305: Xbox drama aftermath, PlayStation and EA layoffs, Toys for Bob situation

Jez and Rand gear up for another Xbox Two supershow! This week, we discuss the FTC's attempts to block the Xbox Activision deal, Xbox's mega no-show at The Game Awards and what that could mean for 2023, and much more.  SPONSOR: 20% OFF EVERYTHING at http://MANSCAPED.COM with code XB2 | Boxers, shower gel, deo, razors, and MORE! XBOX CODES at our website http://theXB2.com, grab 20% off with code XB2 | Game Pass keys, Xbox games, and more! GO AD-FREE and support US on PATREON: http://patreon.com/XB2! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 - INTRO. 00:10:44 - Superchats: Bernie Sanders proves FTC is ideological. Xbox didn't manage TGA expectations. Microsoft emergency investors meeting? 00:46:34 - TGAs. Phil's "dress sense." 01:23:00 - Why did Xbox skip TGAs? 02:05:00 - FTC vs. Xbox, again. 02:40:00 - Q&As. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Dec 20223h 59min

Join Jez and Rand for this week's Xbox Two Podcast! This week, we discuss the Xbox games price hike, Microsoft's support of unions, Callisto Protocol, Activision vs. the FTC, and much more. SPONSOR: BetterHelp provides affordable therapy to millions, and it could help you too! Get 10% off at http://www.BetterHelp.com/XboxTwo #ad AD-FREE on PATREON: http://www.patreon.com/XB2 TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 - INTRO 00:12:00 - Superchats! Will Starfield have gore? Thoughts on Callisto Protocol. 00:35:00 - Superchats, Starfield, upcoming Xbox games for 2023. 01:02:00 - ZeniMax unionizes. Xbox Achievements 3.0, Xbox price increases. 01:34:00 - Superchat: What's the next big Xbox exclusive after Starfield? Xbox never shows any game footage anymore. 02:01:00 - Activision vs. FTC. 02:16:00 - Indiana Jones game, Halo Infinite design director departs. 02:37:00 - Q&A! Organic studio growth? The Coalition to shelve Gears? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6 Dec 20223h 21min

Say hi to our first XB2+1 Guest Special show, which will drop once per month! The live show is exclusive to Patreon, with the audio version arriving a little later here for free! Our first-ever guest is COLTEASTWOOD of YouTube fame. We get into Colt's history as a gamer, some of last week's Xbox news, and questions from the Patreon troupe. Find Colt on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/ColtEastwood and Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/colteastwood Join the fun: http://www.patreon.com/XB2! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Nov 20222h 12min

Jez and Rand gear up for another Xbox Two supershow! This week, we discuss Sony and Microsoft's disclosures to regulators and their "reasons" why they want/hate the Activision-Blizzard deal for Xbox. We also get into Evil West, God of War Ragnarok sales, and much, much more! SPONSOR: Get 20% OFF at MANSCAPED.COM with our checkout code XB2, with further savings for Black Friday! GET AD-FREE episodes with our Patreon at http://www.Patreon.com/XB2 and early access to our new XB2+1 guest show! GET XB2 merch and XBOX GAMES and CODES at our website: http://www.thexb2.com! Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Start! 00:14:00 - Superchats, Scalebound?! Xbox at The Game Awards, expectations. Hellblade Motion Capture? 00:32:00 - Superchat, Nintendo Direct format vs. Xbox's formula. Jez made Obsidian angry. 00:53:00 - Callisto Protocol. Evil West. Vampire Survivors (quickly). Star Wars: Andor. God of War Ragnarok sales. 01:23:00 - Superchats: Rand is grumpy. Elder Scrolls Online dev's new IP. 01:40:00 - Hyperkin X360 controller, Xbox wireless controllers, Xbox SSD cards suck. 01:52:00 - Xbox vs. PlayStation, next-gen consoles, and CMA FTC battles. 02:53:00 - Superchats and Q&A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Nov 20223h 32min

Time for another Xbox Two supershow! This week, Jez and Rand discuss Vampire Survivors, Rand gives his thoughts on God of War: Ragnarok, we talk The Game Awards and our favorite titles of 2022, we discuss the Xbox Series S price cut and Obsidian's comments on potentially returning to Fallout, and much, much more! PATREON: Go ad-free with our Patreon, and get access to extra shows! http://patreon.com/XB2 SPONSOR: Get 20% OFF EVERYTHING at MANSCAPED.COM with our code XB2 | Razors, boxers, cologne, and more! MERCH: Get CHEAPER Xbox games and Xbox Game Pass codes with our code XB2 at http://www.TheXB2.com! Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro. 00:13:00 - Superchats, weather. Josh Sawyer open to Fallout, Pillars of Eternity SRPG, Motorcycle shop simulator?! 00:29:30 - China "rejects" ABK deal, Ticketmaster sucks. 00:38:00 - What we've playing this week. Vampire Survivors, new Pokemon game, Death Stranding. 00:51:00 - Superchats: Pokemon. Warzone 2.0. Dino Crisis revived? Gears TV show. God of War Ragnarok a "movie." Square Enix failing. Halo Infinite Forge + Battle Royale. 01:14:00 - Rand's thoughts on God of War: Ragnarok, Vampire Survivors. 01:48:00 - Josh Sawyer's comments, Pentiment. 01:54:00 - Superchats. 02:04:00 - Game of the Year Awards. 02:34:00 - Xbox Series S price cut. 02:54:00 - Xbox Live 20 years. 03:10:00 - Phil Spencer comments. 03:25:00 - Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 Nov 20224h 7min

The Xbox Two is back! And this week Rand & Jez will be talking about if the EU has a PlayStation Bias when it comes to the Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal, our thoughts on the 2-year Anniversary of the Xbox Series X|S, can Netflix do the Gears of War universe justice?! And much more.  SPONSOR: Get 20% OFF EVERYTHING at HTTP://MANSCAPED.COM | Boxers, cologne, and more with code XB2. PATREON: HTTP://PATREON.COM/XB2 | Get ad-free podcast audio, access to our Xbox Two Ultimate show, and early access to XB2+1 Guest Show! XB2 STORE: HTTP://THEXB2.COM | Buy XB2 merch and get CHEAPER Xbox Game Pass codes at our website with code XB2. Timestamps:  00:00:00 - Intro, Jez sings Mariah Carey. 00:15:30 - Superchats: GOTY DISCUSSION? Gears + tie-in show? TGAs beats E3? TGA Expectations. 00:43:23 - The Verge's Tom Warren teases new info on Activision Deal. When will we see Elder Scrolls 6? Will politicians attack Microsoft for being "big tech"? 01:02:24 - What we played this week. Sonic bad. God of War Ragnarok. 01:27:00 - Xbox Series X|S anniversary. Raytracing overhyped. State of Xbox and the future. 01:45:00 - Fable 4 for "modern audiences." 02:00:00 - Microsoft to buy Twitter? 02:13:40 - Q&A while Rand answers the door (lol). 02:22:20 - Mick Gordon vs. id Software. 2:29:00 - Activision vs. EU, Starcraft coming back. 3:02:00 - Gears on Netflix. 3:16:36 - Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

13 Nov 20224h

The Xbox Two Podcast is back! And this week Rand & Jez will be talking about the new Xbox partnerships like Eidos working on Fable, Phil Spencer talks the future of Xbox and teasing new hardware, EA announcing more games with Marvel, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is the biggest COD ever and so much more! CHEAPER XBOX GAME PASS CODES with Code XB2: http://www.TheXB2.com PATREON: Listen ad-free on our Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/XB2! Timestamps: 00:07:22 - Intro 00:23:19 - 5 Superchat Questions 00:48:25 - Top 5 Xbox Studios and more Questions 01:29:16 - What we are playing (Gotham Knights, The Entropy Centre and MW2) 02:01:50 - Microsoft invests in Wemade and more Questions 02:17:10 - EA and Marvel 02:26:57 - Cliffy B Talks Gears 02:36:09 - Will Xbox buy Eidos and Crystal Dynamics from Embracer? 03:03:21 - Phil Spencer talks Future of Xbox and 2023 03:16:47 - PSVR 2 Price 03:25:06 - Patreon Questions and Q&A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Nov 20224h 1min

Jez and Rand go LIVE for another XB2 SUPER SHOW! This week, we discuss Xbox Game Pass' growth and financials, the new Xbox dashboard, and also the possibility of Xbox price increases. Jez also gets a mega bout of hiccups, and Rand screws up with a hot mic. SPONSOR: This week YOU GET 15% off RAYCON EARBUDS with our promo: http://BUYRAYCON.com/XB2. Maximum audio and comfort at AFFORDABLE prices, now with gaming-grade options too! #ad PATREON: Listen ad-free on our Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/XB2! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xb2/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Okt 20223h 59min