GameStop is running a new Trade Anything Day and it is exactly what it sounds like. They are letting customers bring in almost anything for store credit. Yes, even taxidermy. I react to the Dexerto report about this bizarre promotion and the long list of items GameStop refuses to take, including, lithium batteries, computers, TVs, jewelry, explicit items, and more! Items must fit in a 20 by 20 by 20 box and employees can reject anything. GameStop already auctioned off a stapler that damaged Switch 2 units this year and even CEO Ryan Cohen added shorts... Sources: - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/1990480303190904902 - https://x.com/Dexerto/status/1990450012963111031 - https://x.com/Wario64/status/1989943949331431540 - https://x.com/gamestop/status/1990535544846364852 - https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/gamestops-trade-anything-day-even-lets-you-sell-them-taxidermy-3284092/ - https://x.com/Geo_AW/status/1990183828774932725

Ubisoft came dangerously close to defaulting on a major loan, and instead of reporting the truth, gaming journos tried to spin the entire situation as a harmless “minor accounting delay.” That is not what happened. The stock halt was a red flag. Sources: - https://x.com/serkantoto/status/1991122206265614821 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/1991801706963976484 - https://x.com/Grummz/status/1991893277944209495 - https://x.com/Grummz/status/1991918464110600376 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/1991972362737398252 - https://x.com/pcgamer/status/1991845532738928868 - https://x.com/Vara_Dark/status/1991932768117567622 - https://x.com/Grummz/status/1991932377392951320 - https://x.com/Grummz/status/1991913317468934234 - https://x.com/Grummz/status/1991923546394943745 - https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/ubisoft-hasnt-exploded-or-been-bought-by-tencent-its-finances-were-delayed-because-of-maths-nerds-ac-shadows-is-overperforming-and-its-got-one-upcoming-game-you-dont-know-about-thank-you/

It’s not looking good for Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine. RAM prices are projected to double, GPUs are selling out everywhere, and AI demand is driving PC hardware costs through the roof. By the time this thing launches next year, will it even be affordable for the average consumer? Valve is pushing ahead like everything is fine, but the entire PC parts market is in chaos. In this video, I break down the shortages, pricing spikes, and why the Steam Machine might be dead on arrival if Valve doesn’t step in or adjust their plans fast. Sources: - https://x.com/pirat_nation/status/1991552116398387309 - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T3KmX0JizT0 - https://x.com/Grummz/status/1991684789389390084 - https://x.com/KJovian/status/1991679797978886214 - https://x.com/RogueRequest/status/1991646042119635343 - https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/keep-up-to-date-with-the-pc-memory-and-ssd-supply-crisis-as-we-track-prices-and-the-latest-news/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnKy4UEdiyo

Jennifer English took home Best Lead Performer at the Golden Joystick Awards for her incredible work in Expedition 33 — and deservedly so. She absolutely crushed the role. But then she went on stage and delivered a speech about being gay and experiencing “queer joy,” as if that had anything to do with the performance, the game, or the award itself. I love Expedition 33. It’s one of the best games of the year. I just wish some of these actors didn’t feel the need to turn acceptance speeches into personal identity showcases. In this video, I break down the moment, the reaction, and why it felt so out of place. Sources: - https://x.com/SandfallGames/status/1991575682540007567 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/1991582176241152276 - https://x.com/GermanStrands/status/1991574761332437090 - https://x.com/Okami13_/status/1991564907012321344 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/1991604650496389585

Ghost of Yotei’s numbers are officially terrible, and the cope is out of control. Colin Moriarty is pushing Circana as the “gold standard” again while ignoring all the missing context that completely flips the narrative. Sony fanboys celebrate rankings that don’t include Nintendo digital, global numbers, or any of the data that actually matters. And no, this is not a hit — not when Ghost of Tsushima massively outperformed it at launch and set a bar Yotei couldn’t even get close to. Sources: - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/1991559235805778386 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/1991700186465464531 - https://x.com/longislandviper/status/1991557146442715303 - https://x.com/Puertorock77_/status/1991563618283057284 - https://x.com/godfree/status/1991527060368740363 - https://x.com/Genki_JPN/status/1991532952724111741 - https://x.com/nib95_/status/1991542571219231012 - https://x.com/madcap412/status/1991566866553401527 - https://x.com/JayViperTV/status/1991570910671966384 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/1991567209337090289

The Golden Joystick Awards crowned Ghost of Yotei as Console Game of the Year… but Expedition 33 wasn’t even nominated. And let’s be honest, we all know why. If Expedition 33 were included, it would have run away with the award. Instead, the event looks like a coordinated effort to “share the spotlight” and spread trophies around to keep everyone happy. In this video, I break down why the legitimacy of the Golden Joysticks is now in question, why the snub makes no sense, and how this entire show is feeling more like a circle of insiders rewarding each other than an honest celebration of gaming. Sources: - https://x.com/GoldenJoysticks/status/1991567501621444969 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/1991585310669697501 - https://www.neogaf.com/threads/golden-joystick-awards-2025-%E2%80%93-all-award-winners-expedition-33-wins-ultimate-goty.1690433/ - https://x.com/GoldenJoysticks/status/1991572362777751619 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/1991114237528121469

Roblox is rolling out mandatory facial age verification to block kids from chatting with adults. On paper it sounds like safety, but in reality it could create the perfect environment for predators. By forcing everyone into narrow age brackets, Roblox will now build kid only chat zones that predators will try to slip into. This is exactly the kind of system that can be gamed. Roblox claims it will not store images and says this is to protect minors during multiple lawsuits over child safety failures. But the irony is brutal. In this video I break down the plan why this solves nothing, and how it might actually make Roblox even more dangerous for kids. Sources: - https://x.com/Roblox/status/1990809633502753064 - https://x.com/MadamSavvy/status/1990873064163148110 - https://x.com/RealSchlep/status/1990892756420452384 - https://x.com/Dexerto/status/1990901606125015094 - https://www.dexerto.com/roblox/roblox-adding-facial-age-checks-to-stop-kids-chatting-with-adults-amid-lawsuits-3284589/

Vara Dark joins me to talk about the Game Awards and why Ghost of Yotei was nearly completely shut out. The nominations came in and the message is loud and clear. Ghost of Yotei is not worth playing and the industry knows it. While games like Expedition 33 dominated the nominations and showed real creativity and quality, Ghost of Yotei failed to impress critics, gamers, or anyone paying attention. The Game Awards did not even give it a pity nod. It could not match what Ghost of Tsushima achieved, and it is obvious Sony expected much better. We break down what went wrong with Ghost of Yotei, how the Game Awards exposed its weaknesses, and why the hype never matched the final product. We also talk about the nominees, surprises, snubs, and give our thoughts on what game actually deserves Game of the Year. Source: - https://thegameawards.com/