Tag Archives: microsoft

Grounded is one of the more interesting titles published by Xbox Game Studios. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, this ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids’ styled survival game has spent the past many years in Early Access. Two years on and 10 million players later, Grounded has officially gone 1.0. Alongside a …

Microsoft keeps its game consoles up to date with consistent software patches. The September patch – officially available now – brings with it some long-requested Quality of Life improvements, including a full library revamp. Making the announcement on the Xbox Blog, Jonathan Hildebrandt, the Principal Group Program Manager at Xbox …

For many, a console’s start-up sound can bring with it excitement and emotion as the jingle lets you know that it’s time to game. For some however, the noise is obtrusive and loud and serves no real purpose. For the latter kind, Microsoft has announced that you will be able …

Ever since its initial launch back in 2020, the team at Asobo Studio have continually improved all aspects of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator, with various tech and content updates making for a much more complete and bespoke experience. Content update 10 may be the biggest one yet, adding DLSS, DX12 improvements …

Xbox systems have suffered from some DRM-related issues in the past, with the company’s consoles requiring an online connection in many instances in order to play even single player titles. Fortunately, a new update to the Xbox family of devices has made the system’s DRM much less intrusive. As discovered …

Back in February, PlatinumGames publicly stated that it wants to revive Scalebound and work with Microsoft once again. Microsoft had not responded to this at the time, but now in a Japanese interview, Xbox lead, Phil Spencer, has finally commented on the situation.  The cancellation of Scalebound was a huge …

This week, Deathloop finally launched on Xbox after a full year of PS5 exclusivity. The end to the Sony deal also meant that Deathloop could come to Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft isn't leaving PlayStation players behind though, as Deathloop will also be available to subscribers of Sony's PS+ Extra and …

The past few weeks has seen the heat turned up when it comes to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and whether the move is in fact anti-competitive. Amidst all this, head of Xbox Phil Spencer has remained resolute, stating that the console manufacturer will continue to acquire more studios. In …

Recently, Sony announced plans to raise the price of the PS5 in many countries outside of the US. At the time, Microsoft and Nintendo responded by saying there are no plans to raise prices. This week, Xbox’s Phil Spencer addressed the subject again, stating that now is ‘not the right …

In recent weeks, Sony has begun taking the offensive by publicly campaigning against Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We've seen Sony lay out its argument against the deal before in regulatory filings, but now, Jim Ryan has been giving juicy quotes to the press, branding Microsoft's post-merger Call of …

Earlier this month, the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it has reached a new stage in its probe into Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. In short, the CMA has concerns that the deal could harm competition and on that basis, the case is now being recommended for …

One of the most surprising announcements at Nintendo’s recently held Direct was the reveal that the long-elusive GoldenEye 007 would be leaving its Nintendo 64 shackles and would be coming to the Switch. Even more surprising however is the fact that the game is set to also come to Microsodt’s …

Discord is one of the most popular messaging platforms used by video game enthusiasts thanks to its voice chat functionalities and room-based servers. It was previously confirmed that the service would soon be coming to systems other than PC and mobile – namely PlayStation and Xbox. With PlayStation getting the …

For years now Microsoft has championed its ID@Xbox program, offering a spotlight to many indie titles which would otherwise possibly fall under many players’ radars. Part of this initiative includes hosting ID@Xbox showcases – the latest of which has now been announced. Making the announcement on the Xbox Blog, Microsoft …

The Xbox Elite Series of controllers offer a premium option for all those who want to maximise their gaming potential. This comes at a heavy premium however, costing significantly more than a Standard Xbox controller (£159.99 to be exact). For those who want a slightly more premium experience while not …

Throughout each month, Microsoft adds a number of titles to its Xbox Game Pass library, allowing subscribers to experience a wide variety of games across all types of genres. The console manufacturer has now announced which titles will be dropping onto the service throughout the first half of September. Making …

State of Decay 3 was announced all the way back in 2020 with a teaser trailer and little else. While we still have yet to get a proper look at the upcoming open-world zombie survival game, Matt Booty, the Head of Xbox Game Studios, has now offered some insights into …

It is quite common nowadays for video games to be worked on by multiple teams across different studios. That being said, these collaborations typically occur between studios which fall under the same corporate umbrella. It is therefore interesting to see that over 100 Crystal Dynamics devs are assisting Xbox studio …

Following on from a test phase last month, Microsoft has now officially announced the new Xbox Game Pass ‘friends and family' tier. While this was initially rumoured as a family plan, Microsoft is leaning into the fact that friend groups often share access to services too.  The Xbox Game Pass …

We've all assumed that Activision Blizzard games will come to Xbox Game Pass some time after Microsoft completes its acquisition of the company. Today in response to questions around the deal, Xbox head, Phil Spencer, confirmed exactly that.  In a lengthy blog post intended to reassure regulators, gamers and developers, …

In response to news that the UK CMA is moving onto phase two of its investigation into Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has published a new blog post further detailing its plans for the company post-merger. In short, Microsoft is now more firmly committing to keeping Activision Blizzard …

We learned a while ago that the UK authorities had begun their investigation into Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard and after gathering preliminary information, they have come to the decision that Microsoft owning the publisher could impact competition in the market. Now, the CMA will move into phase two …

Over the years, Humble Games has gone from merely operating a storefront to publishing their own titles, such as was the case with the much-loved A Hat in Time. Now, the publisher has announced that they are partnering up with Microsoft to bring 7 upcoming Humble Games to Xbox Game …

Each month, those with an Xbox Live Gold account (or an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription) are able to get their hands on a number of games for ‘free’. For the month of September, subscribers will be able to get their hands on a number of classic titles including Portal …

This week, Sony announced plans to raise the MSRP of the PlayStation 5 in most regions outside of the US, blaming inflation and the ‘global economic situation'. While the PS5 is about to get more expensive, Microsoft and Nintendo have both confirmed that there are no plans to raise the …

Back in January, Ubisoft announced it would bring its Ubisoft+ subscription service to the Xbox platform. Seven months have passed since then, and we are still waiting for Ubisoft+ to arrive, but new evidence suggests launch is just around the corner. Twitter user @ALumia_Italia is known for datamining and sharing interesting …

Recently, there has been some discussion around Sony's exclusivity practices, including paying for ‘blocking rights' to keep certain titles from launching on Xbox Game Pass. Despite all of this, Death Stranding is now coming to Microsoft's service.  While Sony owns the Death Stranding IP, the game was developed by Kojima …

The Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass Twitter accounts are both known for their teasers. While most titles coming to Game Pass this month have already been revealed, Microsoft seems to have one big surprise up its sleeve – Death Stranding for Game Pass on PC.  The PC Game …

Yesterday, Microsoft officially announced the next batch of titles for Xbox Game Pass, all of which will land on the service before the end of the month. Unfortunately, some titles have to be cycled out due to expiring agreements. Typically, we see just a handful of titles removed each month, …

The first half of the month saw titles like Ghost Recon Wildlands, Two Point Campus, Cooking Simulator and Offworld Trading Company joining the Xbox Game Pass library. Now, Microsoft has revealed the titles coming in the second half of August, including another big Ubisoft release.  Ubisoft is continuing to add …