Tag: Microsoft
News Crystal Dynamics Partnering On Perfect Dark Was Too Good To Pass Up, According To Xbox
"Personal connections" played a big role
One announcement we didn't see coming last month was Crystal Dynamics partnering with The Initiative to help bring the new Perfect Dark game to the next generation. Head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, elaborated on this surprise announcement (in the same appearance on the Kinda Funny Gamecast) -...
News Microsoft Considering Offering Xbox Owners 'Right To Repair' Their Own Systems
Study findings will be shared next May
Microsoft will investigate the possibility of allowing consumers - including Xbox owners - to repair their own hardware. Grist reports the American tech giant has reached an agreement with the non-profit investor group 'As You Sow' - who asked the Xbox manufacturer to study the "environmental and social...
News Obsidian Was Approached By 'Another Major Publisher' Before The Microsoft Acquisition
But it wasn't the right "cultural fit" in the end
Obsidian Entertainment - known in recent years for titles like Grounded, The Outer Worlds - recently revealed the studio was approached by another publisher, prior to joining Microsoft. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Obsidian's studio head, Feargus Urquhart, revealed how "another major publisher"...
News Xbox Joins In On #ThankYouSakurai Smash Bros. Ultimate Celebrations
"It's an honor for us and our friends"
Although many Xbox fans were hoping to see Halo's Master Chief added to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as the final fighter, it turned out to be Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series in the end. Microsoft fans didn't walk away empty-handed, though - with id Software's Doom Slayer entering the battle as...
News Microsoft CEO: Xbox Is Now A Much More Central Part Of The Company
"Xbox was part of Microsoft but it was out on the side"
It's been clear in recent years that Microsoft is putting a bigger emphasis on Xbox. From huge studio acquisitions such as Bethesda to introducing Xbox Game Pass, the company is working hard to involve the brand in its ecosystem. This is something Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has publicly...
News Rare's N64 Classic Banjo-Kazooie Will Be A 'Future Release' For Switch Online
Another "modern way" to enjoy this title
Rare might have been purchased by Microsoft long ago, but somehow its partnerships with Nintendo continue. In the latest deal, it seems Microsoft has given Nintendo the green light to release the original Banjo-Kazooie game on its newly announced Switch Online N64 "Expansion Pack" service. This news was...
News Xbox ANZ Shows Off 'NAIDOC Artwork Wrapped Xbox Series X'
The prize for this year's Indigital Minecraft Education challenge
Xbox is known for releasing all sorts of "limited-edition" controller and console designs, and the latest one comes from the land down under, Australia. It's a special "NAIDOC artwork wrapped Xbox Series X" and controller done by Gubbi Gubbi artist Maggie-Jean Douglas, which was this...
News Halo Infinite Xbox Series X Restocks Might Happen This Week
Stay alert, Chief
When Microsoft revealed the Halo Infinite Xbox Series X in August, the system sold out in most parts of the world in record time. Being "limited-edition", it's raised questions about a possible restock. The good news is there seems to be news doing the rounds online about one happening between now and 12th September. According to
Random Xbox Fans Want Microsoft To Add Clippy AI To Halo Infinite
Halo's Twitter account seems open to the idea...
With Xbox lately, a lot of things have been born out of a meme...Craig the Brute, a fully functioning Xbox mini fridge - so what's next? Video game accessory maker Astro Gaming shared the following mock-up of a Halo Infinite multiplayer avatar holding a rather interesting personal AI -
Random Team Xbox Wants To Know The First Xbox Game You Ever Played
Halo or something else?
If you've got a Twitter account, Xbox wants to know what the first Xbox game you ever played was. Perhaps you played Halo on the original Xbox, or first joined the Xbox generation during the 360 generation - whatever Xbox game it is that you first played, let them know and the official account might share it in its official...
News Not Everyone Is Happy With Xbox's Recent Comments About Preservation
There's a bit of scepticism
You may have seen that Xbox boss Phil Spencer made a few comments this week on the importance of game preservation. The reception to his statements have been somewhat mixed, with a few naysayers criticising the company's approach to preservation in general. During the Kinda Funny Gamecast earlier this week, Spencer said...
News Bethesda's Deathloop Will Be A Timed Exclusive On PS5 Until September 2022
Phil has also voiced his excitement about Arkane's work
One of Bethesda's upcoming releases is Arkane's Deathloop. During Sony's latest State of Play today, the studio shared an official gameplay walkthrough of the PlayStation 5 build. Towards the end is where it gets interesting for Xbox fans - with the trailer reminding everyone in fine print...
News Report Reveals How Microsoft Employee Stole $10 Million Via Xbox Gift Cards
The offender "found a bug that would change his life"
This is perhaps one of the strangest stories we've ever written, but it's an incredible narrative about how someone partook in a digital heist against Microsoft. It's an elaborate story about one man, the 25 digital digits used to redeem codes on the Microsoft Store, and how he managed to...
News PlayStation Boss Claims Sony Is Not In An 'Arms Race' Against Xbox To Acquire Studios
"We're very selective about the developers that we bring in"
Following the news that Sony has acquired former Xbox developer Housemarque, head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, has claimed it's not in an "arms race" against Xbox to acquire more studios. Speaking to GQ Magazine, Hulst was probed about the on-going race between companies to...
News Unknown id Software Project Rated By Aussie Classification Board
Is it DOOM, Quake or something else?
A rating for an untitled project by id Software surfaced on the Australian Classification Board yesterday. It is codenamed 'Project 2021B' and nobody seems to be entirely sure what this mysterious rating might be for. The code name is similar to 'Project 2021A' - which supposedly ended up being DOOM 3 for PSVR...
News Another Bethesda IP Has Joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Skyrim's Dragonborn becomes a Mii Fighter
Nintendo recently announced a new fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As part of this, it also revealed a new line of Mii Fighter costumes. In total, there were four new outfits revealed and one of them happens to be Dragonborn from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This new costume is a swordfighter and is...
News Microsoft 'Encourages' Steam and Epic Games To Join Windows 11's New App Store
"As others want to come to the Store, they’re very welcome"
Microsoft held the big unveiling of Windows 11 yesterday, and in addition to highlighting many of its Xbox gaming-related features, the company spoke a bit about the possibility of Steam and the Epic Games Store being integrated. In an interview with The Verge, Windows and device chief...
News Xbox Just Had Its 'Most Viewed' E3 Ever
Showcase peaked at around 2.3 million viewers
Just a day after we heard how Phil Spencer has put Microsoft's gaming business in a very good place, we've now got some milestones to share about Xbox's E3 broadcast this year. Coming from the head of Xbox himself, it's been revealed E3 2021 was Xbox's "most viewed" ever. Phil went onto state how him...
News 2023 Is When Xbox Will Deliver With The Likes Of Fable & Perfect Dark, Claims Insider
We could be waiting a while...
Following on from Jeff Grubb's comments about what not to expect at the Xbox and Bethesda Games show, the same industry insider has now shared a bit more insight about what fans can apparently expect from Microsoft moving forward. Many of the same games mentioned in yesterday's list have been named-dropped once again...
News Xbox Games Showcase: Extended Airs June 17th
Talk time with key Xbox studios
If you somehow left wanting even more after the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, don't worry Microsoft has got you covered. On 17th June (that's later this week) at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST, video game and tech YouTuber 'Parris' will be hosting a special Xbox Games Showcase: Extended. As you can see...
News Insider Lists IP We Shouldn't Expect To See At Xbox's E3 2021 Showcase
Eight games mentioned
We're so close to the kick-off of the Xbox and Bethesda showcase, but it seems we're going to keep getting predictions and insider information right up until the last minute. While we're expected to learn more about Halo Infinite, the rest of it has been guessing games for most parts. GamesBeat journalist and reliable industry...
Video Head Of Xbox Phil Spencer Discusses Gaming With Microsoft CEO Satyna Nadella
"As a company, Microsoft’s all-in on gaming"
Microsoft has released a video today featuring head of Xbox Phil Spencer and Microsoft CEO Satyna Nadella, talking about the future of gaming at the company, and the "importance of gaming at Microsoft and in the world." You can check out the video above, and Xbox Wire has also transcribed the full...
News Microsoft Marketing Exec: Xbox Game Pass Is A 'Real Win-Win Model'
"We’re pretty psyched about that"
Microsoft has been talking about Xbox Game Pass once again over the past few days, although perhaps not in the way you might expect, as the latest comments arrive courtesy of Microsoft's Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela. Capossela was speaking as part of the Evercore ISI Inaugural TMT Conference, where he...
News 343 Reveals New Firefight Matchmaking Changes For Halo: MCC
Will be part of the upcoming season
Although we're expecting to see more of Halo Infinite at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase next week on 13th June, 343 Industries is still busy improving the Halo: The Master Chief Collection. With season seven on the horizon, 343's community guy Postums has now revealed some of the social matchmaki
News Xbox Series X Are Back In Stock On The Microsoft Store In Australia
Update: And it's now out of stock, again
Update [Thu 3rd Jun, 2021 10:00 BST]: And within a handful of hours it's sold out again! Original story [Thu 3rd Jun, 2021 06:00 BST]: It's been just as hard to secure an Xbox Series X in Australia if you didn't secure one when it launched last year. Stock is limited and when it is available it often sells...
News Part One Of Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs Update Is Out Next Week On Xbox
New creatures, blocks and more...
In April, the team at Mojang made the tough decision to break its anticipated Caves & Cliffs update for Minecraft into two parts to ensure it lived up to expectations. For anyone who has been wondering how development is going, Mojang has now announced the first part will arrive next week across all platforms -...
News Don't Expect A Halo 'Inside Infinite' Blog Update This Month
343 is saving the news for the June showcase
This week Microsoft finally lifted the lid on the Xbox and Bethesda showcase taking place during E3 on June 13. It's planned to run for a whopping 90 minutes and as a result, 343 is shifting its 'Inside Infinite' Waypoint blog post to next month, with Halo's community director, Brian Jarrad, noting how...
News Xbox Doesn't Want Their First Party Studios To 'Change Their Creative Process'
"A good game is a good game, period"
Xbox owns a lot of studios now, there's no denying that. With so many teams under its belt, you may think there's a regime that controls the first-party studios. Well, things appear to be the opposite, as head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, has revealed some insight into how Xbox views its studios. In an...
News Tencent's TiMi Forms 'Strategic Partnership' With Xbox Game Studios
"Will revolve around new game experiences"
TiMi Studios, a Chinese developer skilled in mobile development and owned by the industry giant Tencent, has formed a "strategic partnership" with Xbox Game Studios. This news comes from Niko Partners' senior analyst, Daniel Ahmad, but at this stage there's not much information about what exactly is...
News 'The Original' Xbox Dynamic Background Is Now Available
Included in the May update
Last weekend on the Xbox Podcast, a number of fans spotted a classic Xbox dynamic background on Major Nelson's dashboard. The May 2021 update for the Xbox Series X|S is now available, and included is a new dynamic background titled "The Original" - and yes, it's the same one Larry had! Here's a look: To apply this...
News Classic Xbox Dynamic Background Spotted On Major Nelson's Dashboard
We want this so much!
If you've been wanting a new but classic dynamic theme to jazz up your Xbox Series X|S with, you might be in luck. In this week's episode of the Xbox Podcast, Major Nelson showed off what appears to be an OG-inspired dynamic background for the current generation system, while discussing what he's been playing recently. If...
News Xbox Expected Nintendo's Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 To Come Out In 2020
Better to be safe than sorry
If you thought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 might have made an appearance last year, you weren't the only one. Recent documents have highlighted that as of August 2020, Microsoft believed it would be contending against the game, alongside other Nintendo exclusives. As IGN reports, the ongoing Apple vs. Epic...
News Xbox Hardware Revenue Up 232% Thanks To 'Continued Demand' For Xbox Series X|S
And Microsoft's overall gaming revenue has grown by 50% year-over-year
Microsoft's FY21 Q3 results have revealed the gaming side of its business has experienced massive growth. Gaming revenue increased by 50% year-over-year resulting in $3.53 billion in total for the third financial quarter. Xbox revenue experienced a 232% jump thanks to the...
News Xbox Academy Aims To Teach School Pupils Video Game Development
Beats doing maths
In news we're completely not jealous about, Microsoft is introducing the latest stage of Xbox Academy with a workshop intended to inspire teenagers to become the next future game developers. Xbox Academy will be part of Microsoft’s Work Experience Week on May 10, and is available for year 9 and 10 pupils in the UK. Across the...
News Apple Devices Now Support The Xbox Series X Wireless Controller
iOS 14.5 is live
Apple has rolled out its latest update for iOS - meaning its devices now support Xbox Series X|S controllers. As highlighted by Microsoft's Jason Ronald, it's the best way to enjoy remote play and xCloud on iOS devices. iOS 14.5 has also added support for Sony's PlayStation 5 controller. To pair your Xbox controller with an Apple...
News Mojang Will Split Minecraft's Next Big Update Into Two Parts
"This was not an easy decision"
Last year, at Minecraft Live, Mojang lifted the lid on its absolutely massive Caves & Cliffs update for its sandbox game. It's considered by the team to be one of the "most ambitious" updates for Minecraft ever, but unfortunately, due to how big it is, and the current state of the world, the team has found it's...
Random This Official Halo And Mario Artwork Is The Crossover We Didn't Know We Needed
It's a me, Master Chief!
There's been a lot of buzz already this week that Microsoft and Nintendo could be collaborating together on something. Well, the official Halo Instagram account has only added fuel to the fire with this new artwork, which can only be described as a massive tease. The art, which is beautifully drawn, features many iconic...
Random Xbox Actually 'Commissioned' This Insane Halo & DOOM Crossover Portrait
It's great to see the family come together
In one of the weirdest stories we've ever had to report (and we've reported on some weird ones!), Xbox has "commissioned" a variety of Bethesda themed portraits in honor of the company joining the first-party family. Throughout the month, more images are said to be coming, but the first is a riff of Halo...
News Outriders Dev Says Inventory Wipe Bug Is Its Top Priority
Plan is to run a "one-off" mass restoration
Outriders' Xbox patch is now available, but while cross-play is now live between platforms, it seems there's now been an increase in inventory wipes. Not long after this update went live the Outriders' socials shared another message stating how the developer was "aware" and "deeply sorry" players were...
Random Microsoft Might Be Teasing An Xbox, McDonald's And Spotify Collab
Games, food and music
Yesterday, the official Microsoft Twitter account published a tweet addressed to Xbox and McDonald's - with Spotify attached, asking if they were wanting to catch up soon. It comes across as a joke and also signs off as the "person" who runs the Microsoft account, but knowing Microsoft and Xbox, it could potentially be another...
Rumour Hideo Kojima In Talks With Microsoft About Publishing His Next Game
Phil's shelf was a reference, says insider
We've heard time and time again how Phil Spencer wants Xbox to build its library of Japanese video games and continue to improve relations with various publishers and developers in this region. With this in mind, VentureBeat journalist and industry insider Jeff Grubb has been informed by a "source familiar...
News E3 Returns This June With A Digital Only Event, Xbox Will Be In Attendance
Along with multiple other companies
E3 will return for 2021 in the form of a digital event, and Xbox has been confirmed to be one of the attendees, along with a host of other companies. The event will run from June 12 until June 15, and along with Xbox, it will feature appearances from Nintendo, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner...
News Microsoft To Reportedly Host 'What's Next For Gaming' Event Soon
But keep expectations in check
The rumours are out and about again! You might remember that back in early February, it was reported that Microsoft had a "What's New For Gaming" event to be held on March 23rd. But instead, the Xbox Indie Showcase took its place. That event is reportedly still planned, however - at least according to Mary Jo Foley...
News Xbox Promises To Make Mini Fridges After Winning Twitter Contest
Update: After over 500,000 votes, Xbox won!
Update: It's happening! After a very close battle, Xbox came out on top versus Skittles with 50.5% of the vote, with well over 500,000 votes collected in all. In response, Xbox's Aaron Greenberg promised to make the mini fridges a reality: "Thanks to everyone who voted, this was down to the wire and...
Reminder Rare's Banjo-Kazooie Now Available As A Smash Bros. amiibo
Raring to go!
Well, here's something you don't see every day - the Rare and Microsoft-owned character Banjo-Kazooie has just been released as an amiibo for Nintendo's all-star brawler, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Banjo & Kazooie originally made their debut in Smash Bros. Ultimate in September 2019, as part of Fighter Pass Vol. 1. To this day,...
News Microsoft Reportedly In 'Exclusive, Advanced Talks' To Acquire Discord
The deal could be done as soon as next month
It was reported earlier this week by Bloomberg that Microsoft had been talking to the group-chat platform Discord about a potential acquisition for over $10 billion, but no deal was imminent at the time of writing. Now, The
News Deathloop's Devs Were 'Surprised' By The Xbox Bethesda Acquisition
"After the surprise, it made a lot of sense"
Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda has sent ripples through the gaming world in recent months, and Arkane Studios, which is currently working on the timed PS5 exclusive, Deathloop, was part of that acquisition. Speaking to Press Start, Deathloop’s director, Dinga Bakaba, and art director, Sébastien...
News Microsoft Reportedly In Talks To Acquire Discord For Over $10 Billion
But "no deal is imminent" right now
If you thought the Bethesda deal marked the end of big acquisitions for Xbox in the near future, you could be wrong! According to "people familiar with the matter," Microsoft is interested in buying Discord for over $10 billion. This has been reported by Bloomberg, which states that Discord "has been talking to...
News Xbox Takes Home Multiple Awards At The SXSW 2021 Gaming Awards
Congrats!
South by Southwest is a festival which celebrates a wide range of different interactive mediums, including games. Over the weekend, the winners for its 2021 Gaming Awards were announced and Xbox did pretty alright for itself. Out of the 12 categories, Xbox games took home a variety of awards. Ori and the Will of the Wisps was one of the...
News ZeniMax’s Board Of Directors Has Been Dissolved Following Microsoft's Acquisition
As confirmed by Bethesda's Pete Hines
Microsoft officially obtained ZeniMax Media last week, which saw companies such as Bethesda now directly under the company’s control. Following that huge acquisition, some big changes are already beginning to be made, as ZeniMax’s board of directors has now officially been dissolved. The board was made up...
