microsoft
Master Chief reveals that Halo 5 comes out in 2015
Following up reports from earlier this year, Steve Downes, the voice of Master Cheif, has said that Halo 5 won’t launch until 2015. And for this year we can expect Halo 2 Anniversary Edition. GameZone had an interview with Downes in which he said the following: “I think you may be ahead of yourself on Halo 5. I wouldn’t expect anything until 2015. What you can look forward to this year is an anniversary edition of Halo 2.” Downes’ comments were closely related to the claims of a NeoGAF poster who managed to leak Microsoft’s Xbox One-related plans earlier this month. The poster said Halo 2 Anniversary Edition will come out in two forms: a Collector’s Edition with Halo 5 beta access and a War Collection, which includes all of the above as well as Xbo...
Microsoft Studios acquires rights to Gears of War franchise
Microsoft already has the rights to the Halo series, and now it’s adding another blockbuster to its stable of franchises: Gears of War. The company announced today that it has acquired the rights for the series from developer Epic Games. While no new Gears of War games were announced, development for the series will be handled by Microsoft Studios’ Vancouver-based subsidiary Black Tusk Studios. Former series producer Rod Fergusson will be joining Black Tusk to “play a key studio leadership role” on the franchise. Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Studios, Hanno Lemke, General Manager of Black Tusk Studios at Microsoft Studios, and Rod Fergusson talk about the big news. Why did Microsoft purchase the “Gears of War” franchise? Phil Spencer: It all comes back to our comm...
Ryse: Son of Rome Launch Trailer
Though this trailer is fairly old now, watching it once again after such a long time still managed to send a chill down my spine. Just thought you’ll might also wanna watch it and get goosebumps! Lead legions on Marius’ path of vengeance, fighting throughout the Roman Empire. Epic adventure, groundbreaking multiplayer, and breathtaking visuals all unite behind Xbox One’s legendary launch title, Ryse: Son of Rome.
Microsoft admit Xbox One install time needs improvement
Since its release, most Xbox One owners have had an issue with the software installation, which is required for all games, is way too long. Microsoft has heard the complaints and themselves feel that it is a concern which should be dealt with, said Xbox executive Phil Spencer. “I agree. We need to get better at chunking our games so the partial install allows game to start sooner,” Spencer said on Twitter. Many gamers were of the opinion that they’d buy more games if installs didn’t take as long as 30 minutes. By “we” we can assume that Spencer is referring to Microsoft Game Studios, which publishes titles like Ryse: Son of Rome and Dead Rising 3 to name a few. Even though all Xbox One games must be installed, you can start playing before the installatio...
PS4 outsells Xbox One in UK by a decent margin
To some it may come to as a shock, but Sony’s PS4 outsold the Xbox One by almost 166,000 units in the UK during 2013. According to Chart-Track data obtained by the Entertainment Retailers Association, the PS4 sold 530,000 units throughout the region, while the Xbox One only managed to sell around 364,000 units. Another interesting stat is that the Next-gen consoles have earned a combined £326m at UK retail, with PS4 hardware generating £181.8m, and Xbox One earning £144.5m. Microsoft is believed to have sold more than 2 million units around the world, selling 111,111 units per day since making its debut on November 22. ERA director Kim Bayley said that it was unfortunate that next-gen consoles arrived so late in the year. “Games continues to deliver digital sales strongly, but ...
Why Microsoft admires Nintendo?
In a fairly recent interview, Microsoft Studios corporate Vice President, Phil Spencer, had some really nice things to say about Microsoft’s contender, Nintendo. He went on praising Nintendo in various areas, calling Nintendo’s first-party games an “amazing asset” and said that Nintendo’s platforms “are almost in service to the IP – not in a bad way.” He also attributed the positive response of Killer Instinct on the Xbox One to Nintendo, since Rare’s originated from Nintendo. Here’s what more he had to say: Nintendo, I think – and there’s some argument about this – that their first-party is such an amazing asset. Their first party studios and IP can lead what they do as a company and the platforms are almost in service to the IP – not in a bad way. They have such iconic ...
Microsoft start New Year with a bang giving two free games for Xbox Live Gold members
Microsoft is starting this new year’s off with a bash as they are giving two free games for Xbox Live Gold members via the Games with Gold program. From the 1st of January till the 15th, the kung fu-heavy crime game, Sleeping Dogs is going to be available for these select few. And for the second half of the month, which is from the 15th to the 30th of January, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be free for those members. Source: Xbox.com
5 Reasons PC Gaming is number one
With all the fuss about the next generation consoles and the long term rivalry between Microsoft and Sony, gamer’s attention is often strayed away from the fact that there is a third party that always seems to bring it when it comes to gaming- the PC. Over the years, creations like Playstation, N64, Xbox, PS3 etc have acquired a lot of attention and have hogged most of the limelight in the gaming sphere. But there is one gaming machine that withstood the test of time and remains unmatched due to its ability to adapt but is one platform that is easily overlooked. PC gaming vs console gaming is a highly debatable topic that goes long back and is quite a touchy subject, especially for those who swear by the PC. So we’re here to take a look at the reasons why PC gaming always mana...
Xbox One not backwards compatible
Word has gone around that the Xbox One is not backwards compatible and if you try to adjust the system settings to add the functionality, there is a good chance you could brick your console, says Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson”. “To be clear, there is no way to make your Xbox One backwards compatible,” he mentioned on Twitter. “Performing steps to attempt this could make your console inoperable.” There is a guide looming around these days that claims backwards compatibility on Xbox One can be unlocked with just a few button presses. The steps outlined in this guide are the same instructions for turning an Xbox One into a dev kit, which Microsoft also advised against earlier this week. Though at the moment backwards compatibility is not officially ...
Sony reveal PS4 owners have captured 6.5 million “Shares”
The PlayStation 4’s new “Share” button is not as useless as many imagined. Sony revealed yesterday that users have captured more than 6.5 million “Shares” since launch on November 15. “That’s pretty amazing,” said Sony (and so are we) The ‘Share’ button on the DualShock 4 has the sole purpose of allowing users to capture and share screenshots and recorded gameplay videos through Facebook and Twitter, or live streams via Ustream and Twitch. Rivals Microsoft too featured similar functionality in their console. The Xbox One does it through its Upload Studio, which allows gamers to capture, edit, and share screenshots and video clips. Microsoft still haven’t mentioned how many Xbox One owners have used this option yet…..ma...
The most unorthodox GTA V stunt move ever
This gamer has nailed it. That’s one unorthodox GTA V stunt move, but it works! XR33P3E11X has more of these in his excellent montage video. Now do a perfect drop from similar heights into a half pipe while riding a bike. That would look neat. Source: Gergo Vas
Microsoft sells over a million Xbox Ones in 24 hours
Microsoft on Friday said that more than a million Xbox One consoles were snapped up within 24 hours in 13 countries after hitting shelves for the first time in the morning. The US-based technology titan described it as the biggest launch in Xbox history, setting a new sales record at the company. Xbox One consoles were sold out at most retail shops, according to Microsoft. “We are humbled and grateful for the excitement of Xbox fans around the world,” said Xbox corporate vice president of marketing Yusuf Mehdi. “Seeing thousands of excited fans lined up to get their Xbox One and their love for gaming was truly a special moment for everyone on the Xbox team,” he continued. “We are working hard to create more Xbox One consoles.” Sale of the keenly-awaited ...