Dual Comm Podcast

On this episode we talk about the freedom that a game like Minecraft provides and the generational memories it has built with millions of players. We dive into freedom of play in a sandbox game and how nostalgia impacts every generation. We talk about ways you can make your PC less distracting to help get into games with less friction. Then we talk about game curation, choice, and the new era of a more saturated market. Finally we talk about how rad and fun gaming can be these days. Thanks for listening!  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DualComm    Video of the week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKQ0XEi_Ttw  Game of the week: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3919490/Driftline_Peaks/  Show links: Epos' DLSS 5 video: https://demodisc.zone/t/dlss-5-sent-me-into-the-woods-aka-spring-break-travel-photog-trip/347  More Music Released In A Day Than A Whole Year https://www.nme.com/news/music/more-music-released-in-a-single-day-in-2024-than-the-whole-of-1989-says-study-3815719  Steam Game Releases By Review Count: https://bsky.app/profile/brkeogh.bsky.social/post/3mgvde43i722q  00:00:00 Intro 00:02:00 Video Of The Week 00:07:00 Game Of The Week 00:10:47 Minecraft, Memories, Freedom, & Nostalgia 00:30:57 De-Distract Your PC  00:54:00 Game Saturation, Curation, & Enjoying The Process 01:28:49 Gaming Is Pretty Awesome Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZE iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc   Follow us on YouTube: @bbkdragoon | @EposVox | @lostsaves | @NeuroSpicy.Cooking

This week we talk about Steam Next Fest which is starting now! We discuss the consumer electronics crisis that is being fueled by lack of supply. We then talk about Sony's newest State of Play and the games that stood out to us. Unreal Tournament 2004 is free and has been improved by the old unreal community. Then we talk about the importance of originality. Thanks for listening and have a great week! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DualComm       Game of the week: Easy Delivery Co. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3293010/Easy_Delivery_Co/  Video of the week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG8JUDjtgtw    Show links: STEAM NEXT FEST (Feb 23 – March 2, 2026 @ 10AM PT) https://store.steampowered.com/sale/nextfest_feb26_press/    Lost Save's Video On Next Fest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf1LOHTaa14  Hardware Shortages: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/many-consumer-electronics-manufacturers-will-go-bankrupt-or-exit-product-lines-by-the-end-of-2026-due-to-the-ai-memory-crisis-phison-ceo-reportedly-says/  https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/over-80-percent-of-companies-report-no-productivity-gains-from-ai-so-far-despite-billions-in-investment-survey-suggests-6-000-executives-also-reveal-1-3-of-leaders-use-ai-but-only-for-90-minutes-a-week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzTg5hhH5tE  https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/02/sony-considering-ps6-delay-to-2028-or-even-2029-new-report-says  State of Play Feb 12  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0e5YEXtZu0  God of War 2D spin-off article (VGC):   https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/what-the-f-are-they-thinking-god-of-war-creator-says-2d-spin-off-sons-of-sparta-doesnt-respect-the-license/  UNREAL TOURNAMENT 2004 (Free 4K Community Installer)   https://www.oldunreal.com/  Stardew Valley player sleeps for 1,000 years (Kotaku):   https://kotaku.com/stardew-valley-sleep-meteorite-mushroom-trees-stone-owls-2000669774    00:00:00 Intro 00:03:30 Game Of The Week 00:12:30 Video Of The Week 00:21:48 Steam Next Fest 00:30:36 Are Consumer Electronics In Jeopardy? 00:41:00 Consequences Of Steam Machine Delay 00:47:39 State Of Play 01:01:22 Unreal Tournament 2004 Free And Enhanced 01:08:20 Stardew Valley Player Sleeps For 1000 Years 01:10:00 You Have What AI Needs Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZE iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc   Follow us on YouTube: @bbkdragoon | @EposVox | @lostsaves | @NeuroSpicy.Cooking    

In this episode we talk about Unreal Engine’s influence on movies and TV, the current AI panic in games, and why being constantly mad about tech is a losing game. We also dig into owning your services, GOG’s push toward Linux and preservation, and why mid-tier games deserve more love. Thanks for listening and have a great day! #gaming #gamingpodcast #gamingcommentary  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DualComm  Dual Comm Party Chat Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuMLyNxTXPdCKlZ9CMXkNPDMNNIKQARPd  Show Links: Featured Video Finis Coronat Opus — A Mirror's Edge Sniping Montage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHOLAMHBJ3k  Featured Games: Arcadium Space Odyssey https://store.steampowered.com/app/2352670/Arcadium__Space_Odyssey/  Don't Stop, Girlypop! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2610650/Dont_Stop_Girlypop/  Garlic https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250440/Garlic/  UNREAL ENGINE IN MOVIES / TV - VGC (Gore Verbinski quote about Unreal Engine): https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/greatest-slip-backwards-pirates-of-the-caribbean-director-says-unreal-engine-makes-films-look-too-much-like-games/  Tom’s Hardware (Project Genie / gaming stocks reaction): https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/gaming-market-melts-down-after-google-reveals-new-ai-game-design-tool-project-genie-crashes-stocks-for-roblox-nintendo-cd-projekt-red-and-more  OWN YOUR TECH SERVICES / BEING DONE BEING MAD - Linus Tech Tips (I’m done being mad about tech): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZZf6LM3wAU  - Level1Techs (Adam + Wendell storage adventure feat. EposVox): https://level1techs.com/node/3347  Swagless Games https://www.polygon.com/code-vein-2-swagless-game/  Red Dead Redemption 2 vs. A Tiny CRT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_tohNLvkxk  Sony AI LLM Podcast Patent https://www.techradar.com/gaming/sony-patents-ai-generated-podcasts-with-playstation-characters-because-video-game-platforms-currently-lack-the-ability-to-provide-unique-and-targeted-content-to-gamers  00:00:00 Are We Reducing Our Setups? (Emulation) 00:05:03 Dual Comm Patreon 00:08:30 Featured Video Of The Show 00:12:16 Featured Games Of The Show 00:17:00 Is Unreal Engine Ruining Movies & TV? 00:24:49 AI Is Running Wild 00:44:00 Own Your Tech Services 00:56:10 GOG Bringing GOG Galaxy To Linux 01:02:42 Epos Doesn't Like Pick Up Videos Anymore 01:11:50 Done Being Mad About Tech 01:30:15 Mid Games Are Awesome 01:50:34 Epos & Fable   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219  Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZE  Subscribe on iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321  Subscribe on Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZE iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc   Follow us on YouTube: @bbkdragoon | @EposVox | @lostsaves | @NeuroSpicy.Cooking

Season 2 of the Dual Comm podcast has arrived. We discuss the Steam Deck LCD going away, likely due to RAM shortages. We talk about giving gaming less of yourself to enjoy the hobby more, and then dig into the self-help trend flooding YouTube around hobbies. We also talk about a PC Gamer article noting that the focus of major FPS releases is shifting away from competitive play and toward more relaxed co-op experiences. We wrap by talking about dopamine sensitivity, doing things for yourself, and creating. Thanks for watching. Dual Comm Party Chat Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuMLyNxTXPdCKlZ9CMXkNPDMNNIKQARPd  Show Links: Welcome to the FPS Vibe Shift (PC Gamer) https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/welcome-to-the-fps-vibe-shift/  Chiral Drifter - Gaming Feels New Again (We Gave Gaming Smaller Pieces of Ourselves) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnIo2WWt848  Another video about giving gaming less of yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo4LUKi62jY  Epos new blog gamer.dad https://gamer.dad  Chapters: 00:00:00 - Season 2 Begins 00:01:48 - Finishing Horizon Zero Dawn and Starting Forbidden West 00:12:46 - Steam Deck Funded by Counter-Strike Skins 00:15:47 - The End of the Steam Deck LCD 00:20:53 - Launching the gamer.dad Blog 00:22:04 - Rediscovering RSS 00:23:27 - Giving Games Less of Yourself 00:31:24 - When Intentional Gaming Becomes the Default 00:51:21 - The FPS Vibe Shift 01:10:24 - YouTube, Algorithms, and Sensationalism 01:30:16 - Doing Things Just for Yourself 01:39:30 - Dopamine Sensitivity and Overstimulation Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219  Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZE  Subscribe on iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321  Subscribe on Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZE iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc   Follow us on YouTube: @bbkdragoon | @EposVox | @lostsaves | @NeuroSpicy.Cooking

Celebrate a year of gaming insights as the hosts share the show’s origin and reminisce about their favorite moments. They explore the importance of taking breaks before burnout, rediscovering joy in gaming, and the value of single-tasking. The discussion includes game recommendations, the pros of demo festivals, and how connected play can enhance enjoyment. They also delve into industry news and personal goals for the future. Expect laughs, nostalgia, and a commitment to enjoying games on one’s own terms!

Dive into the pressing issues of digital freedom and ownership. Discover why physical media is making a comeback and how to back up your PC games. Learn essential smart TV settings to protect your privacy and the motivations behind the Linux movement amidst Windows 11 frustrations. Explore the overwhelming number of games and the pitfalls of gaming as it competes with short-form video content. Finally, uncover Amazon's gaming missteps and the ongoing TimeSplitters Rewind restoration project.

Recent gaming experiences and media binges kick off the discussion. The hosts delve into how the PlayStation 5's SSD and DualSense features redefine gaming beyond just graphics. They explore the potential PR hurdles facing the PlayStation 6. The immense value of the PlayStation 4 is highlighted, emphasizing its extensive library and affordability. Nostalgia’s transformation into a meme is critically examined, alongside deep reflections on identity and emotional energy in gaming.

The hosts dive into the recent Xbox Game Pass price hike and discuss the freedom of owning physical media like Jellyfin. They explore why old games spark joy and how subscription fatigue is reshaping the gaming landscape. Personal choice in gaming gets a spotlight, as short, casual play sessions are lauded for enhancing enjoyment. Viewer comments ignite debates on game franchises and the nature of live service games, highlighting the contrast between lengthy commitments and the satisfaction of single-player experiences.

Discover the challenge of tackling Souls games and the joy found in overcoming difficulty. Explore how Steam's dominance has reshaped console gaming, leading to diminished platform uniqueness. Delve into whether gaming is truly relaxing or just another form of stimulation. Hear thoughts on the Switch 2 and the pull of FOMO, as well as reflections on different gamer identities. Finally, learn why prioritizing intrinsic fun over external rewards can lead to healthier gaming habits as adults.

Discover why our focus feels constantly challenged by distractions and the joy of doing one thing at a time. The discussion highlights the resurgence of buying physical media as a satisfying alternative to endless streaming choices. Explore the dangers of multitasking and how it leads to brain fog, while nostalgia for classic gaming like Halo 3 evokes feelings of freedom and creativity. Embrace the importance of being bored and cultivating a mindful relationship with technology to protect your attention span.