Tag: Microsoft - Page 5
News Microsoft Beats PS5 to the Punch with Impressive Xbox Series X Features
When will Sony respond?
While we’d expected this year to be all about PlayStation 5, a combination of coronavirus and Sony’s general reluctance means we’ve had to make do with a logo thus far. Fortunately, that similar-looking symbol has gone on to become one of the most liked gaming images in Instagram history, but there’s no doubt that...
News PS4 Has Reportedly Sold a Ridiculous 68 Million More Units than Xbox One
109 million to 41 million
As you may already know, Microsoft doesn't report Xbox sales figures. The company stopped keeping us up to date all the way back in 2015, after it became clear that the Xbox One's numbers would not paint a pretty picture when compared to the runaway success of the PlayStation 4. Since then, we've had to rely on third-party...
News Xbox Series X Detailed as Sony Remains Completely Silent on PS5
An interesting development
We already know what the Xbox Series X looks like thanks to its reveal at The Game Awards back in December, and now Microsoft has further detailed its next-gen console. In a reasonably lengthy post penned by head of Xbox Phil Spencer, the company spills the beans on Xbox Series X. Well, kind of. In truth, a lot of the...
News Microsoft Confirms 12 Teraflops for Xbox Series X, 120 FPS, Quick Resume
Backwards compatability support
It was a seemingly quiet Monday afternoon when all of a sudden Microsoft dropped a bucket load of new details for its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X. The team in green has confirmed that the system will boast of 12 Teraflops, support for 120 frames per second, DirectX Raytracing, and a Quick Resume feature...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Doesn't See Sony As Competition Going Forward
Convenient
Enthusiast forums may be focused on the ongoing battle between Sony and Microsoft, but Xbox boss Phil Spencer sees Amazon and Google as its big competitors moving forwards. The talkative executive dropped the soundbite during an interview with Protocol, in which he dismissed PlayStation’s ability to implement a cloud-based...
News Microsoft NieRly Stopped Platinum from Developing on PS4
Xbox was looking to buy Japanese dev
Platinum Games recently acquired significant investment from Chinese juggernaut Tencent, securing the Japanese studio’s future as it explores self-publishing. However, the outcome was almost very different, as Microsoft was allegedly looking to buy the Bayonetta developer last year. This tidbit comes courtesy...
News Microsoft Confirms E3 2020 Attendance for Xbox After Sony Exit
Flying the flag
Sony has confirmed that it once again will not be attending E3, but you can still look forward to a show put on by the team in green. Xbox head Phil Spencer took to Twitter to put minds at rest by staying that Microsoft will be attending E3 2020. It's business as usual for the Redmond-based company then this June, assumedly joined by...
News Microsoft Says Sony Is Doing a 'Fantastic Job' with PlayStation
Xbox tries to avoid head-to-head bouts
Microsoft’s public relations has changed significantly from the Xbox 360 generation, and it’s not afraid to compliment its competitor anymore. Chatting with MCV as part of a wide-ranging interview, Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty said that PlayStation’s doing a “fantastic job” and that he tries to...
Rumour Xbox Not Expecting PlayStation to Be at E3 2020
Sony skipping another year?
We're right at the beginning of a new year, and that can only mean one thing in this industry: E3 rumours. The big talking point right now is whether Sony will actually attend the event after it skipped the show in 2019 -- but with no concrete evidence to go on, the gaming sphere can only speculate. It's interesting,...
News Microsoft's Xbox Series X Exclusive Game Strategy May Play Into Sony and PS5 Hands
No "true" exclusives for a year
It's been clear for a while that Microsoft is adopting a different approach when it comes to Xbox. From the rise of Game Pass to the unveiling of the Xbox Series X late last year, the company is keen on forging a fresh path, but this latest story from MCV has got people questioning Microsoft's next-gen strategy...
News Xbox Game Pass Adds GTA5 the Day After It Leaves PS Now
Daylight robbery
Grand Theft Auto V is no longer available to stream and download on PlayStation Now, having left the service yesterday alongside God of War, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and inFAMOUS: Second Son. This wouldn’t be newsworthy alone, but interestingly Microsoft has announced that th
News Analyst Expects PS5 to Outsell Xbox Series X at Launch with Similar Price Points
Console to sell more than PS4
It's the very beginning of the year -- the perfect time to speculate what the next set of 12 months hold for the video game industry. Speaking of which, GamesIndustry.biz has gotten in on the action by asking various analytical experts what they expect to happen across 2020 and the effect next-generation consoles will...
Green with envy
One of the big points of forum discussion in recent years is how Microsoft plans to improve its first-party output. The organisation has responded by purchasing a bunch of previously independent teams, such as Ninja Theory and Obsidian. Many of these studios seemed on the precipice of financial ruin, so the Redmond firm’s...
News Xbox Series X Has a Share Button, Hellblade Sequel
Scarlett fever
You’re not going to believe this, but Microsoft announced its new console during The Game Awards today. The system is named Xbox Series X, which implies that the Redmond firm’s next-gen “project” will involve a line of different boxes – after all, it’s been rumoured that the company will release two pieces of hardware...
This is just the start
The PlayStation 5 rumours just keep on rumbling. This time around, reliable Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier has taken to Twitter in order to share some of his insight into the next generation of consoles. It's just a few bullet points, but they're sure to spark speculation. First off, Schreier says Microsoft is currently...
Devkit console wars
We've all seen the PlayStation 5 developer unit by now, right? The V-shaped machine has leaked a bunch of times over the last year or so, but why is it that we don't hear many reliable whispers about the devkits for the next Xbox -- code-named Project Scarlett? Well, according to Tom Warren, senior editor over at The Verge, it's...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Walks Back Critical Comments on VR
"I've played some great VR games"
Xbox head Phil Spencer was in the news earlier this week for being a little bit too critical of VR in a recent interview with Stevivor. Stating that "nobody’s asking for VR" and commenting on how isolating the experience can be, he drew some flack from the virtual reality community and even PlayStation executive...
News Shuhei Yoshida Shuts Down Xbox Boss' Comments on VR
Phil Spencer said "nobody's" asking for virtual reality
Update: Shuhei Yoshida, one of Sony's best known executives, has lowkey responded to comments from Xbox boss Phil Spencer regarding virtual reality. The suit seemed to take issue with the Microsoft man's insinuation that "no one" is asking for VR: Are you with Yoshida or Spencer in this...
News No, Microsoft Has Just Revived the Studio Acquisition Wars
Top Trumps
Update: The studio acquisition wars are over? Far from it, as contrary to the comments in the original iteration of this article, Xbox chief Phil Spencer has admitted that Microsoft is still actively seeking out new studios to purchase. Fortunately, the suit pointed out that this isn’t a game of Top Trumps, like some fans seem to...
News Next Xbox Will Match PS5 Price and Power, Says Microsoft
Let the battle begin
Speculation surrounding Sony and Microsoft's next generation consoles continues to grow. Although we know a decent amount about the PlayStation 5 and the next Xbox, there are still a number of key questions that need to be answered. No doubt the most common of these questions is to do with cost -- what are we going to be paying...
News At X019, Xbox Fans Booed the PS4 Controller
Will be compatible with Project XCloud
Microsoft just hosted its X019 fan bonanza in London, where it made a variety of announcements pertaining to the Xbox platform. Among the info drop was confirmation that the DualShock 4 will be supported by the company’s cloud-streaming solution Project XCloud, although the news was met by boos and jeers from...
News Xbox's New 'Surprise Me' Button Would Be a Great Addition to PS4
Cilla Black would be proud
Have you ever stared blankly at your PlayStation 4’s dashboard, puzzled about which game to play? It’s the story of this editor’s life, as he often recklessly returns to NBA 2K20 because it’s the easiest option. Microsoft, to its credit, has come up with a solution: a new ‘Surprise Me’ button on the Xbox One...
News Sunset Overdrive Is Now Owned by PlayStation, Sony Confirms
Xbox One exclusive now PlayStation property
As previously expected, Sony now owns the Sunset Overdrive brand. Despite the game first launching as an Xbox One exclusive, Insomniac Games famously retained the rights to the intellectual property. PlayStation has since purchased the Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank developer, but
News Double Fine Could Release More Multiplatform Games Despite Microsoft Ownership
Head of Xbox Studios open to the idea
It's common knowledge that Microsoft has been busy snapping up developers to add to its roster of first party studios. Teams like Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, and Double Fine have all been acquired by the platform holder fairly recently as it bolsters its ranks heading into the next generation. All...
News Microsoft CEO: Cloud Partnership Is 'All Driven by Sony'
Companies dependent on each other, says Nadella
One of the year's most surprising turn of events was the partnership formed between Sony and Microsoft. In a "memorandum of understanding", the two companies shook hands on the opportunity to share technology, primarily relating to cloud-based streaming. This shocked many -
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Won't Take Away from Sony to Achieve Success
"That's not me"
Xbox's figurehead Phil Spencer is clearly in favour of collaborating with competition rather than keeping them at arm's length, so much so that he wouldn't want to take away anything from Sony or the PlayStation brand in order to better Microsoft's family of consoles. During an interview with Fortune Magazine, when asked if the...
Random God of War Art Director's Take On Cuphead and Mugman Is a Knockout
Mugshots
Raf Grassetti was art director on the brilliant PlayStation 4 exclusive God of War, but that hasn't stopped him from turning his hand to other games. He's gained a bit of a reputation lately for his wonderful interpretations of numerous Smash Bros. fighters. Even more recently, Grassetti has expressed his love of Cuphead by sharing
Random God of War Art Director Turns His Hand to Cuphead Bosses
Raf Grassetti draws King Dice and the Devil
For a while now, the art director of God of War, Raf Grassetti, has been creating some frankly brilliant fan art of his favourite video game characters. You may have seen his interpretations of various Nintendo mainstays, among others, who appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Now, he's recreating...
Rumour PS5 Is More Powerful Than Project Scarlett According to Colin Moriarty
But is it true?
During the course of E3 2019, some hearsay from well-connected folks called into question whether Microsoft's Project Scarlett will measure up to PlayStation 5. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner was found to be spreading word that Sony's next-gen machine will be the more powerful of the two, and now,
News Was Halo: The Master Chief Collection Considered for PS4?
Franchise director weighs in on wild rumour
Microsoft’s seemingly becoming more platform agnostic, with its software and services now exploring devices outside of the Xbox ecosystem. The thought of Halo coming to the PlayStation 4 is not as wild as it once was, then – although it does, at first blush, still seem pretty crazy. Speaking on a...
Reaction Bloated Xbox E3 2019 Press Conference Fails to Capitalise on Sony No-Show
Keanu Reeves was cool
Sony left Microsoft with an open goal by deciding to skip E3 2019, but after that bloated Xbox showing it’s pretty obvious why the Japanese giant decided to wash its hair. As expected, the team in green brought absolutely everything under its umbrella, but this was a press conference lacking in real surprises – or gameplay,...
Round Up What Was Announced at Microsoft's E3 2019 Press Conference?
All the PS4 games from Microsoft's presser
What was announced at Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference? Due to Sony skipping this year's show, Xbox went all out for 2019 with a wide range of announcements pertaining to games, streaming, and the next generation. Exclusive titles from Xbox Game Studios were a major focus, but there was a good chunk of...
Talking Point Did Microsoft Deliver the Goods in Its E3 2019 Press Conference?
The third-party focus
It was a bit of a late one when all was said and done, but Microsoft has finally concluded its E3 2019 press conference. Of course, a large portion of the show focused on exclusive titles from Xbox Studios, but there was a lot of third-party goodness for PS4 owners to munch on. Cyberpunk 2077 impressed in another trailer that...
Rumour PS5 Is More Powerful Than Project Scarlett
But no one really knows for sure
Microsoft was very specific when introducing its next-gen system Project Scarlett, describing it as “the most powerful console we’ve ever made”. That may have been deliberate, as word on the street is that the PlayStation 5 is currently the more capable of the two devices, although that’s hearsay from the E3...
E3 2019 Microsoft's New Xbox Console Project Scarlett Will Eat Monsters for Breakfast
Basically it's a PlayStation 5
Microsoft should have named its Project Scarlett reveal as Project Scorpio Remastered, because we’ve definitely seen this video before. Xbox decided to announce its next-gen console in the most predictable of ways possible: by showing everyday people sitting in front of a green screen reeling off buzzwords like...
E3 2019 Double Fine Acquired by Microsoft, But Psychonauts 2 Still Coming to PS4
That's going to Schafer
Microsoft’s still busy buying up any developers on the brink of financial ruin, with Double Fine the latest team recruited to its spunky new first-party unit. As with previous purchases, the in-development Psychonauts 2 will still release on the PlayStation 4, but that’ll be the last you see from Tim Schafer and his team...
Live Watch Microsoft's Xbox E3 2019 Press Conference Right Here
For the third-party reveals, obviously
Watch Microsoft’s Xbox E3 2019 press conference right here, because it’s not like we have a Sony show to cover this year. We’re fully expecting the team in green to go heavy on third-party reveals, with Cyberpunk 2077 and a new title from From Software rumoured to appear. There’s also a strong chance...
Guide What Time Is Microsoft's Xbox E3 2019 Press Conference?
All the info you need
Funnily enough, Microsoft's presser at E3 2019 will have at least a few games relevant to PlayStation fans, so it'll be worth the watch. Last year, the tech giant went big for its Xbox showcase, bringing us lots of third party announcements and reveals, like Cyberpunk 2077 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It's hard to judge how...
News Sony and Microsoft's Collaboration Was a Mutual Move to Compete with Google Stadia
"The landscape is changing fast"
A few weeks ago, Sony and Microsoft, big rivals within the video game space, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with regards to technology and innovation. This was quite a surprise, even for Sony's staff, but with the future of the industry looking to change a lot over the n
News Cuphead Still Isn't Releasing on PS4, But It Will Come to Tesla Cars
Yes, you did read that correctly
Cuphead, the brutally difficult fan favourite side-scroller from 2017, has now released on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. You already knew that after we reported on the news back in March, but now it's coming to a new platform, cars manufactured by Tesla. Yeah, we're not kidd
News PlayStation Team Was 'Caught Off-Guard' by Sony's Tech Partnership with Microsoft
"Managers had to calm workers"
Sony's recent announcement of a tech deal with Microsoft that will see the two companies come together on research of future cloud solutions took a lot of people by surprise, even those who work at PlayStation itself. In a report from Bloomberg, it is stated that talks between
New best friends?
Well here's an interesting announcement: Sony and Microsoft have revealed that they're working together on a variety of tech-related ventures. The two companies are obviously competitors in the gaming console space with PlayStation and Xbox, but that hasn't stopped them from forming what they call a "strategic partnership". "The...
News Animated Arcade Game Cuphead Skipping PS4
But coming to Switch with Xbox Live support
Xbox One console exclusive Cuphead is no longer a console exclusive, as it will launch on the Nintendo Switch on 18th April. But as Microsoft and the Big N become increasingly pally, it means that the PlayStation 4 looks set to miss out, as there’s no word on a port to Sony’s system. Apparently the...
Soapbox Crackdown 3 Is Proof That Microsoft Is Still Playing Catch-Up to Sony
Liam questions what Microsoft does with its time
My Xbox One rarely sees the light of day, but since its release last week, I've been playing Crackdown 3. It's dumb, mindless fun that doesn't move the needle in the slightest. Announced nearly five years ago, it needed to be more than that for Microsoft, though – a company in dire need of something...
News Sony: Nintendo's Doing Wonderful Things with the Switch
Platform holder doesn't subscribe to the console war
Shawn Layden may be underfire in the media for his comments on console cross-play this week, but he’s got nothing but good things to say about PlayStation’s competition. Asked about both Microsoft and Nintendo during his DICE keynote, the Worldwide Studios chairman was refreshingly...
News Microsoft Plans to Bring Xbox Live Support to All Other Platforms Except PlayStation
Sony missing from new Xbox initiative
This is an interesting story. As reported by GamesIndustry, Microsoft has scheduled in a talk at GDC 2019, set to take place next month, and it highlights the corporation's plans to spread Xbox Live beyond its own platforms. The talk is titled 'Xbox Live: Growing & Engaging Your Gaming Comm
News PSN Alone Generated More Revenue Than the Entirety of Nintendo in 2018
Online network also bigger than Microsoft's entire gaming division
How big is the PlayStation Network these days? The answer: very big. Sony’s online storefront generated an eye-watering ¥1,373 billion yen (~$12.5 billion) of revenue in 2018, which is more than the entirety of Nintendo during the same period. To put this in perspective: the...
News Social Media Scuttlebutt Says Microsoft Is Sniffing After Sony Studio
Money talks
Microsoft has been snapping up mid-sized studios like corporate acquisitions are going out of fashion, and now the social media rumour mill is aflame with speculation that the team in green is about to snap up a studio that’s worked with PlayStation in the past. This opens the floor to a raft of possibilities, from Supermassive Games...
News Obsidian, InXile Will No Longer Make PlayStation Games
Both join the Xbox family
Microsoft has added two more former multiformat developers to its first-party roster, meaning that both Obsidian Entertainment and InXile Entertainment will no longer make PlayStation games. The former is perhaps best known for Fallout: New Vegas, while the latter created Hunted: The Demon’s Forge. Both studios have...
News Obsidian Entertainment Likely to Leave PlayStation Behind
Microsoft's sniffing
Obsidian Entertainment, the studio perhaps best known for Fallout: New Vegas, looks like it will be leaving PlayStation behind, as reports suggest that it’s about to be acquired by Microsoft – although nothing, as yet, has been signed. Ironically, the developer’s been in financial trouble for a fair few years, after...
