Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

In a time where game preservation feels it matters the least, here comes some much needed news. Leaked via The Verge, we now know Xbox is accelerating a program dedicated to preserving your games dating back to the original Xbox generation. That much has been known thanks to a program greenlit by Sarah Bond during her time at Xbox. However, the new wrinkle is not only that Xbox 360 games are headed to PC, but also that the backwards compatible library stands a chance to expand beyond what we already know. Now, the catch is that other developers would have to play ball, but more from a greenlight standpoint rather than any additional engineering. The icing on the cake? Xbox is finally bringing its platinum trophy equivalent to the platform. After two generations of waiting, they'll finally be getting with the times and you won't have to wait much longer to hear about it thanks to Asha Sharma. Plus: Xbox's "platform" game focus, more absolutely dismal news for Halo, the unaffordability of console gaming, and so much more!

Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00 - Intro5:42 - Health Is Wealth21:54 - In person Duke soon?23:45 - Shoutout to SS+28:31 - A retro gaming solution?30:00 - Asha Sharma confirms platinum trophy equivalent coming to Xbox later this year44:18 - Asha Sharma’s leaked memo to staff58:16 - Halo sales estimates are in1:32:01 - Xbox console price increase confirmed for EU and UK1:36:42 - ESO faces a content delay following layoffs1:41:23 - A crazy Bethesda remaster candidate leaks1:44:16 - Sony responds to shareholders about physical games1:57:43 - Steam Machine reservations will be filled by end of year1:59:18 - Mass layoffs expected at EA2:02:19 - What We’re Playing2:31:00 - Xbox’s Game Preservation Program Leaks3:07:58 - Wrap Up
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Ah, like the good ol' days! It's time to talk a lot of Halo and Gears. Interestingly, one franchise has handled the baton pass much better than the other.

Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00 - Intro13:03 - Most Anticipated Games for the year20:52 - Why do people care about Bethesda?30:25 - The great Xbox outage1:00:32 - Rebs Gaming on future of Halo1:27:51 - Xbox optimizing download speeds1:30:58 - Xbox’s gamescom plans1:33:40 - The layoffs have begun at Double Fine1:42:33 - Avatar Legends suddenly delayed on Xbox1:49:26 - Stalker 2’s first expansion has a date1:51:25 - Dragon Age Remasters dream is dead2:03:12 - A new Cyberpunk game has leaked2:07:03 - Looking Ahead At Game Releases - August 20262:13:08 - What We’re Playing2:32:11 - Gears Of War E-Day3:04:12 - Xbox’s ad supported game streaming has arrived3:22:21 - Fable’s release date snag3:37:09 - Wrap up
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The latest release by Halo Studios is here! While the run up to this launch has been far from clean, how does this game fare when separated from the noise? The Dukes who have deep ties to this game unpack it from the ‘super fan’ angle before rolling into what this means for those who have never played a Halo game. It’s a strange one, but we’ll do our best as always!

Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00 - Intro4:51 - Health Is Wealth21:06 - Hits Only versus New IP40:35 - Xbox Reveals Backward Compatibility for PC53:20 - Xbox’s Messaging on Exclusivity Gets Messy Again1:03:31 - Xbox Leadership Reportedly Detests Game Pass1:20:14 - Halo Roadmap Leaks from Rebs Gaming1:35:07 - Marathon’s Director Bows Out1:48:29 - Circana’s Dooming News for Physical Game Lovers2:13:07 - KOTOR Remake in 2028?2:20:14 - What We’re Playing (Halo)3:07:26 - Bethesda Lays Out the Roadmap for Their Future3:56:54 - Wrap Up
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A lot can happen in a week's time! Now that the dust is settling and we have a rare quiet moment for Xbox, it's time to fully unpack the immediate results of Xbox's Reset. We've learned that multiple Zenimax owned studios have returned to their smaller sized around the mid 2010s. When you look across the industry at the various indie and AA success stories, one has to wonder if AAA is no longer just borrowing creative ideas from these parts and, instead, emulating their business structure. Is there a lesson to be learned in Expedition 33 reaching 8+ million copies sold with a team of around 30 people and their strategic form of outsourcing? What of the 10+ person team at Mega Crit that works on the indie hit Slay The Spire 2? Does the industry truly need its titanic teams across the board or should there be exceptions to that rule in cases such as Rockstar? The reality is that we won't know for years how any of this pans out, but it's a good thought exercise nonetheless!

Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00 - Intro10:51 - Health Is Wealth25:04 - The Future of Elder Scrolls33:49 - Leadership Issues at Halo Studios Again1:02:46 - The Black Ops 1 and 2 PS5 Ports1:08:59 - Microsoft Deletes a 25 Year Old Account1:29:51 - The Slow Adoption Rate of PS5 and Series Consoles1:39:37 - Obsidian Responds to Claims That They're a Different Team Nowadays1:54:33 - Ryse: Son of Rome Was Supposed to Be Xbox's Assassin's Creed2:00:52 - Glen Schofield Officially Retires from Making Games2:10:17 - People Are Truly Backlog Gaming Like Crazy2:13:41 - What We're Playing2:34:44 - The Fallout of the "Xbox Reset"3:25:04 - Wrap Up
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What has Brad done this time?

Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00 - Intro12:27 - Health Is Wealth27:44 – Xbox leaning into exclusivity43:19 – TES 6 is 2–3 years away52:27 – Obsidian is making a Fallout game1:33:58 – Spyro devs are interested in Banjo1:38:47 – Project Fantasy funding pull leads to studio shutdown1:46:11 – What We’re Playing2:01:14 – The Grand Xbox Reset is here3:27:31 – Wrap Up
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