Tag: Microsoft - Page 3
News Microsoft Admits Its Games Are Worse Than Sony's
Interesting stance
Microsoft's outrageously large bid to purchase Activision Blizzard has resulted in a protracted, painful period of negotiations. Without getting too into the weeds with all this, the short version is Sony is trying to prevent the deal from going through, and the Xbox firm is of course pushing for regulators to let it happen. The...
News Shocking: Sony Doesn't Want Game Pass on PlayStation, Microsoft Has a Pop at PS Plus
Sony is denying gamers a "choice"
We all know that Microsoft's Game Pass subscription service tends to be great value, blah blah blah, but Sony does not want it on PlayStation. This truly shocking revelation has been hammered home through a statement that Microsoft made to UK competition regulator CMA, in which the tech juggernaut says Sony "has...
News Microsoft Says PS5, PS4 Would Still Be Bigger if Every Call of Duty Player Switched to Xbox
UK regulator argues PlayStation will be impaired
Ah, the ongoing Activision-Blizzard acquisition: a Twitter-style fanboy spat being played out publicly by two ginormous corporations – it’s all fun and games in the video game business, isn’t it? Microsoft’s unprecedented near-$70 billion buyout is unsurprisingly under scrutiny, with UK...
News Sony Won't Let Microsoft's $69 Billion Activision Acquisition Go, Stresses It's Bad for Gaming
Deal to be further investigated
Update: Microsoft has responded to Sony's comments about the acquisition with yet another statement to GamesIndustry. A spokesperson said: "It makes zero business sense for Microsoft to remove Call of Duty from PlayStation given its market leading console position." This doesn't necessarily mean Microsoft would keep...
Talking Point What Do You Make of Microsoft and Sony's Call of Duty Quarrel?
War games
It's been a fairly dramatic period in the land of games, as Microsoft's industry-shaking acquisition of Activision Blizzard comes into sharper focus. Announced at the beginning of this year, armchair analysts have been debating among themselves how much the proposed deal will affect the company's competitors; will franchises like Call of...
News PlayStation Bites Back At 'Inadequate' Call of Duty Offer from Microsoft
Jim Ryan says Xbox only offered three years
Wow! This is really freakin’ spicy, to say the least! Earlier this week, Microsoft bigwig Phil Spencer publicly revealed that his company had provided a “signed agreement” to Sony that would guarantee Call of Duty remains on PlayStation consoles for “several more years” beyond the Japanese...
Made back in January
A new statement shared with The Verge has revealed that Microsoft and Sony signed an agreement back in January to keep the Call of Duty series on PlayStation hardware for "several more years" after any current contracts expire. The news follows a statement from the UK government that
News UK Government Investigating Xbox's Activision Buyout Further
Microsoft issues response
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has today revealed its investigation into Microsoft's proposed purchase of Call of Duty maker Activision requires more time in a "phase two" study. The initial findings have raised concerns about how "Microsoft could use its control over popular games like Call of Duty and World of...
News PS5 Is the Only Console Getting Price Rise, Microsoft and Nintendo Have 'No Plans'
Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch price increases denied
Microsoft and Nintendo have both stated they won't be increasing the price of their respective consoles in the wake of Sony's decision to raise the cost of a PS5 in many major territories. It means Sony is the only platformer holder deciding to do so — the price increases were effective...
News PS4 Outsold Xbox One by 'More Than Twice as Many' Consoles, It's Claimed
Neither shares sales numbers anymore
New court documents published as part of Microsoft's defence of its Activision purchase say the PS4 sold "more than twice as many" units compared to the Xbox One. The quote reads (via GameLuster using Google Translate): "Sony has surpassed Microso
News Microsoft Accuses Sony of Paying to Block Games from Xbox Game Pass
Sony pays "block fees" to publishers
Microsoft has claimed Sony pays publishers and developers "block fees" to stop them from putting their titles on Xbox Game Pass. In response to Sony's assertions that the Call of Duty franchise influences "users' console choice" and lacks a proper rival, the Xbox Series X|S maker has said Sony is stalling the...
Random This Crappy God of War Knock Off for Xbox Does Not Look Legal
We have God of War at home
Perhaps the lawyers at Microsoft are too busy trying to wrap up the company’s near-$70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, because we’re not entirely sure how this God of War knock-off made it onto the Xbox Store. War Gods Zeus of Child, developed b
News PS5, PS4 Pipped to the Discord Punch Despite Investment and Partnership
Xbox gets Discord voice chat first, after Sony bought minority stake
Over a year ago, Sony announced that it had purchased a minority stake in Discord and was working towards full integration of the social network on the PS5 and PS4 in 2022. The platform holder even closed down its popular Commun
Poll Was Sony's State of Play the Best Gaming Showcase of June?
The winner of Not-E3
Penning this poll almost feels like throwing a lit match into a room full of flammable gas, but we're going to do it anyway. We want to know: do you think Sony's latest State of Play actually ended up being the best gaming showcase of Not-E3? That is, the best gaming showcase of June 2022? We ask because we think this is a...
News Xbox Appeared to Embargo PS5, PS4 Versions of Some Showcase Games
For at least 48 hours
Some of the games announced during Microsoft’s big Xbox Showcase on Sunday are coming to the PS5 and PS4 – but it would appear you weren’t supposed to know for at least 48 hours. It seems that the Redmond firm enforced embargoes on some of its partners, including Atlus and Koei Tecmo. We received press releases from both...
Reaction PS Plus’ Revamp Is Hours Away, But Sony Still Has a Game Pass Problem
Xbox showcase leans heavily on day one inclusions
Microsoft did its big annual E3 shindig today. Of course, it’s not E3 because that’s in a graveyard somewhere being pointed at by industry know-it-all Jeff Grubb. But unlike Sony, the Team in Green has decided to retain its Sunday evening summer showcase slot, so if you ignore the fact this was a...
News Xbox on Acquisitions: The Last Thing We Want to Do Is Take Games Away from PS5, PS4
Doesn't want to cut communities into pieces
Microsoft, still meticulously navigating its way through the legal red tape required to seal its Activision Blizzard acquisition, has once again insinuated that it will not make the publisher’s games exclusive. Earlier in the year, it was very clear that “great titles like
News Spider-Man Games Could Have Been Exclusive to Xbox
Microsoft turned Marvel down
Sony's Marvel's Spider-Man games clearly play a very important role in the PlayStation portfolio, racking up millions of sales over and over again. But what if the IP was instead exclusive to Microsoft? The head of Marvel Games Jay Ong has revealed how this could have been the case as the company approached both Sony and...
News PS5 Outsold by Xbox in Japan for First Time, But All Stock Related
High five?
In what will undoubtedly be painted as a humiliating twist for Sony, the PS5 was outsold by the Xbox Series X|S in Japan during the week ending 15th May – and it wasn’t even close. Before we delve any deeper, it’s worth noting that while Microsoft’s console has been doing comparatively well in the Land of the Rising Sun, its...
News Microsoft Bigwig Implies PS5 Is Losing Marketshare to Xbox
Naa-naa-na-naa-Nadella
As the latest round of NPD results in the United States already underlined, Sony has a serious headache when it comes to PS5 stock – or the lack thereof. While, ironically, things have started to improve in the past few days, the dream of transitioning PS4 players at “
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,...
