Join the Professors as we dive deep into the wild world of PC hardware economics, from Nvidia GPU production cuts to the bizarre reality of older Ryzen CPU’s chips selling for more than their newer 9800X3D successors, all against sliding console and hardware sales across the industry. From there, we break down Steam’s looming end of 32-bit Windows support, plus Nintendo’s Switch 2 getting hammered by RAM shortages and soaring memory costs. The class then heads into the Shop with a heated look at Zotac’s controversial RTX 5070 Ti RMA denial, before circling up for Civics & Sociology to talk Neil Newbon’s “fuck AI in performance” stance, Bungie’s big art and copyright settlements, and Xbox cancelling Xbox Wrapped to chase 2026 anniversary hype instead. Finally, Lab Work covers Monster Hunter Wilds’ disastrous Title Update 4 performance issues and why Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on Switch 2 might actually look better than PS4 thanks to DLSS and next-gen visual features. Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com . Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!

Timestamps:

09:38 - Business & Econ

33:28 - Shop Class

47:18 - Civics & Sociology

01:19:18 - Lab Work

01:36:36 - Independent Study

Join the Professors as Heru and Plague dive deep into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's incredible Game of the Year victory—uncovering how a $10 million French indie studio with small team of developers beat the AAA titans, the inspiring story of self-taught composer Lorien Testard's soundtrack, and the free "Thank You Update" that drove sales to 6+ million copies. We break down The Game Awards 2025's shocking moments, including some snubs and the ongoing gacha bribery debate around Wuthering Waves' Players' Choice win. Then we tackle the messy copyright strike drama: Supercell's retaliatory takedowns against beloved Clash of Clans creator EricOneHive, plus Microsoft's desperate bid to compete with SteamOS's gaming dominance in 2026. We also cover Discord's being a RAM hog, the indefinitely delayed Deus Ex Remaster, and big announcements for Star Wars, Tomb Raider, and Hollow Knight's "Sea of Sorrow" expansion. Plus, Australia's historic under-16 social media ban and why Roblox got a free pass. Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com . Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!Timestamps:

• Lab Work - 36:46 (The Game Awards Overview)

• Business & Econ - 1:11:51 (Clair Obscur's budget comparison)

• Civics & Sociology - 1:34:05 (Game Awards responses from companies and players)

• Shop Class - 1:52:21 (Microsoft's response to SteamOS)

Join the Professors as we look at the The Game Awards 2025 nominees, with the event happening tomorrow! Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sets the bar with 13 nominations! We break down the major contenders, standout performances, and who’s the most nominated publisher.

Next, we continue to explore the hardware crisis hitting gaming PCs hard—AI demand is hoarding memory chips, causing DDR5 and PC prices to spike. We discuss how this may force developers to rely on better design and optimization.

We also cover Netflix's massive $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, including gaming powerhouses like NetherRealm Studios and the Hogwarts Legacy empire. Plus, we tackle Japan's new AI anti-piracy system (and its Cyberpunk vibes), Activision's “major” Call of Duty strategy shift away from back-to-back releases, the Left 4 Dead creator's new co-op shooter on PlayStation, and how the NEX Playground motion-controlled console unexpectedly outsold Xbox during Black Friday.

If that wasn't enough, we check out Razer's nostalgic Boomslang 20th Anniversary Edition gaming mouse and touch upon some GPU competition coming out of China.

Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com . Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!

Join the Professors as Heru and Plague dive into whether Astro Bot truly deserves the crown for 2024's Game of the Year! Discover why Micron's exit from consumer memory continues to threaten affordable PC components, how Sony's Steam strategy generated over $1.5 billion in gross revenue, and the confirmation of Valve's mysterious "Lepton" Android compatibility layer for the upcoming Steam Frame VR headset. Plus, the Professors break down the complete consensus rankings and critical perspectives on the year's top 10 games—Balatro's mathematical genius, and limited access to a Game of the Year winner. Whether you're hyped about upcoming live-action projects like Helldivers film or worried about PC gaming's future, or enjoy a 2024 retrospective, there’s something for everyone.

Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com. Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!

Timestamps:

28:11 - Business & Econ

42:40 - Gaming History (2024 Game of the Year)

Join the Professors as we dive deep into the memory crisis that's making 64GB of RAM cost more than a PS5 (no one is selling but in case you're wondering spleens go for around $500)! We break down the catastrophic DDR5/Memory price surges—with some kits skyrocketing nearly 200% since September—and explore why AI datacenters are hoarding semiconductor production and leaving PC builders devastated. We also cover Nvidia and Intel's surprise x86 RTX partnership that could reshape AI infrastructure and gaming PCs far into the future, plus Nvidia's official pivot from a gaming GPU company to an AI data center powerhouse. On the lighter side, we react to Battlefield 6's record-breaking sales domination for 2025. On the darker side we touch on the Roblox CEO controversy surrounding child safety (spoiler: it gets messy), and share our love for Shape of Dreams and Jump Space in our Independent Studies segment.

Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com . Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!

Timestamps:

6:10 - PUBG: Black Budget

10:58 - Battlefield 6 Sales numbers

20:56 - Civics and Sociology (Roblox Controversy)

38:13 - Business and Econ (Nvidia is cringe)

57:36 - RAM Prices are INSANE

1:10:56 - Independent Study (Shape of Dreams/Jump Space)

Correction: Resizable BAR was created by a consortium of 900 companies that included NVidia, AMD, and Intel to name a few.

Join the Professors as Heru and Plague dive deep into the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, breaking down the campaign's disappointing shift to fantasy, multiplayer improvements, and the controversial AI art scandal that has the community up in arms. Then, we analyze the gaming industry's rapid AI adoption, exploring Krafton's massive restructuring toward agentic AI, widespread developer skepticism despite industry implementation, the GPU memory crisis threatening budget gaming cards, and what it all means for game quality. There is mention of Valve taking pity on a CS trader. We also tackle Arc Raiders' implementation of AI into its design and the ongoing debate about AI voice generation in modern games. Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com. Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!

Timestamps:

0:40 - Lecture Lowdown

19:49 - Lab Work (CoD Black Ops 7)

1:06:12 - Civics & Sociology

1:06:38 - AI Usage in Arc Raiders

1:13:33 - Eurogamer Review of Arc Raiders

1:30:51 - Business & Econ (Usage of AI in Business)

1:43:45 - AI Usage cases we approve of

Join the Professors as we dive into the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, dissecting its extraction-inspired Endgame mode, and how it stacks up against Arc Raiders in today’s fiercely competitive shooter market. Next, find out Halo Infinite’s support is ending and what it means for the future of Master Chief, before shifting gears to break down Rockstar’s latest GTA 6 delay and the swirl of union controversies behind the headlines. The conversation gets heated with Shroud’s campaign for Arc Raiders as Game of the Year and his spicy takes on The Game Awards’ single-player bias. Plus, the Professors tackle the Texas lawsuit against Roblox, rising safety concerns, and the permanent ban of vigilante creator Schlep. In Shop Class, get all the details on Valve’s new Steam Frame VR, Steam Machine, and controller drops, then follow the money with a look at Square Enix’s global layoffs, Destiny 2’s rough patch, and why PNY is killing Black Friday deals this year. Wrapping up, Heru and Plague share thoughts on World of Tanks 2.0 and the highs (and lows) of starting fresh. Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com . Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!

01:07 - Lecture Lowdown

17:48 - Civics & Sociology

18:31 - Shroud’s Takes on Arc Raiders

38:15 - Roblox Repugnance

57:04 - Shop Class

57:22 - Valve Hardware

1:16:22 - Business & Econ

1:16:36 - Square Enix

1:26:15 - Bungie/Destiny 2

1:28:05 - PNY + Black Friday

1:29:58 - Independent Study

1:30:23 - World of Tanks rant

Join the Professors as we dive deep into PlayStation's controversial dynamic pricing strategy and potentially sprinkle it with a spicy take or two. We’ll break down why Arc Raiders is absolutely crushing it as the extraction shooter everyone's talking about. Travel topside with us as we unpack our thoughts about this critically acclaimed extraction shooter and briefly discuss its optimization. We transition to a discussion of Switch 2's record-breaking sales numbers, touch on some World of Warcraft updates, and pay tribute to legendary developer Tomonobu Itagaki. Heru and Plague would love your feedback! Let us know what we can improve on and other topics you'd like to hear us discuss by reaching out to feedback@thegameprofessors.com . Come in and grab a seat as we profess our love and hate for all things video games!

Timestamps:

00:40 - Lecture Lowdown

00:55 - Announcements

01:18 - Playstation Dynamic Pricing

29:23 - Lab Work (Arc Raiders Discussion)

31:10 - Arc Raiders weekend connection issues

32:15 - Player Market Discussion

37:54 - Proxy Chat

44:38 - PVP value discussion

47:12 - Tiny PVP story

51:52 - Map Diversity/Level Design/Weapon Balance Discussion

56:24 - Arc Diversity and Enemy design

58:27 - Tiny Story about using a Rocketeer as a teammate

1:09:24 - Begin criticisms

1:09:27 - Sound of enemy players

1:13:56 - Tracking resources

1:14:57 - 3rd person discussion

1:18:39 - Hit registration

1:20:15 - Bullet travel speed

1:22:54 - Reviews across the board

1:28:54 - Prestige system (Wipe mechanic)

1:29:55 - Post-launch Update/Roadmap

1:33:12 - Performance

1:39:10 - Business and Econ (Nintendo Switch 2 Sales)

1:42:00 - WoW update

1:42:33 - Gaming History (Tomonobu Itagaki’s passing)