Home Artists Posts Import Register

Content

For your viewing pleasure.

Timestamps to skip ads:
0:00:39

0:28:54

Files

Xbox Opens Up On Activision's Future - What's Next? | Defining Duke, Episode 146

After almost two years of going back and forth on every layer of this deal, it is finally complete. Xbox owns Activision Blizzard King and have massively expanded both the IP as well as talent under their possession. Now, the real work begins! As Phil Spencer says he's going to begin visiting all these teams, gamers have many burning questions! What is the future of exclusivity for the many upcoming Activision games? Will Xbox dig into the massive backlog of titles at their disposal? How will the integration of Activision games in Game Pass work? With a sense of finality, we can begin to answer those questions. That wasn't the only massive news this week as Bethesda's Pete Hines is leaving Bethesda after spending 24 years there. With Will Shen out too, many are wondering if it's time to worry about folks jumping ship. The Dukes are here to settle things down. Otherwise, we dig into Halo Infinite's resurgence, Starfield being one of the best selling games of the year, and much more! Get early access to Defining Duke and all Last Stand Media shows at: https://www.patreon.com/LastStandMedia Get some Defining Duke merch! LastStandMedia.store Follow the hosts! https://www.Twitter.com/G27Status​ https://www.Twitter.com/lordcognito Start hiring now with a $75 sponsored job credit at https://www.indeed.com/duke 0:00:00 - Intro 0:13:04 - Do we address the haters too much? 0:22:13 - There is pushback on Disney, actually 0:34:34 - Halo Infinite is reaching new heights 0:53:09 - Best Buy and Ubisoft speak on physical goods 1:03:22 - Starfield was the best-selling game of September 1:15:51 - Cities: Skyline 2 has some performance problems 1:18:01 - Shinji Mikami may be making a return 1:21:33 - Xbox versions of Xenoverse 2 are arriving in 2024 1:25:59 - Microsoft is appealing the IRS back taxes request 1:27:04 - Minecraft has surpassed over 300 million copies sold 1:30:27 - Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Schemes will part ways 1:36:32 - What have we been playing? 2:06:52 - The Activision deal is complete 3:10:53 - Pete Hines is retiring 3:30:20 - Coming soon to Game Pass 3:35:09 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

Comments

Annyong!

I’m only 20 minutes into this, but I want to say that I really appreciate you guys pushing back on the negative narrative surrounding the industry. There are other podcasts out there that refuse to touch any of that negative narrative and just try to remain above the “drama,” but there’s a point where that defensive attitude is necessary and useful. Just letting people blab about things with lies and misinformation without being pushed back on encourages them to do it more. I’ve never thought you guys get too into the weeds of negativity and drama, and I’m sensitive to that because there are other podcasts I’ve stopped listening to because they dwell in that. There has been so much negativity around the Xbox community for the last couple years and now that there are good things happening, I appreciate you guys calling those people out and taking your victory laps. They were earned.

OTTAPPS

Ha we got a blooper intro!

DDTJOESTAR

Matty brought up Beenox doing a Marvel title but added he wasn’t sure what they could do. I think as the new PROTOTYPE owners (lol), the answer is in front of us. They should revive Hulk. 🔥👌🏾

Jordan Falduto

Love my Dukes. And mark my words I will be putting my dukes up even higher against these comment boys next time. #DLineDD #goalieDD #comefordukeenduponamilkcartonDD

Kbr Sports

I actually get what Cognito is saying. Embracer, Tencent, Saudi Arabia can aggressively increase their investment into games buying studios up and the like. Yet, nobody said a word. The only person who has been on it from the beginning is Colin. Which is why I respect his takes on industry consolidation. He doesn’t only bemoan it when one particular publisher does it. Colin even states numerously he doesn’t like Sony has had to do uncharacteristic acquisitions. Other disingenuous actors act like they care about industry consolidation but ONLY speak up when Microsoft does it. Which makes it feel like it’s more “my team didn’t do it concern wars” versus actual care of the industry. I get Matty’s retort that people may care more about the IP MSFT is buying but consolidation is consolidation.

Paul Knickerbocker

I disagree with this. I've seen plenty of blowback when Tencent buys up developers. Microsoft is getting more criticism because they're the only ones buying huge publishers.

peter42O

Acquisition wise, I believe Microsoft gets a bunch of development studios first like Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, possibly a few others from Embracer, Iron Galaxy, Certain Affinity, People Can Fly, Asobo Studio, etc. in 2024. Then in late 2025, they go get Sega which is a perfect fit for Microsoft and Xbox. They have Rovio which includes Angry Birds on Mobile so again, perfect fit. I don't see another publisher until then because Microsoft will let some time pass but also for U.S., they'll wait until after the 2024 President Election is decided as a Republican President would lean more into Big Tech and I can see Microsoft waiting to see if Lina Khan gets replaced and whatnot. So studios in 2024 to ensure they don't lose them to someone else and then in two years from now, Sega.

The Hokage Xtreme Pimp

Embracer, Tencent, and others don’t have a platform & have not taken games for themselves. Microsoft has spent more on acquisitions than all of them combined. What’s funny is you guys cheerlead this stuff yet Xbox is dying slowly . Look at their September Circana down like 40 % from last year. No ones buying an. Box no matter who they acquire. U guys gone be hella butthurt when it’s said & done.

David Hotright

Love you guys, you are my fav podcast, real highlight of my week. Keep being you

Brandon (edited)

Comment edits

2023-10-20 19:04:45 Glad to see you guys push back against the haters. As for Xbox's acquisitions, I'd feel bad for non-Xbox players if they just came out and said that they were upset that Xbox was buying studios that they cared about. That's what all the fuss is about and it's so obvious, but instead it's all couched behind "caring about the industry". I just don't buy it. Let's call a spade a spade. I lived through the Xbox One gen when Sony kept buying shit that did nothing but keep content off the Xbox platform, and Sony fans just celebrated it. There was no "stop hurting the Xbox player" that Playstation fans want to have thrown at them. It was just pure malice and acceptance that this is the way the world works. I cannot bring myself to feel sympathy for online PS fans after that Xbox One experience. We saw the character of that community and this is the landscape that they cheered for, it's just that now it's being used against them and the disapproval of the current landscape is hidden behind "what about the developers" and "game pass is going to kill the industry". I learned a long time ago I had to own all consoles and some people are upset to learn they'll need to do the same.
2023-10-20 16:28:23

PRETENTIEUX

The worst part about looking for a game on the PC GamePass app is that it doesn't save your scroll position when you click a game to look at it then use the back button to go back to the big list.

PRETENTIEUX

I'm pretty good with just my laptop. I've never felt as if I needed to play every game and nowadays it's impossible anyway. There's no such thing as an exclusive that is going to change my life so much that I need to get a new piece of hardware for it. Maybe I'm just getting old and less excited about things lol. I understand a lot of people feel differently. I'm just glad the consoles exist so I have an interesting industry to follow. XD