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Xbox boss keen on Metaverse but 'cautious' about play-to-earn games
26.8.2022
Phil Spencer argues that “gamers have been in the Metaverse for 30 years” as games already offer 3D shared worlds for people to communicate in
Xbox Boss Says Exclusives Aren’t The Future While Company Buys Up Exclusives
25.8.2022
Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, recently described the progress of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard as heading in a “positive direction,” as the company awaits regulatory approval of the deal that would see it owning wildly popular franchises such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft....
The X-Wing Team Were Working On A Cancelled Xbox Game
15.7.2022
Throughout the 1990s Totally Games had one of the most accomplished track records in all of video games. The studio, releasing games for Lucasfilm and then Lucasarts, specialised in all things flight, and won acclaim for releases set both in the sky and way beyond.Read more
Xbox Head Defends Bethesda In Wake Of Crunch Allegations
28.6.2022
At an all-hands meeting on Thursday, Xbox addressed the growing employee concerns about labor conditions at Bethesda Game Studios and its parent company, ZeniMax. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, said he was “confident” that the studio was not crunching, and that it was “unfair” to attribute...
Amid Thin 2022, Microsoft Says 50 Games Coming To Xbox Over The Next Year
12.6.2022
Six months into the year, Xbox’s release calendar is looking slim. Fresh off the heels of an absolutely banger 2021, Microsoft hasn’t released a single first-party tentpole in 2022. But that’s all set to change, Microsoft assured viewers today during its big splashy marketing showcase about...
Starfield Extended Look Shows Off Ship Customization, Space Combat
12.6.2022
Bethesda and Xbox revealed yet another look at the ambitious “Skyrim in space” RPG Starfield during the two companies’ joint presentation today. This time, it was much more than eight seconds, and featured actually gameplay.Read more
What To Expect From Xbox's Big Press Conference Tomorrow
11.6.2022
For Xbox, a lot is riding on its big not-E3 press conference. Right now, following a number of notable delays, the mega-publisher’s 2022 is devoid of any major exclusives. In addition to the requisite announcements of games coming to Game Pass and announcements about more devices on which you...
Activision Blizzard Recognizes QA Workers' Union
10.6.2022
Bobby Kotick announced today that Activision Blizzard will recognize Raven Software’s union of quality assurance testers. He promised that “we will engage in good faith negotiations to enter into a collective bargaining agreement” with Communications Workers of America.Read more
Microsoft Promises 5 More Xbox Exclusives, Game Pass Demos In The Next Year
9.6.2022
Microsoft laid out some of its big plans for gaming ahead of Sunday’s Xbox and Bethesda showcase, and those plans include a steady stream of more big exclusives, expanded Game Pass perks, and bringing video game cloud streaming directly to smart TVs. Most of the plans are forward-looking,...
Xbox Fans Think Phil Spencer Is Sending Them Secret Messages Through His Banjo-Kazooie Achievements
6.6.2022
Microsoft executive vice president of gaming Phil Spencer recently played Nintendo 64 classic Banjo-Kazooie, according to his Xbox Live account. But where most might simply see a public figure enjoying a bit of nostalgia, a specific brand of diehard took it as a personal wink and a nod from...
Xbox Boss Says He Will Recognize Raven Software's Union After Acquisition Closes
26.5.2022
In today’s internal all-hands meeting with Xbox Game Studios employees, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said that he would recognize Raven Software’s union. This came after the QA testers at Raven voted to form the first labor union at a major studio.Read more
Former Xbox Vice President Worried Game Pass Could Hurt The Industry
23.5.2022
Ed Fries, the former Microsoft vice president of game publishing who launched the original Xbox, recently appeared on a podcast where he discussed some concerns he has regarding Xbox Game Pass. Fries said that he’s “scared” that the service could lead to a future in which folks stop buying games...
Xbox’s Rep Takes A Hit Following Major Delays
18.5.2022
Riding the bus of video game fandom should come with a seatbelt warning. To wit: Last month, it seemed like everyone was losing their minds over Microsoft gobbling up half the industry. Now, in the wake of some major delays, it’s all “Dead console!!!” this and “Xbox has no exclusives!!!” that. Hope...
The True Next-Gen Game Is Still Rare AF
26.4.2022
The delineation between console generations is muddier than ever. Microsoft’s two next-gen machines, the Xbox Series X and the slightly lower-powered Xbox Series S, have been out for about a year and a half. In that time, you can count the number of true next-gen Xbox games on one hand. The rare...
Blizzard Boss Tries To Shut Down Player Speculation After NFT Survey
18.4.2022
While some companies are doubling down on the lucrative scam behind NFTs, others are trying to head off any association right from the start. After an Activision Blizzard survey went out polling players on their interest in the blockchain technology, Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra was quick to shoot...
Allegations Of Sexism, Bullying, And Burnout: Inside The Microsoft Studio Behind State Of Decay 3
31.3.2022
The video game industry faces a long-overdue reckoning. The average game developer is underpaid relative to the generous bonuses and shareholder payouts enjoyed by the CEOs above them, and recent reports and lawsuits have uncovered a wide range of mistreatment across companies big and small. Many...
Parents Sue Call Of Duty Maker, Alleging Sexual Harassment Led To Daughter’s Suicide
7.3.2022
Parents of an Activision Blizzard employee who died by suicide on a 2017 work retreat at Disneyland are now suing the Call of Duty publisher alleging workplace sexual harassment contributed to their daughter’s wrongful death. Activision Blizzard had previously dismissed the tragedy as having...
In Twenty Years, Microsoft Has Only Sold 2.3 Million Xboxes In Japan
7.3.2022
Two decades ago, the first Xbox went on sale in Japan. In the U.S., Microsoft’s gaming machines have always been big hits, but that’s not been the case in Japan. To date, only 2.3 million Xbox consoles across all generations have been sold in the country. Read more
Microsoft Started Activision Acquisition Talks Three Days After Bombshell Harassment Report
19.2.2022
On November 16, 2021, a report was published that claimed Activision CEO Bobby Kotick was well aware of harassment happening within his company. It also alleged that he himself mistreated women, both inside and outside work. Now, new docs reveal that three days later, Xbox head Phil Spencer called...
Head Of Xbox Downplays Fears Of Game Pass Price Hike
9.2.2022
Game Pass has never been more popular, and after Microsoft revealed its plan to buy Activision Blizzard and add some of that company’s biggest games to the service, an increase in the Game Pass subscription price has never felt more inevitable. Newly minted Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer...