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Xbox News is a site that brings you the very latest Original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One news, the latest games and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
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August 23rd, 2020, 21:27 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has partnered with gaming apparel brand Meta Threads to create Halo face masks to help health care workers.
The limited edition Halo mask launched yesterday on Meta Threads for $19.95, with the profit being used to manufacture two more masks that will be donated to MasksforDocs.
The California-based organisation, run by volunteers, helps distribute protective supplies to frontline workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
This partnership with Xbox is part of Meta Threads' #GamersMasks4Masks campaign, which has already led to the donation of 55,700 masks, Windows Central reported.
The 3-ply polyester Halo face masks are registered with the FDA, include an adjustable aluminium nose insert, and are washable and reusable.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ntline-workers
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August 15th, 2020, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster
Amid stay-at-home orders and higher demand for all sorts of technological services, Microsoft closed its FY20 with continued strength across a number of sectors -- including gaming.
For Q4 ending June 30, 2020, Microsoft's 'More Personal Computing' segment, which includes gaming and a few other categories such as Windows and Surface, the company saw $12.9 billion in revenue -- up 14% year-over-year largely due to the strength of its gaming business.
Overall gaming revenue for the company was up $1.3 billion or 64%, largely driven by Xbox content and services revenue, which made up $1.2 billion of that increase. Per Microsoft, this was primarily due to record engagement and strength of third-party titles amid stay-at-home orders.
The jump in Xbox content and services revenue is a marked difference from previous quarters, with the category's revenue down 3%, steady, down 11%, and up 2% in each of the last four quarters, respectively. This quarter, it was up 65% year-over-year.
It's possible that this is due in part to the category no longer fighting with a "high prior year comparable, primarily from a third-party title" impacting its revenue increase or decrease year-over-year. This line has appeared in financial reports for the last three quarters, but the unknown title no longer appears to have a significant impact on the results.
Xbox hardware revenue was up 49% year-over-year, with Microsoft attributing the rise to an increase in volume of consoles being sold.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...oing-lockdowns
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August 15th, 2020, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster
Today during its Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft showed or teased a total of 21 games from nine of its internal studios and 11 third-party studios that are planned for release on the Xbox Series X in the coming months and years.
The showcase led with the first look at gameplay for Halo Infinite, which is still planned for launch around holiday 2020 as a launch title for the Xbox Series X, and closed with a tease for Fable -- which does not yet have a release date.
Other Xbox Games Studios showing off their work included Undead Labs with State of Decay 3, Turn 10 with a new, next-gen Forza Motorsport, Rare with Everwild, Moon Studios (through Xbox Games Publishing) showing an optimized Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Ninja Theory with a tease of Hellblade 2, DoubleFine showing Psychonauts 2, and Obsidian with three titles: Grounded, its RPG Avowed, and DLC for The Outer Worlds.
Among these, Microsoft also showed a number of third-party debuts, including a new trailer for Dontnod's Tell Me Why, the first look at Interior Night's project As Dusk Falls, a new trailer for Bloober Team's The Medium, and Tetris Effect Connected -- an optimized version of Tetris Effect coming this holiday with a new multiplayer mode.
Bungie was also present with Destiny 2, which is coming to Game Pass this fall. Game Pass members will be able to play the game with all DLC, and Game Pass Ultimate members will also get access to the game on mobile via Xcloud. A version of the game optimized for Xbox Series X is also coming later this year.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...infinite-fable
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August 14th, 2020, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft managed to eke out a slight increase in its overall gaming revenues year-over-year for fiscal 2020 thanks to strong Xbox content and services revenue, and unsurprisingly no real help from hardware sales.
The company published its full-year financials earlier this month, but just recently released its 10K form offering more detail than its initial financials initially had for the full-year results of its gaming segment specifically.
The 10K revealed that gaming revenue was up $189 million, or 2%, year-over-year for the full year ending June 30, 2020.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...or-fiscal-2020
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August 14th, 2020, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster
Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode will be free-to-play, Microsoft has confirmed.
The company made the announcement ahead of its apparent schedule, after details were leaked by the Irish toy retailer Smyths Toys Superstores.
In a since deleted blog post -- spotted by The Verge -- Smyths teased "a groundbreaking free-to-play multiplayer experience." Microsoft confirmed that detail in a tweet on July 31, stating "Halo is for everyone."
Microsoft promised more details in the future, and there is a great deal more to learn about exactly how Halo multiplayer will function -- and monetise -- as a free-to-play service.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...e-free-to-play
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August 14th, 2020, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has announced that it will be bringing cloud gaming to Xbox Game Pass on September 15 in 22 countries across North America, Europe, and South Korea.
The service will launch in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States -- with more countries to follow over time.
Microsoft will bring over 100 titles from Game Pass at launch to its cloud services, making them playable on Android devices via an app and carrying over achievements, game saves, progression, and all other player data from existing accounts.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...n-september-15
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August 14th, 2020, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster
Apple users are no longer able to test the iOS version of Microsoft's Project xCloud game streaming service.
The current mobile preview of the service was due to end on September 11, but The Verge reports that Microsoft has ended the xCloud test on iOS and will only continue with it on Android devices forward.
The iOS test app was considerably limited compared to its Android counterpart, with only one title -- Halo: The Master Chief Collection -- and the capacity for 10,000 testers.
Microsoft has said this was "to comply with App Store policies," although it's unclear which policies impose these restrictions.
Similarly, Google's Stadia app for iOS only allows users to manage their account and Valve spent a year appealing Apple's rejection of its Steam Link streaming app.
In a statement to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "Our Project xCloud preview TestFlight period has ended on iOS and we are focused on delivering cloud gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to Android customers beginning September 15."
However, they added that it remains the company's ambition to "scale cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass available on all devices."
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...project-xcloud
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August 14th, 2020, 23:20 Posted By: wraggster
When Xbox Game Pass is discussed, it's often in terms of the value it presents to consumers: Halo Infinite, Psychonauts 2, Hellblade 2, and many more besides, all for one monthly payment.
What it means for third-party developers remains mysterious, however. While the bulk of the Game Pass catalogue is composed of games made by developers that don't belong to Xbox Game Studios, it isn't obvious how a publisher like, say, Square Enix makes the decision to put an otherwise saleable product into a subscription catalogue.
And if Game Pass means one thing to a huge company like Square Enix, it will mean something very different to a person like Davionne Gooden, the sole employee of Studio Zevere and the creator of the promising indie title, She Dreams Elsewhere.
"Look out for the unique money," Gooden advised other indie developers at the end of a talk at GDC Summer this week. "[Money] that's very specific to your situation, rather the standard publishing deals or crowdfunding or stuff like that.""Look out for the unique money... [Money] that's very specific to your situation"
For Gooden, that meant a deal to put She Dreams Elsewhere on Xbox Game Pass, long before the game was finished and had a chance to stand on its own in the marketplace. In his talk, Gooden described the long gestation of the project, and finding the unique voice that drew our attention when we met him at PAX East at the start of this year.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...die-developers
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August 14th, 2020, 23:13 Posted By: wraggster
The long-rumoured additional next-gen Xbox SKU may have been confirmed by a new Microsoft controller leaked over the weekend.
A Twitter user found an Xbox Series X controller for sale on OfferUp for $35, and shared photos of the packaging and the product. The wireless controller, which comes in a colour labelled 'Robot White', reportedly works with Xbox Series X and S, as well as Xbox One, Windows 10, Android, and iOS, the box reads.
Reporting on this leak, The Verge said it was able to "confirm it's genuine," although the publication did not share more details about how it got said confirmation.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ked-controller
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August 14th, 2020, 23:05 Posted By: wraggster
Halo Infinite, previously intended to be a key exclusive console launch title for the Xbox Series X this holiday, has been delayed into 2021.
In a Twitter announcement today, developer 343 Industries attributed the delay to "multiple factors" including "the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year."
Studio head Chris Lee wrote in the announcement that the delay was necessary "to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision."
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ayed-into-2021
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August 14th, 2020, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster
The Xbox Series X has been given a slightly narrower release window today, this time honing in on November of 2020 from a previously-stated holiday 2020.
This was announced today in a post on Xbox Wire, which emphasized the console's backward compatibility for select games across four generations, as well as optimized games for the system and its Game Pass library at launch.
However, the system's key console exclusive title, Halo Infinite, has been officially delayed into 2021, leaving the Xbox Series X with no known major launch-day exclusives.
Furthermore, pricing details for Microsoft's console still have not yet been announced; nor has a rumored Xbox Series S model been confirmed by official sources, though a leaked controller earlier this week appears to verify its existence.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ch-in-november
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August 14th, 2020, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster
Forza Horizon 3 will be withdrawn from sale in September 2020.
In a brief statement, Forza Community Team member "Morglet 713" confirmed the game will reach its "end of life" status on September 27, after which players will not be able to buy the base game nor its related downloadable content.
Players who already have the title, however, will still be able to download and play "as normal."
"A heads up for the Forza community: Forza Horizon 3 will reach 'end of life' status on September 27," said the statement posted on the Forza forum. "That means that the game and its associated DLC will no longer be available for purchase.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...nd-of-its-life
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July 20th, 2020, 22:52 Posted By: wraggster
"All day yesterday I went through our full review of our July 23rd show," begins Xbox chief Phil Spencer.
"My role is different now. I get to sit back and watch more as a consumer. One of the things that really strikes me is the creative diversity in the portfolio. I am a fan of Xbox, obviously, but I don't mind going to 'are we the shooter box?' is it 'Gears, Halo, Forza, Gears, Halo, Forza'? I know all the memes about us. And I look at what the teams have built already this year, the things that we're going to show, and the things that are coming out later this year, and it is high quality, very different, and takes some creative risks."
Xbox wants to bring in new players. Ones that perhaps are not quite so obsessed with driving fast cars and shooting aliens. It's wanted this for a long time. It's why it built Kinect, and commissions games like Screamride and Viva Pinata. But this time the company hopes to do it through a series of big studio acquisitions that it's made over the past two years, alongside games created by its established teams, like Rare and Mojang.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...to-a-publisher
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July 20th, 2020, 22:47 Posted By: wraggster
A new console generation year is always an exciting time, even if the fundamentals of them rarely change.
Which console has the best price? Which one is the most powerful? Which one has the best exclusives? Those are the typical deciding factors. And if you read many analysts of the upcoming showdown between Xbox Series X and PS5, the conversation has largely been the same.
This time things are a bit more interesting, though, because beneath the surface there is a significant difference in the objectives of the two big competitors. For Sony, it's similar to the past 25 years, with PlayStation boss Jim Ryan telling us last year how he wants to upgrade people from PS4 to PS5 as quickly as possible. For Xbox, the platform is less the new console, and more the Game Pass subscription service. It wants to grow its existing user base of ten million subscribers by making its exclusive games available on PC, Xbox One, Series X and its xCloud streaming service. That's why Microsoft has said that its slate of games for its next console -- for the first year at least -- will also work on the current machine.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ck-by-xbox-one
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July 20th, 2020, 22:39 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's game streaming service Project xCloud will be free to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.
The news comes from a lengthy blog post by Xbox boss Phil Spencer, who wrote that cloud streaming will be added to the higher-tier subscription service in supported countries this September.
Unlike the standard Game Pass, the Ultimate subscription includes Xbox Live membership, enabling users to play online against each other.
Project xCloud, which is still currently in preview, will give Ultimate subscribers access to over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles that can be played on phone and tablet.
Similar to Google's Stadia service, xCloud enables users to access and play their games from a range of devices, picking up where they left off if they switch from one to another.
The service was initially only available in the US, the UK and Korea, but has since been rolled out to other key markets, including Canada, India, Japan and Western Europe.
Microsoft recently announced a version of Project xCloud had been repurposed for developers so they can access their Xbox development kits remotely while in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...from-september
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July 20th, 2020, 22:39 Posted By: wraggster
In May, Xbox GM of games marketing Aaron Greenberg said the company "set some wrong expectations" with its last Xbox Series X gameplay reveal event, and he seems determined not to make the same mistake heading into next week's Xbox Games Showcase.
"I know everyone is excited for Xbox Games Showcase next Thursday," Greenberg posted to Twitter this morning. "Seen some wild expectations so if helpful this show has one focus, games. No business, devices or similar news, just games. A whole show about hour long focused on games. Hope you enjoy it!"
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...-xbox-showcase
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July 20th, 2020, 22:38 Posted By: wraggster
A Microsoft representative has confirmed the discontinuation of the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition to GamesIndustry.biz.
"As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we're taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition," the representative said. "Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally. Gamers can check with their local retailers for more details on Xbox One hardware availability."
Original Story: The Xbox One family of consoles seems to have been discontinued in the lead-up to their successor's launch later this year.
Australian games site Press Start reports that Microsoft's Australian website no longer lists the Xbox One or upgraded Xbox One X, instead only offering the cheaper Xbox One S and the upcoming next-generation device Xbox Series X.
Press Start also claims to have confirmation from EB Games and JB Hi-FI, both prominent retail chains in the region, that the Xbox One X has been deleted from their systems, preventing them from ordering any more stock.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...eries-x-launch
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July 20th, 2020, 22:36 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has laid off an unknown number of its employees as it enters a new financial year.
There are no details on which departments have been affected, although Business Insider reports that jobs have been cut in the Microsoft Azure division and the MSN.com news portal, with the latter transitioning to an AI-driven algorithmic feed.
Sources tell the site that less than 1,000 people have been let go -- approximately 0.64% or less of the total workforce, which stood at over 156,000 people at the end of March.
It's also unclear whether any of the people affected are connected to Xbox. When reached by GamesIndustry.biz to ask if it impacted any Xbox teams, the company declined to comment.
A spokesperson said it's common for Microsoft to re-evaluate its business and the workforce required when it begins a new financial year on July 1, and has made similar redundancies in years past.
Microsoft has already been making cuts to its business over the past few months. In terms of its games business, it most notably closed streaming service Mixer just four years after acquiring it.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz last week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer stood by the decision.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ew-fiscal-year
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July 20th, 2020, 22:33 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft is no longer offering an annual subscription to Xbox Live Gold.
Reports emerged last week that the 12-month option had disappeared from the company's website across all territories, but a statement to True Achievements has now confirmed its removal.
"At this time, Xbox has decided to remove the 12 months Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online store," a spokesperson said. "Customers can still sign up for a one-month or three-month Xbox Live Gold subscription online through the Microsoft Store."
It is currently still possible to buy 12-month subscriptions from third-party retailers.
Xbox Live Gold is the platform holder's subscription service that gives players access to online multiplayer in their games, discounts on digital store purchases, plus a few free titles per month under the Games with Gold promotion.
Microsoft offered no reason as to why it has dropped the 12-month subscription option. It has been speculated this is an effort to shift more people towards Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...d-subscription
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