The State of Gaming September 2023: Starfield, Mortal Kombat 1, Lies of P, Disgaea 7, Cocoon, Netflix Gaming Anime, iPhone 15 Gaming, Chris Kohler Talks Karateka, and Circana

It’s The State of Gaming Podcast, Popzara’s in-depth look at what’s shaking up the gaming landscape delivered on a monthly basis. Our hosts Cory Galliher and Nate Evans guide you through the best, worst, and everything else making headlines and headway in the world of interactive entertainment.

The biggest games of the month include: Starfield, Mortal Kombat 1, Chants of Sennaar, Lies of P, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Payday 3, and Disgaea 7.

On the software charts Madden NFL 24 touchdowns in first, Namco Bandai’s Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon debuts high in second, Gearbox Publishing’s Remnant II stays strong in third,  and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom stays solid in sixth. Further down show the PlayStation 5 effect as Sony’s God of War: Ragnarok turns in sixteenth, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XVI is right behind in seventeenth, Gran Turismo 7 returns in eighteenth, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales in nineteenth.

But there’s more! Did you know Elon Musk was such a hardcore gamer? Read Walter Issacson’s Musk book and you will! It’s probably best to avoid the Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 for now, possibly forever. Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off nearly half their staff.

Netflix is into gaming! But not as much as they’re into gaming anime! Castlevania: Nocturne is here, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (starring Hayley Atwell) is coming soon! So is Devil May Cry! Your pricey new iPhone 15 Pro will play the Resident Evil 4 Remake – and it’ll probably get super hot doing it!

Want to learn the history of Karateka and the future of interactive documentaries? Listen to our chat with games historian Chris Kohler (when you’re done listening to this episode, naturally).