# AJSN WK11A - Marathon's DISASTERS!, Highguard CLOSES, Slay The Spire 2 SUCCESS, Nintendo SUES Trump? Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vdDPATyK34 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/_vdDPATyK34 Generated: 2026-03-10T00:07:16.643+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The video concludes that Bungie's new game, Marathon, is visually impressive and seems to be addressing community concerns about microtransactions, but the hosts remain skeptical about the game's long-term success given the high initial $40 price point for a free-to-play extraction shooter, especially when compared to established titles like Destiny 2 and Highguard. **Key Points:** - Marathon's visual presentation, including the character designs and environments, is praised as impressive, though some visuals resemble other games like Halo and Destiny. - Bungie is actively addressing community concerns about microtransactions by confirming that cosmetic items will be earned through gameplay (like free kits) rather than requiring initial purchases, though paid legendary skins are still present. - The concurrent player peak for the game's early access reached nearly 575,000, surpassing Slay the Spire 2's record, though the player count dropped off quickly. - The host team expresses skepticism about the game's $40 price point for an extraction shooter, noting that similar models often succeed better as free-to-play titles. - Highguard's concurrent player base is noted to be significantly smaller than Marathon's initial peak, stabilizing around 30-40% of its peak numbers. - Nintendo is suing the US government for the return of tariffs paid on imported goods, arguing the tariffs were illegally collected following a Supreme Court ruling. - A new 'Hunter' game was accidentally released as a 'RoboCop: Rogue City' update, indicating potential internal confusion or mistakes at the development studio. ![Screenshot at 00:01: A hand interacts with a futuristic, hexagonal HUD displaying 'SCANNING' over a fingerprint scan, setting the visual tone for the discussion about Bungie's new game, Marathon.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_vdDPATyK34/00-00-01.jpg) **Context:** The video features three hosts reacting to recent news and gameplay footage, primarily focusing on the early access period of the upcoming Bungie FPS, Marathon, and its monetization model. They also discuss other industry news, including Nintendo's lawsuit over tariffs and the accidental release of a new game titled 'Hunter' under the guise of a 'RoboCop: Rogue City' update. The hosts express mixed feelings about Marathon's structure, praising its visuals but questioning the $40 price tag for a game featuring microtransactions and extraction elements. ## Detailed Analysis The discussion begins with an overview of the Marathon trailer, with the hosts praising its visual quality, though noting similarities to Halo and Destiny. The primary focus shifts to Marathon's monetization structure, where Bungie confirmed that cosmetic items can be earned through gameplay (like free starter kits) to address community backlash, although expensive paid legendary skins exist. The game achieved a massive initial concurrent player peak of nearly 575,000 on Steam, surpassing Slay the Spire 2's record, but this number quickly declined. The hosts express concern over the $40 price for what appears to be a free-to-play extraction-style shooter, believing the model might struggle compared to free-to-play competitors. They contrast this with Highguard's lower player retention. Separately, they cover Nintendo suing the US government for tariff refunds following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed the tariffs illegal, which Nintendo believes caused them significant harm. Finally, they discuss the accidental release of a 'Hunter' game, which was mistakenly labeled as a 'RoboCop: Rogue City' update, leading to confusion among fans of the original 'Hunter' and 'World of Darkness' lore. The hosts express amusement at the mistake but acknowledge the underlying game (likely the one that became Rogue City) looks visually impressive. ### Marathon Gameplay & Monetization - Visuals are praised but the $40 price point for an extraction shooter with cosmetics is questioned - Bungie is implementing changes like free starter kits to address microtransaction concerns - Initial player peak reached nearly 575,000 concurrent players, beating Slay the Spire 2's record, but retention dropped significantly. ### Highguard Performance - Player base stabilized at a much lower level than its peak, likely around 30-50% of its initial high. ### Industry News - Nintendo Tariff Lawsuit - Nintendo of America is suing the US government to recover tariffs paid on imported goods, claiming they were collected illegally after a Supreme Court ruling. ### Industry News - Hunter/RoboCop Mix-up - A new 'Hunter' game was accidentally released as an update for 'RoboCop: Rogue City,' causing confusion among fans of the original 'Hunter' IP (World of Darkness). ### Bungie's Internal Practices - Bungie reportedly made several missteps, such as having a very long internal review process for content (like the Marathon trailer) and potentially rushing development timelines, leading to negative feedback from some developers. ![Screenshot at 00:09: The Angry Joe Show title card flashes on screen amidst futuristic HUD graphics, indicating the start of the news segment.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_vdDPATyK34/00-00-09.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:17: The host displays a phone screen showing the Babbel app interface during a sponsor read \(Sponsorship content excluded from main summary\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_vdDPATyK34/00-00-17.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:58: The screen displays an article headline: 'Epic's Sweeney Muzzled by Google Through 2032 Settlement,' illustrating a news item being discussed.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_vdDPATyK34/00-00-58.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:33: A screenshot from the Marathon gameplay trailer showing a character on a desolate landscape beneath a large celestial body, illustrating the game's setting.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_vdDPATyK34/00-02-33.jpg)