Real Time Strategy TriplePoint

TikTok is facing a U.S. ban, so what does that mean for influencers, marketers, gaming fans, and the future of short-form video? Kaitlyn and Sam answer that question, as well as explain Escape From Tarkov’s bad week and their thoughts on Fallout’s fifth episode and Fallout 4’s next-gen update.
 
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:03:19 – What’s the Future of TikTok With the U.S. Ban Looming?
00:15:10 – Potential Effects of the Ban
00:22:03 – How Influencers Will Be Affected
00:26:19 – Escape From Tarkov’s DLC Controversy
00:45:25 – Fallout Episode 5 Recap
00:52:53 - Fallout 4’s Next-Gen Update
01:03:48 – Outro
 
Stories discussed:
CBS News – TikTok ban measure signed by Biden. Here's what could happen next.
CBS News – After Biden signs TikTok ban into law, ByteDance says it won't sell the social media service
GamesIndustry.biz – The US is banning TikTok, could Fortnite and League of Legends be next?
TechCrunch – Gen Z is losing its political voice on social media
PC Gamer – Escape From Tarkov players rage as developers lock co-op PvE behind a new $250 edition, then say they'll offer previous buyers access for just 6 months (Updated)
PC Gamer – How Escape From Tarkov wiped out years of goodwill in one catastrophic week
IGN – Escape From Tarkov Dev's 'Shameless' Controversy Response Called Out By Fans and Esports Company
IGN – Escape From Tarkov Rival Gray Zone Warfare Shoots to Top of Steam Sales But Reviews are 'Mixed'
TechRadar – The Fallout 4 next-gen update will not be available to those who own the game through PS Plus, Bethesda confirms
PC Gamer – Fallout 4's most popular mods are now ones that remove Bethesda's disastrous 'next gen' update
PC Gamer – Bethesda beefing it with a calamitous 'next-gen' Fallout 4 update just as everyone's falling in love with Fallout again is the most Bethesda thing imaginable
Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at podcast@triplepointpr.com. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Embracer Group is splitting into three companies, Star Wars Outlaws’ premium day-one content is upsetting fans, and Fallout is returning for a second season on Prime Video. Kaitlyn and Sam break down these headlines, their updated Fallout impressions, and Kaitlyn’s Coachella experience on this week’s episode.
 
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:01:13 – Kaitlyn’s Coachella Weekend
00:09:01 – Embracer Group Splitting Into Three Companies
00:24:32 – Star Wars Outlaws’ Season Pass Has an Exclusive Jabba Mission, and Fans Are Upset
00:44:32 – Fallout Renewed for Season 2
01:02:56 – Outro
 
Stories discussed:
GamesIndustry.biz – Embracer Group splits into three: Everything you need to know
The Verge – Gaming giant Embracer Group is splitting into three companies
IGN – Ubisoft Responds to Star Wars Outlaws Season Pass Backlash, Insists Jabba the Hutt Is Part of the Experience for All Players
Variety – 'Fallout' Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon    
Ars Technica – Fallout games continue seeing big player jumps after the TV series’ success
GamesIndustry.biz – Fallout Shelter's daily revenue rockets to $80,000 after TV show debut
Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at podcast@triplepointpr.com. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Kaitlyn, Sam, and special guest Trisha Hershberger exit the vault this week to review Prime Video’s Fallout. They discuss how well it adapts Bethesda’s beloved game franchise, spoilers from the first two episodes, and what other game adaptations can learn from the series.
 
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:01:45 – Trisha’s Favorite Fallout Games
00:13:50 – Life in a Fallout Vault
00:19:51 – Trisha’s Fallout Premiere Experience
00:22:20 – Comparing the Show’s Tone to the Games
00:32:19 – How the Show Adapts Fallout’s Lore
00:45:37 – Analyzing Lucy’s Storyline
00:52:49 – Analyzing the Brotherhood of Steel Storyline
01:10:27 – What Can Other Video Game Adaptations Learn From Fallout?
01:17:49 – Outro
 
Find Trisha on social media @thatgrltrish, subscribe to her on YouTube @TrishaHershberger, and follow her on Twitch at TrishaHershberger.
 
Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at podcast@triplepointpr.com. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

IGN’s creative staff formed the IGN Creators Guild this year to collectively work toward a stronger, more equitable workplace. IGN video editor and guild member Chelsea Miller joins Kaitlyn and Sam to explain why the IGN Creators Guild was founded, how it’s brought the staff closer together, and what the union hopes to accomplish next.
 
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:08:37 – Chelsea’s Cults, Cryptids and Conspiracies podcast
00:30:42 – What does it mean to unionize?
00:33:25 – Who makes up the IGN Creators Guild?
00:40:50 – Forming the IGN Creators Guild
00:53:22 – How the IGN Creators Guild handled the recent IGN layoffs
00:57:49 – What are the next steps for the union?
01:13:26 – How can people support the IGN Creators Guild?
01:19:21 – Outro
 
Stories discussed:
IGN – Polygons, Pixels and Polyamory, Oh My! The 40-Year Evolution of Video Game Romances 
IGN – How Hidden Nazi Symbols Were the Tip of a Toxic Iceberg at Life Is Strange Developer Deck Nine 
 
Media/artists discussed:
Voynich manuscript
Kholat 
The Last of Us
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Hades
The Long Dark
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
 
Follow the IGN Creators Guild on Twitter and Instagram @IGNUnion. Follow Chelsea on Twitter @mschelseareed, and listen to her podcast, Cults, Cryptids, and Conspiracies.
Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at podcast@triplepointpr.com. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Larian Studios isn’t making a Baldur’s Gate 3 sequel or expansion, Rockstar may miss Grand Theft Auto’s “early 2025” launch window, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 launched with a surprising, and to some upsetting, range of microtransactions. Sam and Kaitlyn discuss these headlines, as well as their favorite (and least favorite) April Fool’s gags this year.
 
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:06:03 – Best and Worst of April Fools' Day 2024
00:20:29 – Larian Studios Is Moving on From Baldur’s Gate
00:34:36 – Quick Thoughts on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter
00:36:45 – GTA VI Delayed to 2026?
00:55:28 – Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Microtransaction Drama
01:06:51 – More Thoughts on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter
01:13:58 – Outro
 
Stories discussed:
IGN – Surprise Steam Hit Content Warning Garnered 6.2 Million Downloads in Free Period
GamesRadar+ – Chaos reigns as new Hollow Knight Silksong store page found on April 1 of all days, Xbox marketing exec says it's not a joke 
PC Gamer – Larian is finished with Baldur's Gate: 'We're going to move away from D&D and we're going to start making a new thing'
Kotaku – GTA 6 Production Reportedly Falling Behind, Rockstar Urges Staff To Return To Office To Avoid Delay [Update] 
PC Gamer – The Dragon's Dogma 2 microtransactions are real and bafflingly silly, since nearly all of them can be found in the game without too much trouble 
IGN – Dragon’s Dogma 2 Director Explains Why Less Fast Travel Can be a Good Thing
 
Media/artists discussed:
Julien Baker
Black Country, New Road
“Erased Tapes 20・・---0” by Various Artists
Exodus
“Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé
 
Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at podcast@triplepointpr.com. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Entertainment journalists Lin Codega and Chase Carter launched Rascal News, an independent outlet covering tabletop roleplaying games, in February. One month later, they join Sam to discuss why they launched the reader-supported, worker-owned outlet, their love for tabletop, and why passionate journalists tell the best stories.
 
Timecodes:
00:00:00 – Intro
00:02:03 – Lin’s Movie, Book, and TV Recommendations
00:04:54 – Chase’s Game and TV Recommendations
00:08:10 – What Is Rascal News?
00:10:14 – Starting Rascal News
00:17:05 – Advice for Independent Outlets
00:26:51 – Rascal’s Founding Principles
00:41:10 – Coverage at Rascal vs. Previous Sites
00:49:12 – Rascal’s Future Plans
01:04:31 – Lin and Chase’s Dream Stories
01:10:04 – Developing Investigative Stories (Including Lin’s Dungeons & Dragons OGL Piece)
01:18:26 – Outro
 
Stories discussed:
Gizmodo – The Dungeons & Dragons’ OGL 1.1 Tightens Grip On Competition 
Rascal – GUDIYA: The horrors of being Bluebeard's latest plaything 
Rascal – The Harlem Renaissance is here again 
Rascal – Stumble Guys x D&D is goofy, but Hasbro’s direct links to the PIF are nothing to laugh at 
Rascal – Baldur’s Gate 3 developer isn’t interested in being another Hasbro show pony 
Rascal – Chuck Tingle, the World’s Greatest DM, trots to 2e and has never regretted it 
Gizmodo – Our Flag Means Death's Finale Was Full of Hurt For Izzy Hands Fans 
 
Media discussed:
Dune: Part Two
“The Mars House” by Natasha Pulley
“Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow
“Our Share of Night” by Mariana Enríquez
Stardew Valley
True Detective: Night Country
 
Read and support Rascal here, and follow the site on Twitter, Bluesky, and TikTok. Follow Lin on Twitter @lincodega and Chase on Bluesky @chasecarter.bsky.social.
 
Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at podcast@triplepointpr.com. Follow Sam on social media @SamScotMosher.