Tag: Microsoft - Page 4
Blah blah blah
God, we're never going to hear the end of this are we? In a new official blog post, Microsoft has outlined its "Open App Store Principles", and it's...well, it's a really boring read, so we'll just skip to the part that mentions Sony and PlayStation. It states: "First, some commentators have asked whether we will continue to make...
News Sony More Likely Than Microsoft to Acquire a Japanese Game Company, Analyst Explains
Believes Sony may be planning a move in Japan
If Microsoft's planned $68 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard has you wondering who's next, and whether the tech giant could scoop up your favourite Japanese publisher at any moment, then we've got good news: it probably, maybe, might not happen. Video game consultant and writer Nathan Brown has...
Talking Point In Theory, Could Xbox Game Pass Come to PS5, PS4?
Pass it on
It’s not yet clear what the future holds for Activision Blizzard and Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony’s alluded to Microsoft honouring existing contracts, but there’s no word on how long those will last. Meanwhile, talkative Xbox chief Phil Spencer has expressed a “desire”
Poll Does Sony Need to Take Action After Microsoft's Activision Buyout?
Holding out for a hero
Microsoft's jaw-dropping acquisition of Activision Blizzard earlier this week has fundamentally changed the gaming landscape as we know it. The reported $68 billion buyout shows just how ridiculously deep Microsoft's pockets are — and that financial bulk is something that Sony simply cannot compete with. It leaves the...
"Sony is an important part of our industry"
Will Activision games continue to release on PlayStation consoles once Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision goes through? That's the question on everyone's minds right now, and the team in green itself likely doesn't even know for sure just yet either. However, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil...
Little fish
In an interview anecdote published by the Washington Post, chatty Xbox chief Phil Spencer has said that he trusts the likes of Sony, Nintendo, and Valve not to damage the gaming industry – it’s tech giants like Amazon, Apple, and Google that he’s concerned about. The conversation is, of course, shadowed by his company’s...
News Sony Responds to Activision Blizzard Buyout, Expects Games to Still Come to PS5, PS4
Wants contracts to be abided by
Sony has this morning issued a statement in response to Microsoft's $69 billion dollar deal to purchase Activision. In a quote shared with The Wall Street Journal via a Sony spokesperson, the firm said: "We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are...
News Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Leaving Role Once Microsoft Buyout Is Done, Says Report
WSJ sources claim
Activision boss Bobby Kotick will leave his role as CEO once Microsoft has completed its $70 billion buyout of the Call of Duty company, the Wall Street Journal claims. Sources close to the acquisition plans indicate he will leave the firm after the deal closes, which is expected to take place at some point next
Poll Would You Still Buy PlayStation Consoles Without Activision Blizzard Games?
The call of duty
In a move that will shake the gaming industry to its core, Microsoft is on course to buy Activision Blizzard for a reported figure of $68 billion. This means that incredibly popular properties such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, would be owned by Microsoft. You could argue that those last two franchises...
News Microsoft Buys Call of Duty Publisher Activision Blizzard
Game over
In news that will once again rock the industry, Microsoft has bought Activision Blizzard, the publisher of franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. The deal is reportedly valued at $70 billion, which is several times the sum that the giant already stumped up for Bethesda. It will presumably mean that franchises like Call of...
News Xbox Boss Reacts to PS Plus, PS Now Rumours, Says It's the 'Right Answer'
Expects new games included in the service
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has responded to the rumours of Sony's plans to combine PlayStation Plus and PS Now into a single service, currently dubbed Project Spartacus. Whether it's a proper competitor or not to Microsoft's celebrated Game Pass membership still remains to be seen, but Spencer believes this sort...
News Tomb Raider, Marvel's Avengers Maker Now Co-Developer on Xbox Exclusive
Really
Well, this is a bizarre and frankly unexpected announcement: Crystal Dynamics – one of the most prolific third-party developers, responsible for games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and Marvel’s Avengers – has been announced as a co-develop
News Xbox Boss Is a Big Fan of Sony's PS5 Controller
It's a bloody good pad, to be fair
Not for the first time, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has complimented Sony’s work on the PlayStation 5’s controller. The DualSense, with its combination of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, is transformative when implemented correctly – and it’s something Microsoft has been paying attention to. In fact,...
News Sony Bigwigs Congratulate Xbox for E3 2021 Showcase
"A great time to be a gamer"
In a show of corporate camaraderie, PlayStation executives like Hermen Hulst have congratulated Xbox for its E3 2021 showcase. Microsoft suit Phil Spencer is a big fan of social media, recently sending congratulatory messages to Insomniac Games for the stellar Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart reviews. And while we’ve...
News You Won't Be Playing The Outer Worlds 2 on PS5, PS4
Outsiders
As with Starfield, the sequel to The Outer Worlds will not release on PlayStation 5 and PS4. We were taken with the original RPG, awarding it a 9/10 in our review and describing it as a “triumph”. Earlier this year, we also covered the game’s Murder on Eridanos expansion, which we thought was pretty good as well. However, with...
Reaction Xbox Game Pass Is the Thorn in PS5's Side
Jim Ryan, we have a problem
The curtain has closed on a very strong Xbox briefing, which saw its beefed up first-party roster – and a lot of timed exclusives – deliver the first real E3 2021 livestream of the year. The event has been on life support thus far, but with good pacing and plenty of content, Microsoft proved that there is still a...
News Xbox Head Targets Sony for Not Launching Games Day and Date on PC
"Others bring console games to PC years later"
Xbox head Phil Spencer has thrown a quick bit of shade at Sony for holding off on bringing its formerly exclusive titles to PC until years after their original console release. After boasting of being the only company to ship titles across PC, consoles, and the cloud on the same day, Spencer said:...
News Leaked Document Reveals Xbox's Opinion of The Last of Us 2
"Naughty Dog still can't seem to make decent gun combat"
Companies conduct internal reviews of their competitors’ products all the time – it’s just we seldom ever get to actually read them. The ongoing litigation between Apple and Epic Games is uncovering all kinds of industry secrets, however – such as this Microsoft review of The Last of...
Poll Is PlayStation Losing Ground to Xbox?
PlayedStation
Ah, the Console Wars. Although they don't exist in the raw form that many would like to perceive, there's no getting away from that fact that companies like Sony and Microsoft are competing with one another. And right here in April 2021, five months removed from the PlayStation 5's launch, PlayStation and Xbox are going head-to-head...
News Microsoft Reportedly Opening Its Wallet Once Again for $10 Billion Acquisition of Discord
Company apparently in talks to purchase online chat service
Microsoft has just spent $7.5 billion to bring ZeniMax Media (and thus, Bethesda) into its first party network of game studios. That's an eye-watering sum, and you'd think would leave the corporation's pockets feeling a little lighter than usual. Well, according to a new report from...
News Microsoft's Bethesda Bid One Step Closer to Completion as European Union Approves Acquisition
Money money money
Microsoft's 7.5 billion dollar acquisition of ZeniMax Media — of course including Bethesda Softworks — has met the approval of the European Union. As VGC reports, the EU's antitrust regulator has given the green light to the historic merger, which will see Microsoft become the parent company of all Bethesda's development teams...
News PS Plus Once Again Priced the Same as Xbox Live After Microsoft Backtrack
The big U-turn
Update 2: Well, that didn’t take long. In less than 24 hours, Microsoft has reversed its decision to hike the price of Xbox Live Gold, announcing that it will retain the £49.99/$59.99 annual price point of the subscription. Moreover, it’s now removed the online paywall for free-to-play games, bringing it in line with PS Plus...
News Sony Commits to Safer Gaming Environments Alongside Xbox and Nintendo
Respect and safety at its core
Sony has today committed to a partnership alongside Microsoft and Nintendo to provide users with safer gaming environments as more and more games share the same communities online via cross-play compatibility. Detailed in an Xbox Wire news post, the three companies believe that "all players deserve to have fantastic...
News The Elder Scrolls 6 Being Xbox Exclusive Is 'Hard to Imagine', Says Todd Howard
Still no straight answers
Will we ever receive actual clarification on whether or not Bethesda titles beyond Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will come to PlayStation 5? Probably not for a couple of years at least if the continually vague statements coming out of the publisher are anything to go by. In a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Todd...
News Maybe Don't Get Your Hopes Up for Future Bethesda Games on PS5
Phil Spencer goes into more detail
Microsoft has acquired Bethesda, casting doubt over whether the publisher’s future games will release on PlayStation platforms. This is a contentious topic right now: some feel that with a $7.5 billion buyout fee, Microsoft simply won’t make its money back without releasing on Sony’s system as well. But the...
News Microsoft Ponders More Video Game Company Acquisitions
It'll all end in tears
Microsoft has bottomless pockets, and in the aftermath of its Bethesda acquisition, it looks to be reaching deep. The worry, of course, is that things could escalate both dramatically and rapidly – with other publishers potentially purchased by giants like Google, Tencent, Apple, and the aforementioned Redmond juggernaut...
News PS5 Pre-Order Mess Put into Perspective as Xbox Buyers Are Also Forced to Scramble
Bad for different reasons
Whether you're a part of the PlayStation Nation or a member of Team Xbox, pre-ordering a next-gen console has not been easy. Sony was slaughtered last week when PS5 pre-orders were unleashed without any real notice. The situation was such a mess that the Japanese giant actually had to
News The Elder Scrolls Online PS4 Support Unaffected by Microsoft Acquisition
Will be "supported exactly as it was"
It's probably not the exact title you were hoping to hear about, but as an example of how Microsoft's purchase of ZeniMax Media won't affect its support of PlayStation platforms, The Elder Scrolls Online will continue to receive updates, patches, and DLC on Sony's range of systems. In fact, the two companies are...
News Future Bethesda Games Could Still Come to PlayStation Despite Xbox Ownership
"Case by case basis"
Update: A pretty significant update on today's big story: Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed that future Bethesda games could still come to PlayStation platforms, despite the fact that the company is now owned by Microsoft (as reported by Jason Schreier). Naturally, all future Bethesda games will release on both Xbox and PC,...
News The Elder Scrolls, Fallout Developer Bethesda Bought By Microsoft
ZeniMax snapped up in gigantic acquisition
Update: A lot has happened in the hours since Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media was announced. The bottom line is that future Bethesda games could still come to PlayStation platforms, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer. You can click through here for all of the new information. Original Story: In...
News Sony Won't Follow Game Pass Model on PS5, Doesn't Believe It's Sustainable
"It doesn't make sense for us"
Sony has ruled out any hopes of PlayStation 5 exclusives being bundled up as part of a subscription service and effectively given away at launch. Asked about Microsoft’s own Game Pass initiative – which sees all Xbox Studios titles added day one – PlayStation boss Jim Ryan suggested that it makes “no sense”...
News Bungie Outright Denies Microsoft Acquisition Speculation
"This is false"
Jeff Grubb has been the story of the summer, which perhaps says a lot about Sony and Microsoft’s own next-gen marketing strategies. The Venture Beat journalist has popped up in approximately one billion articles this year, providing insider teases on internal industry affairs. The latest rumour, which Eurogamer.net has since...
Reaction PS5 Price Under Scrutiny After Disruptive Xbox Series S Reveal
A new challenger approaches
Sony’s yet to announce the PlayStation 5’s price, but it’s going to have to execute whatever it’s been planning flawlessly after overnight revelations. If you’ve been living under the sea, then you may not be aware that the oft-rumoured Xbox Series S leaked overnight. Regardless of whether the Redmond firm...
News Xbox Sure Did Announce a Lot of Timed Exclusives This Week
But it's not a fan of them
Microsoft bigwig Phil Spencer is not a big fan of timed exclusives, but his company announced plenty of them for the Xbox Series X this week. A large chunk of its press conference was dominated by so-called “console launch exclusives”, which means they’ll deploy day-and-date on Xbox and PC, but contractual...
Poll Did PS5 or Xbox Series X Have the Better Next-Gen Showcase?
First impressions
Microsoft just closed the curtain on its Xbox Series X showcase, which means both Sony and its Redmond rival have now revealed their first hands in the next-gen fight. It’s important to remember that both manufacturers will have plenty more to show in the future, but these livestreams are the inaugural sales pitches from the two...
News Expect More PS5 Game Announcements Today
Microsoft to reveal all
It’s a big day for the Team in Green, but with Microsoft set to showcase third-party titles alongside first-party releases during an Xbox Series X showcase today, PlayStation fans should end up feasting as well. It’s unclear what the ratio will be between exclusives and multiformat titles, but we’re sure there’ll be a...
News Xbox Boss Takes More Shots at PS5 Exclusives Saying Fans Won't Be 'Forced' into Next-Gen
Doesn't think players should be locked out
Update: Xbox boss Phil Spencer has continued his assault on Sony and its PlayStation 5 strategy, saying that fans "won't be forced into the next-generation" as Microsoft commits continued support to Xbox One's various permutations. "Unlike others, we believe that your investments in gaming should move with...
News As Microsoft Looks Poised to Discontinue Xbox One, Sony Has a Huge Opportunity with PS4
Entry levels
This year is all about the PlayStation 5 in enthusiast circles, but Sony’s real Top Trump could yet prove the existing PlayStation 4. Despite comments to the contrary from the manufacturer, rumours are rife tha
News Xbox Is Pushing for Free Next-Gen Upgrades, And That's Good News for PS5
Cross-buy
Sony doesn’t have a fancy marketing slogan for next-gen upgrades from the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation 5, but practically every third-party title supporting Smart Delivery on Xbox is also offering a similar solution on the Japanese giant’s family of formats. A report by VGC reveals that Microsoft is actively encouraging publishers...
News PlayStation Fans Are Worried Microsoft Could Buy Warner Bros' Gaming Division
Take Two, EA, and Activision Blizzard also interested
Warner Bros’ gaming division is still very much up for sale, and a new report from The Information reveals that Microsoft has expressed an interest. The Xbox business has been on an acquisition charge for a few years now, gobbling up both close partners and independently owned studios on the...
"Just being honest," says Spencer
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has given a backhanded compliment to Sony, saying that he thinks the Japanese giant did a “good job” with its recent PlayStation 5 showcase, but believes Microsoft will be able to demonstrate the Xbox Series X’s “hardware advantages” with its speculated July livestream. He added:...
News PS5's Price Could Be Undercut by Xbox Series X, Analysts Suggest
Sticky situation
Speaking as part of a live episode of Geoff Keighley's Bonus Round this week, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter suggested that Microsoft may undercut the price of the PlayStation 5 this holiday. According to the industry analyst, he thinks Sony will charge $500 for its next-gen console, giving its Redmond competitor the...
Live Assassin's Creed Valhalla Gameplay Trailer, Third-Party Next-Gen Reveals
Watch as Microsoft gives us our first taste of next-gen
It’s been over a year since Sony first started talking about the PlayStation 5, but we’re still waiting for our first proper glimpse of next-gen gameplay. That changes today courtesy of, well, an Inside Xbox stream. Yes, we fully encourage you to visit our sister site
News Third-Party PS5 Games to Debut Gameplay at Xbox Series X Event Next Week
AC Valhalla included
Yep, the cogs are certainly in motion folks. Microsoft has just announced that it plans to showcase next-generation gameplay as part of a digital Inside Xbox event next week from its "global developers partners". Amongst the reveals will be third-party titles also coming to PlayStation 5, meaning we're finally about to get a...
News Next-Gen Game Reveals Are Imminent, But Sony Silent on PS5 Plans
Microsoft says game reveals are coming
We’ve already got a glimpse of a couple of PlayStation 5 games courtesy of Godfall and Quantum Error, but with coronavirus scuppering its plans, Sony has been largely tight-lipped about its next-gen plans. Despite not showing much more than the Japanese giant, Microsoft has built up a reputation of being more...
News Xbox Boss on PS5: We Have a Plan That Can Win
Phil Spencer's feeling good after PlayStation 5 reveal
Microsoft is currently engaged in a strong public relations battle against Sony, and some would argue it’s winning the fight. While the PlayStation 5 has attracted more attention than the Xbox Series X thus far, the Team in Green has been quietly chipping away at its competitor, touting better
News Microsoft Responds to PS5 Deep Dive with Confidence in 2020 Launch for Xbox Series X
Cut the turkey
Update: And just as quickly as this story got out, Geoff Keighley is here to debunk it. He says on Twitter: "Sources tell me the Xbox Series X release date is unchanged and still "Holiday 2020." There is no announcement today about a release date." We don't know how this update to the website managed to get out all of a sudden,...
Rumour PS5 More Powerful Than Xbox Series X, Says Old Leak Given New Life
But we're not convinced
Microsoft has just released in-depth specifications for the Xbox Series X. It's shaping up to be an impressive machine, but we still don't know how it'll compare to the PlayStation 5. Sony's silence has become a meme at this point, but rumours and speculation consistently suggest that the two next-gen consoles will be very...
Talking Point Why Isn't Sony Saying More About PS5?
The big question
Here we are again, then: Microsoft has raised the curtain on Xbox Series X, and PlayStation fans are pondering just what exactly Sony plans to do in response. In this industry of one-upmanship, the Japanese giant’s silence is not just being painted as problematic –
