Unlocking Gaming's Hidden Franchises

Ben, Matt, and Steve party up for a three-person podcast about a three-player game! First, they discuss what the cancellation of Electronic Arts' Black Panther project portends for the future of superhero games and Triple-A licensed games. Then they have a spoiler-free discussion of FromSoftware's fascinating 'Elden Ring' spinoff experiment, 'Nightreign,' focusing on its difficulty, its genre-spanning appeal, and its technological drawbacks. After that, they react to the news that Alex Garland is writing and directing an A24-produced 'Elden Ring' movie and try to figure out what the adaptation could look like, before honoring 'Mission: Impossible' by identifying other major media properties that historically have been the most underserved by video games.

Intro (0:00)
Black Panther + Game Cancellations  (2:40)
Reactions to 'Elden Ring Nightreign' (11:13)

'Elden Ring' Movie Predictions
Most Underserved Franchises in Video Games (56:46)
Outro (1:16:48)

Host: Ben Lindbergh
Guests: Steve Ahlman and Matt James
Producer: Devon Renaldo
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal

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