are critical rather than admitting AI was used after the fact. After all, nothing is a bigger betrayal of audience trust than being made aware their game of the year used AI after it hit the shelves.Speaking of which, we also parse through what the industry’s adoption of AI means for game development and more importantly, the impact it has on end-users who are effectively being priced out of buying PCs and consoles due to rising RAM costs courtesy the AI “boom”.Furthermore, we talk about Xbox’s retreat from its $80 price tag and how Microsoft may actually have to start selling games to make up for the money pit that is Xbox Game Pass.Finally, we talk about the hidden and not so hidden gems we’ve been playing this week.Welcome to Day Zero. This is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani. We break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.Naturally, we’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

This week, Rahul and Rishi discuss the decline of Xbox in the US, making room for a new contender — the NEX Playground. And while it might seem like just a slap in the face for the gaming division of one of the world’s biggest companies, there’s more to it. The market has decided on value-conscious offerings. We discuss why affordable gaming options are a necessity for the games industry to survive before it can even think about beginning to thrive, even if sections of the community and the business itself may frown on the liberties some of these options take in terms of IP and legitimacy, including the likes of Mitashi and Sameo, some of which exist due to the lack of an official presence from the likes of Nintendo.Along with this, we look into Sony’s cancelled game, Project Draconis and parse why leaks like these see the light of day in a business that’s obsessed with secrecy, touching on some of our personal experiences with leaks in the industry.Finally we talk about what we’ve been playing this week including the likes of The Outer Worlds 2, Dispatch, the Fishbowl demo, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, and a whole lot more.If you’re new here, Day Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

The PS5 is the de facto winner of this generation’s console war if you even want to call it that. And despite its relative ubiquity in part due to Microsoft’s own bad decision-making and Nintendo’s lack of ambition in expanding beyond the confines of US and Europe (we still don’t have its consoles available officially in markets like India), it’s pretty obvious Sony hasn’t put its foot off the gas. In this episode of Day Zero we look at what seems to be a big year for the PS5 with games such as:* Saros* Wolverine* Intergalactic* Phantom Blade 0* Marathon* Marvel Tokon Fighting SoulsGranted 2026 should also see GTA 6 make an appearance and while we do discuss that at length too, it’s definitely not the most interesting game to hit the console. In addition to this we also parse through what to expect from some of Sony’s quieter studios like Dark Outlaw Games, Firesprite, and of course, speculate on whatever Santa Monica is cooking next. Along with this we also discuss when to buy a PS5, if the PS5 Pro ends up making it to markets like India, all while wondering what to expect from Team Green whose big tech overlords have landed it squarely on a boycott list for good reason.Finally we also parse through Epic’s bout of epic hypocrisy on de-platforming indie game Horses after soaking in the positive publicity while fighting other platforms like Google and Apple for Fortnite to have a place in the sun.If you’re new here, Day Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

During the third episode of the Day Zero podcast, we tackle PC monopolist storefront Steam’s foray into censorship by striking down the release of indie studio Santa Ragione’s upcoming game Horses, and what it means for the platform. Given the chokehold Steam parent company Valve has on the digital distribution of video games, it isn’t just a retailer, but a kingmaker to boot. One that’s increasingly flaunting its strength on the most vulnerable kind of game developers — Indies.In addition to this we talk about how every Indian game company’s potential meal ticket, the PIF is reportedly falling short of funds after its (yet to be approved) buyout of EA, and why this perceived paucity of money in the games business is a good thing.Along with this we talk about how AI (yes, that again) is ruining video games by driving up DRAM prices that will make a potential PC or console purchase more expensive than it should be as well as the Roblox CEO’s generational cringe-inducing interview as well as the firm’s entry into India.Day Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively bad takes. Let’s start a dialogue, preferably with enough branching paths favouring us.* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Another year another Call of Duty. This year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is reviled for a host of reasons, though the one of interest to us is its use of AI.With the biggest games franchise in the world in terms of annual sales using generative AI tools to make its latest entry, we break down what it means for the games industry and consumers at large, along with cameos from Arc Raiders, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Anno 117 Pax Romana.In addition to this, we discuss some of the latest sales data for Ghost of Yotei, Pokémon Z-A, and, of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Furthermore, we try parsing Xbox’s strategy post the Xbox Partner Event, which had one big surprise in Raji: Kaliyuga.This is the second episode of Day Zero. Day Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.We’d love to hear your objectively bad takes. Let’s start a dialogue, preferably with enough branching paths favouring us.* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com

Welcome to the first episode of Day Zero. Day Zero is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. On our first episode we discuss Valve’s big hardware push with the new Steam Machine, Steam Frame headset, and revamped Steam controller — along with what to expect in terms of price, availability, and why it might not be the cure-all you might think PC games need.Along with this we also talk about Microsoft bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to India and what that entailed, as well as how it fits (or does not fit) into the tech giant’s grand plan for gaming. We’re extremely grateful to journalist Aroon Deep’s reporting at The Hindu which helped inform this part of the podcast. We’d love to hear your objectively bad takes. Let’s start a dialogue, preferably with enough branching paths favouring us.* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com