Defining Duke, Episode 109 | Xbox Is Bailing On E3 2023 - What's Next? (Patreon)

With E3's return to an in-person event, you wouldn't be foolish to assume Xbox would have a presence given the endless vocal support the brand has for the convention. Following financial complications and maybe even Developer_Direct's success, it appears Xbox is heading in a different direction. IGN reports the all of the "Big 3" including Xbox will not have a presence at E3. While Xbox will have a showcase as they confirmed last week, this opens up a slew of possibilities for what Xbox could look like in the future when it comes to communication and presentations. Otherwise, another week and another 343 Industries bombshell. Following the shake-up occurring with staff amounting to at least 95 layoffs, Bloomberg has now reported that Halo will see a swap to Unreal Engine, visit new platforms, and radical changes seemingly coming to Infinite's 10-year plan. Is fifth times the charm for 343 or is it too little too late? We dive into that as well as the reported delay for Forza Motorsport out of the first-half window as well as the volatile nature of Starfield's release date rumors.

Timestamps:
0:00:00 - Intro

0:03:59 - A Rocksteady correction

0:05:37 - Oreo and Pop-Tart drama abounds

0:14:34 - Age affects haircut freshness

0:16:51 - Help! I’m addicted to turning off the sound in my games

0:22:40 - Starfield is playable from start to finish according to leaks

0:27:36 - Phil Spencer gives Tango Gameworks credit for Hi-Fi Rush’s shadowdrop

0:32:39 - Redfall will require a persistent online connection

0:34:22 - Phil is confident in the Activision acquisition

0:36:08 - Hi-Fi Rush sold well in addition to releasing on GamePass

0:39:40 - Age of Empires II has arrived on console!

0:41:14 - Series consoles are going up in price in Japan

0:45:26 - More departures at 343

0:48:56 - Turn 10 spills performance info on Forza Motorsport

0:49:21 - Code Mystics Inc. says certain Goldeneye 007 decisions are out of their hands

0:52:30 - 46 games are getting delisted from the 360 marketplace

0:57:25 - EA Motive says future Dead Space remakes aren’t out of the question

0:59:59 - Star Wars Jedi Survivor has been delayed

1:01:37 - A single player Apex/Titanfall game has been canned

1:06:46 - The Pathless comes to Xbox soon

1:07:14 - New Resident Evil 4 Remake details have dropped

1:08:45 - What we’ve been playing

1:22:34 - Will we forget about Hi-Fi Rush?

1:28:46 - If Xbox didn’t buy Bethesda, where would we be?

1:31:53 - How much does AAA matter?

1:40:21 - Xbox will be returning to LA this summer, but  not E3

2:00:09 - More staffing and development shake-ups are happening at 343

2:31:05 - Forza Motorsport’s release date continues to be a mystery

2:43:40 - MLB The Show will be on Game Pass day 1 for the third year in a row

2:46:13 - Game Pass Pick of the Week

2:50:29 - Did Xbox make a mistake by not staggering new releases?