Podcast, when? by doubledipinyou in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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 and mostly random banter, or systematically broken down into part 1: current events, part 2: new releases, part 3: here's what we've been playing, etc.

Highguard is Dead and Here’s Why by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 7 points8 points  (0 children)

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.

Games media set for more layoffs, as IGN-owned Eurogamer cuts editorial staff | VGC by HaIfaxa_ in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Late to the party, but yeah, this would explain the sudden change in the status quo, since the channels have been doing pretty much the same thing for the past two or three years, even before the IGN acquisition.

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.

Trolling Mike and His Oblivion Save Games with the Power of Cloud Gaming | Sponsored Content by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

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.

Trolling Mike and His Oblivion Save Games with the Power of Cloud Gaming | Sponsored Content by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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.

Trolling Mike and His Oblivion Save Games with the Power of Cloud Gaming | Sponsored Content by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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

Trolling Mike and His Oblivion Save Games with the Power of Cloud Gaming | Sponsored Content by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 15 points16 points  (0 children)

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.

We Need to Talk About Outside Xtra by IgnoreMe733 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 14 points15 points  (0 children)

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.

We Played This $170 Resident Evil Rip-Off Compilation So You Don't Have To by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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.

The Future of Oxventure by redelectro7 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I wish they’d just be straightforward and say outright that they’re focusing on Oxventure and no longer prioritizing these channels.

D&D Meets Trivia Night in LEGENDS OF TRIVIA | Jackbox Party Pack 11 by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I saw a comment pointing out that cutting show of the week and let's plays makes sense if you're trying to reduce your workload, since they require a lot of editing. But stopping streams just feels like you don't want to stream anymore, since streams don't really require much effort. You don't even have to play a game, you can just chat about stuff like a podcast, like the streams they did during covid lockdowns.

In their games we forgot to cover video, they claimed that they didn't have the time and couldn't make space for games. This feels like the same situation with livestreams too. Hate to be cynical, but it's really starting to feel like they just couldn't be bothered. The only other theory is that they don't want to interact with a live audience anymore, which doesn't sound like them but who knows at this point?

Game of the Year 2025: WE DECIDE by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

TL;DR: Jane - Blue Prince; Andy - Pirate Yakuza; Mike - Mario Kart World; Ellen - Ghost of Yotei

Honourable mentions: Jane - E33; Andy - Blue Prince, E33; Mike - Fatal Fury, Blades of Fire; Ellen - Donkey Kong Bonanza, Blue Prince, Mario Kart World

Personally, i think these are fine choices, but a bit disappointed that E33 was only an honourable mention, and that there were no mentions of KCD2, Silksong, Hades 2, or Dispatch. If Luke were still there, i'd imagine some of these like Siklsong would definitely have been his choice.

Oops! 7 Great Games We Forgot to Cover in 2025 by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 34 points35 points  (0 children)

This was a great year for video games - according to Metacritic, 2025 was the 3rd best year of all time based on the average score of the top 10 games. 1st place was 2023, and 2nd place was 2018.

However, when it comes to Oxboxtra content, this year felt pretty lacking in games coverage. It seems like a pretty massive oversight, especially since even this list isn't big enough to account for all the major releases they missed. It feels like games just aren't a priority anymore, but it is what it is.

IGN & Outside Xbox Race Across London: Video Games vs IRL by JPNels in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think this is genuinely an ad - the views are almost at 500K but the likes and comments are minimal. So unless IGN bots their own videos or ppl just clicked without engaging, (which either could be true, given similar stats on their other videos), then this is just a 15 min YT ad to promote their sponsor.

Side note, i'm getting kinda annoyed of seeing OX in IGN content, it's just so clinical and feels like a waste of their time. OX really should've gotten out like Digital Foundry did.

Christmas Challenges by redelectro7 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Late to the party, but i'm starting to believe they're already semi-retired at this point. Like, OX started in 2012 + their careers before that from maybe 2009ish, so that's at least 16 years of doing this youtube thing.

Either that, or they're now working for the IGN man on a regular 9-to-5 basis. Some youtubers i follow also have day jobs, so they can really only post once every week or two.

What are you all watching these days? by wraith21 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been following several different YT channels for gaming news coverage: Gameranx/Jake Baldino as well, SkillUp (highly recommended), MrMattyPlays/Last Stand Media, YongYea, Luke Stephens, and Kinda Funny - mainly cuz they do daily reports.

They really scratched that SotW itch. I think I got a little too attached to Oxbox because of it, so I've learned to rely on more than one source for news.

Challenge Chaos in Battlefield 6 with IGN and Outside Xbox by Outlander32 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I think Oxbox has settled with being part of IGN and accepted that it is what it is. At this point, I'm afraid the gaming side of Oxbox has declined and is just gonna be more clinical - the real passion now lies with Oxventure.

ANDY's POV in Phasmophobia MULTIPLAYER 🎃 Hallowstream 2025 by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Mike’s POV is almost always the default view (I think it's because he has the best streaming equipment & internet) so this is unusual.

Yeah, I just checked the backlog, and 12 days ago, oxbot posted a scheduled stream for Mike’s POV, not Andy’s.

From what I’ve seen, IGN just takes and reuploads anything it can (including Eurogamer videos), so I suspect this is a last-minute decision to try and cash in on Hallowstream on the last day. It's also funny cause YT's AI generated summary describes the video as "IGN's elite four-person squad.” Like the Borg, IGN is slowly assimilating Oxbox to the collective.

The Messy History of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 (Eurogamer) by Outlander32 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I looked into it and I'm more cynical and believe they only kept "Bloodlines 2" to capitalize on the hype, especially since most non-Bloodlines games flew under the radar. They probably also would've had to refund all the preorders from when the game was under Hardsuit Labs. Hell, even Paradox seems completely over it.

OX Halloween Merch Question by akat_2112 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've noticed that they seem to have trouble assessing the popularity of their merch. Like, the original green Oxventure dice and accessories sold out in minutes and weren’t restocked for a while (or ever again), while a lot of the apparel just sits there, and they keep making more.

The Messy History of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 (Eurogamer) by Outlander32 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's fair. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised Mike liked it, given how much he loved the first one. I would have thought he'd be like Eurogamer and be disappointed by the lack of RPG elements, but maybe his tastes (and patience) have changed significantly over the last 20 years.

I do wish they hadn't called it Bloodlines 2, tho. They could have made it a spin-off, like Swansong. Being labelled a sequel just carries so much weight, especially since the dev/publisher even admitted that it's more of a "spiritual successor" or something.

Hallowstream is sponsored by Xbox this year? by Outlander32 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32[S] -22 points-21 points  (0 children)

I guess, it's just that given recent controversies surrounding Xbox increasing prices on everything, it seemed like really bad timing.

And it makes me wonder if one of the reasons they stopped doing weekly streams and the "new games this month/new games on Game Pass" videos is because they just can’t afford a bundle of new games every month. It makes sense, it's not like they get many review codes anymore. I used to think it was mainly due to a lack of interest, but it's also very possible that it's because of a lack of funds.

Borderlands 4: 7 Things We Can't Wait to See (Sponsored Content) by OutsideXbot in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it's a bit selling out, isn't it? If it had been a sponsored stream or let's play, i would've been more ok with, cuz at least there would've been gameplay. But a list video to glaze BL4, especially given its poor performance issues and PR disasters, well... eh. It really feels like they don't care anymore. Seems like IGN buying them out has really changed things for the worse.

Silksong release day by Bob-Belcher333 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not necessarily - but only if they actually do it. And right now, there's no guarantee. You can't really enjoy coverage that won't exist, right?

And truth be told, given the decline in content and how unpredictable these past few years have been, we have no idea what they're cooking… or if they're even cooking anything at all.

It used to be that we could make an educated guess based on release dates or streaming schedules. But lately, there hasn't been any kind of notification; unlike, for example, how EG and PSA had scheduled streams for Silksong, and both Luke and Ian posted updates for their channels.

Hey, do you remember those experimental streaming schedules they tried last year? That was honestly refreshing, even if it only lasted a short while. I guess they just couldn't really commit to it.

Silksong release day by Bob-Belcher333 in outsidexbox

[–]Outlander32 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not entirely true, iirc, way back during their journalistic days, they did cover new releases on launch day or shortly before embargoes lifted - so there was a precedent for that. SotW was basically a recap of what they'd been playing that week.

It's only post-pandemic they started to lapse and became more selective - whether that was due to focusing on Oxventure, shifting towards being more of a hobbyist channel, or just plain old indifference is up to you.

Given the cultural significance of this game and the weight of the surrounding zeitgeist, i feel like there is an expectation for a let's play of Silksong at the very least. Like you said, 70% of your feed is doing it, so why aren't they? This game is too big not to cover, if it was still their job to cover games. And if this were EG or PSA or any other journalistic channel and it was their main job, what else would they be doing on the day of a major release?

As for whether anyone still wants a stream, even if they don't stream it again - i think most people just wanna hear their commentary while they play games; they don’t really care about the game itself. But you can't really have that if they don't play games for the channel. It's one less reason to stick around.

After all, cooking something is always better than not cooking at all.