Microsoft News, Microsoft Features

The only way is 7-Up

Sony may have taken a huge lead in the indie arena, but Microsoft is fighting back with its atrociously named ID@Xbox initiative. As such, it seems that the PlayStation 4 will actually be missing out on one upcoming indie gem: Soda Drinker Pro. The swigging

TV, TV, TV

Microsoft may be doing its best to refocus the Xbox One’s strategy on games, but it’s still quietly got television on the brain. Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg, entertainment executive Nancy ‘Next Water Cooler Moment’ Tellem questioned Sony’s commitment to original content, boasting that the Redmond-based firm has...

System wars

While you can find a PlayStation 4 if you look here in the UK, the console is far from being readily available. The system has been sold out at most major online retailers since the start of March, and that’s been reflected in the software sales, which have taken a tumble over the past few weeks. In fact, it seems like the lack of...

See what you did there

Microsoft’s holding a gun to the heads of indie developers, forcing them to deploy their wares on the Xbox One at the same time as other systems or forget releasing them on the format at all. This means that smaller studios without the bandwidth to produce multiple versions of their titles at once may be forced to launch on...

Tides are turning

With an Xbox 360 and PC iteration in the pipeline, Titanfall is not quite the bonafide Xbox One exclusive that Microsoft’s hyping it up to be. However, the Redmond-based manufacturer has ensured that the inaugural iteration in Respawn Entertainment’s first-person franchise will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. What does that...

Playing dirty

Microsoft may have been quick to react to the negative feedback pointed at most aspects of the Xbox One, but it’s refusing to budge on the launch parity clause that underlines its hastily implemented indie initiative. For those out of the loop, the manufacturer will not allow titles to appear on its system if they’ve already...

Incredible crisis

You’ve got to hand it to Microsoft, it knows how to react quickly. The Redmond-based manufacturer has been flip-flopping between Xbox One strategies faster than Usain Bolt in sandals, starting all the way back at E3 where the company controversially defended its abhorrent digital rights management policies – only to yank them...

Microsoft rejected the release

It may be one of the most anticipated PlayStation 4 titles in production, but things could have been very different for Tequila Works’ stunning ICO-esque excursion RIME. A document uncovered by underground publication VG Leaks indicates that the Spanish developer actually pitched the title to Microsoft first, as an...

We're like so whatever

Remember that old Avril Lavigne video where the “punk princess” tries to get one over on her nerdy double? Well, this brand new Microsoft promotion reminds us of that. Y’see, the Redmond-based manufacturer doesn’t like your old console, and it thinks you need a new one – so much so, that it’s even willing to pay...

Greatness sells

Intense console rivalry may not be healthy or productive, but it sure can be a lot of fun – especially when you're on the winning side. We've known for a while that the PlayStation 4 outsold the Xbox One in the UK, but it's been a week or two since we've had some fancy numbers to gloat about. PlayStation UK boss Fergal Gara is on...

Missing the Marcus

You may not have realised it, but up until this morning there was a chance that the next instalment in the Gears of War franchise could appear on the PlayStation 4. Despite the series remaining exclusive to the Xbox 360 across all four of its previous instalments, the property was actually owned by independent outfit and Unreal...

Wunderbar

The PlayStation 4 has sold an impressive 250,000 units in Germany since its launch on 29th November. In comparison, the Xbox One – which released a week earlier on 22nd November – has moved 100,000 units. The figures come courtesy of Media Control GFK, and track the period up to the end of December. Sony's powerhouse has now sold a...

Jump out

It’s still far too early to come to any conclusions, but Microsoft’s period of domination in the UK may be about to come to an end. Industry magazine MCV reports that the PlayStation 4 not only outsold the Xbox One last year in Britain, but it also pulled ahead of the Xbox 360 – despite only being available for around five or so...

Tell it like it is

Most gamers may see the relationship between Microsoft and Sony as some sort of bitter rivalry, but recent weeks have proven that the two companies merely view each other as sparring partners. Employees at the Redmond-based manufacturer were quick to applaud the North American launch of the PlayStation 4, while executives at the...

Xbox One manufacturer forcing launch day parity

We’ve been holding off writing about Microsoft’s overdue Xbox One indie policies for a few days now, because this is something that really shouldn’t be particularly relevant on a PlayStation-centric site. There’s always wider competitive overlap that we look to explore, of course, but the...

One console to rule them all

There’s been nothing but good news surrounding the PlayStation 4 of late, but Microsoft may have finally uncovered a chink in the Japanese giant’s armour. According to research firm Infoscout, the Xbox One beat Sony’s new super machine to the top of the Black Friday sales charts last week. The research group...

PlayStation, watch TV

Sony has filed a series of patent applications straight out of its office in California. All six of the patents – submitted by Sony Network Entertainment – refer to the topic of using “movements sensed with a motion sensor or camera, pointer movements and clicks, and touches that involve movements and multiple...

Well, the world doesn't end

It’s a mystery more puzzling than the meaning of life: what happens when you plug a PlayStation 4 directly into an Xbox One? Microsoft admitted earlier in the year that its next generation console’s HDMI input could be used to connect a competing console, and now the embargo has lifted on the Redmond-based firm’s...

Round of applause

As entertaining as the console wars can undeniably be at times, all three major gaming manufacturers rely on each other to succeed. After all, a healthy industry is good for business – and competition is a great thing for consumers. This surprisingly sporting image from Microsoft congratulating Sony on the PlayStation 4 launch...