Episode 51 - 2026 & Beyond: Where is gaming going?

🎙️ Join Heather, Tom, Leon, and Stu in this first Game Older episode of the year as the crew looks ahead to 2026 in gaming. From festive catch-ups and massive retro hauls to worries about price hikes, AI, and the future of the industry, this episode sets the tone for what could be a chaotic year ahead — with a quiz waiting for you at the end if you stick around. 🎮 What we’ve been playing over Christmas:Tom went all-in on Astro Bot, finishing it and calling it a deserved Game of the Year — praising its creativity, nostalgia, and DualSense magic. He also binged retro sessions on Super Famicom and Mega DriveStu kept things light over the holidays, jumping into Pokémon Z-A, enjoying its faster, more active battle system, while stepping away from heavier games like Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.Leon finally dove into Resident Evil 4 Remake and absolutely loved it — calling it a masterclass in how to remake a classic, scarier and more refined than the original. He also fell hard back into RuneScape (both versions), logging an alarming number of hours and praising its player-led design, meaningful progression, and surprisingly dark quests.Heather spent a lot of time in Arc Raiders, admitting she’s fully addicted to its tense gameplay loop. She also tried Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 during a free trial — and deleted it shortly after, calling it one of the worst entries in the series.📦 Retro pickups & festive hauls:Tom picked up a bizarre surprise gift (Bibi & Tina at the Horse Farm), plus Super Real Basketball (Mega Drive), Tomb Raider on Saturn, the full Uncharted PS3 trilogy, The Last of Us, and Lost Legacy — all for bargain prices.Heather added Gran Turismo (PS1), Life is Strange: Double Exposure, The Saboteur, L.A. Noire Complete Edition, a sealed copy of Concord (as an investment gamble), a rare Discworld II guidebook, and an incredibly obscure official PS1 carry bag.📰 Gaming news & industry talk:The industry pays tribute to Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella, who sadly passed away in December.GTA V actor Ned Luke has been swatted multiple times during livestreams — raising serious concerns about streamer safety.Arc Raiders continues to dominate Steam, maintaining 300k–400k daily players and outperforming Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7.A forgotten Star Wars racing game spikes in price after rumors it can be used to jailbreak PS5 consoles.ASUS, AMD, and NVIDIA warn of GPU and hardware price hikes in 2026 due to AI-driven demand.Konami announces plans to make Silent Hill an annual franchise — a move the crew views with deep skepticism.Developers respond to AI backlash, with studios pledging future games will be made entirely by humans.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro & what we’ve been playing00:44:12 - Gaming news01:02:07 - Questions from Discord01:18:18 - Main topic - 2026 & beyond02:06:35 - Gaming quiz time02:17:11 - Shout outs & goodbyeFind all of our links here:Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/gameolder2024⁠⁠⁠Discord:⁠ https://discord.gg/VzmAnSA7xaTwitter/X: https://x.com/GameOlderPodYoutube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GameOlder2024Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/game_older_podcast__/⁠⁠⁠Contact us: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠Discount codes and shout-outs:Bitmap Books 5% off all purchases: OLDER5⁠bitmapbooks.com⁠Extra Life Gaming Lounge, Sheffield:Quote "Game Older Podcast" for 5% off all items!Please don't forget to rate and review us wherever you listen, along with hitting the follow/subscribe button!🎮 Looking forward, looking backward, and questioning everything in between — this episode is a perfect start to the year for gamers who love retro, modern chaos, and honest industry chat.