{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/61264de161486b0014b35d68/69de2dc8ae33864715eb3989?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"419 - Crunch Bandicoot","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/61264de161486b0014b35d68/1776168289746-f744b4a6-5677-4b9a-9274-11145a1d501a.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>This week on <em>PS This is Awesome!</em>, we dive into some of the biggest stories shaping the gaming industry right now—and a few that might have you raising an eyebrow.</p><p>We kick things off with a candid (and somewhat concerning) revelation from a former Naughty Dog developer, who claims the studio has largely accepted crunch as a necessary part of making blockbuster games. Is this just the reality of AAA development, or a problem the industry still refuses to solve?</p><p>Next up, <em>Metro 2039</em> is officially set to be revealed during an upcoming Xbox livestream, giving fans of the series something big to look forward to. Meanwhile, Hideo Kojima’s mysterious <em>Physint</em> is already turning heads thanks to a casting call describing a villain with serious “Mads Mikkelsen in Hannibal” energy—because of course it is.</p><p>We also unpack new comments from former Bethesda exec Pete Hines, who sheds light on why he left ahead of <em>Starfield</em>’s launch—and what he had to say about Microsoft’s direction might raise some questions.</p><p>On the lighter side, <em>No Man’s Sky</em> continues its redemption arc with a wild Pokémon-style update inspired by a fan suggestion… and yes, they actually did it.</p><p>Finally, we discuss Sony’s new “Playerbase” initiative, which lets you scan yourself into <em>Gran Turismo 7</em>—but most fans aren’t exactly thrilled. Plus, with Xbox revamping its achievement system, we ask: is it time for PlayStation trophies to evolve?</p><p>Visit<a href=\"http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome</strong></a> to support the show and help us continue producing the content you love!</p><p>Please, if you enjoyed the content — or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one — come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Share with your friends and help us grow our awesome PlayStation community!</p><p>As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.</p><p><a href=\"http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome</a></p>","author_name":"Fred Oakman & Jake Peters"}