Defining Duke, Episode 45: Forza Horizon 5 Soars + Todd Howard Explains Wait For Elder Scrolls VI (Patreon)

You know things are changing amongst the ecosystem when Xbox actually shares data about the performance of their games. Beyond Game Pass, the team typically keeps the numbers close to their chest however that's not the case with Forza Horizon 5 which is the biggest Xbox Game Studios title to date. At a staggering 4.5 million players and one of those millions coming from those willing to pay for early access, the tremendous success of this open world racer brings about many questions for the rest of the first party family's upcoming releases. On top of that, the OG Checker Ryan McCaffrey conducted an interview with Lord and Savior Godd Howard. It's there in a transparent conversation that we get a close look at how Todd feels about the long gap between Skyrim and the next mainline entry for Elder Scrolls. Furthermore we hear some thoughts on the possibility of handing off the Fallout license and even an affirmation on Starfield's release date. It's jam packed from top to bottom with further insight on the next acquisition via Phil Spencer and how the team at Xbox wants tempered expectations for nearly all their events.

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:05:08 - Smaller stories, opening comments and corrections.

0:09:03 - What we’ve been playing.

0:22:49 - Is Crossfire X not coming in 2021?

0:27:07 - Should Xbox be looking for longer exclusivity deals?

0:34:58 - What do we think about the rumors of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer launching at a different time than the campaign?

0:43:02 - What are our memorable moments from the past 20 years of Xbox?

0:53:14 - What is a game that has changed the gameplay loop and not been replicated?

0:59:39 - Hyped for the November 15th Anniversary Event? Aaron Greenberg says stand down.

1:14:21 - Forza Horizon 5 is breaking records!

1:32:00 - Todd Howard’s recent interview reveals new information about future games.

1:56:41 - Phil Spencer says that Xbox wants to make more moves for the casual gamers.

1:59:58 - Total Warhammer III is coming to Game Pass on day one.

2:06:02 - Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 have been temporarily removed from digital stores.

2:09:22 - Romuald Capron has been replaced as head of Arkane Lyon by Deathloop’s Dinga Bakaba.

2:12:13 - New details on Josh Sawyer’s forthcoming RPG have emerged.

2:19:11 - iD Software may be working on a Quake game.

2:24:47 - The Game Awards promises to be a powerhouse event.

2:32:36 - Game Pass pick of the week.

2:36:19 - Is the OLED a game changer for gaming?

2:41:55 - Have we ever played a sports management game?

2:46:54 - Do we change up our play style when returning to older titles?

2:51:01 - Will games ever launch to Game Pass exclusively?

2:54:25 - Why doesn’t Minecraft have a Series S or X update yet?