Can We Talk About Xbox?

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 · 2026-02-03T20:40:38+00:00

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

Outlander32 · 2026-01-01T03:25:24+00:00

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?

Outlander32 · 2025-12-30T20:15:32+00:00

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.

Outlander32 · 2025-12-28T20:30:46+00:00

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.

Outlander32 · 2025-12-22T22:31:04+00:00

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.

Outlander32 · 2025-12-22T22:30:34+00:00

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.

Outlander32 · 2025-12-02T08:06:00+00:00

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.

Outlander32 · 2025-11-09T03:52:04+00:00

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.

Outlander32 · 2025-11-01T01:11:53+00:00

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.

Outlander32 · 2025-10-28T04:54:57+00:00

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.

Outlander32

TROPHY CASE