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The LEGACY RightTHE LEGACY RIGHT SPECIAL | Crypto vs Imperium Americana w/ Aaron DayAaron Day joins this special episode as we dive into the latest in the crypto industry from the shenanigans on the Capitol with the Genius Act, news on Ian Freeman and Roger Ver, and following up on Roman Storm and his legal matters. We discuss why it is imperative now more than ever for why we need to all start taking our economic freedom and privacy very serious as the wave of technocracy keeps hitting our shores.Aaron Day is author of the book "The Final Countdown" which you can find on Amazon as well as a contributor on many...2025-07-192h 18
Australian Property Investment PodcastProperty Settlements: Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them👉 Whether you're a first home buyer or expanding your portfolio, Atelier Wealth can help. Book a discovery session with a mortgage broker here: https://calendly.com/atelier-wealth-discovery-team👉 For everything you need to know about getting a loan approved and buying a property, read the Happy Home Loan Handbook by Aaron Christie-David. Get a FREE chapter here: https://atelierwealth.com.au/the-happy-home-loan-handbook/Meet Jared Zak: The legal backbone behind seamless property dealsWhat really happens after you sign on the dotted line? In this episode, I sit down with Jared Zak, founder of one...2025-06-1544 min
Some Patches RequiredNintendo Switch 2 Prices: Changing the Industry $80 at a TimeThis week, Zak and Aaron dive into a new controversy that may have long-lasting implications for the industry at large — Nintendo's decision to price some first-party AAA games at $80.The duo discusses why this price increase is not only unnecessary and bad for consumers, but also how it stands to open the floodgates for greed among big publishers looking to make the all-powerful line go up for shareholders. They also spend some time dissecting why the argument that games need to increase in price to keep up with inflation is myopic at best, and completely misguided at wors...2025-04-171h 15
Trail TalkLive Q&A with Irish Uphill Running Phenom Zak HannaZak Hanna joined the live show this week. It was a great chat spanning WMRA, Golden Trail Series, Trail Running in the Olympics, winning the Mont Blan VK and a host of other great stories. Visit our sponsors xmiles.co.uk - link & discount code below!COMMUNITY LINKS:https://bit.ly/m/irunovermountainsDISCOUNTS:XMiles.co.ukhttps://xmiles.co.uk/IRUNOVERMOUNTAINSDiscount code: irunovermountainsTORQ Nutritionhttps://bit.ly/4a11dyFDiscount Code: AFAARON10GOREWEARhttps://www.gorewear.comDiscount Code: irunovermountains30 (massive 30% off)2025-04-0525 min
Some Patches RequiredUnited Videogame Workers: Is This the Moment Devs Have Been Waiting For?This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss the newly formed United Videogame Workers Union — a brand-new collective attempting to bring the power of collective bargaining to every corner of the industry, regardless of company or position.They spend some time outlining the circumstances that brought us to this crossroads, and then dissect some of the potential positives of the movement as well as the challenges it may face moving forward. There are still a lot of questions left to answer, but one thing is for certain: this is a significant moment in video game history....2025-04-021h 01
Some Patches RequiredKevin Messenhimer Interview: A Developer's Journey to Founding FiveampThis week, Zak and Aaron sit down for a delightful conversation with Kevin Messenhimer, one of the co-founders of the indie game studio Fiveamp. The trio covers a broad range of topics as they follow Kevin's journey from a member of Intel's hardware team to his time at Gearbox Software and eventually to the recent release of NIMRODS on Steam Early Access. It's chock-full of insights into the development process, humorous anecdotes, and entertaining asides that the whole family is sure to love. Well, maybe not the whole family, but the point stands.Please, enjoy.2025-03-191h 21
Some Patches RequiredMarvel Rivals Layoffs: Why Headlines MatterThis week, Zak and Aaron revisit the world of Marvel Rivals, albeit tangentially and under less than pleasant circumstances. In the wake of some unexpected and unfortunate layoffs at NetEase's Seattle-based studio, the duo noticed some hyperbolic headlines circulating online that not only felt slightly misleading, but also contrasted with the titles for similar articles about the much more severe job cuts recently suffered at the hand of Warner Bros.So, they set out to have a (hopefully) nuanced discussion about the importance of headlines, what we should expect from good reporting, rage-baiting, and profit motives, among...2025-03-0657 min
Some Patches RequiredSPR Reviews Bobby Kotick's Podcast AppearanceThis week on Some Patches Required, Zak and Aaron sit down to do something they've never done before: review an episode of another podcast. Then again, they've never encountered one that prominently features ex-Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick sharing anecdotes from his career, drumming up wild accusations against the CWA Union, and loudly eating celery into a microphone before today. Suffice it to say, they have some opinions to share.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl on SpotifyCheck out MosscatMarket on Etsy...2025-02-191h 09
Some Patches RequiredMarvel Rivals: Quality, Quantity, and Post-Launch Content CadenceThis week, Zak and Aaron return to the world of gaming topics not as friends, but as rivals... Marvel Rivals™!Inaccurate and misleading introductory statements aside, your intrepid hosts sit down to discuss the latest chart-topping game in the highly saturated hero shooter genre, Marvel©'s Marvel Rivals™, a Marvel© product, presented by Marvel©. More specifically, they dig into some of the issues inherent to the game's aggressive content release cadence and whether or not its current pace is sustainable without eventually sacrificing quality.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl on Spoti...2025-02-0758 min
Some Patches RequiredMeta's AI Bots: How to Ruin Society With Artificial IntelligenceAs 2025 begins in earnest, we have some phenomenal news for you! Everybody's favorite dewy salamander, Mark Zuckerberg, is going FINALLY going to rebuild trust in our most hallowed institutions, enrich your social life, and help stave off those pesky feelings of loneliness, isolation, and general ennui. How will he accomplish this, you ask? By flooding all of Meta's social media platforms with AI bots, of course!This week, Zak and Aaron take a break from discussing the games industry to chat about why dumping a bunch of artificial intelligence all over Facebook and Instagram is, in fact...2025-01-2257 min
Some Patches RequiredHandheld Gaming: Xbox and Sony's Next Big BetXbox and PlayStation, two brands locked in what may be an eternal conflict for market superiority, seem to have found yet another field on which to clash: the rapidly growing world of handheld gaming. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss the landscape for handhelds at the end of 2024, what new entries from Sony and Microsoft may look like, and what each is likely to do to achieve success. They also dig into the key differences between handheld consoles and handheld gaming PCs, as well as how those key factors position each competitor in a s...2024-12-1846 min
Some Patches RequiredSony Looks to Acquire Kadokawa: What Could it Mean for From Software?Well, would you look at that? It's consolidation time again in the games industry! Who knew 15 minutes could pass so fast?Jokes aside, this is a big one: Sony is looking to acquire Kadokawa Corporation, which is best known as the owner of From Software, the industry titan behind generation-defining hits like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring.This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss why this particular buyout could be a game-changing deal, from expanding Sony's media empire even further in the realms of anime and manga to what a PlayStation-exclusive future...2024-11-2749 min
Some Patches RequiredGTA 6: The Game to Save All Games?This week, Zak and Aaron take some time to discuss Grand Theft Auto VI, but not in the "WHEN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILL IT FINALLY RELEASE" way to which you may be accustomed on the internet. Instead, they dig into the industry-wide perception that Rockstar's newest will be some sort of savior for the whole business of games.Between driving the adoption of current-gen hardware and giving the industry at large a billion-plus dollar shot in the arm, the hopes for GTA VI are sky-high. But how did we end up relying on one title...2024-11-061h 00
Some Patches RequiredHalo Studios: A New Dawn?This week, Zak and Aaron take some time to discuss the newly renamed Halo Studios (so long, 343! We're sure Xbox didn't rename you because of all that bad press you've accumulated!) and chat about some of the big changes coming down the pipe for future titles. The most notable of these is the sunsetting of the Slipspace engine in favor of the shiny and ever-so-popular Unreal Engine 5, which will power all new Halo installments for the foreseeable future. But will this fresh direction be enough to shake off the franchise's funk? Only time will tell.P...2024-10-231h 03
Some Patches RequiredUbisoft: A Desperate SituationBrace yourselves for a shocking revelation: Ubisoft is in serious trouble again. Or still... or, maybe, both.This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss the newest plan to wrest control of the storied French studio/publisher away from the Guillemot family — this time at the hands of activist-investor group AJ Investments — and what that all-too-possible future may look like. They also discuss Ubisoft's many failures, a few of its more telling strategy shifts, and just how we got here in the first place.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl on 2024-10-091h 00
Some Patches RequiredJohn Henderson Interview: Insights From 16 Years in and Around Austin's Game IndustryThis week, Zak and Aaron sit down with notable Austinite John Henderson, who has shipped numerous games and made a name for himself in the local development community for hosting Game Dev Beer Night and supporting aspiring professionals as they try to make sense of their careers.John was kind enough to share his insights on a wide range of topics from advice on finding fulfillment in your job to maintaining motivation to the state of the industry at large. A few technical difficulties during the recording may have changed the shape of this episode a bit...2024-09-2557 min
Some Patches RequiredConcord: An Unprecedented FailureAlas, poor Concord, we hardly knew thee.That's right, Sony's next big foray into the wild world of live service shooters, is no more. And the real kicker? It barely lasted two weeks. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss the unprecedented failure of Concord. In addition to enumerating some of the factors that led to the AAA game's unceremonious sunsetting (namely questionable character design and a general lack of innovation in a decade-old genre), our intrepid hosts also speculate on the title's tentative future. Just for good measure, they also...2024-09-1150 min
Some Patches RequiredMonopoly Go!: The Obscene Cost of Games MarketingWhen you look at a game like Monopoly Go!, your first thought is probably not that its marketing budget was nearly twice the annual GDP of the Marshall Islands. That's right, Hasbro and Scopley spent a borderline-obscene $500 million to get their new mobile title in front of as many eyes as possible... and it seems to have worked. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to talk about the cost of marketing games both huge and humble, and why the mobile sector tends to see such enormous price tags when compared to their AAA counterparts.P...2024-08-1458 min
Some Patches RequiredGame Pass: Higher Prices, Higher StakesXbox Game Pass has been called the best deal in gaming, and for a while that was hard to dispute. But the times are changing, and with it comes a new era for Microsoft's subscription service - one that costs considerably more than it used to.This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss the Xbox Game Pass price hike, and why it's far more significant than it may seem at face value. Between the impact of Call of Duty, flagging growth numbers, freefalling console sales, and the full weight of the Activision Blizzard merger all...2024-07-311h 03
Some Patches RequiredElden Ring: Game Difficulty & AccessibilityEvery few years, notoriously sadistic game studio From Software releases a new title, and with it comes a heated debate about game difficulty. Well, that time has come again with the launch of Shadow of the Erdtree, the one and only (massive) expansion for auteur director Hidetaka Miyazaki's magnum opus, Elden Ring.So, with some people conflating the DLC's brutal skill requirements with a legitimate accessibility issue, Zak and Aaron sat down to discuss game difficulty, easy modes, artistic integrity, and the difference between impairments and impediments. Aaron also complains a lot about the Tree Sentinal. So...2024-07-171h 12
Some Patches RequiredDragon Age: Homogenizing Video GamesAmong the bombastic trailers showcased in the Xbox showcase at Not E3™ — er, I mean Summer Game Fest™ — was one particular reveal that some fans have been waiting for for the better part of a decade: Dragon Age: The Veilguard. And boy oh boy, was it ever a bewildering first look. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss their impressions of the newest iteration of Dragon Age 4, and why it seems to feel so little like the beloved games that came before it. They also discuss what's lost when IPs that used to have a strong i...2024-06-271h 04
Undaunted Pursuit PodcastBe A Doer....Don't Let Pride Get In The Way #74Marshall is back in the studio this week after dealing with devastating storms that knocked out power in many areas. Join Marshall and Aaron as they go "off the cuff" in this week's episode, letting the Holy Spirit guide their conversation. Christian is unable to join, but that doesn't stop Marshall and Aaron from diving deep into meaningful topics.
In this episode, we ask: "How are you living your life for Jesus?" "Does your daily life reflect Jesus?" and "How are you cultivating your relationship with Him every day?" Tune in as they discuss:
Being a...2024-06-1259 min
The Best Advice ShowMake Your Memory Archive Pt. 1 with Aaron KaczanderAaron Kaczander is a TV writer and photo archivist from Metro-Detroit living in Los AngelesÂ
---Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow---Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better.https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9---Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on I...2024-06-0408 min
Some Patches RequiredJosh Bowlby Interview: UI/UX Design & Community BuildingThis week, Zak and Aaron chat with Josh Bowlby, a UI/UX designer (user interface and user experience, for the neophytes out there) who has experience at companies like Virtuix and Wayfinder developer Airship Syndicate, among others.Not only was he kind enough to speak on some of his experiences in that space, but also his active role in the Austin, TX, game development community. From tips on networking to thoughts on how to get through a rough layoff, Josh proved to be a font of wisdom and good advice.Please, enjoy....2024-05-301h 02
Some Patches RequiredFallout: A New Era of Multimedia Franchises?War. War never changes... but the media landscape sure does. With Amazon's new Fallout show dominating headlines and streaming charts alike, Zak and Aaron returned to the vault this week to dust off an old favorite topic: video game adaptations. This time, the question at hand isn't the program's quality (spoilers: it's pretty good), but rather what its success means for the future of some of your favorite IPs. Namely, are we moving towards a world where successful games will be forced to operate as multimedia franchises to maximize profit? And how will that ultimately impact the a...2024-05-0156 min
Some Patches RequiredDragon's Dogma 2: Does Review Bombing Work?Rejoice, RPG fans, for Dragon's Dogma 2 is finally here! The reviews are in, and the consensus is... well, complicated as hell. While critics are stoked overall, fans seem to have some grievances — and they're quite happy to share them. This brings Zak and Aaron to the ever-relevant topic of review bombing, or the practice of leaving droves of negative reviews on a product as a response to some real or perceived slight at the hands of its makers. The whole endeavor is a political, economic, and ethical mess, but does it ever actually work? And while we're at...2024-04-0358 min
Some Patches RequiredSuicide Squad: The Desperate State of AAA GamesWhen you think of AAA games, does your mind fill with excitement imagining what spectacular worlds dedicated artists have crafted for you with the benefit of near-limitless resources? Or do you imagine boardrooms filled with disinterested people demanding endless compromises in pursuit of maximum profit?This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to politely inform you that option A is likely a nice dream you once had, while option B may very well be playing out somewhere right now. With high-profile failures like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Ubisoft's AAAA fumble Skull and Bones simultaneously ge...2024-03-2058 min
Some Patches RequiredAdam Powell Interview: Union Organizing and the Games IndustryAt this point, trying to find a new or clever way to say that the games industry is in turmoil is a profound exercise in futility. There is no one way to "fix" the problems that seem to follow developers from studio to studio, but there's one pretty clear step in the right direction: unions.This week, Zak and Aaron sit down with former union organizer and current Austin, TX City Council candidate Adam Powell to chat about — you guessed it — unions. How do they benefit workers? What makes them so offensive to businesses at large? Where do y...2024-03-061h 12
Some Patches RequiredPalworld: Imitation, Inspiration, and Poké-PlagiarismIf you've spent any time on the internet as of late, odds are you've stumbled across something about a new game called Palworld - otherwise known as "Pokémon with guns." Hell, with north of 19 million downloads and record-breaking player counts on Steam, it's easily set to be one of the biggest games of the year. But what is it, really?This week, Zak and Aaron talk about the nitty-gritty of Palworld, from its borderline-plagiaristic use of Pokémon designs to its disjointed art style to its... surprisingly competent gameplay? They also try to quantify the fine li...2024-02-211h 00
Some Patches RequiredChasing Pre-Orders: Early Access Monetization MadnessHello, everybody, and welcome to season three of Some Patches Required! Our intrepid hosts have been away for a while, but the games industry certainly didn't take a break with them, as mass layoffs, leaks, hacks, studio closures, and more dominated the headlines. This week, Zak and Aaron tackle the messy topics of true early access and the recent boom in paid "early" access as a pre-order bonus. Long story short, one is a frequently misused tool with incredible potential and the other one is the laziest money-making scheme in recent memory. You can guess which is...2024-02-0754 min
Some Patches RequiredBaldur's Gate 3: Breaking the AAA MoldHave you ever felt exhausted by the neverending onslaught of updates, microtransactions, generic mechanics, and performance issues that seem to define modern AAA games? Well, do we ever have a new title for you!This week, Zak and Aaron discuss the myriad ways that the newly released Baldur's Gate 3 - and Larian Studios - break the mold established by the major players in the AAA game market. They even dip into some AA and all-indie examples for a healthy dose of contrast.You'll hear them again (with a few exciting new guests) next season! In...2023-08-161h 15
Some Patches RequiredAlan Wake 2: Physical Distribution & Game PreservationThe world is changing, and media is changing with it. What do you own? What does renting even mean in the era of subscription services and online storefronts? More importantly, what happens to a work of art when it's lost to time?This week, Zak and Aaron dive into the topic of game preservation in the (Alan) wake of several high-profile games going exclusively digital and try to dissect the importance of preserving games for both entertainment and education.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify2023-08-031h 12
Some Patches RequiredGraphics vs. Gameplay: BattleBit & Stylized GamesAfter a few unfortunate delays, Zak and Aaron are back to ask you a simple question: Do you value visual extravagance over gameplay excellence, or do you think they can work together? Moreover, is there a seat for style at the table?Between the blocky art of BattleBit, the breathtaking but broken Jedi Survivor, and an endless supply of Aaron's useless opinions on films like Avatar, this is the episode for anyone who has ever engaged in the "gameplay vs. graphics" debate. Or, someone who just wants it to finally end.Please, enjoy.2023-07-211h 09
Align PodcastZak Williams: Exploring The Mental Health Epidemic And Our Relationship With Death | EP 453In this episode of the Align podcast, Zak Williams talks about the current mental health epidemic, and its impact on future generations. We dive deep into his childhood and his relationship with his late father, actor Robin Williams. We also explore the long-term impact of digital overcrowding and its effects on mental wellbeing, as well as coping mechanisms for trauma. A lot can be solved by celebrating loved ones, tapping into our self-awareness, and being kinder to ourselves and others.Â
Zak Williams is CEO and co-founder of neurotransmitter health company PYM, a mental health advocate and speaker, a...2023-07-131h 09
Some Patches RequiredApple Vision Pro: Is this a Watershed Moment?This week, Zak and Aaron chat about what the semi-recently-announced Apple Vision Pro could mean for the VR, AR, and MR market. Will it fall flat on its face like Google Glass? Will it spur on competition like the original Oculus or HTC Vive? Or could it change the game entirely through the power of brand cachet and good marketing? Only time will tell.As an addendum, Zak's new recording space isn't fully set up yet, so there may be a smidge of echo on his side. Meanwhile, Aaron's computer and hard drive decided to scream their...2023-07-051h 17
Some Patches RequiredAlex Malcolm Interview: Music Licensing in Video GamesThis week, Zak and Aaron chat across three different time zones! Was that sensationalist enough to grab your attention?? Good, because the third time zone is occupied by Alex Malcolm, who works in music licensing for Warner Music Group. This fella has brokered deals for numerous games, and was kind enough to share some insight into the process of what it takes to get your favorite songs into your favorite entertainment products. As they always say in Hollywood, "it's a good time for your ears." They always say that, right?Please, enjoy....2023-06-221h 21
Some Patches RequiredCameron Paxton Interview: Composing Music for Indie GamesThis week, Zak and Aaron sit down to talk with the profoundly talented Cameron Paxton - the composer for the game Dome Keeper - about the intricacies of writing music for games. Naturally, Aaron rambles on about esoteric ideas, Zak stays on topic, and our guest brings insight to spare. If you're interested in musical composition, creativity, or just hearing about how someone found their gateway into the industry, this is the episode for you.Oh, and we'll let you guess who wrote the opening and closing music for this one. Your only hints are that the...2023-06-071h 18
Some Patches RequiredTears of the Kingdom: What Makes a Successful Sequel?At this point, it's only a few degrees shy of impossible that you haven't heard of the newest Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom. Was that sentence confusing? Well, so is trying to evaluate what makes a good sequel. And yet, Zak and Aaron dive into the murky depths of media to discuss what makes a successful sequel, especially when it comes on the heels of a game-changing work of art. Be prepared for opinions aplenty, hot takes, and a (magical right) handful of puns.Please, enjoy.Listen to...2023-05-251h 16
Some Patches RequiredFortnite: The Evolution of UGC PlatformsThis week, Zak and Aaron hop right back into the maelstrom that is the modern games industry. Wait, were you expecting something different? Maybe you don't know their particular brand.On this particular, acronym-filled venture, Zak and Aaron try to unpack the evolution of UGC, especially as it pertains to Fortnite and the Unreal Engine. Between the Unreal Engine for Fortnite, CoD in Roblox, and a million other examples, it seems like user-generated content is poised to become the next big thing in games. What does that mean? Who knows.Please, enjoy.2023-05-101h 12
Some Patches RequiredRE4 Remake: The Ethics of Post-Launch MicrotransactionsHello everybody, and welcome to an unseasonably spooky episode of Some Patches Required! This week, Zak and Aaron dive back into the murky waters of microtransactions, this time within the context of the Resident Evil 4 Remake. Is it okay to add pay-to-win mechanics after launch? Why would a developer or publisher decide to do so? How many times can Aaron use the same word in one sentence? There's only one way to find out.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl on SpotifyCheck out edouggieart...2023-04-261h 11