The Ultimate Breakdown: Death Stranding 2 Trailer, Anora's Oscar Win, and More

The latest episode of "Thanks For Playing" was a whirlwind of random takes, movie critiques, and a deep dive into the highly anticipated Death Stranding 2 trailer. From video game industry shake-ups to snowboarding escapades, here’s everything you need to know from this jam-packed discussion.

Death Stranding 2 Trailer – The Best Game Trailer Ever?

Lucas came in hot, declaring the Death Stranding 2 trailer the best video game trailer of all time. With an intense 10-minute runtime featuring stunning visuals, new vehicles, intriguing story elements, and another atmospheric soundtrack from Woodkid, the excitement is through the roof.

For those who might not have been fully on board with the original Death Stranding, the sequel appears to be addressing some concerns by incorporating more action, more dynamic weather and environments, and an even deeper story. There’s also been some speculation about whether Kojima is sneaking in Metal Gear-related content through a new character design. Given that Kojima doesn’t own the Metal Gear IP, this might be his way of making a subtle connection to his legacy.

While some of the dialogue in the trailer was a bit questionable (“I tried to save Lou, but I couldn't warp out”), the overarching cinematic experience still has fans hyped. Expect plenty of online discourse leading up to its June 26 release.

Anora’s Oscar Win – A Surprising but Deserved Victory

The Oscars took an unexpected turn when Anora walked away with Best Picture. While not a traditional Oscar winner like historical dramas or biopics, Anora has captivated audiences with its sharp humor, raw emotion, and genre-blending storytelling.

Mikey Madison, who was relatively unknown before this, delivered a performance worthy of Best Actress recognition, cementing her status as an A-list star. Sean Baker, the director, has a clear fascination with stories about sex workers (Tangerine, The Florida Project, Anora), but rather than being exploitative, his films bring a sense of realism and humanity to the subject.

The discussion also touched on Adrian Brody’s win for The Brutalist, which was slightly overshadowed by some AI-enhanced performances. While the use of AI in film is becoming a hot topic, Brody’s over-the-top acceptance speech rubbed some the wrong way.

Skiing, Snowboarding, and the Culture of Extreme Sports

Matt recounted his return to skiing after a 10-year hiatus, taking a trip to Mammoth that reignited his interest in the sport. This quickly turned into a debate over skiing vs. snowboarding, with everyone weighing in on their ideal mountain sport aesthetic.

This discussion led to plans for a group trip, possibly to Tahoe, where skiing would be balanced with poker nights and casino runs. Because why just hit the slopes when you can also hit the tables?

Rounders – The Ultimate Poker Movie?

Lucas finally watched Rounders, the 1998 poker classic starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. While the film is revered as the best poker movie ever made, some parts don’t hold up as well, such as the overemphasis on “tells” in high-stakes poker. Despite that, Rounders remains a must-watch for poker fans and has now fueled our desire to find underground games in LA

Niantic Sells Pokémon GO & More for $3.5 Billion

In major gaming news, Niantic has sold Pokémon GO and its other titles to Scopely for $3.5 billion. This has sparked concerns about aggressive monetization, as Scopely is known for its heavy microtransactions (they’re the team behind Monopoly Go). The fact that the company is funded by Saudi oil money only adds to the controversy.

Considering Pokémon GO has been generating nearly $1 billion a year since its 2016 release, this acquisition seems like a steal. But will the game’s monetization practices get worse under Scopely? Time will tell.

AI in Gaming: Sony’s Horizon Demo & the Future of NPC Interactions

Another major gaming development is Sony’s AI-driven NPCs, demonstrated with an interactive Aloy model from Horizon Zero Dawn. Using OpenAI’s Whisper, ChatGPT-4, and Llama 3, along with Sony’s EVS emotional voice synthesis, the tech allows players to hold real-time conversations with NPCs.

While this sounds revolutionary, there are major ethical concerns, especially regarding AI’s impact on voice actors and writers. SAG-AFTRA is still negotiating AI protections for voice talent, as the threat of actors having their voices replicated without fair compensation looms large.

Shohei Ohtani Joins Fortnite

Fortnite has added its first MLB skin, and it’s none other than Shohei Ohtani, now sporting a Dodger uniform. This move, while cool, is also hilariously divisive—Ohtani’s move to the Dodgers has already made him a target of MLB fans who resent the team’s dominance. Now, imagine getting eliminated in Fortnite by an Ohtani skin? The salt will be real.

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM and The Line – A Sci-Fi Fantasy?

We also got to see Matt's live reaction to learning about Neom Saudi Arabia’s ambitious smart city project, and its controversial Line City. Initially planned to be a 100-mile-long, ultra-modern megacity, the project has since been significantly scaled back. Critics argue that cities can’t be forcefully planned and must grow organically. Many remain skeptical about whether NEOM will ever reach completion.

Final Thoughts

From Death Stranding 2 hype to Anora’s Oscar victory, Rounders nostalgia, and Niantic’s sale, this episode covered a ton of ground. The overarching theme? Gaming, movies, and real-life mega-projects are all changing at a rapid pace, and staying informed (and entertained) is more important than ever.

Be sure to follow Thanks For Playing on all platforms for more deep dives, hot takes, and gaming discourse!