It's finally a slow news week which means we get to settle into some stories that we'd typically breeze over! Leading the charge this week is Avowed which continues to sound amazing! With new details from director Carrie Patel, the Dukes settle into a discuss about character building, choice and consequence, and the oft-debated romance. Alongside that, rumors of Activision games arriving on Game Pass are starting to percolate to the top as the Transformers games have been relisted. At the same t...
Jul 07, 2024•3 hr 4 min•Ep 183•Transcript available on Metacast In a relatively slow week, we're able to settle into a major interview conducted by Variety with the one and only, Matt Booty. Sitting as Xbox Game Content and Studios President, Matt Booty was a major factor behind Xbox's decision to shut down four Bethesda studios. In the brand's third attempt to answer the deeper reasoning behind these closures, we get a few more breadcrumbs that leave room for assumption on the matter. Alongside that, Booty speaks on the Xbox exclusive situation with remains...
Jun 30, 2024•3 hr 21 min•Ep 182•Transcript available on Metacast Well, this is a first. Matty had the opportunity to sit down with Bethesda Game Studios lead Todd Howard to discuss everything from Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI to Fallout and the company's shifting design philosophies! In an otherwise slow news week, the Dukes sink into all Todd had to share with Matty. What's going on with Fallout ports or New Vegas? How far along is Elder Scrolls VI and what technology is being used to build it? What's going on with Starfield Year 2 and will it be supported...
Jun 23, 2024•3 hr 7 min•Ep 181•Transcript available on Metacast If there's one thing that the Xbox Showcase taught us, it's that Xbox has a lot ready to release soon. Perhaps, even, too many! As Cog aptly puts it, Xbox has an abundance of riches and we're keen on seeing how they spread the wealth. Will Xbox go all in with a line up of Shattered Space, Black Ops 6, Avowed, Indy, and Starfield DLC? It's hard to tell as the team seems to be playing a wait and see approach, but there's no denying the sense of corner finally being turned. Plus more on an Xbox han...
Jun 16, 2024•4 hr 37 min•Ep 180•Transcript available on Metacast After months of dooming, Xbos fans needed a big win. In the humble opinion of the Dukes, Xbox absolutely delivered on all levels. Missing games finally received needed updates with Perfect Dark and State Of Decay 3. The Coalition finally gets the spotlight in a shocking Gears announcement: a prequel set during E-Day! Furthermore, tons of third parties showed up in a big way from a new Life Is Strange featuring Max Caufield to a stunning turn-based gem in Expedition 33. Returning games like Fable...
Jun 10, 2024•3 hr 39 min•Ep 179•Transcript available on Metacast The Xbox Games Showcase 2024 is soon upon us meaning it's time to unite with Xbox Two for our annual predictions show! Joining us is Rand Al Thor 19 to dissect what feels like another "must win" situation for Xbox. As per usual, we run down the multitude of first party studios, now including Activision, and debate heavily what will make the cut. Will they renew their vows with hardware? Can Xbox manage to massage concerns surrounding some of their lingering games like Perfect Dark and State Of D...
Jun 02, 2024•4 hr 20 min•Ep 178•Transcript available on Metacast The next major release in Xbox's first party family has arrived! Senua's Saga: Hellblade II has seen an increased amount of pressure placed upon it as concern for the platform holder as ramped up. Stripping ourselves from the heightened emotionality of that situation, how does over five years of development, a team size four times bigger than the original, and a big Microsoft check benefit the newest entry in the Hellblade series? The Dukes are joined by Gene Park where all three were able to pl...
May 26, 2024•4 hr•Ep 177•Transcript available on Metacast The dust has settled since Xbox closed four different Bethesda studios. Many expected the team to go into hiding as there is no good answer for this outcome, but they did the opposite. Xbox President Sarah Bond showed up to a Bloomberg interview and gave a mind boggling non-answer that has sent this already wounded fanbase into another outrage. Naturally, the Dukes dive into this as well as your many questions about how the optics have shifted for the Xbox business moving forward. We also dive d...
May 19, 2024•4 hr 42 min•Ep 176•Transcript available on Metacast A nightmare year for Xbox continues. The latest chapter in this story is Xbox's shuttering of four Bethesda studios in Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Roundhouse Studios, and Alpha Dog Games. The message is clear that the experimenting days of Xbox are done as the strategy deployed by its leaders continues to fail. The focus is Call Of Duty, Fallout, DOOM, and other high profile titles while the future of surrounding creative studios like Obsidian, Compulsion, Ninja Theory, and others have uncer...
May 12, 2024•3 hr 14 min•Ep 175•Transcript available on Metacast Following the Fallout TV show's massive success, the clamoring for a new game has never been louder. This isn't Bethesda's first rodeo with such demands. However, with a new owner and the most eyes ever on the product, Todd Howard has finally said that they are investigating ways to deliver more Fallout games. What would a roadmap for Fallout look like in the near, mid, and long term? The Dukes aim to break down what looks to be a busy few years for Bethesda. That's because it's not just Fallout...
May 05, 2024•4 hr 32 min•Ep 174•Transcript available on Metacast ATLUS has shown out once again in what has been a phenomenal roll for the company. With a 20+ minute showcase under our belts, Metaphor: ReFantazio is looking absolutely fantastic. More importantly, it's not just fantasy Persona, but aims to be much more and potentially far more complicated. The Dukes dissect this incredible looking JRPG, mull over what it means for Persona 6, as well as overstate the importance of Xbox having the marketing for this will be. Naturally, we continue to talk about ...
Apr 28, 2024•3 hr 15 min•Ep 173•Transcript available on Metacast It's been a Fallout filled week! With the tremendous success that is the TV show, the hunger for a new Fallout has arguably never been higher. Following our spoiler filled discussion of the TV show, we circle back to the timely question: What can Xbox and Bethesda accomplish with this franchise? Having InXile and Obsidian in the family is a match made in heaven, the remaster opportunities are plentiful, and yet, nothing is happening beyond the show. Even the next gen update arrives weeks after t...
Apr 21, 2024•3 hr 26 min•Ep 172•Transcript available on Metacast It's a little early for the usual summer showcase leaks, but here we are nonetheless! Gears Of War stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Halo when it comes to importance during the Xbox 360 generation. Despite that, the series has never earned itself the "Master Chief Collection treatment" nor has developer The Coalition received its flowers for its consistency during a barren generation. With insiders already hyping up Gears 6 behind the scenes, the Dukes discuss what Xbox coudl do to make the most ...
Apr 14, 2024•3 hr 56 min•Ep 171•Transcript available on Metacast t's quiet... Too quiet. Indeed, we've found ourselves in the "pre-showcase lull" for Xbox. Still, we have some big news to sift through. For starters, independent developers have thrived during the era of Xbox Game Pass thanks to massive bags being handed out for day one access which compliments the lower budgets of these titles. According to prominent indie developers, that gold rush is over. The Dukes dive into the future of Xbox Game Pass. If the way Xbox sells games is changing and the layof...
Apr 07, 2024•2 hr 26 min•Ep 170•Transcript available on Metacast We're at the point in Xbox's lifespan where the sensitivity is at an all time high. By that, we mean that the reaction to certain pieces of news is heightened considerably and is leading to even a singular comment spiraling into chaos. That's just what happened this week when, once again, we hear how Xbox is struggling. This time, it hails from the EU region where Christopher Dring states that a major game publisher questions the support of the platform in general. Naturally, this has been spun ...
Mar 31, 2024•4 hr 37 min•Ep 169•Transcript available on Metacast A new development kit has been certified for Xbox in South Korea! With leaks showing an all digital Series X on the way, this originally felt like a news story you brush by and not much else. That was the case until we learned a key bit of information that flipped the conversation on its head: This certification couldn't be for a digital Series X. So, what is it? The last certification seen for Xbox hardware was with the Series X around five months ahead of its launch. We know Sarah Bond recentl...
Mar 24, 2024•3 hr 53 min•Ep 168•Transcript available on Metacast The data is starting to roll in as Sea Of Thieves is available for pre-order on PlayStation. Beating out the likes of Star Wars and Dragon's Dogma, this once Xbox exclusive has found itself at the #1 spot for the weekend. While it's initial data, it's the first sign that Xbox's big play just might pay off. Naturally, it opens the familiar can of worms in wondering what will go multi-platform next. We also discuss Todd Howard's seemingly innocent comments on Fallout 5 that, according to Matty, im...
Mar 17, 2024•3 hr 10 min•Ep 167•Transcript available on Metacast This week featured the second ever Xbox Partner Preview! Consisting of 14 different games, Xbox shined a spotlight on AA partners, made some Game Pass announcements, and had a shadow drop to boot. The Dukes dive deep into each game individually and rank the showcase shortly thereafter! We also get into the loss of Toys For Bob who announced that they'll be going independent while maintaining a partnership with Microsoft. Have they managed to escape the Call Of Duty sweatshop and will others requ...
Mar 10, 2024•3 hr 15 min•Ep 166•Transcript available on Metacast The fallout of Xbox's industry shifting decisions has resulted in many-a-questions. What other Xbox games go multi-platform? What's the long term vision? Is the desire for a wider pool of consumers only going to delay obvious development based decisions that need to be made? Much of our audience here shares in these inquiries and we spend much of this Defining Duke sifting through them all. We also dig into the layoffs that continue to ravage our industry as both PlayStation and EA have entered ...
Mar 03, 2024•3 hr 7 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast Following weeks of rumors and speculation which led to multiple emergency Defining Dukes and even a business update event for Xbox, we finally have all the answers we desired. The games leaving Xbox are Hi Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea Of Theives, and Grounded, two of which were unveiled at a Nintendo Direct, and their arrivals are imminent. Separately, PlayStation has made several illuminating comments themselves such as discussing a more aggressive PC strategy and potentially digging into other plat...
Feb 25, 2024•3 hr 10 min•Ep 164•Transcript available on Metacast After a week that felt like an eternity, we have arrived on the fateful day where Xbox discusses the future of their business. What's happening with exclusivity, Game Pass, hardware, and the brand's commitment to the future? To many, it was a nothing burger. Others have left with more questions than answers. Many are pleased that their investment is safe and there are no concerns moving forward. The Dukes discuss Xbox's potential clairvoyance with the multi-platform strategy, lessons learned fro...
Feb 17, 2024•2 hr 28 min•Ep 163•Transcript available on Metacast After weeks of unaddressed rumors surrounding Hi Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves coming to PlayStation, the powderkeg blew for Xbox this week. Gears Of War, Halo, Starfield, Indiana Jones, and a growing list are all reported to be going multi-platform. The only official comment we have on the matter is no sort of denial, but rather a "see you next week." In a DEFCON 1 level episode of Defining Duke, we opted to hold summit featuring each side of the aisle. Joining the Dukes are the Sacred Symbols boy...
Feb 08, 2024•3 hr 21 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast The moment we’ve long anticipated since Xbox began gobbling up various publishers has arrived and indicated a change in direction for the brand. On January 25th, a day after Microsoft was named the second $3 trillion company, Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees (accounting for 8% of their gaming division) across Activision, Blizzard, Xbox, and Bethesda. This pushes the industry as a whole beyond the 5,000 mark for total layoffs in 2024. For comparison, 2023 saw a total of 10,500 layoffs in its en...
Feb 04, 2024•3 hr 19 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast Following the Xbox Developer_Direct, we have much to unpack. In the world of Avowed, we received an extended showing that gave us more gameplay, but some viewers were still left with that same sense of uncertainty. With the game confirmed to be AA style, in an alpha state, and aiming for a Fall 2024 release, the Duke boys get into the expectations surrounding this title and what is missing. Meanwhile, Hellblade 2 was at the center of its own sort of conversation. While it did have an incredible ...
Jan 28, 2024•3 hr 17 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast As tradition dictates, Xbox has opened the year with their Developer_Direct. We saw gameplay from Avowed, Hellblade 2, Ara History Untold, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, and even had a surprise appearance from Square Enix! With the roadmap set for the year, how do the Dukes feel about Xbox's showing? Is this enough to satiate them? Did Avowed improve from its initial showing? Will Hellblade 2 deliver a masterful experience worthy of the wait? Are the lacking of release dates concerning? We ...
Jan 19, 2024•4 hr 57 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast The Dukes have said it before and they'll say it again: It's never a straightforward job covering Xbox. Just when you think you have them figured out, they flip the script. There's no better example of that then this week where social media had Xbox on the brink with one rumor only to be celebrating them the next day thanks to an announcement. According to multiple insiders, Xbox is looking to take prolific exclusives like Hi Fi Rush and Sea Of Thieves and port them to competitors like PlayStati...
Jan 14, 2024•3 hr 19 min•Ep 158•Transcript available on Metacast The news waits for no one, including the Dukes! Insomniac was hacked, Bobby Kotick left Activision, and a new rumor surrounding Xbox's next console generation all managed to slip out in the two weeks we were gone. Naturally, we tackle all of this, but the Dukes really wanted to lean into the proposed 2026 gameplan for Xbox. Striking ahead of PlayStation, this would leave them in a similar position to the Xbox 360 vs PS3. Does Xbox need to hit the reset button so soon after finally getting their ...
Jan 07, 2024•3 hr 25 min•Ep 157•Transcript available on Metacast To say it has been an eventful 2023 for Xbox would be an understatement. From establishing the Developer_Direct, a steady output of first party games, and acquiring Activision, to massive FTC court cases leaks, Redfall's release state, and lingering questions on Blade's exclusivity, we've had plenty to discuss. The Dukes gather this time not only to go through 2023 pound-for-pound, but also see what important lessons that can be gleamed from all these events. Was 2023 Xbox's best of the generati...
Dec 31, 2023•2 hr 46 min•Ep 156•Transcript available on Metacast It's the holiday season and perhaps Santa got you a brand new Xbox! Either that, or you always are subscribed to Game Pass and are looking at where to spend your precious free time. Well, as tradition dictates, the Dukes have gathered to analyze what has been an impressive year for Game Pass. As Xbox moves away from quantity and into quality, what were the best and worst that Game Pass had to offer in 2023? We hope to answer that very question. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/duke to save 10...
Dec 24, 2023•2 hr 36 min•Ep 155•Transcript available on Metacast The Dukes have gathered one final time in 2023 during the aftermath of The Game Awards. Following a successful showing by Xbox, many question marks linger around Blade. Well, we have a direct answer from Disney, and that result lies with Bethesda. So, what gives? Plus, we get into the possibility of a free Game Pass tier fueled by ads as Xbox seeks to create value even at the lowest level of entry to help expand their subscription service. Is this a wise move or something that will inevitably hu...
Dec 17, 2023•3 hr 15 min•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast 
