Tag: Microsoft - Page 18
News Sarah Bond: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's Least Popular Feature Is Cloud Gaming
And it's apparently running at a loss
One of the concerns raised about Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is in regard to the future of cloud gaming. During a cross-examination at the Microsoft and FTC trial earlier on, Xbox's corporate vice president of gaming Sarah Bond played down suggestions about Xbox's growth of cloud...
News Bethesda's Indiana Jones Game Confirmed As An Xbox Exclusive
Coming to Xbox, PC & Game Pass "day one"
There's been mixed messaging about Bethesda's upcoming project Indiana Jones and whether or not it would be exclusive to Microsoft's platforms, and it seems we've finally got an official answer at today's FTC hearing. During a witness testimony as part of FTC's attempt to block Microsoft's $69 billion...
News Microsoft Is Literally Now Saying That Xbox Has 'Lost The Console Wars'
This is already getting ridiculous
It's going to be a long week, folks. Just ahead of the FTC hearing this week in which various Microsoft and Xbox executives will be attempting to defend the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has submitted a filing which actually mentions that Xbox has "lost the console wars" and its rivals are...
News Major FTC Hearing Begins This Week With Microsoft & Activision CEOs In Attendance
Along with many Xbox executives
Just a few days ago, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that it was filing a request for a preliminary injunction against Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, and the hearing is officially set to begin this week. Specifically, the dates that have been officially penned in are June 21st, which is when the...
News New Zealand Regulator Shares Concerns Over Xbox's Activision Blizzard Takeover
"We have agreed an extension of time"
We've got another development in the Activision Blizzard saga! The New Zealand Commerce Commission has officially asked for an extension before making a decision on the takeover, with the date now set as July 17th, 2023. The Commission's concerns are centred mainly around cloud gaming, with a statement...
News Another Six Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass Soon (June 30)
The final batch of the month
Microsoft has announced another six games leaving Xbox Game Pass in the latter part of June 2023, with this latest batch including the likes of Road 96, Empire of Sin and Matchpoint: Tennis Championships. <related ids="130628"> Here's what's leaving Xbox Game Pass in late June 2023:
Talking Point What Else Do You Expect To See From Xbox Before The End Of 2023?
A Gamescom showcase? Dates for Avowed & Hellblade 2?
The biggest event in the calendar for Xbox is usually always the Xbox Games Showcase, and now that it's come and gone, we already have a much better idea of what the Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda roadmap is looking like. However, the year is certainly not over for Team Xbox! We've obviously got...
News Xbox Boss Addresses His '11/10' Starfield Comment, Admits He 'Didn't Like' Part Of It
"Making the best Starfield is absolutely our goal"
Not so long ago, Xbox boss Phil Spencer appeared on a Kinda Funny podcast right after the launch of Redfall, and it's safe to say the chat made waves within the Xbox community. One of Phil's more, shall we say controversial comments back then, was a tidbit on Starfield and what the game could...
News Xbox-Certified 4K Projector Unveiled, But It'll Cost You Serious Money
Say hi to the ViewSonic X2-4K
Projector manufacturer ViewSonic has announced the release date and pricing details for its recently-unveiled Xbox 'X2-4K' projector - if you fancy splashing out on a really big screen to display your favourite Xbox titles. The ViewSonic X2-4K Xbox Certified Gaming Projector launches this July in the US for $1600, and...
News Here's The Latest Xbox Game Studios & Bethesda Roadmap (June 2023 Version)
Exciting times ahead!
Now that the madness of the summer showcase season is over, we've got an even better picture of what Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda are working on — and it's looking like a bright future for first-party releases! The popular Xbox fan Klobrille has put together one of their famous Xbox Game Studios & Bethesda roadmaps on...
News Microsoft Reveals All Six Porsche-Themed Xbox Series X Consoles
Which of these is your favourite design?
One of the more left-field announcements during Xbox's summer showcase this year was Microsoft's collaboration with Porsche on a bunch of custom Xbox Series X consoles. As is to be expected at this point, these are only available via a sweepstakes competition and you can't buy them, but Microsoft has now at...
News Xbox Reportedly Enters New Agreement To Develop AAA Title With People Can Fly
The team behind Gears Judgment and Outriders
Well, this is a big development! According to Polish site interia, Microsoft has entered an agreement to develop a new AAA Xbox title with People Can Fly; the team behind Outriders, Gears of War: Judgment and other multiplatform titles. According to the report, 'Project Maverick' has been allocated a...
News Xbox Boss Shares Heartfelt Message Following Summer Showcases
"We need that moment here where we come together to celebrate"
Xbox boss Phil Spencer is always open about how much he enjoys being a part of the gaming industry, and in the wake of Microsoft's big summer blowout, the man has a message for all who enjoy these sorts of gaming get-togethers. In a tweet posted yesterday, Phil thanked the gaming...
News Judge Grants FTC's Temporary Restraining Order Against Xbox & Activision Blizzard
Preliminary injunction to be decided later this month
Earlier this week, the FTC filed a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injuction against Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard, and a U.S. Judge has now granted the request for that restraining order. The next step is for the Court to decide about whether to...
News Redfall Dev Had 'Tunnel Vision' During Development, Says Xbox Game Studios Boss
"They just had a little bit of tunnel vision"
It's no secret that development on Redfall didn't exactly go to plan - as evidenced by the state of the game when it finally released in May 2023. Since launch, Phil Spencer has come out and said that he's "disappointed" with how he handled the release, and now a fellow Xbox exec has made some...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Seems Extremely Excited About id Software's Next Game
He knows they're cookin'
Lots of Xbox first-party developers were present at Sunday's big showcase, but unfortunately, DOOM developer id Software wasn't one of them. However, the team is being inserted into the conversation anyway, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer seemingly doing his best to mention the studio. In a sit-down chat with GiantBomb, Xbox's...
News FTC Requests Temporary Restraining Order Against Microsoft & Activision Blizzard
Along with a preliminary injunction
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced that it's filed a request for a temporary restraining order along with a preliminary injunction against Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. The FTC, which issued a lawsuit against the ActiBlizz takeover back in December, told IGN today that the restraining order is...
Reaction Microsoft's 2023 Showcase Confirmed There's Something For Everyone At Xbox
Variety is the spice of life
We've spent the last few hours just trying to gather our thoughts on the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 livestream, and it's been no easy feat let us tell you! The teams at Xbox showcased a little bit of everything during the event (and a whole lot of Starfield) - reassuring fans that this is a first party lineup not to be...
Poll Are You Interested In Buying The Black Xbox Series S?
Storage upgrade
We got a surprise hardware announcement during the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase in the form of the black Xbox Series S. Microsoft is introducing another version its all-digital console later this year - this time with a 'Carbon Black' finish and 1TB of internal SSD storage. We think this is a no-brainer for Xbox to be honest; a $50...
News Microsoft Is Still 'Very Committed' To The Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Xbox boss remains "confident" team will find solutions
At an Xbox panel earlier on titled 'What's Next for Gaming', Xbox boss Phil Spencer provided another update about the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, reiterating how Microsoft is "very committed" to seeing the deal through. The team is out there working with regulators to "find solutions"...
News Starfield's Xbox File Size Is 125GB, According To Microsoft Store Page
And you can pre-install now!
We've already found out a lot more about Starfield thanks to the special 'Direct' presentation - and Todd Howard followed this up by officially revealing the frame rates and resolutions of the upcoming space RPG on Xbox. Now, it seems the file size has been revealed. While we can't break down what each system will...
News Phil Spencer's Xbox Games Showcase Shirt Has Hexen Fans Excited
Update: The Xbox boss reveals all
Update: During a chat with Polygon, Phil Spencer mentioned how the Hexen shirt apparently wasn't intended as a teaser for an upcoming announcement, but rather to "recognise the importance of some of the games in our portfolio". That said, he suggested it might be worth bringing the IP back at some point...
News Starfield 'Premium' & 'Constellation' Editions Offer 5 Days Early Access
There's also an upgrade for Game Pass players!
In and amongst all of the Starfield madness today, the teams at Xbox and Bethesda opened up the game's pre-orders and have revealed some extra editions of the upcoming RPG. Oh, and some of those editions grant players with five days of early access! Yep, you'll be able to go hands on with Starfield a...
Reaction Xbox Is Set Up For A Winning Showcase After Summer Game Fest 2023
The stage is set
The Summer Game Fest 2023 showcase has come and gone in another stretched out summer of gaming events - and it's all starting to look pretty good for Team Xbox. Late last month PlayStation delivered a show that lacked the heavy hitting announcements that its fanbase was hoping and waiting for, and now Summer Game Fest has left 2023...
News Phil Spencer Sends Summer Game Fest Some Love Ahead Of Xbox Games Showcase
"So much work goes into putting together a show like Summer Game Fest"
Xbox boss Phil Spencer always seems appreciative of the hard work that folks put into making the games industry tick, and this year's Summer Game Fest is no exception. Ahead of Microsoft's huge Xbox Games Showcase this weekend, Phil has taken a moment to send Summer Game Fest and...
News New Porsche-Themed Console Designs Feature White Xbox Series X Hardware
With plenty of colour splashed on top!
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Porsche (the car manufacturer), Xbox has revealed that it's teaming up with the famous brand to create six custom themed consoles. These systems aren't available to buy — instead being released via a competition — but they do hint at what a white Xbox Series X console...
News Xbox Issues Lengthy Statement Following $20 Million Fine For Privacy Violation
"Regrettably, we did not meet customer expectations..."
Xbox has suffered a blow this week, as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced that Microsoft has been forced to pay $20 million for a privacy breach involving children's personal information. In the
Talking Point Is There An Xbox Classic You Wish Was Backwards Compatible?
Come tell us which!
Xbox wrapped up its backwards compatibility program a while ago now - during the big 20th anniversary event in November 2021. At the time, some great titles were added in one final wave — like the FEAR series among others — and we've felt pretty satisfied with the overall lineup since, especially when it comes to Xb
News Xbox Games Showcase 2023 Will Be Livestreamed At 4K / 60FPS
And you can watch it here at Pure Xbox!
Microsoft has sent out another reminder of the big Xbox Games Showcase set for this coming Sunday, and its latest blog post reveals a nice little bonus for those of us watching it live. Through both Xbox and Bethesda's official channels, this year's event will be livestreamed at full 4K / 60FPS playback - as...
Report Microsoft President To Discuss Activision Blizzard Deal With UK Chancellor This Week
A visit to London is on the cards
There's still a lot going on behind the scenes in regards to the UK CMA's decision to block Xbox's Activision Blizzard merger, with Microsoft President Brad Smith meeting to discuss the deal with UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt this week. Bloomberg is reporting that Smith is in London to give a scheduled talk about the...
News Xbox Game Studios Won't Show Any 'Full CG Trailers' During 2023 Showcase
"Each of our trailers will be labeled so it is hopefully clear for our fans"
We're full speed ahead towards the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 right now here at Pure Xbox HQ, as we gear up for the big day on June 11th. We've already shared some of our predictions for the big show, and now Microsoft has shed some light on what to expect from the event...
Report Redfall Playtesters 'Shocked' At How Little The Game Changed During Development
Bloomberg has the scoop
Oh boy, here we go. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier has just dropped a report on the inner workings of Redfall, detailing multiple aspects of development that seemed to go south at Arkane Austin - the team behind Bethesda's new Xbox exclusive IP. Neither Xbox nor Bethesda provided comment for the report, but Schreier spoke to...
News Xbox's Appeal Against UK ActiBlizz Verdict Set For July 2023
The show goes on
Ever since the CMA made its move to block Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal in the UK, we've known that Microsoft would appeal against the decision. The Xbox owner came out proclaiming as much straight after the decision was made, and we now have a tentative timeline for the appeals process. The UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal is...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 30 - June 6)
Grab a discounted classic!
Microsoft's latest round of digital deals is now live on the Xbox Store, with this week's promos including more than 400 discounted titles, along with a bunch of DLC price cuts making up an ongoing 'Season Pass Sale'. <related ids="150280"> Tucked into these promotions are a few backwards compatible titles from the...
News Another Six Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass Soon (June 15)
Update: From six to twelve and back again!
Update: Following the publication of this list, Microsoft added six more games that were set to be removed from Xbox Game Pass on June 15th as well, which you can read about elsewhere on Pure Xbox. However, since then, the list has reverted to the original six that you see in the table. There's obviously a...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Approved By South Korean FTC
Approval stamped
The Asian nation of South Korea is the latest to unconditionally approve Xbox's Activision Blizzard merger, as announced by the country's Federal Trade Commission on May 30th. The South Korean FTC says that it sees no issue with the deal going ahead, ultimately determining that there would be "no risk of substantially restricting...
Talking Point What 'Dream' Reveal Would You Like To See At The Xbox Games Showcase 2023?
Give us your pie in the sky wish
We're officially less than two weeks out from Microsoft's big Xbox Games Showcase 2023 event, and to be honest, we're starting to get very excited about what's to come. While Starfield and Forza Motorsport are Xbox's only confirmed games of the show so far, we know that the team has lots more to reveal on June 11.
News Hang On A Minute, Is Xbox ANZ Teasing Psychonauts 3?
"What does it mean??"
Psychonauts 2 isn't even two years old yet, and given how long the second game in the series took to develop, it'd be silly to think that a third one could be coming soon... right?! Well, we thought so, but there's been a few interesting developments in recent days that could point towards more Psychonauts in the works. The...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer 'Really Enjoying' New Game Pass Indie Title
Checking out the new addition
We know that the boss enjoys playing Xbox quite a bit - especially when it comes to checking out what the team is bringing to the Game Pass library. It's no surprise then that Xbox's Phil Spencer has been playing the highly-rated Planet of Lana recently, and he seems to be having a good time with it. Spencer has once...
Talking Point Did You Know Insomniac Made An Xbox Game Before Sunset Overdrive?
Long before the days of being Sony-owned
When you think of Xbox plus Insomniac Games, you likely think of Sunset Overdrive, right? This early Xbox One era exclusive remains one of the high points of that generation, and it's still talked about by Xbox fans today - over eight years since launch. However, did you know that the team actually developed...
Reaction PlayStation's Showcase Was A Win For Xbox, Whichever Way You Slice It
Third party bonanza
As the dust settles on Sony's big 2023 PlayStation Showcase, we're left with one big takeaway ahead of Microsoft's show next month - it was a pretty big win for Team Xbox. Sony's show wasn't bad by any means - in fact, there were lots of games shown that we're excited to play. However, the good news for us and the folks over at...
News Xbox Adds Some Wild Game Pass Categories, Including One For Titles That Show Character Legs
"Literally games that let you see your character's legs"
Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service, and like most subscription services, Microsoft allows users to browse the library by all sorts of different categories to find the games they want. These are typically separated by genre or other similar kinds of differentiating factors, but now, the...
News Xbox Is 'Focused' On Finding New Developers Outside Of Well-Known Locations
"We have focused on trying to get more global with it"
Major deals like Xbox's huge push to acquire Activision Blizzard make regular headlines, of course, but Xbox is keen to expand its development portfolio in different ways as well. Speaking to UK outlet The Guardian, Xbox's Sarah Bond spoke about Microsoft's attempts to find developers who...
Random Remember When Don Mattrick Told Us All To Buy An Xbox 360 In 2013?
Cries in always-online
Late last month, it clicked in our minds that we were fast approaching the 10-year anniversary of Microsoft's grand reveal for the Xbox One. Well, we say grand, but the livestream probably didn't quite go to plan for Xbox, at least in terms of fan reception to the reveal event as a whole. <related ids="148476">...
News Boosteroid Joins Nvidia GeForce Now In Getting Access To Xbox Cloud Titles, Starting Next Month
Four titles will debut on the cloud gaming service
Following a bunch of long-term contracts granted to the likes of Nvidia, Boosteroid, EE and more, Microsoft has started adding its titles to these third-party cloud streaming services. Last week, Xbox announced that four games were hitting the Nvidia GeForce Now library in the coming days, and now...
News In The Latest Xbox ActiBlizz Twist, China Reportedly Approves Microsoft's Acquisition
Capitalism W?
While Microsoft looks like it has a fight on its hands with the UK CMA — and potentially the US FTC — over its Activision Blizzard acquisition, in a new twist today - China has reportedly approved the deal. According to the financial analysts over at
News Last Month's Xbox Series X And S Sales Strong In Europe Compared To April 2022
Hardware sales up 19% in European markets
It seems to be a bit of an up-and-down story with Xbox hardware sales this generation, with 2023 continuing on that path so far. Recently, Xbox posted a year-on-year drop of 30% for Xbox hardware revenue globally, however, the consoles seem to have done well last month in a bunch of European markets -...
News Xbox Store Gets Welcome Browser Update As Part Of Accessibility Improvements
"It’s easier than ever to find your next favorite Xbox games"
Yesterday, Xbox celebrated its "commitment to accessibility" as part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, sharing a whole bunch of ways that the team has been working to support the brand's Gaming & Disability communities. This includes updated accessibility support pages on the...
News 2K Seems To Be Totally In Favour Of Xbox Acquiring Activision Blizzard
It could be a slam dunk
Earlier this week, 2K parent company Take-Two released its latest financial report, and a batch of related Q&As have led to some interesting Xbox tidbits. We already reported on the company's CEO saying we're "probably" going to see mid-gen console upgrades, and the 2K boss also discussed Microsoft's ongoing acquisition...
News UK CMA Encouraged To Promote 'Economic Growth' Despite Reservations Over ActiBlizz Deal
It's all getting rather political isn't it
Since the CMA decided to try and block Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal in the UK, we've been left a little unsure as to where the whole saga will go next. The EU has now approved the deal which at least paints a slightly rosier picture for Microsoft, but here in the UK and over in the U.S. it all seems up...
