Defining Duke, Episode 78 | Is Xbox Mismanaging Their Studios? (Patreon)
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There's trouble on the homefront. We have collectively report after report roll in describing the struggles of Xbox's first party studios. Whether it be 343 and their mismanagement of Halo, Bethesda and their troubled Fallout 76 development, half of The Initiative leaving, or toxic conditions seeping into Undead Labs; there are now many examples in the ether for us to dissect. All of them combined bring us to one painful question that must be asked: Is Xbox's hands off approach backfiring on them as their teams spiral themselves into the ground? With this week's news, there's no better time to tackle such a tough topic. In lighter news, Mega Man Battle Network is back, Starfield has a pretty exciting leak, and the fork-spoon wars may be set off again thanks to disgruntled pie consumers. With our most write ins to date, it's time to tackle our juiciest episode yet.
Timestamps:
0:00:00 - Intro
0:03:27 - Roundhouse studios is co-developing Redfall
0:04:13 - A Plague Tale: Requiem launches October 18
0:05:44 - Persona 5 Royal will have a physical release
0:06:39 - Steam Deck production is doubling
0:08:03 - Azure Striker Gunvolt 1, 2, and 3 are coming to Xbox this year
0:11:16 - Fork or spoon for pie?
0:15:34 - Xbox fans are defending sitting down to pee
0:21:17 - What did we think of Obi-Wan?
0:25:17 - What we’ve been playing.
0:37:27 - When pooping, are we fully clothed?
0:44:18 - Crocs or onion sandwiches for the rest of our lives?
0:46:22 - Is Xbox getting better day one titles for Game Pass?
0:53:00 - What happened to Mass Effect multiplayer?
0:59:25 - Reports suggest Xbox may have internal issues regarding crunch and management
1:19:21 - Xbox may soon own Proletariat
1:26:45 - Leaks have revealed more about Starfield
1:41:59 - 343 is exploring microtransactions for Master Chief Collection
2:20:16 - Nintendo Direct Mini announcements
2:46:22 - More cast members have been revealed for the upcoming Fallout show
2:49:34 - Overwatch 2 will replace the original game
2:57:06 - From Software’s next game is in late development
3:00:03 - Game Pass pick of the week
3:09:51 - Should Team Ninja have returned to Ninja Gaiden?
3:13:44 - Has an achievement/trophy list ever stopped us from playing a game?
3:20:16 - What are our summer gaming memories?
3:26:20 - Should Xbox explore more TMNT games?
3:30:32 - Are we excited for Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope?