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Master web developer by trade, Ken guided Pure Xbox through its first incarnation around the time of the Xbox One. Nowadays, you'll find him selling a wealth of retro goodness via SuperChallenge.
News Xbox One February System Update Detailed
Game Hubs, Transparent tiles, and more...
The Xbox One monthly firmware update schedule is back in full flow, and Microsoft have detailed what's to come in the first bundle of the year. Game Hubs: The February System Update will contain a new feature called "Game Hubs." Every Xbox One game will have its own hub, which will show which friends are...
News Unofficial Xbox One Chatpad Now On Sale
Caveat emptor
For those of us who used to communicate via Xbox Live using the Official Xbox 360 Chatpad, the switch to Xbox One has caused the occasional problem when it comes to typing stuff in, simply because an official Xbox One chatpad hasn't been made available as yet. Of course, you could always switch to SmartGlass on your phone or tablet and...
Review Funk of Titans (Xbox One)
Something's funky
Funk of Titans is a tough game to describe, but we're going to give it a go. The ancient Greek god of the sky and thunder, Zeus, has tasked you, Perseus, with defeating the ancient Music Titans of Pop, Rap, and Rock, using your own brand of "Funk-fu." To do this, you must auto-run and jump through a series of levels, collecting...
News Microsoft's Windows 10 Event Could Be More Tied to Xbox Than You Think
Rumours, rumours, rumours
We're all aware that Microsoft is gearing up for a big Windows 10 event on January 21st, and that there will likely be some mention of the Xbox One platform during that show. With the company pushing for a unified operating system across all of its devices, we'd imagine at least some sort of passing reference. However, it...
News Xbox Avatars Getting Upgraded With New Graphics and Features
Your character is moving into the new generation
Microsoft has posted job listings for two dedicated software engineers to work on the next generation of Xbox avatars. The job postings state: "As we cross the threshold to a unified operating system and product experience across Microsoft, it is time to for Xbox avatars to also advance to the next...
Review Tetris Ultimate (Xbox One)
Block-dropping beats
When it comes to rebooting games, building a new version of Tetris has to be the easiest thing that can be done. After all, as long as you at least have the basic tetromino-dropping and line-clearing endless gameplay mode that set the world on fire back in the 80s, you'll have a bunch of satisfied customers who just want to play...
News Xbox Live Countdown to 2015 Day 13 Cuts Four Xbox One Titles By More Than Half
Christmas trimmings
Microsoft are still running their Countdown to 2015 deals via Xbox Live, and the Boxing Day offer is a bit special. On top of the weekly Xbox One deals and weekly Xbox 360 deals which are still valid, you can now get the following titles at a discount during December 28th. Xbox One Deals: Valid 28th December on
News Xbox Live Countdown to 2015 Boxing Day Offer Is A Doozie
You snooze, you lose
Microsoft are still running their Countdown to 2015 deals via Xbox Live, and the Boxing Day offer is a bit special. On top of the weekly Xbox One deals and weekly Xbox 360 deals which are still valid, you can now get a real Game of The Year candidate for half price. Check out the details below. Xbox One Deals:
News Risk and Trivial Pursuit Live! Pulled From Xbox Games Store
Oops.
Things haven't been going all that well for Ubisoft recently, have they? The latest problem to hit the company comes from two of their smaller titles, Trivial Pursuit Live! and Risk. Both games were announced as being released on Xbox One on December 16th and were indeed available for purchase and download on that date. However, despite...
News Xbox Live Countdown to 2015 Second Batch of Weekly Xbox One Deals Go Live
Out come the big guns
Microsoft's second batch of Countdown to 2015 weekly deals has gone live, and there are some nice savings to be had on 24 items across the store. Some big names are in the mix this time around, with the likes of Forza Horizon 2 and Destiny having their prices slashed. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition gets 50% off, as well...
News Microsoft Confirms January's Games With Gold Offering
Nice selection
Microsoft have confirmed January's Games With Gold offering, and a lot of gamers will be happy with the choice, we're sure. On Xbox One from January 1st, you'll be able to pick up Swery65's D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die. The game has picked up good to very good reviews pretty much across the board, and is well worth the playing time. On...
A nice treat
We're all aware of the problems from which Halo: The Master Chief Collection suffered at launch, but with things slowly getting up to speed, Microsoft and 343 have decided to try to make things right a little bit. Bonnie Ross, Head of 343 Industries has announced some bonuses coming to early adopters of the game. If you played the...
Review Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island (Xbox One)
Making it rain.
When crafting a DLC package of any significant weight for a game that has gone down really well with gamers and critics alike, developers have to be careful. What they add can’t interfere with the mix that they already had, as they really don’t want to be messing with a successful formula. Playground Games found a way to ensure...
News Xbox Live Countdown to 2015 Discounts 55 Titles, More To Come
Savings, savings, savings!
As we expected, Microsoft has kicked off a Countdown to 2015 daily deals offer, which will provide new discounts every day until 2015 is upon us. There's a whole batch to run through, so without further ado, let's go to work. Xbox One Weekly Deals: Available from now until December 22nd inclusive Assassins Creed Unity...
News Forza Horizon 2 Storm Island DLC Will Be Available VERY Soon
Tomorrow, in fact
The new DLC add-on for Forza Horizon 2, entitled Storm Island will be released tomorrow, December 16th, it has been revealed. Storm Island provides a new "extreme weather" feature, where the heavens open and throw down storms, as well as an entire new area of the map. The new area will include 80 new events, six new cars -...
News Leaked Windows 10 Screenshots Show New Xbox Integration
Some cool new features
A very early Windows 10 Technical Preview has rolled out to a very limited number of people for testing, as is always the way with new Microsoft operating systems. However, there's a new app included with this edition that might turn a few heads. The latest release features a new Xbox app, which allows you to browse the Xbox...
Ice cold.
Some games are truly beautiful and – let’s not waste any time here – Never Alone kicks off with the potential to be one of them. Telling tales of the Alaska native Iñupiat people and their folklore, the game is part educational experience, part non-traditional side-scrolling platformer. While one half of that is really well done,...
News Xbox One Dashboard to Get Transparent Tile Option
Coming soon
Those beady-eyed folks over at Reddit have spotted something a little bit out of the ordinary on one of Major Nelson's recent videos. It appears that the Major is playing with a yet-to-be-released version of the Xbox One system software that allows for tiles to be made transparent. Ever since the system allowed for custom backgrounds to...
Crew cut.
When it comes to writing reviews, some games are easier than others to cover. There are times when you can play a game for an hour or two, and have at least an idea of at least the general direction of where your review is headed. Ubisoft’s The Crew most certainly does not fall into that camp. We think it’ll be safe to say that this...
Review Boom Ball for Kinect (Xbox One)
Short boom.
It’s no secret that the number of Kinect-compatible titles for Xbox One is on the low side, to say the least. Given Microsoft’s decision to unbundle the console from the Kinect sensor at retail, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. However, the device is perfect for a bit of ID@Xbox experimentation and that’s what we see here,...
News Rise of the Tomb Raider Now to Be Published by Microsoft - Likely to Be Fully Xbox Exclusive
About turn.
Back at Gamescom 2014, Microsoft confirmed that the next game in the Tomb Raider series, Rise of the Tomb Raider, would be coming to Xbox One and Xbox 360, and that the game would be a timed exclusive on those platforms. Now, though, it appears that there's more to the deal than meets the eye. Aaron Greenberg, Head of Marketing for...
News Mega MEGA Win Monday (US): Win an Xbox One with Assassin's Creed Unity and Black Flag!
Now you're talking!
Our good friends over at Microsoft have provided a doozie of a prize for us to give away to our US readers this week. That's right, on this Mega MEGA Win Monday, you can snag yourself a shiny new Xbox One console, complete with digital copies of Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag! Of course, that bundle...
Accessory Review PDP Afterglow Karga Xbox One Headset
Go with the glow
Unless you’re a super-audiophile, gaming headsets are much of a muchness. They need to tick a few essential boxes, sure, but as long as they get the basics right, there isn’t much that can go wrong. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t scope for innovation and improvement, though, and PDP have had a good shot at bringing a...
Accessory Review PDP Rock Candy Xbox One Wired Controller
Cheap and not so cheerful
When it comes to second controllers that are solely for use by little brothers, sisters, and visitors, Microsoft’s official option may be a little bit pricey. Running at $75 for a controller with a Play and Charge kit and with very few choices available, gone are the days when you could pick up a relatively cheap...
