How Nintendo is destroying the game's industry... | Off The Console #46

Tokyo Game Show 2025 - September 24 to September 28 Link: https://events.nikkeibp.co.jp/tgs/2025/en/exhibitor/ https://www.gematsu.com/2025/07/tokyo-game-show-2025-exhibitors-list-and-main-visual-announced https://www.gematsu.com/2025/09/tgs-2025-official-live-stream-program-schedule-announced Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Tokyo Game Show (henceforth TGS) is one of the big three gaming conventions, the other two being E3/Summer Games Fest and Gamescom. Whereas E3/Summer Games Fest is hosted in America and Gamescom in Europe, TGS is hosted in Japan, naturally. Many publishing firms are getting ready to expo their games at TGS this year. This year’s TGS is also set to be potentially the biggest one yet. Valve also showcased the Steam Deck at TGS in 2022 and 2024. Will we see Valve skip out this year, or will Valve show up with something? New Apple Event - The usual… except for one device Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/09/live-updates-apple-event-iphone17-airpods-ios26.html Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Apple just announced the new iPhone 17 series, and new Airpods and Apple Watches slated for release September 19th. No major price hikes which is good. The big and I really do mean BIG issue here is not with the refreshes but with their newest iPhone… the iPhone Air. The thinnest smartphone potentially ever made… but has Apple completely lost the plot here? What terrible compromises would potential customers deal with, and why do we live in the timeline where everything has to be thinner at the cost of useful features… like headphone jacks? The US Grants Nintendo & The Pokemon Company new Gameplay Patent - The Ability to Summon a Character and allowing it to fight another Link: https://gamesfray.com/last-week-nintendo-and-the-pokemon-company-received-a-u-s-patent-on-summoning-a-character-and-letting-it-fight-another/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life In Nintendo’s crusade to completely burn down Palworld and Pocketpair, Nintendo & The Pokemon Company was granted potentially the most ridiculous patent of all. (1) There must be a PC, console or other computing device and the game is stored on a drive or similar storage medium. (2) You can move a character in a virtual space. (3) You must be able to summon a character. They call it a “sub character” by which they mean it’s not the player character, but, for example, a little monster such as a Pokémon that the player character has at its disposal. Then the logic branches out, with items (4) and (5) being mutually exclusive scenarios, before reuniting again in item (6): (4) This is about summoning the “sub character” in a place where there already is another character that it will then (when instructed to do so) fight. (5) This alternative scenario is about summoning the “sub character” at a position where there is no other character to fight immediately. (6) This final step is about sending the “sub character” in a direction and then letting an automatic battle ensue with another character. It is not clear whether this is even needed if one previously executed step (4) where the “sub character” will basically be thrown at another character. The issue naturally is how one would interpret these. While it seems to aim squarely at Palworld, Nintendo seemingly put other games potentially in their crosshairs too. Lots of other games where you can capture creatures and use them in battle. Things like of course, the new Digimon games, or Shin Megami Tensei games where you can potentially recruit demons to fight with you. Nintendo Direct - Sept 12th, 2025 Link: https://www.resetera.com/threads/nintendo-direct-announced-for-september-12-6am-pacific-9am-eastern-3pm-central-european-10pm-japan.1293483/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life By the time we record this episode, the direct will have already concluded. List interesting games below. Super Mario Galaxy Movie Virtual Boy Games (and an accompanying Virtual Boy accessory) Metroid Prime 4 Release Date - Dec 4 2025 Pokemon Pokopia Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Dragon Quest VII Remake Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Numerous Ports (RE9, FFVIIR, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2) Mega Man Star Force: Legacy Collection (only shown in the Japanese Direct) The Saudi Arabian Takeover of the Fighting Game Community - Lines being Drawn Link: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-saudi-arabian-takeover-of-fighting-games-biggest-tournament-means-players-and-the-wider-community-have-a-choice-to-make-between-its-culture-and-a-payout https://www.si.com/esports/news/fgc-sonicfox-evo-ownership-statement Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life RTS, the co-owner of EVO alongside Sony, was recently acquired by Saudi Arabia, who has become a sports powerhouse in general, encompassing both physical sports and eSports. One community in particular that is starting to show signs of resistance is the Fighting Game Community (henceforth FGC). One particular player, Sonicfox, 8-time EVO champion, has stated that they will continue to attend EVO to fight for representation of LGBTQ+ people, even in countries like Saudi Arabia where LGBTQ+ expressions are considered illegal and under Sharia Law can constitute the death penalty. Ghost of Yotei Dev Fired due to Charlie Kirk joke Link: https://kotaku.com/ghost-yotei-charlie-kirk-joke-playstation-sony-2000625478 Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Drew Harrison, 10 year vet at Sucker Punch said quote “I hope the shooter’s name is Mario so that Luigi knows his bro got his back,”. We usually wouldn’t talk about directly political topics but this one had to be pointed out given this was directly in the games’ industry. Off The Console does not condone acts of violence pointed at anyone, for any reason, regardless of your differences. Silksong Revives Difficulty Discussion Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/criticism-isnt-hate-hollow-knight-silksong-sparks-debate-about-difficulty-runbacks-and-the-dreaded-git-gud-comments https://www.polygon.com/hollow-knight-silksong-easy-mode-mods/ https://steamcommunity.com/app/1030300/discussions/0/595159519774039622/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Silksong’s been out for over a week now and players are now discovering that the game might actually be too hard for them. It’s gotten to the point where there are popular Silksong mods that make the game easier in different ways. The most downloaded mod is a mod that gives enemies health bars, including big boss health bars for important bosses. The second most downloaded mod is a mod that gets rid of most instances of double double damage. In addition to this, Team Cherry recently pushed out a patch which fixes some bugs (no pun intended), but also increases rewards from some sidequests and breakables, reduces the prices of some benches, and slightly nerfs two bosses that players seemed to be having a tough time with… namely Moorwing and Sister Splinter. Should players simply… git gud? Steam no longer lets adult games be Early Access - A change in the midst of payment processor hell Link: https://www.gamesmarket.global/business/pressure-continues-steam-denies-early-access-release-for-adult-games-ed57cc6bd4b4e60ee9663c5f90a1b797 Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life In what appears to be an ongoing effort from payment processors and collective shout, it seems Valve has made one change, and a peculiar one at that. Adult games cannot be in Early Access anymore on Steam. As per one developer, there was no official policy change. In other news it appears more and more games industry associations around the world are throwing their hat into the ring calling out the amount of power companies like Visa, MasterCard, and others have over not just Steam but basically any other gaming storefront. It’s unclear why Early Access in particular, but one theory proposed by the article is that maybe payment processors are worried about these adult games adding content that may not align with their values later in development. Lenovo Legion Go: Modder transforms popular gaming handheld into Cyberdeck with optional 190 Wh battery expansion Link: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-Go-Modder-transforms-popular-gaming-handheld-into-Cyberdeck-with-optional-190-Wh-battery-expansion.1112086.0.html Submitter: James A creative modder has transformed the Lenovo Legion Go handheld into a powerful “cyberdeck”-style device by building two custom 3D-printed docks. One version includes a massive 190 Wh battery pack made from 18650 cells, dramatically extending the device’s runtime, while also adding a wireless Lenovo keyboard and extra USB ports. The second dock is slimmer, omitting the battery for better portability, but still includes the docked functionality. Both designs allow the Legion Go to be removed easily, offering flexibility between handheld and workstation-style use. This mod showcases a growing trend of turning gaming handhelds into hybrid productivity or mobile computing setups. While it’s not yet clear if the modder will release the designs publicly, the project demonstrates the Legion Go’s versatility and appeal among DIY enthusiasts. If widely adopted, mods like this could blur the line between handheld gaming and portable PC workstations. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/dVkKcZH2Qy #SteamController #gamingnews Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant