Transition

We look at the Nintendo Switch, almost one year since its launch. Games editor Rishi Alwani and gaming enthusiast Gagan Gupta join host Pranay Parab talk about their experience with the Switch, the games they’ve been playing, and what they want Nintendo to add to its hybrid console. Nintendo Switch’s first year and beyond Our experiences with the Switch so far (1:00) Must-have accessories (8:00) Pricing, availability, homebrew (15:02) Games to get and how to get them (22:59) Games to avoid and why What we want from Year 2 of the Switch (29:34) Can we see a 3DS successor in light of Switch success? (34:39) Music: Popular Potpourri and Path Complete from PPPPPP by Magnus “Souleye” Pålsson.

Is Yakuza 6 the perfect game for newcomers to get into the series? We discuss that on this episode as regulars Rishi Alwani and Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab. Yakuza 6 The plot Lead characters Minigames Combat Other games in the series Random encounters in Yakuza 6 Editions releasing with the game Price drop Save system Music: Popular Potpourri and Path Complete from PPPPPP by Magnus “Souleye” Pålsson.

On this episode, we discuss the massive Red Dead Redemption 2 leaks that gave us a glimpse into what the Rockstar game might look like. Regulars Rishi Alwani and Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab to discuss. Red Dead Redemption 2 leaks (0:50) Trusted Reviews’ report GTA V and Take-Two’s revenues Red Dead Redemption 2 multiplayer Red Dead Redemption Story Strange quests Why the game was so popular Why PC release never happened RDR multiplayer community Soundtrack RDR 2 battle royale mode? RDR 2 release date Single-player details RDR 2 companion app GTA V companion app PC release date? What happens to other Rockstar IPs? Games we’ve been playing this week (25:58) Yakuza 0 Cat Quest Splatoon 2 Yakuza 6 Kingdom Come: Deliverance Music: Popular Potpourri and Path Complete from PPPPPP by Magnus “Souleye” Pålsson.

Could we see a Call of Duty game on the Nintendo Switch? The rumour mill certainly seems to believe so and that gave games editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani enough reason to join host Pranay Parab and talk about this on this week’s episode. Call of Duty Black Ops 4 on Nintendo Switch (1:00) The Nintendo Switch release rumour The last COD game on a Nintendo platform What to expect from the Switch version Black Ops 3’s popularity Activision’s faith in Nintendo’s online infrastructure The memory question How they’ll fit the game on Switch Dragon Quest Heroes II Review Our wish list for Black Ops 4 on Switch (10:00) 60 fps prioritised over visuals How that pans out on the Switch The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Nintendo Switch Review Call of Duty sales (15:48) PC sales Consoles Last-gen console support gone Could Switch replace last-gen? Battle Royale Mode? Nintendo Switch online service (17:13) Local co-op M

Xbox Game Pass and Microsoft’s moves in the gaming market in India dominate the discussion on this episode of Transition as games editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab. We also talk about Sea of Thieves beta, Xbox One X, Rainbow Six Siege, Monster Hunter World, and more games. Xbox Game Pass (0:46) What it is How this is affecting retailers Why Microsoft is chasing this How much it costs Is Game Pass good value for money The caveats of Game Pass How many subscriptions do you need? Microsoft’s ecosystem play Microsoft moving away from physical copies of games The bandwidth cost Licensing issues and games leaving the vault Sea of Thieves beta (20:46) Our first impressions The problems with the beta No handholding How we expect the game to play out What the game is about Comparisons with No Man’s Sky The future of Rare Xbox One X India response (27:45) Interview with Xbox India head Offline retail Reliance Jio effect Sony’s India str

On this episode of Transition, we talk about games such as God of War, Age of Empires Definitive Edition, Monster Hunter World, and Dragonball Fighterz, apart from some big announcements around the Xbox. God of War (0:54) Change in storyline More mature characters Gameplay changes God of War in India Release date and editions coming to India Season pass and expansions Xbox Game Pass (7:47) Netflix for gaming Details of the program Games as a service How this influences Microsoft’s first-party strategy Microsoft’s focus on engagement numbers Xbox One X India launch (13:58) Release date and price Games available for this Microsoft admitting past mistakes Retail strategy for Xbox One X Xbox Design Lab Age of Empires Definitive Edition (20:31) Release date and India price Chances of a physical edition Monster Hunter World (22:37) Our impressions of online play Why this release is exciting for India PS4 availability in India Thoughts on gameplay Dragonball Fighterz (26:25

Nintendo Direct Mini occupies a large chunk of the discussion on this week’s episode of Transition, our weekly gaming and pop culture podcast. Games editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab to talk all things Nintendo, apart from the events at Quantic Dream, Xbox achievements revamp, Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition, and much more. Nintendo Direct Mini (1:01) Dark Souls Remastered (1:25) PC version discount? Platforms the game is launching on India price Physical release in India? Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (5:20) What to expect Hyrule Warriors (5:27) What the Warriors games are like Is Hyrule Warriors likely to appeal to fans? The World Ends with You: Final Remix (7:42) Mario Tennis Aces (8:59) Why we are excited Previous Mario Tennis games Story mode Payday 2 (10:34) Fe (10:58) Celeste (11:20) Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (11:41) SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (13:12) One more Nintendo Di

We talk about PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Nintendo Switch’s phenomenal success, Xbox One X’s India release date, Monster Hunter World, Yakuza 6, Overwatch in 2018, apart from the games we’ve been playing this week. Games Editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (1:43) Why it’s not on PS4 PUBG patches on Xbox One PUBG India tournament (6:00) The rules of the tournament Will this be a big hit in India? Nintendo Switch its fastest selling console (9:02) Nintendo Switch sales figures Faster than Wii in the first 10 months Interest in buying Switch in India Nintendo game release schedule in 2017 Other Switch games releasing in 2018 Internal memory on the Switch When to expect a Switch refresh Xbox One X India price, release date (17:20) PS4 Pro India stock situation Cost of building a good gaming PC Why Xbox One X could compete with other platforms, even in India Game prices on Xbox One Monster Hun

On this episode of Transition, we discuss limited edition copies of our favourite video games, and what you should look for before buying them. Games editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab. What are collector’s editions of games? Should you buy these? What to watch out for before picking up one of these Which collector’s editions are worthy buying in India? Certain limited edition games being cheaper in India Limited edition copies of indie games Which limited edition games you should order from abroad Music: Popular Potpourri and Path Complete from PPPPPP by Magnus “Souleye” Pålsson.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is just one of the many fantastic games to release on the iPad and iOS in 2017 and we talk about this trend at length in this episode. After that we discuss the games we’ve been looking forward to for 2018, pre-order discounts in India, and the games we’ve been playing this week. Regulars Rishi Alwani and Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI on iPad (1:00) Released out of the blue Aspyr Media’s other 2K ports iOS ports released towards the end of 2017 Pricing of Civ VI on iOS Touch controls and how it performs Strategy games we think should come to iPad next Apple introduces loot box guidelines Loot box systems in various games Hearthstone card packs Fire Emblem Heroes card packs Valve’s loot box system Pre-order discounts in India (15:25) Which retailers are offering discounts Which games are discounted How much are you saving by pre-ordering Games to look forward to in 2018 (19:08) Januar

On this episode of Transition, we pick our favourite games of 2017 and look back at some of the major announcements in the world of gaming. Games editor Rishi Alwani, friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani, and pop culture nerd Akhil Arora join host Pranay Parab for episode number 50. 2017 in gaming (1:38) E3 2017 was fantastic PSVR HTC Vive released in India GeForce Now available in India Game prices rising in India Ashes Cricket at a higher price Star Wars Battlefront 2 Official Nintendo games released in India More remasters in 2018 Akhil’s favourites (7:47) FIFA 18 Journey Mode Pranay’s favourites (10:15) Darkest Dungeon The Witness The Talos Principle Life Is Strange FEZ Cuphead Rishi’s favourites (12:50) Assassin’s Creed Origins Tacoma Tokyo 42 Thimbleweed Park South Park The Fractured But Whole Prey Wolfenstein 2 Mikhail’s favourites (15:47) Steamworld Dig 2 Utawarerumono Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Gadgets 360’s top 10 games of 2017

In this episode of Transition, we start by talking about Star Wars: The Last Jedi as pop culture nerd Akhil Arora and Star Wars fan Saad Rashid join host Pranay Parab. The second half of this episode is all about gaming as we speak about PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds, The Game Awards, PSX, App Store pre-orders, and Battlefield Bad Company 3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi without spoilers (2:40) Where this movie fits in the Star Wars universe (2:40) Comparisons with The Force Awakens Sidekicks in the movie, particularly the robots Did The Force Awakens play it safe? Thoughts on Rian Johnson’s direction Star Wars: The Last Jedi with spoilers (22:29) The technology shown in this movie Female characters in Star Wars movies Who is The Last Jedi? Ewoks vs Porgs and Star Wars merchandise Luke Skywalker’s character development Rey as a protagonise Kylo Ren’s arc His effectiveness as a strategist His equation with Snoke Emotional decisions vs. practical ones What to expect in Episode IX

Games editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the show Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab to talk about Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a game that should ship with a thick manual, which just released on the Nintendo Switch. Apart from that, we discuss God of War 4, PUBG, PS4 Pro, Horizon Zero Dawn, Mega Man, and Monster Hunter World. God of War 4 release date (1:39) Release date Sales of previous God of War games Will India get enough physical copies? What to expect Can you play God of War 4 without playing the previous games? Horizon Zero Dawn complete edition MIA (7:00) What this edition contains Not officially coming to India Why this is happening Sony’s PS4 bundles PS4 Pro India stock situation (8:52) Why it’s not in stock anywhere in India Presence at IGX Warranty for imported PS4 Pro? Mega Man X (13:33) Keiji Inafune’s Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter 8 Mega Man X games coming to Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox Why Mega Man has such a huge following Capcom’s handling of this IP Glut of game r

On this episode of Transition, gamers Rishi Alwani and Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab to talk about Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot boxes, Ashes Cricket, Destiny 2, IGX 2017, Demon’s Souls, and Deus Ex Mankind Divided. Star Wars Battlefront 2 and loot box legislation (1:11) Are loot boxes a form of gambling? The regulations in China European legislation attempts CS: GO lottery How loot boxes differ from gambling Gacha games in Japan Why Star Wars Battlefront 2 is in the spotlight Has EA brought the wrath of regulation on gaming Is regulation justified? What are the cons? Overwatch vs Battlefront 2 loot boxes Bungie lying about Destiny 2 progression? (8:39) The level scaling mechanics Players discover XP system was rigged Bungie’s statement Destiny 2 now twice as long Farewell Demon’s Souls online (11:48) A history of Demon’s Souls Is it the best game in the Souls series? Why the online component of the game is popular The future of PS3 and Xbox 360 games How

This week on Transition podcast, the book club reconvenes to talk about Andy Weir's latest novel - Artemis. Andy Weir is the author of The Martian, which was turned into a very successful film starring Matt Damon. Science fiction nerds Kawaljit Singh Bedi, Aqiul Colombowala, and Pranay Parab join to talk about Artemis. Artemis Premise of the book Audiobook edition Characters, or lack thereof The science of building a shelter on the moon Artemis, the moon city Story and how it develops Comparisons with The Martian Humour in the book Upcoming movie adaptation Our verdict Music: Popular Potpourri and Path Complete from PPPPPP by Magnus “Souleye” Pålsson.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 The controversy EA’s response Negative publicity Single-player campaign EA’s history of aggressive monetisation Ashes Cricket Release date and pricing Why Big Ant possibly chose Ashes license The market for cricket games What we expect in terms of sales Xbox One X All the things you need to know Is it a 4K utopia? Console quality Games available Download sizes Dealbreakers Far Cry 5 Playable at a gaming expo What we expect to see Games we’ve been playing this week Super Mario Odyssey Star Wars Battlefront 2 Halo 5 Guardians Doom on Nintendo Switch Music: Popular Potpourri and Path Complete from PPPPPP by Magnus “Souleye” Pålsson.

In this Blizzcon 2017 special episode, podcast regulars Rishi Alwani and Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab to talk about Blizzard’s fantastic event, Call of Duty: World War II, Xbox One X, and Need for Speed Payback. Blizzcon 2017 Overwatch New game modes Moira, the new character New hybrid map Overwatch’s eSports potential Changes to Hearthstone Starcraft 2 going free to play World of Warcraft and its loyal community Call of Duty: World War II Single-player campaign Game pricing Activision’s strange game design choices Online experience Is the game worth buying? Xbox One X Download sizes Worst launch title ever? What gamers need to watch out for Is 4K good enough reason to buy One X? Need for Speed Payback The state of the game Story mode Flaws and dealbreakers Comparison with Forza Horizon 3 Visuals and aesthetics Games we’ve been playing this week Need for Speed Payback Call of Duty: World War II Super Mario Odyssey Music: Popular Potpourri

Podcast regulars Rishi Alwani and Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab to talk about Sony at Paris Games Week, Call of Duty: World War II, Nintendo’s financials, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Ashes Cricket. In the second half of this episode, pop culture nerds Akhil Arora and Roydon Cerejo join in to talk about Thor: Ragnarok. Sony at Paris Games Week No release dates for games Indie game announcements Guacamelee, Spelunky 2 Sucker Punch’s first game since InFamous: Second Son Low-key announcements Did the Xbox One X launch influence this? Call of Duty: World War II Early retail copies available Why Activision has failed to stop that Single player campaign locked behind massive download Why this is a bad precedent How Activision can fix this Nintendo’s recent announcements Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Why this game will succeed The pitfalls of being a Nintendo fan in india Nintendo Switch success story Online service for Switch Games coming to Switch in 2018 Hardware iterat

Assassin’s Creed: Origins Polished experience Gameplay The prologue Combat changes Emphasis on story Micro-transactions Comparisons to older AC games Impact of this game on Ubisoft Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus How we got early access Quick history lesson Tech behind the game Graphics and visuals Why the game is NSFW Comparison with Doom Doom for Nintendo Switch not coming to India Original Xbox games on Xbox One Which games you can play Are better versions available on other platforms? Games we recommend Not the amazing feature it seems EA shuts down Visceral EA Doesn't Care for What Players Want, It Cares for What They Pay For: Ex-Mass Effect Andromeda Developer Micro-transaction based games Could EA gut games to make more money? How mobile games have harmed AAA games Sales figures of recently released AAA games NBA 2K18 sales figures Spending on NBA 2K18 Impact on FIFA Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Gran Turismo: Sport Destiny 2 Animal Crossing on m

Gran Turismo Sport, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, Call of Duty: World War II, WWE 2K18, and South Park: The Fractured But Whole are just some of the games we discuss on this episode. As always, games editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab. WWE 2K18 Fighting experience Face scanning of characters The challenges in development WWE 2K18 frame rates More thoughts on the game Gran Turismo Sport Our review GT Sport vs Forza Motorsport 7 Detailing and visual elements Race experiences Always online mode Final thoughts South Park: The Fractured But Whole Our review Gameplay experience Story Should non-fans play this game? Age of Empires: Definitive Edition Our initial excitement Game’s release delayed Possible reasons for delay Upcoming releases in this franchise Call of Duty: World War II More leaks Data mining and what to expect Loot boxes and micro-transactions Loot box regulation UK govt’s proposal to regulate loot bo