Tag Archives: microsoft

Microsoft has been on an acquisition spree in the games industry over the last few years, with the latest being the massive $7.5B Zenimax deal. The Zenimax deal is set to complete soon but it seems that Microsoft may already have another Xbox Game Studios acquisition lined up, this time …

While Asobo Studio had planned to ship Microsoft Flight Simulator's UK and Ireland focused World Update this week, it has been pushed back a bit for final polish.  Microsoft Flight Simulator has had two other major World Updates since launch, one focusing on adding more landmarks to the United States …

As we've known for months now, Microsoft is in the process of acquiring ZeniMax Media and all of its subsidiaries, including Bethesda. The acquisition is due for approval from the EU in the next few weeks. To gain this approval, Microsoft is setting up a new subsidiary called ‘Vault', which …

While Microsoft committed to bringing its Xbox Game Studios exclusives to Steam quite some time ago, there are still a few big games that haven't transitioned over yet. Last year, Microsoft finally brought Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2 over to Valve's platform and this year, Steam is …

While console manufacturers such as Sony and Nintendo periodically update their console’s sales figures, letting the industry know just how many units are out in the wild, Microsoft ceased this practice a number of years ago meaning Xbox sales figures can never be 100% accurate. That being said, according to …

Since its PC launch in August of 2020, Asobo Studio has been consistently updating Microsoft Flight Simulator with “World Updates,” improving certain regions with much higher detailed and bespoke models more representative of these areas’ architecture. Set to go live in March, the game’s 4th World Update will focus on …

Following the less than stellar gameplay preview of Halo: Infinite last year, 343 Industries opted to delay the game by almost a full year. In order to keep fans updated on the game’s status however, the studio recently promised to offer monthly development updates. The first update has now gone …

While the situation surrounding COVID-19 greatly inhibited the output of both hardware and software manufacturers throughout 2020, the gaming industry seemingly continued to flourish. According to Microsoft, the Xbox Series X|S achieved the “most devices ever sold in a launch month” for Xbox. According to Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella, “the …

Less than 24 hours after announcing Xbox Live Gold's price hike, Microsoft and the Xbox team have reversed the decision. Following the announcement, there was swift backlash and players were quick to point out other issues with Xbox Live Gold that have existed for quite some time. Following this, some …

While the rumour mill has claimed that Microsoft will do away with the Xbox Live Gold service in the near future to focus on Game Pass, it looks like the company's plans are quite different. This week, it was announced that Xbox Live Gold is actually going to get a …

During Microsoft’s 2019 iteration of its Xbox fan convention X019, the console manufacturer revealed that 10 mainline Final Fantasy games would be making their way onto the Xbox via its Game Pass subscription service. This served as a significant move on Microsoft’s part, due to the typical association of Final …

InXile has primarily been known for its high quality isometric RPGs over the years, particularly with Wasteland 2 and more recently, Wasteland 3. Looking ahead though, InXile will be trying its hand at first-person RPGs with one of its next projects.  Since being acquired by Microsoft, InXile has been staffing …

Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 back in January 2020 and while it looked like the ageing OS was in decline over the course of last year, Windows 7 installs had a slight uptick in the later months of last year. At this point, it appears that at least 100 …

Back in October, we learned that Nintendo isn't the only company facing lawsuits over gaming controller issues – there was also a case brewing against Microsoft over Xbox One controller ‘stick drift'. Now, that class-action lawsuit has come to fruition, but Microsoft is hoping to keep things out of the …

It looks like Microsoft is preparing a big Windows 10 UI update this year. Recent job listings from Microsoft have begun seeking developers for a “sweeping rejuvenation of Windows”.  Windows 10 has had some minor UI updates since launch, but this appears to be a much bigger attempt at revitalising …

With the Xbox Series X/S now out in the wild, the Xbox 360 is officially two generations behind and with that in mind, certain services will be coming offline. Starting next year, the Xbox 360 Halo games will be taken offline.  Over the Xbox 360 lifecycle, we received no less …

Recently, Apple announced plans to move away from Intel CPUs and replace them with ARM-based SoCs designed in-house. Now, it would seem that Microsoft is following a similar path for its Surface line of devices, with plans to develop its own ARM-based processor. These new ARM-based processors will also be …

Twice a month Microsoft announces a new batch of games which are set to join its Game Pass subscription service. For the second half of December, the console manufacturer is taking advantage of its recent purchase of ZeniMax Media, adding Skyrim: Special Edition – alongside many other titles – to …

A couple of months ago, Microsoft announced that it would still be bringing xCloud game streaming support to iOS. Microsoft has also committed to bringing its game streaming service to PC too. Now, we finally have a launch window for these new versions of Xbox Game Streaming, with both scheduled …

ZeniMax Online Studios appears to be putting some of that Microsoft buy-out money to good use. This week, it became known that the developer has formed a second studio in San Diego with the goal of producing a new IP.  Quentin Cobb, an industry veteran that has previously worked at …

Since the announcement of the studio’s formation back in 2018, Xbox fans have been eagerly awaiting news on The Initiative’s first project. Though we have yet to see anything from the studio, new leaks have suggested that the game will be a “3rd Person stealth action game” with “experimental” elements. …

Microsoft has been on a big spree of gaming-related acquisitions lately. Most of these have been development studios but this week, Microsoft has announced something slightly different. As of this week, esports tournament platform ‘Smash.gg' is now under the Microsoft umbrella.  Smash.gg will be part of Microsoft's Content Services Group, …

Over the course of each month Microsoft refreshes its Game Pass service with a number of new titles. For the first half of December, subscribers can get their hands on a plethora of major releases, including Remedy’s Control, Dragon Quest XI S, Greedfall, Superhot, and more. During the first half …

The Xbox Series X and Series S consoles are getting their first software updates today. In the first OS upgrade, Microsoft is bringing new features to the dashboard, including new dynamic backgrounds.  One of the biggest additions to the new dashboard is dynamic backgrounds. With the November update, Xbox Series …

The Forza series is one of Xbox’s most prominent first-party franchises. The series often sees its Motorsport and Horizon sub franchises take turns to release its titles. While Microsoft already teased the next entry in the Motorsport series for the new generation of consoles, an industry insider has claimed that …

Since it was first announced that Microsoft had purchased ZeniMax Media for $7.5 Billion, fans of Bethesda and its titles have been curious as to whether the console manufacturer intends to limit the publisher’s titles to Xbox platforms in the future. The company’s CFO has offered a hopeful statement on …

Ever since its delay was announced, fans of Microsoft’s Halo series have been eagerly anticipating news on when the next-generation Halo Infinite will be announced, and what changes – if any – have been made since the disappointing demo from a couple months back. According to the game’s developers, fans …

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are officially out in the wild but actually getting hold of one at retail is going to be a tricky task for a while. Currently, Microsoft estimates stock shortages well into 2021.  Speaking at the Jefferies Interactive Entertainment conference, Xbox CFO, Tim …

Microsoft has been stacking cards in its favour for the upcoming generation of gaming, having doubled down on powerful hardware and a slew of first-party development studios. A lot of consumers are already buying into Microsoft's next-gen promises too, with the Xbox Series X/S having the “biggest launch in Xbox …

In order to ensure maximum value for money, Microsoft consistently adds new games to its Game Pass subscription Service. For the month of November, subscribers can look forward to a number of exciting titles including Tetris Effect: Connected, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, and more. Making the …