Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

It's that time of year! As tradition dictates, the Dukes unite with Xbox Two and comb through all 23 Xbox Game Studios. This has been said for years on Defining Duke to be the "showcase of dreams." Xbox simply has so much backed up in their pipeline following massive acquisitions in 2018 and 2019 that this year has been pinned as the one to show it all off. From Starfield, Hellblade 2, and Avowed to Fable, Forza, and Fallout, there is a massive amount of potential to surprise and delight fans. What of third party partnerships, Game Pass deals, and our targets for possible exclusives? How about Bethesda who already has so much cooking this year? Do we hear from the likes of Machine Games and Roundhouse? We have many, many thoughts on a metric ton of possibilities to get into in what is Defining Duke's biggest episode to date!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If there was any moment to put their foot on Xbox's throat, this showcase felt like a most opportune time. PlayStation only comes out of hiding every so often meaning it stand to reason that you'd think they'd have plenty to show off. You see, Xbox and PlayStation aren't too different. The mid-generation outlook for both consoles is eerily similar with very little knowledge on what is cooking for first party. Fortunately for Xbox, PlayStation left their audience in the dark on major teams such as Naughty Dog, Bend, Bluepoint, and several others. With that, the window is open to take some of the "mindshare" back as they aim to surprise and delight at their upcoming showcase. Naturally, we dig into the showcase itself, but mostly how it reflects Xbox's ability to bounce back at this moment. Plus rumors of a Persona 3 Remake revealed on Xbox's stage have us excited, Nvidia, Boosteroid, and Xbox's partnership have picked up, OG Dukes get a special treat from EON Gaming with the XBHD, and plenty more in another jam packed week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're under a month away from Xbox's defining (!) showcase and PlayStation is officially set to strike first. In our last episode, we mulled over the pressure that Xbox faces as the morale is low for both fans and executives alike if Phil Spencer's recent interview was anything to go by. One aspect we tackled following the increasing rumors was a reality where Xbox would be on the receiving end of a most unfortunate double edged sword. That blade being the incompetency shown in Redfall and the bad timing for Xbox of PlayStation making a major public splash while they're arguably at their worst. Sure, there are State Of Plays for varying degrees of quality, but make no mistake: PlayStation only comes around with a showcase when there are major things to be shown. Undoubtedly, this will up the ante on what Xbox needs to do to make an impact. Plus, the EU approves Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, some scoops on the 12 month window being removed from Xbox's show, the developer of Somerville says Game Pass hurt his game, and much more in the world of Xbox!Thanks to our sponsors! Start hiring with https://ww.indeed.com/duke with a $75 sponsored job credit If you're ever injured, go to https://www.forthepeople.com/duke for more info Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recently, Phil Spencer joined the Kinda Funny XCast to discuss everything from Redfall's disappointment and the Xbox Games Showcase to their stagnant pipeline and even their goals as a game publishing platform. This transparent look provided little for Xbox fans to feel confident about as the pressure continues to mount between Starfield needing to be an "11/10" experience and PlayStation's rumored showcase lingering just days ahead of Xbox. Indeed, there's no denying that if Xbox doesn't absolutely nail it with their 2023 showcase that the blowback will be enormous. While Starfield shoulders the burden, it is up to all of Xbox first party to now prove why the fans should even both hanging around in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E3 2021 concluded with the "one more announcement" moment and that game was Redfall. Since then, Xbox has closely tied itself to the game as one of its big, AAA, premium exclusives. Following the vacancy of 2022, Xbox fans hoped to have their patience rewarded when the delay for Redfall released on May 2, 2023. Well, it's here and it has arrived unspectacular fashion. Redfall currently sits at a 62 on OpenCritic across 77 critic reviews and the brand has suffered yet another brutal, embarrassing blow. How could Xbox release a game of such low quality after their commitments to first party? Is this the fault of Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, Game Pass, or something else? Is this what we're to expect from Starfield and other games from acquired talent? Indeed, the release of Redfall sends an awful message and The Dukes are far from happy. With "New York Sports energy," The Dukes prepare to take Xbox and Bethesda to task for the heinous state of Redfall and delve deeper into the matter on the state of first party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the bad news snowballed for Xbox in recent weeks, it felt like fans could at least hang their hat on the Activision deal seemingly trending in the proper direction. Well, that seems to have gone south too. The UK regulatory body known as the CMA has moved to block the merger of Xbox and Activision due to cloud based concerns. With the FTC and CMA collectively against Microsoft, their sliver of hope rests on the impending decision of the EU regulatory body. Xbox certainly wasn't in a position to rest on their laurels and if the worst comes to pass then it's doubly so the case. Beyond the usual doom and gloom, The Dukes peer into this potential reality where the deal is outright canceled. What is Xbox to do if Activision isn't part of their future? Do they go scorched earth on third party deals or seek internal investment? We won't have to wait long to find out as a potential pin in the balloon awaits us ahead of the 2023 summer showcase for Xbox. Plus, a final gutcheck on Redfall before release, a deep look into the truth behind Xbox's financials, many first party studios have multiple games in development, a surprise update on Gears 6, hands-on impressions with the ASUS ROG Ally, and so much more in this jam packed episode of Defining Duke! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following the Redfall 30 FPS surprise and the Square Enix debate, Xbox fans are certainly on edge now. With "check-to-check energy" in their veins, another game has skipped the platform while reaching literally every single other. That game is Oxenfree II which follows in the footsteps of Capcom's Mega Man Battle Network Collection, Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3, as well as the abundance of Square Enix games. With hardware sales falling for Series consoles in the EU as PlayStation 5 is up an insane 369% on hardware sales, one has to wonder if the lack of appeal is reaching both consumers and developers. The Dukes dig into the scuttlebutt as the reactions are growing stronger with this continued trend. It is starting to show that no matter the significance of the game they're missing out on, the reaction will be there until Xbox begins to be more consistent like its competitors. Plus, Joe Staten's destination revealed, the old guard has been swapped out for Halo, SEGA makes a surprising acquisition, Diablo IV goes gold, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Xbox fans, we have reached an impasse. It's Team Delay versus Team "Get Your Game OUT!" Arkane has confirmed that Redfall, an Xbox first party exclusive, will launch at 30 FPS on consoles with 60 frames down the line. It's clear that this generation has tested the patience of fans and, naturally, this news has led to a big blow up. The optics for this situation are clearly bad, but would things be worse if Redfall were to receive a second delay? Some fans feel that it's time for Xbox to finally deliver, come hell or high water! The Dukes dive into this brewing disaster as well is if this is a "litmus test" for an inevitable Starfield 30 FPS confirmation. There is much to be said on the quality standard Xbox is setting for themselves as they seem perfectly fine with being in second place. Otherwise, the Dukes sink into Persona 3 Remake, Ravenlok's release date, another 10 year commitment by Xbox, Sonic's continued success, and much, much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live A Live, Octopath Traveler 2, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 14, Final Fantasy 16, Babylon's Fall (lol), Forspoken, Theaterhythm: Final Bar Line, and many, many more games out of Square Enix have skipped Xbox. Some to people's dismay while others leave us thankful it never graced our piece of plastic in the first place. The fact remains: There's an astonishing amount of titles skipping the platform and Xbox fans want to know why. The Dukes tackle this topic following the announcement of Live A Live arriving everywhere except Xbox. So, what gives? Is Square at fault, has PlayStation paid them off to bar games from release, or is it the harsh reality nobody seems to wish to admit which is Xbox has blame in this too? We dive in. Plus New Vegas 2 pops up in a rather hilarious manner, Game Pass Family & Friends looks like a steal, a Starfield controller leaks, the handheld wave continues on with the "Q Lite," Quantum Break leaving Game Pass, and plenty more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's no denying the Dukes have tried to rally behind E3, but doubt began to seep in following Xbox's exit from the show floor. This week, we learned of three major players pulling out of E3. Those being SEGA, Ubisoft, and Tencent. With reports from IGN stating that there has been next to zero communication from the ESA and ReedPop as well as no one else attending, it very well may be curtains for E3. What comes next to fill E3 shoes and what led to the fate of a once prestigious and celebrated show? Elsewhere, we get into the thick of it following a letter submitted to the Biden administration by 11 members of Congress. Have the tables turned? It's possible as one of Xbox's greatest opponents in approving the deal, the CMA, looks to be moving toward an approval. Meanwhile, Japan gives the deal a thumbs up, ID @ Xbox is printing physical games, Hellblade 2 looks incredible, Redfall sees numerous important updates as it approaches launch, and Game Pass drops its $1 deal. Join us in another plump week of gaming news!Thanks to our sponsor!Start hiring now at https://www.indeed.com/duke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices