Host/Executive Producer of The Gaming Hub Podcast, which can be found right here on The Xbox Hub. When I'm not working, I love playing and talking about games. I also enjoy hockey and baseball.
With only two weeks left until E3 2019, news is pretty scarce in the world of gaming. To make up for that, we discuss whether other developers will try to use the wildly successful Fortnite business model to their advantage in other genres, possibly as a way to replace the pay-to-win loot box model. Which games and genres could it work in?
This week brought news of Xbox and PlayStation working together to make streaming games in the future more smooth and consistent for everyone around. How optimistic are we about where this new partnership will go? It's not going to be life changing, and they're still competitors, but we talk about what it could mean for the future of gaming.
This week, we dig into the legislation proposed in the United States Senate that would severely limit the ability of game developers to include loot box microtransactions in their games.
This week starts our E3 preview content, as we discuss what we might expect to see from Electronic Arts and Square Enix at this year's show. We cover what they've done at E3 in recent years, talk about what they each need to do there this year, and finally, discuss what we expect to see from them this year.
We're so happy to have been joined by Parris Lilly, co-host of Gamertag Radio, for an extended interview on the show. He talks about how he got into podcasting, his favorite memories attending E3, how he got to give Phil Spencer direct feedback on Kinect
We talk games like Halo, Fallout, Zelda, Mass Effect, and more. Which company do we think will come out on top, and what do they have to do to emerge victorious at this year's show?
On this special episode of The Gaming Hub, we take a look at E3 2018 and each company, anticipating what they might have up their sleeves at the biggest gaming show of the year. Will EA bring more than Anthem and Battlefield V? How excited is Steven for Kingdom Hearts? We talk about what Bethesda has to do to keep their amazing momentum from previous E3 shows, and what Ubisoft has to do in order to not leave us feeling "meh" about their show.
Battlefield V was revealed this week, with new modes, no Premium Pass, and a return to the World War II setting. Is this the game we wanted from DICE, and will the (sort of) Battle Royale mode in it appeal to us as gamers? We discuss the war stories, Combined Arms, and how Grand Operations will add an element of Battle Royale to the game. Ultimately, now that we've seen both Battlefield V and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, which do we think we'll be playing more of come October?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was revealed this week, and we have our reactions ready. Does the lack of single player in the new game bother us, and what do we think about the new Battle Royale mode called Blackout? Aside from Call of Duty, are we happy that Battle Royale is the new trend in gaming? We discuss the likelihood that the new craze will become a staple in all shooter games going forward.
This week, Nintendo announced their online service for just $20 per year, but is it a good value? We get into a spirited discussion about the features it does and does not offer, and we don't all agree on whether or not it is a good service. In other news, Sony finally announced it's E3 conference date and time - is it a change from years past?
This week marked the release of the third trailer of Rockstar's highly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2. What were our reactions? And what are we hoping to see in the new game when it releases this fall? Also, Destiny 2 is back with the Warmind expansion - will it be enough to get any of us back into the game?
If you’re the proud owner of a PlayStation 4 and you like baseball, your options are great as you have yearly access to what is arguably the best sports game made each year. However, if the Xbox One is your console of choice, the baseball video game landscape is pretty barren, with no games offering the licensed players, teams, or stadiums that MLB: The Show does. That doesn’t mean there aren’t good baseball games for Xbox players to play though, as evidenced by Metalhead’s Super Mega Baseball 2.
With Ashland University announcing that they will offer scholarships to players for a Fortnite E-Sports team, does this signal the beginning of the NCAA getting into gaming as a competitive sport? The Gaming Hub team discusses this question and a lot more of this week's gaming news, including Nintendo's E3 conference announcement, Sony's insane console sales numbers, and what we would like to see from the upcoming Nintendo online service.
This week marked the release of the PlayStation 4's highly anticipated God of War, and reviews were overwhelmingly positive. However, the release also brought out some negativity, and we discuss the reaction to some reviews and posts regarding Sony's hugely anticipated game. When does a review deserve criticism? Also, Steve has had a chance to play a little of God of War, and we get his thoughts on the game.
On Episode 91 of The Gaming Hub Podcast, we get into the announced updates coming to Sea of Thieves – are they what is needed to keep the fan base interested in the pirate adventure game long term? Rare promises a lot of content updates throughout the summer, and we detail them on the show. In addition, this past week’s episode of Inside Xbox brought the announcement of 19 new backwards compatible games, including some significant titles that are getting an Xbox One X enhancement. Will we be playing them?
On Episode 90 of The Gaming Hub, we dive into mobile games with the upcoming release of the Harry Potter mobile game - are they real video games? If they're not, what exactly does a game have to be to qualify as a video game? What have been our favorite mobile games to play, and how have they provided a different experience than console or PC games?
In Episode 89 of The Gaming Hub, we dig into the newly released Far Cry 5. Two of us have played it - what are our thoughts on the new game from Ubisoft? Also, another week into Sea of Thieves, have our thoughts on the game changed at all? Is it possible for the game to be both great and not fun at the same time? Or the opposite - fun but not great or complete?
As one of the most highly anticipated Xbox exclusives in recent memory, Sea of Thieves released with a lot of goodwill and even more pressure to deliver on the promise of Xbox Game Pass, to make up for the current lack of Xbox exclusives arriving in 2018. Rare’s open world pirate game saw a lot of exposure throughout a long alpha and extensive beta, but does Sea of Thieves’ release version meet fans’ hopes and expectations? Despite some flaws, Sea of Thieves provides a fun, original experience on the Xbox One that should reward imagination and teamwork with other players.
In Episode 88 of The Gaming Hub Podcast, we discuss video game reviews – is posting the review for an online focused game the morning of release really the right thing to do? Also, we dig into Sea of Thieves, discussing our experiences with the brand new release from Rare as well as the fan concerns that have surfaced in the first week of release.
The final week of the Horizon Race Off dawns in Forza Horizon 5, yet as we prepare to bid farewell, there is a last hoorah in the shape of the Festival Playlist Weekly Challenges for Series 32 Spring.
For those of you who have been living under a rock or deep in the jungle for the last ten years, the Devil May Cry games feature a protagonist called Dante. And this is Dante when he was just effortlessly cool...
Been sailing the high seas with Sea of Thieves? Taken in the treasures of DREDGE? Uncovered the secrets of Skull & Bones? We've finally now reached the Age of Water - as it releases on Xbox, PlayStation and PC.Â
