RIP Monolith

This week Nathan and Gita accidentally burst the dam on another wellspring of Riley Lore – perhaps the wildest yet – before we all move on to a discussion of more sobering matters: WB recently closed three video game studios, including Monolith, the makers of quietly revolutionary games like No One Lives Forever, F.E.A.R., and Shadow of Mordor, as well as the upcoming (now-canceled) Wonder Woman game. WB, of course, has proven especially eager to dumpster promising projects beyond the world of games in recent years, but what portion of this sickness is specific to the company and where does it overlap with the gaming industry’s own mismanagement epidemic? Then we talk about Jeff Bezos’ mask-off decision to transform The Washington Post into the propaganda arm of his already-unimaginably-profitable business empire, the latest in a line of tech billionaires bending the knee to tired old king Donald Trump and cackling vizier Elon Musk. Speaking of workplaces that suck, we also discuss Severance, a show that definitely does not suck. It has the trappings of a mystery box, but so far, it has successfully maintained a focus on characters above all else. Fantastic! Keep it up! Please do not become another Lost or Westworld! Finally, we suggest games that would be improved by the addition of a Nemesis System (basically all of them; fuck WB for patenting it).     Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Gita Jackson, & Riley MacLeod - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that’s too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris’ frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don’t know what else to tell you; it’s a great time. Simply by reading this description, you’re already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.