
The Year that Was 2025 in Gaming
From Blowing Cartridges by Blowing Cartridges
January 19, 2026 · 1h 56m · Episode 84
About this episode
The episode discusses the significant events and trends in the gaming industry during 2025.
2025 was a year of highs and troubling lows for the gaming industry. Join us as with returning guest and friend of the show Mario (not that one) we break down everything that defined gaming this past year—from the fastest console launch in Nintendo history to the biggest leveraged takeover Wall Street has ever seen. We explore the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 (3.5 million units in its first week), EA's $55 billion Saudi-led acquisition, and the ongoing wave of industry-wide layoffs. We discuss long-awaited releases like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Metroid Prime 4, discuss the $80 game pricing controversy, and examine the rise in prices in our hobby. Finally, we discuss some of the major releases of 2025 - including our highlights on the year in gaming that was 2025. Brendan - @Tamazoid Zach - @Eggerino Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia
People in this episode
Hosts: Brendan, Zach
Guest: Mario
Topics covered
- gaming industry
- console launches
- acquisitions
- game pricing
- industry layoffs
- major game releases
Keywords
- Nintendo Switch 2
- EA acquisition
- Hollow Knight
- Metroid Prime 4
- game pricing
- industry layoffs
- gaming trends
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Nintendo, EA, Saudi
Books & works: Hollow Knight: Silksong, Metroid Prime 4
More episodes of Blowing Cartridges
- 25 Years of Animal Crossing - A Mother's Day Special · May 18, 2026 · 1h 20m
- Short & Sweet: Game Length, Value, and Why Less Can Be More · April 27, 2026 · 1h 25m
- Pokémon x Natural History Museum (London) & ACMI Game Worlds (Melbourne) · March 30, 2026 · 1h 12m
- 30 Years of Pokémon: Reflecting on the Australian Competitive Scene · March 9, 2026 · 2h 11m
- Critic Taxes and Rebates: Predicting Video Game Review Scores · February 2, 2026 · 2h 2m
- Reading the Mario-shaped Tea Leaves: Charting Nintendo Direct Trends · January 5, 2026 · 1h 59m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Blowing Cartridges podcast page.