X Marks The Box (an Xbox Podcast)

Life is hard when you try to bring something positive into this otherwise depressing week for Xbox. On this episode, we discuss the recent closures of studios including Tango Softworks and Arkane Studios Austin, developers of Hifi Rush and Redfall respectively, as well as potential targets of Microsoft's mass studio-cide. Also on the show, Halo Infinite is getting worse, and you can tell by its lacklustre shop updates, or is it getting better?

With the release of its new TV Series on Amazon, things are looking great for Fallout this year with the Fallout 4 Next Gen update and a potential Fallout 3 Remaster. We get to discuss what we know about the Year of Fallout. Also on the show, Lewis grew out of anime, so Alice helps by introducing him to a few new anime releases. And we get to discuss what's yappening with Halo Infinite and its stagnant future.

PS5 Pro has been leaked with new specs, but is it really worth the upgrade? Will Microsoft finally unveil their trump card being the new Xbox Series X Pro? or will they jump to Next Gen early with a new console in 2027? Also on the show, we got addicted to Helldivers 2, now it got Alice down to Super Earth too! And Red vs Blue, the show, is in trouble with Rooster Teeth shutting down in May.

X Marks the Box returns as we talk about the aftermath of the Business Update 'Official Xbox Podcast special'. The opposite did happen as Xbox receives more exclusives, while Switch 2 and PS5 First Party games could arrive next year.

Welcome to the 2024 Fantasy Critic Draft, where the 2023 Champion Lewis, will compete against Alice and the PS we Trust team (Phil, Davey, and Spencer) in a 5-way showdown to see who can predict the best games of the year. Who will have the best picks and earn the ultimate bragging rights? Watch the video and find out.

What were the best games of 2023? Lewis and Alice share their personal top 5 picks and then combine them into a definitive list of the best games of the year. Watch this video to find out which games made the cut and why they deserve the praise. Do you agree with our list? What were your favorite games of 2023? Let us know in the comments below. And don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more gaming content.

2023 is almost over and that means its time for our 2nd ever X Marks The Box Awards! Today we discuss our gaming crushes of the year , the best TV Show based on video games and we reveal the Results of the XMB Community Game of the year 2023!

Today Lewis and Davey Discuss the aftermath of the Game Awards Nominees being revealed , The Launch of the most useless Handheld console in Gaming History. we also put the console wars to one side and celebrate the 3rd brithday of the Xbox Series & PS5

Witness tonight as we bring back Alice from the dead for this eventful episode, where Lewis locks horns with Davey from In PS We Trust in the latest world of console war hell! We catch up with the fearful updates in the world of Xbox, along with some quips over the newest members of the gaming apocalypse, Super Mario Wonder and Spiderman 2. Then we reveal our picks for the spookiest games so far, or until the world ends

Let's focus on the goodies of the game, as we discuss spoilers from the United Colonies Vanguard and Freestar Rangers questlines. What did we discover as Space Marines and Bounty Hunters? Find out this week, and we will be discussing Crimson Fleet and Ryujin Industries storylines next week

Disclaimer: This Podcast contains spoilers to the main story.(Skip ahead to 46:35 for the bigger spoilers) It's finally done! This week we get to discuss the main story of Starfield in its entirety! It is as good as we expected or is it just another Bethesda questline?

We've been busy this week, so we been busy travelling in Starfield! We get to discuss our marriages to constellation companions, while dealing with onslaught of game breaking bugs. We also discover a way to steal C-Class ships without getting in a howl lot of trouble. If you stay tuned to the end, we get to discuss spoilers for the main story missions and a few questlines.

This week, as Starfield receives their first hotfix, we get to talk more about Starfield. This time we focus on more missions that are outside the game's questlines, but they are still incredibly fun! Oh, and guess which level did Alice reach this time?

This week's episode could our last, as Alice is stepping down as a podcast regular. But it's not the least as there's still lots of news and discussions in the world of Xbox today. We also discuss about the new PS5 slim, as well as questions asked about Forza Motorpsort, since Lewis got early access to the game.

Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, is leaving on March next year, and there's celebrations everywhere! Especially from Playstation fans! This week, we get to celebrate his career as much as we could, as well as some magical moments that he made as the Boss of Playstation. Also on this episode, Lewis found a game breaking bug in Starfield, and Alice dribbles all over clear colour consoles while talking about gold controllers.

Is Starfield perfect or is IGN right about the state of this game? Find out as Lewis and Alice give their scores on Bethesda's latest masterpiece. Also on this show, Tokyo Game Show announcements and Kojima photos with Phil Spencer, and Design Labs offer more fun options for Xbox controllers!

Hell got loose this week! Unity comes under massive fire for introducing game install fees! Achievement Hunter is no more! And Microsoft's business document got leaked! We get to discuss everything from unannounced games to new versions of Xbox consoles and controllers. Don't you dare miss this episode, it's packed!

Starfield Mods strike back, bringing all sorts of improvements, gags and even bigger butts for Sarah. We get to review the best mods you can download for the PC version of Starfield. Also on the show, we get to respond to In PS We Trust Guys and James Stephine Sterling over Starfield opinions, while dishing out more news for Bethesda's biggest release yet. Lest we mention simping for Constellation's staff, especially Barret.

This week, we get to discuss a lot about glitches, crashes, bugs and some farms for extra E-X-P. Lewis gets to visit Cardiff on desolated Earth, the same place where Alice discovered a snow globe in London. We also talk about comparing our ships, not just with our companions, and the recent moments with our in-game parents.

Starfield is out, and it's not getting a good metacritic score. We get to tackle an array of negative, outrageous reviews from many websites, along with some positive views of the game. Regardless, we still talk more about Starfield and the craziness within.

Starfield is finally here, and we have early access to the game! Is it as underrated as what some critics have claimed it to be, or is it another Bethesda romp with hundreds of bugs? Found out in this hour long discussion, covering character creation, accessibility options and our initial opinions on the game so far.

It's a slow news week, but it's still not quiet for us this time! We get to discuss the other gamescom news we might have missed, before we get to play Starfield this weekend! Also this week, we get to witness a leaker posting stolen copies on Instagram before getting themselves arrested, and we discover a flood of savings on End of Summer sale, including classics as seen on previous Summer of Arcade events!

The plot thickens! Microsoft reveals their plans to give up streaming rights of Activision and Blizzard games to Ubisoft. What does this mean for Call of Duty now?! We also discuss about Phil Spencer's current thoughts on the CMA dispute, as well as the recent shenanigans of completing the ABK deal. Also this week, we get to talk more Starfield than any other Xbox podcast, including the special wraps for Xbox Series X. Somehow it's what you'll get instead of a special edition starfield console.

This week in a dry month of August, we get to play a game! On Alice’s Birthday, we get to play ‘Would You Rather’, as we make life’s greatest choices in the world of games!

Alice returns from her Holiday, and she’s ready for another! This week’s episode takes a look at the things to come on this year’s Gamescom. It may even have a cinema screen for playing games on! Also we remember Summer of Arcade after finishing 10 years ago, and Lewis gives his review of the new service Antstream, the ‘Netflix of retro games’!

X Marks the Box has been Invaded by the cast of In PS We Trust! Davey & Phil tell Lewis what there most wanted games are from the rest of 2023! we also discuss Final Fantasy 14 Finally coming to Xbox and a Rumored The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion Remake!

Look at those games! Better dust them off for more Call of Duty! This week, Call of Duty classics on the Xbox 360 have skyrocketed in the sales charts as they get discounted and boosted by the ABK deal. Turns out Microsoft has finally fixed their damn servers! Also this week, we get to gloat on our Playstation rivals with our subscriber count

Bye bye Xbox Live Gold! Hello Game Pass Core! On this week's episode, we talk about the new version of the longer running subscription service for Xbox and its new catalogue of over 25 titles. Are they any good? Also on this episode, we discuss about the horrible working conditions at Zenimax, Microsoft earning back money in market shares of over 140 billion dollars, and random talks about Bluey!

Halo There! Welcome to our Halo-Themed Limited Run Podcast, where we get to talk about all things Halo, especially Infinite! We discuss news, updates and games in the world of Halo! This week, we discuss about the current player base of Halo Infinite, as well as the frolics from the latest matchmaking playlists. We also get to properly critique on the live service nature of the game.

Microsoft wins in this fight against the FTC, as they are denied their primary injection and allowed to close their Activision Blizzard deal. So, what will they do now with the CMA still stubborn on their blocking of their deal? Find out as Alice and Lewis go through the summary of the US verdict and the next stages of Microsoft's campaign to grab all Call of Duties for Game Pass, or somewhat. Also in this episode, Yuji Naka gets a prison sentence, and Alice drinks her own Grimace Shake!

Microsoft is looking to buy SEGA, but SEGA is actually not interested in any of their potential deals?! Find out in this fun episode, where Alice wrestles with her new computer, Lewis getting dogged around, and some picks for the Game of the Year so far!

Note. Because of recording and editing on a new windows PC, there will be some technical issues. Thank you for your understanding.

The case is on! Microsoft is at an US court hearing, where they deal with both Sony and FTC over their Activision Blizzard deal. But at the same time, we discover some massive bombshells! Microsoft looking to buy Sega? Sony not interested in buying Call of Duty? xCloud service not good enough for anyone?! Find out in this crazy episode, complete with the latest news and games we have played!

Xbox Showcase was a blast. Even Alice was amazed by the public response to their trailers. So...where's the rest of the games? In this episode, we get to go on a globe-trotting hunt to find out what happened to the previously mentioned games that got rumoured or announced to come to the Xbox. Also on this show, we have a new prickly friend in a XMB Catcus, and we also have other stuff to show than just our Starfield controllers!

we have so much to cover today! not only the biggest and best showcase in Xbox history but also the Starfield Direct , an Interview with Tood Howard and an interview with Phil Spencer aswell as the Xbox Extended showcase! this might be our most jammed packed episode ever! grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.

More predictions? You got it! Continuing the Showcase Crystal Ball run, we get to predict which of the rumored games could appear during Xbox Showcase. Are we seeing Indiana Jones? Is Gears returning? Who knows before Sunday comes! Also on this episode, Alice forgets how to play Tears of the Kingdom, and Lewis gets dogged around with his pet, feeding her some…Pepsi?

How do you predict on the June 11th show? Lewis and Alice this week are predicting some surprises on Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Showcase show! From Banjo 3 to Avowed done in Grounded style! Also on the show, Lewis plays Street Fighter 6 on PS5, Playstation Showcase thoughts, and Overwatch 2 loses Story Mode!

Last week had been a blast with Lewis and Davey's own Top 10 Games, but Alice ain't missing out on this craze! On this special episode, she gets to pick her favourite games, some of which may surprise you. Also on the show, Xbox gets weird categories for Game Pass titles, and some impressions on Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Today Alice is away so Potato gets his special friend Davey to join the show. this leads to the longest episode in X Marks the Box History! We Discuss The 100 greatest video games of all time, ranked by experts and we list our top 10 games ever and see how they match up to the Critics.

Phil Spencer is being grilled for Redfall and the CMA decision, leading to some explaining to do. In this episode, Lewis and Alice get to discuss about the points Phil Spencer have made during the Kinda Funny X Cast podcast. They will also debate on the future of Xbox and its games.

It's our 50th episode, and we talk about our best games of each generation of Xbox, from OG to Series X. We also discuss about the state of our channel and beyond. Plus some depressing news that Redfall is not even received well and even us are not liking how it turned out! But there's one part that flipped Lewis off than any other.

We have finally reached 'the' week where we get to discuss about the wonders of Minecraft Legends, and it's...alright we guess? We talk about the first few hours of the new Minecraft spinoff, including its review-bombed reviews on the Microsoft store. Also this week, we talk about our disappointment over the launch of Ubisoft+ on Xbox and PC and our wishes for an Xbox Portable.

We have finally reached 'the' week where we get to discuss about the wonders of Minecraft Legends, and it's...alright we guess? We talk about the first few hours of the new Minecraft spinoff, including its review-bombed reviews on the Microsoft store. Also this week, we talk about the disappointment over the launch of Ubisoft+ on Xbox and PC and our wishes for an Xbox Portable.

On this week's episode, Lewis talks about the darkness of Ghostwire Tokyo, featuring impressions on its gameplay and performance. Also games aplenty this week, including the recent DLC for Forza Horizon 5 and the second Fracture Firewall week on Halo Infinite. Not to mention the 30fps mode on Redfall. Oh dear.

Happy Easter everyone we hope you had lots of nice chocolate. Today we talk about our favorite Easter eggs no not the chocolate kind but the video game kind . we also discuss the death of E3 , Xbox Releasing a Eco Friendly Controller and Xbox Fans finally getting affordable explainable storage.

APRILS FOOLS YO! Here's our Playstation version of our podcast. Today, we're dining on some PlayStation soup, as we could see a potential strike back from our rival. With Phil as our Guest today, we deal with how Sony could play a reverse card and deny Microsoft's deal with Activision. Also in the show, we discuss with Phil on Resident Evil 4 and all the trimmings.

In this week's Podcast, we go through the madness of the Chainsaw Demo of Resident Evil 4 as well as...an RE4 anime?! We also discuss the alternative universe of Halo in Fracture: Firewall event, the joys of Ted Lasso, and a possibility of a Microsoft App Store on iPhones.

As Microsoft nears a Flawless Victory with the Activision Blizzard Deal , Jim Ryan strikes back with a crazy conspiracy theory! We discuss in this week's episode about the extra desperation of the Playstation boss' to block the merger, or as said in his revealed documents! We also discuss our first week of Halo Infinite's Season 3, as well as exploring the possibility of a new PS5 Pro! or Xbox Series Xtra? Also featured are the talks about the Last of Us , Red Drawf and Ted Lasso shows, and how Lewis sucks at Wo Long and cant beat the first boss.

Double Bumper Episode!! There's fresh news about Starfield, including  announcements of its release date and its upcoming direct. There's also a  review on Halo Infinite's newest season! Lewis and Alice discuss about  them both today on the episode, while they tell former's dog to 'sit  down'. There's also a huge platter of exciting news, including Forspoken  dev being closed down and Redfall supporting cross platform  multiplayer. Also on this show, Alice shows off her Zapping Orange  zapper that actually works after 30 years, and Lewis finally answers the  question if he wears briefs or boxers!

St. David's Day had arrived! It is SPRING I tells ya! So, what's coming to Xbox?  In this week's episode, Lewis and Alice discuss the upcoming games across March to May, from Wo Long to Zelda. We also discuss about how Atomic Heart is losing the spark before Halo Infinite arrives with Season 3 next week. We also remember the bright, lovely memories we experienced on each and every spring time for gaming.

DISCLAIMER: This episode contains references to transphobia, war, politics and other controversial subjects that some listeners may find distressing.  

At X marks the Box, we’re told that certain games are not allowed to be covered because of the controversy. Did we respect our wishes? Find out in this week’s episode as we discuss about our preview of Atomic Heart (for our sins). We also tackle the Hogwarts Legacy controversy war, and we discuss the recent developments of the Activision Blizzard, where nVidia and Nintendo have now shook hands with Microsoft on their deals