Dragon Quest, PS5 & Nintendo Just Proved... They're Having an Identity Crisis.

Modern gaming feels like it’s having an identity crisis. This week on The Round Table Podcast Episode 56, ‪@Drkknight316‬ and ‪@RobertWheelerGaming‬ discuss why modern gaming feels increasingly disconnected from the players that helped build these franchises in the first place. From Dragon Quest questioning the future of turn-based combat… to Nintendo’s eShop being flooded with low-effort “slop”… to Sony exposing real PS5 player numbers… to layoffs hitting developers behind billion-dollar sports franchises — every story this week points to the same uncomfortable question: Is the industry sacrificing identity for trends, engagement, and endless growth? Gaming has never been bigger. But for many players, it’s never felt more corporate, more artificial, or more disconnected than it does right now. Topics This Week: Dragon Quest and the turn-based RPG debate Nintendo eShop quality control problems PS5 player numbers and live-service transparency Visual Concepts layoffs despite NBA 2K and WWE 2K success Why modern AAA gaming feels different Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:23 - What are you Drinking? 0:51 - What Have You Been Playing? 3:30 - Visual Concepts hit with layoffs 20:30 - Gears of War Slop on Nintendo 31:45 - PS5 Most Played 55:00 - Turn based games aren’t a requirement 1:10:45 - Outro If you enjoy gaming news, PlayStation discussions, industry commentary, JRPG debates, and long-form gaming podcasts, subscribe for more weekly conversations. #PlayStation #DragonQuest #PS5 #Nintendo #gamingnews Links: Dragon Quest: https://www.thegamer.com/dragon-quest... Nintendo Slop: https://insider-gaming.com/shameless-... Playstation to Copy Steam: https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/... Visual Concept Layoffs: https://insider-gaming.com/nba-2k-and...