Tag: Microsoft - Page 12
PSA Xbox FanFest 2023 Sign-Ups Close Soon Ahead Of Summer Games Showcase
Xbox's 2023 showcase will be broadcast in five locations
Xbox FanFest returns this year with five events happening worldwide next month, but if you want in, you better be quick because sign-ups are about to close. This year, the Xbox Games Showcase will broadcast to FanFest audiences live in Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo, Melbourne, and...
Poll Do You Think The Xbox ActiBlizz Deal Will Still Go Ahead?
Following the recent CMA verdict
Now that the dust has settled on last month's UK CMA ActiBlizz verdict, we've been left wondering what happens next. We have the EU verdict supposedly right around the corner, we have the FTC's ongoing lawsuit and of course, Microsoft has already committed to
Talking Point Are You Hoping Xbox's 'Gears Collection' Is Real?
Which game would you play first?
A 'Gears of War collection' of some sort has been a hot topic for a number of years at this point, with lots of rumours and reports pointing towards it becoming a reality some day. We've never heard anything official from Xbox on the matter, but a recent comment from Phil Spencer has reignit
News Microsoft Reckons It 'Lost The Worst Generation To Lose' With Xbox One
"Where everybody built their digital library of games"
Xbox Boss Phil Spencer talked about lots of different aspects of the company's gaming business in a recent interview on Kinda Funny's Xbox podcast, but this quote is a particularly striking one. Basically, Phil reckons that last generation was a particularly bad one to 'lose' because of the...
News Is Xbox's Phil Spencer Already Playing The New Asus Gaming Handheld?
Shelf don't lie
Phil Spencer yesterday appeared on the Kinda Funny Games Xcast, and while the focus was mostly on the state of Redfall and Xbox's gaming division, we did spot a new backdrop addition we haven't seen before.
News Xbox's Phil Spencer: 'I'm Upset With Myself' Over Redfall Launch
"There's nothing that's more difficult for me than disappointing the Xbox community"
As you may have already seen, Xbox Boss Phil Spencer has earlier today taken part in a very candid interview with the Kinda Funny Xcast crew over on YouTube. As we're still very much into Redfall's launch week, the game was of course a hot topic on the show, and its...
News Phil Spencer Says Xbox 'Needs To Improve' Its Development Process
"I think we need to improve on engaging in games that are midway through production"
In a first appearance since the launch of Redfall, Xbox Boss Phil Spencer today featured on a Kinda Funny podcast to discuss the state of Xbox moving forward. Naturally, the discussion quickly moved to Redfall's launch and how Xbox might go about navigating its...
News Xbox Announces Extended Showcase 2023 Featuring 'In-Depth Interviews' & More
"Focused on the news from our Xbox Games Showcase"
Yesterday, Microsoft revealed even more information on this summer's Xbox Games Showcase including the exact date and time it all kicks off next month. Also tucked into the team's announcement post was a little note on this year's 'Xbox Games Showcase Extended' which is now confirmed to be returning...
News Microsoft Introduces New Xbox Game Pass 'Friend Referral Program'
"Give up to five friends a free 14-day PC Game Pass trial"
Microsoft has today announced a brand new program to try and entice new players to try out its Game Pass service. The new 'Friend Referral Program' — as it's known — allows current Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass players to gift up to five 14-day PC Game Pass trials to friends...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 2-9)
May the force be with you
Xbox has just unleashed another huge list of digital deals for the week ahead, and as per usual, it includes a batch of backwards compatible games available at dirt cheap prices. A lot of this week's offers are for old school Star Wars titles, as Microsoft has just set a 'May the 4th Sale' live - including the pictured...
Deals 600+ Games Included In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 2-9)
Another batch of promotions now live
Last week saw an absolutely huge selection of games discounted across Xbox Live, with Friday's Golden Week Sale still ongoing at the time of writing. That hasn't stopped Microsoft adding even more discounts though, with another big batch of sales going live today across multiple new promotions. <related...
News New Xbox Dashboard Featuring More Background Space Unveiled
Hurrah, finally!
After months of testing, Microsoft has finally unveiled what a new Xbox dashboard could look like with its latest Xbox Insider 'Home experience'. The new home screen layout, pictured above, is arriving for Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha Insider rings later this week. Most notably, the new dashboard finally allows for a bit more...
News Xbox Reveals 'Sunkissed Vibes' Official Controller To Launch This Month
Turn up the heat
Xbox has unveiled its second collaboration with nail polish brand OPI, although this time it's geared more towards gamers luckily for us. While last year's Spring Collection collab brought 'gaming inspired' nail colour options for OPI fans, this year's effort has spawned a brand new themed Xbox controller. The 'Sunkissed Vibes'...
News New Xbox Game Pass Ad Reminds Us Of What's Coming In 2023 And Beyond
There are some amazing titles inbound
On the eve of Redfall's big first party release, Microsoft has dropped a brand new advert showcasing everything new on Xbox Game Pass. The short clip, posted up above, mostly highlights recent and upcoming releases for the service, including the aforementioned Redfall, Minecraft Legends and Hi-Fi RUSH alongside...
News Ukraine The Latest Nation To Pass Xbox's Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Microsoft sees success in the region
It's not all doom and gloom for Microsoft when it comes to the ongoing ActiBlizz deal! The Ukrainian government has announced this week that it is happy for Xbox's acquisition of the company to go ahead. Yep, despite hitting a major stumbling block here in the UK, the Eastern European nation seems satisfied with...
News Microsoft Signs New 10-Year Deal Despite UK ActiBlizz Verdict
"We are full speed ahead in our mission"
This week brought earth shattering Xbox news, when the UK CMA decided to block Microsoft's huge purchase of Activision Blizzard. The Xbox owner is already committed to appealing the decision though, and now, it's made another move to suggest that this deal is far from over. This morning, Microsoft has...
News Nvidia: Xbox's Acquisition Of ActiBlizz Would Be 'A Benefit To Cloud Gaming'
"Cloud gaming providers stand to gain an ever deeper catalog"
Boosteroid isn't the only cloud gaming service that disagrees with the CMA's decision to block the Xbox Activision Blizzard acquisition. Now, graphics card giant Nvidia has chimed in on social media with its 'Nvidia GeForce Now' Twitter account - mentioning how Microsoft's acquisition...
News Microsoft President Makes Headline News With 'Furious' Response To UK ActiBlizz Verdict
"The darkest day in our four decades in Britain"
If you look at the official BBC News website in the UK right now, the top story relates to the UK CMA's decision to block Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard, focusing on some comments made by Microsoft President Brad Smith. Speaking to the BBC, Smith didn't hold back with his thoughts,...
News Cloud Gaming Platform Calls Out Decision To Block Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal
"Boosteroid team and our users disagree"
In response to the CMA blocking Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard due to concerns about cloud gaming, Ukraine-based cloud gaming service 'Boosteroid' has issued a brief statement. It mentions how its team and users "disagree" with the decision and stand behind a statement made by Microsoft...
Talking Point Where Does Xbox Go Next If ActiBlizz Deal Falls Through?
Is another acquisition lined up? Is this it for new studios?
Well, the unfortunate news has well and truly landed - for now, the UK has blocked Xbox's attempt to purchase Activision Blizzard. While this ruling is by no means definitive — Microsoft is already starting its appeal process — it does present a major stumbling block for Xbox and...
News Activision Blizzard Criticises UK Verdict As Microsoft Takeover Gets Declined
"This report is a disservice to UK citizens"
Activision Blizzard has released a statement today following the UK CMA's verdict to decline the takeover by Microsoft, with ActiBlizz CEO Bobby Kotick sharing some words regarding his frustration over the decision. Kotick says that this is "far from the final word on this deal", and both ActiBlizz and...
News Microsoft Will Appeal UK Decision To Block Activision Blizzard Purchase
"We remain fully committed to this acquisition"
In case you missed the megaton news earlier on, the UK Competition and Markets Authority has officially blocked Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal. We definitely weren't expecting that decision, but it seems that Microsoft is already prepared for what comes next. In an official statement from company...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Officially Blocked In The UK
"Microsoft’s proposed solution failed to effectively address the concerns"
Well, we didn't see this one coming! The UK Competition and Markets Authority has today decided to block Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard, stating that the company failed to address concerns about cloud gaming. "The final decision to prevent the...
News Microsoft CEO: I've Never Been More Excited About Xbox's Pipeline Of Games
"Great content remains the flywheel behind our growth"
Microsoft revealed its earnings results for FY23 Q3 last night, and following the publication of the report, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared on a conference call to discuss those results - including how they relate to Xbox. As part of his comments, Nadella revealed that the company "set...
News Xbox Gaming Revenue Down 4% YoY In Latest Earnings Report
Hardware took a big hit
Microsoft has released its latest earning results for FY23 Q3 and Xbox's gaming revenue is down by 4% year-over-year. Although Xbox's content and services revenue grew by 3% - with growth driven once again driven by the Xbox Game Pass service, hardware revenue has taken a hit, with a decline of 30% compared to the previous...
Talking Point Next Month, It'll Be 10 Years Since The Xbox One Reveal Event
The Don Mattrick days are long gone
May isn't far away, and we'll soon be gearing up for a stacked summer of gaming announcements. In 2023, we have Summer Game Fest, we have the Xbox Games Showcase, and we'll probably see plenty of other smaller livestreams crop up over the next few months as teams begin to show off what's next for the industry...
Talking Point Would You Leave Xbox Game Pass If Microsoft Removed Its Exclusives?
Would the service still be worth it?
One Xbox talking point that's gained a lot of attention recently has been the rumour that Hi-Fi RUSH hadn't sold as much as expected, even though the game reviewed extremely well and seemed to create a lot of buzz at launch in January. Since then, Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg has chimed in on the rumour and its...
Deals Xbox Game Studios Hosts Extensive Steam Sale (April 20 - May 4)
Looking for a new Steam Deck game?
Xbox is hosting another major Steam sale for the new two weeks-or-so, shortly following its recent Spring Sale on the platform. This selection of discounts doesn't include anything from Bethesda unfortunately, but there are still some great deals to be had from Xbox's other first party studios and partnership...
News Microsoft Reportedly Invited To 'Showcase Its Products' At UK's 10 Downing St Next Week
At the same time the CMA delivers its verdict on ActiBlizz
Microsoft's protracted showdown with the UK Competition and Markets Authority is about to end after months of back and forth over Xbox getting its ActiBlizz deal closed. The CMA's investigation will be all wrapped up by next Wednesday, April 26, and it seems like Microsoft might be booking...
Talking Point Would You Like To See More 'Spin-Offs' From Xbox Game Studios?
Halo Wars 3 when?!
So, Minecraft Legends is officially here, and while these days the franchise has a very specific audience, we're glad that Xbox continues to make good on its acquisition of Mojang/Minecraft. We got Minecraft Dungeons back in 2020 and now Legends this year, so Xbox is seemingly still interested in building out the IP. However,...
News Xbox Co-Creator Thinks Microsoft 'Really Should' Have Made An Xbox Portable
"There should have been an Xbox portable"
We've seen various different versions of portable Xbox games in recent years, as the way of play becomes even more popular in the wake of Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. A lot of these revolve around Xbox Cloud Gaming — like the Logitech G Cloud system pictured above — but what about a dedicated system...
News Halo's Longtime Franchise Director Has Left Microsoft
It follows Joseph Staten's departure earlier this month
Halo lead Joseph Staten only recently announced he would be leaving Microsoft, and now it seems another Halo veteran has moved on. According to Axios' Stephen Totilo, Microsoft has confirmed the departure of Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor. He contributed to Master Chief's journey for...
News Ex-Halo Lead Announces New Project After Leaving Team Xbox
Moving onto pastures new
Earlier this month, Halo veteran and long-time Xbox developer Joseph Staten revealed that he was leaving Microsoft, and he's not taken long to announce where he's heading. In a new social media post today, the Halo Infinite project lead has revealed his new destination. Staten is heading over to Netflix to direct something...
Guide Minecraft Legends Release Date, Release Times & Download Size On Xbox Game Pass
Get ready for launch!
Xbox's latest Minecraft spin-off is almost here, as Mojang and Blackbird Interactive bring Minecraft Legends to Xbox Game Pass this Tuesday. Ahead of the big launch, here's everything you need to know about getting the game installed and ready to go for release. <related ids="147975"> Minecraft Legends Release Date...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Adds South Africa To 'Approved' List
And we've got a big deadline coming up
Update: Activision Blizzard has reached out to Pure Xbox with the following statement: “The South African Competition Commission recommended approval of our merger with Microsoft based on a thorough review of the facts about competition in the gaming industry. We appreciate this additional affirmation from...
Random Xbox Teams Up With Pringles To Create 'Suspicious Stew' Flavour
Sounds... tasty?
Minecraft Legends is about to launch on Xbox Game Pass, and that seems to have inspired the Pringles folks to develop a brand new flavour for its popular salty snack range. Yep, 'Suspicious Stew' flavoured Pringles are now a thing - plucked straight from the Minecraft universe (we cannot confirm nor deny whether Pringles are cannon...
News Microsoft Is Starting To Advertise Its ActiBlizz Acquisition On Billboards In London
Call of tubey
Early last month, Microsoft increased its efforts to convince the UK that its Activision Blizzard deal would be a good one for gaming, when full-page ads started cropping up in newspapers. Well, those same ads (or very similar ones) have now been converted into digital billboards as the Xbox owner continues to push for positivity...
News Discord Improvements Now Live On Xbox, Starting With Insiders
Currently available to Alpha ring Insiders
Xbox's latest Insider update has been detailed by Microsoft, and it adds a neat feature to the Discord chat integration. Starting today for Alpha Insiders, Xbox gamertags will be more visible across the board when using Discord. This is because Xbox is now showing linked accounts within the Discord section...
News Ubisoft Says 'Great Content' Will Allow Its Subscription Service To Compete With Xbox Game Pass
"That's the point of differentiation that we bring."
Well, it finally happened! After months and months of leaks and speculation, Ubisoft Plus is now live on Xbox as the company brings its subscription service to console for the very first time. We've got a couple of handy breakdo
News Microsoft Seemingly Prototyping New Windows Mode For Handheld Gaming
Internal tests are a go
The success of Valve's Steam Deck device is starting to spawn a whole new market for handheld gaming PCs, and Microsoft is seemingly taking notice. A leaked Microsoft 'Hackathon' video (showcasing an internal project where employees pitch and test ideas) has revealed that 'Windows Handheld Mode' is one such project in the...
Talking Point Will We See New Xbox Hardware By The End Of 2024?
Series X|S sales are down in the UK
Sales figures for the UK gaming industry in Q1 2023 are now out in the wild, and they make for some interesting reading across the board. Hogwarts Legacy is of course absolutely killing it when it comes to sales, while the PS5 is also selling very well now that Sony is stocking it properly in most markets...
News Microsoft Reveals Frustration With Group Of 'Gamers' Trying To Sue Over Xbox Deal
"Unsupported and implausible claims"
Remember that group of ten "gamers" who tried to sue Microsoft over the Activision Blizzard takeover? The case was dismissed in court back in March, but the story isn't over, as the Plaintiffs have filed an amended complaint. As reported by Reuters, the new complaint is 73 pages long and (again) goes into detail...
News Xbox Fans Spot Another 'Project Keystone' Appearance Thanks To Phil Spencer's Shelf
He's at it again
Yesterday, Xbox boss Phil Spencer made another on-camera appearance as he welcomed more of the world to the delights of PC Game Pass. While that was the sole focus of the short clip, fans have once again been scouring the man's shelves to see if they feature any more hidden Xbox secrets. To our eye we couldn't see much new, but...
News Xbox Design Lab Adds Even More Customisation Options For The Elite 2 Controller
An expanding palette
Shortly after announcing a PC Game Pass expansion, Microsoft has revealed that it's expanding another part of its gaming suite. Recently, the Elite Series 2 controller was finally added to Xbox Design Lab, and it's now available with even more customisation options! Xbox is adding "a new range of colours" to the Elite 2...
News PC Game Pass Is Now Available In A Whopping 40 New Countries Worldwide
Phil Spencer welcomes all
Following a seemingly successful preview program that kicked off in February, Microsoft's PC Game Pass program is now seeing a massive expansion. The service is now fully available in 40 new countries worldwide, as announced by head of Xbox Phil Spencer. Access to PC Game Pass in the following nations is rolling out today,...
Rumour Xbox Games Showcase 2023 Runtime Revealed By Microsoft Leaker
Starfield Direct included!
We have a rumour doing the rounds this morning about Xbox's big summer showcase for 2023! According to a regular Microsoft Store leaker who goes by the name of WalkingCat on Twitter, the Xbox Games Showcase this year is set to last roughly two hours in total. The leak also reveals a potential start and end time for the...
News Xbox Signs Yet Another 10-Year ActiBlizz Deal, This Time With UK Mobile Network
Kevin Bacon approves
As approval processes continue for Xbox's huge Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft has signed another 10-year agreement in relation to its cloud gaming endeavours. This time, the Xbox owner has entered into a deal with UK internet and mobile phone provider EE. As expected, the agreement is focused on bringing Activision...
Feature Why We're Excited For 'Ghostwire: Tokyo' To Hit Xbox Game Pass This Week
From the team behind Xbox exclusive Hi-Fi RUSH
This one feels like it's been 'on the way' to Xbox forever, doesn't it? Ever since we saw the Xbox Series X|S logo plastered on Bethesda's beautiful Ghostwire: Tokyo office artwork we've been eagerly anticipating the game's arrival on Xbox Game Pass. Well, more than a year after Ghostwire: Tokyo's PS5...
News Halo Veteran Joseph Staten Has Announced He Is Leaving Microsoft
"I'll have more info to share soon"
We've got some breaking news coming out of Microsoft about Joseph Staten. After recently exiting Halo Infinite and moving back to Xbox Game Studios Publishing, the Halo veteran has now announced he'll be leaving the tech giant. Microsoft didn't reveal where exactly Joe is off to but thanked him for his...
News Activision Won't Allow Sony's 'Disappointing Behaviour' To Impact Long Term Relations
Bobby Kotick says they're doing it for the players
The ongoing battle between Microsoft and Sony has been a long and difficult process with Activision Blizzard essentially caught in the crossfire. It's notably stalled Activision's own plans, and has evidently taken its toll on some of the company's key figures (with Sony refusing to sign the Call...