Tag Archives: microsoft

Ever since Microsoft chose to focus on growing its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, the quality of games being offered as part of the console manufacturer’s Games with Gold program has seen quite a decline. March’s free games have now been announced, continuing the downward trend of the service. Making …

HI-Fi Rush might be the biggest surprise of 2023 so far, with the Xbox console exclusive game getting announced and released on the same day to great fanfare thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics and punchy art style. A little over 1 month after its release the game has reached …

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that the FTC is suing to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As part of the preparation for trial, Microsoft issued a subpoena to Sony, requesting a number of business-related documents. As expected, Sony fought back on this, but a …

Out of nowhere, Paradox Interactive has announced its next game showcase and interestingly, the publisher is teaming up with Xbox for the occasion. This likely indicates a bigger partnership at play, likely to bring more Paradox titles to Xbox Game Pass.  In the event, Colossal Order (Cities: Skylines), Harebrained Schemes …

Ever since Microsoft Flight Simulator first launched back in 2020, the game has seen a string of continuous updates with the team at Asobo Studio going over the game with multiple coats of gloss. After updating regions such as the UK, Europe, Australia and more, Microsoft Flight Simulator has now …

This week has already been pretty big for GeForce Now, with Nvidia and Microsoft entering an agreement to bring all Xbox PC games over to the service. It'll be a while before the Xbox library migrates over, but for now, there are six new games joining the service, including the …

Microsoft sat down with the European Commission once again this week to further argue its case for the Activision Blizzard acquisition. In a press briefing after the meeting, Microsoft laid out its case, revealing Sony's dominant position in the European console market.  At the briefing, Microsoft President, Brad Smith, produced …

Yesterday, Microsoft had a meeting with the European Commission to further discuss the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Shortly after, Microsoft held its own press briefing to answer a few questions about the deal and the ongoing process. During this, Microsoft President, Brad Smith, was asked if the company would be open …

While Call of Duty has been a big part of the discussion around Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, regulators have also expressed concern regarding the cloud market. To help with that, Microsoft has now entered an agreement with Nvidia to bring all of its Xbox PC games to GeForce Now.

While many Minecraft players continue to rely on the original Java release thanks to its abundance of community support, Microsoft have continued to support the Bedrock version, including multiple unique and interesting crossovers. Following the likes of Mario and Sonic, Minecraft x Mega Man X has now been announced. Available …

Valheim launched in Early Access on the 2nd of February 2021 to almost immediate success, selling 2 million copies in under two weeks and going on to surpass 10 million copies by July of last year. Following its success on PC, the sandbox survival game is soon set to come …

The current generation of gaming has seen Microsoft shift its strategy to focusing on Xbox Game Pass – the console manufacturer’s game subscription service. The service itself has had its diehard supporters, while others have criticised its effects on the industry. In the wake of this small controversy, one publisher …

In late 2022, Microsoft began working on a new power saving mode for Xbox consoles, allowing for “carbon aware” game downloads and updates. The new power saving mode has been tested in the Xbox Insider program for a while and today, it is rolling out to all users. This month's …

Last year, Microsoft announced that its infamous browser, Internet Explorer, had officially reached end-of-life status, marking the end of software updates and support. At this point, Internet Explorer has been largely replaced by Edge on Windows PCs, but IE is still available on Windows 10 systems. That will change soon, …

When Xbox Game Pass was first introduced, many interested parties showed concern for the health of the video games industry, fearing that offering such a subscription service would cannibalise sales. At the time, the company claimed the opposite – though we now know that titles coming to Game Pass statistically …

ATLUS has had a strong relationship with Microsoft in recent years, with the Xbox console seeing some of the developer’s biggest titles (i.e. Persona) brought to it. Likewise, many ATLUS games have found their way onto Xbox Game Pass – the console manufacturer’s game subscription service. Following the inclusion of …

Activision Blizzard found itself in a pit of controversy two years ago, with anger against leadership and CEO, Bobby Kotick, leading to lawsuits and employee walkouts. Many who support Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard are hoping to see new leadership at the publisher, but if the acquisition fails, it looks …

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. One studio familiar with such documentaries is Double Fine Productions – having now released a massive 32-part documentary on the development for Psychonauts 2. Back …

As anticipated, the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that it believes Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard would harm the UK market. The CMA confirmed its concerns in documents released today, but it has also sent a list of potential remedies to Microsoft.  The CMA has concluded …

Last week, it was revealed that Xbox console-exclusive shooter, CrossfireX, would be leaving Game Pass this month. At the time we thought that perhaps the exclusivity deal had run its course and that the game may now head to other platforms. However, as it turns out, publisher Smilegate is pulling …

Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard is continuing to be investigated by regulators around the world. Over here in Europe, the investigation has reportedly reached a critical point, with the European Union set to issue a formal antitrust warning to Microsoft.  According to sources speaking with Politico, the EU outlined …

Since releasing Gears 5 back in 2019, The Coalition has been pretty quiet. The studio has revealed publicly that it is currently working on projects with Unreal Engine 5, but it would seem that plans for a new IP have now been scrapped following on from recent lay-offs at Microsoft.  …

Redfall is one of the biggest first-party Xbox games currently set to release in 2023. Launching on the 2nd of May, Microsoft recently gave fans a deep look at the upcoming open-world co-op shooter. Unfortunately it seems as though even if you were to play the game solo, Redfall will …

Over the last couple of years, 343 Industries' struggles with the Halo IP reached a boiling point, resulting in a round of layoffs at the studio this year. At this point, many of those in leadership positions during Halo Infinite's development have moved on and just under 100 employees have …

We haven't seen a physical E3 event for a few years now and while there was some hope that the organisers would be able to recapture the magic this year, there has been an unfortunate update. It would seem that for the first time, none of the big three console …

Ever since Microsoft chose to focus on growing its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, the quality of games being offered as part of the console manufacturer’s Games with Gold program has seen quite a decline. February’s free games have now been announced, continuing the downward trend of the service. Making …

The situation surrounding MLB The Show is an odd one indeed. Initially a PlayStation exclusive franchise, Sony’s hand was somewhat forced into bringing the series to other platforms – though it is still developed by a Sony first-party studio. Despite this long association, MLB The Show 21 and 22 both …

We've known for a while now that Bethesda has greenlit a few unannounced games after being acquired by Microsoft. We've seen a couple of these games already, including titles like Redfall and recent surprise hit, Hi-Fi Rush. Bethesda does have another unannounced game in the works – SpyTeam.  We first …

Phil Spencer is not one to shy away from the limelight, being one of the more vocal executives in the industry, partaking in interviews while being relatively candid at the same time. As part of a new interview, the head of Xbox discussed all manner of topics, ranging from the company’s recent string of layoffs to the struggling Activision-Blizzard acquisition.

While Microsoft initially announced plans to launch Forza Motorsport in the first half of 2023, a lack of release date announced during the recent Developer Direct stream has sparked rumours of delays.  According to games reporter, Jeff Grubb, multiple sources have told him that Forza is likely to slip into …