Tag: Microsoft - Page 19
News Xbox One Launch Title 'Killer Instinct' Gets Major Quality-Of-Life Update In 2023
10 years strong
Killer Instinct may give us somewhat fear-inducing flashbacks to the Xbox One launch era, but it's grown into a bit of a cult classic since its Xbox launch in 2013. The team has continued to update and improve the title over the years, and this month's update is looking like it will keep the Xbox exclusive fighter going for years to...
News We're 'Probably' Getting Mid-Gen Xbox & PlayStation Consoles, Says Take-Two CEO
Xbox Series XX
If you can believe it, we're already into the third year of Xbox Series X|S, which means hardware refreshes could be inbound soon. Last generation we were about to learn of the Xbox One S and Xbox One X at this point in the console's life cycle, and publisher Take-Two reckons we could be close to seeing similar refreshes for Xbox...
News SEGA Considers Following Xbox, PlayStation & Nintendo In Charging $70 For AAA Games
"We would like to review the prices of titles"
In recent years, a fair few major game publishers have raised their standard AAA pricing to $70. Take-Two was among the first to do it, alongside Sony and more recently Microsoft; starting with Arkane's Redfall. Well, it looks like SEGA is also considering a similar move for some of its titles. In a...
News Microsoft CEO Raises Eyebrows With Comment About UK & Activision Blizzard
"Let's wait for it all to play out"
Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has been getting a lot of attention over the past few hours courtesy of an interview he recently conducted with CNBC, in which he addressed Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard. In the interview, which was recorded prior to the European C
News UK MPs Question Why The CMA Blocked Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal Following EU Approval
The CMA says the EU is "fully entitled to reach that view"
Yesterday brought the latest twist in the Xbox Activision Blizzard tale when the European Commission officially approved Microsoft's attempted merger. They now join a fairly extensive list of regions that are in favour of the deal going ahead, however, as is seemingly becoming the norm in...
News UK CMA Issues Official Response To EU's Activision Blizzard Verdict
"The CMA stands by its decision"
Today's announcement that the European Commission has approved Microsoft's Activision Blizzard takeover hasn't gone unnoticed by the UK CMA, which itself blocked the takeover just a few weeks ago. In an official statement on social media, the CMA said that it recognised and respected the verdict by the
News EU Makes Microsoft 'Automatically License' ActiBlizz Cloud Games Post-Merger
"This will apply globally", says Microsoft's president
Following today's news of the EU approval over the Xbox Activision Blizzard merger, Microsoft president Brad Smith has quickly made a follow-up statement that makes for interesting reading. While we knew of lots of individual cloud gaming deals that the Xbox owner struck with various companies...
News COD Going Xbox Exclusive 'Would Not Significantly Harm Competition', Says EU
The European Commission weighs in
Well, Xbox's huge Activision Blizzard deal has been officially approved in the EU! The region is happy with the concessions Microsoft has made in regards to cloud gaming, and going off some of the statements in its new report, the European Commission wa
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Officially Approved In Europe
A major step forward
Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard has taken a huge step forward today, as the European Commission has voted to approve the deal, leaving just the UK CMA and U.S. FTC as the major roadblocks right now. In a
News Xbox Series X|S Reaches 2 Million Sales In UK, Climbs Into Top 10 Fastest-Selling List
Quicker than Nintendo Switch according to the data!
Xbox hardware sales may have dropped off in recent months, but overall, Microsoft's start to the generation is looking pretty good so far. New UK sales data from GamesIndustry.biz reveals that Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have now hit two million units sold in the region - that's at a faster...
Rumour Microsoft Won't Stick To '12-Month Window' For Xbox Games Showcase 2023
We may see some titles that are further out
Last year, Xbox decided to limit the content it showed off at 2022's Summer Showcase to games that were set to release within 12 months. While the move was clearly an attempt to deliver on showing more complete titles, it didn't really pay off due to multiple delays - with projects like Starfield and Forza...
News Xbox Congratulates Nintendo On The Release Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
"I look forward to the mystery and challenges that await in Hyrule"
Unless you've got some Xbox-shaped blinkers on, you've probably seen that Nintendo's latest Zelda title has now launched. Yep, Tears of the Kingdom is officially out in the wild, and it's looking like certain sections of Team Xbox will be playing this one in the coming days and...
News Xbox & Activision Among Long List Of Devs Involved With Summer Game Fest 2023
Geoff reveals the lineup
With the cancellation of E3 this year, Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest essentially takes over as the main gaming event for the season. With less than a month to go until The Game Awards host delivers the show, a pretty long list of partnered game companies have been announced. There are some huge names in this list,...
News Indie Dev Prefers Selling Games Outright Despite 'A Pretty Good Deal' With Xbox Game Pass
"A lot of people just go in and try it and they don't invest"
Indie titles seem to thrive on Xbox Game Pass. We're not always privy to the sheer numbers, but the service absolutely puts more attention on some of the smaller titles that come to Xbox every month, with Microsoft often highlighting them alongside the platform's own massive releases when...
News UK CMA Places Further Restrictions On Microsoft And Activision Blizzard
Clamping down
There's been a slight update in Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard, with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority now restricting the tech and video game giants from "acquiring an interest" in each other. As explained by the BBC, a recent interim order reveals the two parties would need "prior written consent"...
Talking Point Have You Tried Ubisoft Plus On Xbox Yet?
If so, what do you think of the service?
It's been almost a month since Ubisoft Plus finally launched on Xbox after what felt like an age of rumours and speculation. The team's service contains lots of huge titles to enjoy on Xbox including loads of games from the Assassin's Creed series, the Far Cry franchise, and much more besides. While the...
News EU 'Expected' To Approve Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal Next Week
According to "sources" at Reuters
It appears we can't go a few minutes without something new happening in the world of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard at the moment, with the latest story being that that the European Commission is reportedly expected to approve the takeover as soon as next week - potentially on Monday, May 15th. This is according...
Report Activision Blizzard Hires Royal Family-Level Lawyer To Fight UK CMA
He represented the Queen at one point!
Things are seemingly getting pretty serious when it comes to Xbox's squabble with the UK CMA over its Activision Blizzard deal! According to law analyst Florian Mueller (via Eurogamer), ActiBlizz has gone all the way to the top in hiring a lawyer to overturn
"We continue to be Microsoft's biggest partner"
EA held an earnings call for the period ending March 31, 2023 last night, and as part of CEO Andrew Wilson's comments, he talked a little bit about Microsoft's ongoing attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard. Basically, according to Wilson, the company is "indifferent" about whether Microsoft's...
Rumour Microsoft Exec Hints At Hellblade 2 Appearance During Xbox Games Showcase 2023
Update: Greenberg suggests it wasn't a hint!
Update: Xbox's Aaron Greenberg has cooled this rumour, mentioning how he was just highlighting some fan art. "It’s just fan art, nothing to do with any specific game." Nevertheless, we're still hoping to see Hellblade 2 make a big appearance at this year's showcase! Original story: As we near
News New Xbox Game Pass Walmart+ Perk Includes Free Access To Paramount Plus (US)
Let's go shopping
We have a brand new Xbox Game Pass perk now available that grants a pretty chunky free trial! This one is a US-exclusive, allowing Game Pass users in the country to try out Walmart+ for free for 75 days. We don't have access to this perk here in the UK, so here's a look courtesy of Game Pass Counter on Twitter: Wha
News Xbox Series X|S Arctic Camo Controller Appears On Microsoft Store
Available to order
Another Xbox Series X|S controller variant appears to have cropped up on the Microsoft Store! The 'Arctic Camo Special Edition' controller is
PSA Xbox FanFest 2023 Sign-Ups Close Soon Ahead Of Summer Games Showcase
Xbox's 2023 showcase will be broadcast in five locations
Xbox FanFest returns this year with five events happening worldwide next month, but if you want in, you better be quick because sign-ups are about to close. This year, the Xbox Games Showcase will broadcast to FanFest audiences live in Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo, Melbourne, and...
Poll Do You Think The Xbox ActiBlizz Deal Will Still Go Ahead?
Following the recent CMA verdict
Now that the dust has settled on last month's UK CMA ActiBlizz verdict, we've been left wondering what happens next. We have the EU verdict supposedly right around the corner, we have the FTC's ongoing lawsuit and of course, Microsoft has already committed to
Talking Point Are You Hoping Xbox's 'Gears Collection' Is Real?
Which game would you play first?
A 'Gears of War collection' of some sort has been a hot topic for a number of years at this point, with lots of rumours and reports pointing towards it becoming a reality some day. We've never heard anything official from Xbox on the matter, but a recent comment from Phil Spencer has reignit
News Microsoft Reckons It 'Lost The Worst Generation To Lose' With Xbox One
"Where everybody built their digital library of games"
Xbox Boss Phil Spencer talked about lots of different aspects of the company's gaming business in a recent interview on Kinda Funny's Xbox podcast, but this quote is a particularly striking one. Basically, Phil reckons that last generation was a particularly bad one to 'lose' because of the...
News Is Xbox's Phil Spencer Already Playing The New Asus Gaming Handheld?
Shelf don't lie
Phil Spencer yesterday appeared on the Kinda Funny Games Xcast, and while the focus was mostly on the state of Redfall and Xbox's gaming division, we did spot a new backdrop addition we haven't seen before.
News Xbox's Phil Spencer: 'I'm Upset With Myself' Over Redfall Launch
"There's nothing that's more difficult for me than disappointing the Xbox community"
As you may have already seen, Xbox Boss Phil Spencer has earlier today taken part in a very candid interview with the Kinda Funny Xcast crew over on YouTube. As we're still very much into Redfall's launch week, the game was of course a hot topic on the show, and its...
News Phil Spencer Says Xbox 'Needs To Improve' Its Development Process
"I think we need to improve on engaging in games that are midway through production"
In a first appearance since the launch of Redfall, Xbox Boss Phil Spencer today featured on a Kinda Funny podcast to discuss the state of Xbox moving forward. Naturally, the discussion quickly moved to Redfall's launch and how Xbox might go about navigating its...
News Xbox Announces Extended Showcase 2023 Featuring 'In-Depth Interviews' & More
"Focused on the news from our Xbox Games Showcase"
Yesterday, Microsoft revealed even more information on this summer's Xbox Games Showcase including the exact date and time it all kicks off next month. Also tucked into the team's announcement post was a little note on this year's 'Xbox Games Showcase Extended' which is now confirmed to be returning...
News Microsoft Introduces New Xbox Game Pass 'Friend Referral Program'
"Give up to five friends a free 14-day PC Game Pass trial"
Microsoft has today announced a brand new program to try and entice new players to try out its Game Pass service. The new 'Friend Referral Program' — as it's known — allows current Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass players to gift up to five 14-day PC Game Pass trials to friends...
Deals All 15+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 2-9)
May the force be with you
Xbox has just unleashed another huge list of digital deals for the week ahead, and as per usual, it includes a batch of backwards compatible games available at dirt cheap prices. A lot of this week's offers are for old school Star Wars titles, as Microsoft has just set a 'May the 4th Sale' live - including the pictured...
Deals 600+ Games Included In This Week's Xbox Sales (May 2-9)
Another batch of promotions now live
Last week saw an absolutely huge selection of games discounted across Xbox Live, with Friday's Golden Week Sale still ongoing at the time of writing. That hasn't stopped Microsoft adding even more discounts though, with another big batch of sales going live today across multiple new promotions. <related...
News New Xbox Dashboard Featuring More Background Space Unveiled
Hurrah, finally!
After months of testing, Microsoft has finally unveiled what a new Xbox dashboard could look like with its latest Xbox Insider 'Home experience'. The new home screen layout, pictured above, is arriving for Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha Insider rings later this week. Most notably, the new dashboard finally allows for a bit more...
News Xbox Reveals 'Sunkissed Vibes' Official Controller To Launch This Month
Turn up the heat
Xbox has unveiled its second collaboration with nail polish brand OPI, although this time it's geared more towards gamers luckily for us. While last year's Spring Collection collab brought 'gaming inspired' nail colour options for OPI fans, this year's effort has spawned a brand new themed Xbox controller. The 'Sunkissed Vibes'...
News New Xbox Game Pass Ad Reminds Us Of What's Coming In 2023 And Beyond
There are some amazing titles inbound
On the eve of Redfall's big first party release, Microsoft has dropped a brand new advert showcasing everything new on Xbox Game Pass. The short clip, posted up above, mostly highlights recent and upcoming releases for the service, including the aforementioned Redfall, Minecraft Legends and Hi-Fi RUSH alongside...
News Ukraine The Latest Nation To Pass Xbox's Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Microsoft sees success in the region
It's not all doom and gloom for Microsoft when it comes to the ongoing ActiBlizz deal! The Ukrainian government has announced this week that it is happy for Xbox's acquisition of the company to go ahead. Yep, despite hitting a major stumbling block here in the UK, the Eastern European nation seems satisfied with...
News Microsoft Signs New 10-Year Deal Despite UK ActiBlizz Verdict
"We are full speed ahead in our mission"
This week brought earth shattering Xbox news, when the UK CMA decided to block Microsoft's huge purchase of Activision Blizzard. The Xbox owner is already committed to appealing the decision though, and now, it's made another move to suggest that this deal is far from over. This morning, Microsoft has...
News Nvidia: Xbox's Acquisition Of ActiBlizz Would Be 'A Benefit To Cloud Gaming'
"Cloud gaming providers stand to gain an ever deeper catalog"
Boosteroid isn't the only cloud gaming service that disagrees with the CMA's decision to block the Xbox Activision Blizzard acquisition. Now, graphics card giant Nvidia has chimed in on social media with its 'Nvidia GeForce Now' Twitter account - mentioning how Microsoft's acquisition...
News Microsoft President Makes Headline News With 'Furious' Response To UK ActiBlizz Verdict
"The darkest day in our four decades in Britain"
If you look at the official BBC News website in the UK right now, the top story relates to the UK CMA's decision to block Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard, focusing on some comments made by Microsoft President Brad Smith. Speaking to the BBC, Smith didn't hold back with his thoughts,...
News Cloud Gaming Platform Calls Out Decision To Block Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal
"Boosteroid team and our users disagree"
In response to the CMA blocking Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard due to concerns about cloud gaming, Ukraine-based cloud gaming service 'Boosteroid' has issued a brief statement. It mentions how its team and users "disagree" with the decision and stand behind a statement made by Microsoft...
Talking Point Where Does Xbox Go Next If ActiBlizz Deal Falls Through?
Is another acquisition lined up? Is this it for new studios?
Well, the unfortunate news has well and truly landed - for now, the UK has blocked Xbox's attempt to purchase Activision Blizzard. While this ruling is by no means definitive — Microsoft is already starting its appeal process — it does present a major stumbling block for Xbox and...
News Activision Blizzard Criticises UK Verdict As Microsoft Takeover Gets Declined
"This report is a disservice to UK citizens"
Activision Blizzard has released a statement today following the UK CMA's verdict to decline the takeover by Microsoft, with ActiBlizz CEO Bobby Kotick sharing some words regarding his frustration over the decision. Kotick says that this is "far from the final word on this deal", and both ActiBlizz and...
News Microsoft Will Appeal UK Decision To Block Activision Blizzard Purchase
"We remain fully committed to this acquisition"
In case you missed the megaton news earlier on, the UK Competition and Markets Authority has officially blocked Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal. We definitely weren't expecting that decision, but it seems that Microsoft is already prepared for what comes next. In an official statement from company...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Officially Blocked In The UK
"Microsoft’s proposed solution failed to effectively address the concerns"
Well, we didn't see this one coming! The UK Competition and Markets Authority has today decided to block Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard, stating that the company failed to address concerns about cloud gaming. "The final decision to prevent the...
News Microsoft CEO: I've Never Been More Excited About Xbox's Pipeline Of Games
"Great content remains the flywheel behind our growth"
Microsoft revealed its earnings results for FY23 Q3 last night, and following the publication of the report, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared on a conference call to discuss those results - including how they relate to Xbox. As part of his comments, Nadella revealed that the company "set...
News Xbox Gaming Revenue Down 4% YoY In Latest Earnings Report
Hardware took a big hit
Microsoft has released its latest earning results for FY23 Q3 and Xbox's gaming revenue is down by 4% year-over-year. Although Xbox's content and services revenue grew by 3% - with growth driven once again driven by the Xbox Game Pass service, hardware revenue has taken a hit, with a decline of 30% compared to the previous...
Talking Point Next Month, It'll Be 10 Years Since The Xbox One Reveal Event
The Don Mattrick days are long gone
May isn't far away, and we'll soon be gearing up for a stacked summer of gaming announcements. In 2023, we have Summer Game Fest, we have the Xbox Games Showcase, and we'll probably see plenty of other smaller livestreams crop up over the next few months as teams begin to show off what's next for the industry...
Talking Point Would You Leave Xbox Game Pass If Microsoft Removed Its Exclusives?
Would the service still be worth it?
One Xbox talking point that's gained a lot of attention recently has been the rumour that Hi-Fi RUSH hadn't sold as much as expected, even though the game reviewed extremely well and seemed to create a lot of buzz at launch in January. Since then, Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg has chimed in on the rumour and its...
Deals Xbox Game Studios Hosts Extensive Steam Sale (April 20 - May 4)
Looking for a new Steam Deck game?
Xbox is hosting another major Steam sale for the new two weeks-or-so, shortly following its recent Spring Sale on the platform. This selection of discounts doesn't include anything from Bethesda unfortunately, but there are still some great deals to be had from Xbox's other first party studios and partnership...
