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

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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Death Stranding 2 Impressions, Best Games of 2025 So Far # 450

July 1, 2025 • 116 mins
We are officially at the halfway point of 2025, so of course, this means we need to take a look at the year so far and discuss our Best Games of 2025 So Far, with Sean, Marc, and Randy Isbelle coming back on for this episode.

Perhaps the biggest reason for having Randy on this week is that the sequel to one of his favorite games, Death Stranding 2, has been released, and Randy gives the lowdown on what's new and if it is even bette...
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Sony Interested in Acquiring Warner Bros Games & IP, Xbox is Still Making Consoles # 449

June 24, 2025 • 109 mins
In one of the more jam-packed weeks of news in recent memory, between PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, there is a lot for Sean and Marc to get through in this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX.

This includes Sony reportedly being interested in acquiring not only HBO Max and the major Warner Bros IP, such as DC, Harry Potter, but also the gaming assets like Mortal Kombat, the Batman games, and much more. Could this finally give Sony ...
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Does PlayStation Have the Best Next-Gen Strategy? # 448

June 16, 2025 • 109 mins
In a week where neither Sean nor Marc has a lot going on the gaming front, they look towards the current to try to examine the future. PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox are all having success in their own ways, but which one is the ultimate winning strategy? Could it in fact be PlayStation? Sean and Marc discuss it.

Also, aside from PlayStation's business summit news, there's also major news on Nintendo Switch 2 sales, along with ann...
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Xbox Games Showcase 2025, Our Favorite Games of SGF # 447

June 9, 2025 • 65 mins
We are back once again as Summer Game Fest winds down with perhaps the biggest one of them all, the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. Did it take the crown as the best showcase of the entire event for the third year running? Or did it come crashing down with a wimper? Sean and Marc discuss the games and if the unveiling of the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X can provide enough to convince gamers to buy it?

The duo also discusses their fa...
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Nintendo Switch 2 Review & Summer Game Fest Thoughts # 446

June 7, 2025 • 79 mins
The Summer gaming showcase season has arrived in full force with a full slate of video games and streams to go through and discuss. There's also the unique situation of an entire new console launching during the same week, and both Sean and Marc do have a Nintendo Switch 2 as well.

The guys go through their early experiences with the system. How is Mario Kart World? Is it good or bad that there's been a lot of comparisons to the Sw...
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Nintendo Switch 2 Predictions # 445

June 2, 2025 • 107 mins
This is it, the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 happens on Thursday! Some people already have the console, while the majority (including Sean and Marc) are awaiting June 5 to see if the console will arrive. In the meantime, the guys have their crystal ball predictions for the console. Will it equal the Switch 1 in terms of staying power and sales? Which Nintendo franchise will be the most talked about with this console? Will we st...
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