Video Games 2 the MAX

Video Games 2 the MAX

Video Games 2 the MAX features a longtime veteran of Games Journalism, Sean Garmer along with either semi-regular co-host and long-time video game reviewer, Marc Morrison or even a guest co-host to discuss everything involving Video Games each week. This includes the games they are playing or reviewing, all the big news of the week in gaming, a special topic, and even some Movies or TV Show topics at times as well. All from the viewpoint of gaming content creators, gaming journalists, and gaming consumers too. The podcast also appears in video form on the W2M Network Youtube channel: (https://www.youtube.com/@W2MNetwork/). Be sure to check out https://w2mnet.com/ for posts about each podcast and more. You can check out Sean's writing over at: https://www.theouterhaven.net/ You can check out Sean's reviews over at: https://opencritic.com/critic/8257/sean-garmer You can also check out all of Marc's reviews over at: https://411mania.com/games You can also follow each of the guys individually on Twitter or Bluesky @W2MSean, @humanityplague, or the entire network @W2MNetwork.

Episodes

Valve's Steam Machine is Alive, Game Awards 2025 Nominees Announced # 470

November 17, 2025 • 98 mins
In a week full of news, Valve perhaps delivered the most shocking one with the announcement of a Steam controller, a VR headset, the Steam Frame, and the return of the Steam Machine. Can the new, more powerful, and proprietary versions of these devices finally spark a living room movement for PCs? Could this actually be in retail stores? And how much does this hurt Xbox being beaten to the space?

The Game Awards 2025 Nominations ar...
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The PlayStation Portal is Awesome, The 10 Games that Define Us # 469

November 10, 2025 • 109 mins
In just one week, both officially and unofficially, Sony may have signaled that they, too, are looking towards the future with the PlayStation 6, and they've done so by fully unlocking Cloud Streaming on the PlayStation Portal as well. Is the PlayStation Portal now the best value in all of gaming? Plus, could Sony truly be exploring Cross-Buy with their PC Games? Or even introducing a PlayStation PC Storefront? Sean and Marc discus...
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HALO MMO Canceled, Animal Crossing's Revival # 468

November 3, 2025 • 120 mins
It feels like it just never ends with Xbox in the news, as hot off the heels of the major announcement of HALO going to PlayStation 5 with HALO: Campaign Evolved, comes some news that a Halo 2 and Halo 3 version of the same may also be in development. Plus, some news on the canceled HALO MMO that never was, and how is Don Mattrick involved? Sean and Marc discuss, plus Sean has some highlights from the latest ID @ Xbox showcase, and...
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HALO is coming to PlayStation # 467

October 27, 2025 • 96 mins
A big announcement was expected during the HALO Championship Series, and it certainly delivered, as one of the worst-kept secrets in gaming finally became real: the HALO Combat Evolved remake has evolved into HALO Campaign Evolved. Where all of the story levels are remade in Unreal Engine, a new set of prequel levels is added with Sgt Johnson and Master Chief, and it is also coming to PlayStation 5. Set to make its series debut on ...
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Keeper Impressions, ROG Xbox Ally X is Out! # 466

October 21, 2025 • 91 mins
The future of the Xbox platform is real, as the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are out in the wild and the reviews are all over the place. And while Sean and Marc have not been able to use it themselves, there is a discussion to be had about the various impressions from others about the device and if it could ever get to a point of delivering the true PC/Console Hybrid experience.

Sean also played the newest release from Xbox an...
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Is It Too Early For Next-Gen Consoles? # 465

October 13, 2025 • 109 mins
Next-gen console rumors are certainly simmering, as both PlayStation and Xbox have had news emerge regarding their potential console or console-like device, potentially releasing as early as 2027. This may mean we get more compelling real news even in 2026. But is it too early for next-gen? Or does it just seem that way? Do we even need Next-Gen as soon as 2027? Sean and Marc discuss this and more.

Compound this with news from Circ...
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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Is It Still Worth It? # 464

October 6, 2025 • 98 mins
The inevitable has occurred for Xbox gamers, as now the "Best Deal in Gaming" Xbox Game Pass Ultimate skyrockets up in price by 50% to $30 a month in the United States, and even more in other regions. PC Game Pass went up to $16.50 as well. The question now is, is it still worth it? Well, the rush to cancel Game Pass was big enough to crash the cancellation page. Is this the sign of the end? Or is it once again a lot of grandstandi...
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EA Goes Private for $55 Billion, Hades 2 Impressions # 463

September 30, 2025 • 107 mins
Just when you think it may be a great week to celebrate games, here comes a huge gaming business deal that has the potential to change the fortunes of a major gaming publisher. Announced on Monday, EA was taken private for $55 billion by the Saudi Arabia Private Investment Fund and two other private investment firms. Sean and Marc discuss what this could mean for EA, its employees, and could some of EA's big franchises could go dow...
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Xbox Console Prices Going Up Again!, Palfarm Gets Announced # 462

September 23, 2025 • 111 mins
It feels like deja vu has hit all over again, with Microsoft announcing yet another price increase on Xbox consoles. Is it really all about macroeconomic conditions? Should we be concerned about what the next-gen Xbox console will actually become? Do Sean and Marc have concerns that there could even be one at this rate? And why haven't Microsoft revealed the price of the ROG Xbox handhelds yet, with less than a month to go now befo...
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Nintendo Summons a Big Direct # 461

September 15, 2025 • 100 mins
Nintendo surprised with an announcement of a 60-minute Nintendo Direct that happened on Friday, and boy did they have some things to announce, including the title of the next Mario Movie being Super Mario Galaxy, a new Fire Emblem game, the release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and a heck of a lot more. Sean and Marc discuss their favorite things from the Big Direct. Was it Fire? Or was it a bit of a smokescreen?

Also, Nintendo...
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Hollow Knight Silksong Impressions, Xbox Game Pass Bad For Game Devs # 460

September 8, 2025 • 94 mins
After years of waiting and anticipation building for its ultimate release, Hollow Knight Silksong is FINALLY out, and Sean has played at least the first few areas. How is this game for newcomers to the series? Does it make it easy to get into the flow of things? And how long does it take to get difficult? (Not very long).

Once again, Xbox Game Pass is under fire this time from former Xbox executives who are concerned about its effe...
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PlayStation 6 Portable at Launch? # 459

September 2, 2025 • 120 mins
Apologies for being a day late, as the Labor Day holiday delayed the episode. But at least there's plenty to discuss on this episode, mainly PlayStation, as a leak has surfaced from the reliable Moore's Law is Dead, stating that the PlayStation 6 Portable could be available at the launch of the console and will be presented as its own unique SKU, and not tied to the console like the PS Portal. Is this forward-thinking by Sony? Or c...
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Mafia The Old Country Impressions, Hollow Knight Silksong Soon! # 458

August 25, 2025 • 81 mins
Post Gamescom 2025, there are even more games coming soon, whether it be this holiday season or beyond into 2026. Perhaps the most anticipated title of all, Hollow Knight Silksong FINALLY has a release date and its soon on September 4. Is this giving Sean and Marc the itch to play the first one again? Are they excited about the game? And will it deliver on all the hype?

Sean's also been playing Mafia: The Old Country, and Marc's al...
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The One About Gamescom ONL 2025 # 457

August 20, 2025 • 52 mins
On a day we don't normally do an episode, Sean and Marc discuss the Gamescom Opening Night Live event and which announcements they are excited about from the show. But also, was it something you really need to go out of your way to see?

Plus, PlayStation 5 price increases in the USA, Shawn Layden says prices should already be $80 because they should have increased with each console generation, The Kirby Air Riders Direct, Helldiver...
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Mina the Hollower Demo Impressions, Are Guitar Rhythm Games Returning? # 456

August 11, 2025 • 76 mins
Well, it was an interesting week for gaming with Nintendo unveiling their latest Indie World and the prize of that showcase was assuredly Mina the Hollower, and the best part was that a demo was availabe immediately, so Sean gave the game a whirl and he's defintely excited for October 31 to get here quickly.

Also, Sony has fantastic PS5 sales, essentially putting them right in line with PS4 numbers, while their CFO makes some inter...
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What's the Big Deal About Game Key Cards # 455

August 4, 2025 • 120 mins
The beginning of a new month brings with it a sense of excitement about what lies ahead, while also putting the previous month's issues in the rear view. However, for Nintendo, there's one thing that seemingly will not go away, and that's the controversy regarding Game Key Cards. Physical game collectors like Marc are not happy about the half-measure that allows third-party publishers to save money, while somewhat providing a physi...
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Is Sony Going True Multiplatform? Xbox Reverses its $80 Games Push # 454

July 29, 2025 • 119 mins
In a week full of news, there are standouts from each of the big three. A job listing includes Sony, multiplatform, and both Xbox and Nintendo? What's this all about, and does it really mean Sony is going to join Microsoft in bringing more of its games to more places? Or is this really just an extension of the live service initiative? Sean and Marc discuss the possibilities and do PlayStation fans need to get ready for the console ...
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Donkey Kong Bananza Impressions, Zelda Movie Has its Leads # 453

July 21, 2025 • 115 mins
It's safe to say that Sean has gone Bananas for Donkey Kong Bananza as he has impressions of the first weekend with the game. How fun is all the destruction? Do the transformations make it even better? And does it deserve the Game of the Year hype it is already getting?

There are plenty of other things, mainly from the Xbox and Ubisoft side. Xbox adds games and features, along with perhaps even greenlighting Fallout 5 already? But ...
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Multiple Fallout Games in Development, Ghost of Yotei Hype # 452

July 15, 2025 • 81 mins
After the shock of last week, the fallout from the major Xbox layoffs continues in a figurative and literal sense. It's come to light, thanks to Video Games Chronicle, that there are multiple Fallout Games in Development from Bethesda. But even with this report, can we have any faith in Microsoft and Xbox that these games will even come out? Why sales data for the last few months may cement the direction Xbox takes.

Also, the Ghost ...
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Major Xbox Layoffs, Perfect Dark & Everwild Canceled # 451

July 7, 2025 • 121 mins
The warning was given by many last week, we discussed it, and on Wednesday, it happened. Microsoft 9,100 employees were laid off across all departments, with a sizeable chunk coming from the Xbox division. Sean and Marc discuss the fallout of it all, which includes the cancellation of Rare's Everwild, the closure of The Initiative studio, and the subsequent cancellation of its game, the Perfect Dark Reboot. There's even more, inclu...
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