Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

Over the following weekend, a seemingly PR loaded announcement came out of SEGA in regards to them teaming up with Xbox. However, after the Dukes did some digging, there is much more than what meets the eye here. The last year and change has been decorated by under-the-radar dealing between the two and now they have revealed their most significant partnership to date. Is an acquisition happening in the coming years? If not, what are the bare minimum expectations from such a partnership? With Sarah Bond spearheading this teaming of the brands, we can certainly say it's gaming focused. In other notable Xbox news, Halo Infinite had a peculiar listing that eagle eyed outlets spotted. Going by the name of "early access" bundle, it appears to be self-explanatory that Xbox is taking the same route with Halo that they did with Forza. Otherwise, Xbox loses a notable indie exclusive after short window, Blizzard's woes continue in spectacular fashion, and Oculus makes some long overdue changes to the VR space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finally! After a year and change, Halo Infinite's campaign has been shown off again. We see a familiar open world structure and with that comes the fear that Ubisoft has placed in many of us. What do Matty & Cog feel about all that has changed between August 2020 and now? As of late, it isn't an episode of Defining Duke without a noteworthy leak and, again, we have both Jez Corden and Jeff Grubb to thank for that. It comes in the forms of details on both Project Shaolin and Project Belfry. It appears the codenames are indeed subtle giveaways on the core of each game. That's great and all, but it pales in comparison to the Defining Dueces. Arguably our most important segment yet finally gets a worthy spotlight! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a stacked week for the Dukes! Getting right into it, Xbox has announced an event to celebrate their 20th anniversary. While there won't be new game announcements, there are many alternative routes to be taken. Beyond familiar backwards compatible speculation is a chance to spotlight Halo Infinite's campaign yet again. Outside of this, there are many guesses as to what can be shown to us in November. While there is much good news to celebrate, on the surface it may seem like some bad news has arrived. Xbox Game Pass did not meet its target growth! Is this a bad thing? Taking a look at the numbers tells a much, much different tale. Fable fans continue to suffer greatly, PlayStation brings God Of War to PC, Splinter Cell is back in action, and so much more in a loaded episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a big week for the Dukes! One of Xbox's most significant acquisitions in the last half decade is Obsidian Entertainment. They are a extremely talented studio who has been consistently worked over by every publisher they have worked alongside in some way, shape, or form and they now with Microsoft's pockets backing them up they will aim to make a big splash with Avowed. While it has long been described as "Obsidian's Skyrim," we were never 100% sure... until now. Joining us to discuss a recent huge leak about Avowed is IGN's Ryan McCaffrey and the timing couldn't be better. Beyond that, we dive into PlayStation's recent insistence on reaching tens and hundreds of millions of gamers. Will they take Xbox's pathway to reach that number or is there something else they have in mind? That plus 20th Anniversary predictions, the pressing discussion on how long a $60 should be, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the Tokyo Game Show, Xbox unveiled quite a bit ranging from exciting additions to Game Pass in the form of AI: The Somnium Files and Scarlet Nexus to Cloud Gaming finally being available in many more areas around the world. The question we're left with is, is this enough? Has Xbox ceased its half measures in Japan and are finally taking it seriously? Cog and Matty debate. There has also been much movement on the PC front from Capcom's public commitment to Epic taking a page out of the PlayStation playbook for their own achievements. It's not all good news as a leaked memo has stated that China plans on implementing more restrictions on gaming. That plus your Patron write-ins! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Defining Duke we are joined by Jeff Grubb to go over the latest in gaming! Before we get into anything, someone should call Tostitos because there are a ton of scoops this week. The biggest headline circling the Xbox camps is what is happening with Crystal Dynamics? Recently, they were brought into the fold to work on Perfect Dark, but now that partnership has expanded to a Game Pass deal for Avengers that seemed long overdue. Excellent timing or something brewing? We scoop! Beyond that, Netflix has joined what is a big time for spending across game companies. Welcoming in Night School Studio to their game development program, we are left asking one question. Is there a particular reason for these studios getting gobbled up? Diving into the nature of the industry plus the economy is required! That plus behind-the-scenes on scoops, why Matty likes Quantum Break, and much more decorate a very fun episode Defining Duke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the leaky faucets of the games industry were at work! For starters, Dad Of Xbox Jez Corden went to work providing details on Project Indus & Project Cobalt which were discussed during last week's Defining Duke. Through this report, we learn a lot of secrets on what developer Oxide Games and inXile are up to. Beyond that, a new Star Wars game is reportedly in development if multiple sources are to be trusted. The team behind it? Quantic Dream who recently split off from PlayStation. The crazier aspect? It's supposedly open world! The Dukes discuss this big change of pace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week's Defining Duke, we are joined by none other than "The Mayor" Ben Smith who serves as Last Stand Media's associate producer. No, nothing happened to Sea Of Thieves! However, it appears there is a leak in a ship at sea known as GeForce Now. It is on this cloud based streaming service that recently we saw the likes of Resident Evil 4 Remake, Injustice 3, a new Lord Of The Rings game, Kingdom Hearts 4, and plenty more leak. Now, Nvidia is attempting to do damage control, but the boys have thoughts on leaks beyond familiar names. Within this are codenames for upcoming Xbox exclusives! In other news, Knights Of The Old Republic is leaving Xbox behind (for a limited time) and you know that Matty just couldn't help himself with this one. Beyond the Marvel and Star Wars discourse is a conversation on important subjects like Cog's grunting, Matty's priority of cigars instead of city keys, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a lighter news week, we shift our attention to PlayStation who was making the most noise. Thanks to next-gen upgrade backlash surrounding Horizon Forbidden West, the pitchforks were pulled out and raised high by fans of the platform. With that, Matty & Cog dip into PlayStation's incidental marketing of Smart Delivery and how the service is being pushed without Xbox doing much of anything. Scoping out the lay of the land, it appears that a $10 upgrade could be questionable depending on how long last generation titles hang around. In other headlines, Alan Wake is back! Formerly an Xbox exclusive, fans beyond that ecosystem can finally experience its wacky and zany nature this fall. What does this mean for the future of the series? We discuss! Perhaps more discussed than any of this is the situation over at Tripwire where CEO John Gibson was removed after comments made about a new bill passed in Texas. After revealing his thoughts on the situation, John is out, and with that we have a important topic to mull over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hideo Kojima is a name that continues to be tossed around on a partnership for Xbox, but it appears his work with PlayStation isn't finished if reports of a Death Stranding 2 are to be trusted. Is this a case of a mistranslated quote from actor Norman Reedus or will Kojima play both sides of the fence? Knowing the optics of the situation, you would have to assume that Xbox would like to isolate the legendary director. In other news, Xbox has announced a showcase of sorts for Tokyo Game Show. After Gamescom, the industry learned their lesson that the term "showcase" doesn't mean information galore and you may not even be able to trust that its biggest games are there. With expectations firmly in check, Matty and Cog dive into how Xbox needs to make strong moves to become a global brand. From localization to establishing new talent, it has been a consistent weak spot for the brand. The most important question asked in our show's history has also been answered: would we rather watch our parents do it everyday for the rest of our lives or join in once? It's an Xbox gaming show, what did you expect? A clever third answer just may raise its head... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's another juicy episode and there's no one better to have alongside us to break everything down then Jez Corden of Windows Central Gaming. After a week of announcements across QuakeCon and Gamescom, we gather to break it all down. From Halo Infinite's long anticipated release date all the way to updates on titles such as Forza Horizon 5, Age Of Empires IV, The Gunk, and major new Game Pass editions. Bethesda also had a loud week as they are planning to sell us Skyrim again along with a host of new content on top of Fallout Worlds showing up in September. Beyond that, they dipped further into the nostalgia bag with Quake Remastered! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Phil answered one of the most pressing questions since the reveal of the Steam Deck. Can it play Xbox games via the cloud? Now, we finally have our answer. Carrying it beyond that, Matty and Cognito dive into if this is enough or could Xbox go make their own handheld with Nintendo and Valve successfully entering the space? Beyond that, the head of Xbox took an interview with GamesRadar where they honed in on the fine craft of PlayStation and their excellent open world titles. His reply to the status of those games was telling of where the company is heading and the diverse portfolio they aim to bring. Drumming up more Xbox drama, Outriders developer People Can Fly listed quite the revelation on their investor website. It appears the game is not profitable! The question is, as a day one Xbox Game Pass game, is this the cause of the failure? The boys sink into the controversy which goes beyond Xbox! Such as with Boyfriend Dungeon, a game who's artistic interpretation of dark subject matter has been met with demands of censorship and opt-outs. A topic that has arguably brought more players to the game rather than pushing them away as intended. Rounding it, Matty and Cognito dive into Remedy's recent success, Rockstar's remasters, and the latest coming to Xbox Game Pass! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joining us this week in one of our longest episodes to date is the Man With A Million, Rand Al Thor! Matty, Cognito, and Rand team up for the perfect week as Xbox blew the lid off all their plans for upcoming content. For starters, three different showcases arrived for the company this month. One has already passed which is ID @ Xbox's Twitch indie showcase. What Game Pass additions and indie gems caught the boys' eyes? Later in August is the headliner, Xbox's Gamescom show. It aims to provide updates to titles coming THIS YEAR. Is it finally time for a Halo Infinite release date? Will the illusive titles such as The Gunk and Runic show up? Plenty of questions that we hope to have answered. Also in August is QuakeCon, a Bethesda focused event which will provide updates on their very own games. The pressing question being how slim are the chances of exclusives like Starfield and Redfall appearing? We can only hope for updates! Speaking of, plenty of updates come to current and upcoming titles. Stalker 2, Hellblade, Atomic Heart, and plenty more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alongside a fantastic technical preview for Halo Infinite's multiplayer came some scary news for fans who have been waiting years for Infinite to finally drop. For starters, story spoilers are spreading throughout the web thanks to campaign files which were data mined from that very technical preview. That's not all as the very fitting battle royale mode may have also been discovered thanks to some voice lines uncovered by Jeff Steitzer! What do all these leaks make for the future of this make-or-break title for Xbox? The Duke discuss! Furthermore, Forza Motorsport 7 has been curiously delisted from all Xbox digital marketplaces. It's still playable and available, but the racing sim sized hole is now being filled with questions. With other Game Pass games tangled with licenses suffer a similar fate? The Ascent launched this past week on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass! It's yet another important exclusive as Xbox finds its legs. Matty and Cog dig in on what works and doesn't for this beautiful twin stick shooting action RPG. In other news, the Activision Blizzard situation continues to develop with a new page being added to the sorrowful storybook day by day. We finally delve into the ugly situation and all it has to offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lots happening in the Xbox world this week! For starters, eager fans can finally sink their teeth into Halo Infinite flight testing as it goes live this weekend. Only one of the two hosts made it in... can you guess who? That aside, it is a test boasting bot matches, but more than anything we will finally be able to get a true feel of the game! On the other end of the spectrum, Forza Horizon 5 displayed even more impressive visuals throughout three new biomes. The game is staggering on multiple levels and we comb through the details on this highly anticipated exclusive. Beyond that, we dip our toes into The Coalition pool where the talented team showed off some tech demos using Unreal Engine 5. Gears Of War 6 is confirmed to look beautiful! Between major drops on Game Pass with Microsoft Flight Simulator and The Ascent along with big fall games sneaking up, Xbox looks to be finally hitting their stride for the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week saw the PC savvy Valve announce their entrance into the console market in the form of a handheld that aims to bring the PC experience in Switch-like form factor. As Team Handheld, Matty and Lord Cognito immediately love what they see, but the potential in Steam Deck goes beyond that of Valve. Indeed, it is the potential Xbox has to grow through this device like many others as we continue to wonder if Xbox will finally enter the handheld market. Beyond that, Xbox saw a record month in hardware sales likely thanks to their strong E3 2021 showcase. Together, we analyze the numbers and if they represent the future of Xbox's success? That success is due to a commitment of exclusives! One of which has now been delayed in the name of Fatshark's Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. It has slipped into 2022, so the team discusses. More importantly, your Patron questions such as Cog's commitment to the New York Mets and Matty's broken heart over Mega Man. It's a fire episode, so get cozy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Xbox team made the press rounds this week and dove into the likes of controller changes, VR/AR, early access, but most importantly to everyone (and especially Cog!) is that #JustONE! Fans have wanted Xbox to go all out with their single player narrative games and Phil Spencer has just claimed they have more in development than they ever had in the history of Xbox. An exciting trajectory for sure, so Matty and Cog shake out Xbox's future. Alongside that, a major week in the world of Japanese games. PC trouble has struck spin-off series Judgment and Persona celebrates its 25th anniversary! Will Johnny & Associates enter the modern age and let Takuya Kimura follow his wife on Instagram?! What of the future of Judgment as a series?! We discuss that alongside the alluring idea of Persona heading to Xbox and much more in a jam packed week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reports, reports, and more reports! That's a TLDR for you. We have reports on the future of Grand Theft Auto's next entry which will feature an "evolving map" best compared to events in Fortnite. Assassin's Creed joins the fray of single player platforms that will be supported for years. In yet another report, it is revealed that much like Halo Infinite, Assassin's Creed will have a platform boasting multiple settings which will be added to for many years to come. How does this shift the single player landscape? In other (you guessed it) reports, we learn about a letter of intent signed between Hideo Kojima and Xbox that will likely guarantee this partnership bears fruit. I warned ya! Lots of reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a special episode, we welcome Lord Cognito into the Last Stand Media family as our permanent co-host for Defining Duke. Cognito brings years of podcasting experience across Iron Lords Podcast & The Last Word podcast while standing as a strong representation of what Last Stand brings to the table. Honesty, respect, and hard work. He was #1 on our list and we're honored to have him in the fold week in and week out. Now, for the news! In the realm of PlayStation, they wrapped up one (maybe even two) studios that clearly belong in their first party portfolio. Those being Housemarque and Bluepoint. The two titans continue to battle in their own way and, as always, the question is who's next? Matty and Cog dissect! Otherwise, Phil Spencer provides much sought after clarity on the release window of Halo Infinite. Why exactly didn't we get a date? Phil provides the goods on top of the status of Killer Instinct's future! With that combined with more pressing topics like Cognito's burger choice, we have a lot to get through today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First and foremost, a big thank to Karak for being an excellent host for Defining Duke. We will miss his commentary, jokes, and analysis on the latest in Xbox. With that in mind, Defining Duke will soon be bringing a new host on board that we will announce soon. Onto the news! Xbox has touted the cloud for years and now they're making big hirings and one in particular is for Hideo Kojima to help him make something for Xbox. The prospect of Xbox extracting one of the dominant players in the PlayStation space certainly is tantalizing and it looks like they plan to make big moves to ensure it goes according to their desires. Aside from that, EA is looking to resurrect (HA!) Dead Space! Hailing from EA Motive, it is reportedly a re-imagining and not a direct sequel. What does this mean for the survival horror franchise and EA's approach to reviving old franchises? More pressing, what are our thoughts on the nature of leaks full on spoiling big reveals? Matty and Ben team up to tackle this and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the primary points of critique for Xbox since the Xbox One has been its lack of meaningful releases. It was significant when an exclusive occurred, but the towering dominance of quality known as PlayStation exclusives would play as cleanup time in and time out. After E3 2021, one part of the critique can be put to bed. Month in, month out, Xbox has games for 2021 and they are bringing many more in 2022 as their investments heat up for 2023. So, for the first time in our show, we can sit down just talk the games coming to Xbox with updates on them. Forza Horizon 5, Redfall, and plenty more big titles coming to Xbox get filled out with important information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a special episode for a special event. Xbox and Bethesda have teamed up for the first time to put on a showcase displaying what is heading to the ecosystem throughout the rest of 2021 and into 2022. Out of the 30 titles shown off, 27 are making their way to Xbox Game Pass which no doubt piles on the already staggering value. With that, they also hit hard with new console exclusives like Contraband, Starfield, Redfall, and many more. For a company with "no games," Xbox has attempted to flip that script very quickly. The remaining question is, has this showcase delivered enough to justify the purchase of the new consoles? Are concepts enough? As expected, we dive deep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christmas in June has arrived! With E3 season in full swing, developers are set to make major announcements on all manner of games! With that, we tap the shoulder of Lord Cognito to dissect all 23 first party studios under Xbox and give our ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ to their appearance at the grand show. Who will we see? Time shall tell! In other news, Ubisoft dives into the political nature of their latest game, Far Cry 6. Meanwhile, Dying Light 2 enjoys a re-reveal and Battlefield is setting up to show itself on the 9th of June. That and plenty more to talk about in a jam packed episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With E3 hyping ramping up, anything is possible! Yes, that even means Valve coming to consoles. Reports are in that the company is working on their own PC handheld akin to the Nintendo Switch. What does this mean for the likes of emulation, game streaming, xCloud, and more? There's plenty to sift through. Speaking of, Karak and Matty obsess to an annoying extent over the asset announcing Xbox's E3 showcase. Backwards compatible additions? Starfield? Halo Infinite beta? So many possibilities! Xbox's future DRM problems have reared its ugly head once more, this time thanks to the oft applauded Smart Delivery service. Can Xbox solve this crucial problem that will impact future generations of gamers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week in news that's kind of, sort of not news, we talk a ton of Starfield! Just as Head Of Xbox Phil Spencer had said, it will indeed be an Xbox and PC exclusive. This brings forward two major questions. First, what is occurring in the industry where widely known news is news? Second, what does this mean for IP such as Fallout, Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Dishonored, and more? We re-visit and discuss! Plus, new Day One Game Pass additions in the name of Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance, Knockout City, and The Wild At Heart! Has Xbox Game Pass reached a point where consumers aren't as excited by the addition of day one launches through the service? Oh, and an advice show. Yes. Really. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Xbox looks to be shifting to a next generation state of mind. First party studios inXile Entertainment, Ninja Theory, and now The Coalition have all moved their work to Unreal Engine 5. This settings up the alluring discussion of how quickly we can transition, if at all, into those generation defining experiences! All is not well in the first party world! 343 Industries came under seemingly unfair criticism from the press and content creators when accusations of crunch began to surface. This all stems back to a single skybox artist who used to work at the company, Eric Lin. He followed up on his misinterpreted comments and that’s where the story really begins. Over in Bethesda land, the bad news for them is good news for us! Starfield leaks! Sprinkle on top a scathing discussion of french fries being dipped in a frosty and you have yourself the 19th week of Defining Duke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Epic and Apple are currently engaged in battle in the courtroom thanks to Fortnite’s mobile version which tried to circumvent the 30% cut Apple typically takes. Through that, we have seen all that occurs behind closed doors and it has been fascinating. For starters, a Phil Spencer e-mail that shines a spotlight on a recurring topic yet again: xCloud on Nintendo Switch. Plus, PlayStation’s true stance on crossplay has been unveiled and we even have financial dealings between publishers and Epic Games to investigate! That’s not it as Discord who was previously linked to Microsoft before turning away from them has now joined up with PlayStation via bringing the Discord app to their console early next year. How will this impact the future of crossplay and cross progression? Oh, and why Burger King shouldn’t exist! Great stuff to get into this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is a rare quiet week for Xbox as we quickly approach E3. As plans begin to be set in stone, we look at the potential titles to expect at gaming's biggest show and, subsequently a release in the fall. That's where Bethesda Game Studios' first new IP in two decades arrives and sets the conversation for our show. With more rumbles of a 2021 reveal and release, should we truly expect that with how game development has gone? Xbox Game Pass quietly adds a nifty title to its library, updates on Obsidian Entertainments, talks of dinosaurs, and more decorate a slower week for our industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Xbox’s executives have earned a reputation for teasing upcoming announcements in the background of their set-ups. This week, the games continued with a Nintendo Switch appearing in the studio during Microsoft’s Game Stack event. The boys sit down to investigate! In other updates throughout the Xbox world, Discord backs out on a Microsoft purchase, new Xbox Game Pass additions and subtractions, as well as the introduction of Game Pass Cloud streaming for iOS devices! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So, we're an Xbox and PC show. You've read the title, you know this. However, a large chunk of the audience write-ins were reflections on the Don Mattrick era and PlayStation's major shifts that have dragged Xbox into a favorable position. I thought for this episode it would be fun with a slower news week to turn our attention toward Bloomberg's reporting of PlayStation honing in on blockbuster titles only. As we continue to say, it's more clear than ever that Xbox and PlayStation are marching to entirely different beats and that means we are certainly in for one of the most interesting console generations. On the news side of things, more information has popped up suggesting Persona 5 Royal is heading to Xbox and some titles such as Everwild, Fable, and Perfect Dark might be caught in the development pipeline for some time! Oh, and debates on if sushi is a fish hot dog.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E3 was one of the victims of the pandemic, but with a new digital strategy in place it will be making a return in June of 2021. Xbox will be attendance and Bethesda will following them up leaving a lot of opportunity available to make a major impact. Will Xbox ditch their CGI trailer ways of the last year and give us strong looks at the likes of Fable, Avowed, Starfield, and Forza? Is Bethesda Game Studios going to fully dedicate Starfield to next-gen hardware? After analyzing some Todd Howard comments, the timing of the acquisition, and xCloud's surge, it's possible, but the boys discuss. In this same massive week, Xbox nabbed one of the former PlayStation exclusive titles as a Game Pass Day One addition. Where does this service start and end? How far will Xbox continue to go? That alongside more of YOUR questions round out a strong week for the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The monthly embarrassment has arrived! While Game Pass kills it to the point of saying it yet again feeling redundant, Games With Gold continues to meander. Bringing another package of lackluster titles leaves us with one big question... is it time to sunset this one beloved program? In the backwards compatibility world, Xbox continues to push the limits. Elder Scrolls or Fallout: New Vegas on the phone? Sign us up! The timing is great for them as it syncs up with PlayStation shutting down the PSP, PS vita, and PS3 digital storefronts. How will Xbox continue this initiative moving forward? Plenty to go through in our longest episode yet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the attention on Xbox, the time is now for them to strike and strike again. Rolling on weeks after one of their biggest moves they are now setting up a Indy showcase the debut brand new exclusives to the console. More shockingly, word has started to get around about a big Microsoft focused acquisition that could directly benefit Xbox in the name of the very popular video game chat service known as Discord. The major question has been will these games round out Xbox is big 2021 and 2022 as well as discord meeting the same fate as Skype? Is Skype in as sticky of a situation as it has been reported or do numbers say otherwise? As Xbox continues to make big moves for its future, Matty and Karak continue to dig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hot on the heels of rolling Bethesda into the fold, Xbox is sustaining momentum in the following week. Xbox Game Pass continues to solidify itself as the best value deal in gaming and things have somehow managed to get even better. On day one of its release you will be able to download Outriders through Game Pass on consoles! Major third party deals will continue to lift the service to new heights and Xbox understands that as they are bringing Octopath Traveler to Xbox as well. This is momentous as it marks the first time in ages Xbox has scored a JRPG ahead of PlayStation. With things unraveling as they are, Matty and Karak tapped reviewer Mike Williams of PCMag on the shoulder for additional input. Combine that with Game Pass on PC finally getting EA Play, a major event rumor, plus new Halo Infinite details and we are looking at a super episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No more guessing. This week, Phil Spencer, Pete Hines, Todd Howard, and many others gathered to break down everything on the future of this acquisition. Game Pass additions, exclusivity, a summer event. It is all laid out for us to feast on. Now that we know what is happening, where do we go from here? Matty and Karak sift through week's of build-up and release it all in this very episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walkthrough and Soulsbornekiro expert FightinCowboy joins the show! After nearly two years of silence, fans of Elden Ring finally have some answers. Unfortunately for Namco Bandai, none of this was planned. The new IP by From Software has suffered a major leak boasting an internal gameplay trailer and, worse yet, the potential showcase for this re-reveal has been outed as well. What do we make of this? Will it be a situation similar to Hogwart's Legacy where the leak comes and then the game disappears for years? In other news, Dying Light 2 continues to stumble. Previously linked to Xbox in some kind of exclusivity deal, Techland is struggling internally on which direction this game should head in. From an inconsistent development pipeline, to disgruntled employees leaving the team, and a peculiar obsession with what others are doing has led to a reporting by The Gamer exposing this and much more. On a less heavy note, more rumors swirl on Xbox's March event, Halo Infinite received a batch of new screenshots, and we sift through all of your fantastic Patron questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week by week, we inch closer to the conclusion of the Bethesda-Xbox merging and, more importantly, answers to pressing questions. What of exclusivity? When is Bethesda Game Studios' Starfield arriving? It looks like in the middle of March we will be learning what this means for the future of both companies becoming one. On the other side of the spectrum, PlayStation has moved another one of their exclusives to PC and this is a good sign for those of the 'master race.' Both sides are embracing the middle man and this means more games for everyone. Otherwise in a rumor filled week, Matty and Karak dig into the possibility of Death Stranding making its way to Xbox as well as what Avalanche Studios is up to based off some peculiar job listings. It's a busy, but good time this week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Xbox has been leading the charge on backwards compatibility for years. This has mostly come in the form of being able to access your games from previous generations, but this week, they made good on a promise of making those games better. By introducing an FPS boost, Xbox hopes to make those backwards compatible titles even better for you as Karak went hands on with the program and breaks down his experience. Last week brought about the conversation of Halo MCC possibly moving to a new platform, but it is much more simple than that. A custom games browser has been added and even a brand new map to Halo 3 from the canceled Halo Online! Digging deeper, Game Pass received a new haul of exciting games, some not even three months old, and the xCloud program looks to be expanding even more if reports from The Verge are to be believed. That along with Final Fantasy 14 not being on Xbox, a new wireless headset by Xbox, and much more decorate this week's Defining Duke! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Games are often understood as a form of art, but it appears that many suits are still playing catch-up in that regard! After five years, WB Games has successfully managed to lock down the defining mechanic for their Middle Earth series of games. This isn’t the first we’ve seen of game mechanics being patented, but is a move that only serves to stagnate the industry further as options to innovate become limited. Furthermore, Xbox has teased a new place and way to play for the Halo Master Chief Collection. Could this be the long awaited Switch port or is it something far more simple? We dissect! While next gen consoles are hard to come by, they do sell out upon availability and this month saw the win go to Xbox as they lead the month of January 2021 in console sales. Is this a product of supply constraints loosening or Xbox strategically seizing a region of the world? Also, more on Stubbs The Zombie, E3’s anticipated return, upcoming Microsoft events, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The terms "Xbox" and "Future" tend to be synonymous. While there are great games, the true investment lies in the plethora of exclusive deals and acquisition made by the company. With that in mind, gamers are hungry to learn more on what Xbox plans to do with all the Bethesda studios now under their umbrella and it appears the answer may be arriving next month. Interestingly, Xbox has managed to nab an exclusive from PlayStation as MLB The Show has moved to the multi-plat business meaning you can officially purchase an Xbox game with PlayStation studios on the front. Does this impact the future of other exclusives? We discuss! In other news, Xbox manages to extend their lead in game streaming as Stadia shuts down all first party development and Mass Effect is making a return much bigger than expected. That plus much more rounds out our fifth episode of Defining Duke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was an incredibly busy week for Xbox! The Xbox Live Gold fiasco, their first major Xbox Series X/S exclusive released, and Microsoft shared the company's recent earnings painting a clear picture of where Xbox stands as a division within the company. Even more crazy is that amongst all of this, there are rumors spreading of how one of the original Xbox's RPG exclusives may be making a return. That very RPG is Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic and it is seemingly in development at a studio not owned or dealing with EA in any capacity. What does this mean for the future of this Xbox classic and what scoops do Matty and Karak have from their sources? Topping off this wild week are confirmed monthly updates to Halo Infinite, share/capture changes inbound, and what could've been with a Jade Empire sequel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description: Today, Defining Duke invites in their very first guest to show, Chris Ray Gun! Chris sits down with Matty and Karak to mull over the 29 confirmed exclusive games dropping in 2021, but it always came back to Halo. Whether it is a flagship IP or not is up for debate, but the reality is that Halo Infinite is currently Xbox's biggest announced game coming soon and that means a lot is riding on it. From the free-to-play multiplayer, to valuable lessons learned by 343, to the campaign, Halo Infinite has all to gain or lose. The boys also sink their teeth into new major additions to Game Pass and Microsoft shopping for big studios to acquire. For a company that just acquired Bethesda, it looks like they're not done yet, but who's next? That along with the future of Ninja Gaiden, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and more squeeze into this week's show! Let's discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a busy holiday season, there is an expected lull for gaming in January, but 2021 seems to be playing by its own ruleset. Xbox's acquiring of Bethesda may already be paying dividends with the announcement of Machine Games' brand new Indiana Jones game. For years Xbox has sought an answer to Uncharted even going to the length of purchasing timed exclusivity for a Tomb Raider game in 2015. After all this time, it appears the very answer may be the series that inspired Uncharted itself. Furthermore, EA and Disney's Star Wars exclusivity is dissolving before our very eyes, a deal that has brought quite a few problems to Disney's doorstep. All of this is happening underneath the rebranded umbrella of LucasFilm Games who looks to repeat the past success of Star Wars games echoing back to the early 2000s. The PC front also received its own significant reveal as Nvidia is bringing the RTX 3000 series to gaming laptops in the coming month. More importantly, what do Matty and Karak think of 5 Guys or certain activities occurring while our show is on in the background? It's a conversation as wild as Microsoft talking to Nintendo about buying them out. Wait, that actually happened! That along with updates on Halo Infinte, Xbox's digital storefront, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order next gen info, and more headline our second episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Game Pass, the popular and successful Xbox subscription service, has a knack for rolling in more without asking for additional money from its users. That trend seems to be continuing after EA Play was packaged in and now Xbox has their eyes set on the next logical step — adding in uPlay. Ubisoft owns a suite of tantalizing franchises and this move could only serve to boost the service to new heights. Also, more on potential Xbox exclusives Elder Scrolls VI and Arkane Studios’ next game plus additional (much needed!) details on The Medium! Hardware issues have plagued the launch of any new tech product due to global circumstances, but Microsoft is swearing more systems are on the way according to Phil Spencer. The question that looms is not if, but rather when? That alongside the future of Xbox controllers, Cloud Gaming, and achievements headline our first episode. Let’s do this thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here at Last Stand, we don't like to encroach on territory unless we think we can provide particular value for our audience. Back in 2018, we launched Sacred Symbols and KnockBack because we felt like there was a demand for high-quality PlayStation and nostalgia podcasts (respectively), but since then, we've halted our expansion. Yet, with a mighty promising 2021 (and beyond) shaping up for Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S -- and with our audience openly and regularly clamoring for expert Xbox coverage -- we felt like another opening has emerged. We thus humbly present Defining Duke, an all-new weekly podcast all about Xbox, by Xbox fans, for Xbox fans. Our co-hosts? None other than popular gaming YouTubers Matthew "MrMattyPlays" Schroeder and Jeremy "ACG" Penter. Defining Duke will go live each and every Thursday on Patreon (Sundays on free feeds) beginning January 7th, but in the meantime, we thought we'd introduce our show with an appropriate episode, one all about our most-anticipated Xbox Series X|S games of 2021. We hope you enjoy. Thank you for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices