Tag: Microsoft - Page 4
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,...
News The Elder Scrolls, Fallout Developer Bethesda Bought By Microsoft
ZeniMax snapped up in gigantic acquisition
Update: A lot has happened in the hours since Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media was announced. The bottom line is that future Bethesda games could still come to PlayStation platforms, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer. You can click through here for all of the new information. Original Story: In...
News Sony Won't Follow Game Pass Model on PS5, Doesn't Believe It's Sustainable
"It doesn't make sense for us"
Sony has ruled out any hopes of PlayStation 5 exclusives being bundled up as part of a subscription service and effectively given away at launch. Asked about Microsoft’s own Game Pass initiative – which sees all Xbox Studios titles added day one – PlayStation boss Jim Ryan suggested that it makes “no sense”...
News Bungie Outright Denies Microsoft Acquisition Speculation
"This is false"
Jeff Grubb has been the story of the summer, which perhaps says a lot about Sony and Microsoft’s own next-gen marketing strategies. The Venture Beat journalist has popped up in approximately one billion articles this year, providing insider teases on internal industry affairs. The latest rumour, which Eurogamer.net has since...
Reaction PS5 Price Under Scrutiny After Disruptive Xbox Series S Reveal
A new challenger approaches
Sony’s yet to announce the PlayStation 5’s price, but it’s going to have to execute whatever it’s been planning flawlessly after overnight revelations. If you’ve been living under the sea, then you may not be aware that the oft-rumoured Xbox Series S leaked overnight. Regardless of whether the Redmond firm...
News Xbox Sure Did Announce a Lot of Timed Exclusives This Week
But it's not a fan of them
Microsoft bigwig Phil Spencer is not a big fan of timed exclusives, but his company announced plenty of them for the Xbox Series X this week. A large chunk of its press conference was dominated by so-called “console launch exclusives”, which means they’ll deploy day-and-date on Xbox and PC, but contractual...
Poll Did PS5 or Xbox Series X Have the Better Next-Gen Showcase?
First impressions
Microsoft just closed the curtain on its Xbox Series X showcase, which means both Sony and its Redmond rival have now revealed their first hands in the next-gen fight. It’s important to remember that both manufacturers will have plenty more to show in the future, but these livestreams are the inaugural sales pitches from the two...
News Expect More PS5 Game Announcements Today
Microsoft to reveal all
It’s a big day for the Team in Green, but with Microsoft set to showcase third-party titles alongside first-party releases during an Xbox Series X showcase today, PlayStation fans should end up feasting as well. It’s unclear what the ratio will be between exclusives and multiformat titles, but we’re sure there’ll be a...
News Xbox Boss Takes More Shots at PS5 Exclusives Saying Fans Won't Be 'Forced' into Next-Gen
Doesn't think players should be locked out
Update: Xbox boss Phil Spencer has continued his assault on Sony and its PlayStation 5 strategy, saying that fans "won't be forced into the next-generation" as Microsoft commits continued support to Xbox One's various permutations. "Unlike others, we believe that your investments in gaming should move with...
News As Microsoft Looks Poised to Discontinue Xbox One, Sony Has a Huge Opportunity with PS4
Entry levels
This year is all about the PlayStation 5 in enthusiast circles, but Sony’s real Top Trump could yet prove the existing PlayStation 4. Despite comments to the contrary from the manufacturer, rumours are rife tha
News Xbox Is Pushing for Free Next-Gen Upgrades, And That's Good News for PS5
Cross-buy
Sony doesn’t have a fancy marketing slogan for next-gen upgrades from the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation 5, but practically every third-party title supporting Smart Delivery on Xbox is also offering a similar solution on the Japanese giant’s family of formats. A report by VGC reveals that Microsoft is actively encouraging publishers...
News PlayStation Fans Are Worried Microsoft Could Buy Warner Bros' Gaming Division
Take Two, EA, and Activision Blizzard also interested
Warner Bros’ gaming division is still very much up for sale, and a new report from The Information reveals that Microsoft has expressed an interest. The Xbox business has been on an acquisition charge for a few years now, gobbling up both close partners and independently owned studios on the...
"Just being honest," says Spencer
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has given a backhanded compliment to Sony, saying that he thinks the Japanese giant did a “good job” with its recent PlayStation 5 showcase, but believes Microsoft will be able to demonstrate the Xbox Series X’s “hardware advantages” with its speculated July livestream. He added:...
News PS5's Price Could Be Undercut by Xbox Series X, Analysts Suggest
Sticky situation
Speaking as part of a live episode of Geoff Keighley's Bonus Round this week, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter suggested that Microsoft may undercut the price of the PlayStation 5 this holiday. According to the industry analyst, he thinks Sony will charge $500 for its next-gen console, giving its Redmond competitor the...
Live Assassin's Creed Valhalla Gameplay Trailer, Third-Party Next-Gen Reveals
Watch as Microsoft gives us our first taste of next-gen
It’s been over a year since Sony first started talking about the PlayStation 5, but we’re still waiting for our first proper glimpse of next-gen gameplay. That changes today courtesy of, well, an Inside Xbox stream. Yes, we fully encourage you to visit our sister site
News Third-Party PS5 Games to Debut Gameplay at Xbox Series X Event Next Week
AC Valhalla included
Yep, the cogs are certainly in motion folks. Microsoft has just announced that it plans to showcase next-generation gameplay as part of a digital Inside Xbox event next week from its "global developers partners". Amongst the reveals will be third-party titles also coming to PlayStation 5, meaning we're finally about to get a...
News Next-Gen Game Reveals Are Imminent, But Sony Silent on PS5 Plans
Microsoft says game reveals are coming
We’ve already got a glimpse of a couple of PlayStation 5 games courtesy of Godfall and Quantum Error, but with coronavirus scuppering its plans, Sony has been largely tight-lipped about its next-gen plans. Despite not showing much more than the Japanese giant, Microsoft has built up a reputation of being more...
News Xbox Boss on PS5: We Have a Plan That Can Win
Phil Spencer's feeling good after PlayStation 5 reveal
Microsoft is currently engaged in a strong public relations battle against Sony, and some would argue it’s winning the fight. While the PlayStation 5 has attracted more attention than the Xbox Series X thus far, the Team in Green has been quietly chipping away at its competitor, touting better
News Microsoft Responds to PS5 Deep Dive with Confidence in 2020 Launch for Xbox Series X
Cut the turkey
Update: And just as quickly as this story got out, Geoff Keighley is here to debunk it. He says on Twitter: "Sources tell me the Xbox Series X release date is unchanged and still "Holiday 2020." There is no announcement today about a release date." We don't know how this update to the website managed to get out all of a sudden,...
Rumour PS5 More Powerful Than Xbox Series X, Says Old Leak Given New Life
But we're not convinced
Microsoft has just released in-depth specifications for the Xbox Series X. It's shaping up to be an impressive machine, but we still don't know how it'll compare to the PlayStation 5. Sony's silence has become a meme at this point, but rumours and speculation consistently suggest that the two next-gen consoles will be very...
Talking Point Why Isn't Sony Saying More About PS5?
The big question
Here we are again, then: Microsoft has raised the curtain on Xbox Series X, and PlayStation fans are pondering just what exactly Sony plans to do in response. In this industry of one-upmanship, the Japanese giant’s silence is not just being painted as problematic –
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...