Game Pass Gamecast

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, & PC gaming. The Xbox Series X has started to make its way out into the wild and we now have our first impressions of Microsoft’s next gen powerhouse. So this week, we examine and digest all of the details surrounding the features Microsoft has promised to its players for the better part of a year. Are load times as blazing fast as promised? Is Quick Resume as snappy and instant as advertised? How does transferring large scale data work, such as games, in practicality? We dig through it all, in hopes of setting the table properly for the big day on November 10th. Also, new reports indicate that mandatory six day work weeks have hit CD Projekt Red as Cyberpunk 2077 heads towards its November 19th launch, yet it puts the spotlight on one of the industry’s biggest issue: crunch. Does hitting a holiday shopping season launch to boost sales to an already expected juggernaut of a game justify the additional time away from home for the development team? Is unionization truly possible within game development? All of this and much more on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast! Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to listen to new episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!  

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, & PC gaming. In arguably one of the biggest financial moves in gaming history, Microsoft has agreed in principle to acquire ZeniMax Media & Bethesda Softworks for a staggering $7.5B. With Bethesda being home to some of gaming’s biggest franchises, including the Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom and more, what will this mean for the potential exclusivity of its franchises within the Xbox ecosystem? Will this deal help secure the future financially of published series like Tango Gamework’s The Evil Within, Arkane’s Dishonored, and more? Will Microsoft focus on letting Bethesda keep semi-independence like Phil Spencer plans to do? And Does this move finally force the hands of Sony and Nintendo to adequately answer what appears to be a dominant future in the world of on-demanding gaming with Xbox Game Pass? Plus, Xbox Series X and S preorders sold out almost instantly, but what does the record day mean for availability of the console the closer we get to launch? All of this and much more on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast! Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new  episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, & PC gaming. Microsoft is no stranger to the studio acquisition game, nor to Destiny & original Halo developer Bungie, but with reports of acquisitions conversations between the two taking place, the question is: why? So this week, we examine the actual validity & likelihood of Bungie falling under Microsoft wing again, the understandably high asking price that the developer was rumored to have, & how fans may misinterpret pretty standard business practices as cold hard fact. Plus, Microsoft has confirmed that games will be clocking in at smaller download sizes on the Xbox Series S thanks to Smart Delivery and the Velocity Architecture, but with the PS5’s digital only option now officially being priced quite aggressively, does the reasoning behind Microsoft’s entry level option still make as much sense for consumers as it did last week? Also, Hogwarts Legacy, WB Games’ new title centered in the world of Harry Potter that was leaked over two years ago, has finally been officially revealed and supposedly it was a big reason why WB has eased off of a potential sale of its gaming assets. Does Hogwarts Legacy have the potential magic to be the mega hit WB thinks it can be, and will the horrible comments made by JK Rowling have both a financial & PR impact on the project? All of this, and much more, on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast! Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new  episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!    

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC gaming. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s finally happened: we finally know how much and when we’ll get our hands on both of Microsoft’s next gen systems. And yes, I said both because the Xbox Series S is now officially a real, actual, not made up thing, that will launch at $299 alongside the Xbox Series X at $499 on November 10th. So this week, we examine how the Series S’s very consumer friendly price point given its technical specs could really be the perfect sale in gaming for 2020, having the potential to own the holiday shopping season, and the impact this could have on Sony’s pricing strategy. Plus, EA’s on demand game subscription service, EA Play, has found its way to another platform: Xbox Game Pass, meaning for no additional cost Game Pass subscribers will get all the benefits to EA’s premium service. Is this consumer friendly initiative helping EA set a new trajectory heading into next gen with gamer’s faith, and could we see the publisher pivots the service to be a supplementary add-on service to other gaming subscriptions? Also, the newest installment of Ubisoft Forward has arrived and thrown a surprise or two as we loom closer to the launch of the family of Xbox systems. We discuss what we’re most excited for (and not) from their newest digital event. Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new  episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!  

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC gaming. It’s officially September and the launch of both Microsoft & Sony’s next gen consoles are now only mere weeks away, but with hard release dates and prices still yet to be revealed, a looming thought has swept the industry: Should the Xbox Series X be delayed? This week, we examine the rationale behind the thought process, from the life threatening pandemic engulfing the world, to the multitude of delays and production issues earlier in the year, and if even if the idea is logical at all this close to launch? Plus, Nvidia has just announced their brand new line of 300 series GPUs with Apere, with the RTX 3090 leading the pack with its promise of 8K with DLSS acceleration and affordable options like the 3070 and 3080 that still pack a punch. Will these releases start to push PC gaming into even more homes of casual players? Also, It looks like AT&T is no longer looking to sell its gaming division, known to many as WB Games, but even with this renewed outlook on games from senior management, will their massively anticipated titles from IP such as Batman, Harry Potter, and Mortal Kombat push them to reconsider selling if they find financial success? Be sure to  subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new  episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC gaming. Halo Infinite has been the talk of the town recently, and not in the way many would’ve hoped it’d be. From its delay to 2021, to now series legend Joseph Staten coming into “help get the game back on track”, things have been better for Master Chief, but could this change the tide? This week we look at the development outlook for the newest entry in Microsoft’s flagship franchise after its shake ups and how it could lead to the game finally finding its footing. Plus, WB Montreal’s Batman game has FINALLY been revealed, but it doesn’t center around the Caped Crusader himself, just like Rocksteady’s new Suicide Squad title in the Arkham universe. How will this division of canon affect each respective game and could staying in the Arkham universe for Suicide Squad potentially shoe horn it narratively? Also, it seems as though the rumors surrounding a new game within the Perfect Dark universe at The Initiative may be true after all, with confirmation coming from a trusted journalist, but if so, is an already established IP the right move for the studio’s virgin outing, and does a third person Perfect Dark game even work in the modern gaming landscape? All of this, and much more, on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast!

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC gaming. It’s official: Halo Infinite has been delayed until 2021 and will no longer launch with the Xbox Series X. While the delay promises a better end experience for gamers, is the writing already on the wall for Master Chief’s next entry? So this week, we examine what 343 Industries needs to primarily focus on when attacking its extended development, and just how they can provide the experience many fans are clamoring for. Plus, it looks as though the release date for the Xbox Series X may have leaked thanks to some lucky fans purchasing the system’s new controller early, but with Infinite now missing launch, a big question emerges: what the hell is launching with Microsoft’s new system? Also, Apple has denied support for xCloud on Apple devices and will not allow the service to be listed on the Apple Store. Will these issues be resolved by the launch of the Xbox Series X, or will 44% of the smart phone market be held behind red tape for quite some time? All of this, and much more, on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast! Be sure to  subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new  episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!      

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC gaming. It’s official: Halo Infinite has been delayed until 2021 and will no longer launch with the Xbox Series X. While the delay promises a better end experience for gamers, is the writing already on the wall for Master Chief’s next entry? So this week, we examine what 343 Industries needs to primarily focus on when attacking its extended development, and just how they can provide the experience many fans are clamoring for. Plus, it looks as though the release date for the Xbox Series X may have leaked thanks to some lucky fans purchasing the system’s new controller early, but with Infinite now missing launch, a big question emerges: what the hell is launching with Microsoft’s new system? Also, Apple has denied support for xCloud on Apple devices and will not allow the service to be listed on the Apple Store. Will these issues be resolved by the launch of the Xbox Series X, or will 44% of the smart phone market be held behind red tape for quite some time? All of this, and much more, on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast! Be sure to  subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new  episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!    

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into  all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC gaming. With the announcement of  Spider-Man coming to Marvel’s Avengers exclusively on PlayStation  platforms, it raises the time old question: where should the exclusivity  line be drawn when it comes to gaming? So this week, we examine what  kind of reverberations this deal could send across its forthcoming  player base and why content gated exclusivity could potentially even  hurt the players it’s supposedly helping. Plus, it’s official: Halo  Infinite’s multiplayer is going free to play and will support up to 120  FPS on Xbox Series X. Will this be the shot in the arm that the  franchise needs to be a contender in the ever growing pool of esports  titles? Also, Microsoft has begun to remove the Xbox Live and Live Gold  naming from their branding. Does this mean the long rumored removal of  Xbox Live is upon us, and if so, does the inclusion of xCloud still make  Game Pass Ultimate the valuable package it has been? All of this, and  much more, on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast! Be sure to  subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new  episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!  

Join the Bonus Accessory crew every Friday as they dive head first into all things Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and PC gaming. With the Xbox Games Showcase now in the rear view mirror, a growing consensus is starting to form from both media and gamers alike: that maybe the Xbox Series X isn’t the next generation “console”, but instead that Xbox Game Pass is. So this week, we’re joined by MyXbox&Me’s Correy Spearman aka MC Fixer to discuss the future of this mindset, and if this concept, when compared to the traditional next gen approach that Microsoft’s peers are taking, is really still viewed as a gamble. Plus, Phil Spencer adds further fuel to the already rampant rumor fire regarding an August event for Xbox, but this time with news potentially involving backwards compatibility. What more can Microsoft offer when it comes to supporting their legacy content that already hasn’t been done? Also, Ground, the new survival game from legendary RPG developer and now Xbox first party studio Obsidian Entertainment, is off to a great start, specifically on steam. Does this secondary project from the creators of Fallout New Vegas and the Outer Worlds have the potential to be a bigger hit than expected in the long run thanks to its broad availability? All of this, and much more, on the newest episode of the Game Pass Gamecast! Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications to be the first to  listen to new episodes as soon as they drop every Friday!