Microsoft News, Microsoft Features

Talking in circles

Stop us if you've heard this one before. Yes, we're back with another familiar article involving PlayStation 4 price points, console sales, and the exact kind of story that's seemingly become our lifeblood over the past few months. Before you dive into the comments to tell us to fix our broken record, though, hear us out: we're...

The battle goes on

Michael Pachter put his neck on the line recently, and stated that the PlayStation 4 will maintain control of the console space through 2015 – but this was before Microsoft's big NPD win in November. To his credit, the likeable forecaster is sticking with his reading of the situation, but a predictions post from

Just slimy instead

War never changes – unless, of course, they’re console wars. Ever since Sony dropped its anti-DRM bomb at E3 last year, both the Japanese giant and Microsoft have learned that the best way to ingratiate themselves to potential consumers is to act like their best friend. Every press conference now concludes with a message of...

Redmond firm confirms $2.5 billion acquisition

The console war is about to get really weird, as Xbox chief Phil Spencer has pledged that Minecraft will continue to exist on PlayStation platforms – despite Microsoft purchasing maker Mojang for $2.5 billion today. “Gaming is the top activity across devices,” he

Console maker ain't getting complacent

Everything’s looking rosy in the PlayStation Nation right now. Sony’s next-gen system is running away with the console crown, already surpassing 10 million units, with many more to come this Christmas, we suspect. Moreover, the lineup looks good, with a strong mix of first-party and third-party titles on...

There's a new flop in town

Japan may still be considered something of a gaming mecca among some, but its importance in the console space is slowly declining. With many of the region’s biggest developers struggling to adapt to the PlayStation 3 era, and handhelds currently ruling the roost, it’s not exactly a surprise to see the recently released...

Good job they finished the PS4 version

Minecraft has already proven that it’s a pixelated license to print money, and Microsoft apparently wants the lucrative brand under its umbrella. A report on the Wall Street Journal states that the Redmond-based firm is in talks to purchase Mojang, the organisation behind the bricklaying game. According to...

"We don't have an action adventure game of that quality"

Back when Microsoft ambiguously announced that it had secured Xbox exclusive rights to Rise of the Tomb Raider, we speculated that it may have been looking for a direct competitor to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The specifics of the deal are still shaky almost seven days later, but it...

Pretty much, anyway

Told you so. In an interview with Eurogamer.net, Xbox chief Phil Spencer has admitted that Rise of the Tomb Raider isn’t actually an Xbox One exclusive at all, and that its deal with Square Enix has a set “duration”. That means that,

Greatness awaits

As with the PlayStation 3 before it, there’s an accelerating sentiment around the web that the PlayStation 4 lacks games. Despite new releases deploying on a weekly basis, many armchair analysts have opted to criticise the console’s first year – primarily its lack of first-party content. Many argue that Microsoft – with...

Hashtag haymaker

Sony may be winning the hardware sales war with the PlayStation 4, but it couldn’t overcome Nintendo in the great Twitter battle of E3 2014. According to social media intelligence analytics provider Crimson Hexagon, a whopping 47 per cent of related tweets posted during last week’s convention referenced the Wii U maker, with its...

Compare and contrast

E3 2014 is over, and we’re breaking the fabric of time and space in order to celebrate. In this inaugural cross-platform, cross-network, cross-website extravaganza, the editors of Nintendo Life, Pure Xbox, and, er, Push Square have put aside their boxing gloves, and joined forces to bring you this industry wide look at all...

Games, games, games

Microsoft’s heavily hyped E3 media briefing this year was always going to be about redemption for the put upon platform holder. With new gaffer Phil Spencer attempting to turn around the organisation’s image, the press conference was filled with phrases aimed directly at fans. “Thank you” was a statement that seemed...

This isn't how it's supposed to be

We thought that this industry was all about a war of words and exclusive games – not hugs and kisses prior to the biggest gaming convention of the year. Alas, it seems that new Xbox boss Phil Spencer and former PlayStation president Jack Tretton are eager to prove that the console war only exists on the Internet,...

Oh, right

Sony is certainly no stranger to silly statements, with its hubris heading into the previous generation providing plenty of memes which still do the rounds today. However, it would appear that Microsoft learned nothing from the Japanese giant’s biggest blunders, as the firm is still making some wince inducing statements regarding the...

Xbox, WTF?

Microsoft successfully completed its transformation of the Xbox One into the PlayStation 4 today, announcing that the system will soon be sold without a Kinect camera included. This likely represents the last reversal in a throng of backtracks, and the decision has presumably been made in response to

Crash course

Insomniac Games announced its soda-based sandbox excursion Sunset Overdrive to an explosion of goodwill this week. The colourful Xbox One exclusive harks back to the Dreamcast era, boasting oversaturated skylines and some decidedly SEGA gameplay mechanics. Sporting a system that sees your firepower increase as you combo tricks, it...

Doesn't influence purchasing decisions

It didn’t take long for the PlayStation 4 to be crowned the king of next-gen consoles. Speculation regarding the power advantages of Sony’s system was rife prior to release, but the story really exploded when it was confirmed that blockbusters such as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black F

Switching sides

There are rumblings that changes may be afoot in the Call of Duty content clash. While the series has been historically aligned with the Xbox brand, rumours earlier in the year indicated that Sony may be willing to stump up the cash in order to ensure that the property is associated with the PlayStation 4. And speaking on the...