Xbox Partner Preview impressions

·1 hr 22 min·5 clips

Tony explains why The Expanse game looks legit and captures the essence of the books.

The episode opens with the hosts catching up, noting Manny is at C2E2 in Chicago. They begin by discussing the Xbox Partner Preview, admitting they were largely unaware of it beforehand. They go through games shown, including Hunter: The Reckoning – Death Wish, Wuthering Waves, and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, with Tony expressing unexpected excitement for The Expanse game. They cover other titles like Grave Seasons, Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, and Like a Dragon: Yakuza. The conversation critiques the showcase's quality. The topic shifts to Epic Games laying off over 1,000 employees. The hosts read from an internal memo by CEO Tim Sweeney, who admits Fortnite's engagement dipped and they 'lost the magic.' They discuss the broader context of industry layoffs. Next, they talk about Sony closing another first-party studio, Dark Outlaw. This leads to a discussion on ballooning AAA development costs, citing a Jason Schreier report that games now average $300 million, requiring 6 million sales to break even. Brett uses Larian Studios as a case study, comparing Divinity: Original Sin 2's budget to Baldur's Gate 3's $100 million cost. They also cover Nintendo reducing Switch 2 production and introducing variable pricing for digital games. Finally, they discuss sales figures: Crimson Desert sold 3 million copies in five days, while Bungie's Marathon sold 1.2 million, with 70% on Steam. The episode closes with plugs for other shows and events.

As heard by us

An Xbox preview rundown finds its sharpest moments in Epic's unusually candid read on Fortnite, consoles, and what comes next.

The episode uses the Xbox Partner Preview less as a finished showcase than as a live sorting exercise. The panel starts with the practical work of building a quick rundown from a Pure Xbox list, then finds the more interesting thread in Epic's unusually plain diagnosis: slower…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You press play for a quick Xbox Partner Preview rundown that detours into a surprisingly blunt Epic note about Fortnite's rougher seasons.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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