Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

Last Stand Media
  • 4.8 (872)
  • VIDEO GAMES
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Defining Duke is a weekly podcast dedicated to all things Xbox co-hosted by beloved YouTuber MrMattyPlays and Lord Cognito. Whether you're a fan and player of Xbox Series X|S, still hanging around on Xbox One, or have fond memories of Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, our show is for you. We go over the news, talk about the games we're playing, scour rumors and speculation, and much more. We publish each and every Sunday, and you can get the show three days early and ad-free by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/laststandmedia We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4  For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com    Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

  1. 22H AGO

    #266 | Obsidian Opens Up On Their Future...

    Xbox's marketing beat for 2025 was "The Year Of Obsidian Entertainment." Frankly, it made sense. No matter how you feel about the quality of these games, the fact that this team shipped Avowed, Outer Worlds 2, and Grounded 2 all within a calendar year (while many other teams within the first party fold continue to stumble around) was worthy of all the praise. Well, Obsidian has some thoughts on that marketing tagline. Indeed of it being a rallying cry, Obsidian's own Josh Sawyer defined as a "sign that something went wrong." Both Avowed and Outer Worlds 2 were in development for over six years and the result is that both these games failed to meet financial expectations. What lessons can they learn after shipping so many games? What can they do to cut development costs? What games should they make to meet Xbox's new profit margins? Part of the solution to the team at Obsidian is Avowed 2, but it's anyone's guess what lies beyond that. Thanks to a transparent conversation with Obsidian, the Dukes now dig into the company with this new perspective. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:06:36 - Reading Recs0:14:58 - Ashes Of Creation is the latest scam in gaming0:28:31 - The suspicious Dispatch censorship situation0:36:02 - Is Nioh finally coming to Xbox?0:45:17 - Tekken Season 3 revealed0:51:03 - Forza Horizon 6 supports cross save0:54:24 - Highguard moves up to Mixed on Steam as it gets 5v5 mode0:57:26 - Ex Bethesda dev talks Morrowind Remaster1:14:06 - The Amazon Fallout countdown ends1:21:29 - Epic Games plans to take on Steam1:26:59 - AI surveys conducted at GDC1:34:33 - Ubisoft says volunteer to get fired or get fired1:39:39 - The Division: Definitive Edition isn’t what we expected1:42:10 - Beyond Good & Evil 2 officially has a pulse1:43:58 - RIP Comcept1:48:04 - Cairn passes 200K copies sold1:50:49 - Nintendo sales update1:56:53 - What We’re Playing2:22:05 - The Year Of Obsidian isn’t quite what we made it out to be2:55:22 - AMD hints at next gen launch plans3:04:39 - Xbox is the least desired console to develop for Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3h 24m

  2. FEB 1

    #265 | These Xbox Stats Are BRUTAL...

    Well, we've seen our fair share of Xbox earnings reports. As expected, there's a lot of negative discourse around it, but this time there are some more troubling facts resting within these underlying numbers. As we've seen Xbox's hardware has been down for almost two years now. That continues in this quarter, so it is not much of a shocker by this point. That is if you only consider the console and not the recently released Xbox Ally. When it comes to gaming revenue as well as content and services, they're down. This is significant because this is all based on the holiday window where we usually see spending go up. In a window where they had the likes of Call Of Duty, which became the number one selling game of the month in December, they still ended up with losses. The likes of Outer Worlds 2, Keeper, or Ninja Gaiden 4 couldn't do enough, nor should they be fully expected to make up that sort of difference. The sum of it all is despite this being one of Xbox's busier holidays, they couldn't escape a loss and that comes shortly after a Game Pass price hike. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:05:04 - Snowy Dukes0:11:48 - Our workflow0:19:03 - A second Xbox Developer Direct in 2026?0:26:37 - Forza Horizon 6’s pricey premium upgrade0:31:33 - State Of Decay 3 has a pulse0:39:00 - The Coalition opens up on Gears Of War: E-Day0:45:14 - Achievement overhaul inbound?0:50:53 - Xbox Q2 earnings are in1:04:48 - PS6 after 2028?1:18:45 - State Of Play and Nintendo Direct in February?1:22:57 - Beyond Good & Evil 2 has survived the Ubisoft purge1:30:26 - Indie publishers should be avoided1:42:37 - Emberville gets a release window1:45:16 - BioWare is quietly hiring for Mass Effect1:46:34 - Dragon Ball Age 1000 Announced1:56:13 - Resident Evil Requiem will not be open world2:01:17 - Code Veronica Remake is targeting H1 20272:03:31 - What We’re Playing2:50:50 - Xbox realizes the most obvious thing ever3:05:22 - Brian Fargo opens up on Clockwork Revolution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3h 36m

  3. JAN 25

     #264 | Our Thoughts On Xbox's Developer_Direct 2026... - Did It Deliver?!

    Everything from Forza Horizon 6 and Kiln to Beast Of Reincarnation and Fable was shown off here! While the other games made their own noise, the Dukes (including Gene Park) were most captured by Fable. Judging by the noise online, so were many, many other people. For the first time in a long time, it feels like Xbox has a broadly appealing hit on their hands. Playground Games showed off everything from combat and choices to the economic and social simulation elements that always made Fable such a joy to play. With this comes the new introduction of "Living Population" where 1,000 NPCs all have their own hobbies, schedules, voice actors, and conversations. This is all designed to bring to life the replacement for Fable's famous morality system in the form of a reputation system that is similar to what is seen in Fable 3. Are there any snags for the Dukes with these changes? What has us most hyped? It's time to dive into what is now one of the most anticipated games of 2026. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:12:57 - Forza Horizon 60:20:04 - Beast Of Reincarnation0:29:07 - Kiln0:39:05 - Fable1:30:56 - Ubisoft undergoes massive shakeup1:43:10 - Fallout TV show thoughts so far2:22:05 - What We're Playing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    2h 57m

  4. JAN 18

    #263 | It's FINALLY Fable Time!

    After years of secrecy and many delays, Xbox is set to pull the lid off one of its most anticipated RPGs at the upcoming Developer Direct. First rumored in 2017 and announced in 2020, Fable has been baking at Playground Games, the prolific racing game studio, for a long, long time. Now, Xbox promises a deep dive on everything from combat and choice to British humor and chickens. Is it do or die time for Fable? How does its early year showing shake up the already packed summer showcase? Will we finally get a release date? Perhaps just a release year? Indeed, there are so many questions, but most of these will be announced very shortly! Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:06:26 - A time games did play for us0:12:04 - The Rook speaks0:14:41 - Baby Dukes on the way0:18:04 - Motivating ourselves after work0:24:22 - Would Matty interview Todd Howard again?0:36:29 - Avowed is headed to PS5 with its biggest update yet0:50:54 - Forza Bros collect their biggest win yet0:59:50 - Hellblade 3 is the focus1:10:16 - Towerborne releases February 26 for $251:16:55 - Masters Of Albion releases on April 22nd, 20261:21:39 - Crimson Desert’s map size debate1:26:07 - Is ATLUS finally revealing Persona 6 this year?1:32:43 - Division 3 will have as big an impact as Division 11:38:19 - Details on the secret Witcher 3 expansion1:42:54 - Stellar Blade Boss speaks out on AI use case1:47:59 - Meta closes several VR studios1:58:44 - Everything we learned about Divinity in Larian AMA2:19:46 - What We’re Playing2:42:16 - Developer Direct confirmed for January 22nd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3h 43m

  5. JAN 11

    #262 | The "Microslop" Era Has BEGUN...

    Xbox didn't miss a beat to kick off the new year. In a scratch pad by Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, he spoke to how we need to accept AI as slop versus sophistication. As one would imagine, this had the adverse effect as "Microslop" began trending all over social media. The timing could be better as the rise of AI datacenters have caused a massive spikes in hardware prices. So much so that there are now reports that both Xbox and PlayStation may delay their upcoming hardware as a result. The question now becomes if a delayed Xbox system ever sees the light of day since it feels like 2027's new hardware was to be an offramp and the benefit of plans already being in motion. Time would tell, but for now, let's eat some "slop." Sign up for your $1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.com/duke Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro00:05:37 - Holiday break updates00:17:29 - Fallout season 2 thoughts00:28:03 - The state of the Health Is Wealth grind00:33:16 - Vince Zampella passes away at 5500:49:02 - Bethesda wants to make a 600 hour Fallout game00:58:11 - Xbox console sales are downright terrible01:04:04 - A New Witcher 3 expansion in 2025?01:11:44 - Clair Obscur dev on what’s next01:18:39 - Sony patents AI playing games for you01:26:32 - The Ubisoft Holiday Hack01:29:41 - Update on Exodus leadership changes01:39:46 - What We’re Playing02:17:49 - What to expect from Xbox in 202602:43:21 - Next gen consoles are delayed?02:55:51 - Satya Nadella says to stop calling AI “slop”03:17:58 - Zenimax Lead Departs After Xbox Cancellation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3h 37m

  6. JAN 4

    #261 | We Dare To Dream About Xbox's 2026...

    After 2025, it's safe to say the years of saying "next year is their year" are over for Xbox. When it comes to the prior 24 months, it has not gone according to the Duke's plans whatsoever. With that in mind, we have dared to look ahead in spite of all of that. The games, the unimaginable business decisions, and yes, even hardware. What is in store for this brand next year? Tons of surprises, no doubt, but just how many? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    2h 28m

  7. 12/28/2025

    #260 | Xbox Ends 2025 in a Scary Spot...

    Xbox has seen a lot of changes in the last two years and that's putting it lightly. Everything from a disconnect with their own base to price hikes galore has led to a near complete disenfranchisement with the brand. Today, the Dukes gather and do their best to scrounge up the positives in a relatively down year. What shined so brightly in 2025 for Xbox? Well, I'm glad you asked... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 50m

  8. 12/21/2025

    #259 | The AI Conversation Has Reached A Breaking Point...

    As Lord Cognito long predicted, the AI conversation reached a breaking point online when people saw one of the industry's golden children announced that they'll be using generative AI for their game's development. That team is Larian Studios who is responsible for the Divinity franchise alongside the incredible Baldur's Gate 3. The CEO of Larian, Swen Vincke, said that it will be used for mostly pre-production stuff along the lines of whiteboxing or even company e-mails. However, he also let it slip that concept art ideation will be part of that process as an optional tool. Well, social media did not like this at all. It has turned into one of the most split topics to round out 2025. So, where do the Dukes stand? Matty, a longtime critic of AI's usage in development beyond a tool, happens to be a massive Larian fan. Does he bend the knee? What of Lord Cognito who always expected this? Does he blink at such a revelation? Perhaps, it's all overblown. There is a reality where we're years down the line and Larian is on a long list of developers who are all doing the same thing. Time shall tell, but let's chat about what we know for now. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:06:25 - Health Is Wealth0:26:41 - The Xbox Bowl0:30:12 - Backlog games we want to play in 20260:35:09 - Games we missed during The Game Awards0:38:23 - It’s actually Mega Man 120:43:23 - Clearing up some Warhammer nonsense0:47:26 - Katsuhiro Harada leaves Bandai0:55:58 - Elder Scrolls VI update1:12:30 - John Romero’s Xbox game survived cancellation1:14:55 - New Call Of Duty sub series inbound?1:23:30 - Exodus gets new leadership1:33:34 - Expedition 33 gets a new update1:35:37 - Marathon gets a March 2026 release window1:44:30 - Phantom Blade 0 is a timed PS5 exclusive1:45:16 - Dead Island 3 is a long, long ways away1:46:00 - Star Wars: Fate Of The Old Republic arrives before 20301:59:58 - Mega Man Star Force Collections arrives early 20262:00:41 - Resident Evil is about to be stacked for a few years2:01:47 - Updates on Persona 62:06:24 - What We’re Playing2:27:04 - Larian Studios is using generative AI3:19:35 - Forza Motorsport is done3:23:10 - Xbox teases Developer Direct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3h 50m
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About

Defining Duke is a weekly podcast dedicated to all things Xbox co-hosted by beloved YouTuber MrMattyPlays and Lord Cognito. Whether you're a fan and player of Xbox Series X|S, still hanging around on Xbox One, or have fond memories of Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, our show is for you. We go over the news, talk about the games we're playing, scour rumors and speculation, and much more. We publish each and every Sunday, and you can get the show three days early and ad-free by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/laststandmedia We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4  For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com    Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

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