Tag: Microsoft - Page 17
News Kojima Productions Seems Busy Hosting Team Xbox This Week
What are they getting up to?
We still know very little about Hideo Kojima's upcoming Xbox project, but the team is certainly still working on it, as is evidenced by Microsoft's frequent trips to the Japanese developer. As it turns out, another chunk of Team Xbox has been over there this week. Posting on Twitter, Kojima himself welcomed Microsoft's...
News Microsoft Submits Changes To UK CMA Over Its 'Anticipated Acquisition' Of Activision Blizzard
The final level
Microsoft has submitted what is expected to be its final report to the CMA concerning its Xbox Activision Blizzard deal. Microsoft's submission was made on July 25th and goes over the CMA's concerns in detail, as stated by the authority in a notice posted today. The UK authority also mentions that such a move is "not a usual part of...
News Phil Spencer Says Xbox Is 'Focused' On Improving Handheld PC Gaming Experience
"We are focused on making the Xbox and GP experience great on devices like the Ally"
Ever since the launch of the ASUS ROG Ally, Xbox has shown its support for the device as a way to experience Game Pass titles natively on-the-go. Even so, the handheld PC (and other devices outside of Valve's Steam Deck) runs on Wind
Talking Point Do You Feel Like You're Still Waiting For 'Next-Gen' To Arrive?
We've had Xbox Series X|S for almost three years
It's getting close to three years since Xbox Series X|S first landed back in 2020, and we've been pretty happy with how the consoles have performed so far. Seeing so many games support 60 & 120FPS has been fantastic, and generally speaking, the whole experience of using an Xbox is a lot snappier...
News Microsoft CEO: Xbox Remains 'Confident' About Activision Blizzard Acquisition
The deal is almost across the line
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is nearing the finish line according to previous statements made by company heads. If you are in need of some reassurance though, CEO Satya Nadella has now provided an incredibly brief update during the latest earnings report. According to the Microsoft boss, the tech...
News Xbox Gaming Revenue Up 1% YoY In Latest Earnings Report
But hardware revenue was down (again)
Microsoft has released its earning results for FY23 Q4 and Xbox's gaming revenue is up by 1% year-over-year. Following similar trends of FY23 Q3, Xbox's content and revenue services in this latest quarter grew by 5% - once again driven by the growth of the Xbox Game Pass service and third-party content. Xbox...
News Xbox Has Officially Created 'The World’s First Ever Pizza-Scented Controller'
"Shaped like a slice of delicious New York ‘za"
What in the world is going on here?! Xbox never seems to run out of ideas when it comes to making cool new controller designs, but, its latest batch of Limited Edition pads go above and beyond anything we ever expected to see... and indeed smell. To coincide with the upcoming 'Teenage Mutant Ninja...
News Microsoft Seems To Have Improved More Xbox 360 Matchmaking, This Time With Gears Of War
COD saw big improvements earlier this month
Recently, Microsoft made some backend changes to how Xbox 360 era Call of Duty matchmaking worked, and the successful tweak brought thousands of players back in their droves. However, the move doesn't appear to have been exclusive to the Call of Duty series, as players are beginning to see improvements...
Talking Point Would You Be Interested In Buying A New Xbox Series X Model?
The black Series S is almost here, but what about a new X?
With a little more than a month to go until Microsoft's new Carbon Black Xbox Series S console arrives, we're left wondering when the next Xbox Series X model could land. We've already heard from Phil & Co. that an 'upgraded' console of any kind is unlikely right now, but, what about...
News Xbox Exec 'Gets Chills' From The Moment Phil Spencer Revealed Backwards Compatibility
Do you remember this E3 mic drop?
Current Xbox boss Phil Spencer took over at the top of the Xbox tree way back in 2014, and one of his most memorable — and arguably important — moments came the following year during a Microsoft E3 showcase. Eight years later, he isn't the only Xbox exec to remember it. During E3 2015 Phil dropped the mic with...
News Blizzard Games Announced For Steam Ahead Of Xbox Acquisition
Overwatch 2 will be the first title added to Valve's service
Xbox head Phil Spencer has already mentioned how Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard would make select games available to more players around the globe, and now in an industry update, Blizzard has announced it will be bringing its own games to Valve's Steam service for the first...
News Arkane Austin Seemingly Returning To Single-Player Project Following Release Of Redfall
New job listings hint at what's to come
At this point we all know what happened with Redfall earlier this year - Arkane Austin's 2023 shooter just didn't hit the mark, leading fans to question why the longtime single-player developer pivoted to a multiplayer project. Well, regardless of the team's motive for the move, it doesn't appear to have been...
News Xbox Boss: We Could Close ActiBlizz Deal In US, But We're Waiting On UK
"We move even closer to the finish line"
Following today's announcement that Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard has been given a new deadline of October 18th, an email sent by Xbox's Phil Spencer to employees has been revealed by The Verge. In the email, Spencer acknowled
News Xbox Extends Activision Blizzard Takeover Deadline To October
"We're optimistic about getting this done"
It's been announced today by Xbox boss Phil Spencer that Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard now has a deadline of October 18th, as the company continues to try and win over the approval of the UK CMA. Spencer revealed the new deadline on Twitter, reiterating Microsoft's desire to get the...
Deals All 10+ Backwards Compatible Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (July 18-25)
A few more Xbox 360 classics!
While the ongoing Ultimate Game Sale is the promotional focus for Xbox over the next few weeks, that isn't stopping the usual Deals with Gold and Spotlight sale selections from being added to the list. A new set of these deals has just gone live, adding another batch of backwards compatible classics to the discount...
Reaction Game Pass Core Marks The End Of Xbox's Most Influential Product
Live no more
Today is a pretty big day in the history of Xbox, folks. While the announcement of Xbox Game Pass Core in itself doesn't seem like a monumental move, the realisation that Xbox Live Gold will basically be gone in two months is starting hit us like a well-placed plasma grenade in a packed matchup of Halo 2. That's right, when the...
News Xbox Explains How Games With Gold Titles Carry Over To Game Pass Core
It's good news, folks
In the wake of today's huge news that Xbox Live Gold is being replaced with Xbox Game Pass Core in September, Microsoft has provided a breakdown on how already-redeemed Games with Gold titles will carry over when the monthly perk program shuts down (on September 1st). <related ids="152764"> Existing Xbox One Games with...
News Xbox's Phil Spencer Seems Happy To Show Off About Playing Starfield Early
We can all see it, P3...
It feels like we've been waiting forever for Starfield to hit Xbox Game Pass, and even though the wait is almost over, it isn't stopping us from getting incredibly jealous of today's news that some of the folks working on the game are already well into their Starfield playthroughs. As spotted by Idle Sloth on Twitter,...
News Xbox 360 Call Of Duty Titles See Huge Player Spikes Following Server Update
The classics are still poppin'
Last week, we caught wind that the folks over at Activision and their various Call of Duty studios had made some positive changes to how the old Xbox 360 games were running online, so naturally, we went back and had a look to see how things were going. As it turned out, online matchmaking did seem to have improved (we...
News Xbox 'Game Pass Core' Reportedly Replacing Xbox Live Gold This September
Update: It's official!
Update: Microsoft has now officially confirmed that Xbox Live Gold will be replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core on September 14th, 2023. We've covered this story in more detail elsewhere on Pure Xbox: <related ids="152764"> Original story: There's been a surprising Xbox leak - seemingly revealing Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold...
News Microsoft & Sony Sign Binding Agreement To Keep Call Of Duty On PlayStation
Phil Spencer confirms
Update: It's now been confirmed Microsoft has committed to a 10-year deal for Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony has also confirmed this with Axios. "While Microsoft’s initial announcement doesn’t mention 10 years for Call of Duty on PlayStation, Kari Perez, head of global communications at Xbox, confirmed the 10-year
News Microsoft Activision Blizzard Acquisition Given Greenlight In US After FTC Loses (Again)
"This brings us another step closer to the finish line"
Following FTC's appeal of the previous court ruling permitting Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the US regulator has now lost again. The Federal Trade Commission was also seeking injunctive relief to prevent Microsoft from closing the deal but has been denied by the US Ninth...
News Xbox Game Pass 'Friends & Family' Preview Closes Next Month
The program will be taking a break
Almost a year ago now, Microsoft began public testing for an Xbox Game Pass 'Friends & Family' plan in a few select countries, before rolling the preview program out to more regions earlier this year. Well, rather abruptly, the team has announced that the preview is closing down for now as Xbox "investigates"...
News All 80+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale 2023
Original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics
The Xbox Ultimate Game Sale 2023 is officially underway, featuring discounts for over 700 games including a whole bunch of major AAA releases. You can even get some fantastic games for up to 90% off! <related ids="152665,152692"> As you'd expect, the Ultimate Game Sale also includes lots of backwards...
News Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal Officially Approved In Turkey Amidst Ongoing FTC Battle
Another win for Xbox
Although Microsoft seems to be getting closer to the final stage of acquiring Activision Blizzard in the US, it's still trying to pass the deal in other regions around the world, and is seeing success in most countries. The company is currently in the process of sorting out some issues relating to the deal with the UK's CMA,...
News FTC Appeals Court's Ruling Permitting Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
The regulator refuses to back down
Update [Thu 13th Jul, 2023 03:00 BST]: Microsoft's vice chair and president Brad Smith has now issued a statement, mentioning how the tech giant is "disappointed" by the FTC's appeal. Here's what he had to say: Brad Smith: “The District Court’s ruling makes crystal clear that this acquisition is good for...
News Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal Seems Closer, But Some Game Pass Arrivals Could Be Delayed
A recent CMA report mentions COD on Game Pass
Following yesterday's blockbuster news that the FTC's attempted injunction against Microsoft has been denied, the Activision Blizzard deal going through feels closer than ever. Even so, the acquisition is still not confirmed by any means, and a remaining authority that still needs winning over has also...
News Xbox's New Summer Accessory Collection Includes Colourful Xbox 360 Controller Replicas
Room for another?
Xbox has unveiled its next 'collection' of gaming accessories from third-party manufacturers — this time for summer 2023 — and this one includes some neat-looking shiny versions of the recently released 'Hyperkin Xenon' controller. Yep, we reckon the two Xbox 360 controller replicas stand out the most here - especially because...
News Microsoft And UK CMA Agree To Pause Legal Battle Over Activision Blizzard Deal
Update: CMA warns of a potential "new merger investigation"
Update: The CMA has warned that its latest discussions with Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are at an "early stage", and a restructured deal could ultimately lead to a "new merger investigation". Here's a statement courtesy of The Verge: "Whilst merging parties don’t have the...
News Xbox's Phil Spencer 'Grateful' For Speedy Court Decision On FTC Activision Blizzard Case
"I’m proud of our efforts to expand player access and choice"
The FTC has just lost its case to block Microsoft's Activision Blizzard purchase, and company executives are already out there on the internet, reacting to the news and providing statements on the matter. One of those execs is Xbox boss Phil Spencer, who has released a multi-post...
News Xbox Wins FTC Court Case As Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction
"The Court DENIES the motion for preliminary injunction"
It's official! Microsoft, Xbox and Activision Blizzard have won their court case against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, as the judge has denied the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction over Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard. Here's a sample from the 53-page...
News Xbox Parent Company Microsoft Confirms New Round Of Layoffs
The gaming division does not appear to be impacted
Following mass layoffs at Microsoft earlier this year which also hit the Xbox team, it's been confirmed another round of job cuts has taken place. In a report by GeekWire, a new filing shows 276 layoffs — and 210 of these jobs have been at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (July 11-18)
Grab a cheap Xbox classic
Xbox's latest set of weekly deals is now live, and even though it's a pretty small selection this week (we're expecting a huge Summer Sale to begin shortly), there's still a good chunk of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that are heavily discounted right now on the Xbox Store. So,...
News Xbox Game Pass $1 Deal Reintroduced For New And Returning Subscribers
Microsoft's welcome offer returns
Only a few months after Microsoft "stopped" its Xbox Game Pass $1 trial offer, the promotion has returned! Yep, just as the company has slightly raised the price of Xbox Game Pass in most regions, it has reintroduced its £1 / $1 offer for both new and lapsed subscribers. We were made aware of the offer returning...
PSA Crackdown 1 & 2 Are Still Free On Xbox As Sequel Turns 13
Officially a teen!
Once upon a time the Crackdown series was a notable staple within the Xbox first-party lineup. While the third game only came out four years ago (can you believe that?!), it's the first two Xbox 360 titles we have fond memories of - and one of them has just turned 13! Yep, Crackdown 2 launched on this very day in the US back in...
News Microsoft Is Expecting Two New PS5 Models In The 'Near Future'
Including one later this year for $399.99
Microsoft's upcoming 1TB version of the Xbox Series S may be followed by a "PS5 Slim" at some point later this year, as well as a "PS5 Pro" in the near future - at least according to recent court documents filed by Microsoft. In these documents (which are from Microsoft's battle with the FTC), it's...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (July 4-11)
Up to 80% off!
Another batch of digital Xbox deals is now live, with more than 300 titles discounted over the next week or so. We've already rounded up some of the best offers from this week's promotion, which we'll drop below, but there's a selection of backwards compatible classics from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras on sale this week too...
News Lost Xbox-Related Gameplay Footage From Yesteryear Appears Online
Including never-before-seen clips!
Games media outlet Noclip has begun digitising a bunch of old press conference gameplay footage from years gone by, with the results now appearing on the outlet's YouTube archive channel. There are some super cool videos in here, including a full HD Xbox E3 press conference from the 360 days, and even...
News Xbox Boss Reveals His Thoughts On Showcases Like Bethesda's Starfield Direct
"I really like the format"
2023 saw the debut of Xbox Developer Direct - a new showcase format created to highlight specific games outside of Xbox's big summer showcases. January's multi-game dev direct gave us the surprising Hi-Fi RUSH shadow drop, while Bethesda's June presentation focused on all-things Starfield. And, it looks like we could see...
News Xbox Could Expect FTC Injunction Verdict As Soon As Next Week
Hopefully it won't drag out
It's been a crazy week, with all kinds of stories coming out of the highly publicised FTC hearing, but it's finally over! If you weren't aware, the FTC and Microsoft have been in court regarding the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction, requesting more time to make a decision on whether to approve Microsoft's...
News Elder Scrolls 6 'Projected Release Is 2026', Claims Microsoft Lawyer
Phil Spencer said it was at least "five-plus years away"
The Elder Scrolls has been name-dropped once again during the Microsoft v FTC court battle. On the final day of the hearing, Microsoft's lawyer claimed the next Elder Scrolls game by Bethesda was projected to release much earlier than expected. Before you get too excited, it seems the lawyer...
News SEGA Remains 'Very Close' With Xbox, But Isn't Open To Acquisition Talks Right Now
"Microsoft particularly has a high regard for us"
Back at the start of the week, it was revealed that Microsoft had once seriously been considering the acquisition of SEGA (back in 2021), and now SEGA's co-Chief Operating Officer, Shuji Utsumi, has responded to the news. Speaking to Bloomberg, Utsumi simply told the outlet that the company wasn't...
News Microsoft's CEO Isn't A Fan Of Console Exclusives, Blames Sony
Sony has "defined market competition using exclusives"
Exclusives are arguably one of the main selling points of console gaming, but if Microsoft's boss had any say, he would apparently abolish them. During his testimony in the Microsoft v FTC hearing today, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella said he would do away with exclusives on Xbox consoles if it...
News Jim Ryan: Publishers 'Unanimously' Do Not Like Xbox Game Pass
It's apparently "value destructive"
There have been a lot of positive success stories emerging from Xbox's Game Pass service such as Tango Gameworks' surprise release Hi-Fi RUSH earlier this year, but according to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, publishers aren't big fans of the model at all. During his pre-recorded video deposition for the hearing...
News Microsoft Responds To Old Xbox Comment About 'Spending Sony Out Of Business'
"It refers to industry trends we never pursued"
A story that you may have seen doing the rounds on social media over the past few hours relates to an old comment from Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty about the idea of "spending Sony out of business". Naturally, this has attracted a lot of attention, and Microsoft has been keen to address it...
News Microsoft Acquired Hellblade Creator Ninja Theory For Just $117 Million
Chump change
Some more information that was never meant to be made public has been revealed in the Microsoft v FTC court battle. In the same email and documents revealing Xbox had a huge list of companies it was considering acquiring, page 10 reveals Ninja Theory was purchased for the sum of $117 million USD. Again, what's interesting about this...
News Microsoft Was Interested In Buying Zynga At One Point, Reveals Xbox Boss
"We have a lot of respect for the people at Zynga"
Prior to Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the company was apparently interested in buying the mobile giant Zynga — but the company ended up being acquired by Take-Two Interactive instead for $12.7 billion. This was revealed by Xbox boss Phil Spencer as part of today's FTC...
News Xbox Boss Promises To Keep Call Of Duty On PlayStation (Again)
As long as Sony is up for it
Head of Microsoft's gaming division Phil Spencer has today been asked a lot about the future of Activision Blizzard under the Xbox banner. One question, in particular, that came up was in regards to Call of Duty, and whether or not the company would continue to release the series on PlayStation. As long as Sony is...
News The Elder Scrolls 6 Is At Least 'Five-Plus Years Away', Platforms Still TBD
Even Phil Spencer isn't sure what it's coming to
As part of today's FTC hearing, Elder Scrolls fans got an unexpected update about the status of the long-awaited sixth entry in the series. When questioned about Bethesda's next major project, originally revealed by the company back in 2018, Xbox boss Phil Spencer mentioned how it was still...
News Jim Ryan Wasn't Overly Concerned About Call Of Duty Xbox Exclusivity
"We’ll be OK, we’ll be more than OK"
There's been a narrative for some time now that PlayStation was worried about Microsoft pulling Activision's blockbuster Call of Duty away from its own market. However, in a Microsoft FTC trial update, a private email from PlayStation boss Jim Ryan to former SCEE president Chris Deering, quoted during the...
