Tag: Microsoft
News Bethesda's Games Will Be 'Better' Under Microsoft, Says Todd Howard
Quality assurance
It's been a massive week for Xbox - with Microsoft announcing its acquisition of ZeniMax Media (the parent company of Bethesda) for a whopping $7.5 billion. While we've already got some insight, in an interview with Major Nelson alongside Phil Spencer and Pete Hines, Todd Howard - director and executive producer at Bethesda -...
Random The Internet Thinks Microsoft Is Buying Sega Now
Update: No acquisition news at the Tokyo Game Show, confirms MS
Update: Microsoft has confirmed it has no plans to announce any acquisitions at this week's Tokyo Game Show. Original story: It doesn't take much to ignite a rumour nowadays and after Microsoft acquired the parent company of Bethesda earlier this week, some people on the
News Retailers Who Open Xbox Pre-Orders Early Will Be Penalized, Says Keighley
Microsoft supposedly "lowering allocations" as punishment
Earlier this week, as you might have heard, pre-orders opened for the PlayStation 5 ahead of scheduled and reportedly sold out within minutes. The situation was described as a "mess" within this community and a lot of people now have no option but to wait until the next shipment. To avoid a...
News Xbox And Crunchyroll's 'Good Surprises' Revealed As Competitions
Update: No sign of the service being added to Game Pass
Update (Thu 17th Sep, 2020 11:20 BST): The Spanish Xbox and Crunchyroll accounts have unveiled their "good surprises," revealing that they're just competitions to win Xbox Game Pass and Crunchyroll gift cards. Unless something else happens later today, it looks like there's little to get...
News Xbox Takes A Dig At Sony As PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live Without Notice
"We’ll let you know the exact time pre-orders start"
If you've been keeping tabs on the pre-order situation for the PlayStation 5, you've probably heard how badly it's gone. Sony said pre-orders would open on 17th September, but some retailers began listing the system early (with no notice) and it reportedly sold out within minutes. Our...
News Microsoft's Entire Xbox Series S Press Briefing Has Leaked Online
But there's no real use for it now
The leaks just never end for Microsoft, do they?! Following the rushed reveal of the Xbox Series S due to the system being leaked this past Tuesday, the entire "Virtual Press Briefing" for the system has leaked online. The videos have been posted by Twitter user WalkingCat, and while we're not going to share them...
News Microsoft Flight Simulator Will Be 'Just As Amazing' On Xbox As PC
"Some things might even be better"
There's been a lot of interest in Microsoft Flight Simulator ever since the "game" released to glowing reviews on PC and Xbox Game Pass last month, and while the game is confirmed to be coming to console eventually, we still don't have an official release date for it just yet. Hopefully it arrives soon! In the...
News Microsoft Officially Announces Its Robot White Xbox Controller
Available for standalone purchase this holiday
We've seen the new white controller that comes with the Xbox Series S in leaks and the recently released promotional materials, but now the Xbox Twitter account has gone to the extent of giving it a standalone announcement. In case you missed this detail in the main announcement, it's officially known...
News Xbox Is Hosting A Free Game Development Workshop Next Week
In partnership with Playground Games
Are you a keen or aspiring game developer? Microsoft is hosting a free digital game development workshop next week in partnership with East London Arts and Music (ELAM), Games London and Forza Horizon and Fable developer Playground Games, although you'll need to get in quick as spaces are limited. This workshop...
Random What's Head Of Xbox Phil Spencer Up To In This Interview?
"Nothing to speculate about here"
We're all curious to know what the Xbox team is doing in the lead-up to the release of its next-gen console this November. As a result, fans have been searching high and low on the internet for any new information. With this in mind, a now-deleted tweet - dated 1st September 2020 - by @TannTannTheMann, an apparent...
News The Next Generation Of The 'Designed For Xbox' Program Has Arrived
Complete with a brand-new look
Microsoft has today announced the official beginning of the next generation for the 'Designed for Xbox' program, which focuses on building "the best possible accessories for Xbox across a range of categories." As you can see from the image above, the official Xbox accessory packaging is getting a refresh - you'll now...
News Don't Expect 'New' Next-Gen Xbox News At The Tokyo Game Show
Hmm, interesting...
As already announced, Microsoft Japan will be hosting a 50-minute Xbox Showcase at the Tokyo Game Show later this month on 24th September. The broadcast will be in Japanese only. While we were admittedly hoping for some new announcements related to the company's next-generation system, Xbox Series X, it seems there won't be any...
News Microsoft Files Statement In Support Of Epic Games Against Apple
Relating to Unreal Engine
Microsoft has stepped into the battle between Epic Games and Apple, filing a statement in support of the former and explaining that Apple's support of Epic's Unreal Engine is critical for gamers and developers. The conflict between Epic and Apple began back in mid-August when Fortnite released an update that bypassed Apple...
News Xbox Teams Up With Meta Threads To Support The #GamersMask4Masks Initiative
Every purchase counts
Gaming apparel brand Meta Threads has joined forces with team Xbox to sell limited-edition Xbox and Halo face masks for $19.95 USD. It's all to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and raise awareness about the #GamersMask4Masks campaign: For every mask purchased, all profits will be used to fund the production of two additional...
News Microsoft Is Refunding Games That Were Accidentally Relisted On The Xbox Store
Check your emails
Cast your mind back to the start of August, and you might remember that Microsoft surprisingly relisted a whole bunch of Xbox 360 games onto the Xbox Store for a short period. We didn't quite know at the time whether it was an intentional move or not, but they were soon removed, and it now appears to have been a side-effect of...
News The 'New Xbox Experience' Launches With The Series X This November
Featuring a new look and feel
Microsoft has today unveiled a look at the "New Xbox Experience" - a new, connected ecosystem for Xbox that will be shared across Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Windows 10 and mobile this November. The company says that the new Xbox look and feel is designed to be faster to use, more approachable and visually appealing,...
News Xbox Series X Chip Production Costs Hint At Potentially High Retail Price
Will it be more than $500?
Microsoft recently gave a highly-technical talk on the Xbox Series X system architecture as part of the recent Hot Chips 2020 event, and hinted that the console could be quite expensive when it releases this November. As reported by PC Mag, Microsoft pointed out during the presentation that keeping costs down in the...
News Xbox Veteran Who Named Duke Controller After His Son Passes Away
"His easy smile, charm and relentless crazy drive was instrumental"
We've got some sad news to share with you, folks. Former Microsoft employee Brett Schnepf, who was a member of the original Xbox team and even named the iconic "Duke" controller after his son, has passed away (via GameSpot). In a message on Twitter, original Xbox creator Seamus...
News Over 2,000 Indie Games Have Now Been Shipped Via [email protected]
Program has paid out more than $1.5 billion in royalties
Microsoft's [email protected] program - which promotes independent games and allows developers to self-publish on Xbox One and Windows 10 - reached a major milestone this week. During episode 709 of the official Xbox podcast with Larry Hryb and Jeff Rubenstein, [email protected] director Chris Charla revealed...
News Japan Will Get The Xbox Series X This November, Confirms Microsoft
No delays this time around
If you remember the launch of the Xbox One back in November 2013, you might recall that the release of the console was delayed in Japan significantly - it didn't arrive until September of the next year. Fortunately, there won't be any such delays this time around, as Microsoft has confirmed to Japanese outlet Game Watch...
Random Panzer Dragoon Orta Is Currently $2,699.90 In New Zealand
It's good, but not that good
How much do you love 2002 original Xbox classic Panzer Dragoon Orta? Would you be willing to pay $2,699.90 for it? Because at the moment, that's what it's going for on the New Zealand Microsoft Store. You can see a screenshot of this below, and we've also noticed a similar price on the Australian store. Of course,...
News No Changes Being Made To Xbox Live Gold For Now, Says Microsoft
Update: The company provides a statement
Update (Wed 5th Aug, 2020 17:45 BST): Microsoft has commented on the removal of Xbox Live mentions from its Service Agreement (which you can see in the original story below), telling Windows Central the following: "The update to 'Xbox online service' in the Microsoft Services Agreement refers to the...
"Phil, let's do it again together"
Following Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase recently, head of Xbox Phil Spencer spoke about how one of his favourite moments of the entire event was when Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age was announced for the platform. "It's just an area of focus for us to make sure all creators globally feel like Xbox...
News Microsoft Is Making Big Changes To How You Buy Classic Xbox Games
It should be much easier moving forward
The team at Xbox hasn't been spending its weekend watching TV and catching the summer rays! Instead, it's been quietly transitioning some classic Xbox 360 games to the Microsoft Store, in a move that should ultimately make buying backwards compatible titles much easier moving forward. So, what exactly is...
News Microsoft Reveals Its New Look For Xbox Game Pass
What do you think?
As Microsoft prepares to make the transition across to the next-generation of Xbox gaming, it's been making some subtle changes to its brand. Even on social media, it's mixing things up - with the official Xbox Game Pass Twitter account earlier today revealing how Game Pass was trying out a new look: As you can see, it's...
News Microsoft Isn't Focused On Short-Term Profit With Xbox Game Pass
"We think long-term it works out good for everybody"
Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has been talking a bit more about Xbox Game Pass in a recent interview with What's Good Games, explaining that the service "isn't a big profit play" for the company right now. In the interview (transcribed by GameSpot), Greenberg was asked about how Xbox Game Pass can...
Live Watch The Xbox Series X Games Showcase Event Here
Featuring Halo Infinite gameplay
It's finally here! Today's Xbox Games Showcase will feature first looks at new gameplay (including Halo Infinite), insights from development teams being optimized for Xbox Series X, and brand-new game announcements. The pre-show is scheduled to begin at 8am PT / 4pm BST featuring additional world premieres, while...
News Aaron Greenberg Reminds Us Today's Xbox Showcase Is All About Games
"We hope you like it"
Later today (UK time), we'll finally get to see everything Microsoft's Xbox Series X Games Showcase has to offer. This will include our very first look at the campaign gameplay in Halo Infinite. To ensure fans know what's coming, GM of Xbox Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg has issued a friendly reminder over on Twitter about...
News Microsoft Seemingly Indicates November Release For Xbox Series X
According to CFO Amy Hood
Update: Microsoft has issued a statement to GameSpot, refraining from confirming a November release date for now: "We're excited to launch Xbox Series X, which will set a new bar for power, speed and compatibility when it launches Holiday 2020, alongside Halo Infinite. We have nothing further to share at this time."...
News Xbox Content & Services Revenue Up 65% In Microsoft Q4 Results
Fantastic few months for the brand
Microsoft posted its fourth quarter earnings earlier today, revealing that Xbox content and services revenue increased by 65% ($1.2 billion) year-on-year for the three month period ending June 30, 2020. In a press release, the company explained that the increase was primarily due to record engagement, including...
Guide Everything We Know About Today's Xbox Games Showcase
Here's what you can expect
If you've been checking in with us here at Pure Xbox over the past few days and weeks, you'll have seen us talking a lot about this week's Xbox Games Showcase event taking place on Thursday! It's been a while since the show was first announced however, so here's a refresher: What Is July's Xbox Games Showcase...
News Seagate's Xbox Series X Storage Expansion Card Web Page Goes Live
Price not yet revealed
Storage capacity is always a big talking point when it comes to next-generation video game consoles, and on the Xbox front, it's no different. Internally, Microsoft's next-gen system is packing a 1TB SSD, but if you want to be able to play even more of its future line-up, it might be worth checking out the 1TB Seagate Storage...
News Xbox Series X Listing Spotted On Amazon US
Not currently available
It looks like a recent listing for the Xbox Series X has been added to Amazon US. This has been spotted by a user over at the Xbox Series X Reddit page, and the listing seems legit, featuring a variety of details and marketing material with a placeholder release date of December 31, although it's strangely listed as an Xbox...
News Xbox Game Pass Unlikely To Come To 'Other Competitive Platforms'
There's no interest in having a full Xbox experience
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has previously mentioned how he would "love" to see Microsoft's Game Pass service on "all platforms", but in a video interview with German website Game Star last week, he suggested this is unlikely to happen - explaining how "other competitive platforms aren't really that...
News Project xCloud Isn't The Official Name Of Xbox's Game Streaming Service
What do you think it should be?
Project xCloud is officially coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at no extra charge this September, but according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, that won't actually be the official name of it. Speaking to The Verge, Spencer revealed that a final name hasn't been determined for the game streaming service: “This isn’t...
News Microsoft Confirms It Has Removed Yearly Xbox Live Gold Subscription
Is the service about to be dropped?
Over the past few days, speculation has been rampant that Microsoft might be planning to make changes to its Xbox Live Gold service, following the discovery that it was no longer possible to buy 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscriptions from the Microsoft Store. And now, Microsoft has confirmed its removal wasn't a...
News Xbox Boss: Aggressive Console War Talk Is Holding The Industry Back
“We should be driven to help gaming as an industry grow"
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been talking to The Washington Post in a new interview, explaining that he feels people should be spending energy on more important matters than aggressive console war debates. In the interview, Spencer noted that great games should always be applauded regardless...
News Phil Spencer: We're Always In The Market For New Xbox Game Studios
'There's been no signal we should be slowing down'
Xbox head Phil Spencer and the bosses of various developers under the Microsoft umbrella have been talking more about Xbox Game Studios in a fantastic feature with GamesIndustry.biz. As you can see from the title, Spencer also used this opportunity to explain that while the company is focusing on...
Rumour Xbox Tells Developers They Can't Charge For Next-Gen Game Upgrades As DLC
But there are catches
According to a report from Video Games Chronicle, Microsoft has told developers that they can't charge players to upgrade their current-gen games to Xbox Series X versions as DLC. The website says that publishing sources with knowledge of Microsoft‘s next-gen policies have revealed this information, explaining that it's...
News Bungie Almost Returned To Microsoft Before Signing 2010 Activision Deal
'Microsoft was very close to making a serious [offer]'
Former Halo and Destiny composer Marty O'Donnell has revealed developer Bungie was very close to being reacquired by Microsoft before signing its multi-year deal with Activision in 2010 (via GamesIndustry.biz). In an interview on the HiddenXperia YouTube channel, O'Donnell explained that the...
News Microsoft Might Not Show Everything At July's Xbox Showcase
"It's going to hold some things back"
As you've probably heard by now, Microsoft has officially announced its highly-anticipated Xbox Series X event will be taking place later this month on 23rd July. Although details are still limited, what we do know is that we'll be getting a proper look at Halo Infinite, as well as brand-new first-party game...
News Microsoft Reportedly Interested In Acquiring Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
But there's some stiff competition
Back in June, it was reported that AT&T was eager to sell its video game division Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to help pay off some of its debt, and now according to a new report, Microsoft might be interested in buying it. We're hearing this courtesy of The Information, which says that two people...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See From July's Xbox Games Showcase Event?
Let us know your wishlists
Update (Mon 6th July, 2020 15:50 BST): It's been a few weeks since we first posted this, but now the event has an official date! Let us know what games you're hoping to see later this month in the comments below. Original story (Tue 23rd Jun, 2020 19:30 BST): We're sure you know about this by now - Microsoft is hosting a...
News Microsoft Announces Xbox Games Showcase For July 23
Mark your calendars!
Microsoft has announced that this month's highly-anticipated Xbox Series X event will take place on July 23 at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST. The event is being classed as an Xbox Games Showcase. There will also be a pre-show for the event hosted by Geoff Keighley on YouTube Gaming as part of Summer Game Fest, which...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Shares Praise For PlayStation VR Game
Developed by Seattle studio Camouflaj
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has taken to Twitter today to share praise for a PlayStation VR game - specifically Marvel's Iron Man VR, developed by the Seattle-based Camouflaj. In his tweet, Spencer noted he was proud to see the local studio launching an impressive game: This isn't quite as out of the blue as...
Video Watch Phil Spencer's Full Interview From Gamelab Live 2020
Talking Xbox Series X and more
You might have noticed that we've referenced Phil Spencer's keynote interview from Gamelab Live 2020 a few times over the past week, and now it's officially been made available to watch on YouTube. It's a fascinating fifty-minute long interview with the Xbox boss, going in-depth about everything from the Xbox Series X...
News The Head Of Xbox Live Is Leaving Microsoft After 15 Years
"I made so many friends, learned so much and truly had a blast"
Xbox Live GM Dan McCulloch has announced he's leaving Microsoft after spending 15 years with the company. In a message on Twitter, McCulloch said he "truly had a blast," and he's excited about what's next: "After 15 years at XBOX, I announced today that I would be leaving. I made so...
Rumour July's Xbox Series X Event Will Fall Around The Week Of July 20
"Of course, plans can shift and change"
We're almost into July, and that means Microsoft's highly-anticipated Xbox Series X event is just a few weeks away! And according to the latest rumour, the event is currently set to fall around the week of July 20. This comes from Jez Corden at Windows Central, who says that "multiple sources with knowledge...
News Microsoft Is Closing Its Physical Retail Stores
“It is a new day for how Microsoft Store team members will serve all customers"
Microsoft has revealed that it will be closing its Microsoft Store physical locations as part of a strategic change in its retail operations. The company announced this earlier today on its official website. According to the statement, retail team members will...
News Microsoft 'Neck Deep' In Preparations For July's Xbox Series X Event
"Good things coming!"
It's fair to say we're very excited for Microsoft's upcoming first-party focused Xbox Series X event in July, which will be dedicated to the "incredible games coming from Xbox Game Studios." But while the event still doesn't have a definitive date yet, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has provided an update on how it's coming...
