EPISODE · May 4, 2025 · 4H 44M
#226 | Xbox’s MASSIVE Price Hikes Are Here…
from Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast · host Last Stand Media & Studio71
Well, we were ready to have a very positive episode, but here we are! Xbox has gone all the way ahead of most of the competition and confirmed the following. Console and accessories prices are jumping immediately. Xbox game prices will reach $80 by the end of the year. In a world where the first party is mostly producing divisive titles sitting in the ~80 open critic range, you have to imagine Xbox’s financial situation can’t be in a brilliant stop to step on a rake ahead of its competition. Yet, that’s where things get even more interesting. Xbox’s Q3 2025 results saw them at the industry’s top publisher while also being the leader in games sold on PlayStation with at least four of their titles in the top 10. Xbox wants their money and the Dukes have plenty of thoughts on this. Is this going to push even more people into Game Pass? Will this give birth to a free tier of Game Pass? What of Cloud Streaming’s growth when consoles are becoming extremely pricey. Meanwhile, it's already May and it feels as if we have enough fantastic games to begin our voting on Game Of The Year! Expedition 33 is the talk of the town alongside Oblivion and rightfully so, but it's fascinating just how many incredible experiences surround them. Unlikely heroes in Last Defense Academy, sleeper indie hits in Towerborne, and much more are around every corner. Who has time for all of this? Hell if we know, but we're just happy to be on the ride 2025 is taking us on.Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:06:28 - Health Is Wealth0:36:44 - Oblivion reaches 4 million players0:41:49 - Expedition 33 has sold 1 million copies0:56:38 - People Can Fly’s Project Maverick revealed1:02:58 - Borderlands 4 gets new release date1:08:47 - Wuchang Fallen Feather launches on July 24th, 20251:10:56 - Robocop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business launches on July 17th, 20251:12:37 - FBC: Firebreak launches on June 17th, 20251:16:41 - Tainted Grail: Fall Of Avalon leaves early access on May 23rd1:19:53 - Baldur’s Gate 3 director on AI1:29:16 - TMNT Splintered Fate is coming to Xbox and PlayStation1:37:31 - Kevin Eastman on the TMNT Last Ronin video game1:41:19 - Capcom teases Resident Evil 91:44:18 - Splinter Cell: Blacklist randomly gets Steam achievements1:47:50 - Elden Ring passes 30 million sales1:50:11 - Microsoft Q3 Results1:57:06 - Expedition 332:34:24 - Marathon2:54:19 - Oblivion Remaster3:16:26 - Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy3:22:29 - Xbox price increase4:04:00 - Respawn suffers more layoffs and cancellations4:19:08 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What this episode covers
Well, we were ready to have a very positive episode, but here we are! Xbox has gone all the way ahead of most of the competition and confirmed the following. Console and accessories prices are jumping immediately. Xbox game prices will reach $80 by the end of the year. In a world where the first party is mostly producing divisive titles sitting in the ~80 open critic range, you have to imagine Xbox’s financial situation can’t be in a brilliant stop to step on a rake ahead of its competition. Yet, that’s where things get even more interesting. Xbox’s Q3 2025 results saw them at the industry’s top publisher while also being the leader in games sold on PlayStation with at least four of their titles in the top 10. Xbox wants their money and the Dukes have plenty of thoughts on this. Is this going to push even more people into Game Pass? Will this give birth to a free tier of Game Pass? What of Cloud Streaming’s growth when consoles are becoming extremely pricey. Meanwhile, it's already May and it feels as if we have enough fantastic games to begin our voting on Game Of The Year! Expedition 33 is the talk of the town alongside Oblivion and rightfully so, but it's fascinating just how many incredible experiences surround them. Unlikely heroes in Last Defense Academy, sleeper indie hits in Towerborne, and much more are around every corner. Who has time for all of this? Hell if we know, but we're just happy to be on the ride 2025 is taking us on.Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:06:28 - Health Is Wealth0:36:44 - Oblivion reaches 4 million players0:41:49 - Expedition 33 has sold 1 million copies0:56:38 - People Can Fly’s Project Maverick revealed1:02:58 - Borderlands 4 gets new release date1:08:47 - Wuchang Fallen Feather launches on July 24th, 20251:10:56 - Robocop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business launches on July 17th, 20251:12:37 - FBC: Firebreak launches on June 17th, 20251:16:41 - Tainted Grail: Fall Of Avalon leaves early access on May 23rd1:19:53 - Baldur’s Gate 3 director on AI1:29:16 - TMNT Splintered Fate is coming to Xbox and PlayStation1:37:31 - Kevin Eastman on the TMNT Last Ronin video game1:41:19 - Capcom teases Resident Evil 91:44:18 - Splinter Cell: Blacklist randomly gets Steam achievements1:47:50 - Elden Ring passes 30 million sales1:50:11 - Microsoft Q3 Results1:57:06 - Expedition 332:34:24 - Marathon2:54:19 - Oblivion Remaster3:16:26 - Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy3:22:29 - Xbox price increase4:04:00 - Respawn suffers more layoffs and cancellations4:19:08 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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#226 | Xbox’s MASSIVE Price Hikes Are Here…
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