Tag Archives: microsoft

The CMA has set a 26th of April deadline to announce its final decision on Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The CMA has already changed its initial stance, finding that the deal would not harm competition in the console space. As it turns out, the Xbox team is also …

Xbox Game Pass has proven to be quite a success for Microsoft, with the subscription-based service adding a bunch of games on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, as is the case with such services, each month also sees the removal of a number of titles. Come the end of April, subscribers …

Twice a month Microsoft updates its Game Pass library with a number of new and exciting games. For the second half of April, the console manufacturer has now detailed the full list of titles dropping onto the service over the next two weeks – including the likes of Minecraft Legends …

343 Industries has gone through some major changes this year. A round of layoffs at Microsoft in early 2023 saw the majority of the campaign team let go and other major studio leads have also departed the studio in recent months. Now, Frank O'Connor, the franchise director for Halo, is …

There is no denying that the success of the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck has helped to inspire other manufacturers to get in on the handheld market. One company which seems to be tinkering with the idea is Microsoft – with a new video showcasing a Windows 11 UI designed …

It's nice to be able to personalise something to make it your own. Last October, Xbox Design Lab responded to fan requests by introducing the Xbox Elite Series 2 to its customisation options. Now, Xbox is taking it to the next level by announcing a new range of colours for …

Earlier this year, Xbox began rolling out PC Game Pass to new countries in preview form. Now, the ‘preview' period has come to an end, with Game Pass now officially available in 40 additional countries, greatly expanding the service's reach. PC Game Pass has seen a lot of growth in …

As part of its effort to get the CMA on board with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has signed a number of 10-year deals, not only guaranteeing Call of Duty on other console platforms but all Xbox first-party titles for various cloud services. The latest 10-year cloud support deal …

Microsoft’s planned purchase of Activision Blizzard is still ongoing, but that has not stopped the console manufacturer from engaging in other acquisitions, with Bethesda now having acquired the Budapest-based Nemesys Games. As reported by Timur222, the Budapest-based Nemesys Games has been acquired by Bethesda for an unknown sum, with the …

Recently, we learned that Xbox-exclusive, Quantum Break, is due to leave Xbox Game Pass this month. At the time, it was theorised that this was due to licensing issues, or perhaps Remedy buying back the IP from Microsoft as it did with Alan Wake back in 2019. Now, Microsoft has …

As previous reports claimed, Microsoft is launching an Xbox Series X Diablo IV bundle on the game's launch day. Besides the console and the game, players will also get some in-game items with this bundle, including a mount and an armour skin. If you want to play Diablo IV on …

Ever since Microsoft debuted its Xbox Game Pass subscription service we have seen the console manufacturer’s legacy Xbox Live Gold fall somewhat out of relevancy. Despite this, Xbox Live Gold and its Games with Gold program remains – though with a noticeable decrease in the quality of its offerings. This …

We've seen standard black and white versions of the Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers already but now, more options are going to be available. This week, Xbox revealed new Red and Blue colourways of the controller.  The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller will now be available in Red and …

Chances are if you've been a new subscriber to Xbox Game Pass in recent years, you've had an opportunity to get one month of subscription time for just $1 or £1. This offer was widely used and has aided in Game Pass growth across console and PC. However, all good …

The CMA has published its latest update into its ongoing investigation into Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While previously, the regulator seemed to have many concerns, it has now “narrowed its scope” of issues with the deal and no longer feels that it would “result in a substantial lessening …

With each passing year we have seen physical media decrease in popularity, with both Sony and Microsoft leaning into it by creating discless versions of their current-gen systems. That said, there is still very much a market for physical game discs – though on Xbox in particular this has been …

Live service games are all the rage nowadays, with many studios vying to have a hit which could last for a decade or more. One game which is well on its way to this milestone is Sea of Thieves. First released 5 years ago back in 2018, the team at …

Last year, the EU announced law changes that will force Google and Apple to allow third-party stores on iOS and Android devices. Now, it looks like Microsoft is preparing to capitalise on this opportunity with its own mobile Xbox store.  In an interview with the Financial Times this week, Xbox …

While we've known for a while now that Sony has been in talks with the CMA to express concerns about Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, we haven't heard much about studios speaking out in defence of the acquisition. That changed today, with the CMA's filings being updated with responses …

Just recently, we heard that Sony is developing a PS5 Pro console, indicating that the PlayStation 6 should arrive sometime between 2027 and 2028. Now, regulatory filings have confirmed that Microsoft is also working on its next generation of Xbox hardware and services.  The FTC is currently suing Microsoft to …

In recent weeks, Microsoft has signed legal agreements to bring Activision Blizzard titles to additional platforms, including Nintendo consoles and Nvidia's rival cloud gaming service, GeForce Now. Microsoft is looking to pile on here with additional deals with competing companies. While Sony isn't playing ball with Microsoft's 10-year agreement, other …

Diablo IV is the next big game set to come from Activision Blizzard, and while the acquisition by Microsoft has yet to go through, fans were beginning to wonder whether the upcoming ARPG would find its way on Xbox’s Game Pass service. Unfortunately – though unsurprisingly – this will not …

The Gears of War series is well known for its third-person gameplay. Prior to selling the IP off to Microsoft, Epic Games had its own ideas for Gears of War 4, including a dramatic shift to first-person gameplay.  Before Microsoft acquired the IP and put together The Coalition studio, Gears …

While Microsoft has signed a legal agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty games to Nintendo consoles if the Activision Blizzard acquisition goes through, there has been doubt as to whether or not we'd see Call of Duty on the Switch. As it turns out, Microsoft is pretty confident that it could get a native version of the game working, even on the Switch's ageing hardware.

Neon White was one of the most exciting breakout indie hits of 2022, with the fast first-person action game seeing you “exterminating demons in Heaven” using a combination of weapons, platforming and a lot of resets. Currently available on PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, Neon White looks set to be …

In recent years we have seen a greater effort by both studios and publishers to document the development process for a wide variety of games. Following the recent release of the 23-hour long documentary chronicling the development of Psychonauts 2, Microsoft has now announced that a Sea of Thieves documentary …

After Google introduced Video Super Resolution support to Chrome, it's time for Microsoft to do the same on the Edge browser. The Chromium-based browser can now increase image quality by removing artefacts and enhancing text sharpness on low-res videos, but only if you're using select AMD and Nvidia GPUs. If …

Microsoft has started off the year well with the surprise release of the rhythm-action game HI-FI Rush, with other major Xbox heavy hitters such as Redfall and Starfield planned to be coming out over the months. That said, there are still many other Xbox titles deep in development – with …

Microsoft had a bit of a viral moment leading up to the Xbox Series X launch when it unveiled a full-sized fridge designed to look like the console. Eventually, Microsoft released a limited run of Xbox Series X mini-fridges and now, it looks like Xbox Series S-like toasters are up …

The competition and market regulators are still evaluating Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While it seemed like things were trending towards the acquisition being blocked, sources this week have claimed that the EU is actually now planning to approve the deal.