Kinda Funny Games Daily: Video Games News Podcast Outer Worlds 2 Disappoints, Obsidian Discusses Future - Kinda Funny Games Daily 02.03.26
Feb 3, 2026
Keza McDonald, veteran video game journalist and author of Super Nintendo, chats about her book and career in games journalism. They discuss Obsidian’s future after Outer Worlds 2’s disappointing sales. Conversations cover studio ownership pressures, the push for smaller focused RPGs, Ubisoft’s turmoil, and ethical risks of AI-generated game podcasts.
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How Super Nintendo Was Researched
- Keza MacDonald started her Super Nintendo book by mining 20 years of interview archives with Nintendo creatives.
- She structured the book around franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Animal Crossing to reveal bigger cultural stories.
GameCube Import For Animal Crossing
- Keza imported a silver GameCube from Canada as a teen so she could play Animal Crossing at Christmas.
- She ignored her family for days to hang out with her new virtual villagers in Lon Lon town.
Big Owners Create Financial Pressure
- Corporate ownership brings stability but risks creative constraints and profit targets that can hurt studios.
- Keza and Greg worry high profit mandates (e.g., 30% margins) pressure creative decisions and staffing.