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Valve is Making Steam Sales Algorithmic

Sep 30, 2026 · 57m

Summary

Jeff Grub and Janana Cho discuss Valve’s plan to replace Steam’s curated sales calendar with algorithmic recommendations in 2027, debating the impact on indie developers. They also cover Xbox’s new disk-to-digital feature, Grasshopper Manufacture’s independence from NetEase, and Shuhei Yoshida’s advice for Sony and Nintendo to extend the current console generation. The episode includes a light-hearted segment about Jeff’s trip to Aldi for Halloween items and a review of the cozy game Totem 2.

Topics discussed

Opill birth control pill advertisement Show intro and episode overview Host personal update and Aldi shopping Premium membership and Goop Troop video Review of Little Nightmares II Steam personalized sales and algorithm changes Xbox disc-to-digital conversion feature PlayStation 6 backward compatibility concerns Instagram and Odeec advertisements Grasshopper Manufacture becomes independent Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet character design Shuhei Yoshida on next-gen hardware delays PS5 jailbreak exploit and piracy risks PS6 release timeline and CES absence Xbox mythic achievements and Naughty Dog news Ratchet & Clank update and Retro Songbird Poll results: Papa's Pastaria Cyberdillo and upcoming show segments Outro and premium member giveaway ChatGPT and Pepperidge Farm advertisements
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