Tag: Microsoft - Page 39
News Holy Smokes! This Game Of Thrones Xbox Series S Looks Amazing
House of the Dragon
Microsoft seems to have a conveyor belt of custom Xbox Series S consoles going over there at Xbox HQ! Their latest effort is a seriously impressive one though, with an elaborate Game of Thrones design completely encompassing a Series S console. This thing looks like it has an entire vault case surrounding it, almost like a...
News Xbox Details September ID@Xbox Showcase Featuring Game Pass Announcements
On a particular anniversary...
Showcase season is continuing well into September this year it seems! Xbox's Tokyo Games Show livestream takes place later this month, and literally a day before that, Microsoft is now delivering a fresh ID@Xbox showcase for us all. The team's ID@Xbox fall show goes ahead on September 14th, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm...
News Xbox Unveils New Home UI For 2023, And Your Feedback Is Wanted
Here's a quick overview
Xbox has announced that the team is working on a brand new 'Home UI' experience for its console dashboard, set for public release in 2023. The new UI will change the core console interface a little bit, while also adding features like a dedicated store tile, a new 'jump back in' bar, and more. The new UI in its current form...
News Aaron Greenberg Promoted To Xbox's VP Of Games Marketing
Congratulations!
If you're a close follower of the Xbox team, you'll be well aware of Aaron Greenberg. He's a really nice guy who is always busy promoting the latest game and hardware. It seems he's recently been promoted - with his LinkedIn profile revealing how he's gone from Xbox Games Marketing General Manager to Xbox Games Marketing Vice...
PSA Now's Probably A Good Time To Use 'Energy Saver' Mode On Xbox Series X|S
Bills, basically
Since things have moved over to those super speedy SSDs in Xbox consoles, we've been happily using 'Energy Saver' mode on Xbox Series X and S. The bootup speed boost gained from 'Instant On' just isn't really there with the new systems, not to mention the cost and environmental benefits from the console properly shutting down when...
News Xbox's 'Approach' With Starfield Is Leading To More ActiBlizz Scrutiny
The UK CMA is once again concerned
Earlier today, we covered a little bit about the UK Competition and Markets Authority's concerns over the Activision Blizzard deal. Those concerns mostly related to how big some of Activision's games are, and whether Microsoft owning them could harm competition. Well, the whole first phase document has now been...
News Xbox App Search Function Finally Sees Improvements In Latest Update
Hurrah!
Searching for content on Xbox has always been a bit hit and miss, and that extends to secondary devices like mobile as well. Players have long complained about the usefulness — or lack thereof — of the search bar on the Xbox app on mobile, and well, Microsoft seems to be making some changes. A new update for the Xbox app has just gone...
News UK Authority Reveals 'Concerns' Over Xbox's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
It could end up being investigated further
Update: Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now responded to this in a long letter on the Microsoft website: Read More: Xbox's Phil Spencer Responds To 'Concerns' Over Activision Blizzard Deal Original story: We've got some not-so-good news to share on the progress of the Activision Blizza
News Xbox Will Be At Tokyo Game Show 2022 With Japan-Focused Livestream
"This will be a show curated for our players in Japan and Asia"
Team Xbox has revealed that it'll return, at least digitally, to the Tokyo Game Show this year, which takes place mid-September. Xbox will host a livestream focused mainly on Japanese and Asian titles from "developer partners" around the world. The team has tempered expectations...
Talking Point Will Microsoft Replace Xbox 360 Games With Gold?
The end of an era
Well, there it is. Xbox has just announced the final Games With Gold selection that'll feature Xbox 360 titles (and seemingly original Xbox titles as well), as the company recently announced that it was ditching the 'classics' part of the program. It's been a long, and at times less-than-thrilling ride we have to admit, which is...
News Xbox Has Unveiled This Custom Pac-Man Xbox Series S Console
Up for grabs via Xbox Sweepstakes!
The latest in a long line of custom Xbox Series S consoles is a bright and colourful rendition based on the legendary Pac-Man! As is the norm, this custom console is only available to acquire through entering a competition, but still, it looks pretty darn sweet! All the rules & regulations are laid out in...
News Xbox Is Adding New Install Options For Different Game Types
Choose where next-gen & last-gen games download
The latest round of Xbox Insider patch notes have revealed a very welcome install-related feature on its way to Xbox. Basically, we'll soon be able to pick a default install location for each game type, meaning Xbox Series optimised titles can be automatically downloaded to your console's SSD or a...
Reaction More Gaming Acquisitions Doesn't Necessarily Mean More Exclusives
The tides are changing
We seem to be caught in a whirlwind of gaming acquisition news as of late, from progress on the Xbox ActiBlizz deal, to Embracer buying a bunch of studios, to rumours about an EA deal, and even more besides. While these deals often bring out both supporters and sceptics in
News Xbox Series X & Series S Will Not Follow PlayStation 5 Price Increase
Microsoft responds
In recent developments, Sony has made the "difficult decision to increase" - yes, increase - the price of its PlayStation 5 console in select locations around the world due to a whole host of factors. It had Xbox fans wondering if Microsoft would follow, but it seems there is no need to worry. As you might have already seen,...
Reaction Will Xbox Follow PlayStation In Raising Console Prices?
Update: Microsoft issues a response
Update: It looks like we've got our answer! Microsoft has issued a statement today to various outlets suggesting that the price of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will remain the same - at least for the forseeable future. Phew! Here's the full quote: “We are constantly evaluating our business to o
News Xbox Continues To Look For Potential Acquisitions, Says Phil Spencer
Especially in different markets
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has sat down with Bloomberg to discuss all things Xbox, as the industry focuses on Gamescom 2022. Microsoft's head of gaming expressed how he feels about the ongoing Activision Blizzard deal, while also touching on what could potentially come next. In short, Spencer says the company continues...
News Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal Officially Approved By Saudi Authority
The Asian nation is the first to publicly approve the deal
Since Xbox announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, official approval of the deal by nations around the world has been a key topic of discussion. The FTC is scrutinising the deal over in the US, while the UK CMA is taking a good long look at proceedings over here. Well, we've now...
News Sony Didn't Pay To Keep 'Cult Of The Lamb' Off Xbox Game Pass, Says Publisher
Update: "This is absolutely untrue"
Update: Devolver Digital, which publishes Cult of the Lamb, has since reached out to TheGamer about this story to state that the rumour is "absolutely untrue" and Sony didn't pay to keep the game off Xbox Game Pass. "This is absolutely untrue". Original story: There's been a lot going around lately about how...
News Hideo Kojima Teases Work-In-Progress Trailer For Upcoming Project
Could it be his announced Xbox game?
Back in June, Kojima Productions and Microsoft finally confirmed their partnership, with the two companies now working together on a brand-new Xbox game. It had been rumoured and reported on for months prior as well, following the release of Kojima's PlayStation exclusive Death Stranding. We've seen nothing on...
News Xbox One Seemingly Sold 50-60 Million Units Last Generation
About half as many as PS4!
As Microsoft pushes on in pursuit of wrapping up its Activision Blizzard acquisition, countries around the world are continuing to scrutinize the deal. Brazil is one such country, where a regulatory body in the South American nation has been has been looking at Microsoft, and various other third parties, in relation to the...
News Xbox Says Sony's Concerns About Call Of Duty Are 'Simply Unjustifiable'
The fight continues
Scrutiny surrounding Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal is increasing, especially as Microsoft has seemingly submitted all of the required info to the FTC. While such a process is formality in a deal of this nature, we're now seeing Xbox react to other opposing parties. In the gaming space specifically, Xbox appears to believe Sony...
Talking Point Is It Time For Xbox To Introduce A New Dashboard?
Refreshed
It feels like we've been rocking some form of the current Xbox dashboard layout for quite a while now. Sure, when Xbox One first released things looked a fair bit different (good riddance to that UI) but in the years since say, Xbox One X launched, things have felt quite samey especially considering we're now into a new generation. So,...
Random Xbox 360 Blades UI For Game Pass Looks Awesome In Fan-Made Concept Art
Xbox Game Pass 2005 edition
Xbox 360's launch era, the time when the 'Blades' dashboard was front and centre for the console, is starting to hit all the right nostalgia notes. We've spotted quite a few fan-made concepts recently focusing on bringing back the Blades, and a new concept looks at how the UI could work with Xbox Game Pass. This...
Talking Point Xbox Series S Owners, Are You Happy You Skipped Series X?
Decisions, decisions
Xbox Series S has been a pretty consistent talking point throughout the generation so far. From its much-rumoured reveal before launch, to questions about whether it could keep up with the big boys, it seems folks have always had something to say about Microsoft's digital next-gen Xbox. We have to say though, it's continued to...
News Preview Pricing Makes Xbox Game Pass 'Family Plan' Seem Really Good Value
Revealed via the Ireland testing phase
Yesterday, August 4th, Microsoft finally started to roll out testing for its upcoming Xbox Game Pass Family Plan. The program, which allows up to four users to take advantage of Game Pass Ultimate benefits, just began testing in Ireland and Colombia. Thanks to the testing phase in Ireland specifically, we now...
News Xbox Series S Becomes More Powerful Thanks To New Console Update
Dev kit improvements
Microsoft has announced that tucked into its June developer update across Windows and Xbox, it's enabling Xbox Series S to become a bit more powerful. A new update to developer tools for Xbox Series S allocates more memory for teams to use, which could result in performance boosts to both existing and upcoming games on the...
News Microsoft Defends Activision Blizzard Deal With Eyebrow-Raising Statement
It makes sense though!
Yeah, this is a weird one. You remember how a couple of days ago, we reported that Sony seemed a little bit worried about Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and specifically the Call of Duty franchise? Since then, RPS has pointed out that Microsoft had an interesting way of justify
News PlayStation Seems Worried About Xbox Owning Call Of Duty
Sony says the series 'has no rival'
We all know how incredibly popular Call of Duty is, and just how big of a deal Xbox owning the brand could potentially be. However, most of us don't have quite as much stock in the series as Sony does, and what happens to CoD is clearly of huge interest to the PlayStation owner. In a Q&A between Sony and a...
News Multiple 'World Premieres' To Feature At Gamescom Showcase Later This Month
"World premiere!"
The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley has revealed that he'll be hosting a live showcase at Gamescom 2022, set to take place later this month. During the 'Opening Night Live' show, expect to see new game trailers, extended demos, and of course, plenty of 'world premieres' (admit it, you read that in the voice). The showcase kicks...
News Former Xbox Boss Talks Building The 'Innovative' Xbox 360 Console
"It was such an innovative console"
The Xbox 360 was a defining era in the history of Xbox. It pretty much put the brand on the map, exposing Xbox to millions through Xbox Live - and a fantastic, cutting edge console to boot. At the time, Peter Moore was brought in to help Microsoft market the Xbox 360 launch, and in a new interview, Moore has...
News Xbox 'Encouraged' Console Wars During The 360 Era, Says Former Exec
"Not to create division, but to challenge each other"
The Xbox 360 era was a different moment in time, certainly for the Xbox brand where it still seemed hungry to make a name for itself. That hunger often spilled over into 'console wars'; basically, folks arguing over which console is best. While that fierce competition has eased somewhat in recent...
News Xbox Series X Back In Stock In Australia, Pre-Order Now
Secure yours today
If you still haven't been able to get hold of an Xbox Series X and happen to be located in Australia, certain stores around the country appear to have secured stock, and are currently taking pre-orders. EB Games is asking for a $200 deposit (the total price is $749.00). It's strictly one per customer and stock is expected to be...
News Xbox Had Its Highest Sales Year Ever In FY22, Analysis Shows
Continued growth
Microsoft has just detailed all of its big flashy financial results for Q4 of the company's 2022 fiscal year. While sales across the Xbox brand are down on the previous quarter, just, the year as a whole looks pretty damn successful. Games industry analyst DomsPlaying has shared some research indicating that while Q4 is indeed...
News Xbox Series X And S Have Been Next-Gen 'Market Leaders' In The US
Over the last 3 fiscal quarters
Yesterday, Microsoft laid bare its company-wide results over the last financial year, and things are looking pretty positive overall.
News Xbox Series X And S Console Sales Up Year-On-Year In Europe
Almost 10% higher than 2021
Over the course of 2022 so far, we've posted multiple stories about Xbox Series X and S console sales doing well in Japan. The pair of systems seem to be shifting fairly quickly in the region, although stock shortages have hurt PS5 sales somewhat. As it turns out, it's much the same story in Europe.
Feature Stray's Success Could Pave The Way For Everyone's Favourite Xbox Cat To Return
Blinx, baby
You might of heard of a little game called Stray — out now on PlayStation platforms and PC — featuring a whole bunch of our cute feline friends. (We say friends, but do cats really like us?) Anyway, let's not try and figure that one out because we'll be here for eons. Instead, let's ponder how Microsoft can fight back with the return...
News Xbox Pushes Out Update To Fix 'Empty Home Screen' Issue
As a server-side patch
Xbox Engineer Eden Marie has once again taken to Twitter to give us a little more info on a recurring Xbox home screen issue. Certain users have been reporting that the frontend dashboard often fails to load properly, resulting in the inability to access 'My games & apps' along with other sections of the OS. Thank
News Halo Infinite Art Director Leaves 343 After Near 15-Year Career At Xbox
New horizons
One of the core developers on Halo Infinite is moving on this year, following a mammoth career at the Xbox-owned studio. Art Director on various Halo projects including Infinite, 'Sparth' (real name Nicolas Bouvier) has announced their departure shortly after Infinite's launch, which finally arrived late last year. The well-known...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Purchase Could Be FTC-Approved By Next Month
Microsoft has reportedly submitted all relevant info
Xbox's monumental acquisition of Activision Blizzard is the biggest of its kind in the gaming industry. It's had multiple hurdles to jump over to get closer to actually happening, but one of the most noteworthy might be about to pass. According to a report by the financial analysts over at...
News Xbox Exec Wants To 'Celebrate' Other Console Platforms More
No more wars
It's no secret that Xbox has been pretty open about trying to break down barriers between console platforms. Xbox boss Phil Spencer routinely takes to the Twitter airways to celebrate the folks over at PlayStation and some of their high profile releases, not to mention Xbox's continued push for full cross-play support. Xbox's Aaron...
News 343 Developer Shares 'Halo VR' Concepts From 2017
This would be awesome!
It's no secret that Xbox has continued to shy away from VR in recent years, with Phil Spencer even publicly stating that there are no plans for the tech on the platform at present. However, that doesn't seem to have stopped past VR projects being worked on at Xbox studios, even if they never came to market. One such project...
News Former Microsoft Exec Was Supposedly Team Lead On New 1 Vs. 100 Game
Fingers crossed it's still in development
If you haven't been keeping up with the news, the classic Xbox 360 online gameshow 1 Vs. 100 appears to be back in development at Microsoft, although it seems the project might have changed its team lead recently. According to a discussion between reporters Jeff Grubb of VentureBeat and Jez Corden of...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Is Being Scrutinised In The UK
Under the microscope
With the huge Xbox Activision Blizzard deal still going through various phases, it's beginning to face scrutiny in various markets. The latest of which is the UK, where the region's Competition and Markets Authority is now looking into the deal and whether it could harm competition in the market. CNBC reports that the UK...
News Microsoft Renews Trademarks For Rare IP Viva Piñata & Blast Corps
Business as usual, or something else?
Trademarks and renewals don't always lead to something, but they sure get fans excited whenever there's an older series or game mentioned. With this in mind, Microsoft has apparently renewed trademarks for two Rare IPs. As spotted by Game Rant, the first is Viva Piñata, starting out on the Xbox 360 in 2006,...
News Aaron Greenberg Teases 'A Lot More' Unannounced Xbox Games In The Works
Titles like Starfield & Fable are just the beginning...
It's safe to say that Xbox probably has the biggest line up of games on the way, even if some of them are still in the early stages of development. Despite this, it's still exciting to see so many games coming to the Xbox Series X|S in the future. If games like Redfall, Starfield and Fable...
News Xbox's Next Competitor Could Be An 'NFT Games Console', Apparently
If the 'Polium One' ever comes out that is
It's been a while since anyone has truly shaken up the console platform trifecta. Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo have held it down for decades now, with Google Stadia's limp attempt to enter the market via cloud streaming not going down all too well. So, how about an 'NFT games console'? That's sure to do...
News Xbox Has Created A Series X Console That's Literally Thor's Hammer
Love and Thunder
Xbox has moved over to the big brother of the Series S for its latest custom console effort. To tie in with the upcoming 'Thor: Love and Thunder' movie, Microsoft has built this beast of a Series X console that's literally a hammer, handle and all. As per usual this is a sweepstakes affair, where you have to enter a competition...
News Xbox Game Pass Is Coming To Smart TVs, Starting With Samsung
Update: Beginning to roll out now!
Update (Thu 30th Jun, 2022): Today is the day! The Samsung Gaming Hub is now rolling out to a selection of Samsung TVs in the 2022 range, allowing non-console owners to access Xbox Game Pass directly through the TV. This is the first step in bringing Xbox Game Pass to Smart TVs! Here's what Xbox's Phil Spencer had...
Feature Five Years Later, Game Pass Is Still Growing Alongside Xbox Game Studios
Xbox's most important program
Can you believe it's been half a decade since Xbox launched its Game Pass program? Well, you better believe it. Xbox's popular subscription service launched for the public in June 2017, which somehow is five years ago now! (We say somehow, that's just how time works...) Anyway, now that we've established that time...
News Xbox Series X|S Has Outsold PS5 In Japan, Again
Similar results came last month
Xbox Series X|S seems to be doing pretty well in Japan, all things considered. While beating out the PS5 for any given period is largely down to supply constraints, the fact that the system is really selling at all over there is a big improvement on last generation. Well, just as it did for a week in May, the console...
