AJSN WK29B- EA REMOVES Micros from CFB27!, Palworlds Massive SUCCESS, Supergirl is BIGGEST DC FLOP!?

Overview

The video is a gaming/news wrap-up (second of two), blending industry commentary, game release updates, platform/business issues, and box office discussion.

Key Gaming Stories & Arguments

EA “NCAA Football 27” Backlash and Partial Rollback

• The hosts discuss how EA changed single-player progression—slowing/altering XP and removing “speed up” style options.
• Community backlash centered on the idea that the changes were monetizing grind.
• The hosts argue the controversy helped lead EA to remove microtransactions, but the progression system was not fully restored:
  • Notably, “fast/fastest” options are still not brought back as before.
• While some creators frame this as a victory, the hosts call it only a partial win:
  • Progression still feels grindy.
  • EA appears positioned to monetize again later.
• EA is also criticized for messaging that feels insulting to players who already bought into the previous system.
• The hosts further question EA’s framing of future “live service” content (e.g., “College Football 28”) as ongoing monetization rather than real reform.

Palworld’s Major Success After Leaving Early Access

• Palworld reportedly hit about ~855,000 concurrent players over the weekend (with ~900k players mentioned overall).
• This is described as the game’s second-highest peak ever.
• The hosts frame it as a sustained success that could pressure competitors/publishers, especially given criticisms that Pokémon/related titles have become stagnant.
• They praise the decision to not raise the price at the 1.0 release (relative to typical industry practice).

Release Scheduling and the Late-Year Game Slate

• The hosts highlight a busy schedule, including:
  • Mortal Shell 2 releasing August 20
  • More major titles later in the year
• They expect a high volume of content coverage from September into October, followed by a brief lull.

Steam Revenue and Digital Storefront Power

• Steam revenue is cited as reaching $11.1B in the first half of the year.
• The discussion argues that major platforms (including Steam) take large cuts (often cited around ~30%).
• They also suggest dominance persists because storefront competition is fragmented or weaker (e.g., GOG/Epic).

Online Platform Dependencies: Ubisoft Connect Outage

• A short item notes that Ubisoft Connect servers went down.
• The outage reportedly broke access to even Steam-installed Ubisoft titles (example: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag) for a couple hours.

Bungie/Sony Lawsuit Settlement

• The video covers that a former Bungie/Marathon director (Barrett noted) settled a $200M lawsuit against Sony and Bungie.
• The complaint alleges termination reasons connected to:
  • Avoiding a large bonus
  • Firing tied to workplace complaints (including inappropriate behavior claims)
• The host frames it as another damaging chapter in the Destiny/Bungie/Sony saga.

Marathon Player Dropoff After F2P Changes

• The hosts claim Marathon has lost a large portion of its player base after switching to free-to-play.
• They suggest the game continues to underperform despite upcoming PvE content.
• They contrast this with Destiny 2, which is said to retain much stronger concurrent numbers.

Box Office / Film Commentary

Moana Live-Action Bomb

• The hosts say Moana (live action) underperformed badly, losing an estimated $100–125M against a reported budget of about ~$250M.
• They describe it as part of a broader trend of live-action failures.
• They also raise the question of whether certain stars (e.g., Dwayne Johnson) still reliably draw audiences.

Evil Dead Underperforming

• Evil Dead is noted as doing worse than the previous installment, though it may still cover its budget.

Supergirl (DC) Described as a Major Box Office Disaster

• The video claims Supergirl is now the worst DC box office since Catwoman (2009, Halle Berry).
• The hosts provide a comparative list of DC films’ box office results to contextualize the failure.
• They argue the failure is understandable due to factors like:
  • Timing (comic-era vs later)
  • Script issues
  • Audience expectations
• They also criticize some fans/coverage for treating the flop as justified by extra context.
• Additional claim: Supergirl’s adjusted losses may exceed prior comparable DC flops (including older references like Supergirl 1984).

Other Entertainment / Gaming Notes

• Sam Neill death announced, with mention of upcoming projects he appeared in or voiced.
• RTS DLC spotlight: Tempest Rising
  • Includes a new third faction in a paid expansion
  • A free demo is available

Presenters / Contributors

• Alex
• Joe (OJ is referenced informally in the conversation)