Service Games Experiencing a Reckoning - SNGP 90

Send us Fan MailWhile wondering if ZA/UM is capable of ever making another game, David Radd played enough Foamstars to conclude it's dead-on-arrival as a live service and was constantly wincing at the gruesomely detailed fatalities in Mortal Kombat X.  Meanwhile, Tuesday thinks Dave the Diver is the new Shovel Knight with connections to Godzilla, Dredge and Guilty Gear (!?) while getting really into the Roguelite card game Balatro, which uses the tricks of video poker for good instead of evil.  In news, Circana reports that January saw a 15 percent spike in sales thanks to new titles like Tekken 8 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth while Nintendo sues  emulator creator Yuzu.  In the sad news of ongoing layoffs in the video gaming industry, Sony and Electronic Arts both announced hundreds of layoffs, shuttering of studios and cancelling of projects.  For the topic, David and Tuesday reflect on recent releases like  Skull and Bones, Foamstars, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and reflect on how live service games are reaching a saturation point with players tiring of the formula and the biggest players too big to dethrone.If you enjoy the podcast, visit us at Patreon.com/SNGP!