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Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 54: Looking Back at the Xbox One - Postmortem (Video)

For your viewing pleasure.

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 54: Looking Back at the Xbox One - Postmortem

The Xbox One generation was an absolutely polarizing place in Xbox console history. From its promising start coming off a successful Xbox 360 era, to the cataclysmic debacle of digital messaging and TV saturation. The Dukes bring in Lord King David of the Iron Lords Podcast to discuss the highs, the many lows, and the hope for the future at the end of a fateful generation.

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 162: Jeff Ross on Bend Studio, Days Gone, and Days Future (Video)

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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 162: Jeff Ross on Bend Studio, Days Gone, and Days Future

Welcome Jeff Ross to Sacred Symbols+. Since the late '90s (with only a foray at High Moon Studio interrupting), Jeff had been at Sony-owned first party team Bend Studio, the organization once famous for its Syphon Filter stealth games across PSone, PS2, and PSP, and more recently responsible for Days Gone on PlayStation 4, which launched in 2019. Indeed, Jeff began as a designer at Bend and rose to director of Days Gone. He's no longer at Bend, though, and he has a lot to say about his e...

Defining Duke, Episode 58: The Thread

Hey All!  It's time to submit your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas for Episode 58 of Defining Duke.

Great ways to get your write-up used: Be pithy, be topical, and be insightful. Walls-of-text, posts littered with poor grammar and punctuation, etc., are promptly (though respectfully) ignored.

As this is an Xbox podcast, be sure your submission makes sense within that realm. You have until Wednesday, February 9th at 1p ET to make your submission.

KnockBack, Episode 209 | Battlestar Galactica (Season 4) (Video)

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KnockBack, Episode 209 | Battlestar Galactica (Season 4)

The culmination of Sci-Fi's reimagined Battlestar Galactica series is exceptional. Airing between 2008 and 2009 and interrupted by the Writer's Strike, its final season may be one of the greatest runs of programming in television history. Religious, spiritual, scientific, and above all else human, BSG wraps up with a satisfying conclusion that forces us to confront difficult questions about our heroes, villains, and perhaps most of all about ourselves. Humanity versus Cylon is ...

KnockBack, The Thread: Thriller (Michael Jackson album)

Hello!

Soon, we'll be recording an episode of KnockBack dedicated to Michael Jackson's 1982 smash-hit album Thriller. We want you to participate.

As always, submit your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas to our show concerning the topic. Pithy and well-written inquiries only! Walls-of-text and poorly-written submissions are politely ignored.

You have until Wednesday, February 9th at noon ET to submit.

KnockBack, The Thread: 16 Candles

Hello!

Soon, we'll be recording an episode of KnockBack dedicated to John Hughes' classic 1984 film, Sixteen Candles.

As always, submit your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas to our show concerning the topic. Pithy and well-written inquiries only! Walls-of-text and poorly-written submissions are politely ignored.

You have until Wednesday, February 16th at noon ET to submit.

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 161: A Frank Conversation About Games Journalism (Video)

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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 161: A Frank Conversation About Games Journalism

Stacey Henley is Editor-in-Chief of the website TheGamer (thegamer.com), a newer outlet experiencing year-over-year growth while settling comfortably into its progressive-embracing mantra. She joins me (Colin) on the show to discuss the nature of modern games journalism, full stop. But more than that, we get into the weeds when it comes to the coverage of political and social issues, the ideologically unbalanced rosters of legacy me...

Sacred Symbols, Episode 188: Fulfilling Destiny (Video)

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Timestamps to skip ads:

0:32:26

0:59:42

1:31:10

1:56:34

Sacred Symbols 200 Live: TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Hello!

Tickets for Sacred Symbols 200 Live in Virginia are now available. You can purchase them by clicking here. Because this presale period is exclusive for Last Stand Media Patrons (as in, you reading this post), you’ll need to put a code in to gain access: FE25DP2L.

Again, go here and put in the code FE25DP2L to purchase tickets to Sacred Symbols 200: 2022-02-04 18:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post

Sacred Symbols, Episode 188: Fulfilling Destiny

When it comes to mergers and acquisitions, it appears Sony is willing to play along: It's $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie is proof. Thing is, this marriage is a bit different for the brand. Bungie will remain outside of PlayStation Studios' publishing hierarchy and remain both independent and multiplatform. However, Sony isn't done yet. Far from it. It's as ominous as it sounds, and we dedicate plenty of time to get all of our thoughts out. Then: Other news! Sony has released fresh financi...

Defining Duke, Episode 57: PlayStation Has Acquired Bungie (Video)

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Timestamps to skip ads:

0:01:59

0:27:48

0:59:12

Defining Duke, Episode 57: PlayStation Has Acquired Bungie

Goodbye, old friend. Bungie, who is directly responsible for putting Xbox on the map in 2001, has gone around quite a bit. From exiting their relationship with Microsoft, to entering a 10 year deal with Activision involving Destiny, breaking off of said deal, receiving an investment from NetEase, and thanks to PlayStation the circle is now complete. For the price of $3.6 billion, PlayStation has purchased Halo developer Bungie. While not a direct response to Xbox's acquisition of Activision, ...

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 53: PlayStation's Counterpunch (Video)

For your viewing pleasure.

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 53: PlayStation's Counterpunch (Video)

For your viewing pleasure.

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 53: PlayStation's Counterpunch

Just a couple of weeks after Xbox surprised this industry, PlayStation reveals they're acquiring Bungie. Yes, Bungie! The studio who was formerly owned by Microsoft, teamed up with Activision, took an investment from NetEase, and is now apart of the PlayStation Studios family. Joining us is Hoeg Law to offer legal insight on the fine print of this deal as well as helping the Duke break down Bungie's firm independence even when being acquired. Is this a template for future deals or merely a on...

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 160: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (Video)

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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 160: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

In buying Bungie for $3.6 billion, PlayStation's appetite for acquisitions has now entered Big Boy Territory. But this isn't necessarily a good thing. Indeed, from our perspective, this is a money-move, not a cultural one. Sony has slowly and steadily built its studio family up for years with sensical and organic acquisitions. For the first time, Sony has purchased an entity so big and so unassociated with it that it's keeping it separate, and -- perhaps most revolutionary, in the grand ...

Defining Duke, Episode 57: The Thread

Hey All!  It's time to submit your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas for Episode 57 of Defining Duke.

Great ways to get your write-up used: Be pithy, be topical, and be insightful. Walls-of-text, posts littered with poor grammar and punctuation, etc., are promptly (though respectfully) ignored.

As this is an Xbox podcast, be sure your submission makes sense within that realm. You have until Wednesday, February 2nd at 1p ET to make your submission.

KnockBack, Episode 208: Rushmore (Video)

For your viewing pleasure.

KnockBack, Episode 208: Rushmore

Wes Anderson's filmography is pocked with remarkable films, and 1998's Rushmore is undoubtedly one of them. Starring Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray, Rushmore is -- in our estimation -- a movie all about dealing with pain: The pain of growing up, the pain of loss, the pain of emptiness. But, in traditional Anderson form, Rushmore's melancholy is accompanied by copious wit and humor that balances everything out, delivering something perhaps far greater than the sum of its individual parts. S...

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 159: Talking Gran Turismo With Z28Gaming (Video)

For your viewing pleasure.

Check out Z28Gaming on YouTube! 

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 159: Talking Gran Turismo With Z28Gaming

One thing's for certain: Gran Turismo 7 will be one of PS4's and PS5's most-important exclusive releases of 2022. For PlayStation 5 in particular, GT7 may become one of its most important games, full-stop. After all, this is a 25-year-old franchise that sells many millions of copies with each iteration, and that's why we think it's vital to give it more breathing room on Sacred Symbols+. To help us explore Gran Turismo 7's many possibilities, the staying power of Gran Turismo Sport, the expen...

Special Announcement: Sacred Symbols 200 Live in Richmond, VA!

Reminder: Tickets for Sacred Symbols 200 go on sale on Friday, February 4th. Many have asked at what time. The answer: 1p ET.

Hello!

As discussed on today's all-new episode of Sacred Symbols, Episode 200 of the world's biggest PlayStation podcast will be live and in person in Richmond, VA on Saturday, April 30th.

Now, when we did our first live show in Pennsylvania last year, we learned a ton of lessons. It ...

Sacred Symbols, Episode 187: In A Galaxy Run Far, Far Into the Ground (Video)

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Timestamps to skip ads:

0:01:27

0:30:12

Sacred Symbols, Episode 187: In A Galaxy Run Far, Far Into the Ground

Disney couldn't care less whether or not you want more Star Wars, because you are, nevertheless, getting more. In our realm, three new Star Wars games have been revealed -- one we kinda knew about, two we certainly didn't -- but what makes things interesting is that they're all coming from the same source: EA-owned Respawn, the team behind Titanfall and Apex Legends. What's with this massive investment into Star Wars? Do we really, honest-to-god need more of this series? We discuss. Plus...

Defining Duke, Episode 56: The Xbox-Activision Aftermath + Gears Of War Collection Leaks ft. Xbox Two

A little over a week after the industry's biggest news yet and with some time on our side, the dust is beginning to settle on Xbox latest acquisition. With things beginning to marinate, we now have an opportunity to dissect all of the legal hullabaloo that has been circulating. Sony's response, Phil Spencer's "intent" or "desires," and the revival of dead Activision IP are lingering in the aftermath of an earth shattering deal. Joining us are Rand Al Thor and Jez Corden of Xbox Two in an Aven...