Never Free To Play: Recent Episodes
Never Free to Play
We are two life-long best friends with a combined backlog that far exceeds the amount of free time available before an astrological event inevitably ends it all. Games cost a lot of time and money. We’re here to tell you what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s ugly (Spoiler: It’s us. We’re ugly). With families and full time jobs, we understand what it’s like to try to fit in such a demanding pastime. Safe for work or while you’re driving the kids to school, this is always free to listen but Never Free to Play Meet your co-hosts: Karch – Resident amateur pro gamer. Lover of all things JRPG. Jason – The ultimate pro-consumer. Respecter of time and quitter of boring games. To support our show please find us at patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
Warning for Spoilers for Mass Effect 1 and 2. It’s the year 2185 and they’ve brought him back stronger, faster, and more decisive than ever! Johnny Shepard is back and he’s not only taking the fight to the Collectors but to faulty video game logic! Karch, Jason, Sean, and Dr. Brockledurk dive back to their podcast life to talk one thing and one thing only: Mass Effect 2’s famous Suicide Mission and what decisions Johnny Shepard made whilst there. The bodies count is gonna be high and Sean is gonna get angry.
Quick Note: Sean’s audio is of lower quality for the first 8 minutes but is fixed afterwards. He apologizes.
With Robert and Jason being not free to play, Karch and Sean return to the Never Free to Play podcast to discuss the “Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase,” and “Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Stream,” to news, hottakes, and hopes.
Karch has also been playing a lot of Persona 5 Royal and Sean is back on…fell off…is glitching with the Skyrim wagon.
In the year 2183 there’s only one man who Humanity can turn to to represent it on the galactic stage and stop Saren and his Geth allies. That man is Johnny Shepard and he’s here…to mostly walk the middle of the road and be a people pleaser.
The guys are back for a podcast and amongst talk of Dr. Brockledurk’s 5,000 deaths in Elden Ring, Karch’s diplomatic monarchy in Triangle Strategy, and Sean’s wardening in Dragon Age: Origins we get to the real star of the episode:
Did Jason actually manage to beat a video game? And Mass Effect at that? Turn in to see what kind of galaxy Jason and Johnny Shepard make.
We’re in the grips of KARCH MADNESS (well Karch is), and what better time than to throw our brains together and decide what game to play next now that we’re all True Astroneers. Along the way we talk the March 2022 PlayStation State of Play (aka the SquareEnix Show), grow cold on Aloy and Horizon: Forbidden West, and beat our heads against FromSoftware's new masterpiece: Elden Ring.
Email us at:
neverfreetoplay@gmail.com
Always safe for work and family-friendly, we are Never Free to Play.
Never Free to Play is back with our annual gaming award podcast. Get a jump on the game award season and watch Karch, Jason, Robert, and Sean discuss their most surprising games, most enjoyable, and game of the year, amongst plenty other categories, as we get ready to mark the end of 2021 and look forward to all that 2022 will have instore.
Email us at:
neverfreetoplay@gmail.com
Follow us on Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news: https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
Always safe for work and family-friendly, we are Never Free to Play.
It’s sometime in 2186, Commander Shepard is busy saving the galaxy, meanwhile two friends talk about all the things that they love about this universe.
Celebrate N7 Day and join Karch and Sean as they finally have their spoilercast following their run through Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Learn all that they liked, loved, hated, and meh’d throughout this trilogy and just a little of what they hope (or hope not) to see in the future.
It’s sometime in 2186, Commander Shepard is busy saving the galaxy, meanwhile two friends talk about all the things that they love about this universe.
Celebrate N7 Day and join Karch and Sean as they finally have their spoilercast following their run through Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Learn all that they liked, loved, hated, and meh’d throughout this trilogy and just a little of what they hope (or hope not) to see in the future.
Join the guys, including officially now a co-host Dr. Brockledurk, as we discuss the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, why this console generation feels different than those in the past, whether it’s because it’s failing, and what it means for consoles releases in the future.
Subscribe for more content:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTEUGLbc3tnkd9OZ_7-xZlQ?sub_confirmation=1
The guys are back and they’re talking the 2021 PlayStation Showcase. Bookend by the return of the Knights of the Old Republic and God of War: Ragnarök, the guys have plenty to dig into as they talk Marvel games, the productivity of Insomniac Studios, and the total agreement that Rockstar needs to stop rereleasing Grand Theft Auto V.
Email us at:
neverfreetoplay@gmail.com
Follow us on Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news: https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Always safe for work and family-friendly, we are Never Free to Play.
Join Karch, Jason, and Sean in this week’s Never Free to Play Podcast. Before the topic of the show, Karch and Sean discuss their recent gaming victories and talk about Mass Effect 2, how it compares to its predecessor and how it holds out nearly ten years later (and also how bad at romance Sean is). This week’s topic is Emulation, Preservation, and Piracy. The guys discuss questions like “Are used games the same as piracy?”, “When is emulation ok?”, and “What should we be doing for game preservation and what’s emulation’s role in it?”.
Also, we got distracted by Mel Gibson…that is all.
Email us at:neverfreetoplay@gmail.com
Life long gamers have researched every crevice of the internet and these are our impressions of the new Valve Steam Deck.
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-playGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Karch and Sean deep dive into their thoughts and feelings on one of the best remakes of all time. Barret for "Best Bot" 2021 and beyond.
All pretense of professionalism is going out the window. Just an excuse for friends to talk games and take drink breaks
Join the guys for their E3 2021 impressions. Hear who won (Nintendo…probably) who lost (Capcom, definitely), and whether E3 was a bust or not. Furthermore, listen as Karch, Jason, and Sean discuss what announcements made them most excited (Metroid Dread anyone?), make a few predictions, and debate whether or not Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be awful.
After diving into the streaming world, the guys are back with Episode 54 of the NFTP Podcast. With that break comes a hefty backlog of games: Jason swallows the town in Donut County, Karch expresses his hatred of Final Fantasy 3 (or does he?), and Sean conquers Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Meanwhile, Mass Effect Legendary Edition has hit the shelves and Karch and Jason take us down their different paths as Commander Shepard.
Later, the guys talk about their gaming backlog and the best games they’ve never played. Hint: Sean basically has missed nearly all of Sony…
The next stage of corporate greed is here as $70 games begin to arrive! Karch and Sean join the “Ultimate Consumer” Jason as they discuss what this means for video games, why this is happening now, and whether we are now Never Afford to Play. Along the way, the guys talk about their recent video game exploits: Karch and Sean bring down the big beasts in Monster Hunter Rise and World, Jason delves into the past and finds an early origin of choice-based games with Bioware's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and all agree that Aerith is the best in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Good? Bad? Green? Karch, Jason, and Sean talk videos games with multiple endings. Whether the repeated endings of games Nier: Automata or the choice based endings of KOTOR and the Witcher 3, the guys talk what they like and what they don't. Along the way, Karch provides his hot takes on Monster Hunter Rise (hint: palamutes are aodrable), Jason dips his toes into Titanfall 2 while Sean tries to not once again gush, and all us fail to record a group Let's Play but have fun along the way.
And if you can push through to the final ending you can learn of a huge mistake Sean makes as Karch strives towards his final fantasy...
It's a new phase and that means new consoles! Karch talks haptic feedback on his PS5 while Sean swoons over Xbox's quick resuming ALL THE GAMES. Jason's son tricks him into buying a video game. Then we dig in to the now official purchase of Bethesda by Microsoft and what the potential future looks like for those studios, and their competitors.
Join us as we talk the recent Pokemon news. Will Breath of the Pokemon bring new life to the series? More importantly, will we get to play it on the Switch Pro...Super Switch...Switch HD??? Finally, listen in as we talk XBox Gamepass and whether it's worth its value and how long we thing it will remain so.
Actually, forgot about that. Be regaled as Karch and Sean talk about their great victories this week. Spoiler, NFTP may be getting next gen.
Well the news starts coming and it don't stop coming
Clap sync - record - and we hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Karch gets smart but Jason gets dumb
So much to play, but we’re never free
Sean could you please get us some Elites?
We’ll keep doing things our own way
Zero followers, we’re Never Free to Play
-Moments before Karch was permanently removed
Episode Description: Join us this week as we discuss Nintendo's first Direct since 2019, its disappointments, its surprises, and how Nintendo is the family member you just have to love. Also, Sean falls off the Skyrim wagon, so much for his gaming plans...
Social:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news: https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description:
Join us this week as we discuss Crash 4's Switch debut, the Dual Sense's drift issues, and flex our greatest feats of gaming strength. Also, Happy Birthday Sean! Where are you?
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
BanTheBlueShell! Jason can’t control his FURY as he goes through the rigorous process of obtaining the Gold Kart in MK8. Sean and Karch offer a helpful “git gud” to inspire him to greatness. It’s been over 35 years since the NES hit the US, and many amazing consoles have launched since. Join us as we discuss some of our favorites and the games that came with them (or shortly followed up).
The gang (is three a gang?) discusses Reddit's Wall Street takeover, Vicarious Visions' Diablo 2 remake, and determines the best video game music of all time. Buckle in, it's a wild ride.
It might scare the crap out of us, but we’re ready to brave the horrors of the latest Resident Evil entry, RESIDENT EVIL: VII.l.AGE (wow that looks terrible typed out liked that). We’re just gonna call it “8”, yeah? Join us as we discuss this and the latest in gaming news, as well as some games that have swept us off our feet: Star Wars: Squadrons and Nier: Automata, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Then dive down the rabbit hole with us as we attempt to plan out our 2021 gaming schedule. Will we succeed? No. Not even a little bit. Have you seen how many good games are coming out??
Description:
Listen as the crew reminisces on their favorite Lucas Film games. Cyberpunk is still a mess, and Nintendo teases Bowser's Fury. Social:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news: https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Should auld remasters be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld release dates be forgot and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my boys, for auld lang syne. We’ll take a cup of cold brew yet, for days of auld lang Syne. So long 2020, HELLO 2021! We start the new year off right with a three man podcast as Sean joins as full time co-host. We catch up on news and look forward to the new year with predictions, hypes, and hopes. Jason dabbles in some Oculus Quest 2, while Sean and Karch force Jason to watch as they tear the Witcher 3 apart right in front of him. Look what we’ve massacred his boy! Come and raise a cup of kindness with us in 2021.
Episode Description: Join Jason, Sean, and Greg as they discuss Cyberpunk 2077's buggy launch, Oculus Quest 2 vs Oculus Rift S and more.
Social:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news: https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
Episode Description:
Join us for a normal episode of Never Free to Play. Recording timing has made it such that we missed Game Awards (that news to come next episode), and there isn’t much else going on. Just join us for a fun time. We talk Cyberpunk’s buggy release and answer the age old question “what is an adventure game?”
The victors write history, and Jennifer Garner is better than Hillary Swank. Next Gen (now current gen) sales and game announcements dominate the news. Jason nearly ends a 20 year friendship over Karch’s funky mood about Baldur’s Gate III. Karch retaliates with an attempt to recap the story of Kingdom Hearts. A light-hearted question to round out the show (THE ANSWERS WILL DISGUST YOU)
Sean’s not long for this world, so catch this rare episode before he shuffles off this mortal coil***. In one of our best episodes yet, we poo-poo the importance of new console launch week before Jason and I gush about Baldur’s Gate III. Sean was very jealous. Seething even. Then we jump into our personal top 5 games of the generation. #1s will shock you! Well, Sean’s might anway.
***Sean not actually dying (or going to space (yet))
Jason escapes from Tartarus (but not Hades) and he's stronger for it. First up its some cool, yet frustrating Nintendo news. Jason longs for his PC while he's stranded on Switch Island. Karch gives impressions on his very brief experience with xCloud, as well as the pleasantly surprising Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memories. Topic of the Week goes over the obvious: Game Streaming is good for games. Wrap it up with our "solutions" for the Pokemon franchise (nailed it, btw).
Hades claims another victim as Jason finds himself dying in Tartarus over and over again. Thankfully Robot Sean is back online and more than willing to fill in. With his amazing analytical skills, we go through the surprising things that lie within the upcoming PS5. We reminisce and look forward to all things Baldur’s Gate. Karch hems and haws on Bug Fables followed by a shameful Pokemon related admission. Topic of the Week has us discussing game difficulty and why you shouldn’t be such a try hard. No listener questions because our only listener is too busy talking and email doesn’t work in the Underworld
We've died and gone to….Hades! Karch is claiming GOTY while Jason isn't far behind him. The news is short and sweet with no billion dollar buyouts this week, though Pokemon does threaten to bribe Karch back to the Galar region. Jason stages an intervention. Then it's a gush sesh over our new favorite game: Hades. After it's a post-mortem on the E3 that never was as we discuss what we liked and what we didn't like about the slow, digital burn of the summer's game reveals. Wrap it up with listener questions as we discuss our expectations for next-gen from a non-graphical perspective.
Episode Description:
Kirby Fighters 2 is out and it’s all we can talk about. Phil Spencer, scared senseless, drops his nest egg on Zenimax in a pointless attempt to combat this new contender. Amazon likewise launches it’s game streaming service prematurely as it quivers in its boots. Karch has an existential crisis as he sizes up his backlog, never to be played now in light of Kirby Fighters 2. Hades retroactively receives a 1/10 and Mario 64 loses its status as most influential 3D game. We close the show out with listener questions, discussing the sheer brilliance of the Kirby Fighters 2 launch trailer.
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description
Jason’s back, and just in time: Playstation 5 price and date revealed! Perhaps even more enticing are some surprise trailers and teasers to go along with it. Then it’s Nintendo with shadow dropping Hades and dope new Monster Hunter news. Ironically we barely touch on Skyrim. Karch gushes over Hades as it begins to take over his life. Sean misplaces his listener question in one of his six boxes as we bring the show to close in a tight 90+.
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Jason is missing and totally-not-a-murderer-Sean is back again to blow out some candles with Karch. News is filled with awesome reveals and announcements. Karch gushes briefly about Zendikar Rising and then we dive into the awesome but confusing celebration Nintendo is throwing Mario for his 35th. Nexemon threatens to scratch Karch's Pokemon itch, while Sean pines for Avengers and Astroneer. We discuss the pros and cons of Windbound with Sean a little higher (and a lot farther) than Karch. Wrap it up with a talk on gimmicks. Jason, wherever you are, suck it.
Episode Description
HEY, LISTEN! Long time fan Sean Meibers joins us for our first ever guest episode and, ladies and gentleman, he’s a natural! We start out with some announcements about the Caped Crusade himself - or at least his known associates. Switch hardware rumors surface (again) but we’re all left unconvinced. A light “Wish You Were Playing” as we mourn Sean’s quarantined consoles. Sean talks DOOM on Switch, Jason actually plays some games that require thinking, and Karch rediscovers Divinity Original Sin 2. Then we rank our top 5 Zelda games of all time and wrap it up with some Zelda timeline talk. It’s dangerous to go alone, take this (Sean)!
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description
Nintendo finally wakes up and throws us a bone and it is meaty! We open the new with our impressions on the titles announced at Nintendo’s Indie World, opening with a bang with Hades coming this fall. Other titles dropped the same day with still more promised for 2021. Apple continues to push back against Epic and 2020 claims a few more titles. Jason finally plays Children of Morta and LOVES it, as Karch wonders if he’ll ever leave Tsushima. Topic of the show asks the question: Are We Never Free to Replay? Wrap it up with listener questions as we dive into Nintendo handheld sales statistics.
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description:
Rumble in the Internet Jungle! Epic “goes to war” with Apple and Google over the same kinds of practices they use to milk money out of publishers. Which side will you choose?! IT DOESN’T MATTER! Microsoft takes another hit with the tough call to delay Halo to 2021. Jason wavers on his resolve to finish Ghost while Karch commits to living on the island of Tsushima forever. Karch weebs it up with World of Final Fantasy Maxima. Audio listeners turn up the volume so you can hear Jason’s eye roll up and out of his sockets. Marvel’s Avengers give Karch crippling indecision and Sean asks about rediscovering beloved genres.
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description:
It’s a roller coaster of emotions this week with beloved Sony making less than consumer-friendly moves. Jason gets his pro-consumer card revoked, joining Arkham Asylum on “The Pile”. Nintendo has a smashing quarter as Animal Crossing secures the #2 spot on best selling Switch sales. Karch waffles back to wanting to play Paper Mario and Jason reminisces on the Destroy All Humans Remaster, a game he’s never even played. Congratulations flow with Jason’s announcement that he’s finished TLOU2, followed by glowing Ghost of Tsushima talk. Listener questions have us looking to the future again, this time without GOTY in mind.
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description:
Our 50’s are too far away, we regret everything RIGHT NOW. Business heavy news as we discuss the ins and outs of likeness licensing and paying for multiplayer access in the console sphere (turns out we can see the future!). Then Karch reveals his disgusting addiction while Jason remains stuck in a TLOU2 time loop. Karch loves Ghost of Tsushima and Jason is jelly (in more ways than one). Finally, long time in the making segment “Game of the Year: So Far” arrives and we look back on what we’ve played in 2020 and what stood out to us the most. Listener questions demand we break through the dementia to remember our fondest gaming-related memories.
Episode Description
Greetings, lovely NF-ers. This week we’ve got hot takes and man boobs as we discuss the week’s biggest new: Xbox Games Showcase. Friend of the Show Philly Spencer shows off that you don’t need to be the best at anything if you’re offering it at a reasonable price on nearly any digital device. In the land of the sub-optimal graphics and poor console marketing, Game Pass is king. Seemingly swept under the rug, Rocket League goes Free to Play later this summer. Meanwhile, Karch and Jason both get the shakes for some Ghost of Tsushima while Karch rails against the tyrannical despots of Mineral Town.
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-play
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description:
Say no to the Dark Whisperer and listen to us talk about video games! Xbox keeps the pro consumer combo counter going by merging Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud together at no additional cost. We get nostalgic for playing games with our friends and make a BLOOD. PACT. to play some Streets of Rage 4. Don’t let us down! Karch talks general impressions on TLOU2 now that he’s finished as Jason rounds the halfway point. Spoilercast incoming. Borderlands 3 loses its luster for Jason and Karch takes a new trip to an old town in the Friend of Mineral Town remake. Bring it home with a great listener question about the flexibility and potential of video game stories. I don’t think we mention God of War once in this entire podcast!
Social:Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news:
https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
You can find our podcast at the following places:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-free-to-play/id1501119586
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FdLgfBwZg2WUtv9GrT7nq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/never-free-to-playGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL3BvZGNhc3QubmV2ZXJmcmVldG9wbGF5LmNvbS8_ZmVlZD1yc3My
Episode Description: NFTP discusses one of the greatest hurdles for gaming dads everywhere: game length! Are games too short? Are they going to get even longer or will the bottom eventually drop out? When is it okay for games to just keep going? We answer these questions and more but first a short news segment as we discuss an interesting move by Sony to buy a (small) stake in Fortnite’s Epic Games. Then it’s a smattering of what we’ve been playing as Jason gripes about the STILL complicated process of playing multiplayer games in 2020. Sean brings us home, as always, with listener questions. Life is too short, and games are too long, so listen to us instead!
Social:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeverFreeToPlay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverfreetoplay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverfreetoplay Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/neverfreetoplay
To support us and find our most updated news: https://www.patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
Episode Description:
Welcome to the grumpcast! Your hosts, Karch and Jason get salty this week and for good reason. After a quick birthday shout out to some no-name series, we address the very real possibility that AAA games will cost $70 at retail starting with next gen. Jason sings the praises of Borderlands 3 while Karch plays a smorgasbord of new and old alike. Then, an unexpected but delightful pivot into some Breath of the Wild 2 speculation. Our topic of the show takes us into spoiler territory, but only theoretically as we discuss the landscape of spoilers and leaks in the gaming industry. Wrap it up with a listener question about our ‘fantasy game’ that the industry isn’t making. Screw this, we’re moving to Skinland.
Episode Description
“‘Gooood. Gooood. Let your hate flow through you’, sneered the emperor as Ellie stood over Lord Voldemort. Raw Darkside energy coursed through her, every ounce of her being wanted to strike down the Dark Lord for what he’d done to Nathan Drake…” -Pivotal End Scene from The Last of Us Part II. Jason and Karch talk the first few hours of The Last of Us Part II and the overall consensus is we’re excited to play a lot more this weekend. Cyberpunk 2077 information drops with the first 4 hours available to press/influencers and we weigh in with our own impressions. Learn why Bioware sucks, and CD Projekt Red rules.
Episode Description
News is light this week, as we all continue to mull over last week’s PS5 reveal and prepare for the Last of Us Part II launch at midnight. Karch makes big promises at the top that he won’t delete his video, but only time will tell. A quick blast from the past from Karch as he discusses some quality time with his Wii (“my shoulder is KILLING me!”). Jason disappoints Batman for the last time, as his Arkham Asylum privileges are revoked. He’ll never get those old-man muscles now. Then it’s on to the topic of the show: life in a post playstation 5 reveal world. Wrappin’ it up with why God of War is better than the Last of Us for the umpteenth time. Watch out Joel, Kratos is comin’ for ya!
Episode Description
E3 might be cancelled but Corona can't repel reveals of this magnitude: Sony reveals the PlayStation 5. Sorta. Jason and Karch discuss the pros and cons of the hour plus event in the longest episode to date. Following the PS5 talk is a meaty Spoilercast for The Last of Us. Karch is the worst as he manages to delete his video in an exhausted stupor.
Intro - 00:00:38
Corrections - 00:10:19
Sony Delays PS5 Event - 00:13:47
Whatcha Been Playing - 00:21:00
Gaming Gripe - 01:10:58
Topic of the Show - 01:18:30
Listener Questions - 01:27:31
Episode Description:
Summer isn’t here officially, but temperatures are rising all around. We open with the cancellations of a few anticipated events, namely for the Playstation 5, as people and companies all over show support for the Black Lives Matter protests. Jason talks Batman while Karch waffles on the Last of Us. Xenoblade shows its age while still remaining a relevant entry in the genre. As we wait for the cancelled announcements, we discuss what we’re most hyped about for the rest of 2020 (other than it being over). Jason’s reading skills strike again as we answer Sean’s question about gaming/console nostalgia. Greg gets ahead of himself and proves he’s the worst all on his own.
Episode Description:
Cameras are rolling and the boys have never looked better! The inaugural audio/visual journey opens with some inane chatter about Dr. Pepper and bad birthday burritos as Jason seeks to start a Twitter beef with just about anybody. Next up is a short and fairly uninteresting news segment where Karch puts all the E3 haters in their place. Jason discusses his positive time with FF7 so far, and Karch reluctantly agrees The Last of Us is a pretty good game. Then it’s Topic of the Show with “Biggest Gaming Regrets”. Find out if Karch is indeed a horrible human being. Wrap it up with a listener question about how we’d fix a stale Nintendo franchise.
Episode Description:
Final Fantasy abounds as Karch ends his Journey and Jason takes his first step, but first news. The Paper Mario: The Origami King announcement shadow drops to much surprise and hopeful expectations. A real look at Ghost of Tsushima gameplay leads Jason to wonder if this open world is just a ghost town. Next gen “arrives” with an Unreal 5 demo on PS5. Can YOU count the triangles?! Jason gives a brief rundown of what he’s dabbled in and then we dive into the heart of the episode: All things FF7, and spoilers abound. Karch rambles through his thoughts about the remake at large, the ending, and what it means. No bet this week, but I think we all know this episode ends.
Episode Description
Put your pants on and hold onto your butts, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 remaster is in the house. Join us as we reminisce and get hyped about a long awaited return to form for this beloved franchise. Then stick around as we (mostly Karch) trashes on Xbox, Playstation, and Bethesda for less than optimal marketing as we limp ever towards next-gen. Karch talks about what he’s been playing, but it’s crickets from Jason so we’re forced to make him eat his vegetables and choose a game to commit to finishing before The Last of Us 2 arrives. We end with a round of our favorite game: “Is the Greg the Worst?”. Happy Birthday to Karch, he’s getting so old.
Episode DescriptionHappy Cinco de Mayo! We clear the air about some Last of Us II misconceptions but it’s not long before Jason censor’s Karch for speaking the truth. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is announced with an awesome trailer and release window. Summer plans begin to solidify as Nintendo cancels a planned June Direct, but then, Geoff Keighly to the rescue with the “Summer Game Fest” event. Jason recounts ring theory as a griseled Yakuza and Karch has a surprisingly good time with Indivisible. Corporate birthday gifts got us feeling ENTITLED and ANGRY, but we don’t care. Finally, listener mail forces us to dig up some obscure favorites from years past. Let’s make some mischief.
Episode Description:
The big 1-0! The boys celebrate (but not really) with double digits. Triple digits are just around the corner. News is light and slightly depressing with more release date shuffles for Sony’s big releases. Naughty Dog turns out to be leakier than our Sea of Thieves ship as pivotal moments are released by disgruntled employees. Karch says Nvidia wrong, but Jason sets him straight. Xbox raises our hopes only to burn us with the fine print with Red Dead Redemption 2 coming to game pass on consoles. Games We Played is up next with Jason’s early impressions on Arkham Asylum and Karch’s strange journey through Goat Simulator. Then it’s off to our first GAMING GRIPE OF THE WEEK. This week, Nintendo’s (and the industry’s) continued inability to give us easy access to their classic titles. Wrap it up with some listener questions (more fiery opinions).
Intro - 00:00:50
Housekeeping - 00:04:26
Corrections - 00:08:26
Jason Schreier leaving Kotaku - 00:10:14
Super Mario Maker 2 Final Major Update - 00:15:32
Death Stranding PC Delayed - 00:26:06
March NPD - 00:30:02
What we played: Sea of Thieves - 00:40:10
What we played: Final Fantasy 7 Remake - 00:50:54
What we played: Hatoful Boyfriend - 01:00:58
Listener Questions - 01:09:30
Greg is the worst - 01:37:58
Episode Description
Karch brings the energy today with the help of Chameleon Organic Cold Brew Coffee (no sponsorship, yet). Kicking off with big news about news: Jason Schreier leaves Kotaku for big green Bloomberg pastures. Nintendo puts more points into the Ninja class as the shadow drops continue with a meaty Super Mario Maker 2 update. Death Stranding for PC is delayed a month while Ghost of Tsushima remains in place (fingers crossed). Then a little trip into NERD land with NERD statistics about March’s best selling games of which Karch was a key player with his single purchase of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We recount our romantic tales as pirates in Sea of Thieves and Karch learns a valuable lesson about pigeons and love in Hatoful Boyfriend. Listener questions bring about some good conversation about remake wishes and mind-blowing gameplay mechanics. Finally, Karch gets a nasty, nasty surprise. Burpin’ or sleepin’, we are Never Free to Play!
Intro - 00:00:34 Housekeeping - 00:04:32(Start of news) Ghost of Tsushima not delayed? - 00:07:26 Google Stadia Pro Free Trial - 00:15:48Resident Evil 4: Remake Announced - 00:21:38ESRB Randomized Randomized In-game purchases - 00:28:57PlayStation Play at Home - 00:34:10Quarantine Gaming - 00:37:46Final Fantasy VII Remake - 00:41:54What we wish we were playing - 01:15:13Listener Questions - 01:17:34 Greg is the worst - 01:27:30
Episode DescriptionIt was a light news week in the world of video games, but the duo manages to make their opinions on Resident Evil’s endless (amazing) remakes and ESRB lootbox warnings known. Karch patiently waits for his moment to gush about the long awaited Final Fantasy 7 Remake while Jason reminds us why PC gaming is for dorks with hardware troubles. Jason is a good sport while Karch sings the praises of the first 10 hours FF7. Also, FF7 is out and it’s really good but that may have already come up. Records are broken as listener mail doubles compared to last week with more thought provoking questions about the nature of privacy, security, and that sweet sweet eyeball candy we call state of the art graphics. Jason and Karch reveal a new game that Karch loses. Find out his punishment, and whether he hates it….or loves it.
Corrections: 00:04:04Start of News: 00:05:34PS5 Dual Sense Controller: 00:11:33Inside Xbox: 00:18:43The Last of Us Part 2 Delayed: 00:49:43Payday 2: 01:00:33Bravely Default 2 Demo: 01:03:06Animal Crossing Easter Event: 01:06:21Jackbox Games via Steam Remote Play: 01:10:58Call of Duty Warzone: 01:13:25Half Life: Alyx: 01:21:04What we wish we were playing: 01:28:26Listener Questions: 01:31:34Greg is the worst: 01:48:06
Big news all around and yet Jason remains...unimpressed. We start with IGN's answer to what should have been E3 with some impressive participants (Square, SEGA) along with some straw grabs (Twitter lol what?). E3 officially announces it will have no digital presence to replace the cancelled 2020 event, causing Karch to worry about his former favorite time of the year. Playstation reveals their more comfortable looking controller but everyone just whines about the color. Microsoft follows "Safer at home" protocol with Inside Xbox receiving a resounding "meh" as Project xCloud remains a vapor on the wind. Phil Spencer announces acquisition and subsequent cancellation of popular battle royale Fornite. Lastly we bemoan the biggest pandemic set back yet: Last of Us II delayed until further notice. On to personal experiences, Karch offers to carry Jason like Sam carried Frodo as the latter's legs are too tired to stand in VR. Karch's butt hurts from too much sitting at his computer for MtG: Arena. Sean offers up another deep-dive question as we discuss past and future design trends in the larger gaming space. Open worlds as far as the eye can see, and they're full of bees!
Housekeeping: 00:02:36
Corrections: 00:03:36
News: 00:05:44
What We're Playing: 00:28:10
Listener Questions: 00:59:26
Greg is the worst: 01:12:28
NFTP is officially a YouTube sensation, assuming the criteria is simply being sensational and on YouTube. News is Nintendo heavy, but we start with more ragging on Valve/Steam for never putting out Half-Life 3 and giving lame excuses. Switches are flying off shelves but nothing's coming to replace them anytime soon. Meanwhile, Jason and Karch launch a math podcast to find out how rich they'll be as early switch adopters. Mario turns 35 soon and the rumors are hot and heavy. A welcomed Nintendo Direct Mini drops from the sky and we thumb through our favorite announcements. Jason brags about how little he played Call of Duty: Warzone while Karch sells his watch for some Magic cards. Sean asks a loaded question and the red flags of communism come out. Stay a while, and listen comrade!
What's even real anymore? Jason and Karch bend the limits of truth, perception and reality on week two of quarantine life. But first, Karch brags about his new promotion to community manager. Then news, where we dunk on Playstation 5 before coming back to it like a bad relationship. Gamestop pushes the limits of human decency, and even Karch begins to wonder if they should stick around. Resident VR expert Jason gives his spoiler-free impressions on the long awaited Half-Life: Alyx and the whimsical Budget Cuts. Karch bids farewell to Ori as he moves to a deserted island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons where he discovers his wife was a real gamer all along. Then, suddenly, a wild listener appears and with it, our first listener question. Finally, we extend the olive branch of peace to Greg. Will he take it?
Welcome to the Isolation Desolation! Jason and Karch are working remote as beloved guest host Greg comes down with COVID-19. Karch returns from probation, refreshed and repentant. E3 is cancelled and hypotheses abound on what early June will look like now. Karch gives a small tribute to Kyle Bosman while simultaneously announcing to steal away Easy Allies’ listeners during these tumultuous times. Jason preaches the truth about Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order while Karch nods along with a silent refrain of “I told you”. Followed by the ramblings of a man who isn’t all there as Karch discusses his experiences returning to Fire Emblem: Three Houses and newly released Ori and the Will of the Wisps. We wrap it up with some game mechanic grievances. Unlike Fallen Order, you won’t want to fast travel through this episode!
Support us at patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
Join us for a special episode with guest host Greg “The Worst” Artalona. We discuss Ghost of Tsushima’s imminent release and the newly announced “The Last of Us” series from HBO and Playstation Productions. We debate on whether or not the coronavirus will be the end of E3 as well as whether or not Game Stop’s newest business strategy will be the end of the company.
We then go on to talk about the games we WISH we were playing, and deep-dive into Greg’s former Diablo 2 addiction ... Yea, I know the description isn’t as good as it normally is, but Karch is on vacation. Give me a break.
Please consider supporting our show at patreon.com/neverfreetoplay
Final Fantasy 7 Remake has arrived! Well, the demo has anyway and both Jason and Karch are ready to share their thoughts on what is shaping up to be a promising re-imagining of the beloved classic. Before that though, learn a little bit more about this duo’s origins and just how many poetry books they wrote together (the number will SHOCK you!). In the news, trouble continues to brew as additional publishers remove their games from Nvidia’s GeForce NOW service, causing the boys to question why ‘Big Gaming’ can’t keep its nose out of our lives. Finally the episode wraps up with another trip down memory lane as we reach into the far corners of our minds for some of our earliest gaming-related memories.
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Never Free To Play, a gaming podcast from the minds and perspective of two “outsiders” with a passion for games and no time to play them. Join co-hosts Jason and Karch as they do a pretty okay job opening the podcast after a not-so-okay start. We start with some hopes and dreams for 2020, followed by news that threatens to turn those dreams into nightmares: Coronavirus. Diablo IV developers update isn’t doing Blizzard any favors in Karch’s eyes either. Next we talk a little bit about what we’ve been playing and most of it is glowing. Expect this segment to be much shorter in the future as we live up to our name and stay on brand. Following that we’ll wax on about the games we wish we were playing but simply have to pass on: Temtem and Borderlands 3. Jason asks Karch some questions and they both end up putting Super Mario World on a pedestal. Jason closes with his personal thoughts on why Greg is the worst. Find out if he’s lying or telling the truth.
To support our podcast please find us at patreon.com/neverfreetoplay