Boycotts, Leaks, and Crypto Scams - Playstation Blackout | 2XKO | GTA 6 Leaked Build

Terrence returns to the podcast and shares what he's been playing over the past couple of weeks, which surprisingly amounts to mostly a nostalgic return to Diablo III. He discusses what's drawing him back to Blizzard's action RPG and whether it still holds up. Carrie is preparing for the upcoming Evercold expansion to Final Fantasy XIV by catching up on the Dawntrail content, while Micah has discovered an unexpected affection for LEGO games through playing Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Brad has been pursuing his best dopamine-driven gaming experiences with Dynasty Warriors Origins and the demo for Hyperloop. The hosts discuss the PlayStation "Blackout" boycott and why it, along with other loosely focused boycott movements, are likely to be ineffective as consumer activism. They argue these boycotts function primarily as a mechanism for participants to feel morally superior about their consumption habits rather than creating meaningful market pressure. Riot Games announces the end of development for their tag fighting game 2XKO after less than a year following its full release. The hosts analyze why the game's objectives were likely misguided and discuss the broader industry problem of larger publishers trying to funnel players into their larger ecosystems rather than simply focusing on making the best possible games regardless of external strategy. The hosts break down the apparent theft of an early build of Grand Theft Auto VI by hacking group Cyberleek, explaining why this security breach will have little to no impact on GTA VI's eventual launch. They discuss how the gaming community should expect such incidents and note the predictable development that the leaker is now attempting to ensnare people into cryptocurrency scams.

Dense Pixels is a weekly video game podcast covering gaming news, game reviews, and industry analysis. From AAA blockbusters to indie gems, we break down the latest game releases, PlayStation and Xbox news, Nintendo Switch, PC gaming, Steam, Game Pass, fighting games, RPGs, esports, retro gaming, and the business side of the gaming industry. Hosted by Brad, Micah, Carrie, and Terrence. A TNP Studios production. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. Join our Discord at densepixels.com/fans. For more TNP Studios content, check out The Nerdpocalypse (movie & TV news), Black on Black Cinema (Black film reviews), and Look Forward (progressive politics).