Xbox promises a return to form with a chatty new memo while PlayStation’s silence suggests a heel turn no one wanted or asked for. All while Pragmata and Saros have us feeling that video games, unlike the industry that makes them, are alright actually.

It’s been a loaded week in the games business and we’re here to break it all down. Unlike most of our usual episodes that focus on a single topic, there’s a lot to unpack this time around so we got timestamps for your perusal.

Xbox Strategy — or Lack Thereof

* 00:01:00 – The Xbox memo: We break down Asha Sharma’s leaked-and-then-revealed memo on the future of Xbox.

* 00:02:08 – The “Northstar” metric: Xbox identifies daily active players as their primary metric for success. Not the first time engagement became a cornerstone metric. Some of us are old enough to remember it first introduced in 2015.

* 00:03:08 – Hardware priorities: Xbox Series X|S plans ahead of a Project Helix launch.

* 00:04:37 – Game Pass price drops: Apparent efforts to lower the cost of Xbox Game Pass and why it’s a bizarre idea at this point.

* 00:06:09 – Global distribution critique: We berate the Xbox’s lack of hardware availability in India, Asia, and the Middle East amidst a memo that calls for more console hardware focus.

* 00:08:52 – Feature Deprecation: Criticism over the removal of Xbox social features like Clubs.

* 00:10:00 – Mobile storefront rumours: Discussion on potential plans for a mobile APK storefront.

* 00:10:53 – State of Halo: Analysis of the management and current status of the Halo franchise.

* 00:12:31 – Personal Xbox Series X experiences: Rishi explains why he has owned three different Xbox Series X consoles this generation.

* 00:14:50 – Next-Gen OEM partnerships: Rumours regarding third-party partners like ASUS manufacturing Helix-based hardware.

* 00:17:22 – Corporate culture: It’s wild how much heavy-lifting the memo does in terms of making Xbox cosplay as a startup rather than a subsidiary of a megacorp.

* 00:19:39 – Call of Duty profitability: We parse through the strategic decision to remove Call of Duty from Game Pass to protect retail sales.

PS5 DRM and What Could Happen Next

* 00:31:52 – PS5 DRM: Details on the 30-day login requirement for digital purchases on PS4 and PS5.

* 00:36:34 – The Crew 2 offline mode: Ubisoft’s response to the Stop Killing Games community initiative via the EU regarding live service games.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: Everything We Know So Far

* 00:37:39 – Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Resynced: Official announcement and details of the remake.

* 00:40:54 – Assassin’s Creed roadmap: Discussion on Shadows, Hexe, and the rumored AC1 remake.

* 00:43:16 – Gameplay overhaul: Improvements to stealth, tailing missions, and ship customisation.

* 00:45:38 – Pricing & Indian retail: Details on the 4,999 INR price point and the legitimacy of the steelbook offer at Games The Shop.

Pragmata, Saros, and the End

* 00:47:37 – Pragmata: Rahul discusses playing Capcom’s Pragmata via GeForce Now.

* 00:50:15 – Saros: Rishi reviews Housemarque’s spiritual successor to Returnal, featuring actor Rahul Kohli.

* 00:52:48 – Saros mechanics: A look at the laser-focused gameplay and DualSense haptic feedback.

* 00:57:05 – Outro & Giveaway: Information on the Marathon controller giveaway and closing out the podcast.

Welcome to Day Zero. This podcast is about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:

* Twitter/X - @rishialwani

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* Twitter/X - @darthrahul

* Threads - @darthrahul

* Instagram - @darthrahul

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