# [[MFP14 - “I Have It In My Contract to Write About Survivor” with Ricky Frech]] Transcript This transcription was completed on March 4, 2026 with the application MacWhisper on macOS. This was done automatically, without human input during the transcription process. The transcription used the Parakeet v3 model. My hope is that by offering this transcription – however accurate it may be done by a machine learning/AI – will help you, the listener. I’d love to offer full, proper transcription some day, but that is not feasible at this time. Thank you for listening and reading. I hope you enjoy the show and that this document was helpful. Enjoy. --- How's it going, Max? *00:00* So for Elden Ring, we probably had eight to ten people just churning through content in that game. *00:00* Well, when you do play them, please make sure you go see S I think it's Cyric Z. *00:00* It's just keeping up with the live content. *00:00* You just have to go buy these players, blah, blah, blah, put them into your squad, blah, blah, blah, and then you have whatever you want. *00:00* And I have like a Google Sheet open that's tracking what I need to be tracking to make sure that every like I have NBA is much more complicated than FIFA because they have these things called *00:00* If you have to start that curve and plan it for like five years instead of a year, people are going to be playing with those crappy teams for a whole year, right? *00:00* You're talking career mode, uh just normal online play where you're not like building your own team, anything like that. *00:00* They used to go to different places and do cool stuff. *00:00* So definitely go check that out as well. *00:00* Ricky was on an episode with us, Super Paper Mario, for season one. *00:00* For you folk fine folks listening, you know, uh one of the guests this season is Michael Ruiz, who co-hosts Bantam Banter with Ricky. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* So that's why I play a lot of e-sports games. *00:00* And it sounds like Apple is pretty much got it locked between them and Amazon. *00:00* But then after that, they've since then they've pretty much been casting more like people who actually want to play. *00:00* What would ha I mean, I've never done it before, so like why not? *00:00* See if I could find it and uh that's not good podcasting. *00:00* Uh yeah, it could take a while. *00:00* Hello everybody and welcome to the Max Frequency Podcast. *00:00* I was like, what? *00:00* Yeah, those are my high school colors, so Okay. *00:00* the Oklahoma Kansas line and at a certain time you can go across the land and go stake your claim for land and people cross the line early and those are called the Sooners. *00:00* I would consider some of the senior writers above me in the pecking order because they've been there longer and to be frank they're like really good at their job uh and their job is to bring in the traffic and my job is to edit their stuff, so we're like together. *00:00* Ivan Freck and nothing came up. *00:00* That's insane. *00:00* I thought it is you still did like some freelance stuff or IGN or other sites like that. *00:00* And like my job, I'm not my job is not to write guides anymore. *00:00* All you know, all that stuff still has to happen. *00:00* That was one of the worst experiences of my life just because you're, you know, you I got paid the same to write that guide as I got right to write paid to write a FIFA like the FIFA wiki for them. *00:00* The whole wiki. *00:00* And then you're like, oh I gotta edit, edit, edit. *00:00* But he, you know, he was like, you need because uh an issue with the sports game in general. *00:00* Whereas like a site like XP, and I'm not saying this to say we're better than IGN, because obviously they're way huge and they're always gonna rank. *00:00* a top result. *00:00* You know, you're kinda capped. *00:00* Crap. *00:00* And then FanByte, and this is very niche, but it's related to my story and like how I got here, I guess. *00:00* Like obviously I'm a big double XP fan, but I'm also a big FanByte fan as places to work. *00:00* And be like, hey, can I work on this? *00:00* The guide is probably great. *00:00* You know, you have to make a squad of 11 players that has two Brazilians, and the total the squad altogether is going to be rated as 83, and you have to do it with a certain amount of chemistry. *00:00* I won't explain what all that means because it doesn't matter. *00:00* And then submit those, they go away forever, they're gone. *00:00* A galaxy opaldo of dark matter in packs. *00:00* You know, a lot of times if you have really good cards, it can bump you up a couple tiers in how good you are just because you have better players than somebody else. *00:00* And not that the MLS is on the same level as those other leagues, but there's not a s the schedule's not the same, right? *00:00* And then I don't know. *00:00* I could sell a player I don't need on the transfer market and get money to go buy my own players. *00:00* It's like I can watch a video and play it. *00:00* 2K has so much in terms of content to do that like there's always something you can be playing. *00:00* Old Are You Afraid of the Darks, which is what I've been doing for the past couple days. *00:00* They're used to he uh folks are used to hearing. *00:00* And you sir are an expert, I believe. *00:00* on Survivor. *00:00* I would I guess I'll I'm a super fan and there are super duper fans, I guess, is a way to do it. *00:00* I mean, I don't know, it's it it's not very good. *00:00* Yeah, yes, Steph. *00:00* Like Dr. *00:00* like the game evolved. *00:00* You know, you have a couple seasons where it's, you know, I mean, obviously like their strategy, but it's not anything crazy. *00:00* to like lead him to idols in this really ingenious way. *00:00* It's awesome. *00:00* We'll talk about it in a second. *00:00* They'd had they had a year off because of COVID, right? *00:00* They run it back for season 42. *00:00* You only hear if they want to talk to you. *00:00* You know, I feel like if I get the interview, then I could probably get the job, but the problem is getting the interview. *00:00* And one of the people in the job interviews was my old RA. *00:00* I mean I was I was not like in bad clothes, but he but he was like every job interview you have you should be in a suit. *00:00* But he was saying everyone should show up to a s in a suit. *00:00* where I did a rock climbing um like a rock climbing camp for kids and for that job *00:00* To interview to get that job, I showed up in a suit. *00:00* Please tell me you rock climbed in the suit, like as a demo of your ability. *00:00* I've never in my life had abs. *00:00* If I get abs, then I could rip my shirt off in my Survivor video. *00:00* And almost you would have to, you know, storyboard like shots or if you if you were going to that level of like, you know *00:00* So we watched that. *00:00* Uh I mean there's gotta be thousands of people that apply. *00:00* And oh it looks like someone broke their leg, but he's really thrilled that they broke their leg. *00:00* She's like on a on like a rope and she's like holding ropes trying to walk across it and it's like a very much like I can't handle what's going on right now. *00:00* Uh Angela who is Oh there in motion makes it way f Yeah. *00:00* a karate tournament, so it was an even playing field. *00:00* And then you guys invited me for a Nintendo themed Survivor Island bracket, which also was a journey, I thought. *00:00* three and my writing over at maxfrequency. *00:00* So thank you all very much for listening to this fine episode of the Max Frequency Podcast, and until next time, adios *00:00* Yeah, recently rebranded from GamePur. *00:00* And then three hours later it just happened after I logged off for the day. *00:00* The next day our numbers were still the same. *00:00* I like the logo a lot. *00:00* Wait, was your mascot really the boomer? *00:00* I looked uh at the like author page. *00:00* I've got that. *00:00* was part of the conversation. *00:00* And but you still write guides and you d Yes. *00:00* Dang, does he just only edit? *00:00* um called Wiki Stories, just kind of chronicling my time writing freelance guides for IGN, which is what I ended up doing. *00:00* There was like two months where they were trying to get someone else to be the evening editor who's actually now the Australian editor. *00:00* like six guides a day or whatever. *00:00* I did I think I did ten wikis in under a year at IGN in twenty twenty one. *00:00* Yeah, it's very hard to coordinate that kind of stuff, um, which makes it difficult for me as an editor now to really help with guides aside from the stuff that is super easy like sports, because *00:00* you know, I have I have to work most of my day editing, so I'm gonna be behind all of our guide writers and playing, so I can't, you know, you know what I mean? *00:00* doing the editing part of it and they're they're ten hours ahead of you because they've been playing it and writing on the f you know, in real time. *00:00* to get to the next boss, to write about the boss. *00:00* I could come through and do guides for that afterwards, but most likely it's better for me to push through the review and then hope we have guide writers coming in behind me. *00:00* Um because it's just hard to do both at the same time. *00:00* But that was like bad in terms of I didn't like it. *00:00* I mean he made me like make it s sound more which is true. *00:00* I do spend money in those games because I don't play a lot of other games. *00:00* Or you can spend money and it's your money. *00:00* the 2K NBA 2K twenty one two K twenty two review and guide at the same time at IGN because that was that was a lot. *00:00* And then uh Dan, Dan Stapleton, um, he made me take the part where I thought it was funny out of my review because he said people wouldn't like that. *00:00* And I'm sure that has haunted him for s ever since. *00:00* Um, but I was out there in twenty eighteen, I wanna say, and I got to visit the wiki team, Brendan, Miranda. *00:00* uh Casey and and John and Sam and other people there. *00:00* Toby and Andrew, but like just it's It does? *00:00* Like Doc Ock shows up is kind of the first thing. *00:00* uh why I thought Iron Man three was a really great movie. *00:00* She was like, they are so lazy that they are just doing the same thing with the same actor fifty you know, fifteen years later or whatever. *00:00* And it turned out there was. *00:00* Um and so yeah, obviously it's there has to be traffic there. *00:00* When they wanted guides for Diablo 2 Resurrected, they knew that I played that game a lot. *00:00* Do you m you want me to write guides for a game that came out in 2000 and 2001? *00:00* Seven years, you know, like God of War and Red Dead 2 and Zelda and stuff. *00:00* especially when it came out that like they ended up retroactively comp but up front I was only hired for that four hundred dollar cap and then yeah *00:00* I put 174 hours into The Witcher. *00:00* that was not hard at all. *00:00* guides editor whose focus and this is why I applied I didn't I didn't apply because I I don't like my job but I applied because it's like very much up my alley *00:00* But the focus of this new editor is to do live content, which is something they like had just started to dabble with when I was there, which is *00:00* Kind of wild to me that it's this far. *00:00* And then they had me stick around to do the first month of uh live content. *00:00* is these more one-off articles of like how to do X or here's what's new in FIFA. *00:00* with also letting taking in like form style post where people could contribute, just kind of merging those two together. *00:00* you can branch off it too. *00:00* So I don't know what the perfect solution is, but I wish there was one because if there was a way to, I don't know. *00:00* On still on GameFax? *00:00* I know. *00:00* It's probably the most consistent thing I've ever done on the internet. *00:00* Oh, I love 'em. *00:00* Oh wow, okay. *00:00* And no editor was looking at it. *00:00* I'm gonna link this in the show notes. *00:00* You know, one of the things you brought up a lot, which I think makes sense because A, it's what you seem to like the most, and B, you've also done a lot of work on is these sports games. *00:00* So what it is is I don't know if you've ever played FIFA's ultimate team. *00:00* All those players are represented by cards, right? *00:00* progress and play against theoretically you can get better at the game and play against tougher com opposition in the form of either the computer or more likely against other humans online. *00:00* So you've either like packed them out of packs that you get for rewards or you spent money and you bought packs. *00:00* And those come out almost every single day. *00:00* Um and then also there's some that are like objectives in gameplay, so it'll be like you have to score so many goals and fortunately for guide makers, none of these sports games do a good job of *00:00* And so, you know, it's it's very, very simple and it's very, very easy if you know what you're doing. *00:00* in my personal opinion, the worst way of like rating cards. *00:00* I don't know. *00:00* It's just, it's absolutely ridiculous. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* The reason that they do it is because they make more money. *00:00* And then they're gonna, you know, they're gonna be better than you because they have better cards, um, which isn't always the case. *00:00* So I think that's the big like reason I why they couldn't just say, you know, okay, when the new season starts, which works really well in a basketball game. *00:00* It makes it would make sense not to have a yearly cycle, but in terms of the thing that makes them money, which is Ultimate Team for all of these sports games, even, you know, Madden, the show. *00:00* uh 2K, um FIFA, all though that's where they make all their money. *00:00* the people at FIFA at EA Sports at Visual Concepts and Sony S Sony San no yeah Sony San Diego how they like make *00:00* Like you can't make a better team now, you know. *00:00* Um, but yeah, I don't know how exactly that would work if they switched it over because like the power curves are already so weird and for different reasons, like wildly different reasons. *00:00* Yeah, that's kind of been looming. *00:00* Coming back as a game too? *00:00* FIFA is a great way to like you know play with those players I like. *00:00* Smack down a computer team 75 to 20 on the hardest difficulty because I've gotten that good at the game and I can be watching *00:00* I really hope. *00:00* Yeah, for for those folks, definitely. *00:00* The first one's a new essentials. *00:00* And like that's a sport game in the way. *00:00* Yeah, it's also weird how little it's talked about in the game press which it and it very much falls in that *00:00* Roblox style thing where like Roblox is massive, right? *00:00* They aren't playing it. *00:00* Started to watch like if if Jan started a Roblox stream or something and then they started watching that, they could get you you know you get so many more people onto whatever your product is. *00:00* So then you're almost having to sign talent which I imagine is in some ways like bringing commentators and stuff over for real sports. *00:00* I know right now uh a lot of rumors are swirling that the Sunday ticket for the NFL, the dish deal was up this year or something, and so it's been a bid war. *00:00* Um, we started season two, but then we just stopped. *00:00* Um that was actually his second that was they're both their second season. *00:00* That sounds like an expert to me. *00:00* Ron Meta his wife's last name or something like that. *00:00* Yeah, yes. *00:00* And then they vote out the t the the people on top, which I guess sorry, I'm spoiling a little bit of Survivor for you if you ever watch it. *00:00* Season 15. *00:00* Mm-hmm. *00:00* Yeah, yes, definitely. *00:00* So and that it's not really so much Rob that does that. *00:00* And that area is definitely rougher, um, which is like twenty-one to maybe twenty-four. *00:00* What it is is it's like this is in those uh fantasy things you've done. *00:00* And he is like finding so before him, the only way you'd find an idol is if you had a clue to it and then you could be like, oh, this is where it is. *00:00* Which are like model actors, like people who don't never watch Survivor before, but they're hot. *00:00* You have people like getting Beware advantages and now they don't have a vote until they say a secret phrase at before it before an event and then *00:00* When they when that person gets to the island, they get the chance to smash an hourglass. *00:00* Back to basics. *00:00* There's a big twist. *00:00* Um now I have to pull up a calculator and do it. *00:00* I feel like my personality doesn't really come through very well. *00:00* I tried hard, man. *00:00* That's wild that that one RA has had such an impact on your style of interview. *00:00* Mm-hmm. *00:00* Yeah, man, that'd be sweet. *00:00* You know, obviously one should be entertaining and like personable, but the really thing they they're looking for is someone that can narrate. *00:00* Part of it is like I am about to turn uh what year is it? *00:00* Uh so like it's you know that's my tweets for eating part as well as your consistency in working out. *00:00* That could turn unhealthy. *00:00* It's hard to like say very much about yourself in three minutes, you know? *00:00* in athletic clothes, running on the beach and going, I want a date. *00:00* an elementary school or middle school vocab test. *00:00* a snake. *00:00* I mean you I think people do that. *00:00* Maybe Jervis. *00:00* And so that doesn't need as much, I would assume, obviously I haven't gotten a call back yet, but I would assume doesn't need as much uh visuals um as some of the other people might *00:00* need. *00:00* Right, yeah. *00:00* Y'all might like the challenge more than Survivor. *00:00* Okay. *00:00* And Maddie is excited. *00:00* She is holding on to that rope with her neck. *00:00* And I think on NetGirl here, that's where we'll wrap up this episode. *00:00* uh uh one of our friends, Mike Michael Ruiz and I do a podcast um sometimes. *00:00* Like, I mean I came in here. *00:00* Hey, let's make a bracket about all the best backyard sports people. *00:00* Yeah, and some reviews. *00:00* Um and we'll announce that soon ish, I believe, so we're getting ready to plug away. *00:00* Normal human hours are very, very good. *00:00* In like not the middle of the night, but kind of the middle of the night. *00:00* Without knowing exactly how much I'm allowed to say, I'll just say that our company is technically based in Australia. *00:00* And them wanting to make sure all the traffic transfers over so we don't lose ad revenue. *00:00* I'll say this. *00:00* by being the top Call of Duty Double XP weekend article, that would be, you know, kind of double layer there. *00:00* If you just type in double XP into Google, uh it's Call of Duty, Call of Duty, Call of Duty, Call of Duty. *00:00* As you probably know, Max and people out there, there is the Oklahoma University, the home of the Sooners. *00:00* After cheaters, which makes sense given who they are. *00:00* If you look at the masthead on the site, you've got Chris up top, Chris Compendio. *00:00* That's true, yeah. *00:00* I thought maybe some some guides. *00:00* And so when he but because when he has stuff to do, I just come in and write guides. *00:00* And that was because he was like focused on the show. *00:00* Um, so it's y even those are way different than what you would do in like I think I read your Witcher 3 thing recently, and I have done big games like Wit well, I shouldn't say big games, big games in terms of content, not maybe in terms of like *00:00* And it took like five or six times as long. *00:00* balance all that stuff out um yeah in real time. *00:00* Uh but if I'm gonna have like have an hour, I'll probably end up playing a sports game. *00:00* tries to have that kind of balance as good as possible, especially after the whole um not it's related to microtransactions, but the whole too much water thing, which was his call. *00:00* think Iron Man 3 is the best MCU movie. *00:00* So you get I got paid, you know, the standard rate, at least at the time, five hundred bucks to grind through that atrocity. *00:00* 250 bucks an episode for a telltale game and that takes a couple hours to like play through and then write about it. *00:00* And think about how much time you're gonna spend because when I did like okay, so the rates are higher now at IGN. *00:00* Is once you get in, which can be, you know, there's lots of ways you can get into it, right? *00:00* The so the way it works now is until they know you and like what you're good at and what your interests are, is they'll send out a feeler every once in a while and be like, hey, I need someone to do this and such and such game, and then you say, oh, I'd like to do that. *00:00* And in my opinion, for for how much they pay, which is not it's not bad for most games, but if if they were like, hey, I need someone to do *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Because you could like the Witcher. *00:00* Then I kept working on stuff and they were like, we'll give you more money, I guess. *00:00* I think my PS4 says I put like a hundred I have it right here. *00:00* Um, one in twenty sixteen, Sam approached me to write about McDonald's Monopoly *00:00* Like the one where you'd go to the restaurant and peel off the cups and fries and stuff and play Monopoly. *00:00* One thing that I am really interested about IGN, and this is very specific to them, but I know this because I applied for this job and did not get it, is they just hired, and I don't know who it is, but they just hired a new *00:00* The guide. *00:00* And they might have somebody on Genshin. *00:00* doing this type of work, but it was never what I was working on. *00:00* But I think that's the the big thing because you're generating more pages, which could then generate more clicks, more eyes, you're bouncing around. *00:00* You know, that's something that could be nice on the weekend or whatever. *00:00* Yeah, definitely. *00:00* of that time. *00:00* Uh I'll tell you later, Ricky, what the game is. *00:00* Oh, you're killing it. *00:00* That's gotta be you've gotta be on top of that game. *00:00* is you start and you have your club and there you have you know 11 players, I don't know how many players, 18 players in your team. *00:00* giving you that data while you're in the game. *00:00* In my head, every day, I'm like, it's ten o'clock, I have to go check MBA. *00:00* They did they well, I mean, they don't end until the next one comes out, but then the next one starts. *00:00* That will if you do certain things with them, they will evolve into a higher rated player. *00:00* Okay, so it is what you're the first thing you said. *00:00* Block this whatever, you know, you keep track of it because the game apparently doesn't communicate that very well. *00:00* That's what they call it, and you gotta use their jargon. *00:00* Does that make sense or is that not what the players want at all? *00:00* So or at least a year. *00:00* the game happen because that whole power curve thing is such a very delicate balance and they have look like 2K has completely ruined their power curve this year. *00:00* People are way too good, way too early, and it is like that game is dying a little bit right now because people are so bored uh in terms of *00:00* I think yeah, I remember something about them losing that license. *00:00* I really like soccer. *00:00* It's gonna be d gross how much money I spent on that game. *00:00* Game Pass. *00:00* I guess in the game. *00:00* And don't have to spend extra money. *00:00* They are so 2K does one sale on what they call virtual currency. *00:00* Uh it will be the show, they call their Stubs. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Touched. *00:00* And I understand that racing in that particular game is wildly different than what you're doing in FIFA or the show or Madden. *00:00* You're buying packs, which are loot boxes essentially, and players building teams like you were talking about. *00:00* Like how many gigantic audiences we just don't have a way to meet from the Games Press side of things where *00:00* You know, if you could get like just because I use them, I'll use Giant Bomb as an example, but if you could get like a small small percent of Roblox players *00:00* You know, if there was a way to do it, but it's hard, you know, and same with sports, like you could get a ton of people watching your stuff, but the problem is *00:00* uh Ty Debo to be the NBA 2K22 guy at IGN. *00:00* Where uh I play your manager and tell you like get you the players and tell you what to do before the game, but then when it starts I can't *00:00* Hands are off. *00:00* my parents and their friends being into it whenever Boston Robb was around the first time. *00:00* They fell in love on the show. *00:00* That's ever been on the show. *00:00* But and like a lot of the big moments, but to know every s like that's a real expert, you know what I mean? *00:00* W it's first or second best show on TV, in my opinion. *00:00* Uh, but they're both very, very good. *00:00* the Big Bang Theory. *00:00* I wouldn't be surprised if we get even more Survivor. *00:00* Oh my gosh, I can't remember his real his first name. *00:00* Usually. *00:00* It's like uh Chris Katan was on there. *00:00* This mind game where they're really messing with each other in kind of a I you correct me if I'm wrong, but like a backstabby, manipulative *00:00* hardcore it is mental and physical, you know, all the all the way through or whatever. *00:00* They're friends in real life and then they turn on each other in a very dramatic way and uh it gets really nasty and gross and then *00:00* He can see that if he goes to a certain place, more camera people are following him because they know the idol is close, so he might find it. *00:00* make stuff happen that wouldn't happen before. *00:00* And then kind of from there it just like it's off like a rocket. *00:00* They have definitely gone really far in terms of how many twists they add to the game. *00:00* And so Jeff is like, all right guys, you're perfectly safe. *00:00* Jeff and his team get a little too cute with it. *00:00* for this period of time. *00:00* So I want to watch more. *00:00* She she's a teacher, so she won't be working in the summer, so maybe possibly, who knows? *00:00* How how does one e is it like other shows where you just send in an audition tape and you get selected? *00:00* Oh yeah, I've think I've applied four times now. *00:00* Uh double XP, when they technic when they interviewed me, uh, even though they'd already known me for nine months to do the uh full-time position, uh I've shown up in a suit to every other job interview. *00:00* It's true. *00:00* Well, okay, so apply now for season 43. *00:00* Uh this is okay, so here's how I'm thinking of it. *00:00* You have to sell yourself to a network in three minutes. *00:00* So that would be fun to do someday. *00:00* They don't have like they're not on like a beach or anything, you know. *00:00* So this clip where the girls are like in shock and Maddie d delayed delayedly? *00:00* That's awesome. *00:00* Where where can the people find you on the internet? *00:00* In a fun way usually. *00:00* And I could not believe it was Sackboy, right? *00:00* in the PlayStation. *00:00* all most of last year. *00:00* That makes more sense. *00:00* An unfortunate new context. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Private message. *00:00* a particular season of that uh Mario Kart live. *00:00* It's changed completely. *00:00* popularity uh as a wiki. *00:00* Um, I actually like the wiki style more in some respects than what we do, which is like *00:00* You know, so on a wiki you you're doing everything, right? *00:00* Right. *00:00* If I'm trying to guide this game or help guide this game and there's multiple people doing it, then what if we're all working on the same thing we don't know about it? *00:00* Isn't is gonna be is gonna bring in traffic and people are gonna search. *00:00* Random RNG map and fog and survival and monsters and a really terrible story. *00:00* apply or what you know, there's lots of voices. *00:00* But if you if you're into Elden Ring, which obviously this is over now, but if you're at Elden Ring, you could write, you know, you can make a month's worth of money in a week if you wanted to, you know, because it's just like free reign to go. *00:00* Okay. *00:00* Uh you know, that's just play. *00:00* Some of that stuff I worked Black Friday for them one year. *00:00* all the new FIFA stuff that happens every single day of the week almost. *00:00* It's hard to you can't link to all those other stuff right now. *00:00* They are so detailed and so like they go so in depth and tell you exactly where you need to go, exactly what you need to do. *00:00* I go here for cheats and guides because I feel like these kind of capture the spirit. *00:00* When it comes out, and you have to know like the format that it needs to be in, right? *00:00* Over time, you're going to get better players, new cards that take up those uh spots, right? *00:00* Do you do you just have like pen and paper next to you to keep track of this stuff? *00:00* Okay, so do you mean when I'm writing the article or when I'm playing myself? *00:00* Uh but in NBA it goes from gold to emerald to sapphire to Ruban. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* But if there is, I will now use that joke because I hadn't even thought about it. *00:00* And like I think the players think it's a good idea, and I think they're probably wrong. *00:00* based on what they've been doing in the game to change things up. *00:00* Uh you know, so that's coming out and then EA's head EA play. *00:00* I wonder if the sports developers and publishers are are looking to or will look to integrate into that model. *00:00* personally is M will be the show is on Game Pass. *00:00* Minecraft would fall in there. *00:00* I mean we do Roblox guides all the time. *00:00* That's probably the wild thing. *00:00* But it's so I imagine it's probably a similar mentality there of well if we want to do a show about, you know, two K Live or whatever *00:00* existed but didn't wasn't as big as it seems to actually be. *00:00* But I guess it's Logan was telling me the other day if they're like on season 40 something. *00:00* He in this I don't even know what the lady's name is. *00:00* What's that show called? *00:00* You weren't gonna go work with the other people that weren't in your alliance. *00:00* Isn't apparently at some point this show, Survivor, goes crazy like flips a switch and becomes this *00:00* Dude just like walks out into the the onto the beach and like hunts for him. *00:00* By the time you're in season thirty, all the people watching, you know, have kind of like grown up with the show. *00:00* Two other people from it have to have secret phrases. *00:00* Uh borderline sexual harass. *00:00* It's it seems pretty actually engaging and exciting in a in a game sort of way. *00:00* I mean really since I started watching, which was season 25, Karamoan. *00:00* Looking at the whole list of it. *00:00* I'm bad at math, but seven divided by forty-two, that's I mean that's below twenty-five percent. *00:00* Did not work. *00:00* That makes me sound very I work out every day and like you know can lift regular with your workout. *00:00* Uh you can do it that way. *00:00* So I'm picturing survivor application videos in the same way where it's showing you doing survivor stuff while you also talk about yourself. *00:00* Um, and like it's very different. *00:00* And unfortunately, I would guess that like geeky, nerdy, maybe funny white guy is probably the person they get the most applications from. *00:00* My other before we go, I remembered that I sent this in chat unsolicited. *00:00* And basically, so the way Survivor works is you're split into tribes, right? *00:00* The other tribe is coming in to that challenge. *00:00* Is that the high school slogan? *00:00* smart, funny kids there. *00:00* I guess so. *00:00* Oh, there's no hyphen. *00:00* Um but that that stuff doesn't matter. *00:00* You would get a guide that is how to fight market, um where to find such and such item *00:00* uh I would just go behind them and do guides of like where to find certain items or where to like crafting materials or you know uh cookbooks or stuff like that that *00:00* I I don't remember how old I was, early twenties, whatever that may have been. *00:00* probably most of my life. *00:00* And for for anybody that wants to get into writing guides, you definitely need to think about it. *00:00* uh months after that game came out and I was like, why would we write like people already how are we gonna track on this? *00:00* I should have this Tech Raptor. *00:00* Like, especially if you're a sports person, um I found I did a bunch of *00:00* But I think at the time, and again it could be different now, it sounds like at least they pay more, but like the the scale there for some games to others is just whack. *00:00* It a guide wiki guides are just the digital version and version of the paper guides. *00:00* Comforting and the other part is super frustrating because how did anyone beat games like this because some you know this is some other guy or kid who was in their basement writing this stuff in a text editor? *00:00* Yeah, okay, so here's the the secret. *00:00* Oh yeah. *00:00* Yeah, I don't know if I would say do I like them the most? *00:00* better than my own schedule. *00:00* Yeah, it's sports games are very easy to cover, but also no one wants to cover them. *00:00* Kind of. *00:00* And no one calls them that. *00:00* Uh there's not been. *00:00* Why isn't it just a service at this point? *00:00* I think that the players think that's what they want. *00:00* I don't know if people see me again. *00:00* That was one of the best video games, not sports games, those are one of the best video games ever made. *00:00* Madden has been is in the worst place it's ever been and it's not even close. *00:00* uh these services just I think Grand Theft Auto just launched one, which is wild, but they just did that. *00:00* the new season, new game has started and that existed on Game Pass for a year. *00:00* That I find that it's such an interesting realm in the games industry that I have never *00:00* I would be terrible at this. *00:00* Okay. *00:00* Than most other shows. *00:00* Wow, that's crazy. *00:00* There was a like so you'll remember in season one there was an alliance, but like if you were on the bottom of the alliance *00:00* So it's just gonna evolve in that way too where people are gonna say, oh, I would have done this instead of that. *00:00* You know, I'm not actually, so maybe that's what the change I'll make. *00:00* So it's not so much like one way to be. *00:00* Which I think only is similar to Survivor in the sense of it is a reality TV show. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Um, but yeah, that that pod yeah, that podcast is called Bantam Banter, uh named after a bar in the Yakuza series. *00:00* You don't exist. *00:00* And that was one of those like, look, I love the IG and Wiki team. *00:00* uh best build for such and such class. *00:00* And so it I was like, oh, this isn't really that big of an issue because you either don't spend the money and you can still have a fine, you know, you still be good at the game. *00:00* A good year, like twenty eighteen, or was it right before God of War? *00:00* If you're going like if you're going in and you want to do okay, so I don't know how it used to work when you did it, but the way it works now *00:00* God of War Ragnarok, uh I'd say someone full time needs to do that. *00:00* probably three thousand hours in as a middle school student. *00:00* place so to speak, but search is the way people navigate the internet. *00:00* We have all of this content for this one thing. *00:00* That would be great. *00:00* In 2K22 cards begin as a gold card. *00:00* If you have to plan your power curve, so you know, you start out with the low-level teams and then by the end of the season you have these like God tier dis everyone has disgusting teams whether they paid money or not. *00:00* In the age that we seem to be in with the console and other big publishers and developers, this age of streaming, where everyone has a streaming service. *00:00* As anyone could have predicted, MLB the show 21 left Game Pass right when 22 came out. *00:00* what I would say better value for your money than something like FIFA, but also if you want to spend more money, it's not as expensive. *00:00* You know, searching like how do I I don't even know what you do in Robux besides build games and play games. *00:00* We would need talent that people would want to come watch to bring that in. *00:00* Unless you just want to bring me in to do it and then you know let's do it. *00:00* 'Cause you're my exposure to it. *00:00* So I guess where to start? *00:00* Entertaining, so it has like a very dedicated core audience, but then even more than that, it is cheap to produce compared to other TV shows. *00:00* almost casual about their alliances in a way. *00:00* happen. *00:00* idols. *00:00* Like almost skippable, I will say, because of how uh gross it is. *00:00* So that's 'cause I wanna watch the show. *00:00* A few times I've done shows with you in the past, you've talked about how you will be on Survivor someday. *00:00* This is so dumb. *00:00* We will be taping season 43 between mid-May of 22 and early July of 22. *00:00* I'm I'm already in the forty-five-forty-six cycle mindset. *00:00* Just it's um schlock. *00:00* Well, I wish you the very best with your ab journey and I'm excited to see you on Survivor someday. *00:00* A lot of people's least favorite Survivor seasons. *00:00* Episode eleven, which has our friend Logan Moore on it. *00:00* So that's the history behind our name. *00:00* F R E S. *00:00* Basically, when did that happen? *00:00* The premise. *00:00* Because you're you're limited there uh in some ways because you there's it's not I think it can be a negotiation, but usually it's a base fee. *00:00* It will be the show stuff for them last year. *00:00* I do think just like the IGN has always treated me good uh when I was working for them. *00:00* I'd probably say half-ish of the guides. *00:00* That's that's not a good hourly rate of just playtime. *00:00* It's those darn referral codes. *00:00* Uh would be good because I mean look I know from experience and being able to look at the numbers that there is money in putting out guides about *00:00* It's crazy. *00:00* Yeah, except for trading cards are real and you know they don't go away at the end of the year. *00:00* And then like what would they do with those old cards? *00:00* I I don't think it would work, but people seem to think it's gonna be a thing. *00:00* Never mind. *00:00* It's different in that way, but I do it's such a big chunk of the market that I'm fascinated by people that play it and like what hooks it in, like gets their hooks in there. *00:00* Is, you know, a lot of people in Games Press don't care about that stuff. *00:00* One of the most despicable human beings you you'll ever see. *00:00* And does not make survivor production look very good. *00:00* It's crazy how the mind works. *00:00* surprised in a negative way, like I can't believe whatever just happened happened. *00:00* I'm gonna find it. *00:00* Where they got their name from is when they did the Oklahoma land run way back when there were people who crossed the line early and basically stole property from other people. *00:00* That let's say a hundred and twenty of those hours, hundred and forty was just the base game, that was only nine hundred bucks *00:00* 50 45 inch TV right up here. *00:00* It doesn't make any sense. *00:00* But yeah, it's just so lame. *00:00* The power curve has gotten a little too strong this year. *00:00* uh fantasy survivor drafts that you've done over on Bantam Banter. *00:00* I'm looking at this now. *00:00* Like a I guess a game than a social experiment is uh Samoa, which is season 19, which is a guy named Russell Hance comes on there, and he is just *00:00* You get what I was going for. *00:00* That you don't really get anywhere else. *00:00* Yeah, IGN's audience probably is more on the microtransactions are terrible. *00:00* Oh my, oh my. *00:00* So there are things called squad building challenges. *00:00* I I apologize because you're getting really into this. *00:00* So why so these games are like live for a year or whatever, or really they they have a dev cycle of eight, nine months or something, and then why *00:00* The hourglass twist. *00:00* Over a weekend. *00:00* Maybe for Witcher 3 it probably wouldn't be the whole wiki. *00:00* The you talking about Neo the World Ends With You though reminded me of my one of my really terrible wiki experiences, which was coming off *00:00* Ruby, Amethyst, Diamond, Pink Diamond, Galaxy Opal, and finally, when you hit level ninety-nine, you are a dark matter. *00:00* Honestly, the closest probably is Grand Turismo 7. *00:00* So is this hosted by the same Oh no, you said it wasn't hosted by that guy, but it's they don't win money for themselves, do they? *00:00* Sean wasn't going with Jervis to go flip on, you know, Rich and uh Sue and all them. *00:00* At being entertaining when I don't have someone else to talk to. *00:00* So that's I don't know, it's weird what gets accepted because sometimes it's just like people talking. *00:00* Because you know, they they have a roster in their mind of like, this is what we're going for this season. *00:00* Because it's iconic. *00:00* We'll talk about Survivor later, I think, but I got that in my contract that I'm allowed to write about Survivor for other sites. *00:00* It'll be in the top. *00:00* Um so like we they operate on different levels, but uh the reason I like the way we do it where you get paid per guide is it takes off that cap, that monetary cap. *00:00* Buzzfeed like in a way. *00:00* I don't know. *00:00* Okay. *00:00* So it has like ex-pro athletes and the host it's hosted by Mara Ronello, who used to be on WWE Commentary and does a bunch of like UFC and fighting events. *00:00* But, you know, maybe that's I mean I've tried both ways to be fair. *00:00* No, you're second on the masthead. *00:01* Well let's I wanna talk all right. *00:01* Um well I know Fortnite they had people on. *00:01* They're so good. *00:01* I think in Celebrity Big Brother they play for money for themselves, which is weird. *00:01* And multiply by that's only sixteen percent. *00:01* It has a big smile with a delay. *00:01* So what we would do, so like Elder Ring is really good example right now for us, because Elder Ring was massive. *00:01* FIFA suddenly teaching you, or MBA, whichever one that was, suddenly teaching you how to talk to people that you're interested in possibly dating and getting better at their sport video game. *00:01* And we're on 23 or 24 now, Mike, or Max. *00:01* Amazing. *00:01* I'm gonna be on the show. *00:01* No, you don't. *00:01* And they're doing on GameFacts. *00:01* Every I didn't know there were still GameFax fans out there. *00:01* European seasons, so like Premier League, Ser Serie A, League Un, uh the Bundesliga, all those are gonna end in like the middle of May, whereas the MLS goes through the summer, right? *00:01* Yeah. *00:01* It's all as well. *00:01* Um, so there's like you can kind of look at various eras of Survivor and kind of where *00:01* You have an amulet that three people get one of them and if three people are there and you all use it together you can steal a vote. *00:01* Also, he that man, that dude, okay, it's for an RA position at a small state school. *00:01* But th those show application videos in the initial episode. *00:01* Like I feel like Jervis is probably gonna be shirtless, you know, or like you know, someone someone who is good looking is probably gonna wanna show that off. *00:01* So you know, there's a tons of routes in uh to becoming an an a freelance guide writer, at least at IGN for our experience. *00:01* And it just it takes me back seeing these like ASCII art, um, you know, walkthroughs and facts and stuff. *00:01* My reflexes aren't what they used to be. *00:01* I mean I guess not back to basics. *00:01* I'm gonna this is just a twist spoiler. *00:01* If you t there's probably drinking games for s uh Bachelor that involve, you know, every time someone's called a snake, you take a shot and people have probably ended up in the hospital. *00:01* So that was so good. *00:01* Associate editor, you know. *00:01* And I mean I I don't know, I go back and forth. *00:01* It's just very like it'd be very confusing because you'd either have a super long power curve that wouldn't piss people off or you would make people you would like do the forced reset. *00:01* Now we've got PlayStation Plus Ultimate. *00:01* So they're almost they're probably making even more money. *00:01* There's some of it in season one, which is all I'm familiar with, but it sounds like it goes to another level at some point and becomes the show that I think is on now essentially. *00:01* We'll just be like, oh, it's a Saturday. *00:01* We we do it just for fun, so it's not like we're trying to make it a thing. *00:01* Right. *00:01* Uh his name's uh Rob Sisternino. *00:01* So I think you know you brought up Boston Rob earlier. *00:01* Because it is it's it's iconic. *00:01* Fine and dandy. *00:01* Which I would have paid anything to be there and have my mom flip out that Doc Ock returned. *00:01* And there's other w sites that work similarly to us, like uh tech rap tech radar. *00:01* It's one topic spread across so many different pages of writers and articles. *00:01* Is it like uh a rookie Michael Jordan that will evolve into pro Michael Jordan? *00:01* That's interesting. *00:01* I tried hard. *00:01* Huh. *00:01* Which is totally fine. *00:01* And some reviews like the Kirby. *00:01* I mean that's like sort of true because you know there's obviously people above Chris, like our site is part of a bigger conglomerate of sites. *00:01* I said the game is bad. *00:01* It's so stupid, but it's what that's what they do. *00:01* I don't know. *00:01* FIFA's perfect for that. *00:01* Yeah, yeah. *00:01* You don't have to worry about getting voted out first of the merge. *00:01* I like the name double XP more than Game Per. *00:01* He's very good at it. *00:01* Like so that ratio is way higher than something like the Witcher is time money investment stuff. *00:01* I watch soccer way more than any other sport. *00:01* The I think I paid for NCW 14, which is the last one they made, and somehow I lost my copy. *00:01* Uh having never seen an application video for Survivor, I imagine it involves showing off some of your physical activity as well as your personality. *00:01* I've been writing I think you're one of maybe four subscribers, but I've been writing a newsletter for I think ten weeks now. *00:01* And sometimes I get the green light for that. *00:01* There's so much more to do in that game than other games. *00:01* Yeah, except for a couple. *00:01* It's the middle daughter in Full House. *00:01* The Real Housewives were on there. *00:01* Um Marquesis is actually the first time that happens where the people on the bottom of an alliance flip to the other tribe. *00:01* So it's very exciting to be back in the podcast rotation. *00:01* And then I realized, oh yes, he's an editor. *00:01* I wrote uh thirty-five guides two weeks ago because I get a four oh four. *00:01* It has her on it and other like B or C list celebrities. *00:01* I have Paramount Plus right now for Halo, which I've watched all of one episode, and I didn't think it was that great. *00:01* I mean you could just upload a video to their Okay, they have a thing you can just send it to. *00:01* What's the URL? *00:01* I would be so bad. *00:01* Like the Big Bang Theory is probably like ten times more expensive than Survivor. *00:01* Okay. *00:01* She is it purple rope? *00:01* Yeah. *00:02* I would think it's is pretty high. *00:02* It's w it was one of the easiest. *00:02* Everyone like so if it's a dark matter, of course everyone just shortens it, so it's just DM or a galaxy opal is geo, right? *00:02* So it's not gonna be as exciting and it might feel even more pay to win because then you know people are gonna go buy the good players if they can. *00:02* You're the coach on the sideline yelling at me. *00:02* And then went to our Slack and they're like, uh, it happened, I guess. *00:02* No, mine is here. *00:02* I think the whole I feel like the whole scene on some level has changed in the past three years to whatever extent. *00:02* And it happened to be a massive week for both of those games too. *00:02* I feel like those are the two, but it seemed like they were trying to dip into sports some more and some other stuff like that. *00:02* Absolutely. *00:02* I could see that. *00:02* I will though probably, but I don't know if there's been a so we don't write about cards that go into packs. *00:02* This is survivor related. *00:02* I don't have to be completely checked in. *00:02* Kids were are were playing Minecraft. *00:02* I'm gonna say game per multiple times, but I'll try my hardest to say double XP. *00:02* I did, and you know, I think I'm the only person in the world who thought that was funny because it was so stupid. *00:02* And so I just go check everything that's happening. *00:02* Because you're already at the top. *00:02* It was oh and he came in second and then proposed live when they gave her like a million bucks or whatever. *00:02* I mean, I will say m there's prob I would probably call like seven seasons of Survivor bad. *00:02* And I will say my first few videos were bad, like a really bad. *00:02* So it's tough to think of a way to stand out, except for maybe like if I have abs. *00:02* Max has shown notes. *00:02* Crazy ridiculous. *00:02* Uh but anyway, so I really I'm just supposed to be editing, but like there's another guy on our staff who's also full time, who's like the sports guy. *00:02* So and you know, rightfully so, he was like, no, we need to call this out that it's bad. *00:02* And then there's all the editing, the writing, the uploading. *00:02* It's so and you can find different levels of commitment or dedication to it, and people are knocking it out of the park. *00:02* Yes. *00:02* Um well if you're if you're anything like my wife and I, we will sometimes binge an entire season in a day. *00:02* I was like, man, you did so much good for us. *00:02* Yeah, for sure. *00:02* And maybe I can convince Abby to start it back up with me. *00:02* It I know it, you know, I think a lot of people know it. *00:02* Um but yeah. *00:02* I have uh I've been on one episode of that show that I don't think is live yet. *00:02* Yeah, it's all very weird right now, and I'm not quite sure like what the path forward is. *00:02* Yes. *00:02* You know what I mean? *00:02* I shouldn't even say borderline. *00:02* Probably, yeah. *00:02* You know, you can click on an author's name and take the other articles. *00:02* That can't be true. *00:02* And then you are you kinda know what's gonna come up in the game too. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* That's it doesn't matter because it doesn't exist and never will. *00:02* That'd have been cool. *00:02* The reason that you could say for like an ultimate team having a a new version every year is *00:02* 2K is a little different. *00:02* But yeah, it's it's cre it is kind of wild how many things in this industry are not. *00:02* No. *00:02* Uh but it has um Mike Singletary and Ray Lewis and um uh oh his name is no longer Meta World Peace. *00:02* Sure. *00:02* Okay. *00:02* I'm gonna g stick with that. *00:02* Oh yeah, okay someone else had a hyphen, so I assumed that was the style. *00:02* Now I was compensated later for Witcher work because I kept doing work for it. *00:02* But it's an older one where it definitely has game fact pages. *00:02* So like there's a thing in FIFA, which is it's the best the best and easiest example. *00:02* But FIFA makes way more money, so you know, I don't know. *00:02* They might be right now because of the Kim Kardashian thing. *00:02* This beyond the edge thing. *00:02* I will say it's not as bad, but it's still annoying. *00:02* It was a real I was like, why did I do this? *00:02* Like you just don't like you don't want that to be the reason again, you know? *00:02* But how many do they pick in the end? *00:02* What would you like to plug? *00:02* Yes. *00:02* I did work I worked in wikis for free. *00:02* Right. *00:02* Essential, ultimate. *00:02* And this is one of those times. *00:02* You are going to be on the show. *00:02* He is the associate editor over there and writes lots of guides when other people aren't, or he doesn't have something to edit. *00:02* How are you, sir? *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* It's so lame. *00:02* I haven't even done the GT sport stuff in the game yet. *00:02* And they're both, you know, very entertaining and they're always different. *00:02* It was the basics. *00:02* But yeah, it is there is there's so much stuff in the game and like some people don't like it. *00:02* And so what happened is at the merge, instead of merging, they put them in two teams, right? *00:02* And that was like part of the reason he didn't hire me was I didn't show up in a suit. *00:02* I'm if I don't do it now, it's never gonna happen because I'm gonna get too old. *00:02* As long as as long as like you and like just normal health goal, like I've never had abs before, why not? *00:02* There is a vocab box and you have to use all the words and fill in the blanks and you know, I believe in the process and true love and all this other, you know *00:02* So that was like the perfect storm, you know? *00:02* Um, but I still stand by it. *00:02* It's gotta track with your actual ad revenue and like where you're getting money in to pay them. *00:02* Tech Raptor is very similar. *00:02* GameFacts. *00:02* This is cool. *00:02* But you're going to put in the little players, the little cards, wherever, you know, in the right order, in the right place. *00:02* So they're like, you know, we've gone to the drawing board. *00:02* So I used to be a teacher, much like your wife, although I taught PE and was our athletic director. *00:02* I mean I will say I told you when you were scheduling this podcast that I'm uh currently on a diet, and part of the reason I'm losing weight is I mean, well I one, I'm not like overweight, but *00:02* Like a lot of it depends on you too. *00:02* Um, this is a guy whose name is Maddie. *00:02* Yeah, that was yes. *00:02* I bet I would think the kids there now. *00:02* What am I missing? *00:02* I don't know. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* Because that's what people are searching for. *00:02* There hasn't been one in rewards. *00:02* I'll just quit my job and become a streamer. *00:02* Okay obviously it should go without saying that I think Survivor is one of the *00:02* Let's watch all of Tokenchins again. *00:02* Um but it's the one of the episodes, the PlayStation Island episode, Bantam Banter. *00:02* That happened in the middle of the night with all they were like, this could happen anytime in the next 48 hours. *00:02* Yeah, okay, so I'll give you okay, so I know that's funny now, but let me give you the history lesson behind why it's the boomers. *00:02* You'd probably do like the main story or you'd do the side quests or whatever. *00:02* Not so much the like clickbait look at all of our pictures, BuzzFeed signature style, but the *00:02* Oh, okay. *00:02* And so they have like their little card art and blah blah blah. *00:02* I mean he like gets the ball rolling, but it's really other people that do it. *00:02* But then really where you get to like the game where it turns it really becomes more of a *00:02* I've I have, I'm not gonna send it to you, but I have a a Reddit thread of like every successful video that's been posted publicly. *00:02* He sees an opportunity. *00:02* It's pretty cool. *00:02* Um I thought maybe the guides that you had told me you wrote the other day were for a different site. *00:02* I was a on a some form of a team where a full-time person was there, which was always good. *00:02* You know, it's 2022 and they're they so I think I don't know if I was the first person, but they brought me into I did the fourths of five guide, the full guide. *00:02* Those are out of your club, they're don't exist anymore, and you get something new. *00:02* And I've never I hate it because I hate writing in my articles Galaxy Opal and Pink Diamond, because it seems so stupid, but *00:02* But then it's weird because, you know, like I would say I'm an expert at sports games, but when I listen to people who podcast about Survivor who know, I mean, I watched a guy, he's been on the show too. *00:02* And that to me is insane. *00:02* It's not gonna be a big spoiler, but in season forty one, right? *00:02* Um so that's the that's that's always been an issue with like even with job applications of like *00:02* Um also, and it has a lot of seasons available on Paramount Plus as well. *00:02* Yeah, I think everything is much better than how it used to be. *00:03* You know. *00:03* Hold on. *00:03* And that was all right. *00:03* Yeah, yeah, yeah. *00:03* Huh. *00:03* Remember remember when YouTube promised that it would incorporate YouTube with Stadia? *00:03* Like, oh is this a good or bad thing? *00:03* Right. *00:03* Not because it wasn't interesting, but I think life got away from us and Survivor floated off in the sunset. *00:03* That's my favorite survivor gif you just shared. *00:03* They never played the sport before. *00:03* So it didn't matter that we were behind because we is IG in, you know what I mean? *00:03* So unless you're writing it down for yourself, which I do, uh a good thing to have is like have a guide open that has, you know, here's the objectives I have to do during this game to get this new thing in my game. *00:03* Because now I just feel bad for being a goofball. *00:03* Oh my gosh. *00:03* And they can, you know, see elephants and stuff. *00:03* It's been it's been a process because of them worried about rightfully so worried about how ad revenue would transfer over. *00:03* You know, you say, okay, Max, you're assigned to go do the Witcher 3 guide *00:03* I never did a review for IGN, but I did other projects for them or things that had deadlines and you know, what can we promote this weekend and things like that. *00:03* I got I guess to segue naturally to kind of flow. *00:03* Would've been cool. *00:03* Okay. *00:03* So my other question *00:03* Uh speaking of your job, your your associate editor man over at Double XP *00:03* So I did the all the side quests and everything for Neo The World Ends With You. *00:03* I ended up with that one. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* And like FIFA's messed up the so they have like the transfer market where you can buy and sell players. *00:03* And part of that might be that they're worried about legislation coming out about loot boxes. *00:03* Oh my god. *00:03* It makes you you know it makes you feel cool. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* Is the show Survivor. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* So good. *00:03* And then next to you, the international editor and the features editor, dude, you're you're second in on the list. *00:03* A bit because it would have been January. *00:03* It's which you probably know. *00:03* And I'd probably I'd probably still stand by that. *00:03* And it was great. *00:03* I don't know if you are a Yakuza fan. *00:03* I just thought I was like, uh, yakuzafuck. *00:03* I could teach you how to write sports game guides in probably five minutes, and you would be good to go. *00:03* I'm and I I'm sure you don't really care that much about it. *00:03* There's a a new NFT survivor game that is very shady that I saw the other day. *00:03* I don't really watch C N BA anymore. *00:03* Because it probably brings in a lot of traffic. *00:03* There's some sexual harassment in it that is kind of hard to watch. *00:03* Within the past Since we got married, probably a little bit into our marriage, so within the past five years, the bachelor has become a part of our lives. *00:03* So Maddie's tribe is already there. *00:03* That was so much fun. *00:03* net. *00:03* And I was like, what? *00:03* It all comes around, doesn't it? *00:03* I wanna save Survivor. *00:03* And so you can go write a guide and you're like, here are the requirements. *00:03* Even I think that's what I want. *00:03* I believe they're still married. *00:03* Like it was just like, oh, I they were almost people of their word to a degree. *00:03* Um yeah, that's not it's like up yeah, it's probably like forty-five to fifty-five percent. *00:03* Yeah, that can't be true. *00:03* You know, like they're all broken out into singular guides. *00:03* I did not win that argument, um, which I think is probably a sign that I was *00:03* That is insane. *00:03* But I want to point out that NBA 2K22 and WWE 2K22 has *00:03* I hate it. *00:03* And Stubbs go on sale all the time. *00:03* Meta Ronartest. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* Um that could be what you could start and then rip the suit. *00:03* Am I missing? *00:03* You know, I'm not just gonna let someone write 40 guides in a week because they want to. *00:03* Everyone already has like incredible players. *00:03* And that's something I I never played Grand Turismo before and I picked up the new one and I'm I'm totally hooked. *00:03* Like, to film a season of Survivor is not gonna cost the same as, you know, I don't know, what is *00:03* You almost would have to script it. *00:03* Or at least up there. *00:03* The boomers are the people who went on time, the time you're supposed to go. *00:03* Did I type your n Did you spell it French or did you spell it Frec with a K? *00:03* Yes. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* Like all all I know about Survivor is season one, what I've experienced with you in these fantasy things, and then I remember *00:03* Ooh. *00:03* You were just gonna hope you made it to the end, right? *00:03* Anything? *00:03* Like this is a real podcast. *00:03* He had at least two or three community idols. *00:03* And that's just playing. *00:03* Now that wasn't the five hundred dollar rate, that was purely traffic based, but *00:03* They are the best. *00:03* Oh I don't think NFTs would work, but I do think that a game company will try a sport game. *00:03* Um The other Is it fair to call it a sport? *00:03* Um I've seen every season at least three times. *00:03* Wow. *00:03* Okay. *00:03* And then two days later he's like, oh, just kidding, you're not safe. *00:03* But yeah, I think there's definitely eras. *00:03* It's a very good gift, yeah. *00:03* I'm good. *00:03* You know, those are those are stuff I probably I I don't know. *00:03* I've been going to Game Facts since I was in elementary school. *00:03* Like what would you like I get it from it makes sense from everything except for Ultimate Team standpoint. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* You know, just very simple. *00:03* Yeah, purple rope. *00:03* Like we just are like let's have a lot of people. *00:03* So your associate o editor over there, big time. *00:03* You apparently exclusively do them for double XP. *00:03* I did for a long time write guides for them. *00:03* Um and that's those guides that I'm talking about. *00:03* However, it's not gonna be the top of the mind for the guide rider who going through it because they're trying to push progression. *00:03* Like it's not like once it's out, you're done with it. *00:03* Are you keeping track of it on your phone in a no, or do you have an actual like article open on a laptop next to you that you're filling this out as you play a game of FIFA or something? *00:03* And when it's 10 o'clock on a Monday and I have two hours before I go to bed, I don't want to sit and play Yakuza. *00:03* Essential is like the baseline, I think. *00:03* But you don't hear like Giant Bomb doing a an hour on Roblox ever, even though they're not *00:03* Yeah, you would I mean you would hope so. *00:03* His first season, Marquesis, which is season four, uh, was the first time that *00:03* And uh he was not a fan of me as a as a freshman in college. *00:03* A delayed smile. *00:03* So then that meant all the NBA stuff still had to be covered, all the FIFA stuff had to be covered. *00:04* Sure. *00:04* And then somehow they would hire slash trusted me to like work on some of the biggest games in the last *00:04* It stuff's crazy. *00:04* Instead of one thing that covers all of this, one guide that *00:04* That is so neat. *00:04* Would have been super helpful if anyone used Stadia. *00:04* He's from he's on he's on two seasons. *00:04* There's a show, which you're obviously listening to now, so thank you very much. *00:04* Okay. *00:04* She actually apparently this is what they told me was through a fit. *00:04* Max. *00:04* See, look at me. *00:04* Something I knew it was weird. *00:04* Yeah, that's not bad. *00:04* So that would look good, right? *00:04* It's happening. *00:04* It's just fun, delicious slock to watch and just see people ruin their lives in the best way. *00:04* Because it is like the perfect mix of like that bad drama from The Bachelor and the competitive strategic part of Survivor. *00:04* You guys did a survivor style bracket of PlayStation characters. *00:04* Because there's so much to freaking do, right? *00:04* Have you have you made a slide into DM joke in any of your guides? *00:04* It kind of like it depends on how good the challenge is that season. *00:04* Do you like hear back either way or is it you will only is it like job applications where you only hear if they want to talk to you? *00:04* Yeah, you can apply whenever you want, but I would I like to apply at toward the end of the summer because that's when they're like ramping up production, so they're like looking for people. *00:04* That is so good. *00:04* He probably Really? *00:04* I'm just kidding. *00:04* Um yeah, I don't know, early twenties. *00:04* And so it was like that was some of the easiest money I've ever made because I already knew everything. *00:04* And what these are is those cards you're not using. *00:04* Like you were saying that you keep track of like if a game has so many objectives, score this many goals. *00:04* Oh yeah. *00:04* The part the problem is though for a while is they started casting a lot of what they call Macters. *00:04* Like I feel like I'm a good getting past the application phase. *00:04* You know, I could find true love. *00:04* I've done both, uh, and neither of them have worked. *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* You cannot shake me, Dan. *00:04* Siren guides. *00:04* I that's all I well, I use GameFax primarily for two things. *00:04* Dark matter. *00:04* And that day and date, Game Pass, so even Sony wants that Game Pass money, you know. *00:04* Unfortunately, I just suck at it, so I don't really play it. *00:04* Nothing so far has messed up that I'm gonna lose my job or something. *00:04* Every speech, that was what our principal ended it with at the Woodward High School Boomers. *00:04* I mean, I don't play a lot of other games for fun. *00:04* I think I think okay, so *00:04* Maybe Fortnite has transcended that because I think yeah. *00:04* So it's been a while since Big Brother was good. *00:04* Ricky, thank you so much for joining me for this episode. *00:04* Um, I mean, obviously like Twitter, it's just my name, Ricky Freck. *00:04* Not really, but sort of. *00:04* I think they're both pretty great. *00:04* Sometimes I feel like I'm a gambling addict more than a fan. *00:04* I think that's what that's called forever. *00:04* Alright. *00:04* Like, that's an expert. *00:04* There's like a couple of duds in there, but most of these have been good. *00:04* You let that guy get in your head again. *00:04* You know, obviously if you're like I was about to say a person's name from this season, but you don't know who they are. *00:04* Kirby. *00:04* I once I once argued with Dan. *00:04* Well that they would find out what they could pull from my guide and make a promotable article out of. *00:04* So something we could write about because it's something you can earn. *00:04* They just started that Friday night baseball stuff on Apple TV Plus, and that's like a new chunk of I think Hunter Pence is one of the commentators. *00:04* Super fan, super duper fan. *00:04* It all comes around. *00:04* Okay. *00:04* Like three or four wikis for free, just did that and got in contact with Sam and was like, hey, is there a paid opportunity? *00:04* And so that that ended up working out in my favor, but I put *00:04* I'm s okay. *00:04* You're like, ooh, I'm playing with Cristiano Ronaldo. *00:04* Like if there are more spin-offs. *00:04* Um but otherwise yeah. *00:04* And you know, you taught me so much. *00:04* I did not do that. *00:04* Interesting. *00:04* Twenty, usually, eighteen. *00:04* Uh-huh. *00:04* And in that universe, Pablo Sancho had died. *00:04* I just logged on got onto Twitter and they're like, hey, I write for double XP now. *00:04* FanBite is also another good place to look at if you're looking for guides nowadays. *00:04* But I never was writing, you know, here's how you unlock Terminator Immortal Combat or or whatever. *00:04* And again, you don't really have to pay attention. *00:04* And a lot of those communities already have their own like influencers. *00:04* So is in your application videos for Survivor are you wearing a suit? *00:04* Uh Survivor Gabon. *00:04* So it's to me it's interest this is kind of the big thing I think of as having changed, at least in my experience of guide writing, to like the stuff you're doing today. *00:04* They are a lifesaver for me personally at least. *00:04* Uh-huh. *00:04* Slide into DM. *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* Also not very good. *00:04* But the man behind them just like slow turns into a giant smile and it's like *00:04* So you can go listen to us talk about that game. *00:04* I'm your host, not one of your hosts, I'm just the host, Max Roberts. *00:04* It was it was weird. *00:04* The the mobile one, the iOS game. *00:04* Call it out for being product placement, you know, which is true. *00:04* So because I play them so much I don't mind spending money. *00:04* You know, you can have someone recommend you, which is kind of how I got in. *00:04* 2000? *00:04* That was just play. *00:04* I do like the wikis because I like the hard part about when you do those one off guides, even if they're not one off, you know, say it's a game where you have a hundred guides on it on your site. *00:04* It's not it's separated. *00:04* And if there's something to write about now at this point if if there's something to write about and no one else is on writing about it, then I'll write about it. *00:04* Sometimes I'll play people that have the best cards and they suck. *00:04* In game currency money? *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* He's get like a like a truffle pig for idols. *00:04* Like I feel like when you you know, like me and you talking, I could be, you know, funny and like riff off you. *00:04* 24? *00:04* This is great podcasting. *00:04* Um Okay. *00:04* So, you know, like I said a couple weeks ago I wrote th I think 35. *00:04* And uh I Dan I met Dan and I had brought up how I *00:04* Because what you just said, where you're like, ooh, it could be a rookie into a pro, that would make sense within the game of NBA, because that's a thing that happens. *00:04* Is that what they call it? *00:04* I at least know what I'm talking about. *00:04* I get to do podcasts now because I no longer have to work nights all the time like I was *00:05* Um and so that was a game that came out after Metal Gear Solid 5. *00:05* You still voting in the poll? *00:05* But the gameplay, like they there's *00:05* Um, you know, but when the NCAA football game comes out *00:05* That's I'm kind of curious *00:05* Yeah, I would think so. *00:05* They may talk about that, but no one's playing Roblox. *00:05* Oh, is it Meta Sanford Artest? *00:05* So that gives players who don't have as big of an alliance more power. *00:05* And also you gotta think like when it was first on, nobody had seen anything like this before, for the most part. *00:05* Sixteen point is it sixteen point six six six yeah yeah yeah. *00:05* There's some very good survivor gifts, but that there's that one and then there's another one that is the probably my two favorites where there's a girl who's like *00:05* So there's links to that stuff in the show notes as well. *00:05* When is that does that have a window at all? *00:05* Amber, yeah. *00:05* Steph does. *00:05* Yeah. *00:05* You'd have to do that. *00:05* That's a lot. *00:05* Uh both time investment and how much I got back. *00:05* Yeah. *00:05* And isn't not that it's soccer related, but isn't the NCAA *00:05* I don't even know. *00:05* So when I get out there, I'm gonna do, you know, such and such. *00:05* So like there's nothing in the first season. *00:05* I didn't mean to do that right now, but I wanted to *00:05* I'm looking at Survivor application. *00:05* The hardest thing I ever did that was still good was doing *00:05* Maybe it was kicking off twenty eighteen. *00:05* Well, yeah, you chose one of the worst ones. *00:05* Because to be honest, once you get past the first week where you're writing gameplay guides of actually how to play the game *00:05* Um and *00:05* Uh-huh. *00:05* Um and so you you've inspired me. *00:05* And so they brought them out to look hot. *00:05* I want I it's definitely more than I ever thought it was just kind of in passing in pop cul pop culture *00:05* But it's these two women in front looking like shocked and *00:05* And the other tribe comes in and they're seeing the person who got voted out. *00:05* Once a boomer, always a boomer, of course what they say. *00:05* That must be something in the redirect that I'll have to address. *00:05* I haven't I haven't seen the movie, but I also don't care about spoilers. *00:05* Maybe it was 2000? *00:05* I bet. *00:05* So they kind of have like a Pokemon kick there, and then they just go almost League of Legends-y, and then just sci-fi. *00:05* Madden is trash. *00:05* We have all these new ideas. *00:05* Like it's like one of the I think it's one of the worst twists ever. *00:05* So I don't know if we're Abby and I will be there, but maybe in the summer when she's not. *00:05* Yeah, like fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice. *00:05* I'm about to turn 34. *00:05* Like tightly write a three-minute script *00:05* Well so you gotta tell me the context of this. *00:05* If you want to find me, you can follow me on Twitter at Max Roberts14 *00:05* Of course. *00:05* You're second in charge. *00:05* Okay. *00:05* And I was like, wait, this is IGN. *00:05* I should just look at it. *00:05* I have never played one second of FIFA. *00:05* So like you can do that every day, almost, and make whatever your place charges for guides. *00:05* It's noon, I have to go check FIFA. *00:05* And so when when I'm playing sports games, I'm just looking at my computer. *00:05* And right now Sort of *00:05* It doesn't make a lot of sense to go that way. *00:05* It does look like summer of twenty-three is at least what they initially were aiming for back in December of twenty-one. *00:05* It is the biggest sport in the world, so it does have more players. *00:05* So I haven't even raced other people or spent money on car currents. *00:05* And so, you know, there's probably some talent stuff there. *00:05* Wow. *00:05* Uh he makes it very, very far *00:05* Yeah, you get uh you're uh you work normal human hours mostly. *00:05* I couldn't find an article by you, so I just looked at the style of the URL and then typed in, you know, Ricky. *00:05* I was also their evening editor for a long time, which is why I had weird hours. *00:05* It gave us our biggest month in terms of numbers ever. *00:05* Umbrean, Ombrain. *00:05* And they were like, hey, can you come in and write guides? *00:05* Yeah, yeah. *00:05* Yeah. *00:05* Chris Catan was on there. *00:05* Um and then like, you know, stuff gets added to the game, so they add an individual hidden individual immunity. *00:05* They've had so far so far away if you're gonna watch the whole thing, you'll it'll take you a while to get there. *00:05* So let's just do it. *00:05* So it's like half that, half just like *00:05* These people seem to fit I would in this formula we're shooting for. *00:05* It's kinda you know, it's different, it's cool, uh, which is the thing Survivor used to do back in before the twenties when now it's all in Fiji. *00:05* And they are like, I can't believe so and so got kicked out. *00:05* But then there are other games, like one of them which I'm excited to write about, I think it's in a few weeks. *00:05* I will say um that *00:05* That's true, yeah. *00:05* And if it's even half as good, look. *00:05* And so Microsoft and theoretically Sony are like getting a cut of that as play on top of whatever players are purchasing. *00:05* IGN's not gonna get his audience to come over. *00:05* Because we weren't in an alliance. *00:05* It's a really good gift. *00:05* Um really it's just like an excuse for Michael and I to talk about whatever we want to talk about. *00:05* Michael and I are like five minutes before we're like, hey, you want to talk about Are You Afraid of the Dark this week? *00:05* Yeah. *00:05* You know, Miranda's great, they're all good people. *00:05* But I I feel like Fortnite's almost a separate beast, even though it is a live game. *00:05* This is like super well segmented. *00:05* It's way different than I want to buy twenty million credits to buy this Ferrari. *00:05* So I I never played it. *00:05* You know, like, sure, I could tell you every season's winner and like the order, you know, and stuff like that. *00:05* He used to be Ron Artest, and then he was Meta World Peace, and now he's like *00:05* And if they do that, the people who won that challenge are now no longer safe. *00:05* There's nothing extra. *00:05* I think my last one was okay. *00:05* That's like clothes is clothingism. *00:05* She looks very intense. *00:05* And now it has cooler than more context to it. *00:05* Yeah. *00:05* So it just was like the perfect storm where I was writing. *00:05* Maybe we should just all go back to game facts. *00:05* But the issue comes is, okay. *00:05* He's on Amazon and All-Stars with Rob, the other Rob. *00:05* And especially in the now nowadays when everything is on streaming *00:05* That is a little weird. *00:05* If you win, you also have to select someone from the other side that goes to their own island away from everyone else. *00:05* So someone that can talk over a scene and like explain stuff. *00:05* Uh when you look at something like Kirby, which I reviewed for us. *00:05* And that and I haven't played it since. *00:05* You know, hey, nothing wrong with it. *00:05* So they don't they don't end, truthfully. *00:05* I do I'm fascinated by this. *00:05* So that's like the currency you can buy to then go buy stuff. *00:05* And just like I'm fascinated with your sports games and like this, you have opened my eyes through this whole *00:05* 42, yeah. *00:05* Um there's some like *00:05* They kind of it was kind of like when they think it's good to go, it's gonna go, and we aren't gonna know exactly when it's gonna happen. *00:05* And so okay, cool. *00:05* That's a lot to ask of a person, you know. *00:05* I wrote a I wrote a guide for that *00:05* Okay. *00:05* They have like seven foot two guys that can shoot threes and like hit a step back in your face and shoot over you. *00:05* As long as you wear a suit like they do in basketball on the side. *00:05* I can roll with that. *00:05* I think her first name is Jody. *00:05* How do you submit this? *00:05* I will say, if if I may, I know I said it in our chat earlier as kind of a joke, but if you like The Bachelor *00:05* Nothing came up. *00:06* It's not all in one place. *00:06* My brain thinks, why isn't there just FIFA and you pay an annual subscription and then they update the roster or what have you? *00:06* Look. *00:06* NCAA. *00:06* Yes, very good traffic. *00:06* I mean they're trying to do one right now. *00:06* I mean I guess I see it in her face. *00:06* Yes. *00:06* I don't think you're the only one. *00:06* So it does make it go faster. *00:06* Yeah, it's pretty hard to *00:06* I don't have a big problem with spending money in those games because *00:06* And then I think it's extra. *00:06* Ubisoft has one. *00:06* I mean I think the show is the most I guess the word would be generous of the sports games in terms of like what you get for what you pay. *00:06* Amber. *00:06* Yeah, every job interview you should have been in a suit. *00:06* Yeah, it's also really annoying because it can only be three minutes, which *00:06* Yellow and black, I'm a fan of, so *00:06* Who I know. *00:06* Okay, good. *00:06* Iron Man 3 is good. *00:06* Fan of Fan. *00:06* Or platinum or something? *00:06* All the time. *00:06* But that's all I really know about the show. *00:06* So I don't know. *00:06* But Big Brother isn't very good in general. *00:06* And Surv uh Bachelor is *00:06* And it's usually beautiful people, like *00:06* So you've got to go up against you've gotta fit in dynamically with nineteen other people. *00:06* Angela Angela's one of the greatest modern characters in Survivor history. *00:06* Okay. *00:06* But let's talk about the guide stuff, because that actually *00:06* It's bonkers. *00:06* And I was using it for some of the stuff I was getting stuck on in this older game, and it just it's part of it is *00:06* Fair enough. *00:06* Um so you're gonna take those cards and you're gonna do a squad building challenge and you're gonna there's gonna be like some kind of like puzzle where it'll be *00:06* So there's like four or five seasons in there that are kind of rough. *00:06* The other survivor question *00:06* Because that's the thing they want to see, right? *00:06* And there's like a limited I think of it like a *00:06* I went exclusive. *00:06* So every Thursday I would update. *00:06* So in front of me right now, I have two monitors and a f *00:06* Which makes sense. *00:06* So you couldn't just say the new season is starting, so now everyone has to start over from zero. *00:06* In in-game currency. *00:06* I could just, you know *00:06* But I think the main reason Survivor is still on TV is you gotta think about how much cheaper that show is to film. *00:06* It's been ten years and that guy's still in your head. *00:06* What is the origin of this smiling gif? *00:06* And then That's strange. *00:06* No, what is it called? *00:06* Like Survivor is huge. *00:06* And everybody hated it. *00:06* I did not do that. *00:06* Uh he's he's a great character. *00:06* So um if you could manifest, you know, if you could grace Google's SEO *00:06* Well I am. *00:06* And I was like, okay, yeah, you're I mean it is bad, but you know, I have a different perspective than other people because of how I play those games. *00:06* I know he's come back and other stuff, but it was such a big deal at the time in at least the reality TV space that *00:06* Um it's not very good, but I think that is the biggest reason Survivor is still on TV is that it is *00:06* You probably forget it by the time you get there if you've only watched one season in like a year. *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* I feel like the mean potential is high. *00:06* Uh yeah. *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* That sounds crazy. *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* Yes, one person. *00:06* And over time *00:06* So if you like football, you do not have a video game to play right now. *00:06* But then the other part of me is like, well *00:06* There we go. *00:06* So talk talk me through that, the exclusivity of it. *00:06* No. *00:06* Yeah, every day *00:06* It might be a new player, it might be a new pack that you can open. *00:06* That's awesome. *00:06* They are still married, yes. *00:06* We're gonna add them to the game. *00:06* Um we are in okay, there has been there's one season very recently that had that is *00:06* Yeah, so you usually I try to do it in August every year. *00:06* Yeah, and I'm like, I'm about to turn 34. *00:06* It's very *00:06* I didn't see anything come up. *00:06* Oh right, right. *00:06* So then as you get better players, then you can, you know *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* You know, I've grown so much since then, and a lot of it's because of you like teaching me the right way to do stuff, blah, blah, blah. *00:06* When you end up on Survivor, I definitely will be tuning in live for that one. *00:06* Um it is set in Africa. *00:06* And um *00:06* That's a big yeah. *00:06* Uh I'm I've been to IGN once. *00:06* And they treat their people away. *00:06* It is how do I do this? *00:06* That doesn't sound fun on the work side or even as a player to like really keep track of it. *00:06* And so *00:06* Against how many competitors are there a season on average? *00:06* Okay. *00:06* And I think almost like you were saying, traffic was high for that game. *00:06* I'm a big I So my favorite guide writer uh is *00:06* They make the best some of the best guys on the internet. *00:06* Um But also on top of that *00:06* I don't. *00:06* The show's alive and kicking. *00:06* Um and then you have All-Stars, which is like really weird because *00:06* And I'm like, well, you know, I I work out a lot *00:06* So it sounds like a an intense creative process almost to like *00:06* Uh Pablo Sanchez was not eligible because he is the correct answer. *00:06* I'm super fascinated. *00:06* Uh so that I think it makes it go faster. *00:06* I think that's the fascinating thing. *00:06* Um *00:06* Instead, it's harder to build it from the ground up, even if you are one of the biggest sites in the world. *00:06* I feel like *00:06* So happening in the middle of the night here, yeah, is not that crazy. *00:07* I looked I *00:07* There are your articles now. *00:07* And *00:07* It's just Right. *00:07* Fair fair enough. *00:07* That's FIFA also has they have br bronze, silver, gold, and then special. *00:07* And then it might, you might be right. *00:07* And it's only once a year, unlike Survivor, which is twice a year. *00:07* I'll go look for it there and find it. *00:07* Yeah *00:07* You can also check out our seasonal podcast I do over there called Chapter Select, which I do with Logan Moore. *00:07* Who I know a couple other people. *00:07* Um *00:07* And uh *00:07* It sounds like they don't end. *00:07* It's called Beyond the Edge. *00:07* That's what Google's giving me. *00:07* Uh people from *00:07* Yeah. *00:07* So he like uses the camera crew. *00:07* Yeah. *00:07* Yeah, it's I'm manifesting. *00:07* And you're right below him. *00:07* The ones we write at Double XB are very different from what you're used to, I think. *00:07* But back to Iron Man Three, I argued with Dan *00:07* It was Metal Gear Survive. *00:07* But they paid me very well to basically go refresh myself on a game I put *00:07* Right. *00:07* Like Survivor is much more consistent than the challenge. *00:07* And he was like, you should never show up to a job not in a suit or a job interview not in a suit. *00:07* Maybe I'll find it someday. *00:07* Links to these will be in the show notes for sure. *00:07* So I've got guide writing and stuff on my mind. *00:07* If I write it, it's gonna be *00:07* So they look good on the beach on a desert island and sure. *00:07* I feel like I'm a pretty good talker. *00:07* Do you just is it like an unlisted YouTube video? *00:07* It's your money if you're an adult. *00:07* And to know what you're doing, you have to be playing it all the time and you know, no one countless like *00:07* I don't platinum. *00:07* Like he can just he finds them. *00:07* Or all the people playing. *00:07* But if one person gets voted out, now that thing becomes more powerful. *00:07* So see, we're gonna take seven and divide it by 42. *00:07* I have some ideas for my next one. *00:07* Yeah, they already got all the people for 43 and 44 though, I think. *00:07* So it was the Pablo Sanchez Memorial karate tournament. *00:07* So I had a lot of fun with that. *00:07* I did a season of that. *00:07* Like play, right, play right. *00:07* Um I think the rates are higher across the board. *00:07* It's it's always good that you know they paid, you'd get games sometimes early, they worked with you. *00:07* So they're called squad building challenges. *00:07* It's two, I have to go check M will be the show. *00:07* Okay. *00:07* Um *00:07* Um, but *00:07* How do I get free Robux? *00:07* Don't bring me in. *00:07* I guess I am an expert, but it it's weird because I know people who are *00:07* It is like straight up. *00:07* So sometimes they *00:07* Probably it's below twenty I don't know. *00:07* Duly noted. *00:07* I think that's everybody. *00:07* I'm the Boston Bion, and they want the album sooner, should have named it Oklahoma. *00:07* The issue becomes *00:07* Yes. *00:07* Okay. *00:07* I know, but I probably vote in that daily poll. *00:07* But *00:07* So if you're like a show player, you are not only are you getting *00:07* Yeah. *00:07* How does that even happen? *00:07* But then, you know, I could get *00:07* Also, it is like the ultimate podcast game. *00:07* When does that *00:07* And so he just works our evenings, even though it's the day for him. *00:07* So to me, those microtransactions aren't that bad, even though in my head I know they are *00:07* You're you're very right about that. *00:07* There's a table of contents, and this is like a manual. *00:07* Uh so yeah, the show is the same. *00:07* Now you got like extra votes. *00:07* Yeah. *00:07* Whereas me, not so good looking, I have to like show off that I am either like funny or smart or strategic. *00:07* Uh they would be it would be something like *00:07* I play a lot of other games for work. *00:07* Yeah, they were kind of *00:07* Is like they want you to be *00:07* Yeah. *00:07* And Dan has been uh arguing with people in like review context for *00:07* It's also how I learned how Wario64 makes all of his money. *00:07* Oh well what which what guide should I pull up here? *00:07* It's just fun. *00:07* That's a good right there. *00:07* Those kids are probably *00:07* Jody Sweeten? *00:07* Could have changed everything. *00:07* Uh *00:07* Sixty six repeating of course *00:07* I was like, what are you kidding? *00:07* So it's probably very different. *00:07* That would have been great. *00:07* Actually, he's really not a great character, he's kind of boring, but uh he's definitely famous now. *00:07* That was like one of my only questions. *00:07* So full time for them. *00:07* They usually they would let me pitch certain games. *00:07* Like this is an extra playtime. *00:07* What? *00:07* I'm probably not good enough at video games to do that. *00:07* I guess my first question is like, how is Survivor still on TV? *00:07* So I don't know. *00:07* Rope girl *00:07* So we're the only, I think the only mascot in the whole country that are the boomers *00:08* Um nope, not allowed. *00:08* And I mean that you need to look at their rate *00:08* But these articles are more *00:08* Like you always have to be looking at it. *00:08* So they have these things called Evos, and what that means is it's a player *00:08* I play FIFA and 2K because for a couple of reasons, right? *00:08* Except some of them who but those people were generally at the top. *00:08* And to some degree I don't love it. *00:08* Season three is coming very soon. *00:08* And then some of our freelancers that work for us were just tweeting about it. *00:08* It sounds like a lot, but some of them are, you know, a lot of those not a lot, several of those are sports games. *00:08* They are uh one of the biggest lifesavers for those games. *00:08* Like how does a guide how does a guide work for a sport game? *00:08* So like I could sell. *00:08* I think it is premium or platinum. *00:08* So I think that's a big part of why it's evolved. *00:08* How do you s what would you say there? *00:08* They needed more hands on deck than they had. *00:08* How were they planning to curate that and make sure you didn't get They probably were just yeah, who knows what you could have got. *00:08* And here is we've solved we've solved the puzzle for you. *00:08* I think it's I think it's 2023. *00:08* And I don't know, my brain just processed that Survivor *00:08* You can *00:08* FanByte also bought WoWhead and and uh *00:08* And in my head, I was like, um *00:08* And you know, yeah. *00:08* I those articles existed while I was *00:08* I haven't well, I haven't played them yet to some day. *00:08* So like go one's like and DM. *00:08* I think I paid $115 for that. *00:08* We've had some pretty good seasons ever since, I don't know, probably *00:08* I'm looking at it now. *00:08* So maybe I should just pivot and focus on Survivor instead. *00:08* I can lift a lot of weight, I can run pretty far, but I eat like crap because I do those things. *00:08* Um *00:08* So they named their college mascot. *00:08* He's not right. *00:08* How do I unlock this? *00:08* You just have to know *00:08* She looks obviously oh she looks like she's screaming in the water. *00:08* Survivor casting. *00:08* Uh what's happening is is *00:08* I just that was a journey. *00:08* Holy smokes. *00:08* Yeah. *00:08* Did you see Jake from State Farm? *00:08* I was on the guide for that one and *00:08* Okay. *00:08* Is it for Yeah, they're playing for a charity. *00:08* Like the way you go to a job and that's *00:08* And then run into the ocean *00:08* I will look at the challenge now. *00:08* I was like *00:08* Um and *00:08* Like I remember them asking me to write the the inscription guide. *00:08* Like there is speed doesn't work. *00:08* In a way *00:08* Like if you were like on a network or something and *00:08* Unless that's your angle. *00:08* So they like have seen stuff like the last ten years watching Survivor. *00:08* This is I don't *00:08* She's she's struggling. *00:08* My mom didn't know that. *00:08* So Yeah, it's definitely you like *00:08* You can crank out stuff way faster. *00:08* Um *00:08* Anyways, that doesn't matter. *00:08* Like kids are playing it and that's why it's big. *00:08* That might be a hot take for some people out there, but Big Brother used to be good. *00:08* If as long as that's the primary reason, sure. *00:08* Is that accurate or is there more, is it different? *00:08* Okay. *00:08* And I was like, oh, fair enough. *00:08* FanByte treats their people very well as w s as do we. *00:08* I go here for the poll every day. *00:08* Um *00:08* The former professional basketball player. *00:08* And they added this thing called the um *00:08* Although one time I one time I did not get the job, but that's because it was for an RA position. *00:08* It was like a tower defense kind of game, but also a random *00:08* Um So I think that maybe some of those games *00:08* Or is it this player turns into a completely different player? *00:08* It's a good excerpt. *00:08* It's like celebrity survivor, but it's not really Survivor. *00:08* I yeah, we'll or shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. *00:08* And joining me this particular episode is one Ricky Frack. *00:08* And that was the last one I worked on. *00:08* She didn't underst until they all showed up, she didn't understand. *00:08* It's okay. *00:08* So they want someone who's good in confessionals. *00:08* And so you don't know who gets voted out from your tribe from the other tribe the night before. *00:08* Yeah. *00:08* And then *00:08* But I think it's a great name. *00:08* Big time. *00:08* They pay very well. *00:08* We're we're working on season three of chapter select right now. *00:08* Like, you know, from Galaxy Opal to DM, you know, slide back. *00:08* Abby and I watched the very first season. *00:08* And the way he does it is like *00:08* And so the girls are like shocked that it's Marcus. *00:08* So there you go. *00:08* Yeah, I like it a lot. *00:08* Yeah, yes, yeah. *00:08* Because I've written guides like I told you in a *00:08* I think it is hilarious. *00:08* It was their old building. *00:08* And apparently, this Cyric Z person. *00:08* Where those contracts fall, who, you know, do they then bring on the people that *00:08* Uh I watched him name every single cast member. *00:08* Everybody. *00:08* He was the only person there in a suit. *00:08* I don't know. *00:08* That's how guides should be. *00:09* So the way ultimate team works, and this is how they get all their money from people *00:09* FIFA's in a really weird spot because I think they're gonna get rid of the FIFA license. *00:09* They do one sale the entire year. *00:09* I mean, but when you're in a pool of forty-two seasons, I mean I guess that's *00:09* Right. *00:09* Elder Ring was a weird one though because there's so much stuff in that game that *00:09* And you could say like how to do this, and then a video would magically pop up. *00:09* Because that's there's nothing to write about there, right? *00:09* I think it's an E. *00:09* That's true. *00:09* I'd do that. *00:09* Stephanie? *00:09* And so it like *00:09* And you compete. *00:09* It's just for me, I am not very good *00:09* Um so so this is from one of *00:09* But I could but I could be wrong. *00:09* I mean I wouldn't sell it to you, I'd just sell it to anybody. *00:09* I'm gonna call it a sport. *00:09* You can also check out Ricky's writing over at Double XP now, formerly game per. *00:09* Uh because Elden Ring is huge. *00:09* You know, those are *00:09* It's weird. *00:09* Gosh, I can't believe there was a car. *00:09* So you're you're coming in. *00:09* And I'm sure Dan *00:09* Maybe No Way Home now because No Way Home ties in *00:09* That was a *00:09* Uh and they did it last year and it's now this year. *00:09* But if it's just me standing there speaking. *00:09* So like fifty five to five. *00:09* So *00:09* And then when I transferred over to full time *00:09* That is wild. *00:09* It's not like this show where *00:09* I feel like this would be a more coordinated thing. *00:09* It it also means that you can have multiple people working on it at once. *00:09* You know, like I know their release schedule *00:09* That's a good excerpt for sure. *00:09* I want to play something where I can just turn my brain off and not pay attention. *00:09* Uh it's a good time. *00:09* Dude, you're you're *00:09* I mean, if you look at at least the one example I can think of *00:09* Guy who knows what you're doing. *00:09* Little little crossover action with the Bantam Banter universe. *00:09* I mean, most people probably won't. *00:09* You know what I mean? *00:09* I didn't play the second round of DLC because I wasn't hired for it. *00:09* It's gotta be off the charts. *00:09* It's just like trading cards. *00:09* I would think. *00:09* I don't know. *00:09* I'd wear I have two suits. *00:09* And then if another person gets voted out that has amulet, you have soul control and now you have something it's crazy. *00:09* That's not allowed. *00:09* Yeah, I just pulled that up. *00:09* Um, and they're like pretty much only do it for the Yakuza games, but *00:09* What? *00:09* This is what this is a big thing for me. *00:09* Whatever real name is, I don't know, but Steph. *00:09* So then like every other interview I've ever had, except for the one at *00:09* So it's every August. *00:09* That I highly recommend that episode. *00:09* And luckily *00:09* I believe they've moved since the pandemic. *00:09* It is *00:09* But if NCAA football comes back and it's as good as it used to be. *00:09* Um *00:09* You know, because we're all trying to figure out how to fight Margaret. *00:10* So *00:10* People who lost are now safe. *00:10* If your team wins, you're immune at the first vote of the merge, which is huge. *00:10* She's struggling. *00:10* Yeah. *00:10* And the logo *00:10* Nope. *00:10* And I would say it was worth every single penny. *00:10* No. *00:10* Premium. *00:10* So during the summer I did a job *00:10* We are in the middle of production right now. *00:10* You're fine. *00:10* I don't know how I got work on those games. *00:10* How do I go there? *00:10* Especially 'cause I'm old. *00:10* Yeah. *00:10* The other sport that you love, and I know this *00:10* Um *00:10* I haven't done a guide since twenty nineteen. *00:10* I hope. *00:10* Yeah, that'd be a great angle. *00:10* Like I think *00:10* Couldn't sweet talk your way. *00:10* Uh *00:10* He could not win. *00:10* Woodward, Woodward High School, home of the boomers. *00:10* Okay. *00:10* Like here's how to save everyone in Until Dawn. *00:10* That's fair. *00:10* And I think even *00:10* It's like people watching it, but also *00:10* Um *00:10* Because because that makes sense. *00:10* Obviously FIFA's more difficult than that because like *00:10* Steal a vote. *00:10* It's fantastic. *00:10* Yes. *00:10* Yeah. *00:10* Yeah. *00:10* So it's been a while. *00:10* I the math not great. *00:10* Uh so it's like very different from a lot of normal Survivors because *00:10* Ooh. *00:10* Yeah. *00:10* So that was the yeah. *00:10* Who knows? *00:10* So *00:10* But I'll say this. *00:10* So she *00:10* Yeah, because those search terms are really helpful. *00:10* Right. *00:10* We've already done it. *00:10* That's uh that's your subheading. *00:10* That's what it is. *00:10* And then survivor's a benefit. *00:10* That'll be because I would actually know someone on Survivor. *00:10* It's really high at that school. *00:10* You you've actively done this. *00:10* So, you know, unless you're like bringing in *00:10* I'll wear a suit. *00:10* Usually when it's celebrities, they play for charity. *00:10* Um okay. *00:11* Alright. *00:11* F-R-E-C-H. *00:11* When they wanted to make me full time *00:11* Max. *00:11* Yeah. *00:11* So there might have been a card that Evo's from *00:11* I could be completely incorrect. *00:11* I'm sure. *00:11* So we we pretended I think we did a *00:11* It's not all in one *00:11* Mm-hmm. *00:11* And when I'm playing an old game *00:11* Maybe two *00:11* Um did you *00:11* That'd be awesome. *00:11* She's not a very good player, but that girl *00:11* I mean maybe you could get a late call, but *00:11* Yes. *00:11* The World Ends With You is the worst thing I ever did. *00:11* Where is this? *00:11* So there's *00:11* But *00:11* I'm sure that will. *00:11* What happened? *00:11* There it is right there. *00:11* It's kinda off the rails a lot, but *00:11* Um but *00:11* Okay. *00:11* Here's a solution. *00:11* No. *00:11* Knowledge is power. *00:11* Look, okay, look, look, look. *00:11* And I was like, what? *00:11* I'm exclusive, except for Survivor. *00:11* And not that IGN doesn't, but *00:11* Um it has uh *00:11* Um season forty-one *00:11* So basically it was like a line *00:11* I I'm a big *00:11* It was nuts. *00:11* Big Brother sucks since like *00:11* People make the dumbest choices, and I love it. *00:11* The Sooners *00:11* As a wiki writer IGN, which I did do *00:11* Okay. *00:11* But *00:12* In the show than it is in FIFA. *00:12* Yeah. *00:12* Okay, here's what we do. *00:12* Most of the time. *00:12* Because Oh *00:12* So like special can be all kinds of crap. *00:12* No. *00:12* I showed up to a suit *00:12* The SEO *00:12* And so *00:12* Dark Matter? *00:12* So probably. *00:12* He does all the sports and the racing games. *00:12* Whereas an IGN *00:12* And pulled up right now. *00:12* So *00:12* If you've got some really *00:12* It just depends on how *00:12* So *00:12* Okay, so *00:12* Yeah. *00:12* Yeah. *00:12* And *00:12* And uh *00:12* That doesn't sound fun at all. *00:12* Huh. *00:12* But if survivor's the goal, that could *00:12* Hey Ricky. *00:12* But you get the idea *00:12* It's *00:12* It's cool to hear about. *00:12* Yeah. *00:12* Let's start it we'll start a series. *00:12* My last one was *00:13* I like *00:13* Um *00:13* So let's hope. *00:13* It is now *00:13* Um *00:13* Yeah. *00:13* Yeah. *00:13* So *00:13* I *00:13* What? *00:13* Um *00:13* Yeah. *00:13* But *00:14*