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Defining Duke, Episode 47: Halo Goes Gold + SEGA Shuts Down Exclusives (Video)

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Defining Duke, Episode 47: Halo Goes Gold + SEGA Shuts Down Exclusives

The festivities are beginning to heat up as turkey day is soon upon us! With that, news is slowing down a bit and gives us a lot of room for more audience interactions. As always, you are the stars of our show (besides Cog) and we think that's quite apparent in this episode. Beyond the love shared between us and the audience, we tackle Halo Infinite's master copy being sent to the production line. With the release date being stamped in ink, Matty and Cog gutcheck the hype levels. SEGA and Xbo...

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 43: Halo Infinite Multiplayer Breakdown feat. Chris Ray Gun (Video)

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Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 43: Halo Infinite Multiplayer Breakdown feat. Chris Ray Gun

We have heard the demands and have answered. Joining us to discuss everything Halo Infinite is Mr. Chris Ray Gun himself. The Duke take a close look at the emergent, sandbox gameplay for Infinite's multiplayer and what makes the experience click so well. While the foundation itself is strong, there are nagging issues that remain. Things like battle pass progression, lacking playlist options, broken custom games, and much more have shown that despite the six year development time that there is...

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 140: Is PlayStation 5 Living Up To Its Promise? (Video)

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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 140: Is PlayStation 5 Living Up To Its Promise?

A few days ago, the publication Wired quietly published a 15 minute-long video starring Mark Cerny -- the lead architect of the PS5, as well as PS4 and Vita -- going over the various features of PlayStation 5, and how things have played out for the console over its first 365 days on the market. It's a really fascinating watch, invoking the beloved Mark Cerny Power Hour from 2020, and while there's no new information in the video, per se, it still readily reminds us of what PS5 has done, can d...

KnockBack, Episode 198: Kill Bill (Volume 2) (Video)

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KnockBack, Episode 198: Kill Bill (Volume 2)

Everyone knows that Kill Bill was originally intended as one epic-length film, but Miramax ultimately convinced writer and director Quentin Tarantino to do things their way. The result is a second installment that's quite different from its first. Depending on how you look at things, of course, that may be a good thing. 2004's Kill Bill: Volume 2 is a far less violent, far more cerebral offering that exchanges swordplay for dialogue, but the same themes transcend both films and remain at...

Battle of the Bastards Part III - Lockmort's Edit

The epic conclusion.

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 139: Examining the WSJ Activision Exposé with Rick Hoeg (Video)

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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 139: Examining the WSJ Activision Exposé with Rick Hoeg

On Episode 177 of Sacred Symbols, we promised a deep-dive into the Wall Street Journal's explosive accusations against Activision. This is that deep-dive. As usual in instances like these, I (Colin) grabbed Last Stand Media's trusted legal analyst Rick Hoeg to break everything down, piece by piece. The accusations against people like Black Ops Director Dan Bunting, long-time Sledgehammer producer Javier Panameno, and others are very serious. And the victimization of key employees, like Vicari...

Sacred Symbols, Episode 177: Grand Theft Uh-Oh (Video)

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Sacred Symbols, Episode 177: Grand Theft Uh-Oh

Sometimes, very easy things turn out to be very hard for no apparent reason. Apparently, this mantra rings true for Rockstar, which released its acclaimed PlayStation 2 trilogy of Grand Theft Auto games on PS4 and PS5 in... well... a pretty shocking state. It's a big story (and a damn shame), and we discuss it in-depth. Rockstar ain't the only one hurting, though. Activision isn't only beleaguered from top-to-bottom due to claims of impropriety galore, but because its new Call of Duty game is...

Defining Duke, Episode 46: Halo Infinite Has Arrived + Tons Of New Xbox Back Compat Games (Video)

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Defining Duke, Episode 46: Halo Infinite Has Arrived + Tons Of New Xbox Back Compat Games

Xbox's 20th anniversary was one to remember! After a lot of damage done to Halo by 343, they made a positive imprint on the franchise with one of its most memorable moments. The multiplayer component is available now and despite the worrying Battle Pass, the game is great. Joining us is Rand Al Thor to discuss that on top of new backwards compatible additions to the library. Matty brought his candle to commemorate those that sadly did not make the cut. Additionally, Phil Spencer voices his th...

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 42: The Backwards Compatible Conquest (Video)

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Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 42: The Backwards Compatible Conquest

It's back! Since 2019, the focus has been on FPS boost and additions to the backwards compatible library became non existent. Fortunately, that all changes today with 76 brand new additions to the library some of which include that very FPS boost. As big advocates of supporting older games and a touch of magic to be able to will a certain game back into existence, Cog and Matty dive deep into one of Xbox's big announcements for the 20th anniversary.

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 138: Kena Bridge of Spirits Review Discussion and Spoilercast (Video)

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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 138: Kena Bridge of Spirits Review Discussion and Spoilercast

Back in September, Ember Lab's very first game -- Kena: Bridge of Spirits -- launched on PS4 and PS5. As a timed console exclusive, Kena filled (and continues to fill) an important gap in the fall and winter lineup on Sony's hardware, and the good news is that it's doing so ably, because Kena is great. Stylish, charming, deep, and fun to play, this PlayStation 2 era-inspired 3D action-platformer can be the start of something special, or it could be a one-off. Either way, it's absolutely ...

KnockBack, Episode 197: Kill Bill (Volume 1) (Video)

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KnockBack, Episode 197: Kill Bill (Volume 1)

If the blood-fueled havoc of Kill Bill reminds us anything, it's that "revenge is never a straight line." Quentin Tarantino's 2003 flick -- his fourth written-and-directed film -- was originally intended to be one long, four hour-ish movie, but they wisely split it in two. Thus, in Volume 1, we're left to consume the first half of the story, all about a nameless Bride fueled by a mother's rage. Full of memorable characters and performances, exceptional cinematography, an epic soundtrack and s...

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 137: Celebrating PlayStation 5's First Birthday

We've arrived at PlayStation's first birthday, and we've obviously much to say. The console is a juggernaut, frankly: It's powerful, sleek, and packs some great games, too. But it's not without its problems and detriments, particularly when faced with competitors doing some different and exciting things in the space. Still -- from the SSD to DualSense, and everything in between -- PS5 is a marvel, and we want to celebrate it, not with eyes closed, but rather with eyes wide open. Let's examine...

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 137: Celebrating PlayStation 5's First Birthday (Video)

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Sacred Symbols, Episode 176: Paucity

Bad news: Sony isn't going to be able to make as many PlayStation 5 consoles as it was hoping, at least in the short term. What does that mean for you? It means that, if you're still on the hunt for a console, you may want to get used to the idea of ponying up for a black market unit or settle in for a long and painful winter. We discuss. Plus: Gaming engine Unity has made a substantial acquisition, Q-Games acquires The Tomorrow Children from Sony, licensing issues bog down GTA's re-releases ...

Sacred Symbols, Episode 176: Paucity (Video)

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Defining Duke, Episode 45: Forza Horizon 5 Soars + Todd Howard Explains Wait For Elder Scrolls VI (Video)

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Defining Duke, Episode 45: Forza Horizon 5 Soars + Todd Howard Explains Wait For Elder Scrolls VI

You know things are changing amongst the ecosystem when Xbox actually shares data about the performance of their games. Beyond Game Pass, the team typically keeps the numbers close to their chest however that's not the case with Forza Horizon 5 which is the biggest Xbox Game Studios title to date. At a staggering 4.5 million players and one of those millions coming from those willing to pay for early access, the tremendous success of this open world racer brings about many questions for the r...

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 41: Giving Forza Its Roses

Forza has always been apart of Xbox's burger, fries, and shake combo. There is an expected quality release after release that PlayGround Games will deliver with their open world racing titles and with Forza Horizon 5 they have done it again. Scoring over one million players prior to launch, Matty and Cog delve into how this was accomplished and the potential ramifications of Xbox's shift to paying for early access. With such a highly touted release also begs the question of if Forza is capabl...

Defining Duke Ultimate, Episode 41: Giving Forza Its Roses (Video)

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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 136: 30 Questions With Colin (Video)

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