Ready Player, Everyone 👾

Welcome back to Gamer Dad Energy! A newsletter that covers gaming news, tips, and nostalgia for busy gamers.

What do you get when you cross zombies, US Marines, Batman and the Switch 2? A GAMER DAD ENERGY Newsletter! We’re talking all those things in this issue plus some trivia that you might be familiar with if you’re a fan of the movie Ready Player One.

Now it’s time to get to the brass and tacks. Pause your to-do list for five minutes, and let’s go!

One of the premier zombie co-op game franchises is the State of Decay series. If you have ever played them, they have great mechanics and a really fun gameplay loop. I have been really excited for the third entry into the series.

With all the recent cuts Microsoft has made, Undead Studios, which makes the State of Decay games, was announced to be either cut or moved outside Microsoft's umbrella. (ella ella A A A, that stupid song again!) They found someone who wanted to take over the studio.

In a July 7 report, State of Decay 3 had more wishlists on Steam than Halo and the upcoming Gears of War game! Unless the execs at Microsoft really think holding Undead studios until game launch was going to drain the bank account, I have no idea what they were thinking, letting an IP go without capturing the revenue that the game will produce for the new buyer!

The only thing I can think of is that the last State of Decay game launched on Game Pass, and they might have had a clause in their current contract to launch the third game on Game Pass, which would have been awesome for Game Pass but not ideal for pure game sales.

I still hope it comes to Game Pass because, even with all of Xbox’s crap, they are treating Game Pass as a “failed service,” which it isn’t. They just missed projecting the subscriber adoption, which happens all the time in projections! (Bankers, I am looking at you!) It still provides a great value.

What baffles my mind is that it seems Xbox is still doubling down on Game Pass by bringing Halo, Gears of War, and other big titles to the service for day-one play this year. And they still chose to sell Undead Studios to someone else who will reap the reward of State of Decay 3!

P.S. I still hold hope Asha can make Xbox make sense again! 😢

_-MadHad

Nintendo may already be planning the upgrade many gamers decided to wait for.

A new report from ZDNet Korea says Nintendo is considering an OLED version of the Switch 2. The rumored system would keep the current model’s 1080p resolution but replace its LCD panel with an OLED display, possibly supplied by Samsung Display. Development could begin near the end of 2026, with mass production potentially starting in late 2027 or early 2028. However, nothing has been approved or announced by Nintendo. The biggest issue appears to be cost. OLED screens are more expensive, and component prices are already putting pressure on gaming hardware.

But if we’re being honest with ourselves here, this kinda makes sense. Nintendo followed a similar plan with the original Switch. The standard model launched in 2017, while the OLED arrived in 2021 with a larger, brighter screen, better kickstand, improved speakers, and more storage, but no real processing power improvements.

The standard Switch has sold about 97.59 million units compared with roughly 31.91 million for the OLED model. At first glance, that looks like an easy win for the regular version. However, that comparison is not exactly fair because the standard Switch had more than a four-year head start. Once the OLED was available, buyers clearly preferred it. During Nintendo’s 2024 fiscal year, the OLED sold 9.32 million units, while the standard Switch sold only 3.86 million.

Would a Switch 2 OLED follow the same pattern? It might even be able to do better, at least as a percentage of new Switch 2 sales. Gamers now know how much better an OLED screen can look, and plenty of people are probably delaying their purchase specifically because they expect an upgraded model. (The first switch I ever bought was the OLED model…)

However, price will likely play a deciding factor for many gamers. (We’re talking gamers here, not the scalpers… I mean see what’s happened with the Steam Machine launch or pretty much any other major new hardware in the past 8 years…) Nintendo has already announced that the standard Switch 2 will rise to $499.99 in the United States in September 2026. An OLED version could easily move into uncomfortable territory, especially if it offers a prettier screen but no real performance boost.

The Switch OLED proved gamers will pay more for a better handheld experience. Nintendo just needs to make sure “better” does not become “way too expensive.”

_-BensZ28

First, if you have an ROG Ally X, don’t expect to see any video content in this game! I picked this game up in the recent Steam sale. I could get all the DLC with the awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for about $7!

I knew the game was old. I knew the studio that made this game had made like 12 new Mortal Kombat games since then (the Mortal Kombat 1 on Game Pass is amazing!). But I just couldn't resist, like how my kids can’t resist asking to play Xbox every freaking morning at 7 am! I know, I have trained them well.

Even today, with the release of these amazing, bug-ridden Unreal Engine 5 games that are terribly optimized, this game still holds up in graphics.

The character models look great, hell, the female character models are attractive, which seems so freaking rare now. Even if you don’t like fighting games that much, this game is worth playing.

But wait, MadHad isn't the Steam sale over?!

Yes, it is just like my 401 (k). But don't fret, I will cradle you like the helpless newborn you are.

pssst. Check out Loaded.com! They have the Injustice 2 Legendary Edition for even less than what I paid for it on the Steam sale. Here’s the link

_-MadHad

Most of us have probably claimed that video games sharpen our reflexes, improve our problem-solving skills, or teach us how to work as a team. Now, the United States Marine Corps may finally be giving us some proof.

Researchers from Virginia Tech and the University of Memphis have developed a training program for Marine Corps University that uses a modified version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Yes, the same game many of us played in 2007 is now helping Marines develop real-world leadership skills.

The program, called Research into Competency Acquisition with Novel E-gaming, or RCANE, was created for Marines attending Sergeants School in Quantico, Virginia. Instead of simply dropping students into a regular multiplayer match, researchers built specific scenarios that force them to communicate, make decisions, solve problems, and lead others while under pressure.

The system also tracks how each Marine performs. That information can then be analyzed with the help of a large language model to improve the after-action review, which is where military units break down what happened, what went well, and what needs to change.

This is not the military’s first trip into gaming.

The U.S. Army has used video games and simulations for decades. It even created the America’s Army series, which launched in 2002 as a free tactical shooter and recruiting tool. The franchise lasted for roughly 20 years and attracted more than 20 million players across its different versions.

I remember some of the military-made games and training programs I’ve used in the Army over the years. Let’s just say they weren’t exactly competing for Game of the Year. Most were clunky, outdated, and about as fun as mandatory fun time on a Friday afternoon.

You know what’s kinda cool about all of this? Instead of spending years and millions of dollars creating another terrible game from scratch, researchers modified a proven game that Marines may already understand.

Obviously, playing Call of Duty cannot replace field training, hands-on experience, or real leadership. However, it can provide a safe place to practice difficult decisions, experiment with different approaches, and learn from mistakes.

As someone who loves gaming and has spent years in the military, I think this is a smart use of both worlds. Apparently, all those late-night multiplayer matches were professional development after all, take that 1SG!

_-BensZ28

When you cut prices on anything in life, you win every time! Any gamer knows this because we can now buy more games. Also, we have spent years understanding the importance of bullet management and resource allocations.

Before Asha, now the CEO of Xbox, joined Xbox, the community was extremely worried about what she would do for the company. She was coming from a massive AI background, and the real question circling the black hole of the internet was “Does she even game, bro?”

Then, like a beacon of light from my monitor at midnight, she cut prices to Game Pass! She also held a press conference saying she was going to listen to the player again! She told us she wanted to give us what we wanted!

Elder Scrolls 6! Fall out 5! Major IP’s that we loved and were coming to Xbox back in the 2010s!

The Internet went ballistic! Asha will save us all seemed like the chant on the wind, just like when the Grey Beards call down to you from High Hrothgar! Honestly, I was sucking in and still am all of that hopium I can get my lips on! (Deeeep Breath)

What we didn’t think about was that Xbox probably had some problems that had been hurting it for the last 15 years!

She has announced massive layoffs, major studios getting offboarded, and many more controls coming on the studios that survive the cuts. There are crazy rumors that Halo could be built by another studio in the future!

Bethesda took a massive cut, and there are rumors flying that Asha will want to have way more control over their future projects than Phil Spencer ever put in place.

What I want as a gamer is awesome games I love, and I can share with my kids one day. If Asha can do that, and the cost is a restructure, and the dev teams have some uncomfortable oversight then, Suck it up, Buttercup, and make some damn games!

We need a reason for Asha to get a tattoo like Peter Moore in the glory days of Halo 2!

_-MadHad

A. Adventure

B. Pitfall!

C. Space Invaders

D. Missile Command

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Answer: A. Adventure

Fun fact: Programmer Warren Robinett hid his name in a secret room to protest Atari's policy of denying developers credit, creating the very first documented video game Easter egg.