The XboxCast

#NuNews: The Great Teabag Debate

Tea bagging in games is a rite of passage. 
Or is it? 
 
A Twitter debate has flared up around tea bagging, and we have some thoughts. Is it as harmless as it seems? Is it unsolicited? Does it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside or fill you with burning rage? We explore the aspects, take apart the pros and cons, analyze the socioeconomic impact and come to the conclusion that it just means git gud scrub. 
 
Shadowrun is now on Game Pass, and it's not just one game, but the whole trilogy! If you have not played this, it is highly recommended by the entire internet. You heard that right. The entire internet! Featuring a bewildering character creation, a deep story and set in a fantasy cyberpunk future, what more could you want? 
We have no Nu & Noteworthy games this week due to our regular source not having the list up... Come on Xbox Wire! We rely on you to make us look good. And you let us down. Maybe next week we'll do a big catch-up? 
 
There's some excitement in the world of The XboxCast! Lee may have bought a house with his groceries... Just like a big boi now. And we're so proud of him. Make sure to congratulate him on Twitter! 
 
We'll be at PAX! Will you be at PAX? Do you want to be at PAX? And do you want to meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... Speaking of stickers - check out our merch!
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, share it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Xbox and Twitter (and check him out on Twitch)
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Xbox and Twitter
 

#GameFace! What Would a Werewolf Do?

We're meanz, leanz, and the only podcast to feature The BeanNZ! 
This is GameFace! and We're the XboxCast!
 
We're becoming quite the educational podcast! We've learnt what paper is, that Swedes have pancakes and steel capped sandles for lunch, and that it's Beansday Eve! We just love giving back to the community. You can thank us later. Oh, and we're also still full of first aid knowhow. If you ever find someone who needs help, you'll be grateful that you listened to us. 
 
We're still impressed with our community rising to the #backToYourBacklog challenge, completing so many games that have been there for years! We're super proud of everyone taking part! Good job guys.
Kyle and Simone dragged Lee into A Pirates Life in Sea of Thieves and we have some feedback. Kyle played the choose your own Batman game from Telltale. And Simone is working her way through The Division 2. Will she finish it before June? Kyle has been solidly stuck in Cyberpunk since getting sick and abandoning Tomb Raider... What a twist! 
 
We'll be at PAX! Will you be at PAX? Do you want to be at PAX? And do you want to meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... Speaking of stickers - check out our merch!
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, share it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#NuNews: Gird Up Your Loins

Lee is now a professional dabber. 
He can dab with the best of them. And then call you an ambulance. 
 
We are taking a break from reading the news to you, to tell you all about the advances in First Aid! Who would have known that so much has changed? We certainly didn't. The Heimlich Maneuver is out, and the back slap is in. At least now if you ever get into trouble, you can now call Lee. This should make you even more excited about meeting us later this year. 
 
Vin Diesel claims you're not a true gamer if you're not excited about Ark 2. We already know we aren't real gamers here, so this is not exactly news to us... However, ole Vinnie D might have something to say about that as he does the dinosaur drift. You'll soon be able to stream all the games you own on XCloud! Now that's an advancement of some amazing tech, and we can't wait for it. No longer will we be limited to the 1,000s of games on Game Pass. 
Starfield news is still coming out, and it brings back a beloved (maybe) feature from The Elder Scrolls 2. You can now start with a house and in crippling dept. Just like real life! Kinda... 
 
Bunnings now sells computers and game stuff. And it's all Call of Duty branded. And has RGB, projectile lights, and other amazing gamery things. For when you want to build a deck and a game room at the same time! 
Samsung TV's now have Xbox Game Pass built in. But you must buy the new 2022 models. And you can pair the Xbox Controller directly to the TV. But still - no Xbox required! The future truly has arrived! 
 
We'll be at PAX! Will you be at PAX? Do you want to be at PAX? And do you want to meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... Speaking of stickers - check out our merch!
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, share it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#GameFace! The #backToYourBacklog Community Check In

The Lee and Simone takeover you've been wanting. 
Now can you all stop asking? Please? 
 
Slap bang in the middle of #backToYourBacklog, it's time to see how the community is getting on. Who's finished what and how are they getting on? Kingsman and Neomaster are neck and neck, completing five games each. And in the true spirit of #backToYourBacklog, some of these games have been on the backlog since 2011... Now that's dedication. What will they play next June? 
 
Lee and Simone both have two story completions under their belt! Good going guys! 
Now tell us how far you've gotten for this month's challenge. And jump into our Discord to share all your completions. 
 
We'll be at PAX! Will you be at PAX? Do you want to be at PAX? And do you want to meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... Speaking of stickers - check out our merch!
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, share it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

The Xbox Bethesda Showcase Special

E3 may be dead, but the Xbox Showcase lives on! 
 
Kyle and Simone recount their story of attending the Fanfest Watch Party in Melbourne, meeting Xbox's Major Nelson and handing out copious amounts of stickers. And then it's all about the showcase. Going through every announcement and having a few chuckles along the way. 
Want to find out what your favorite podcast thinks about all of this? Or what about Lee's thoughts on Redfall? You'll just have to listen to find out. 
 
A big thank you to XboxANZ for the tickets, Fortress Melbourne for the hosting and Xbox for the games! And also, a big thank you to everyone who stopped to chat to us after the event! If you got a sticker - show it off! Jump into our Discord, Tweet at us, or send it to our Instagram! We're super excited to see where you decide to stick us. 
 
All of us will be at PAX in Melbourne this year! Want to come meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... 
Speaking of stickers - check out our merch!
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, share it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#GameFace! Casual Business

Kyle is hearing double voices; Lee is bragging about the weather. 
And Simone is bored and boring... 
 
We're still in #backToYourBacklog and trying to get through some games to reduce our backlog. Simone has 112 games on her list, Lee is fighting orcs and Kyle is trying to justify playing a game he's already finished. What are you playing and how far have you gotten? 
 
Welcome to all our new Patrons. We can pronounce our name anyway we like, and you're going to regret supporting us after this one. Listen to Noel's special episode and then let's convince him to come back on!
We're also getting ready for our 300th episode! And we're going to invite you to tell us all about ourselves. It's not going to be awkward at all, it will be fine. We're still organizing this, so jump into our Discord and let us know what you'll be keen for. 
Join us on Monday (NZ time) while Lee does a live reaction on YouTube to the Xbox Bethesda Showcase. And then on Monday night when we record an incredibly special episode!
 
We're now going to the Xbox Bethesda Fanfest Watch Party *AND* PAX in Melbourne this year. Want to come meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... 
Speaking of stickers - check out our merch!
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, share it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#NuNews: Xbox Series eXtreme Streaming

#NuNews is all the Xbox news you need to know about. 
If you have to think about it, you've already lost. 
 
Are you cleverer for playing video games? A study thinks games help with intelligence in the youths of today. However, Kyle disagrees. If you're smart, you tend to not waste time on TV, and instead use your noggin to smash demons in the face in DOOM! 
 
Top Gun stuff has come to Microsoft's Flight Simulator, and it brings with it the super-secret SR-71 Darkstar! Now you can travel at Mach 10 in the upper stratosphere while your plane slowly glows all around you. And could this be the new multiplayer experience? Just have someone yelling at you about turning right! 
 
A game dev has come to bat for Xbox Game Pass. He is a massive Game Pass fan as a person who actually uses the service, and completely destroys the narrative that Game pass is bad for the industry. Not like Microsoft has been saying this since 2018... 
 
All this and more, including the charts, in this episode of #NuNews! 
 
We're now going to the Xbox Bethesda Fanfest Watch Party *AND* PAX in Melbourne this year. Want to come meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... 
Speaking of stickers - check out our merch! 
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, sahre it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#GameFace! The Achievement for Love

Lee now has automation - he presses buttons and things happen. 
Is this the beginning of having computers take over the podcast? 
 
We have a question from our community! How exciting! People want to know things about us and make us think. What do you think? Do you have any questions? Join our Discord, or Tweet at us, and we'll do one a week. We promise we'll answer all the questions. Maybe. Let's see if we remember this next podcast! 
 
Twas the night before #backToYourBacklog, and all through the podcast, we played a lot of games. Lee played them all, Simone played some and Kyle played a bit. We're still very confused about Tiny Tina's Attack on Dragon Keep and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. Since they are the same game. But with differnet names. And different stories. And maybe different characters. Other than that, it's exactly the same which is why we're so confused. 
 
CyberPunk 2077 is still Kyle's go to game, and if it wasn't for the podcast, he might have finished it by now. But with June so close, it looks like that is going into the backlog... Simone is still a shark, doing shark things, living her best shark life. But now with electric teeth! If that's not an upgrade, then what is. 
 
Are you looking for a soundbar to go with your brand new LG C1 or CX? Lee has bought a nice new shiny 11.1.4 surround sound system and rubs it in. If you like your sound and want to make your gaming experience better, then join our Discord and have us help you! Because at the end of the day, we're all a bunch of geeks.  
 
We're now going to the Xbox Bethesda Fanfest Watch Party *AND* PAX in Melbourne this year. Want to come meet us? Now is your chance! We may even have some sneaky stickers to give away... 
Speaking of stickers - check out our merch! 
 
Remember to pay the fee - if you got any value out of this podcast, sahre it! Word of mouth is how we grow. And if you really like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#NuNews: June is Soon!

Breaking news: June is soon. It rhymes, so you know it's true. 
Hey, we don't make the rules. 
 
#BackToYourBacklog is kicking off in June, and we're getting ourselves super excited about that. Not sure what that is? Well, we have a handy event's page that will break it down for you. 
 
With E3 going away this year, it's time for the Summer Game Fest. And it seems like this year might actually be the year it takes off. Xbox socials clapped back at Kotaku and it was great to see. Sometimes you just need to put the clickbait back where it belongs. Now we'll wait for them to write a story about how terrible that Twitter ratio was.
 
No Man's Sky got an update and made its way into the charts, which made Kyle's heart very happy. And Game Pass is getting more games. Just a few games. Not many at all. EA is trying hard to sell itself off. Practically standing at the traffic lights with a sign reading "game publisher for $3.50" at this stage. Who do you want to buy EA, or should they spin off all their studios? 
 
And Ed Fries thinks Game Pass is not a great idea. Comparing it to Spotify which helped the music industry increase by 75% over the last few years. Yet, gaming and music listening are quite different... 
 
We're going to be at the Xbox Fanfest Watch Party and then PAX Melbourne! So, if you're a listener and hoped to meet us, well now if your chance! We may even have some stickers to give away... 
 
Remember to pay the fee. 
If you got any value from the podcast, share it around! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#GameFace! Early in the Today

We're going to Fanfest in Melbourne! 
Are you going? Will we see you there? Are you excited? Will you get some stickers? 
 
We have a store! Do you want some merch? So far we have stickers. And stickers. And more stickers! Get your merch now. 
 
Lee has played a game every day this past week... Someone needs to tell him to settle down. A few quick games and one broken Twitter later, Lee now sits at 45 games completed. He has no idea what happened. Look at him go, turning into our very own Achievement Hunter! 
 
Simone and Kyle have officially completed the story for Anthem - only 3 years later. We all mourn for what this game could have been. Beware of spoilers! And Simone is still hunting men in Maneater! She now has shiny teeth. We're all very envious. 
 
Kyle is still going through CyberPunk 2077. Nothing quite like taking a game nice and slow and absorbing all the game has to offer. But it frustrates Lee. He just likes to shoot things.
 
We're going to be at PAX Melbourne! Do you want to get an XboxCast hug? Come up to us and do the floss!
Then we'll know that you're a listener. And you may get stickers, or merch, or maybe just the promise of merch... But who knows. We don't remember half of what we say. 
 
Remember to pay the fee! Share this podcast with your friends and support us on Patreon! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#NuNews: Freshly Baked News, Slightly Moist

This is not just the news. 
It's the news! The NuNews. Fresh out the news oven. 
 
A very quiet week leads to some interesting discussions. The Stanly Parable devs are disappointed with achievement hunters, who have changed the console date and time to unlock the Super Go Outside achievement. Check out the story on TrueAchievements and let us know what you think. 
 
Xbox Live going down was a massive story last week, but now the engineers behind it have spoken out and have cleared up what really went wrong. Lee thinks this was a bug which wasn't supposed to roll out, while Kyle still blames Fortnite coming to XCloud. 
 
EA Sports is dropping FIFA and becoming EA Sports FC, and FIFA is not bitter at all. Like they are totally cool with it. So cool, in fact, that they put out a statement saying FIFA is THE BEST football experiance. This breakup was completely FIFA's idea, and they are the ones that dropped EA. They just want to let you know that. 
 
And do you want 3 years of Game Pass Ultimate for $1 (if you're new) or at a discount? We have the inside scoop! There's a loophole, which is totally not publisied, on how to do it. If you're confused, we have an amazingly easy walkthrough for you. You can thank us later. 
 
We're going to be at PAX Melbourne! Do you want to get an XboxCast hug? Come up to us and do the floss!
Then we'll know that you're a listener. And you may get stickers, or merch, or maybe just the promise of merch... But who knows. We don't remember half of what we say. 
 
Remember to pay the fee!
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox
 

#GameFace! Don’t Live in Your Toilet

Welcome to the AkwardCast.
We're bringing Kiwi humor to the world... Awkwardly. HashTag En Zed represent! 
 
Lee has gotten back into The Division 2 because of all the cool new content. Season 9 is here and comes with a bunch of interesting challenges, but still manages to only last a night worth of playing... So, it's back to Jedi: Fallen Order for him. Story Mode has saved the day once again! Beware spoilers for Jedi: Fallen Order. 
 
Simone is back in Stardew Valley! Thanks to the game now being on the Windows Store and part of Xbox Game Pass, it now has achievements. And it picks up your Steam save game, so you don't have to restart. And then she decides to be ultraviolent in ManEater. Because what's better than just munching on heaps of people? 
 
Kyle has been way to social and only managed to play Halo Infinite Multiplayer - and he's figured out how to activate his Season 2 pass! Even better. But has he found a bug with the Double XP Boost? Is anyone else experiencing this? At least we have Last Spartan Standing to help the game along. 
 
We're going to be at PAX Melbourne! Do you want to get an XboxCast hug? Come up to us and do the floss!
Then we'll know that you're a listener. And you may get stickers, or merch, or maybe just the promise of merch... But who knows. We don't remember half of what we say. 
 
Remember to pay the fee!
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed. 
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
The Official XboxCast Website
 
For everything else, including everywhere our podcast is hosted, check out our LinkTree! 
 
--
 
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox and Twitter
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox