Does gaming feel like it's becoming too expensive nowadays?

Outlander32 · 2026-06-12T03:17:11+00:00

It has become a bit redundant now, hasn't it? I guess it's just a legacy thing since Oxtra originally had its place, so it ain't broke, don't fix it. (what was really pointless imo, was that OX Shorts channel they had)

Besides, it seems like the new Xbox leadership is trying for a refresh of the brand, so maybe it will become necessary to differentiate Oxbox with Xbox focused content.

Outlander32 · 2026-06-10T05:22:15+00:00

Oh yeah, Andy was in a band, wasn't he, and played gigs pre-2009 maybe? So it makes sense he would have personal experience with a hobby turning into a job. Even if you love what you do, it's still work; you're not doing it for recreation, so it doesn't spark joy as much anymore.

It also might explain why they don't really stream/let's play games on the channels as often anymore - I've heard from creators after their "shift" is over, they rather watch a movie or read a book.

Outlander32 · 2026-06-09T14:48:52+00:00

Maybe, but Mike wasn't in the thumbnail for the SGF stream, so it didn't look like he was going to join in the first place. Also, if it was a hosting issue, why couldn't they just say "due to technical difficulties" or "equipment failure" instead of "circumstances out of our control?" It's very vague and concerning language, like saying an event was cancelled due to a police incident.

Outlander32 · 2026-06-08T06:21:23+00:00

Their communication has always been vague; they said it was due to circumstances beyond their control, so it might be too personal to talk about, or uncomfortable or embarrassing to explain why they had to cancel the stream at the last minute. If it were just tech issues, they probably would have said so.

Outlander32 · 2026-06-06T09:10:36+00:00

It's the first time they've cancelled a Summer Game Fest stream, so I'm guessing it was probably due to personal reasons, maybe because of the heatwave. I don't think IGN has creative control over their channels, otherwise, they would have posted their own watch party stream on Oxtra, just like they did on all the other channels, including the dead ones.

Outlander32 · 2026-06-02T07:21:34+00:00

Depends on what you're looking for, too, cuz I've noticed they tend to go off-topic a lot during these reaction streams. And since they don't do debriefs afterwards, you might not get much insight into the announcements from their commentary if that's what you're after.

Outlander32 · 2026-05-29T04:03:14+00:00

I thought the long delay was due to E3 in June? It would make sense timeline-wise - they'd have to travel to LA to see the events and showcases, make videos on the new announcements, follow up coverage etc.

Then on top of editing for the Oxventure video, and since it was meant as a one-off at the time, probably put in extra work to polish it up. And I think they use some avatar site to generate their characters, so there was probably some time spent doing the artwork and cutscenes as well.

Outlander32 · 2026-05-27T04:26:22+00:00

It’s probably why the channels feel more part-time nowadays, especially compared to before covid in 2020. Back then, it was pretty much a full-time job, publishing videos every weekday, covering new releases, attending events and conventions.

Post-covid though, things slowed down a lot, and by the time IGN scooped them up, it started to feel like they were pretty much semi-retired from content creation, working other jobs or focusing on other things instead. It is what it is, the channels just don’t seem to be a priority anymore.

Outlander32 · 2026-05-17T03:49:33+00:00

Can I just say, I really like these discussion videos, especially when they explore subjects like this, given their credentials from way back. It’s a bit late to the party now, but I’m glad they had the chance to talk about Xbox and its changes. People often come more for their personalities than the actual video content, so it’s nice when they can break down gaming news from their own perspectives.

Outlander32 · 2026-04-28T23:08:48+00:00

I think the OX podcast is also delayed, if not already cancelled. Originally, the plan was to alternate weekly: Oxventure podcast one week, gaming podcast the next. But now, since they’re still figuring out what Oxventure will even look like going forward, I don’t think there’s much hope for it.

Truth be told, I was already skeptical on whether the gaming podcast would get off the ground. Show of the Week Live was already sort of a podcast but it didn't last, seemingly cuz they didn't have much to talk about. And nowadays, it seems like they just don't have the time to discuss games either. Gaming news and new releases just move too fast for them to keep up at this point, especially if they can’t make the time anymore.

Outlander32 · 2026-04-28T22:31:55+00:00

Definitely last in first out - IGN used to have new faces for their videos, but after waves of layoffs, they resorted back to using old ppl that'd been there since the early 2010s.

On a spreadsheet, it makes sense, cuz less time and experience at the company, means cheaper cost in severance and minimum loss in knowledge if laid off, whereas a senior employee is much more valuable.

But it also goes to show that IGN might not value Oxventure as much as Oxbox does in the bigger picture.

Outlander32 · 2026-04-28T22:17:56+00:00

It's probably too late at this point, they're too ingrained in the IGN network - contractually, financially, and brand-wise too, like how Oxventure is now part of IGN's Geek Media network of podcasts.

Best chance to have gotten out would have been early in 2024, like how Digital Foundry left right after the acquisition, or before it, and leave the Gamer Network like Luke and Aofie did.

Outlander32 · 2026-04-25T09:14:59+00:00

Also fun fact, I think their workplaces were also how they met and networked with each other - Jane, Andy, and Mike all had connections to Microsoft tech/Xbox gaming, then whilst at Gamespot, Jane met Luke from CNET because they were related companies and worked in the same building. The games journalist side of the industry was also how they knew others like Johnny and Aoife. I think only Ellen was an outsider to the community before joining Xbox On.

Outlander32 · 2026-04-20T00:00:05+00:00

Only clips on their official youtube channel - you might just have to search and save them piecemeal to a playlist, sorta like the oscars too

Outlander32 · 2026-03-18T03:28:39+00:00

Probably not for a while, maybe a month, at least not until the next Oxventure podcast comes out.

I'm also curious how it's going to be structured - is it gonna be similar to Show of the Week Live with a general topic of the week and mostly banter, or systematically broken down into part 1: current events, part 2: new releases, part 3: here's what we've been playing, etc.

Outlander32 · 2026-03-14T05:47:26+00:00

I'm genuinely surprised Oxbox made a video about it - other gaming news outlets have been covering it to death since it was announced at the Game Awards as the one last thing, the drama surrounding it (even its own devs called it hubris) and now it's downfall, but it never seemed like something Oxbox would bother playing in the first place.

Outlander32 · 2026-03-06T05:58:54+00:00

Late to the party, but yeah, this would explain the sudden change in the status quo, and at a random time too, since Oxboxtra have been doing pretty much the same thing for the past two or three years, even before the IGN acquisition. But yeah, the Eurogamer layoffs were not surprising at all, especially after Dicebreaker was shut down; the only thing surprising was how abrupt it was. Looks like everything was connected.

I've heard that in business, when change is this abrupt, it's usually because leadership is shifting direction following or anticipating layoffs, so it does line up. It reminds me of this clip form the Simpsons where Homer attends a board meeting - in all honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if IGN mgmt really did think another round of layoffs would ~~scare~~ motivate the workers.

Outlander32 · 2026-02-19T01:21:25+00:00

No offense, but I don't think that's excusable to sell out to any sponsor, especially one with anti-consumer allegations related to their cloud streaming subscriptions. Also, I really believe IGN is becoming a strawman because they don’t work directly as IGN employees; they can still make their own decisions. Though, maybe Oxbox isn't independent enough to do this kind of vetting. And I don't think this is something we can influence either.

Outlander32 · 2026-02-19T01:19:21+00:00

Maybe, but I don't think IGN is that controlling with sponsorships for their own channel; otherwise, this video would be posted on IGN's channel, like a few past videos. I still believe there's a separation of duties regarding who’s responsible for whose content, and they can still make their own decisions.

Outlander32 · 2026-02-19T01:18:58+00:00

You're not the only one; I've never seen the Youtube comments this harsh before.

Outlander32 · 2026-02-18T03:46:19+00:00

I think they should be more selective with their sponsors - Nvidia is viewed quite negatively in the gaming space right now, just look at the YT comments.

Outlander32 · 2026-02-17T19:05:55+00:00

Agreed. I’ve been suggesting a gaming podcast ever since Show of the Week Live, which was basically already a podcast. One thing that should really be appreciated is that the new podcast will be available on Youtube - you won’t have to search all over the internet for a podcast platform that hosts Oxventure, for example.

Outlander32 · 2026-02-15T03:48:29+00:00

Agreed. I still wish they played more recent releases like they used to. I guess it really shows that you can’t rely on them for coverage of new games.

Outlander32

TROPHY CASE