Unlocked

The Xbox world lost two wonderful people over the holidays: longtime Microsoft hardware team member Albert Penello and game industry legend Vince Zampella, whose credits include co-creating Call of Duty, Titanfall, Apex Legends, and many more. Xbox marketing boss Aaron Greenberg joins us to remember Albert, who was an absolute joy to everyone he met and who he knew extremely well both at and outside of work. And then we spend the rest of the episode talking about Vince and the great guy he was as well as the monumental impact he had on both the Xbox (Call of Duty 2, Titanfall) and the larger games industry. Thank you to Gamertag Radio's Parris Lilly for joining us this week as well. 00:00:00 - Did you guys play anything over the holiday break? 00:06:39 - Remembering Albert Penello 00:32:48 - Remembering Vince Zampella Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hosts dive into a lively debate ranking the day-one launch lineups of four Xbox consoles. They tackle the strengths and weaknesses of each, with the Xbox One stirring the most controversy. Backward compatibility and standout titles from the Series X spark discussion, but fears of underwhelming launches loom large. Nostalgia for the original Xbox, bolstered by Halo's impact, reigns supreme, while the Xbox 360’s strong debut gets its due praise. The panel shares fond memories and reflections on gaming's evolution during holiday cheer.

Disappointment reigned as Xbox was a no-show at the Game Awards, but there's excitement brewing for a January Developer Direct. Hosts discuss potential reveals, including anticipated titles like Fable, Gears of War, and even a surprise Fallout 3 remaster. Meanwhile, highlights from the Game Awards are dissected, featuring a thrilling trailer for Divinity and the gritty aesthetic of Gang of Dragons. The conversation wraps up with thoughts on various new game announcements and what fans can expect next.

Our Xbox crew kicks off by going over IGN's nominees for Best Xbox Game of 2025 before giving our individual picks, and then we get to the big topic this week: new comments by Xbox's VP of Next-Gen that seem to suggest we're getting SOMETHING next year. Whether that's just an announcement or an actual console as well remains to be seen, but we discuss it. Plus: the KOTOR remake isn't dead, the Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake is very much alive, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro & Xbox's GOTY 00:08:03 - Xbox's 2026 00:31:23 - KOTOR Remake 00:46:46 - Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Remake 00:53:51 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Xbox show, we've got good news on the long-dormant Splinter Cell Remake project that has us optimistic that a new Sam Fisher adventure might actually see the light of day. Plus: GTA 6 suffers a small but very weird leak, IO Interactive has a full plate that includes Hitman 4, CD Projekt Red has set a very ambitious schedule for its upcoming The Witcher trilogy, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:13:30 - Splinter Cell Remake Update 00:29:50 - New GTA 6 Leaks 00:37:17 - Hitman 4 Update 00:53:05 - Witcher 4 01:03:43 - December GamePass Lineup 01:10:24 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, a pivotal figure in Xbox's history and director of programming at Xbox Live, shares heartfelt memories on the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary. He reflects on his journey from radio to Microsoft, discusses the console's innovative features like achievements and Xbox Live Arcade, and recounts the infamous red ring crisis. Larry also praises industry leaders, highlights his favorite games, and emphasizes the importance of cross-platform respect. This nostalgic ride through gaming history is a must-hear for fans!

Dive into the highlights from Xbox's Fall 2025 Partner Preview! Discover the roguelike charm of Vampire Crawlers and the thrilling gameplay of Tides of Annihilation. Explore Erosion's playful voxel Western aesthetic and the turn-based delights of Echo Generation 2. Enjoy the co-op horror vibes of The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, along with exciting reveals like 007 First Light and Total Chaos, a surreal horror inspired by Doom. There's plenty of game innovation and excitement to unpack!

In a jam-packed episode of our Xbox show, we discuss Grand Theft Auto 6's delay and how it hits Xbox harder than any other publisher. Plus: Valve's new Steam Machine will seemingly be competing directly with Xbox's next-gen console/PC hybrid efforts, Halo Infinite's support is in fact finite, why we think Mass Effect 5 is BioWare's last chance as a studio, our confidence level in The Elder Scrolls 6 despite it being many years away, and more! This weeks show is Ryan McCaffrey, Michael Higham, Miranda Sanchez, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our special guest this week is Obsidian's Brandon Adler, the Game Director on The Outer Worlds 2. He tells us about how the team's new RPG has been received so far, what kind of stuff hit the cutting room floor, what got prototyped but never made it into the game, how other games influence them, getting advice from the RPG legends in the building, and more! This weeks show is Ryan McCaffrey, Michael Higham, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Old-school Xbox fans will get a little extra enjoyment out of this week's episode, which welcomes Ryan's old Official Xbox Magazine podcasting partner Dan Amrich, now a developer at Digital Eclipse, for a KOXM Radio reunion to discuss his team's comprehensive new release, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection. Dan goes into great detail about how much meticulous care and effort went into the Legacy Kollection in order to make it into a "playable museum exhibit." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices