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Defining Duke, Episode 56: The Thread (Patreon)

Published:
2022-01-24 18:30:59
Imported:
2022-01

Content

Hey All!  It's time to submit your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas for Episode 56 of Defining Duke.

Great ways to get your write-up used: Be pithy, be topical, and be insightful. Walls-of-text, posts littered with poor grammar and punctuation, etc., are promptly (though respectfully) ignored.

As this is an Xbox podcast, be sure your submission makes sense within that realm. You have until Wednesday, January 26th at 1p ET to make your submission.

Comments

Anonymous

Hey Matty, quick question to celebrate Danganronpa, who is your favorite danganronpa character and why is it Hifumi?

pen in pant

Do y’all use strategy guide books when playing and older games? I’m sad to see strategy guide books are on the way out as of late so I’ve started to build up my collection of guide books. Love the podcast! Have a, “KOTOR 2 Remake gets announced” kind of day!

Lee Davies

Hey Dukes! Will Crash Team Racing become as popular as Mario Kart now that Xbox will own it? They could even add Banjo Kazooie characters to the roster. Keep doing what you do. Cheers

Anonymous

With Xbox set to acquire Activision-Blizzard, it seems only a matter of time before we get a new round of backwards compatible and rereleased classic titles. If you had to pick just one, which classic game are you most interested in playing?

Anonymous

Microsoft has made it clear their aim is to have a AAA release every 3 months, which could become even more frequent with the latest acquisition. When they reach this goal, as they inevitably will, there's no doubt going to be a price increase, so my question is - what do you think is a fair price for a service that delivers this? Keep up the good work Joe

Shadvegas

What's up Dukes, I have a scenario for you: You are both executives at Microsoft planning to name the successor to the Xbox 360. What do you name it? I think we can all agree that Xbox one was an awful name for that generation, so what is your fix? Do you keep 360 going? Xbox 720? Xbox pop-shove-it? I would love to hear your thoughts. Have a "the drive through line is long and they didn't give me the right buffalo sauce" kinda day.

Anonymous

Good day Dastardly Dukes, With Xbox's talk of developer freedom with their soon to be new studios, what Xbox/Bethesda/Activision IP would you love you see taken on by any of these teams? Personally I'd love to see Toys for Bob work their magic on a Banjo Kazooie/Tooie remake collection (and maybe a cheeky little Banjo Threeie). Thanks for the content, and have a "Persona finally on Xbox in 2032" kinda day.

Lucius Augustus

Hey Dukes, This weekend was an amazing display of football. We haven't had a good arcade football game in years. Could you see an arcade football game being successful like NFL Blitz or NFL Street, especially without the licensing of named players. With Madden being the dominant choice for simulation football. It seems weird that even EA has dropped the ball on good old fashion arcady fun. Unfortunately none of the current Xbox teams has a history making that kind of game and despite the insane list of IP that Microsoft would own, none are legacy arcade sports titles. Will we ever get the Forza Horizon of football games? I hope you have a, Lost in Overtime before you get to do anything, kind of a day.

MeatSpin11

Hey Dukes, I just wanted to say that I really respect your take last week on this whole Activision acquisition. Obviously there is a bit of a Sony tilt in the LSM community and it was really refreshing hearing a different thought provoking take. Please keep telling us what we need to hear. Hope you have a “one-ply toilet paper at work” type of day.

Anonymous

Matty and COG, Now that Microsoft has bought Activision..Rare Studios isn’t doing anything with Banjo Kazooie. Do either of you want to see a new Banjo Game under a Toys for Bob or a Beenox? Me personally I really do. Played Nuts and Bolts on gamepass I thought it was severely underrated title.Thanks for reading.

Mark Whittington

Greetings Dukes, With all the talk of Activision's back cat library in the last episode, I noted that thier output for the 20 years prior to the Xbox existence wasn't mentioned. With Spencer's comments on game preservation and emulation, could we see MS using this solution for older Acti games in future? Keep it funky.

Alex Watson

Hey there Dukes, Between Xbox, Bethesda and Activision, there’s so much opportunity for collaboration between studios and IP. What partnerships would you like to see that didn’t previously seem possible? For me, I’d love to see Playground Games make a Tony Hawk game and Machine Games make a Halo spin off. What about you guys? Thanks, Alex

Anonymous

Hey Matty and C.O.G., Let's assume Xbox deems Activision's name too scandalous to be left unchanged. To the befuddlement of everyone, Phil determines that the Dukes are the best and the brightest men for the job. What are you renaming Activision? Let's assume that Blizzard and King are siloed off from Activision for this discussion.

Greg Dawson

Gentlemen, Hope you're well? Question not about ActiBliz. Collectables. GTA 3, VC, SA. All of those games collectable rewards were great and you could get them relatively early so you benefit throughout the game. These days all you tend to get for collecting a million billion things are poxy achievements/trophies or rewards that aren't useful as they pop so late in the game. Did Rockstar do collectables the best way back then and do Devs need to take those games as inspiration more often? Is it just another reason why those games are still at the top of the list of open world games all these years later? Thanks.

NuclearProstate

Hi guys hope you're good. Do you think it's a bit of an insult to hand Perfect Dark over to a different developer? It seems like even Microsoft has forgotten about Rare at this point. Thanks and have a "Dom Santiago discovering his half dead gross wife" kind of a day.

Trent Miller

Hey big double d’s, My father likes to make onion sandwiches. He takes two pieces of toast, butter, cheese, and a big slice of onion and calls it a sandwich. My question is if this should be legal or if my father needs to be locked up. Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated. Thanks and have a “my dog ate my homework” kind of day.

J Train

Hey Dukers! With the recent acquisition Microsoft has made I am curious what this means for their stance on back compat. Acquiring Activision/Blizzard means they will own a plethora of new IP and more than enough to warrant another round of games. One game I personally would fucking love to see be revived through back compat from this acquisition is The Simpson's HIt & Run. What are some games you both think should be brought back through back compat from thisn acquisition? Cheers boys, have an Adam Wainwright pitching to Carlos Beltran in the bottom of the 9th of the 2006 NLCS day.

Payton Stone

What’s Good Dukes, At what point do you believe public/media perception on Microsoft will change? Do you think if another publisher is bought up, that is when the negativity starts or do you believe they are on such a role to where they can do no wrong? Thanks Fellaz! PS

Kc Wright

Hay Dukes How much longer until Microsoft in most people eyes will be considered the evil empire pretty much like the late 90s Yankees just buying up all the players because they couldn't grow talent with their farm system

Anonymous

Hey dukes! So I’ve recently been dabbling in the assortment of games that gamepass has to offer. I’ve downloaded deaths door, windjammers, pupperazzi and danganrompa. I have played all but danganrompa(saving that for a full day of gaming thanks to Matty’s recommendation). I’ve enjoyed them all quite a bit with deaths door being my favorite so far. I am thankful that I have gamepass cause otherwise I would have NEVER played these games. I’m looking forward to what the future holds with all the acquisitions and the recommendations you all suggest to play. Love the show and wanted to grant a thank you to you guys for the hard work you put into the show. I hope you all have a “comment section on a live podcast Colin joins” kind of day.

Anonymous

Good Day Magnificent Matty and Calamity Cog! Long time Duke listener and first time Patreon. I don't know if you heard about Microsoft acquiring the indie dev Activision/Blizzard but it is so. With that, do you think Microsoft is done acquiring studios? What does this mean for potential acquisitions of IOI, Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, WB Games, Crytek, etc. They are still missing the fighter, the JRPG, the #JustOne, and more options for younger players. Hope you have a "The McFlurry machine is down at McDonald's" kind of day. Shout out to Cog for having that "Avengers Assemble" Endgame moment on ILP.

Anonymous

With the activision acquisition there has been a lot of talk about Activion IP’s that have not been explored. This has me thinking about Xbox IP’s that I miss, that also have not seen another game. Things like Otogi, Sudeki, Chronicles of Riddick, Midtown Madness, Crimson Skies and Mechassault. What would be on your wish list of games you would like to come back (Original Xbox only)?

Anonymous

Hey guys! First submission for an episode! Do you think it is safe to assume that any game that has xbox marketing going forward will hit game pass day one, if not, much sooner than later? For example, deaths door and Scarlett nexus. Do you expect dying light and Lego Star Wars to hit day one? Have a great week!

Anonymous

Hey Dukes, Quick shout out to Cog for his recommendation of The Forgotten City. I'm usually a skeptic of time loop mechanics in games, but it showed me how time loops can be done in a way that is rewarding. Maybe the best compliment I can give it is that I found myself wanting to replay it after the ending that I got. Salute to Cog, and I hope you both have a 'lose a football game when the other team doesn't score an offensive touchdown' kind of day.

Petre Cismigiu

Hello there mighty Dukes! Call me pesimistic, but what happens when the next triple A game under the Microsoft umbrella is bad? What if Evowed sucks? What if Starfield is a buggy mess, beyond the usual jankiness we're expecting? What if the next Call of Duty whenever that comes, is bland, lackluster and boring? What if Fable totally disappoints? Say what you will about Sony's first party, but you can be pretty sure the games will be at least high quality for the most part. They have proven that time and time again. Microsoft of the other hand, not so much. I don't hear any skepticism in the games media about Microsoft's upcoming games, and for some reason, just because money is not an issue for them, most people assume the games will be great. I know it's not the same but CD Projekt Red had a shit ton of money and time, and look how that went. We obviously want all the games to be great, but.. how likely is that? Please share your perspective on this and have a Starfield is delayed indefinitely kinda day.

Anonymous

Hello Dukes, What for you personally made your favorite console ever transcend it's specs on paper, or possibly it's games library, to become your favorite? Bonus question: assuming your current favorite is an older console, and nostalgia plays a role in how you view it, do you think it's possible for a recent or future console to subplant it? Thanks for making the absolute best Xbox podcast full stop.

Anonymous

Hey guys. Optimus Prime versus Frodo, who would win? Thanks

Anonymous

Hey Dukes! If you had to choose one video game world to live in for one year and then come back to your normal everyday life what would it be and why? Thanks guys love the show!

Anonymous

What's up Monokuma Cog and Ultimate Despair Matty, I'm sorry for the long post in advance, but Matty I am back with a vengeance. Now that Danganronpa is on Xbox and Game Pass, I decided to replay it to get a fresher view of the game. And like Matty said this game is great and you should definitely play it Cog if you haven't already. However, let's not kid ourselves Matty. Danganronpa is just not better than Ace Attorney. It's the Ace Attorney for edgy teenagers. There are plenty of elements I like about Danganronpa compared to AA like the more active gameplay during investigation and trials, the Life Sim elements (although slightly unnecessary), and the very strong start compared to AA's slow burn. But Imo the writing and humor in AA hits better and even though Danganronpa is a lot darker, I find AA to be a much more mature game. Although there were some strong moments like Sakura's parts, the ending didn't do much for me. Also I just couldn't care for the majority of the cast besides like 4 of them. I feel much more attached to the characters of AA even the ones you only see for one case. On top of all that, the sequels of AA only improve unlike Danganronpa's. But Matty what it really comes down to and the biggest point for why AA is better than Danganronpa: the music. I can barely remember any tracks from Danganronpa and although the music fits the atmosphere well, it just wasn't doing much for me. But that Ace Attorney 16-bit soundtrack is just too damn good. The Objection and Cornered themes are untouchable with its SNES/PS1 Capcom fighting game esque vibes. It really makes you feel the power of the Objection. Anyways I just wanted to do my part for the fandom since I simply cannot allow you to slander AA unchallenged. Cog play Danganronpa, but once you finish and you feel like you want more, just know there's something better waiting for you. Have a "locked in a school with a psychopathic monochrome teddy bear and 14 murderous chlidren but at least you have a great lawyer if you make it out" kinda day.

Anonymous

After having another week to digest the Activision purchase, have your thoughts changed at all? My first reaction was similar to yours that Microsoft is the lesser evil compared to Kotich, Tencent, etc. But do we have to resign ourselves to having an "evil" at all? Are video games in such dire straights that we're forced to choose between Stalin, Hitler, and Mussolini? (Not trivialize genocide by comparing it to video games.) Can we have our cake and eat it too? Or should we rally behind the 'devil we know' because the monopolization of the industry is inevitable? Have a "putting on a fresh pair of socks" kind of week. You deserve it once in a while.

Anonymous

Hello Dukes, First off I would like to congratulate Cog for successfully pulling off the most ambitious podcast crossover event ever streamed, 6hrs of pure entertainment🤣 I see people debating on what Phil's "Desire" to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation really means, to me it reads as Cod will stay multiplatform if Sony is willing to play ball with us. So my question is this: Could Microsoft possibly use CoD as a bargaining chip against Sony when it comes to their aggressive use of 3rd party timed exclusives? Who’s to say Phil doesn't "Desire’’ to see Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, and Street Fighter on Xbox? Thanks and have a ‘’Still waiting for Final Fantasy 7 Remake on my preferred platform 2 years after release kinda day’’.

OCEL0T

Hey Dukies, why does Battletoads not get its roses? This was an excellent side scrolling beat em up that had clever writing and a 2000s Cartoon Network vibe. It also had great variety in gameplay and provided easier difficulties to avoid the classic Battletoads difficulty and those dreaded hover bike levels. People always mention great beat em ups like River City Girls, Castle Crashers, Scott Pilgrim and many others, but this game often gets overlooked. Its sitting on gamepass, waiting for many to enjoy. Have the Dukes tried this game? If not, I think it may be time. Hope you guys have a "Final Fantasy and Spiderman can be exclusive but you better not take my COD" kind of day. P.S. Play Prey, its the most underrated game of last gen. Chris is playing it now and loving it and its Arkane's best game on gamepass -Ryan

Benji BOP

Howdy Dukes, long time listener - first time writer We know xbox has gotten plenty of flack in the past for offering third party timed exclusives. But what if they started introducing third party timed "game pass exclusives" where you could only play it if you are subcribed on a platform that offers game pass? Its an interesting idea and seems like a potential next step to leverage the service. Thanks y'all, love the show, and have a "you scored a Touchdown to give you the lead with 13 seconds left and still lost the game" kind of day.

Joaquin Branche

Good day Matthew and Barry, now I know what type of questions are going to be asked by so many write-ins, not just this week but for many weeks to come and I wanted to give some information that could help in answering them. I did a bit of research and some analytical thinking to help on my opinions in tackling certain questions that not that many people are asking. We recently saw Phil Spencer tweet his “desire” to keep COD on PlayStation, but people are so worried about its exclusivity and less about what it’s schedule will be moving forward. Now there are 3 main COD studios and Raven on Warzone. There are 5 support studios from the likes of Beenox, Demonware, High Moon, Toys for bob and Radical entertainment. Now Cod is yearly, and it takes a village to make that happen, with the mainline studios essentially given 3 years to produce a new entry. If the title goes bi-yearly then that would give those mainline studios 6 years to produce a new entry, essentially negating a reason to need support studios at that point, if COD releases every 3 years now the studios have 9 years to produce. We have already seen what a freed team of COD devs can do when we look at Titanfall and Apex. Raven (according to LinkedIn) has 359 employees, is that enough to maintain Warzone and make new AAA games? Respawn manages it, I don’t see why not. Beenox has 419 employees, Demonware has 210, High Moon is at 231, Toys for bob has 137 and Radical entertainment and Vicarious Visions having been swallowed to be almost secret support studios, but are still there...somewhere. As you guys can see these studios have multiple teams and the potential is so great that for me it excites me more than any sort of exclusivity talk that’s happening rn. I think having a more laxed attitude when it comes to COD releases, is nothing but beneficial for Xbox and detrimental for PlayStation (given that they have very few shooters). You compound that with this new possible output from those studios and it makes the deal seem even more brilliant and a dagger in the heart of Sony. How do you gentlemen feel? Have you guys thought about the COD timeline moving forward and how the support studios should be handled? Anyways love you boys and hope a bank robber stashes his duffle bag of cash in a bush when no one’s looking as he’s running away from the cops and you and only you see it. P.S. Sega would be my last piece of the puzzle than I would stop...

Giovanni D'Amico

Hey Dukes - do you think we'll see a big push from Microsoft to get into the mobile space, a la Apple Arcade, once they have King under their corporate umbrella? I could see Microsoft leaving King to just keep doing what it's doing, bringing in huge supplemental income from a siloed mobile space, but I could also imagine that they set up a new management vertical to take on Apple Arcade and expand Game Pass to mobile as well. That's a market that could really be an immediate value-add for subscribers AND could push mobile gamers into trying xCloud streaming and more core experiences.

Raymond Stuart

The Dukes are flying high with Xbox domination plans. But I think Xbox has a new potential challenge waiting for them after the Activision deal closes that hasn't gotten much buzz. And that problem is too many IPs and not enough studios! Activision/Blizzard is sadly at an "all hands on deck" mode in producing Call of Duty. Even if you free all the support studios to develop their own things and only have Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, and Treyarch working on a 5-6 year development cycle with a new mainline COD releasing every other year; there are almost too many dormant IPs. And almost every major development studio in the world is trying to hire and there just aren't enough people in the talent pool. We are already complaining that Fallout 5 might be 10 years away. So what do you do? Which IPs do you prioritize? Do you go after WB Games and just take the studios without the IPs? And then where do new IPs fit in? This is a massive challenge and just as massive opportunity. Dukes, Papa Phil is listening and wants to know your expert opinions. What do you tell him?

Big Ru

Hey Matty the MacDaddy and Lord CogNiner Nation, Is Xbox at all interested in 3rd party exclusives moving forward? To reference Colin's favorite analogy, it seems Xbox is all in on buying the cow, not the milk, this gen. With the latest ABK acquisition, however, I'm curious what the future holds for IP that that came from 3rd party collaboration. What's the future of Sekiro, for example, developed by Fromsoft and published by Activision? Conversely, does Sony double down on 3rd party exclusives this gen in response to the mighty acquisition spree of their competitor? What say you gents? Have a "Tencent has acquired LSM, ILP and Mr. Matty Plays for 20 billion" kinda day

SneakerHead24

What up Dukes? I came back to defend myself after Cog accused me of "coming at him about where he plays games." I apologize if that's how you took my write in, but I think you guys missed the point of my comment. In DD #54, I called out Cogs unwillingness to actually play the game he named "5th best game of 2021" until it hits Game Pass in 2022. Absurdity for naming a game "best of 2021" when you haven't played it yet aside, I guess I was kinda thinking maybe you should have just held on to name it in your "best of 2022" once you had played it. But that wasn't why I wrote in. The point I was trying to make was that over the last 12-18 months I've heard "I'm waiting to play it on Game Pass" a lot. Not just from Cog, but from people all over the industry. And not just for Death Loop which most know is eventually going to Game Pass, but also for great games that aren't announced as "coming to Game Pass." There's a lot of people out there on podcasts, YouTube, etc. making those statements and they are the leaders and influencers of the industry. What do you think the average consumer is doing? Probably the same thing, especially if they are listening to guys like you say it. It's my belief that big picture here...this kind of mentality is hurting games. Long term, do you honestly feel like that mentality is a good thing? When a game is reviewing above average or great, isn't the right thing to do is "vote with your wallet" the same way you would if the game was not doing so well? Here's what 'm thinking, and let's see if you can understand where I'm coming from. This truly isn't about Xbox vs PS or developers "getting their bags", this is a conversation starter about the long term affects of subscription services in games. If more and more people are holding out to play great games because they are waiting for them to go to Game Pass, then long term, developers aren't seeing the money come in they need or deserve for making a great game. People aren't paying for them. As proven in Defining Duke Ultimate #51, Graham Smith admits developers don't see royalties once they make the choice to go to Game Pass. It's a decision the developer makes to get paid guaranteed money upfront rather than take a chance making more money on the backend. After a while, I believe this will make games more mediocre. If there's no reward to make great content because people aren't buying it, what becomes the incentive to go above and beyond? Just get paid up front and move onto the next, there's no penalty for mediocracy. You guys said it yourselves multiple times in the latest episode of DD #55, "it's a perfect game for Game Pass," referring to several games you were admitting are mediocre. THAT is exactly my point. Mediocre games are "perfect for Game Pass" because the consumer doesn't want to pay full price for a game that's middle of the road. Am I wrong in thinking that in the long term, as developers see consumers hold out for ALL games to go to Game Pass, whether they are in their opinion good, great or lame, and they don't support great games by purchasing them for full price, games as a whole will lose "value" and start to become mediocre? Again, I compare this to the absolutely mediocre content that Netflix is full of. Even Disney can't get it right with all their money. So much of Disney Plus's Marvel content is mediocre at best, and that's their "top tier content". Plus, I haven't even addressed the bait and switch of how much the price structure will change once they have you hook, line, and sinker which is it's own topic of conversation. I'm currently paying more than double what I originally signed up for on Netflix years ago for much lower quality content. Netflix used to be full of good movies, now it's mostly mediocre or bad "original content". I'd rather not see this happen to my favorite hobby as well. Have a Microsoft has acquired you for 34.35 billion kind of day

Dillon

Hello fellas This past Monday, Rare announced a Sea of Thieves 2022 preview event, stating it will be the biggest year yet for Sea of Thieves. I think this is a really smart idea and in my opinion, more Xbox games should follow suit. To me, a Halo 2022 preview event seems very needed at the moment. My question is, what studios from Xbox's first party should do a 2022 preview event, or maybe just a first look at a game that's already been announced, like Redfall. Keep up the stellar work and have A1 day.

Big titty drinker

I want it to be known that I am openly rooting for Microsoft to fail. I think they are more concerned with how much they can expand games as a revenue model and not putting out the best form of art. It's why you will never see a breath of the wild or Last of us 2 level masterpiece produced by xbox. Thier vision for the industry with this subcription service model is a nightmare that will erode game qaulity if it becomes the norm. Your not gonna get many games like GOW in a gamepass model becuase there isnt anyway to tax and milk a game like that over time. Instead more games will be geared toward garbage like sea of thieves(spare me about how good sea of thieves actually is. Its trash.) And if this subcription model industry that Microsoft is pushing comes to fruition that's our future as gamers a sea of trash. Here's to hoping this plan blows up in thier face.

Jeff Caseres

What up Dukes! So back in December I got COD Vanguard for Xmas and I played through the campaign. As I’m playing it I was thinking, idk why we don’t have a proper Call of Duty RPG. Think Mass Effect but COD. Why don’t we have an XCOM/Gears Tactics Call of Duty? Why not a Third Person Tactical COD. How about a PC RTS Call of Duty where you build your base and have troops and all that like Command and Conquer or Halo Wars? I then brushed that off my mind because under their current leadership I said “there’s just no way, you’re dumb af Jeff for even thinking that, what’s wrong with you” and moved on 😆. Then the great purchase of 2022 happens, and now I’m instantly optimistic on all of those ideas because they might actually be possible one day under MS. What do you Dukes think? Love y’all!

Anonymous

What's Up Duke Men, I've been enjoying a slew of games using Xbox cloud streaming lately including Danganropa and Nobody Saves the World and the tech has been nearly flawless. In light of the ABK acquisition, are there any franchises that you think would be taylor-made for streaming? I personally think playing World of Warcraft on my phone would be a game changer (no pun intended). Thanks for the great show every week!

Stephen Richard

What up Duke fam, This will be pure speculation but Phil Spencer has been quoted (I think) saying that Sony was never their concern in the “acquisition war”, but there worries are with Apple, Google and Amazon. What would the scope of the gaming industry looked like if Microsoft didn’t take the Activision offer that fell into their lap? And do you believe it would have made any of the three a respectable gaming industry? New Patron member and I just wanted to say love the content from both of you, the show is picking up speed and can’t wait for the future.

Anonymous

What's going on Dukes With the news already a week old, Microsoft will purchase Activision Blizzard for 68.7 billion dollars following reviews from anti-trust committees in the US and Europe and paperwork completed by both companies. This almost immediately started conversations online about the negative effects exclusives have on the industry with the possible threat of Playstation players not being able to play future titles from Activision Blizzard. I feel it's a dumb argument to make Microsoft the bad guys for possibly taking away games that would normally be on Playstation given the fact that Sony has plenty of games Xbox users can't play without a PC or Playstation. What are yall's thoughts on the matter? Do you think some Playstation fans are being a little hypocritical after years of dominating the exclusive market in terms of games? Thanks and have a forgot your controller downstairs kind of day.

Matthew Novak

Hey Dukes, I realized during episode 55 that Cog's Defining Duke oval is faced like a normal controller, rather than on its side like the show's logo. As a Last Stand patron, I think it's important to point out irrelevant information about the hosts that has no relation to the show's topic (you should see what the Sacred guys have to deal with). Anyways, that's all I have to say. Love the show and all you two do.

Sfish616

Hey guys. Obviously there are so many questions with the activison blizzard news so I wanted to ask for your thoughts on another point. With Microsoft going after established companies do you think they are missing opportunities to create new studios or invest in new studios. Both of you have mentioned this before I think but I think it’s a problem they may run into. A lot of the major talent in major third party publishers have left and formed their own. Sony is already investing in two of them with devation and firewalk. Getting in the ground level with some of these studios would be a great idea I think. The closest example I can think of major personal leaving and forming their own studio in the last ten years is respawn and look at where they are at almost single handly saving ea. Almost everyday on gamesindustry.biz there’s a story about a new studio being formed from either Ubisoft or blizzard alumni. Just thought this was an interesting thought and wanted your opinions on it. Thanks guys.

Anonymous

Hey Dukes, One thing that I haven't seen discussed about the Activision/Blizzard acquisition is the impact it will have on 3rd party exclusives for Playstation and 3rd party day one releases on Xbox gamepass. When Call of Duty goes exclusive (because it will), it is going to bring so many casual gamers to Xbox, which will even the console sales, or maybe Xbox will be ahead. COG talked about how he understood why 3rd party publishers would go exclusive with Sony because most of their games would sell on Playstation anyways and they get to collect the bag. (Don't knock the hustle) If the market is even, it would cost Sony even MORE for 3rd party exclusives or a 3rd party publisher might decide not to go exclusive. This is the reason I believe Xbox doesn't get 3rd party exclusives, the price would be astronomical. For 3rd party day one releases on Xbox gamepass, I don't see a reason for a publisher to accept a deal if the Xbox is ahead in console sales, unless Xbox would pay an astronomical price. Hell, this might help Sony put 3rd party day one releases on Spartacus. During the XBOX360/PS3 era, Final Fantasy 13 was a PS exclusive until Xbox was the leader in the console sales and the game went multiplatform. The Xbox was getting exclusives like Tales of Vesperia and Star Ocean 4. What do you guys think? Will we return to an 360/PS3 era? Am I the only one who thinks this is a possibility? Have an "itch on the bottom of your foot while wearing shoes" type of day. -Phil

Stephen Forgione

Hey Dukes, Do you think Xbox would be able to work with prior Activision partners on re-listing licensed titles from Marvel and Hasbro? With Microsoft’s push for game preservation, it would be nice to have titles like Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and Transformers: War for Cybertron not only available once again, but potentially on gamepass and enhanced on Series X. It would definitely beat the hell out of forking over 100+ dollars to people on eBay/mercari taking advantage of the No Way Home hype. Let me know how you could see this potentially plays out. Thanks and have a “stepping in a puddle while wearing socks” kind of day.

Michael Limauro

Hey Dukes, I wrote in previously to the show about never having played a Halo game, and since then I have played and beaten CE through 5. I am now nearing the end of Infinite and am really digging this series. With so much talk about how Halo Infinite needs to improve its multiplayer offerings, I'd like to pose a different question. Do you find it likely we will get campaign DLC? Or maybe even an expansion later this year or next year to combat Sony's big 2022 releases? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks boys!

Cody Richter

Hey Dukes, I have to recommend Lawn Mowing Simulator as a Game Pass pick of the week... that's right, I meant to say that. When I went to download Nobody Saves the World the other day I saw this game in there and had a little chuckle and figured why the hell not, I'll download it. Boys I'm here to tell you this game is a must try. It scratches some weird itch I didn't know I had. The premis of the game is simple, you build your own lawn mowing company. You name it, you choose a logo for it, then you work contracts until you can afford to hire a crew and amass a landscaping empire. I've never played a Simulator game but if there ever was a podcast game, this is it. I will definitely be listening to future DD episodes while slowly growing the latest and greatest lawn crew that is Rippin' Richter Mowing. Have a "smells like fresh cut grass" kind of day.

Anonymous

Hey Dukes! Wanted to nominate a game that’s going too overlooked for Gamepass Pick of the Week: Windjammers 2! Windjammers 2 is basically Super Saiyan Air Hockey where you and your opponent toss a disc back and forth trying to get it into the other’s goal. Dotemu spent 3 years perfectly replicating the original arcade game to a tee, while adding in plenty of new additions that keep the game authentic yet fresh and exciting. Not to mention it looks and sounds incredible. Very pick up and play and great to play with friends or online against others! In a world of half assed ports and remakes, it’s great to play a retro revival that actually cares about doing justice to the original arcade game. DON’T SLEEP on this one! Have a “naturally wake up a minute before the alarm goes off” kind of day!

Anonymous

Hey Dukes, Can we talk about Gamepass fatigue? It's a real first world problem I know but I just find myself constantly trying to keep up with the Gamepass releases, I only play the games that speak to me but it just seems like I never get to fully enjoy the games I'm playing as there's a new game added I want to play so soon after. So I find myself finishing far fewer games on Xbox compared to PlayStation or Switch where I tend to buy games. Is there a way you deal with selecting which games to play and which to give up on? Does the Gamepass model damage our appreciation of games sometimes? Thanks for the great work fellas 👌 😎

Anonymous

Alright dukes, Enough off this Activision acquisition ass of children talk. Let's get down to brass tacks here, settle things like men. The ultimate alliance dukes and the legion of the sacred symbols been throwing them verbal hands. Let me hit you with some match ups. Dustin v Lockmort Cog v Colin Matty v Ray Gun Whose taking home that belt fam? Place your bets. Have a 'Bill Gates just acquisitioned your ma's dark corners' kinda day.

Anton Kaye

Hey Dukes, I've had a week to listen to podcasts and think about this MS/Activision deal and one thing I keep thinking about is competition; and not in an anti-trust/monopoly way. When Sony gets a game, like FF7R from Square, possibly, there was a deal or a dollar amount MS could of come up with to counter and scooped the game up instead of Sony(I'm not saying it was probable, just possible), but when that doesn't happen, it doesn't close down all of MS options to work with Square in the future. They worked out day one Outriders, they got Octopath(still not on PS). Are these as massive as FF7, no, but it still allows MS to secure and make deals on other products. MS could of had KotoR, Sony offered a better deal . When MS buys a publisher, it closes all talks and deals for all future games. Sony and Nintendo will never be able to compete for those games. That's why I find this deal different than just getting an exclusive game or games; MS is locking all IPs away from other platforms. On a much smaller scale, isn't this similar to what EA did with the NFL license to 2K? Instead of innovating its own franchise, and noticing 2K started to eat it's lunch, EA just killed the competition by doing something 2K couldn't at the time; bought the rights and, effectively, shut down 2ks fledgling, popular game. Thanks for reading! Have a "Drove to Chick-fil-A and just realized it's Sunday" kind of day.

Anonymous

Hey Dukes, I've recently bought a house and signed my life a way to a bank, YAY! Since then however, time is of the essence and I am left with not much to spare. After cooking food, doing house chores and spending time with my significant other, there aren't any hours left in the day to play games or go to the gym. Even asked me this question has took me 3 weeks just to get around to it. Likewise, when I do have a spare minute to play games, I don't want to get stuck into something meaty which has left my last completed game being The Gunk. How do you manage you spare time to play games or your hobbies when life is so busy? Hope you have a 'paying full price just before it goes on sale' kind of day

SeanG123

Greetings Mad Matt and Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG), Well Matty, the day is approaching. Looks like we might be getting a Gears of War collection designed in the style of MCC. On that day, Matty, you’re going to find out how wrong you are about your love of Gears 2 lol. When it launched, it felt like Marcus or whoever you are controlling is running around in quicksand. Now we get to experience that in a sweet,sweet 120 FPS lol. (I’m a Gears 1 acolyte and prefer it’s movement speed) Jokes aside, the prospect of Gears 1,2,and 3 in a collection designed similarly to the way MCC is right now is honestly needed to some respect. Ultimate Edition isn’t cross play/ cross progression with pc and it’s player numbers are almost nothing. 360 servers are off so 2 and 3s multiplayer and horde can only be played locally. This collection brings a lot of that stuff back online in a meaningful way all under a single roof. Being a Gears fan with the same multiplayer squad since 2006… this is great. Thank you guys. Keep up the great work. Hope you guys have one of those “I just got ‘wall bounced’ again” kind of days.

Anonymous

Hey Dukes, Has there ever been a game that has fundamental changed how you play games? My example: Back in 2017 a small Indie game called Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out. Before playing it I, like most people, hoarded my items in RPGs afraid I might need them for a time that rarely ever came. The controversial weapon breaking system broke my hoarding cocoon and out popped a man who uses items freely. Thanks for all the enjoyment each week. I hope you have a "I just watched my wife deliver our 3rd child" kind of day.

SimplyNotReally

Greetings Duke Lord Cog and Squire Matty! I know there is a lot of exciting news happing with Xbox right now, but i would like to bring your attention to an issue with the Series X and possibly the Series S as well. Ive been looking it up and it seems it has been a widespread issue for quite a while with no fix, and that is that whenever HDR is enabled on the Series X for some reason everything is dimmed! For me personally, games are displayed at full brightness but whenever i go to the dashboard or any other app like youtube, netflix, etc, the brightness on my monitor drops dramatically. For others I've read that after they have a game open for around 10 minutes they get their screen dimmed as well, but as soon as you turn HDR off in the settings, everything is normal. This really sucks because i love the deeper colors offered by HDR but it doesnt help much since im barely able to see them. I am wondering, have you guys experienced this, and is there any info on when a patch may be rolling out for it? Thanks for all that you do and i hope you have a "i just dropped 400 bucks on a 4k monitor but the screen is too dim to see" kind of a day.

Anonymous

Hey there Dukes, So Blizzard just confirmed that the next project they're working on is a survival game. While the concept art looked cool, I can't help but feel that their talents would be better served elsewhere. Don't get me wrong I love new ips but the survival genre is incredibly stale and oversaturated, and I don't really know what blizzard can do to stand out. Wonder what you boys think.

Jakson

Hey Dukes, I frequently hear the argument that acquisitions are not the bad thing, but buying whole publishers is what makes it bad. However, isn't that exactly what was functionally happening with Sony prior to some of these acquisitions? They were paying for lengthy acquisitions (1, 2, or even indefinite) of almost every major IP from multiple studios. They were taking advantage of their large market share to make deals no sane dev would ever make or be able to make with Xbox or even Nintendo. I have added some examples below and was curious about your take on this specifically. Sony did/tried the following: --Bethesda: bought or tried to buy timed exclusivity for Deathloop, Ghostwire Tokyo, and Starfield. --Square: Bought Timed exclusivity for FFVII R, FFXVI, Babylon's fall, Forspoken, and have FFXIV console exclusivity. --Capcom: Paid to have SFV exclusive to PS only. --Marvel: Have exclusive rights to publish any and all Spiderman related content for gaming and even exclusive rights to most spiderman content in gaming. (including add-ons for Marvel Avengers) and probably have done the same for Wolverine. --Paid for timed exclusivity of KOTOR a game previously Xbox exclusive and funded by Xbox at least in part. --Gearbox: paid for timed exclusivity of the only next-gen game they released so far, Godfall. And the list goes on beyond that. I struggle to see how paying for exclusivity deals like this at a rate the competition cannot compete with is any worse than acquiring those same IP/publishers. Not to mention Marketing deals seperately barring games from coming to gamepass. It seems like there is not much choice, alternatively for MS in this situation. Other than to just sit back and lose.

gothichellokitty

Sup Mulder and Scully? What do you guys think would push Xbox to making a VR push whether that would be their own headset or just porting some titles over to VR? Also, what games from Xbox's first party IP, past or future including Activision/Blizzard, would you want to be ported to VR? Thanks and have an "I just wet the bed as a grown ass adult" kind of day.

Daniel short

Hey Dukes, If Xbox was a condiment, which would it be and why?

MrMattyPlays
>>76420839

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to this. I missed this news entirely, so thanks for writing in!

Anonymous

Hey Buzz Cog and Woody Matt, Today Mike Yabarra officially announced that a new ip was being developed over at Blizzard games and it sounds like a pretty cool idea. With the recent acquisition announcement of Activision by Microsoft, was it a good idea for a former employee of Microsoft to announce this title so close to the acquisition announcement? Could this create unneeded bumps in the road for the acquisition and should Mike Yabarra let have let one of the team leaders on this project make the announcement in his place to encourage new leaders to take the stage for Blizzard. Thanks guys and have a "everybody calm down" kind of day

Mark

Hey Matty and Cog, All of the talk about the acquisition of ABK by Microsoft seems to be to around how it will affect Xbox and Sony, but I can't help but feel like it's missing one of the biggest gains that could emerge. Why is nobody talking about the PC player base? Xbox has struggled to make a sizeable impression in the PC marketplace, opting to release the majority of their games simultaneously on Steam to reach as many players as possible. Does having access to Battle.Net finally help Xbox penetrate the PC market? World of warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft and Overwatch are some of the biggest and most important franchises in the PC market and I feel like this acquisition is as much about PC as it is about the Xbox console market. Hope you have a "Xbox just acquired my inlaws for half a billion dollars so I don't have to see them again" kind of day.

Andy

Hey Dukes, Can you see Microsoft puting their top shooters on a 3 year cycle and would it be beneficial going away from the yearly release? I think that they are getting crowded in the shooter genre and these games will need some room to breathe. I can see something like releasing 2 shooter's a year an example like: Spring 2024 Wolfenstein Holiday 2024 Gears Spring 2025 Doom Holiday 2025 Call of Duty Spring 2026 Overwatch Holiday 2026 Halo

Michael Hedrick

It really shows how good of a podcast this is when I haven't owned an Xbox since 360 and I listen asap when an episode drops.

Carter Evenson

What’s up Cog and Matty, What do you think will happen with the Activision titles on PS5 currently in PS Plus Collection? COD BO3 and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy are two of said games on the closest thing PlayStation currently has to gamepass. Im assuming that those would fall under the contractual obligations that Sony implored Xbox and Microsoft to abide by, but I figured I’d get your insight. Have a danganronpa getting dropped from game pass type of day, and thanks for getting me through long hours on the road.

Anonymous

Hey Dukes. Jason Schreier reported that the contractual obligation from Activision to Sony is to release Call of Duty on Playstation till 2023. When Sony said that they expect Microsoft to honor the existing contract between them and Activision many felt the reply sounded desperate. I guess now we know why. But since Phil says Microsoft desires to keep Call of Duty multiplatform. What do you think the negotiations will look like?

Anonymous

What’s up Duke Boys, With this huge acquisition of Activision Blizzard, I can’t help but feel that money could have been better spent on several other studios and publishers. For me personally, I would have loved to see them purchase WB Games, IO Interactive, Crystal Dynamics, and others. Do you guys share this same thought? If so, who would you have preferred they purchase? Hope you have a “Microsoft just purchased my girlfriend” kind of day

Anonymous

Hello Duck and Duke Nukem (you decide who is who) Hopefully Xbox will do the right thing and let their new studios work on what they want. If great 'support' studios like Toys for Bob and Raven are allowed to choose new projects, what existing studios in the Xbox family do you think would be a good fit to work on a Call of Duty game? Maybe a Besthesda developer? Rare, with it's legacy roots in console fps? Hope you guys have a 'Only leave the house for 20 minutes the entire day, and that is the 20 minutes the delivery man decides to show up with your very expensive package' kind of day....

Player X

Duke boys, Everyone out here worrying about acquisitions and console exclusives. I'm just sitting here playing Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb. When did gaming go from playing some dope ass games to mergers and acquisitions? This isn't Hook. I didn't grow up to be a pirate! Bangarang

Sean Mason

Hey Dukes, Do you think its logical for MS to reduce the Series S price? It’s already a bargain at its current cost… but imagine how many more they could see by marketing it at $200 bundled with a few months of gamepass. Best, Sean.

OTTAPPS

My Dukes, I hope you are well. According to Bloomberg, the next 3 Call of Duty releases will land on PlayStation. This appears to include 2 yearly releases and sequel (???) to Warzone. So, it looks like it might not be until 2024 before Phil can stamp that exclusivity stamp all over the best-selling franchise. That’s a fair bit of time and people will be making their console purchasing decisions during this period. Do you think that Big Phil should start getting the idea of Xbox being the home of Call of Duty by putting them on GamePass, starting this year? Now I know there might be contractual blockers in place and I know they are operating independently until the acquisition concludes…but working on the assumption that neither of these are an issue…it has to be the play right? Drop a billion off with Bobby, ask him to put it in the safe and pick it up when business completes! Start to attatching the Green brand to this Franchise! Keep up the great work. Peace

Zetsubou Billy

Salutations to the Dukes that define! Long time, first time ;) My question this week is while this acquisition has taken over the news lately on whether it was a good buy for the industry or the best move players and developers alike—what do you guys believe would have been a better solution in regards to Activision Blizzards future? Without MS's infinity gauntlet of a purchase and Kotick in indefinite power, would the company have had to succumb to cancelations, development hell IPs, and even more controversy over the next few years or would a "watch and wait" approach on their part have a better outcome in the long term? Thanks for all you guys do and have a complete and nutritionally balance kind of day! :D

Al Rodriguez

Hello DUKES!! I think I cracked the code to managing my game plays. Wait till a full year is over, then make a list of all the games you want to play base on reviews and community talk. Then you have your list for the year, and if its a short list and/or you end before the year is over, then you tackle your backlog till the end of the year. I have 12 XBox games from 2021 that I want to play, I played and beaten 2 so far and have ten left. This strategy saves money because there's a good chance that the game price drop (price watch), or goes on GamePass. For guys like myself, who doesn't care about the news cycle-FOMO culture or work in the industry, this works well! What are your thoughts? Keep doing what you guys doing!! Love y'all! Al

Anonymous

It's the Dukes! I have a hypothetical question for you now that Activision Blizzard has been added to Phil Spencer's Infinity Gauntlet. If Microsoft were to acquire one more publisher, who should it be? My instant thoughts are either WB games, SEGA or Capcom. I could also see EA as they fit with the shooters and western RPG vibe that Microsoft has, as well as major sports properties that could be a major cash cow like Call of Duty for Microsoft. What's your thoughts Dukes? Keep up the fine work and I hope you have a "went to take out the trash but accidentally stepped in dog shit" kinda day

The rogue

Dear Divine Dukes, I hear from you and others the desire to see companies revive dead IP, or are excited about a sequel to a good game. I find myself in the opposite camp. The Ori games may be my favorite games of last-gen but I was more excited when I heard that Moon Studios were making a new IP than I would have been if they announced Ori 3. Bethesda with Starfield was the same even though a fallout would probably be a safer bet. I would be stoked to see new IP come from the Coalition, Rockstar, or Id software even though I like their current IP. I am ok with an old mascot platformer being revived, but honestly, I would probably be more excited to get a modern company with a modern take on the genera. It makes sense why studios make lots of equals because it is safe from a sales standpoint, and you have to keep your studio open. I, however, am far more interested in creativity than I am in safe bets and I hope that studios get more opportunities for creativity under Xbox. What gets you more excited? have a "the coalition just announced they are working on gears 6" kind of day.