Microsoft's touch screen Surface ambitions might not have ended with the tablet if its most recent deal with Nokia hadn't gone to plan. Had it not been able to snap up the Finnish phone maker, Microsoft may have forged ahead with support, developing its own line of Surface handsets. However, …
Read More »Developers claim PS4 is 50 per cent faster than Xbox One
Uh oh Microsoft. Just when you were doing so well and regaining some ground after your horrible start to the Xbox One's PR run, Edge magazine goes and publishes something like this. Yes folks, according to a bunch of developers Edge has been speaking to, the PlayStation 4 runs most …
Read More »Microsoft buys Xbone.com domain, admits its not a fan
In an effort to corral any further hate against its upcoming Xbox One console into a more manageable state, Microsoft has purchased the Xbox One domain name, Xbone.com, for an undisclosed sum. At the same time, Major Nelson admitted that he's not a fan of the nickname. Not at all. …
Read More »Microsoft’s new Xbox reward system explained
Confused about how the world will continue to spin on its axis without Microsoft points? So are many other Xbox gamers, but don't stay out in the cold, come over by the fire and we'll tell you all about the new reward scheme Microsoft is cooking up. In this brave …
Read More »The Xbox One CPU just got 150MHz faster
It was only a few weeks ago that we reported on how the Xbox One GPU had been given a 53MHz speed boost, when it was found that the next-gen machine's thermal profile could handle it, so today must be Christmas (or my birthday… really) because today we're bringing more …
Read More »GAME offering big cash trade-ins for next-gen upgrade
Despite all the hate for Microsoft's next-gen system, I'm sure there's a few of you who are interested in its boxy corners, the persistent eye of the Kinect camera and its unswappable hard drive. Likewise Sony fans must be eagerly rubbing their hands together, waiting for that day in November …
Read More »No Xbox One external storage at launch
Coming straight from the lips of Microsoft's director of programming for Xbox Live, Lawrence “Larry” Hryb, AKA, Major Nelson, we now know that the Xbox One will not support external storage, though it's been said that it will at some point in the future. “The future plan is for definitely to …
Read More »IllumiRoom would be too expensive for consumers, says Microsoft
One of the most eye catching technologies Microsoft has shown off in the past year or two, has been IllumiRoom, a strange, projector system, that places in-game footage over your living room wall and floor, instead of just on the usual display – seemingly forgetting the point we have projector …
Read More »Microsoft claims Google obtuse over Windows phone Youtube app
Microsoft has accused Google of deliberately sabotaging its ability to have a working Youtube application on the Windows phone platform, by “manufacturing” reasons why it could revoke the Windows maker's license to use the Youtube API. In a blog post titled, “The limits of Google's openness,” Microsoft corporate VP and …
Read More »Microsoft shuttering Games for Windows Live marketplace
With just over a week to go until Microsoft points are discontinued for good, Microsoft has highlighted that this will also lead to the end of buying games through its Games for Windows Live marketplace – as if that was something we all did with glee before. GFWL, while a …
Read More »Microsoft developing phone that won’t ever disturb you
We've all had that awkward moment when you forget to silence your phone in the cinema and it happens to go off during the quietest scene of the film. You'll be glad to hear that this may not be a problem for long, as Microsoft are currently developing a technology …
Read More »The Xbox One GPU just got faster
In an interview with the always colourful Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, Microsoft's corporate VP Marc Whitten, has announced that the graphics processor within the company's next-gen Xbox One, is now a little bit faster, thanks to driver optimisations and a clock speed bump. Describing the current situation with the One …
Read More »Microsoft flip flops again, this time on Xbox One self publishing
Oh Microsoft, will you pick a policy and stick to it please? It's nice of you to keep changing your mind giving me stories to write about, but this is just getting silly now. We might as well not believe any policies you have at this point, because they could …
Read More »Xbox One first party games to cost £49.99 at launch
Microsoft has just updated the prices on its official online store, putting to bed some of the £99.99 place-holder prices we've seen dotted around. Now the new – and presumably final – pricing for some of the console's first party games, including Ryse, Dead Rising 3 and Forza 5, are …
Read More »Microsoft addresses Kinect security concerns – badly
While the world and his dog went up in arms about Microsoft's DRM and online activation policies with the Xbox One, not quite so many were worried about the bundled Kinect sensor being always on – you even had a few people say that old classic line, “if you've got …
Read More »Wargaming slams Microsoft free to play, working to improve it
We've heard a lot of game developers attack Microsoft's game update policies in the past few years, with indie developers lining up alongside the big developers to do so. They've trashed the long Q&A process and the fees involved and Wargaming.net is no different. However, it's also said that it's …
Read More »Microsoft: we need to do more work to talk
Microsoft's chief product officer for the Xbox One, Marc Whitten, has spoken out in an interview with IGN, about how he feels Microsoft failed to communicate the real message of its next-gen console and that that's the reason for the flip-flopping behaviour of the company. ““I think it’s pretty simple. …
Read More »Microsoft let the NSA record Skype video calls
We all know companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook and others, have been sharing information with the authorities in the US for quite some time, but now it's come to light that Microsoft even allowed the NSA to record video conversations people were having using the VOIP service, Skype. This …
Read More »Some Xbox One fans want Microsoft to flip flop again
Remember when Microsoft announced all those features earlier this year for the Xbox One? TV viewing, cloud saves, cloud computing, game lending, family sharing – and a little thing called every-24-hour activations? Of course you do, because you screamed in the software giant's face to have it ditch all of …
Read More »Cloud server hardware providers rub their hands
For each generation of good idea, there needs to be a seed: An injection of high-profile capital that energises the market and fires the imagination. With The Cloud, that investment could well be from Microsoft. KitGuru pulls out the trusty old abacus. People have been talking about the cloud for …
Read More »Here’s how Microsoft is handling trolls on the Xbox One
Microsoft is doing a lot of things with its next-generation console (though perhaps less than initially) but one of the big things, is overhauling Xbox Live and specifically, how it deals with the internet's #1 pest, the Troll. With the Xbox One's live system, gamers will be somewhat beholden to …
Read More »Julie Larson-Green to take over as Xbox One head
It was big news yesterday: Don Mattrick, the guy that had been just a few weeks before touting the virtues of Microsoft's upcoming Xbox One console, was now headed to Zynga to try and save the dilapidated Facebook game maker. The question remained however, who would replace him? Now we …
Read More »Ex-Rare dev says Microsoft buy-out was a culture clash
There's always been a lot of speculation about what happened at Rare during its Microsoft buyout. There've been rumours that the atmosphere of the once great British developer changed, that the people there weren't keen on the new direction – but it's all been rumours. Now one ex-staff member has …
Read More »Microsoft now letting devs update games for free
Microsoft has been criticised by big developers and indies alike, for always charging tens of thousands of dollars to update games on its Xbox 360, leading to long delays in some cases and in others, no updates at all – as it just wasn't financially viable. Now though, the software …
Read More »PS4 and Xbox One release dated
While Microsoft and Sony have both publicly stated that their respective consoles would be available worldwide during the Christmas period this year, retailers have begun putting up release dates for both systems, suggesting something a little more concrete. German website Media Markt has listed the PS4 for a 13th November …
Read More »Xbox One is now more confused than ever
While Microsoft might have down an about face on its policies for the upcoming next-gen Xbox One system, the console landscape is now more confused than ever. Yes there's no 24 hour check-in system, yes you can resell, trade and lend your game discs to people, but you still need …
Read More »Microsoft attempts to calm fears over Xbox One live bans
It's been surprising, considering how much of a public opinion beating that Microsoft has taken in the past few weeks over its Xbox One console, that it hasn't done more damage control – but it seems to be doing some now. Major Nelson has announced that even if you get …
Read More »Here’s how Xbox One achievements are changing
We already talked about Microsoft adding achievements to its Xbox One for simply watching TV, but that isn't the only changeup it'll be making. It'll also be introducing challenges that transcend individual games, can be temporary or long term and even unlock new content. Challenges are not just your regular …
Read More »Witcher III dev putting gamers first despite Xbox One DRM
While some companies may have been pleased by the announcement by Microsoft that its next generation console, the Xbox One, would come packing built in DRM that locked games to individual accounts, disallowed game lending and required online activation on a regular basis, developer of the Witcher, CD Projekt is …
Read More »Gamers declare Sony as E3 champion
We talked about it since the original reveal of PS4 features and games, we carried on talking about it when Microsoft showed us the Xbox One and we've been talking about it off and on until yesterday: which would come out on top at E3, the Xbox One or the …
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