New friendslop just dropped
Hey, readers. As I write this, I’m trying to figure out what game to play with a friend as we catch up tonight. I’m eyeing Crashout Crew from Aggro Crab, but I’m being pointed toward a recent release called Meccha Chameleon, a hide-and-seek game where you paint yourself to try to blend in with the environment.
Unsurprisingly, it’s already a hit on Steam. Let’s call it another “friendslop” game in the vein of Lethal Company and Peak—something affordable, streamer-friendly, and low in graphical detail that you can play with friends. Personally, I wish we had avoided the pejorative “slop” term, but unfortunately, it’s become ubiquitous regardless of quality.
In other news, I’m checking out previews of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which should be fun not just for Star Wars fans but racing game enthusiasts in general. It’s getting a lot of comparisons to Burnout, and it has a surprisingly deep roguelite single-player story mode. I’m already looking at a day one purchase for this one myself. Those podracer sound effects are big dopamine sources for me.
We have just one main story focused on the Steam Machine today, but we have another installment of our “Fill Me In On_____” interactive segment!
This issue will fill you in on:
The Steam Machine is out soon, but is it worth the cash?
Image source: Valve (YouTube)
The not-console that looks like a console
Let’s cut to the chase: Valve is releasing new gaming hardware that can plug into your television, and people have been wondering since its announcement how much it’ll cost and when it’s out. The Steam Machine is actually coming out real soon, releasing on June 30, and pricing is as follows:
512GB without a Steam Controller: $1,049
512GB with a Steam Controller: $1,128
2TB without a Steam Controller: $1,349
2TB with a Steam Controller: $1,428
Basically, the Steam Machine is priced more like a PC than a console. Despite its GameCube-like form factor, Valve insists that the Steam Machine isn’t a console, but rather “an extension of PC gaming.” The company also says that the high demand for memory and storage components—mainly brought on by AI companies—made it so that the company’s “original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable.”
Even with its high price, the Steam Machine will still probably be a chore to obtain. Valve is letting you sign up for a list to purchase the device, and based on randomization, those on the list will either be put in a reservation queue or on a waitlist.
How much was the Steam Machine supposed to cost?
You’ll probably never hear an exact figure from Valve itself, but Valve engineers told IGN that the Steam Machine’s price increase was “probably similar” to the Steam Deck’s recent price hike. That was about a 35% increase, so IGN estimates that the Steam Machine was originally set for a roughly $750 price point.
Performance will vary by title, but the Steam Machine runs more or less similarly to the Xbox Series X ($600) and the PlayStation 5 ($600). Unlike consoles, the Steam Machine won’t be subsidized—usually, devices like the PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch are sold at a loss, with revenue made up by software and subscription sales, but Valve isn’t following this business model, instead sticking to the “open ecosystems” of PC gaming.
Of course, if you don’t want to shell out on what Valve fans are colloquially calling the “GabeCube” (after Valve CEO and superyacht owner Gabe Newell), you can always just build your own Steam Machine-like PC.
What do reviewers think of the Steam Machine?
The common points I’m seeing in reviews are that the Steam Machine is indeed a beautiful little box, and it’s a solid way to play PC games on the television. But with its high price, it’s hard to see casual players who are into console gaming purchasing one of these over a PlayStation or an Xbox for less money. All in all, it’s a more niche device than it might look like from the outside.
It’s cool and quiet, and the interchangeable faceplates add numerous customization possibilities. But in some cases, the hardware will underperform compared to a PS5 or Xbox Series X. It might be better viewed as an entry-level PC than the next evolution in console gaming.
Replay: What else happened?
A screenshot from The Adventures of Elliot. Image credit: Square Enix Press Hub
Other news hits
Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 begin on June 25, and Rockstar Games unveiled the cover art for the game. Yes, there’s a helicopter in the top left corner, like in the covers for most of the GTA games. The game will cost $80, with a $100 Ultimate Edition that includes skins, weapons, and vehicles. Notably, the physical release of GTA 6 won’t include a disc—just a download code.
In what seems like an ill-timed profile, considering how dire Xbox’s business is right now, Entertainment Weekly ran a lengthy story about Xbox’s forays into movies and television, which touched on a Gears of War prequel movie in the works and a Sea of Thieves live-action movie produced by Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton.
A French video game worker union called Le Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) is calling on the “entire video game sector” in the country to strike on June 25, in what it calls “Summer Greve Fest.”
Call of Duty is adding a Nicolas Cage skin to Black Ops 7. That’s the whole story.
Kingdom Hearts is getting a complete collection releasing on Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S this October, but fans have debated about what looks like AI-generated cover artwork for the release. It was recently spotted that Square Enix appeared to stealthily update the box art, which many will probably take as a confirmation that AI was indeed utilized.
Big new game releases include…
Fans of Japanese RPGs might want to check out The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) from Square Enix. It utilizes the gorgeous “HD-2D” art style seen in Octopath Traveler and features a real-time combat system for those into Zelda-like action adventures.
Reviews are pretty solid, but I’m pretty fixated on the fact that this game takes place in a magical land called “Philabieldia.” The name comes from the Japanese word for “firebird” with a “-dia” suffix, and Philabieldia is just how the translation came out. But that hasn’t stopped Square Enix from putting up signs in Philadelphia International Airport promoting the game and stating “Welcome to Philabieldia!” Good on you, Square Enix marketing department.
If you want to try the game yourself, there’s a free downloadable “prologue” demo, and your progress in that demo will carry over to the full game if you end up buying it.
Fill Me In On Minecraft’s status while Xbox is on fire
An image from the Minecraft Dungeons II trailer. Image source: Minecraft (YouTube)
Is Mojang safe from layoffs and closure?
(I aim to address a question or curiosity about gaming from readers in every issue! Submit your inquiries through this Google Form and read my explainer in a future newsletter!)
Dear reader René wrote in with a question in response to last week’s news story about Xbox’s troubles:
With the cacophony of stuff happening at XBOX, have you heard anything about what could potentially happen with Minecraft?
The short answer: I haven’t heard anything, but I think they’ll be fine.
These days, it feels like much of the game industry is scrambling to respond to the rise of player-created experiences like Roblox among younger audiences, and I often hear Minecraft being mentioned alongside Roblox as an attention-sucker to compete with.
Minecraft studio Mojang was founded in 2009 and acquired by Microsoft in 2014; while it’s hard to say for certain if Minecraft has thrived or declined under Microsoft’s management, I do think that the longevity of Minecraft speaks for itself. I can’t speak for the internal changes made in Minecraft itself, but the game is widely accessible on pretty much every modern gaming platform, and not counting the several versions of Tetris, Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time. Not to mention, last year’s Minecraft movie made nearly a billion dollars at the box office, with a sequel already in production.
Microsoft must be super thankful to have Minecraft in its portfolio. As long as it owns the trifecta of Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Candy Crush, you can bet that Microsoft will stay in the gaming business even though its console ventures have been struggling as of late.
Though as a part of Microsoft, wider layoffs that occur within the corporation may affect Mojang Studios to some degree. My understanding is that some of the Microsoft layoffs in July 2025 hit Mojang’s QA department. My question would be what would happen to Mojang if Microsoft gave up on Xbox and spun that division off. Would Microsoft want to keep Mojang? Would Mojang want to spin off on its own? Or would it stick with the Xbox family?
All in all, Microsoft’s larger trajectory in the gaming business is hard to predict, but I’d guess that the only issues that Minecraft has to deal with are whatever minutiae there is to debate about the game today.
Thanks for reading this week’s issue! Don’t forget to tell your friends about this newsletter—the more people I can keep up to date, the better.
Bye for now,
Chris Compendio
