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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 
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Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

Round 2 of the Xbox Reset has arrived thanks to none of other than the Green Reaper. Joining us is Gene Park to discuss the fallout of these events. Halo is now officially run by Activision as Xbox finally chopped down 343 aka Halo Studios. It has been a long time coming as 343 managed the franchise for 15 years. Their tenure brought us Halo Anniversary Edition, Halo 4, Halo 5 Guardians, Halo Infinite, Halo Wars 2, and Halo Campaign Evolved. Almost all of these were disasters in their own way and as Asha Sharma's team cleans house, this felt inevitable in the wake of poor sales for the latest Halo remake. So, how can Activision rebuild the franchise? What direction do they take things in? Is it time to rebuild from scratch and ignore literally anything done before? Are sprint, ADS, and mantling returning features? How long will all of this take? It is a seismic undertaking and one thing is clear: another 343 led Halo game that sucks would sting, but another new beginning that results in disaster would drive us all to the point of insanity. Xbox must nail this, but that goes for a number of their IP they're now looking to nurture. Obsidian has joined forces with Bethesda and it's no doubt that these two will be at the hip for a very long time as Fallout continues to peak in popularity. What is Obsidian's creative future? Are they forever attached to Fallout or are more experiments on the way? Plus, will InXile join the fold at Bethesda eventually as the Xbox Game Studios family has become incredibly lean. It's our largest episode ever, so do get comfortable, settle into the conversation, and enjoy!

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:07:02 - Addressing the nuclear Brad strike0:14:02 - Health Is Wealth0:17:02 - Is Trails 2 Remake worth it if you already played the original?0:19:59 - The next chapter for Bungie0:48:49 - Gene Park’s interview with Hideo Kojima1:27:31 - Xbox’s platinum equivalent is here1:37:46 - Why Fable was given a decade1:47:36 - Undead Labs has gone independent1:52:44 - Starcraft won’t be Xbox exclusive1:58:55 - Blood Of Dawnwalker cost just $40 million2:12:44 - Final Fantasy 7’s difficulty controversy2:37:01 - Valor Mortis makes admirable price move2:44:11 - What We’re Playing3:20:16 - Round 2 of the Xbox Reset commences
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#299 | The Death Of Halo Studios

XBOX's continued investment in an avalanche of tentpole IP's came full circle at BlizzCon 2026! The Dukes enlist "The Reaper" of Overwatch and all things BLIZZARD to break down the latest ramifications! From World Of Warcraft's roadmap/controller future, Diablo 5, and StarCraft announcements to how far out some of these releases are! We also discuss a plethora of XBOX news, the Kojima and XBOX partnership aftermath, Asha Sharma handling your customer support tickets and more!Timestamps:Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro/Health is Wealth0:12:09 - Warm Up Questions0:27:14 - Inside report on Kojima and PlayStation’s split0:54:02 - Are Day 1 Game Pass Games done in 2027?1:13:32 - Apparently, Asha Sharma is helping Xbox support herself1:22:02 - The PlayStation Blackout failed1:28:10 - Wonders Of O trademarked by Neowiz1:33:34 - Major updates for Bungie & Marathon1:46:07 - FF7 Remake team is handling Kingdom Hearts 41:57:05 - Injustice 3 inbound?2:00:29 - SEGA is going all in on adaptations2:10:04 - GenAI use is crushing Level 52:12:24 - Capcom Announcements from TGS 20262:16:36 - Sea of Thieves Signs Of Life2:21:36 - What We’re Playing2:49:05 - The Big Blizzcon Blowout
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#298 | A BIG Blizzard Approaches... (In 2030)

In the wee hours of the night, an absolute stunner landed. Prolific and beloved game director, Hideo Kojima, has killed off his partnership with PlayStation for his upcoming action-espionage title, PHYSINT, and signed on with Xbox. According to the man himself, PlayStation was ready to cancel his game this June! After three months of searching, he found his partner in XBOX. It's a partnership where Kojima claims that they "share a common vision for the future" which says more than just about anything else within this next. Those who recall the PHYSINT announcement in 2024 will also remember that this was TV/movie deal as well. According to the XBOX Wire, they've got that too! So, what gives? Is this just a money play? Has Sony lost touch with optical wins when it was only last generation that they reaped the massive benefits of saving Kojima from Konami? What is XBOX's end goal in all of this? There is much to discuss! Beyond that, we talk about the Cloud Gaming snafu, the diabolical Steam achievement leak, and so much more!Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro (Gamescom and Pax West Debriefing)00:34:17 - Health Is Wealth00:46:26 - Will Metaphor: ReFantazio get a definitive edition?00:49:43 - Cog’s thoughts on GTA 6 gameplay00:55:41 - Nintendo Direct recap01:04:04 - Ocarina Of Time Remake impressions01:30:30 - Developers opt out of Xbox’s disc to digital program?01:37:55 - Every NPC in Fable is handcrafted01:41:42 - Hideki Kamiya once again requests to make Scalebound01:48:31 - Rumors suggest Forza Horizon 6 isn’t coming to PS5 in 202601:50:43 - Blood Of Dawnwalker sequel in the works01:55:54 - More Final Fantasy 7 beyond the remakes01:59:20 - Capcom is focusing on reactivating IP02:02:31 - Witcher 1 Remake is on hold02:05:45 - PlayStation is looking to bring back Killzone02:12:05 - Venom game is still in development02:13:38 - Game Releases for September 202602:21:55 - What We’re Playing03:04:45 - Hideo Kojima jumps ship to Xbox03:54:14 - The catastrophic Steam achievement leak03:18:37 - Xbox’s Cloud Gaming Snafu
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#297 | PlayStation Just Lost Hideo Kojima To XBOX...

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for a rare one! Indeed, it is I, Matty, and I shall be tickling your ears across the airwaves in a solo venture here from Paris. Today, I dive into the post-Gamescom fallout in what has been an eventful trip for Xbox. For starters, BBC News briefly spoke with Asha Sharma and managed to snag a few answers from her on everything from Helix's "family of devices" to Halo getting some more focus over time. Most interestingly to me was her approach to physical games versus Sony's recent statement on how "reasonable consumers" know they don't own their digital games. Naturally as a game collector, I'm very interested to see where Xbox's disc-to-digital program goes. If this is the starting point, or "step one" as they've put it, then I can imagine great things arriving down the stretch. The question is: what does this mean for physical releases? Is it possible that Xbox pulls out limited runs of their games following the launch? I discuss that, plus Asha's thoughts on Xbox's approach to exclusivity which say more than I think most are considering! Beyond that, we dive into Fable's story length, Xbox's ambitious movie deal, my experience with State Of Decay 3, and (somehow) a whole lot more. Enjoy!

Sign up with code DEFININGDUKE at DraftKings! Spend $5 to get $200 in rewards within 21 days Timestamps:Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:13:58 - State Of Decay 3 release plans0:30:11 - Double Fine's Game Jam Kickstarter0:41:00 - Xbox's Ambitious Movie Deal0:51:59 - DOOM's DLC Crunch Story0:59:11 - Thoughts on GTA 6's Gameplay Reveal1:09:43 - Star Wars: Zero Company Devs Furloughed Ahead Of Launch1:15:39 - A Motive's Iron Man Game Confirmed1:54:05 - What I'm Playing2:17:25 - Asha Sharma's comments on Helix, Physical Media, and Halo
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#296 | Will Xbox Go All In On Physical Games?

IN PERSON DUKE ALERT! The Dukes have united in Germany for Gamescom 2026. This marks a first for the duo! Join us as we recollect on our adventures across Europe from jetlag to McDonalds and, yes, even Fable! Much has been said about the game following its delays, but now we have a clear look at combat. What about it is strong and are the comments about the enemy reactivity overplayed? We dive in. Plus more on State Of Decay 3 from graphics to feel. How is this shaping up as it hails from a former Xbox First Party studio? Naturally, we dive into that, plus all the other things we've seen and played while out here. It's a bit of a structureless conversation, so we appreciate you bearing with us and enjoy what is a rare type of episode for all of us. Due to the episode being in person, there are no timestamps.
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#295 | We played Fable and State Of Decay 3 Early... (And In Person!)

It's the week before Gamescom! Around this time, the Dukes never expect much as Xbox has already fired out their reveals for the year thanks to June's annual showcase. A recent rumor changed all of that! Thanks to NateTheHate, we are officially aware of a sequel to an Xbox owned IP being developed by a third party team which would see a release this year. The Dukes crack open the archives of Xbox and sift through all the dreams of what this could be. One thing is for certain: It's not Banjo.

Timestamps:

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

0:00 - Intro2:47 - Health is wealth18:26 - An Xbox first party game you’ve missed27:38 - You can DoorDash games30:22 - Harvey Smith is back43:00 - Sledgehammer was prototyping a Halo game56:05 - Xbox’s 25th Anniversary Controller details leak57:46 - Fallout 4’s newest update has some serious lore1:21:14 - Xbox is partnering with McDonalds1:30:02 - Kingdom Hearts 4 news galore1:45:04 - Shuhei Yoshida’s peculiar advice to Sandfall Interactive1:50:18 - Trails In The Sky gets a unique localization patch1:56:34 - PlayStation’s live service struggles continue2:05:35 - Oxenfree studio Night School is shutdown by Netflix2:11:57 - What We’re Playing2:29:16 - Xbox has a secret game announcement coming to Gamescom2:59:08 - Wrap Up
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#294 | Xbox Has A Secret Game Announcement...

How hungry are people for Elder Scrolls VI? Apparently, very! All it took was eight asterisks within the game's subtitle to send a flurry of fans into everything from lore wikis to decoding employee identification numbers in Starfield's Developer Direct. With such rampant curiosity, this led the Dukes down the rabbithole. What do these eight characters represent? Indeed, if the theories are true, they tell us more than you'd expect. Beyond that, we settle into a chat about the coming generation of consoles. Will Xbox weaponize Elder Scrolls VI as a lightning rod which can draw people into the ecosystem? Is it worth risking millions upon millions of dollars lost for this? Essentially, is this game going to find itself in a camp with Call Of Duty and Forza or Clockwork and Gears? There are compelling arguments for both sides, so join the very delirious Dukes as they settle into a lengthy conversation about Elder Scrolls!

Timestamps:

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

0:00 - Intro11:20 - Health Is Wealth25:12 - Gears E Day beta sets records for series38:32 - Currently hired ID Software dev blasts Xbox1:02:12 - Xbox explains the big server outage1:05:33 - Update on Halo Campaign Evolved sale’s estimates1:20:34 - GTA 6 gets a gameplay reveal on Netflix1:50:45 - Ghost Of Yotei Complete Edition announced1:54:22 - Lord Of The Rings remasters inbound2:00:15 - Atlus thinks they have to do Persona 1 & 2 Remakes2:06:52 - Hog Leg 2 confirmed2:09:56 - What We’re Playing2:42:49 - The extremely desperate Elder Scrolls rabbithole3:11:43 - Blizzard is Microsoft’s top performing studio3:16:48 - Wrap up
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#293 | We go down the Elder Scrolls VI Rabbithole...

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?!

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 generation or are they only getting started?
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A Critical Look At Xbox's 2024 & Beyond...

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