NVIDIA Backlash, Cyberpunk 2077, and Industry Antitrust
NVIDIA's Marketing Controversy
The episode opens with a controversial incident involving NVIDIA, which attempted to strong-arm Hardware Unboxed regarding their review coverage of ray tracing. NVIDIA threatened to withhold early Founders Edition samples if their specific editorial focus was not met.
• The community backlash was immediate and severe.
• NVIDIA issued an apology, which many perceived as insincere, suggesting they were only sorry about the public relations fallout.
• The hosts discuss the deeper systemic issues within NVIDIA's treatment of media partners and AIB (Add-in Board) partners, describing a culture of corporate toxicity that remains largely unchecked by traditional industry pressures.
CD Projekt Red & Cyberpunk 2077
Following the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077, particularly on last-gen consoles, the hosts analyze why the game struggles to function even on high-end hardware.
• Sony took the unprecedented step of removing the title from the PlayStation Store and offering full refunds.
• Corporate accountability is a major theme, with the hosts arguing that marketing the game on older hardware was inherently deceptive.
The Devotion Controversy
The discussion shifts to Devotion, a horror game by Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games that was removed from GOG (owned by CD Projekt Red) shortly before its planned re-release.
• The game faced backlash due to perceived slights against the Chinese government.
• While some defend the decision as a reaction to user feedback, the consensus view is that it represents an attempt to avoid conflict with the Chinese market, raising significant concerns about censorship and corporate silence on political expression.
Antitrust and Microsoft's Future
Finally, the episode touches upon the growing scrutiny of Big Tech.
"I would love to see more antitrust... I'd like to see all of them held to a higher standard."
• Government attorneys are investigating Google for anticompetitive ad-tech practices.
• Rumors regarding Microsoft potentially developing internal ARM processors for data centers are explored as a method to strengthen ecosystem vertical integration.