Video Games 2 the MAX - podcast cover

Video Games 2 the MAX

Sean Garmerw2mnet.com
Video Games 2 the MAX features a longtime veteran of Games Journalism, Sean Garmer along with either semi-regular co-host and long-time video game reviewer, Marc Morrison or even a guest co-host to discuss everything involving Video Games each week.

This includes the games they are playing or reviewing, all the big news of the week in gaming, a special topic, and even some Movies or TV Show topics at times as well. All from the viewpoint of gaming content creators, gaming journalists, and gaming consumers too. 

The podcast also appears in video form on the W2M Network Youtube channel: (https://www.youtube.com/@W2MNetwork/). Be sure to check out https://w2mnet.com/ for posts about each podcast and more.

You can check out Sean's writing over at: https://www.theouterhaven.net/ 

You can check out Sean's reviews over at: https://opencritic.com/critic/8257/sean-garmer

You can also check out all of Marc's reviews over at: https://411mania.com/games

You can also follow each of the guys individually on Twitter or Bluesky @W2MSean, @humanityplague, or the entire network @W2MNetwork.
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Episodes

Mina the Hollower Demo Impressions, Are Guitar Rhythm Games Returning?

Well, it was an interesting week for gaming with Nintendo unveiling their latest Indie World and the prize of that showcase was assuredly Mina the Hollower, and the best part was that a demo was availabe immediately, so Sean gave the game a whirl and he's defintely excited for October 31 to get here quickly. Also, Sony has fantastic PS5 sales, essentially putting them right in line with PS4 numbers, while their CFO makes some interesting statements regarding live service games and a "movement aw...

Aug 12, 20251 hr 16 min

What's the Big Deal About Game Key Cards # 455

The beginning of a new month brings with it a sense of excitement about what lies ahead, while also putting the previous month's issues in the rear view. However, for Nintendo, there's one thing that seemingly will not go away, and that's the controversy regarding Game Key Cards. Physical game collectors like Marc are not happy about the half-measure that allows third-party publishers to save money, while somewhat providing a physical version of the game. Sean wonders if it really is as big a de...

Aug 05, 20252 hr 1 min

Is Sony Going True Multiplatform? Xbox Reverses its $80 Games Push # 454

In a week full of news, there are standouts from each of the big three. A job listing includes Sony, multiplatform, and both Xbox and Nintendo? What's this all about, and does it really mean Sony is going to join Microsoft in bringing more of its games to more places? Or is this really just an extension of the live service initiative? Sean and Marc discuss the possibilities and do PlayStation fans need to get ready for the console wars to truly be meaningless? On the Xbox side of things, a major...

Jul 29, 20251 hr 59 min

Donkey Kong Bananza Impressions, Zelda Movie Has its Leads # 453

It's safe to say that Sean has gone Bananas for Donkey Kong Bananza as he has impressions of the first weekend with the game. How fun is all the destruction? Do the transformations make it even better? And does it deserve the Game of the Year hype it is already getting? There are plenty of other things, mainly from the Xbox and Ubisoft side. Xbox adds games and features, along with perhaps even greenlighting Fallout 5 already? But did it come at a high cost? Sean and Marc discuss. Ubisoft also f...

Jul 22, 20251 hr 55 min

Multiple Fallout Games in Development, Ghost of Yotei Hype # 452

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

Jul 15, 20251 hr 21 min

Major Xbox Layoffs, Perfect Dark & Everwild Canceled # 451

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

Jul 08, 20252 hr 1 min

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

We are officially at the halfway point of 2025, so of course, this means we need to take a look at the year so far and discuss our Best Games of 2025 So Far, with Sean, Marc, and Randy Isbelle coming back on for this episode. Perhaps the biggest reason for having Randy on this week is that the sequel to one of his favorite games, Death Stranding 2, has been released, and Randy gives the lowdown on what's new and if it is even better than the first game. Is this Hideo Kojima's new masterpiece? Al...

Jul 01, 20251 hr 57 min

Sony Interested in Acquiring Warner Bros Games & IP, Xbox is Still Making Consoles # 449

In one of the more jam-packed weeks of news in recent memory, between PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, there is a lot for Sean and Marc to get through in this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX. This includes Sony reportedly being interested in acquiring not only HBO Max and the major Warner Bros IP, such as DC, Harry Potter, but also the gaming assets like Mortal Kombat, the Batman games, and much more. Could this finally give Sony its chance to have an even greater influence in so many industrie...

Jun 24, 20251 hr 50 min

Does PlayStation Have the Best Next-Gen Strategy? # 448

In a week where neither Sean nor Marc has a lot going on the gaming front, they look towards the current to try to examine the future. PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox are all having success in their own ways, but which one is the ultimate winning strategy? Could it in fact be PlayStation? Sean and Marc discuss it. Also, aside from PlayStation's business summit news, there's also major news on Nintendo Switch 2 sales, along with announcements for the next Nintendo Direct, and an update to Splatoo...

Jun 17, 20251 hr 50 min

Xbox Games Showcase 2025, Our Favorite Games of SGF # 447

We are back once again as Summer Game Fest winds down with perhaps the biggest one of them all, the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. Did it take the crown as the best showcase of the entire event for the third year running? Or did it come crashing down with a wimper? Sean and Marc discuss the games and if the unveiling of the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X can provide enough to convince gamers to buy it? The duo also discusses their favorite games of SGF, and Marc talks about his time playing the Su...

Jun 10, 20251 hr 6 min

Nintendo Switch 2 Review & Summer Game Fest Thoughts # 446

The Summer gaming showcase season has arrived in full force with a full slate of video games and streams to go through and discuss. There's also the unique situation of an entire new console launching during the same week, and both Sean and Marc do have a Nintendo Switch 2 as well. The guys go through their early experiences with the system. How is Mario Kart World? Is it good or bad that there's been a lot of comparisons to the Switch 2 being a Switch Pro? Does the system deliver on what they w...

Jun 08, 20251 hr 20 min

Nintendo Switch 2 Predictions # 445

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

Jun 03, 20251 hr 48 min

Best Nintendo Switch 1 Games # 444

We are merely two weeks away from the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and as the date grows ever closer, the shining light of the Switch 1 as Nintendo's premier console grows dimmer. So, in celebration of over eight years of handheld to TV excellence, Sean and Marc give out their Top 10 (and maybe more) Best Nintendo Switch 1 Games. Also, the Elden Ring A24 Movie is real, PlayStation ditches its Stars, Xbox teams up with Ant Arcade for Retro Classics, everyone is having a June gaming showcase, ...

May 27, 20252 hr 1 min

DOOM The Dark Ages Impressions W/ Krafty1111 # 443

One of the biggest releases of the year, DOOM The Dark Ages, is out, and Sean's been playing it, but best of all, we have a guest, Krafty1111 from the Video Game Happy Hour podcast, on to discuss his thoughts on the game as a big DOOM fan. He's also been playing Clair Obscur Expedition 33, and he joins Sean and Marc to discuss his thoughts on that game, too. Also, after an impressive full fiscal year financial report put things in great light for Sony and PlayStation, came more dower news in reg...

May 20, 20252 hr 13 min

Grand Theft Auto VI Hype Levels, Can Nintendo Really Brick Consoles? # 442

As is per usual with recording on Mondays, big things tend to happen the day right after recording. Such was the case with Rockstar putting out their second trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI after announcing their over one-year delay of the game to May 26, 2026. Sean and Marc discuss their hype levels for the game after what was shown and the subsequent information drop on the characters as well. Plus, will it come out on that date next year? Or does it get delayed again? Also, Nintendo adjusted i...

May 13, 20251 hr 41 min

Xbox Prices Go Up! Grand Theft Auto VI Delayed to 2026 # 441

A week that at first seemed a bit lacking in the news dept suddenly skyrocketed with a mixed bag of announcements from Microsoft including everything going up in price from consoles, accessories, and games to a positive quarterly earnings, and even Gears of War 1 Reloaded taking the series to PlayStation for the very first time. Then came the (not so) shocking news that Grand Theft Auto VI would be delayed to May 26, 2026 (and even this date is tentative) as one of the major pillars of "Survive ...

May 06, 20251 hr 49 min

Is Clair Obscur Expedition 33 the Frontrunner for Game of the Year? # 440

In a week where two massive RPGs dropped on all consoles and PC (bar Switch), one of them being the much-leaked Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and the other, the much hyped indie title Clair Obscur Expedition 33, although both have received their fair share of praise, it is the game from Sandfall Interactive's 30-person team that has garnered the major discussion with critics and users giving the highest scores we've seen this year. Could it wind up being the Game of the Year? Sean's been...

Apr 29, 20251 hr 31 min

Has Nintendo Lost Its Identity With Switch 2? # 439

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders are back on for the United States and Canada with pre-orders going live in the USA on April 24 at varying times depending on the retail store. Now with the Mario Kart World direct done, are Sean and Marc preparing to stay up and get the Switch 2 at launch? There's also more news on the Switch 2 Key Card carts, a price raise for Switch 2 accessories, and the guys discuss whether Shuhei Yoshida is right. Has Nintendo lost its identity? Or is this just a case of they ha...

Apr 22, 20251 hr 45 min

Bungie Unveils Marathon, Xbox Summer Showcase Games # 438

Bungie revealed quite a few things about their next game, Marathon, on Saturday as promised. They showcased some gameplay, cover art, gave some creators hands-on time with the game, and even gave us a release date of September 23. Considering everything that's on the line for Bungie and Sony with this, it feels like they are doing their best to make this Extraction Shooter stand out. However, there's a looming decision that hasn't been made, one of cost to consumers, although rumors suggest the ...

Apr 15, 20251 hr 12 min

South of Midnight Impressions, More Nintendo Switch 2 News # 437

Politics has thrust Nintendo in a difficult situation when it comes to releasing the Nintendo Switch 2 in the United States, as pre-orders will no longer go live on April 9 in the USA and instead due to the ongoing issues surrounding tariffs which affect the production of the Switch 2, we have no idea when pre-orders will occur for the US side of things, as Nintendo intends to stick with the June 5 release date for now. At least there's more news in the form of Treehouse lives and other intervie...

Apr 08, 20251 hr 4 min

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Discussion

It finally happened we received all of the big information for the Nintendo Switch 2 including the price, the price of some of the games, the launch lineup, and some of the launch window games including a new 3D Donkey Kong game. Sean and Marc are joined by Randy Isbelle for this special episode where the trio talk all things Switch 2. Will they actually use the C (chat) button on the system? Are the specs and mouse controls enticing? What about running games at 120 FPS? What about the games tha...

Apr 03, 202551 min

Assassin's Creed Shadows Impressions, Catching Up on Gaming News # 436

Finally, after a three-week break, Sean and Marc have returned with some video games to discuss, including Assassin's Creed Shadows, Split Fiction, and Xenoblade Chronicles X are the major ones. There's also a lot of news to get through as the guys sift through the major notes of the weeks they missed on the eve of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. They have thoughts on the Xbox Project Kennan info and could this truly be the trojan horse that gets their console to matter again? Plus a whole lot of ...

Apr 03, 20251 hr 28 min

Warner Bros Closes Monolith Productions, Fable Delayed to 2026 # 435

Warner Bros gaming division continues delivering terrible news as of late, and this week was perhaps the worst of them all, as the decision was made to close down three of its studios, Player First studios, and WB San Diego, both leading and helping on the soon-to-be delisted Multiversus. They also continued by announcing the cancellation of the recently rebooted Wonder Woman game, and with it came the shutdown of Monolith Productions. Who's to blame? And where does the bleeding end for the AAA ...

Mar 04, 20251 hr 38 min

ID @ Xbox Showcase Discussion, More Thoughts on LAD Pirate Yakuza # 434

As one of the year's first major AAA releases inches ever closer with Monster Hunter Wilds, Sean and Marc delve a bit into the indie space as they discuss the latest ID @ Xbox showcase and the Annapurna Interactive showcase as well. Were there any games that stood out? Any that got them super excited for their eventual release? Sean certainly has quite a few from both. Could Neowiz be hinting that Lies of P: Overture is co-op? Also, in a quiet week for gaming news, Microsoft made some waves by i...

Feb 25, 20251 hr 14 min

PlayStation State of Play Discussion, Phil Spencer Reiterates Xbox Strategy # 433

Phil Spencer also appeared on one more podcast that was delayed from the Developer Direct week, as he gave updates on Everwild, Double Fine and reiterated the strategy for Xbox as far as Game Pass, games going to PS5, and more with the Xbox Era crew, is there any way for them go back to the old way of doing things? Also, Sean has thoughts on the Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Demo, Ubisoft lets us know not much is coming from them in 2025, Crytek suffers major layoffs, Elden Ring Nightre...

Feb 18, 20251 hr 10 min

PlayStation Network Goes Down, Is There an ARPG Leveling Problem # 432

An unexpected event occurred early on Saturday as Sony's PlayStation Network went down for around 18 hours leaving many without the ability to play even their single-player games unless they'd remembered to set their PS5 or PS4 as their primary console beforehand. The inability to read licenses essentially left anyone wanting to play digital games twiddling their thumbs. Should everyone be singing the praises of physical media now? Or could this make Sony further lessen the PSN requirement for P...

Feb 11, 20251 hr 35 min

Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation, Sony Makes Some Changes # 431

Another wild week in Video Games with another move in the "no fences and no red lines" from Microsoft as Forza Horizon 5 the multiple award-winning title from Playground Studios, is headed to the PlayStation 5, and you can go wishlist it now. At this point, does it even move the needle for those like Sean and Marc, who witness this every day? But it certainly seems PlayStation players are excited and that's what matters in the end. Speaking of Sony, they made some moves at the top by promoting a...

Feb 04, 20251 hr 33 min

Xbox Developer Direct 2025 Discussion, FFVII Rebirth PC Impressions # 430

Microsoft and Xbox hit heavily in the last week with their annual Xbox Developer Direct showcasing their three known games and also announced the surprises of Ninja Gaiden 4 with Team Ninja, Koei Tecmo, and PlatinumGames, and the shadow drop of Ninja Gaiden II Black as well. Is this the best edition of the Developer Direct? How excited are Sean and Marc after seeing more on these games? Phil Spencer also did a few podcast interviews in which he both cemented and reiterated the direction of Xbox ...

Jan 28, 20251 hr 54 min

Nintendo Switch 2 is Real! Sony Cancels More Live Service Games # 429

After all this time of waiting, the leaks were right, the Nintendo Switch 2 was officially announced on Thursday and it is certainly a bigger Switch 1 with some cool features such as the magnetic attaching joycons, what looks like joycons that can be used as a mouse, and Mario Kart 9 shown as the lone game. Does this satiate Sean and Marc for now? Is April 2 too long of a time to wait for more information? And does this change their thought on when the system releases? Also, Sony made waves by c...

Jan 21, 20251 hr 33 min

Nintendo Switch 2 Reveal This Week? Xbox Gets Surprise Game Announcement # 428

It's almost that time, the dawning of a new Nintendo console era is upon us, maybe? This is according to Nate the Hate who has a good track record with these things, the Nintendo Switch 2 is imminent as of this week, with a date of Thursday, January 16 being given for the full reveal. Although it is only expected to be mostly a hardware-focused showcase, if it is like the original Switch trailer, some games could be teased. Sean and Marc discuss if we'll finally see Switch 2 this week, what game...

Jan 16, 20251 hr 7 min
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