Welcome to The Expansion Pass (XP) — your place for clear, thoughtful discussions on gaming without the console-war noise.
Hosted by Luke Lohr (InsipidGhost) and Captain Logun, XP covers the biggest stories in gaming across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, and Game Pass through weekly news analysis, in-depth reviews, and long-form developer interviews.
Formerly Xbox Expansion Pass, the show has evolved into a multiplatform gaming podcast while staying rooted in the strategy, ecosystem, and conversations that built it.
With 150+ interviews featuring developers, journalists, and studio leads — from AAA to indie — XP offers a grounded perspective on how games are made, why decisions happen, and where the industry is headed. Guests include creators from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Respawn, id Software, Ninja Theory, Blizzard, Asobo, Remedy, and more.
What You’ll Hear on XP
• Weekly gaming and industry news
• Hands-on previews and spoiler-free reviews
• Interviews with developers, journalists, and industry veterans
• Coverage of Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, and Game Pass
• Honest analysis grounded in experience and respect for players
Why Listeners Come to XP
• Clear takes
• No console-war noise
• Insightful, professional coverage
• A welcoming gaming community
• Industry-level conversations made accessible
Whether you're here for gaming news, developer insight, or thoughtful commentary on a changing industry, The Expansion Pass (XP) delivers high-quality coverage every week.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, SiriusXM, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more.
Subscribe and join the XP community — and enjoy gaming discussions built on clarity, passion, and respect.
Episodes
Monday Dec 19, 2022
Monday Dec 19, 2022
#Xbox #TheGameAwards #XboxGamePass
In episode 158 we welcome Todd Oxtra of Secret Friends Unite on to discuss the possibility of Xbox introducing a cheaper, cloud only option of Game Pass. The Game Awards hit record numbers in terms of audience and High On Life is charting incredibly well. Enjoy.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
0:29 Welcome
1:01 Words of Kindness
9:30 Record Game Award Numbers
15:15 Game Pass 2022
20:40 Game Pass 2023
26:40 Cloud Based Gaming
31:59 High On Life
37:30 New Tomb Raider
41:11 Holiday Gaming
48:22 Outro
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
#Xbox #TheGameAwards #Frogwares
In episode 157 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we’ll discuss the no show by Xbox at The Game Awards and just what that means for 2023. We ask the question whether or not Xbox has failed in 2022, note that Xbox is raising prices in 2023, and examine news of the FTC's lawsuit to stop the Activision Blizzard merger. After that we welcome Ukrainian Developer Antonina Melnykova to the show, a Narrative Lead at Frogwares working on the Sherlock Holmes series. She’ll discuss the difficulties of making a game in wartime while dealing with attacks, blackouts, and how to stay focused on game creation. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
1:11 Grant Wahl
4:41 Xbox Offers 10 Year Deals
10:20 Xbox A Now Show At The Game Awards
15:06 Xbox In 2023
21:19 TGA Highlights
29:25 Marketing At The Game Awards
35:22 Holiday Games
39:00 Making Games In Wartime - Frogwares
42:42 Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened
46:30 Rewriting
51:30 Fan Reception
57:00 Surrounding Sherlock
1:00:42 Supporting Frogwares
1:03:00 Outro
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
#Xbox #DigitalEclipse #Atari50Celebration
In episode 156 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we welcome two developers from Digital Eclipse, Stephen Frost and Jeremy Williams on to discuss their latest work in retro wizardry, the Atari 50 Celebration. Prior to that we’ll briefly discuss some Black Friday sales and the Game Awards value. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
0:27 Welcome
2:40 Black Friday UK Sales
5:13 Callisto Protocol & Midnight Suns Disappoint
8:54 Game Awards > Trailers
14:19 Atari 50 Interview
19:20 An Interactive Documentary
24:40 Teaching Legacy
30:00 90's Kids & Atari
34:00 Unedited Atari Interviews
39:00 Game Modes
43:50 Testing & Controls
49:45 VCTR-SCTR
52:54 Lessons Learned
1:00:52 All In 2022
1:04:20 Retro Resurgence
1:10:20 Atari 50 Updates
Sunday Nov 27, 2022
Sunday Nov 27, 2022
#Xbox #Xbox360 #ActivisionBlizzard
In episode 155 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we welcome two friends to the show with PTKBL4M of The Shop Podcast and David Whitaker of Level1Gaming joining us to discuss our best memories of the Xbox 360, Callisto Protocol offering death animations in a season pass, and even MORE controversy in the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
0:36 Welcome
1:19 Words of Kindness
5:56 Hive Social In Gaming
10:45 Xbox 360 Memories
21:18 Bring One Game Back
26:13 The Best Xbox Era
36:19 Activision Blizzard Controversy
44:00 Day One Game Pass vs Exclusivity
55:00 Sonic Games
1:09:57 Diversity Xbox vs Nintendo
1:18:26 Outro
Sunday Nov 20, 2022
Sunday Nov 20, 2022
#Xbox #TheGameAwards #XboxSeriesS
In episode 154 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we celebrate 20 years of Xbox Live, check out some sweet Black Friday deals including the perfect sale price for the Xbox Series S and discuss the problematic timelines for The Game Awards. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
0:46 Welcome
1:14 Words of Kindness
2:23 Xbox Live Anniversary
5:06 Black Friday Sales
13:20 The Game Awards
22:25 Volition to Gearbox
24:46 Xbox 2023
28:48 Closing
Sunday Nov 13, 2022
Sunday Nov 13, 2022
#Xbox #GearsOfWar #LillymoGames
In episode 153 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we are joined by the co-founder and creative lead for Lillymo games, Colin Moriarty to discuss art styles, the writing process, and how publishing on multiple platforms gleans insight into the difference between Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo. Gears of War is getting the film treatment from Netflix and Halo’s Winter Update impresses. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00
0:49 Welcome
1:25 Words of Kindness
3:33 Control 2
6:13 Battlefield 2042 Update
7:23 Halo Infinite Winter Update
12:46 Xbox & God of War
18:00 Somerville Hype
19:06 Kevin Conroy Memories
23:11 Grandma Games
26:55 Welcome Colin Moriarty
30:47 Updating Games
38:49 Pixel Art is More Expensive
42:49 Scope In Games
51:38 Difficulty In Games
55:27 Schmup Stories
1:01:08 Games Cost Money
1:07:33 Denied for Game Pass
1:15:18 Platform Curation
1:21:21 Problems With Subscriptions
1:26:15 Next for Lillymo
Sunday Nov 06, 2022
Sunday Nov 06, 2022
#Xbox #Fable #Diablo4
In episode 152 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we examine the mountain of news from the past two weeks including Xbox potentially raising their prices, Diablo 4’s reported release date, Modern Warfare’s quality, Eidos Montreal working on Fable, and several Xbox milestones of late. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Introduction
0:48 Welcome
1:20 Words of Kindness
5:15 Raising Xbox Prices
11:15 Call of Duty Stays on Playstation
15:00 Witcher Remake
18:35 Eidos Montreal Working on Fable
23:09 Ghostbusters Impressions
26:03 Modern Warfare 2 Impressions
28:03 Xbox VR
Sunday Oct 23, 2022
Sunday Oct 23, 2022
#Xbox #VictorLucas #SilentHill
In episode 151 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we welcome the legendary Victor Lucas to the show to chat about the week’s news including the Silent Hill and Resident Evil showcases which gave horror fans plenty cause for celebration. Meanwhile the releases of Gotham Knights, A Plague Tale Requiem, and Modern Warfare’s campaign have us all lamenting our backlogs. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
1:13 Words of Kindness
6:15 Television & Gaming
12:54 Youtube & Gaming
18:18 Silent Hill Returns
26:00 Exclusives Hurt Gaming
33:30 Konami Surviving
38:30 Resident Evil Showcase
47:27 Gotham Knights Impressions
58:59 Super Hero Licenses
Sunday Oct 16, 2022
Sunday Oct 16, 2022
#Xbox #GothamKnights #LayersOfFears
In episode 150 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we welcome the creative director for Layers of Fears Damian Kocurek on from Anshar Studios to discuss bringing fear to gaming, an interview just in time for Spooky Season. Gotham Knights is locked at 30 frames on consoles and Xbox is bringing Cloud gaming to the Meta Quest Store. It’s a celebratory episode for 150 . Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
0:46 Welcome
1:29 Words of Kindness
10:24 XEP Goals
11:30 Contest Winners
12:49 Xbox Meta Quest
18:06 Game Pass Revenue
23:16 Gotham Knights 30fps
27:48 Listener Mail
44:45 Damian Kocurek
51:05 Preparing for Layers of Fears
56:10 Unreal Engine 5
59:50 Creating Horror
1:04:50 Watching Let's Plays
1:08:30 Pressure
1:12:36 Layers of Fears VR
1:17:36 Closing
Sunday Oct 09, 2022
Sunday Oct 09, 2022
#Xbox #CDProjektRed #MikeChapman
In episode 149 of the Xbox Expansion Pass we welcome Mike Chapman from Rare to discuss his role as Creative Director for Sea of Thieves and just how the game has evolved since launch…plus a few teases for the future. Prior to that we’ll discuss roadmap laid out for future content out of CD Projekt Red for the Witcher and Cyberpunk franchises. Enjoy!
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
0:00 Intro
0:26 Welcome
1:26 Words of Kindness
4:12 CD Projekt Red
6:24 Cyberpunk 2077 Review
9:38 CDPR Roadmap
14:40 Good or Bad Leaks
18:11 Gotham Knights
20:06 Metacritic 70s
24:13 Favorite Moments
29:45 Halloween Games
34:10 Introducing Mike Chapman
37:00 Rare's Superpower
43:40 Launching A Live Service
48:30 Keeping the Team Healthy
52:00 Setting a Good Example
55:41 Is Rare Unique With Community
1:00:25 Planning Room Features
1:02:00 Sea of Thieves Documentary
1:05:00 How Many Teams
1:09:50 What Makes A World Event?
1:13:25 Flameheart Returns and Villains
1:17:56 PvP vs PvE
1:22:13 Time Gated Content
1:27:15 Crossovers
1:30:00 Community Day Lessons
1:33:00 Game Pass Impacts
1:36:30 Sales Figures Incoming
1:39:45 Cloud Gaming & Sea of Thieves
1:41:35 Grand Maritime Union
1:44:30 Closing