The XboxCast

#NuNews But It’s Only The News Without The Nu

We're about to catch up on all the news for the year so far. 
Luckily nothing major has happened, right? 
 
CyberPunk2077 is back in the top charts after its next-gen patch surprised dropped, which has led us to declare March as #CyberMarch. In our first ever unofficial March event, we're going to undo all the good of #FriendlyFeb by playing through CyberPunk! Join us, share screenshots, or just listen along to our adventures. 
 
While it seems like there has been one massive news story, we do our best to ignore it and instead spend all our time covering Ubisoft. You think we're joking? About 65% of this podcast is just Ubisoft news. Ubisoft+ is coming to Game Pass, and we break down how exciting that is.
And in smaller news, Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard. Nothing major... We have some theories on why Xbox has stated Call of Duty is going to remain multiplat. And it's sure to have PlayStation scrambling a bit.
There's even some new Star Wars games coming! 
 
Remember guys, pay the fee! 
And join us in our #Discord to share your games, achievements, screenshots and just for a generally fun time. 
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#GameFace! Only 3 Away From A 5

Rider's Republic has us in its firm grips. 
And we're on the downhill track! 
 
It's coming up to our last week of #FriendlyFeb and for some reason, Kyle and Lee seem to be struggling. Is that a sneaky match of Halo Infinite we see? No, no! Of course not. We're keeping it super friendly! So, we're just sticking to downhill racing for now. Lee gets absorbed into this game and is treating it like Forza, so thats a good thing? 
 
Who else is playing Rider's Republic with us? 
 
March is almost here and we have a very special event planned for you guys! We're calling it #CyberMarch and we're going to be playing through #CyberPunk. Join us as we all play this game now the next-gen patch is here. 
 
Remember to pay the fee, and enter our screenshot of the week challenge on #Discord!
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#GameFace! Sunset Overdrive Meets eXtreme Sports

#FriendlyFeb has introduced us to an amazing game. 
It's Sunset Overdrive, extreme sports, chaos, and fun all rolled into one! 
 
We may as well have named this podcast "The Rider's Republic Review"! It absorbed Kyle and Simone all week, to the point of even taking our focus off the other games we intended to play. Do you like chaos? Do you like feeling like you're not in control? Do you like this feeling while falling down a mountain? Then you'd love this game! 
Just wave your hands in the air like you just don't care! 
 
Also, to celebrate CyberPunk's next-gen patch, we'll be doing #CyberMarch! Listen out for all the details on the next episode. Or jump into #Discord for more deets. Some of us *cough* Scard *cough* have started it already... Come join us! And tell us what you've played for #FriendlyFeb. 
 
Oh, and we even have an exciting announcement coming this week for our Patrons!
Something about bananas?  
 
Please remember to rate the podcast. It goes further than you think. 
Thanks for listening guys! 
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#GameFace! Do Witches Broom While They Zoom?

Our first week of #FriendlyFeb is done. 
So, what have we played? And why is Lee trying to play every game known to man? 
 
Week one brings with it some very interesting games, as we try to avoid shooting people in the face. From taking photos of dogs, to unpacking your life and running a zoo - this February is shaping up to be our friendliest months ever. How good is The Artful Escape really? Is Unpacking worth taking it out the box? And what games are in store for us in week 2? 
Simone spins her wheel and answers all this, and more, in this episode of #GameFace! 
 
And in a twist no one saw coming, Lee has gone on a very friendly rampage and played just about every non-shooty game out there already!
 
Don't forget we have a #Discord where we chat about everything from new games, to achievements to setting up the perfect music listening room. Jump in and tell us what game has you hooked for #FriendlyFeb. 
 
Please remember to rate the podcast. It goes further than you think. 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
--
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#GameFace! #FriendlyFeb Kicks Off

#FriendlyFeb kicks off! What friendly game are you going to play?
 
Join Kyle and Simone as they go through a list of games they plan on playing for #FriendlyFeb! If you're not sure what #FriendlyFeb, then read on. #FriendlyFeb is our February event where you challenge yourself to play non-violent games. Simulators, driving games, anything where you don't hurt a digital fly. 
 
Join our #Discord! Tell us all about the games you're planning on playing!
 
If you're looking for refresher on our events throughout the year, check out our Patreon Page. Our Community Calendar is up and viewable by everyone. 
 
Please remember to share and rate this podcast on your platform of choice. Each rating goes a long way to helping even more people join in on the fun. 
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

State of The XboxCast Nation

What's going on with The XboxCast? 
Why all the bananas? And where are my weekly episodes anyways? 
 
In this very brief rundown, we go over where we currently at, what's coming this year, and just to remind you we're still here. 
We have grandiose things planned this year. So don't fret young ones - we'll be back from holiday before you know it. 
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

The Game Awards ’21

What a roller coaster of a year! 
We did 69 episodes in one year, met new friends, got a new logo and much, much more. But now it's time to wrap it up and go on holiday! 
 
This year we've tightened up the award categories, narrowing it down to ten. And even planned ahead with our listeners' choice awards.
Want to find out what game was the biggest time sink? Or even which one was the best looking? Well, look no further. We have our subjective answers to all your questions and more.
 
We'd like to extend a big heartfelt thank you to every single one of you - from the patrons to the listeners to even the casual followers on Twitter. We appreciate each and every one of you guys!
We hope you found joy in what we created this year and you'll be as excited for even bigger things to come. 
 
Next year is going to be bananas! 
 
From the whole team at The XboxCast - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

Xbox 2021 Wrapped Feat. Hall of Gamers

Let's take a look back on the year that was.
With some very special guests to help out. 
 
What could go wrong with a 6-person podcast?
 
Joined by our friends from Hall of Gamers, we go over each month in what is arguably one of the best years for Xbox. We go over stories of interest, product launches, Game Pass additions - anything that really caught our eye. At almost 3 hours long, we have a lot to cover! 
And we even argue about how to pronounce Forza... 
 
Special thanks to our incredibly special guests - Hall of Gamers! 
Be sure to follow them on Twitter and everywhere else. (They did say where you could find each of them, but that went off the rails pretty quickly...)
 
Tune in next week for our last episode of the year! It's going to be the annual Game of the Year one, so you definitely don't want to miss out. We'll be live streaming on Twitch and YouTube! 
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#GameFace! Shiny Colourful Clowns Everywhere

It's our very last #GameFace! episode for the year! 
Just FYI. 
 
Lee had to resort to desperate measures to get his guests to leave... Like cucumber beer! 
At least that's his excuse for why he's over podcasting as we slide into Christmas. 
 
For some reason we've all signed up for the Twelve Days of Christmas that True Achievement's is running. And this causes us to jump into some very different games. For instance, Kyle dives back into Doom 93! Great music, great level design, great to be back in the Nineties! There is some Tomb Raider single player multiplayer action in search of an achievement. And Exo One could have been amazing, but it just lets you down... 
 
Lee plays Gang Beasts, which is shooting up his list to his most favourite game ever. Watch out Life is Strange! His daughter is beating him at his own game... We're so proud! We're going to have to do a community night sometime! Did you know that Lee caused havock in his younger years? He would hack all the shop computers on the fly! Using BASIC too! 
He's also selling us on Hades... It does sound amazing. 
 
All while Simone stumbles into being a stone cold killer... 
 
Join our #Discord! Tell us all about the games you've been playing!
Come and talk nonsense! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#NuNews: There‘s A Hostile Planet Involved

A hostile planet here, a hostile planet there. 
Shake it all around and there's a hostile planet everywhere! 
 
This is our last #NuNews for the year, so let's try end on a high note! In a totally expected move, Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 has stormed onto the top two spots! Finally, we have something new to say about the charts. Lee does not like Gang Beasts, but you'll have to listen to the next #GameFace! to find out why... FIFA 22 and FIFA 22 are in the charts. No idea which one is which, but it's a very sneaky move by EA. 
 
Achievements are back as a talking point. Seems everyone is hanging out for the Achievement 2.0 upgrade which Microsoft has rumbled about for years. Do you think it will ever come? Who knows at this stage. Amazon is rumored to make a Mass Effect series and Kyle doesn't believe this will be any good. Much hand wringing occurs, although Lee is pretty confident it could be interesting at least. Talk about a role reversal! 
Serious Sam 4 gets shadow dropped on Game Pass, which reminds us that games have come out for Game Pass. In fact, all the games have come out for Game Pass. At this stage, if you finish all the games on Game Pass, you get a medal. And with the news that the Xbox Series S being the top selling console for Black Friday, it seems the world is waking up to the value of Series S + Game Pass. 
 
How does the last New & Noteworthy Games land for this year? We start off strong, have a Halo rant, look at some interestng looking games, and then end with a bit of a wet blanket. To say Lee was not impressed is an understatement. 
 
You can now vote for our #GameAwards! We want to hear from you! 
For all the info - CLICK HERE! But if you want to jump straight into voting - CLICK HERE! Remember, these are games you've played this year, not necessarily games that have come out this year. 
 
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If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
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Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#GameFace! or The Angry Englishman

Welcome to The Xboxcast.
Also known as The Angry Englishman podcast. 
 
Simone played games? Simone played all the games? Simone played every game? 
Normally this is Lee's job! We have GTASC to thank for this. 
 
Simone shoots some hive, finds Xur (and doesn't find him very attractive) and gets worried that her ship is not very pretty. All to get an achievement! Which she did.
And then she climbed into a truck and drove it off a cliff. 
 
Lee is stuck in Mexico racing cars, which we pretty much expected. He finds that he can only be average at this game. No professional racing car driver here... In a twist, Lee is the one taking all the in-game photos this week! 
 
Kyle has gotten stuck into Exo One, which has launched day and date into Game Pass. And now Lee is dubious of Kyle's gaming abilities... Will he be able to 100% this game? We wait and see.
 
Join our #Discord! Tell us all about the games you've been playing!
Come and talk nonsense! 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
--
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox

#NuNews: No Hate Buttons

Lee had a life this weekend. Who would have thought?
 
Xbox is still celebrating #Xbox20 and we're getting so much behind the scenes stuff! It's every Xbox nerd's dream. Xbox surely has left its mark on history, and this gen is just getting started to. Talk about excitement! 
 
We go over all the reasons you don't want a PlayStation this Christmas, all the cool new games coming to Xbox Game Pass and Seagate’s shiny new 8 terabyte Game Drive. It even has lights! Who doesn't like lights? If you want something big and green to store your games on, this is for you.
In some exciting news, Xbox is looking at rejigging the achievement systems! What do you hope to see in Achievements 2.0? 
 
This week, all the games are in the noteworthy column! So, every game should be quite exciting. We hope... Kyle is really excited about Before We Leave. It looks like a cool, cozy city builder. Lee sees some paths. And it’s on Xbox Game Pass! Even better. Looks like we found our post-Christmas dinner game! 
 
Our Game of the Year Special is fast approaching, and like last year, we're going to include you, dear listener! Keep an ear out for how we do nominations, voting and some end of the year surprises on our Twitter. 
 
--
If you liked this episode, don't feel ashamed.
Rather, join the dozens of others that are following us.
 
http://linktr.ee/thexboxcast 
 
--
Your hosts are:
 
Kyle: XarCrius on Xbox
Lee: Leehoward on Twitter and Xbox
Simone: GymBeanNZ on Twitter and Xbox