Show #559 - Xboxing Day

Mike and AJ present the penultimate episode of the Exploding Barrel Podcast. First we take a look back at 2020, a rough year overall, but not a bad year for gaming. Can you guess our game of the year? Then we take a look back at every game of the year winner since the show started in 2007 in order to crown the Exploding Barrel Game of the Show.

Mike and AJ have a big announcement to make this episode. Yes, we’ve been on a hiatus, and it turns out there’s a reason. I’m still gonna make you listen to find out what’s up. ;P But we also decided to take a look back at the Xbox One / PS4 generation now that Gen 9 or whatever it’s called is here. We hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane!

Mike and AJ are ready to talk about the free to play game sweeping the internet, Genshin Impact. You might be surprised to find out who likes it more. We also lock our S foils to attack position to talk about Star Wars Squadrons. Mike has kinda beaten Hades, and the boys are ready for the end game content for Marvel’s Avengers to drop.

Mike and AJ were surprised to learn that Microsoft is buying Bethesda for $7.5 billion. What does that mean for Xbox, Bethesda's franchises, and gaming in general? To Mike's delight, Amazon has announced Luna, their upcoming cloud gaming service. We also survived the Xbox Series X preorder experience.

Mike and AJ talk about the surprise unveiling of the Xbox Series S and Series X price / release date announcement. We also discuss the games revealed at Ubisoft Forward, and talk about the awesome time we’re having with Marvel’s Avengers.

Mike and AJ talk about all of the announcements from the Mario Direct. We’re getting Super Mario 3D All-Stars (yay!), but no Galaxy 2 (boo!) and not a lot of remastering happening (drat!). We also discuss the new Nvidia cards, the joys of Avengersing, and what it’s like to accidentally crash an airplane into your in-laws’ house.

Mike and AJ are here to discuss the delay of Halo Infinite and what it could mean for the launch of the Xbox Series X (and S!). We also talk about the Marvel's Avengers beta, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, and the demo for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2. Yes, that's the name.

Mike and AJ check out the debut of Muppets Now on Disney+. We also talk about the Summerset event in Elder Scrolls Online, updates to Hearthstone Battlegrounds, and the sword rework for Dauntless.

Mike and AJ give their thoughts on the Xbox Games Showcase and how it compares to Sony's showing. We also get Mike's early impressions of a demo of Crash Bandicoot 4!

Mike and AJ discuss the planned refurb to change Splash Mountain into a Princess and the Frog attraction. We discuss the Last of Us (both of them!), next-gen game pricing, and the worst race in World of Warcraft. I kid, I kid.