Voxels

Beyonce, the Winter 2024 Anime Season, and life's most important question: Why does Phil Spencer keep opening his mouth?

Show Notes:

We don’t need to talk about it but Suzume is now on Netflix so everyone should watch it:
Cowboy Carter:
Winter 2024 Anime Wrapup:
Why does Phil Spencer keep opening his mouth:
Chapters:
  • (00:00) - New Chapter
  • (01:06) - Cowboy Carter
  • (25:29) - Winter 2024 Anime Wrapup
  • (38:00) - Why does Phil Spencer keep opening his mouth?

Creators & Guests

Host
Cristian Colocho
I like computers, reading science fiction, manga, bad anime, rap music, and making hot takes.
Host
Sadiq Saif

What is Voxels?

A podcast on Art and Culture by Sadiq Saif and Cristian Colocho

Sadiq:

Hi. I'm Sadiq.

Cristian:

Firstly, I'm Cristian. But also fuck Jermaine Cole. Those bars are transphobic. We're not talking about the album. He already fell off.

Cristian:

Let's let's talk about some good shit. 1st and foremost, we're not gonna have this discourse because it's not a part of the anime stuff. This is also Voxels, a podcast about not J. Cole. Suzune, though, is now on Netflix.

Cristian:

Made by the same director as your name, you should watch it.

Sadiq:

I actually watched this, like, sometime last year, I think, and it is it's interesting because it's like, I don't I don't wanna, like, get too much into it, but it's like it's very much like a movie made, for Japanese people, by made by Japanese, but it's for Japanese people because it's a lot of the cultural context for this. I feel like if you're not Japanese, like, if you don't if you don't live in Japan specifically, like, you don't you're not gonna get a lot of the, like, underlying themes of this, movie, but it's it's a it's a really good movie. It's an interesting movie. And Makoto Shinkai is, one of my if I'm gonna watch, like, an anime movie, it's gonna be either, like, a Studio Ghibli movie or or, Makoto Shinkai movie. So that's, those are the only 2.

Sadiq:

So let's let's talk about, the biggest album of the year, I suppose. I don't know, so far. We've have, the much anticipated, country album from, Beyonce, called, Cowboy Carter. What are your thoughts first? Like, I wanna I wanna hear your thoughts before I get into it.

Sadiq:

So what what are your, like, overall, like, thoughts on this on this album?

Cristian:

Beyonce has a 3 part renaissance sort of series going on. This is part 2 of it. The first part was 20 21? 20 twos twos. 20 two's renaissance, which was an amazing revival of house music and all those great themes we talked about on the old podcast.

Cristian:

Someone will I will drop a link to that episode because I think it's still pertinent. But so now we have Cowboy Carter, which is the follow-up act, which is a country inspired album, not necessarily a country album as Beyonce said in her Instagram post announcing, you know, this is a country album. This is not a country album. This is a Beyonce album. I I have a lot of thoughts on this album, mostly that I just appreciate, I think, on a spiritual level, just like reclamation by, like, black folks and native folks of, quote, unquote Americana.

Cristian:

Right? You know, Beyonce's holding a US flag and dressed as a cowboy on on the riding a horse, and and and that is, important imagery, I think, because you sometimes get a, there's, like, I think, a thread of people online and and in general discourse that are kinda like, you know, fuck my national identity, blah blah blah blah, which I understand, like, I'm not trying in any way to say nationalism is a good thing. But for better or worse, you are born in the place you're born and you do profit and do, you know, benefit in some ways from what that place has done. It's a different levels, obviously. Marshallization is a very real thing.

Cristian:

But, like, in my example, unfortunately, I was born in the US. So unfortunately, I am complicit in some of the things that the US has done. And, like, it and on, like, a in a macro level, not not in, like, you know like, obviously, you know, I'm not responsible. Beyonce is not responsible for, like, atrocities. But I I think to completely deny that and to just completely throw away that part of your identity is that's, like, the place you're born at is a little bit disingenuous and a little bit like I just don't wanna deal with it ism in a way.

Cristian:

Whereas Beyonce is doing his albums, like, saying, hey. This country music stuff is problematic. Sure. There's a lot of, you know, right wing folks and all this stuff in country music. People do not want Beyonce in country music.

Cristian:

So she's saying with this album cover, I think before he gets to the music is actually here's this American flag. I'm dressed as a cowboy. He's part of my history is also contained in that, and it's not just for you.

Sadiq:

Yeah. So so she's saying she's American, and she's, like, specifically, like, she's American. She's from, like, cowboy country. Like, she she was like, I'm from Houston, like, Galveston. Like, I I think she's at Galveston, Texas.

Sadiq:

Right? And she said, like, Louisiana. So she's like, she's from the deep south. Right? She's like south south.

Sadiq:

So she's like, she's claiming that. She's like, okay, I'm from here. Like, if this if this isn't country, like on the first track, right? Like, she's like, if this is a country, then what is? Right?

Sadiq:

Like, if if if all of this is if me making this album is not country, then then what is then what is country music right there?

Cristian:

If if if staying to your roots right is not, like, country, then then what is? And I think that it's such an important setter for the album too. Like, that setter, but, you know, like a like a taste of or, you know, foreshadowing for what this whole album is because, once again, it comes down to reclamation. And I think it's a lot it's a lot easier or less obvious maybe on the play she was doing on the original renaissance as, you know, no one's ever I mean, you have Skrillex. Right?

Cristian:

But no one's ever said Skrillex is appropriating house music from black people. Right? It's just it it's slowly but appropriated away from them, and any of the origins are black. But in country, it's a lot more stark in that, you know, cowboy itself. The the term cowboy was a derogatory term meant for slaves who are hurtling cows.

Cristian:

Right? Like, that's the it was I think it was cow men or, like, cow herders. Right? And then cowboys is what they called. Slaves were doing that.

Cristian:

And to use that language and to reclaim it is so important, and I'm I'm here for it. I'm here for it. I'm sure you have a lot of thoughts on it, so I will let you start talking. But all I'm gonna say is I like this album a lot. I it has its problems, but, no.

Cristian:

What what are your thoughts on it?

Sadiq:

This is this is an interesting I I have to sit with this one a little bit because, personally, I'm not, like, like, I'm not into country American country music. So I had to, like, sort of listen to this album, like, multiple times, like, listen to the Swish.pop episode about it, and sort of understand the album as a like, from like, thematically. Right? Not just like there's a lot of not happening on this album. This this this album's like a tribute, not just to American, country, but like the history of American pop music.

Sadiq:

Right? Like there's different formats of of music here. It's not just it's not just the kind of country you'd hear on, like, country radio. Right? Like, it's it's it's like a lot of there's a lot of different genres happening, all different styles.

Sadiq:

There's features. Obviously, the the the 2 the 2 singles, we had we had 16 carriages. Right? And we had Texas Hold Them. And I think between 16 carriages and Texas Hold Them, I think they were deceptive.

Sadiq:

I think people came into this and I came into this expecting, like, the whole album to be just like those 2 tracks. Like, those 2 tracks would be, like, musically, sonically representative of the rest of the album, and and they're really not. Like, it's it's like Texas Hold Up is, like, a really good track, and so is 16 carriages, but it's, like, most of the album is, like, not country country.

Cristian:

Here's what plays into this too. So this is I subscribe to the Beyonce subreddit, which is, not I I it could've gone one of 2 ways. It went in a more interesting way. So the vinyls are not the full track list.

Sadiq:

Oh.

Cristian:

So the whole run from, The Linda Martell Show all the way until Sweet Honey Bucking are cut from the vinyl. It's only about, like, 23 ish tracks on the vinyl, and the vinyl is a different album cover that is Bag and Say. I probably butchered the pronunciation of it, but it's her mother's middle name. So what that tells me is because apparently in another interview, she was saying this record was actually supposed to come out first. You also see this one and then Renaissance.

Cristian:

But during the pandemic, she was like, people probably need more of a a house album right now. Right? Like, to get back into the world. Like, she felt that it was more important to release that, House album versus this one. So what it's telling me is I imagine most of, like, the the country quote unquote songs, right, the more blues inspired ones were all recorded in the pandemic beforehand, and it's a second pass that kinda turned it into the sprawling curves it is right now.

Cristian:

It that's what it tells me. Originally, it was a lot more than those singles. The singles are probably, like, what the whole album was supposed to be. But, you know, after I guess going on tour and and then playing renaissance, you know, you started getting, you know, tracks like we're skipping ahead, like Riverdance. Right?

Cristian:

Riverdance absolutely could have been a cut off of Renaissance. So it just makes sense.

Sadiq:

Personally, I would have preferred if the album was a lot less sonically diverse. I personally, I find it found it a little bit, in like, not not cohesive. Like, it wasn't it didn't feel it felt like a collection of tracks less than an album. Right? It it felt a little too long.

Sadiq:

Like, 27 tracks is a lot of tracks, and and our album is, like, more than an hour long. I felt like it could cut it had been like, some of the tracks, like, you mentioned could've, like, could've been cut, and I think I would've preferred the album. I would have liked the album more, for for that reason. But, I'd I'd say I would start with, I mean, the big I think the big track, for me is is the cover here. We have we have a cover, of Jolene, but the the sort of, drag by, Dolly Dolly Parton.

Sadiq:

I personally this this is gonna be our friend, our mutual friend, Jack, says, this is this is, this is gonna be a hot take, but I don't I don't I don't know if it's a hot take. I just think

Cristian:

Listen. We had one white man validate this take, so I think it's okay.

Sadiq:

No. Yeah. He agreed. So I I I think I think Beyonce's cover of of Jolene is a better version of the the origin. And and I don't mean this in a way where I think the original is bad or or anything?

Sadiq:

I I I like the original as well. Like, the original is a great track. But I I just prefer Beyonce's sort of, like, the the Beyonce's take to it, and she it's not just a cover also, like, she added stuff to it. She there's new lyrics in here, like, this mix of, that are not there in the original. And and that line in the chorus, like, you know, I'm still a Creole bandit pitch from Louisiana.

Sadiq:

That that shit, like, I love it. Like, it's it's just

Cristian:

I love the throwback to to lemonade.

Sadiq:

Yep. Yeah. It's it's it's good. I I I just I just really love, like, this what she's done with the with the with the with the with the with the very famous sort of probably one of the most famous American country songs of all time. So so that's that's cool.

Cristian:

Conversely too, Blackbird, the other cover on this album, it's objectively better than the Beatles versions because the Beatles kinda suck.

Sadiq:

Yeah. Okay. That's that's the other hot thing we're coming here with, I guess, is that I okay. So, I haven't listened to The Beatles since I was a teenager, and even then, I I I was like, you know, this this kinda mid, this kinda overrated, like, what's what's the big deal? I don't know if I would appreciate it more now, but my opinion has not shifted on this, and I and I would agree that, you know, I like this I like this version.

Sadiq:

It's a short track. It's not a very long track. I and there's another one of these things.

Cristian:

It it's the same backing as the original so it's the same good It's the same backing, instrumentation as the original version. To actually to make this a little less spicy. So it's basically she took the same, guitar and clapping and and the reason it's one-sided is that the original version was recorded when stereo was new. Right? Back in the sixties.

Cristian:

So it's still people were figuring out stereo stuff. And then it was her and, let me I wanna say the other ones. Tanner Adele and who else? And Britney Spencer, were all other countries singers that she had, also sing the cover. It's a really good cover.

Cristian:

What I wish you would have done though is so off of, I don't know if you listened to Motomami from Rosalia, like, a few years back when I came out. There is a cover of, like, Willie Colon. It's it's from the sixties. It's also track, Delirio de Grandesia. There's a cover of that song, and what she did is she basically had her theme in the DAW Make it a little more mono because it was also another track from the fifties sixties when Surio was new, and you would just have, like, horns in just blaring in one ear.

Cristian:

Yeah. And I really think Beyonce could have just, make the guitar a little more mono. You know, panning is cool, but just I don't I I don't the guitar in one ear makes me feel like my headphones are broken.

Sadiq:

I I I I just think that style of production just doesn't work on a modern album, a modern people like, modern audiences. I feel like I'm not going to appreciate, the sort of very subtle the the these sort of the mono aspect of, those tracks from, like, the sixties.

Cristian:

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Oh my god. I switched to Android, so I don't know. What does this album sound like in spatial audio?

Cristian:

Holy shit. Someone who has AirPods Pro and an Apple Music subscription. I actually wanna know how Blackbird sounds because the the stereo track, it's hard guitar on the right and then claps and crickets and shit on the left ear. How is that mixed in spatial audio? Someone please, please who uses Apple products, please, like, hit me up and let me know how it sounds in spatial audio.

Cristian:

I'm I'm actually extremely curious.

Sadiq:

I'm curious as well. I I I mean, I could, like, subscribe to Apple Music for a month to check it out, but, that, but I and I with with the AirPods Pro, right, I could I could check out the spatial spatial audio stuff. I'm curious. Yeah. I'm curious how this sounds.

Sadiq:

Like, I I'm speaking of, like, sound wise, I think production wise, this album is, like, solid. Like, it's it's it's it's it's well produced. I mean, that's not surprising. Beyonce's, like, last few albums have all been, like, extremely well produced, very expensive production, I suppose.

Cristian:

You know, I need I'm gonna interject Rob on the production side of this. And let me just a a compliment. She does so much well sonically with the backing instrumentation but never has to overpower the vocals, and I find that's a problem with a lot of albums that try to experiment. It's like you have a strong focus on, like, woodwind instruments, all these instruments, because har is in the background, and then your the vocals just, like, kinda get muddied below it. Right?

Cristian:

If I, you know, if I cover my hand my mouth and try and talk, like, it's it doesn't happen here.

Sadiq:

Yeah. Yeah. But it's it's it's not it's not it's not here. And whoever, like, whoever does the mixing on our albums is, like like, super, very, very, very good. And it it just sounds like, it's just a treat to listen to, like, sonically.

Sadiq:

Like, I one of my favorite tracks on here, track, 11, daughter. I think I just really love this track. This is like a murder ballad. Right? It's it's it's like really it's kind of like sort of group That's

Cristian:

the one with the opera at the end. Right? With the opera stuff?

Sadiq:

Yeah. That there's the there's Italian, Italian bridge, where she sings in Italian, which I I want Beyonce to sing it more Italian. Honestly, this this sounds pretty good. I love it.

Cristian:

Holy shit. Hold on a minute. Hold on a minute. Alright. Hear me out.

Cristian:

Hear me out. Novu Etsemu. I'm butchering that that name. But the guy who did the music for Final Fantasy, you know, Final Fantasy yeah. Yeah.

Cristian:

Yeah. Imagine, like, one of those tracks with Beyonce doing opera on it.

Sadiq:

My god. That's, that's I don't think that's ever gonna happen, but, we can we can dream. That's yeah. I would love to. She does, like and that's another thing I I should, I guess, point out when we're talking about, like, Beyonce singing is Beyonce's singing a lot in this album and which I love it.

Sadiq:

I like I love her. Like, she she's showing her range, and she's she's doing great. Like, it's it's it's it's sounds like, the singing sounds super, super fucking good. So I'm I'm a big fan of that. I'm very much enjoying, all the singing.

Sadiq:

How do you feel about the features? I know we talked the I I there was the there are a few features here. Shaboozy on, spaghetti, which is like a sort of tribute to, like, western movies, spaghetti westerns, you know.

Cristian:

That's a good track, but it could've cut it. Just to be honest with you, I it is a good track, but it does not fit anywhere in the cadence of this album.

Sadiq:

Yeah. It's it's a little I feel like, it's it's sort of in the air to, like, hey. Look. I like those those old, westerns with and and and Eddie Muriekane music on it. You know, there's it's like I think it's, like, Wait.

Sadiq:

What? Which which track are we talking about?

Cristian:

She starts spaghetti. She starts being saying, like, I have to stop my fingers on Thanos. And I'm like, Beyonce, come on. Come on. Get Hova in the studio.

Sadiq:

Yeah. She she does try to okay. We will talk about the rapping later, I guess.

Cristian:

However, though, the other Shaboozy tracks, we're talking about features. I don't know if this track is objectively good. I'm pretty sure it's not. But Sweet Honey Bucking is such a good song. I love it so much.

Cristian:

I love it so much. I I do not know why, but the Feralpi on bucking is so good, But it literally is like horses galloping as the drums, and I'm pretty sure that's really corny.

Sadiq:

Yeah. It is. The beat is really good. I just I just don't like, like, the the song itself, but, like, the beat is, like, a Pharrell beat is fucking wild. It's like, what is going on?

Sadiq:

Like, the features are good. Right? Yeah. All the features are good. I think my favorite features, surprisingly, is, like, the post below feature.

Cristian:

Not the Miley Cyrus one?

Sadiq:

I like the Miley Cyrus one, but I feel like the Miley Cyrus one didn't have enough Miley Cyrus. Like, it was, like, kind of like they would do, like, a duet. And I feel like I wanted to hear Miley Cyrus by herself more on the track. And I know I know she could sing, so it's it's like it's, it's kind of like the track is just like her and Beyonce doing a duet, on on on 2 Most Wanted. Right?

Sadiq:

And I I just really wanted her to sing more, like, Miley's, like, had to have a verse on her or her own. But, yeah, I I like the post Malone feature, surprisingly. I wasn't expecting a post.

Cristian:

It's because Beyonce got him to fucking sing and not listen, when if you get Post Malone on Metro Boomin' Beat, which has happened before, Metro reverbs and tries, like, Travis Scott his voice. But Beyonce was like, no. You're gonna sing and it's gonna be mixed properly without a fuck ton of reverb and it sound when when you get Post Malone to sing, he can actually sing really well. It was Yeah. He does.

Cristian:

Yeah. He hit the country twang and everything going perfectly. It was nice. It was good.

Sadiq:

Yeah. You did. It was really good. It's a good feature. Lee Levi's jeans, you know, you know, it's it's it's it's a good track.

Sadiq:

It's fun. I I I I, like, I I I don't I one of the other tracks, I suppose, that is too short in my opinion is Desert Eagle. Desert Eagle, I feel like is like I feel like that's a track that could have been longer, and it's it's a very fun track because it's just Beyonce being horny. Like, it's it's it's the one where she, says, like, everything bigger in Texas, big body busted open, like that that stuff, you know. I wanted a longer track on that.

Sadiq:

That's a that track is way too short. Tyrant? Tyrant is my Tyrant is probably, like, one of my, like, favorite tracks. It's just a really, really fun, that beat, that production by DA God That Dope is just

Cristian:

It's a fiddle of an 808, which is all you need to know.

Sadiq:

It's so good. I love it. I want more of this kind of beats. Like, honestly, this this sort of mixing of, like, acoustic instruments with with, like, an, with, like, like, like, synths. Like, yeah, give me that shit.

Sadiq:

Like, give me give me give me, good stuff. So that's mean, that's all I have to say, I suppose. I don't I don't have any other sort of strong, I feel like the album closes out on on Amen. It's a good closer. It's it's a good closer, but it's it feels like there's a lot a little bit too much, like, bloat at this album between between the first track and the last track.

Sadiq:

Like, some of these tracks tend to be cut out. They kind of cut out sweet honey bucking, I think. Honestly, I I I really wish, like, you know, how do you feel about Yaya, by the way? Yaya is, like, just,

Cristian:

I I think Yaya is an important track to have on this album for the reason of, it it's okay. So I'm of 2 minds on it. I don't think it's a bad track.

Sadiq:

No. It's not bad. It's

Cristian:

But I also think it's interesting in that that kind of, like, fifties, sixties pop music has not made her a vital, you know. Like, you have boy bands and and girl bands. Right? You have k pop bands. But no one's gone for that style of, like, girlish, boyish kind of bands.

Cristian:

Right? Where for for those who have not listened to it, Yaya, basically, think about, like, stereotypical fifties, like, you know, doo wop kind of music, and it was kinda like that but flipped a little bit. And I I think for what Beyonce is trying to go with on this album of reclaiming things, Cowboy Carter, you know, like like hold the American flag, keeping that part of it is important. So I wouldn't cut it for that reason alone. Honestly, I'd probably Willie Nelson's great, but I'd probably cut all the interludes.

Cristian:

The interludes would be cut. I would also cut spaghetti. I would cut, honestly, from the Linda Martell Show, Keep You You, Louisiana, Desert Eagle, Riverdance. I would just go from 2 hands to heaven, tyrant, and then Amen and cut sweet Honeybuckin. Like, keep it to 20 out it's 19, 20 tracks maybe at most.

Sadiq:

Yeah. I agree. I I I just think that's it's a little bit too long. But overall, I think I'm coming, like, I'm I'm I'm positive on this album overall. I I I think overall, this is like a strong thematically, it's like a strong showing, for Beyonce and Adam, like, it's it's it's it's just gonna be that I'm thinking that they mentioned that this album was supposed to come first.

Sadiq:

I am just curious how we would have felt if we'd gotten this one first and then we got a renaissance. It's it's just weird. But, yeah, I'm I'm, like, enjoyed this album. I've been listening to it, you know, few tracks on on I mean,

Cristian:

I think it's the it's the right move though, right, to get Renaissance first piece? Imagine in current climate of today to have the House Mutt album come out. It would have just felt weird. Right? Like, it would have been a good album, but I think 2022, you know, not COVID's not over.

Cristian:

It's a real thing. But, you know, with more clubs and stuff opening up and then now in a, unfortunately, a presidential year, having Beyonce be like, no, I'm gonna reclaim my Americanness is a very interesting very interesting,

Sadiq:

That's yeah. That's a good that's timing wise. It's, it's very much yeah. That's it's it's it's it's a

Cristian:

So so here's the question though. What genre is act 3?

Sadiq:

Oh, boy. I I feel like she could, like, do an r and b album. In a I

Cristian:

don't think it's r and b. No. No. No. No.

Cristian:

You know what it's gonna be.

Sadiq:

What is it?

Cristian:

Hard rock, solo funk, or a mix of those.

Sadiq:

Oh, she's gonna do hard rock. That's

Cristian:

Or solar funk. Right? I like, all I'm saying is if you see Thundercat, you know, in the studio Beyonce, you know what you're getting for act 3.

Sadiq:

Yeah. That's yeah. I'm I'm whatever it is or whatever genre it is, I'm looking forward to it because so far to like, so far, she's been, like, innovating on these, like, genres. Like, she's taking these genres and she's, like, doing them, like, you know, justice. She's getting producers in.

Sadiq:

She's getting, features in. Like, that makes sense. And, like, she's like, these are feel like somebody who really cares about, like, these sort of sort of cares about these genres in a in a real way. And so it feels like like they're respectful, of the genres. And so it's I'm really curious, like, I'm I'm really curious what's gonna happen next.

Sadiq:

I'm sure it's gonna be in, like, 2 more years, so we gotta get, like, the next part of this trilogy. So

Cristian:

I think it's just, yeah. The the run Beyonce has been on since 2,013's. No. 2000 thirteen's Beyonce self titled album. It's been fucking wild.

Cristian:

There's normally you have huge artists, I'm just going for Taylor Swift. I don't care. You have people like Taylor Swift, right, where they still make good music, but I don't think every Taylor Swift album is genre defining in the way that Beyonce albums have been. Right? Beyonce albums are, like, pop music, yes, first, but they are also artistically interesting.

Cristian:

And that's something I really appreciate, especially now, you know, one day we'll probably have the podcast on. It says not the day, but, you know, everything Disney announces is fucking sequels. Right?

Sadiq:

In a

Cristian:

time where everything's a sequel, you at least have, like, Beyonce being, like, let's not read, you know, let's make new ideas, you know, take old ideas, sure, and have it influence what the new is, but this is still new music. Right? Like, it's not it's not a country album where it's just my tractor sexy and different, you know, musical styles. It's actual, like, artistic intent and creativity here and, yeah. No.

Cristian:

I like, shout out Beyonce for consistently putting in the work to artistically push things forward. Jay z should take, she take she take some influence from that and,

Sadiq:

I I feel like Jay z is just retired from music. I don't I don't I don't think he's, I don't think he's making, after after 4 44, 44, he's not he's not he's not it seems like he's not interested in, making any Well, we

Cristian:

I guess we Kendrick then. Because at least when Kendrick drops, he's also still trying that. Right? Where say whatever you want about mister morale. He's at least still trying to make something new and and, you know, artistically important.

Cristian:

Fuck J. Cole. But, yeah, this album is fantastic. Super excited for what comes next. And, Taylor Swift, what if you tried something like this?

Sadiq:

She could do country. I mean, she used she did country. She used to be a a

Cristian:

She could no. The thing is she's just a singer songwriter, like love songs, which is great, but she could Taylor Swift could do a narrative album. Right? Like a like, I've she has in her to do, like, really cool concept albums. She could go out there and do that.

Cristian:

And I would hope that as at some point making the same kinds of music gets kind of boring and she would try to artistically venture out into into other things.

Sadiq:

So let's let's talk about anime. We we promised this was gonna be coming, after after 2 weeks ago when we did our episode then. So the winter season, has wrapped up. Right? So we are in, like, we're in the way that we probably wrapped up.

Sadiq:

So what's what's the report from from, winter winter 2024? Yeah.

Cristian:

The report from anime land. Well, dial again from the land of anime. This is I'm not gonna finish. It would be very problematic. But okay.

Cristian:

So let me just press by saying ideally we'd also have the spring 2024 pickup, but not every episode first episode is aired. It's usually, like, a month, right, where this is over from the winter to spring for the new season. So I want every episode to air, so I have at least have a chance to watch 1 and then give everyone thoughts on it. Right? So I just could do the wrap up.

Cristian:

So I have 2 lists here. We have dropped and kept. And as of most things, most shows get dropped. You know? Like, this is this is just for anything in life, even our own podcast.

Cristian:

If you don't like it, don't feel obligated to consume it. Right? If the YouTube video is boring, you know, if you're 10 minutes into a Gamers Nexus video on some GPU and you're like, why do I don't even give a fuck about these charts. Exit out the video. It's you know, you can't and I'm I'm happy about being serious because, like, I feel like sometimes it's, especially nowadays where everyone's always talking about how much money they make or how shit, you know, payouts are.

Cristian:

I feel like there's like a personal responsibility you sometimes feel or maybe it's only me where like you're watching them like shit, I need to finish this because I know the creator you know, is just one guy running this. But you actually don't, you know. How you spend your time is like the factors that make that person need to like push so hard for content is not something you take upon yourself. Right? That's more of like a societal thing, right?

Cristian:

Where one day if we had UBI, you know, all that stuff on social safety nets, those are the fixes, those problems, and not just you watching YouTube videos you don't like so you can, you know, make sure that person gets to pay out from YouTube premium money. Like, it's really not how that works. And that's how I feel about anime. It's a show shit. I'm gonna drop it because I do not live in Japan, and I do not have any influence on how anime creators are paid.

Cristian:

They should get paid more. I would pay more for Kanshyo if they were paid more, but those are factors that are really up to the Japanese market. It's not anything us in the west can do much about. So the shows that are dropped, there's a lot in here. Honestly, I'm just gonna go over the ones that I think dropped for problematic reasons.

Cristian:

Saskia and Peeps, why was it dropped? Weird underage relationship vibes.

Sadiq:

Of course.

Cristian:

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Hokay do cows are super adorable.

Cristian:

Why was that dropped? Boring romance? Like, it just wasn't well written. You know, it it was wack. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, that one was dropped.

Cristian:

I need to pick it up. That one was just like a I didn't have time. I'm sure if I finished it, it would be like a good beer b b tier anime. But like I said, I don't, you know, you don't need to watch beer b tier shows. Classroom of the Elite, this is season 3, if you remember what we're talking about.

Cristian:

Why did I drop this one? The the writers has, weird views about, alpha men, and it kind of it became really apparent in this season.

Sadiq:

Oh, okay. He's doing the red pill shit? Is is that is that okay.

Cristian:

Yeah. Yeah. Like, the main character got a lot red pilled.

Sadiq:

Yikes.

Cristian:

It was less bad in the light novel.

Sadiq:

Mhmm. Mhmm. Well well, unfortunate.

Cristian:

So we yes. We got dropped here. The the, let me see. Torture or Time For Torture Princess, that shows as wack. Doctor Elise got dropped because the last 4 episodes were anime original, and the writing took a nosedive into the ground.

Cristian:

It was very, very not good. Fluffy Paradise. This is a show about the girl gets reincarnated as someone who can just pet animals.

Sadiq:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. What well, why did this get dropped? What what happened to this one?

Cristian:

They kept trying to introduce, like, very weird other world politics into a show about a child that wants to pet animals, and it did not work out. It was

Sadiq:

That's interesting. Okay. That's that

Cristian:

She somehow got, like, intertwined in, the politics of, you know, humans trying to kill beast people.

Sadiq:

I feel like the show didn't need to, like, I don't oh, yeah. Yeah. That's

Cristian:

Yeah. Yeah. It really didn't need that, and The Weakest Tambor began to join to pick up trash. This one got dropped. I don't wanna ever call it show boring, but it was just kinda boring.

Cristian:

Sometimes any when you do boring shows, you could do a boring show, you know, like, cute people doing things is a genre, but this one just the pacing was weird. I feel like this this is probably a show that reads a lot better than it watches. You know what I mean? Like the books probably be a lot more interesting, because you can power through the books as fast as you're able to read. Right?

Cristian:

So, yeah, a lot of drop shows, but that's normal, you know. The oh, also what the strongest lang the strongest tanks, labyrinth raids, a tank of a rare or 999 resistance. So I kicked out the hero's party. That's fine. I can't even say the fucking name.

Cristian:

Yeah. Save your complex where he gets a slave girl for a kind of person that's outlawed and that slave girl is, like, a young person, of course, because of course. And it's creepy creepy creepy creepy creepy creepy. Sorry to anyone who thinks that because it's like cartoon stuff. It's okay.

Cristian:

It's not. It just it is really not. But shows that kept the positive side, a sign of affection, the romance show with the death girl is as sweet as sweet as you thought. Watch the show. Please watch it.

Cristian:

It's, like, 12 episodes.

Sadiq:

Okay. Yeah. Okay. So I I I don't know. Like, I've only watched, like, the first episode, 2 episodes of, like, solo leveling, I think, or or or but I haven't watched, like, any any other one.

Sadiq:

So I'm just, like, I don't the thing is I just wanted to wanna try it, like, and I feel like I'm wasting my time. So now

Cristian:

You will not be wasting your time with the with the deaf girl romance.

Sadiq:

Okay. You will. Okay. This okay. Good.

Sadiq:

Alright.

Cristian:

But to be clear, I'm not gonna this is a partial spoiler, but it's not really a big spoiler. They don't it does not it does not take 12 episodes for them to get together. So you're not being baited the whole season.

Sadiq:

Alright. That's good. That's good.

Cristian:

There's actual episodes of them dating and all that. So, okay. Watch mister Villains Day Off. When I say watch mister Villains Day Off, the show is called mister Villains Day Off. I can read URLs.

Cristian:

I know how to use computers. But, yes, mister Villains Day Off is, it was just a fun silly watch about, you know, he's trying to take over the world, but in his free time he just wants to go watch pandas at the zoo. It is as in-depth or thoughtful as you think it is or say it's not, but you know what? It's a great palate cleanser and I did not regret any of it. This is the dungeon.

Cristian:

I believe it's coming back for season 2. This is one about making food in a dungeon. It's great. This is a great popcorn watch. The undead, unwanted adventurer.

Cristian:

This one had the right balance of it's not it's a b plus tier show. You know what I mean? It's not an a tier show, but the story is well written enough. The main character is likable enough and a nice enough of a person that you just wanna see him succeed and that really drives the plot. I think the main character drives the show.

Cristian:

You know, if it was a different main character, even with the narrative the way it was or the story it was, it would not have worked. So not no fool, not gonna be like a top ten one, but I do not regret my time with it. The foolish angel dances the devil. Now this one though, this one is a comedy show. Right?

Cristian:

It was like, oh, he's a devil. She's an angel. He she, you know, forces him to work for him. Right? It started as a gag show, but then it just turned to a really fucking sweet romance show.

Cristian:

It it actually, like they they did the the the swerve very well. By the end of it, I was enjoying all the episodes. 7th time loop, the villainess enjoys a carefree life married to her worst enemy. That one also was done very well. They they mixed, like, the the world's politics with the whole villainous isekai narrative.

Cristian:

I don't wanna spoil it, but honestly, like, it was a very thoughtful way of, you know, if I knew what the future was, how should I prevent that from happening again? You know, and you used skills learned in the past life and it was a very cutesy romance story, so I did not, regret my time with it. Soul leveling, this is Crunchyroll's big, shonen, I guess, push.

Sadiq:

Yeah. This was the one I watched a few episode couple episodes of.

Cristian:

Yeah. It's a battle anime, you know. It it's sometimes you need to watch a good fight, you know. And it's gonna I think they renewed it for, like, 5 seasons.

Sadiq:

Oh, shit. So this

Cristian:

is gonna be here for a while because it's one

Sadiq:

of the

Cristian:

most popular shows on Crunchyroll right now.

Sadiq:

Interesting. Okay.

Cristian:

And then they were they funded the first season too. So, yeah, it's it's gonna be around for a while.

Sadiq:

So this is based on a Korean, like, manhwa. Right? Like, it's,

Cristian:

Yep. Yep. That's already been finished. It's probably a shorter one. So it's like they're probably gonna adapt the whole thing in anime.

Cristian:

But shout out once again, I think 7th time loop was also a manhwa or would have been Elise. I think it was doctor Elise, but, one of those 2 is a manhwa as well. And the last one, bottom tier character Tomozaki, season 2. Surprisingly good. I thought it would have been cringey.

Cristian:

But Mhmm.

Sadiq:

Wait. Is this the one where he's, like, a gamer and he doesn't understand? Okay.

Cristian:

Yeah. He yells about, like, Smash Brothers comparing it to life in that one cringey clip I sent you a few years back. This season involved romance and also a lot of, like, thoughtful self reflection you don't see in a show. So his thing is the main character's thing is he's always like braiding himself. Right?

Cristian:

Like self depreciating jokes. And there's a whole episode where like all the guys in his friend group just call him out on a shit. And it's like, man, you understand, like, that we're here for you, but, like, you you need to stop that shit. And they explained why being consistently self depreciating, it's, like, bad for him. They're like, I mean, it doesn't affect us, but here are the ways that it's going to affect you.

Cristian:

And it I think it's really thoughtful for a brand way to take that perspective because you normally don't get that in these stories. You know? I think a lot of it like leans into that I stay inside, I play games all day kind of narrative and this one actively combats that by saying like, you know, you wanted to improve yourself is great, but you also have to stop hiding behind the bullshit you put up about yourself as well. It's not just how you're talking to other people. It's also how you see yourself.

Cristian:

So yeah. No. I actually very much enjoyed the 2nd season of this, and I would probably watch a 3rd season assuming the writing keeps it up the way it did, and I did not know I did not. I honestly thought this would be a meme and I would drop that thing. It's even what I said in the, in the pickup, but, I did not regret my time with it.

Cristian:

I I don't know what to tell if someone wants to watch it because it is kind of cringey sometimes, but it's like wholesome of its cringiness. So, yeah, that's the anime wrap up. Dropped over half the shows, kept under half of them, seems about right. A new season coming. Spice and Wolf's getting a season 2 that's That's gonna start airing, I think, this week or next week, because the first episode already came off.

Sadiq:

Wait. Hold up. Oh, hold up. Wait. Well, what?

Sadiq:

Spice and Wolf, like, adamant from, like, 10 years ago? Like

Cristian:

Yes. It's getting I told you this. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Cristian:

Let me see. Has it already started airing? Let me see. Spice and Wolf. There's also a Crilly cringy show.

Cristian:

So apparently, I've been told the American title of it makes it worse than it seems, but it's my wife got reincarnated as a 10 year old. Uh-huh. I've been told. Apparently, the title makes it sound a lot worse than it actually is.

Sadiq:

I, I don't know. That could go very wrong. I I feel like the

Cristian:

I'm looking at some titles right now. I'm just gonna read titles to you. So here's the other one. Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included.

Sadiq:

Okay. Yep. Yes.

Cristian:

Oh, also watch Freerind. I mean, it's not here, but I'm just gonna keep saying it. You should watch Freerind. Yeah. I don't know if Spice and Wolf has started airing yet, but, Yeah.

Cristian:

There's a new Spice and Wolf season happening. There's a lot of stuff going on right now. So I'm I'm here for it. You know, I always love a new season. And yeah.

Cristian:

Oh, wait. Where's Villainess 90 level 99?

Sadiq:

No. You did not put it. No. You did not put it.

Cristian:

Did I not include this show? Oh, this is a show I started watching afterwards. Okay. So I'm actually gonna add this here because this is a show that started airing after enemy pickup, which is actually why I decided to wait for this new one. So here we go.

Cristian:

We got villainess level 99. I may not be the hidden or I may be the hidden boss while I'm not the demon lord, which is basically this girl gets reincarnated in the world of a dating sim. This is also another, the main characters are so lovable, that it's very fun to watch, but the narrative's not that deep. But yeah. No.

Cristian:

I just I'm gonna add it to there. It's a good, like, weekend watch if someone wants to binge through it. So

Sadiq:

we got a good I I the the only the only one I kinda wanna watch is the A Sign of Affection, but, like, may maybe maybe, like, Soul Leveling. We'll see. Now that they're finished, I can't I just cannot, like, I can't I just can't do the thing where I watch shows week to week. I just forget, and I did I just, like, don't watch it, and then I'm like, oh, good. I should I have to wait till the end of the season to actually catch up.

Sadiq:

So that's that's that's how it goes. So it's better when shows have, like, a full season or 2 before I get into them, for me at least. So let's talk about Phil Spencer, because he's talking a lot. The press has been, for some reason, like, he's just

Cristian:

If you could, this this this site this, section is titled, why does Phil Spencer keep opening his Yeah.

Sadiq:

Why? Exactly. Why does why does he keep, being in the news? So there are a few few items here. The first one is that Phil Phil Spencer wants, Epic Game Store, and other other game stores on Xbox consoles.

Sadiq:

And this doesn't surprise me really at this point. Right? Like, I think this is not really surprising. I think Microsoft is just moving towards being like a platform where they sell you services. Like, they they're not trying to, like, they didn't they're like, hey, all of you come over here.

Sadiq:

We'll just take a little bit little bit off the top here, and that's it. Like, we're we're gonna provide this platform. We're gonna have this hardware, and we you you can just put all your services on it, and we'll, you know, we'll make money off of that. Like, that's, like, that's the play there. They're they're playing, like, a platform role, like, wider platform role rather than, like, playing, like, the exclusives sort of market.

Sadiq:

So the old style of having exclusives. I well, like, what do you like, is this gonna happen? Like, I don't I don't know if this is gonna happen because, mister what's what's his name? Tim Sweeney. Like, the Epic Games is, like, always been, like like, their their party line basically is at this point is, like, we don't wanna pay anybody a cut.

Sadiq:

Like, we just, like, we just wanna sell games. We wanna sell our game, and we don't wanna pay anybody a cut. And that's, that seems to be the thing, and I don't know if this is this is enough for Epic Games to consider putting, like, the store on on on the console, but we'll we'll see.

Cristian:

No. I think it I I think it it'll it'll happen for a few reasons. First being, it's very much apparent that subsidizing consoles and trying to make it up in service sales is not working. Right? Sony's reporting dropped revenues.

Cristian:

Microsoft's reporting dropped revenues. And guess who isn't? Nintendo. And why does Nintendo not have, like, huge profit losses? Because they sell shit for a profit.

Sadiq:

Yeah. And they never discount their games, which it doesn't it's it's not to be like like not to be something you forgot about because there's a lot of players, like, you you could get games, like, cheap, but, like, Nintendo games, like, you know, the only way you're getting it for cheap is if you buy, like, a used copy of of a game, but they never go on sale, the e shop. So you're you're gonna you're gonna have to pay full price. It it like like Super Mario Brothers or whatever, like, you you pay full price with that right now. Like, you you're not.

Sadiq:

It's it's it's not gonna be cheap. So that's another thing.

Cristian:

Right. But what I'm saying here is, so what I imagine for the next generation, to be frank, is imagine Microsoft's going to keep making consoles. I do I do not believe in any capacity that they're going to stop making hardware in the same way that I don't believe service will ever stop being made. Right? The and and I think the reason behind for Xbox and for Surface, like, those who never going away is right now, you know, whatever you feel about AI.

Cristian:

Right? You know for a fact, like, Microsoft senior leadership is, like, fuck. We should we should have had a phone right now. You know, like, you know for a fact that they're regretting the fact that you do not own a phone platform. So for that reason alone of, you know, maybe today Xbox is losing, but you never know in the future, and it's not much more expensive to run Surface as a business, right, you know, or Xbox as a business.

Cristian:

I do not foresee those ever being, like, drops. But but I do think what's going to happen is we're gonna start increasing the prices on hardware, and then they're gonna start opening up the stores and then just push Game Pass. Because I think at that point, it's kind of win win win. You know? You won't sell less consoles, but if you increase the prices, you'll start making money on them.

Cristian:

Still have Game Pass people because Game Pass is a different model than the stores. Right? And you still have the Xbox store if you want to take the 30% cut, but if you want to get people to buy your hardware, which you're still making a profit off of, you can just say, Hey, Valve, you want to put Steam on the Xbox? Go for it. Or Epic, you wanna put Epic Games on the Xbox?

Cristian:

Go for it. And that'll attract people to buy the hardware without being sold out of at a profit. I I just I don't foresee subsidized consoles happening anymore from Sony or Microsoft. I don't think it's gonna happen for either. And

Sadiq:

Right. Yeah. I think this is the last generation of them.

Cristian:

And I also think that I don't I we're kinda wish crafting, but it really seems like it really seems like they're at least taking seriously expanding out Xbox just to be like a an OS or a certification, right, versus, like, an actual box. And I mean by that is because I think some some gamers online when the when the news drops are kinda like, well, why would I have an Xbox that sort of game stores on it? I would just buy a PC, which I say to that, Sadik, if somebody owns a PC Yeah. Tell me this, how much of a pain in the ass would it be to just hook it up to your TV and play off a controller exclusively?

Sadiq:

A a big pain in the ass. It's it's very heavy. I need to move it to the t to the living room, but also

Cristian:

Also, Windows is not working controller.

Sadiq:

No. Yeah. It doesn't yeah. That's it's not a good time, but, like, I I still think, this comes up a lot in in conversations I've had with people on Mastodon and elsewhere, and I've on heard it on podcast is this console still have that sort of, living room, aspect to it. Like, you could just like put the box under your TV, connect it to your TV, and you're good to go.

Sadiq:

Right? Like you don't, you don't have to worry about it. Like that shit still. And the UI is made for when we use the controller. Right?

Sadiq:

And all that. And a PC is just not gonna like, yeah, you could connect a PC to your, TV. Sure. But it's not gonna just not and like it's it's it's it's it's a little j and k. It's just not as as smooth of an experience.

Sadiq:

It's like, you know, yeah, you can use like steam big picture mode or something like that, but it's a little it's tough.

Cristian:

Also, Xbox OS is built for, like, weird audio video setups on TVs, whereas, let's say, you hook up a soundbar to your PC. How do you get that routed in a way that works nicely? Right? Like how do you get ER going on a PC? I don't even think Windows has really great support for that.

Cristian:

So what I think there's a market for, like, even if it's a PC, for computers that plug in nicely to a TV. That exists. Like, we street people buy Chromecast and stuff for a reason. So I don't think that's an issue of, you know, oh, why not you get a PC? If you're the kind of person who has consoles at your desk, buy a PC.

Cristian:

Guess. If you if you sit at your desk and use your Xbox or PS 5 with a monitor, you'd probably better serve with a PC. Put a plug computer to it. But for the people who, plug it into the TV, you know, having an Omar open market where, let's say, Xbox's certification where it's just, you know, minimum spec, you need this right, matches with the Xbox Series S or Series X that shows a horsepower. And then Asus, whoever, HP can make their own boxes.

Cristian:

I don't see how that's a bad thing. I really don't see how that's a bad thing, and I and I think gamers who are like, well that means, you know, that my camp isn't special or that, you know, it's like why why do I need an Xbox? It's like, yeah, brand loyalty sucks, like you don't. If you're better served by your PC and the games are on it, go buy a PC. Buy the hardware that works best for you, you know.

Cristian:

Stop trying to play Overwatch on the fucking Switch if you have it hooked up to a monitor, you weirdo, and just play it on a computer.

Sadiq:

Oh, alright. So I know speaking of, speaking of, like, Xboxes, there's also by a professor Spencer.

Cristian:

Speaking about handhelds would have been a segue. I just wanna let you know that.

Sadiq:

That's true. True. Speaking of handhelds,

Cristian:

That suck at playing Overwatch.

Sadiq:

Phil Spencer's out here just saying shit about, like, a handheld Xbox, and about how how he can't stop thinking about it. And I'm like, like, what does that mean? Like, like, when when a when a when a executive says something like this in the press, like, what does that even, like, actually mean? Really? And I I don't I don't know what to make of this.

Sadiq:

And obviously, yes. I like yeah. Microsoft is going to be thinking about, making a handheld because the handle market is, like, just over the last couple years, it's just blown up. It's just getting bigger. The introduction of the Steam Deck has sort of revitalized this this sort of this sex this segment of, like, gaming hardware.

Sadiq:

So there's so much

Cristian:

Also, really good power efficient APUs, right, from AMD. I know it's also as well has been helping.

Sadiq:

Yeah. In m AMD is the AMD is the one, like, winning in this right now because AMD is just selling all these fucking tough CPUs.

Cristian:

And video doesn't have a part for it. You can't put a mobile g you could, but it the power draw is too high. Right? Like, they they go 60 watts alone for it. So you need an APU for, for a handheld device.

Sadiq:

And these all of these have, like, AB AB Chips in them, ABAPUs in them. And so they're these and I could I could see this. I could see in handheld, okay. Now my question is, do you think it's going to be like this the PlayStation portal or whatever it's called? Or is this gonna be, like, an actual, like, actual console with, like, its own CPU?

Sadiq:

Like, it's not just streaming off off of x cloud or whatever? Like, is that is that, like, like, what's

Cristian:

No. I think they're gonna I think they're gonna try and get AMD. It I think the reason Phil is saying he really is streaming about it is I don't think there's a a, a downscale APU that can cover what the Series S covers. Because if they're going to do it right, it would it would have to be the Series S package. You know, spec for spec with the series s's, but in an APU that can run on a battery.

Cristian:

And I think that's the reason why they're kind of talking about it, but they're not committing to it or announcing anything even just because I'm unsure if that part exists. But in a few years, it's totally possible. Right? Because that's, like, what, 8 gigs of RAM. It's like a 8 gigabyte, you know, GPU and it's based like a 66 100 ish part.

Cristian:

So in a generation or 2, I'm pretty sure you could probably fit that into an APU and have a pretty good experience, especially since most series s games run at 10 EP, 7 20 p, which, you know, looks kind of blurry on the TV for sure, but on a, you know, 7 20 p portable OLED or 10 ep OLED, that's not a problem.

Sadiq:

That's fine. Yeah. That's that's the that's the thing. It I think we're still a little bit far away from this actively happening, but but considering, like, the the market, if it continues, like, with, you know, the Asus ROG, LI, the the Lenovo Legion Go, and, maybe we get a a next generation of Steam Deck without without sure about that. But, like, I I think

Cristian:

It just makes sense. Right? Like, I I think be you, anyone, you know, we all have our different thoughts and, like, what the gaming could be like, but I feel like, you know, I've I've used ROG ally. You just play it, and you're, like, I could see the downsides to this, but, like, I can see how I've said it before, you know. I would buy an Xbox handheld and probably make that my primary gaming thing just because, you know, I don't, you know, I don't have, like, a gaming setup right now where I have, like, a dedicated gaming area, you know.

Cristian:

It would just I would be okay with that. Go anywhere and take it with me, like, it just it just makes sense. But, I think there's just a little bit of a a part push there that's just that parts aren't ready for it. But and I also it's why I talk about multiple game stores and stuff because if you're Phil Spencer, you're like, if we're gonna make an Xbox handheld and AMD and our partners or Asus are all making these Windows ones, these need to be the same SKU. Right?

Cristian:

Like, it can't we can't have the Xbox team and someone else on the Windows team also be trying to build the same thing. Right?

Sadiq:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

Cristian:

Phil Spencer, I think, is actually smart here, because he's indirectly saying we can't go Google Messaging with this shit.

Sadiq:

Yeah. Cool. Yeah. No. No.

Sadiq:

Yeah. That's, that's a that's not a good strategy. And and also this is the funny thing about this this particular little bit of, Phil Spencer talking to the press is that he was he said that I want my Lenovo Legion Go to feel like an Xbox, which, which he said at, at that interview in in GDC. And and he's like, he the the funny example he provided is that, he he he's he's going crazy that Fallout 76 doesn't have cross save. And I'm just sitting here, like, you know, Steve mentioned this other game as next video as well.

Sadiq:

It's like, you know, I feel like you could make that happen. Maybe. Like, you know, maybe you could just, like, call somebody over at, at Bethesda and have them, like, have a team, like, make, Fallout 76 cross save? Maybe. I I I don't see it's like, you know, that kind of thing.

Cristian:

But that's a good thing, though. I mean, it's funny. Yes. But let if there's one thing that I've learned, when executives are personally inconvenienced and it also aligns with shit that we are inconvenienced about, we all win.

Sadiq:

Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. We will that's true. Like, if if if if it if this means that everything is cross save, yeah, hell yeah.

Sadiq:

Like, cross save is just a straight up just a good thing. Like, it's it's a 100% upside. There's no downside with, like, it's it's it's just straight up good. So yeah. And he's also talking about the stuff like he I talk about, like, the dashboard, right, the the Xbox UI and all that.

Sadiq:

Like, he wants, the social stuff. Like, he he's he's talking a lot of the social stuff, but I don't know how much I care about that. But, like, he seems to think it's really important to have, like, the Xbox social stuff be part of it, which

Cristian:

Well, I think it works for for teens. Right? You know, maybe you're like, are people really into Xbox? Because from our perspective, we use Signobee's other chat apps. But when I was younger, right, like, I didn't have I mean, this is before Discord is a thing, but, like, we had IRC and stuff.

Cristian:

Like, Xbox parties were a thing people use and that people probably still use it because it's built into the system. And it so what I think is gonna happen here is I think this is gonna be a special SKU of Windows for these handhelds that is maybe a desktop mode, but just more of an Xbox dashboard interface. Honestly, for this, for these devices specifically, I think the Windows 8 style thing where the desktop's just an app makes sense Because unless you're hooking up to a monitor, I do not know anyone, and I know some of you sickos are out there, but no one's writing code on the ROG ally. It's great that you can. Right?

Sadiq:

Yeah. I probably can. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.

Sadiq:

Yeah.

Cristian:

Meanwhile, though, in Europe, it's very funny. There's a report from Kotaku about the during GDC, a lot of developers, like, why should we keep supporting Xbox? And I have a different take on this maybe than the doomer take, which is you shouldn't. Xbox and PC should be the same fucking platform at this point. I think, like, you should just be able to, like, build a a PC build.

Cristian:

The SDK should be similar enough that you can, just build one SKU and then, you know, Xbox can just be a performance preset. Like, that's really what it should be at this point.

Sadiq:

Yeah. I I there's increasingly, it's not it's it's building for Windows, really. It's it's just you just you just make a Windows build, and then sort of goes over to Xbox, and then it runs like, you have the performance reset. Yeah. It's just I I I think this is just, like, I this this press sort of, like, what is happening?

Sadiq:

Like, what what what why is like, go back to the question of this segment. Is that why is Phil Spencer on some sort of press circuit, like, right now? Like, what's what's going on? Like, it's a

Cristian:

I would call this a vision trip. A vision trip. Just to be honest. Yeah. Phil Spencer's vision trip.

Sadiq:

God. So there we have, like, a little bit of actual more more serious news. This was more more concrete, I suppose. The, Windows Central apparently had an exclusive on this, which great for Windows Central, I guess. Xbox, president, Sarah Bond, set up a new team dedicated to game preservation and forward compatibility.

Sadiq:

I suppose this is sort of a continuation of, like, what we what was happening with the sort of Xbox, original Xbox game, or Xbox 360 games on, like, Xbox series consoles. Right? Is that is that's like is that what is going on? Like, is this like just like

Cristian:

Right. So basically make sure that, backwards can pat expand its rights to more backwards compatibility, titles could get added. I hopefully, you know, like the actors and Blizzard stuff, and also make sure that, you know, future generations can run current Xbox games that are supported. And I think what's important about us, especially in context, why I feel Spencer key opening his mouth is, I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of game consoles just being computers, but they've always just been computers. And Microsoft is openly speaking about that fact, And given they're losing, it they're they're kind of in a we can just try whatever right now and I think it doesn't matter, because even if they were fully committed, are people gonna sell their PS fives for Xbox?

Cristian:

No. So, I mean, I think we've memed about it before, but the DMA is gonna come from game consoles eventually. Right? There I do not see why Europe would not eventually force Nintendo and Sony to be to open up their systems, because they are just computers, especially Nintendo who sells it for a profit. So I think this is partially just seeing where the where the world's going and also realizing that turning this into a service, turning it into a platform for other people to sell games on, in the long term is going to net you more lasting impact.

Cristian:

Because if you look at Windows, like Windows is the example of this, right? Windows, Linux, and macOS has stood the test of time because anyone can sell software on it. Right? You do not have to go through 1 vendor or 1, you know, 1 store. Whereas mobile is relatively new.

Cristian:

You know, we have 40 years of desktop computers showing that openness for selling software and letting people just build business off as it always wins. And for the 10 years been at mobile where it's trying where people have been trying to close it down, governments are saying, no, you need to open it up like desktop computers. So I think if I'm someone, you know, running a video game platform right now, I'm kind of thinking, well, I think we need to architect ourselves to be a services platform, you know, company and and not like a whole end to end, you know, business from selling games to making the hardware.

Sadiq:

Yeah. You're not doing the full for you're not trying to do the Apple vertical integration thing. Right? Like, it just it just like, it's not favorable. People don't regulators don't like it.

Sadiq:

The regulators are increasingly hostile to it. Just just get out of it wait while you can. Like, just get out of the market, build stuff that's, like, more more open in the sense that it's it allows people to sell their shit without without too much restriction, you know. You you could still you could still make money off that. And and the thing is long term, I think, we make more money off that if more and more people just use your platforms.

Sadiq:

Right? Like, I think it's that's it's just the setup. It's it's it's

Cristian:

yeah. Especially when I don't think anyone knows where the market's heading. Can I think me or you could say, like, is is gaming PC sustainable? Probably not. I don't know right now.

Cristian:

Like the amount of this layoffs we're having right now, I think just taking like an actual look at things. Like I don't know what's what's the next step. Does everyone just start getting VR headsets and, you know, VR becomes the next big thing? No. Is it mobile?

Cristian:

Is it

Sadiq:

No. No. VR is never okay. This is this is my hot take. This is my hot take.

Sadiq:

VR is never gonna become mainstream unless we solve the big problem with VR, which is the human body. Unless we unless we can figure out how to, like, augment our internal organs to be able

Cristian:

That's a nuisance. Sense. I get what I'm saying. Yeah. No.

Cristian:

I get you.

Sadiq:

You know what I mean? Right? Like, a human human bodies are not compatible with virtual reality. It's just not. Like, it's a no matter

Cristian:

But but the reason I bring this up though, the reason I bring it up is that I think none of us could really say where this year is gonna end at. Right? And I think if you're running a gaming platform, the smartest idea is, well, we should just be wherever it's at. Let's look at Office as the example. Right?

Cristian:

You can get Office on basically fucking anything, including Chromebooks, and that has resulted in people not leaving Office and also competitive pressure because Microsoft decided to kill Slack. That's a whole other different podcast. But outside of that but, like, I think it's been a net beneficial thing that you can get Microsoft Excel or off or Word on it on a fucking toaster up to, like, you know, a $10,000 gaming PC. And I don't disagree with that being, like, the wrong take to just let things be cross platform.

Sadiq:

Yeah. Better it's actually just better for everyone to to have that sort of, you know

Cristian:

Like, why is having Steam on your Xbox a bad thing? I just need to go back to that. People are actually here saying that having Steam on Xbox is a bad thing. Why why do you need to rebuy games? You know, like like for your side, like, what if you could just buy a cheap Xbox to put in your living room?

Sadiq:

So you

Cristian:

let's say you want to relax and not be at your desk, and you wanted to play games you already own. Spending $200 for a series s, even it's lower fidelity, just you can unwind, play like a little, you know, side scrolling game or something that will run at 60 FPS. There's nothing wrong with that. That should be something you should be able to do.

Sadiq:

Yeah. Exactly. And there's no there's no technical reason that Steve can't run on on on a on a console. It's just all yeah. It's just all of this stuff is just, like, arbitrarily, like, weird gates, gatekeeping happening.

Sadiq:

So it's just, like, open that shit up. You know, why not? Let's let's let's let's let's get that. So let's wrap up. It's been a good good episode.

Sadiq:

I think a lot of we we got anime. We got music. We got video game.

Cristian:

The three things on our bingo card, anime, Beyonce, and Phil Spencer.

Sadiq:

Alright. This has been episode 6, Voxels. You can find the show notes, Voxels dot f m. You can you can send us, emails. What is it?

Sadiq:

What is the address? Feedback?

Cristian:

Feedback at voxels.fm.

Sadiq:

Yep. Feedback at voxels.fms. Send us send us emails. You can find me on on, on the Fativerse at packetcat@10forward.social and on my website, salixave.com. Christian, where do people people find you on the Internet?

Cristian:

Yep. You can find me, posting hot takes online at the lowfi carrots at mscn.plus. You can go to my website, just find out website, and, yeah, until next time, Transphobia has no place in hip hop. Go home and play or watch Susumae.

Sadiq:

Yeah. Watch Susumae. Goodbye. Bye.