Defining Duke, Episode 108 | It's Official - Xbox Has GAMES In 2023!

Note: Due to the Xbox Showcase yesterday, this episode is free for all at release.

With the first ever Developer_Direct in the rear view for us, it's time to pick apart all the games (and surprises) shown off! We saw Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, Elder Scrolls Online, and even a surprise drop from Tokyo Gameworks with Hi-Fi Rush. With these games, Xbox has a healthy and full first half of 2023 - a strange sight for fans of the ecosystem. Is this the format for the future of Xbox and how can it be improved? Did Xbox show enough gameplay and did they get the pace of the showcase right? The Dukes have plenty of thoughts on all that was (and wasn't) shown! Outside of Developer_Direct, 343 confirmed they will continue to be stewards of the Halo franchise moving forward in a somewhat ominous message to fans. What is the right next step for such a precious IP and does Xbox overhead need to be more involved? Following the public humiliation surrounding Halo Infinite's launch, should Xbox continue to scale them down into a game publisher? Reports are saying things may be headed in that direction. With all this Xbox news plus hands-on thoughts with new releases in Forspoken and Dead Space Remake, it's one of Defining Duke's busiest weeks yet!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:02:30 - Matty won’t shut up about weeb stuff

0:03:42 - How do we eat cupcakes?

0:06:46 - An Oreo milkshake but like that

0:10:57 - Obsidian isn’t working on New Vegas 2 right now

0:15:49 - Gears 6 and Gears Collection rumors have been shut down

0:16:25 - Phil speaks out about the microsoft layoffs

0:19:06 - Turn 10 has announced a Forza Monthly

0:19:24 - Justin Roiland is no longer tied to Squanch Games

0:25:35 - New S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 screenshots have arrived

0:26:47 - Xbox’s summer showcase will be in Los Angeles

0:28:55 - Goldeneye arrives on January 27th

0:29:54 - Atomic Heart has gone gold

0:30:34 - Marvel’s Avengers is closing shop

0:39:42 - Warhammer 40K Darktide troubles continue

0:42:51 - Mac Walters has left BioWare after 19 years

0:49:06 - Phantom Liberty will be the more expensive than any Witcher 3 DLC

0:50:28 - Dragon Ball Z’s next gen update still isn’t live on Xbox

0:51:01 - What we’ve been playing

1:29:30 - Gut check on the Fallout show?

1:31:19 - Developer_Direct - Overall thoughts

1:39:21 - Developer_Direct  - Minecraft Legends

1:43:38 - Developer_Direct - Forza Motorsport

2:04:11 - Developer_Direct - Hi-Fi Rush

1:55:05 - Developer_Direct - Zenimax Online Studios

2:13:46 - Developer_Direct - Redfall

2:25:00 - Microsoft may be looking to hold a Bethesda focused media event

2:27:34 - 343 may or may not be working on Halo

2:51:03 - Coming to Game Pass

2:52:45 - Game Pass Pick of the Week

3:00:05 - Do we use guides when playing games?