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Last Stand Media & Studio71

Defining Duke is a weekly podcast dedicated to all things Xbox co-hosted by beloved YouTuber MrMattyPlays and Lord Cognito. Whether you're a fan and player of Xbox Series X|S, still hanging around on Xbox One, or have fond memories of Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, our show is for you. We go over the news, talk about the games we're playing, scour rumors and speculation, and much more. We publish each and every Sunday, and you can get the show three days early and ad-free by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/laststandmedia
We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 
For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com 
Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

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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#292 | Xbox's Game Preservation Program LEAKS...

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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#291 | We played Gears Of War E-Day EARLY...

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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#290 | Our Halo Campaign Evolved Review Is HERE - Did It Deliver?!

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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#289 | The Fallout From The 'Xbox Reset'

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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#288 | The Grand 'Xbox Reset' Is HERE... (it's a LOT)

The bottom continues to fall out from the games industry. Approximately five impending studio closures was simply not enough. Here comes PlayStation who is shutting down their entire physical game operation. It's never been more clear than right now that many of us who have been gaming since the 90s are now truly considered "the old guard" as we continue to face off against staggering changes at a breakneck speed.

Timestamps:

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

0:00 - Intro3:31 - Checking in with the Dukes22:50 - Xbox announces more console price increases48:38 - Is Xbox pulling third party deals from Game Pass?55:26 - PlayStation goes all digital1:18:37 - The Bungie cuts are official1:34:27 - Will GTA 6 be 60 FPS?1:38:57 - Oblivion Remastered gets Switch 2 port details1:41:07 - What We’re Playing2:06:09 - Xbox is eyeing Undead Labs for closure2:29:24 - Xbox debates canceling Blade and shutting down Arkane2:58:52 - Xbox pulls funding from Project Fantasy3:12:12 - Wrap up
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#287 | We're Tired, Boss...

The RAM-pocalypse has arrived and Valve has set the tone on hardware pricing! Jimmy Champane of Deck Ready and The Insipid Ghost of The Expansion Pass break down all the Steam Machine news! How does this affect Project Helix launch and pricing? Massive news week for the Dukes and we sift through it all. GTA 6 colossal news impact, Phil Spencer believing in Kojima/OD, Xbox going full Hollywood 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 - Intro2:38 - Warm Up Questions5:12 - GTA 6 Price revealed, details & performance32:23 - Todd Howard likes Blade. XBOX rake inbound?43:55 - XBOX triples down on HOLLYWOOD58:28 - Halo’s Project Ekur latest rumors1:11:21 - Kojima says Phil & Asha understood OD1:21:58 - Marathon’s new PvE mode1:38:59 - Sonic and Shinobi failed to meet expectations1:47:21 - Obsidian sued in class action lawsuit1:51:13 - EA holds third round of layoffs this year1:56:24 - Looking ahead at game releases - July 20262:04:22 - What We're Playing2:15:07 - STEAM MACHINE sticker shock & Project Helix effect
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#286 | Steam Machine Prices and XBOX Helix effect...

Brad's curse continues on.

Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/duke

Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00 - Intro3:30 - An update on the Green Reaper8:10 - Colin scolds The Dukes13:09 - A brief reprieve from Xbox depression24:30 - What We’re Playing1:02:00 - Xbox Studio Shutdowns3:01:15 - Wrap Up
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#285 | It's Happening AGAIN... - More Xbox Studio Shutdowns Soon

Today, we tested the Brad curse. It worked.

Timestamps:

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

0:00 - Intro02:55 - Our favorite games from this week15:41 - Is the GTA 6 threat overexaggerated?24:33 - The great PlayStation vs Xbox Originality debate43:24 - Asha Sharma vs Phil Spencer50:33 - The Brad Curse becomes real1:18:05 - Xbox confirms “reliable pipeline of exclusives”1:48:42 - The Gears Of War PS5 Fiasco1:58:37 - Xbox lost millions of Game Pass subs after price hike2:05:47 - Fable gets 30 minutes of new gameplay2:24:45 - Halo: Campaign Evolved gets 28 minutes of new gameplay2:42:01 - Gears Of E-Day is the longest campaign yet2:44:40 - Premium editions for Halo, Gears, and Fable2:54:21 - Project Mara is officially canceled2:59:05 - Blade is still alive3:01:28 - What We’re Playing3:28:44 - Is Xbox trying to cut hardware prices?3:44:03 - Wrap Up
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#284 | The Fallout From Xbox's 2026 Showcase...

Xbox's 2026 summer showcase has come and gone! As per usual, it was a relatively strong showing featuring big reveals and welcome surprises, yet it still managed to put up a few big head scratchers. Fortunately, the good outweighed the bad. For starters, the hardcore Xbox community has deeply yearned for the return to exclusivity. After months of lip service, Xbox is taking action by making Gears Of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution console exclusive. Obviously, that leaves us with many questions! Why these two games? What data do they hope to collect from them? Is Xbox appeasing their hardcore community for enough time to help rebuild the base before transitioning to a fully PC ecosystem? Beyond the strategy updates, we have plenty of good games! Halo, State Of Decay, A Plague Tale: Resonance, Persona 6, a new Spryo, Vivarium, and a chockful of other delightful looking games all made their presence felt. Unfortunately, Xbox has decided for what is technically a third year in a row to round out a showcase on a Call Of Duty game. Combined with a predictably lacking performance by Bethesda and the otherwise strong showcase experiences some serious lows. Last, but not least, we got an extended showing for Gears Of War: E-Day. Did Coalition's return to the essence of this franchise go off without a hitch? We discuss!

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:06:45 - General Impressions0:19:04 - Commitment to Console Exclusivity0:38:30 -Fable0:48:31 - Halo Campaign Evolved0:53:12 - A Plague Tale: Resonance0:57:10 - Persona 4 Revival1:06:31 - State of Decay 31:12:15 - Sea of Thieves Season 201:15:22 - Metro 20391:20:36 - Bad Magpie1:22:31 - Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember1:25:08 - Join Us1:26:30 - Senua1:34:00 - Fallout 76: Infestations1:44:44 - DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations1:48:23 - Crazy Taxi World Tour1:54:04 - 25th Anniversary Hardware1:57:54 - Age of Empires IV Expansion1:58:56 - Minecraft Dungeons 22:00:38 - Magicians: The Devil's Deal2:02:07 - Valor Mortis2:04:26 - ESO – Season One Teaser2:07:49 - Flight Simulator World Update 222:09:12 - Where Winds Meet2:09:49 - Castlevania: Belmont's Curse2:11:59 - Vivarium2:18:34 - Persona 62:29:08 - Spyro: A Realm Beyond2:32:14 - Clockwork Revolution2:42:10 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 42:54:30 - Gears of War: E-Day3:14:22 - Wrap Up
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#291 | We played Gears Of War E-Day EARLY...

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