Strategy gaming enthusiasts Al, Jack, and Timothy take a hard look at Paradox Interactive’s recent controversies, examining whether the publisher’s aggressive DLC strategies, problematic launch states, and treatment of satellite studios justify the exceptional grand strategy games they produce, or if players have simply become desensitized to practices that would be unacceptable from other developers. https://criticalmovespodcast.com/listen This episode provides an unflinching examination of Paradox Interactive’s business practices, with hosts who collectively have over 13,000 hours invested in Paradox titles critically analysing the publisher’s DLC-driven revenue model, reliance on post-launch fixes, and treatment of development partners. The conversation explores whether Paradox’s £389 price tag for complete Stellaris content represents value or exploitation, examines the devastating impact of the City Skylines 2 situation on Colossal Order, and debates whether AAA studios should embrace early access labelling for unfinished products. The hosts balance...