News

After months of anticipation, Nintendo finally gave us a look at Switch 2 with a Direct presentation on April 2. The console is packed with a number of features and incredible games that prove Switch 2 is a worthy successor to its predecessor.

However, there’s also been a lot of negative sentiments surrounding the price point of Switch 2 and its games. The community feels that the $450 price tag is way too much, and the lack of discounts on Nintendo games will make things worse as time goes on.

Switch 2 is under fire for a number of reasons. (Image via Nintendo)

Amid this outrage, Nintendo’s president, Doug Bowser, tried to defend the company’s pricing of Switch 2. However, he has pulled off a stunt that proved to be Xbox’s worst nightmare.

Nintendo is repeating Xbox’s worst mistake

While chatting with CBC, Bowser opened up about Switch 2’s pricing controversies and...

The current state of Microsoft is not solely due to poor management; the brand’s decline began in 2013, specifically with the launch of Xbox One, under the direction of Don Mattrick.

When the company first introduced this console, it was mandatory to buy it with the infamous Kinect, a device that tracks the movement and voice of the user. This particular move marked the beginning of the end for the brand; the competition took advantage of this and cut the console price by $100, winning the entire generation with that strategy.

The Downfall of Xbox May Have Begun on May 21, 2013 Don Mattrick is thought to be the first person responsible for the current state of Xbox.

After the PS3 and Xbox 360 generations reached an end with similar sales numbers for both consoles, both brands were in a pivotal position to take advantage of the opportunity to begin the new generation. Don Mattrick,...

The Xbox brand was flooded with a very hazardous wave of rumors that could harm the Xbox name forever. That is why Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, and Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, made a very special edition of the Xbox Official Podcast and clarified all the rumors.

Thanks to this podcast, the new path that Xbox has planned has been revealed. This means that the brand is aiming to recover from the very complicated Xbox One launch, and the exclusive games have not been enough to make consoles sell.

Xbox has played its cards and wants to keep growing in the industry Xbox Game Pass has more than 34 million users

One of the most incredible failures in the video game industry aside from the E.T. game from Atari was the announcement of the first version of the Xbox One. Back in 2013, Don Mattrick, head of Xbox at the time,...

For much of his childhood, Pablo Schreiber didn’t have a TV, let alone a video game system. So it wasn’t really until the 43-year-old actor was hired to star in “Halo” — Paramount Plus’ upcoming adaptation of Microsoft’s crown jewel Xbox franchise — that Schreiber sat down to play as the genetically engineered super soldier he’d been hired to embody: Petty Officer John-117, aka Master Chief.

“I quickly realized just how new I was to this medium,” Schreiber tells Variety. “I spent the first few days of my Halo experience getting killed by grunts.”

When the show premieres on March 24, it will be the culmination of 17 years of false starts and dogged striving, including a Peter Jackson-produced feature film that fell apart in the 2000s, more than six years of development by Amblin Television in the 2010s, and a pandemic-split production in Hungary for the nine-episode first...

Important days lay ahead for Sony. As a returning participant in next-gen gaming with the PlayStation 5, the company, like Microsoft, is doing everything it can to not only keep hold of its loyal install base, but increase that millions-strong figure even further. It’s no secret, of course, that the former has been the runaway winner this gen with the PS4, thanks largely to one of the strongest first-party lineups of any console to date.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has been forced to play catch-up from the start with the Xbox One brand, predominantly due to then-Xbox boss Don Mattrick mandating a strict set of deeply anti-consumerist restrictions for the hardware. There’s still a ways to go until the two are on an even keel once again, then, though under Mattrick’s replacement, Phil Spencer, Microsoft has pioneered a number of industry-leading initiatives, including Game Pass.

Xbox Series...

Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, has joined the USC School of Cinematic Arts (Sca) Board of Councilors which helps guide the college’s overall planning, development, and fundraising efforts.

“Donna’s understanding of global industry trends and insight about what makes media entertaining and impactful will be very valuable to our School,” said Elizabeth M. Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts who made the announcement today.

“I look forward to her contributions to the Board, and to the future growth of all our divisions. She will also be a great inspiration to our students,” added Daley.

Board of Councilors Chair Frank Price states, “Donna is a proven business leader at the helm of one of the industry’s most successful film studios, and her experience and knowledge will contribute immensely to our overall vision for the School and its talented students. We are honored to have her join the Board.

On November 22nd, Sony announced that they’ve sold more than 30.2 million PS4 consoles through to consumers in roughly two years on the market. For those of you not keeping score, that makes it the second fastest selling console of all time behind Nintendo’s cultural phenomenon, the Wii. While the attach rate for the Wii was pretty poor, indicating that people were buying the console and then quickly abandoning it (hello, Gran!), software sales for the latest Sony console are impressive. The PS4 is a games machine that people are buying in droves, and spending a lot of time with, and not even Sony seems to know why.

Of course, sales aren’t everything. The Xbox 360 was arguably the best console of the last generation, with games galore that largely outperformed their PS3 counterparts and a strong, reliable online infrastructure, and by the end of the cycle it likely...

Good question, Barrett.

E3 2015 will surely go down as one of the best. While it didn’t have the compelling narrative of the 2013 conferences, the battle between Microsoft and Sony this time round was a lot more pleasing to watch. Aside from one sassy comment regarding backwards compatibility during the Microsoft briefing, the two video game giants largely ignored each other, and the message of the day seemed to be less about sticking it to the other guy, and more about trying to delight the fans.

In that regard, E3 2015 was an unmitigated success. Microsoft opened the show on Monday morning with a conference that was confident and well paced, hitting their stride early and keeping things moving along until the end. They didn’t stop to remind us that we should all be watching TV through our consoles, and apparently, it seems they’ve forgotten that Kinect even exists like everyone else has.

As if she didn't have enough to do, super-achiever president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, with a raft of "Star Wars" sequels in the works, is joining the USC School of Cinematic Arts (Sca) Board of Councilors, announced Dean Elizabeth M. Daley.  Typically, Kennedy joins a board comprised entirely of film and TV industry alpha males, except for alpha female Shonda Rhimes: Chair Frank Price, Frank Biondi, Jr., Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Michael Lynton, Don Mattrick, Bill M. Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Les Moonves, Sidney Poitier, John Riccitiello, Barney Rosenzweig, Scott Sassa, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Tsuijihara, John Wells, Jim Wiatt, Paul Junger Witt and Robert Zemeckis.  Prior to joining Lucasfilm in 2012 to take over the reins from George Lucas, Kennedy headed The Kennedy/Marshall Company, which she...

It’s that time of the year again. E3. Always interesting, often embarrassing, and frequently disappointing, E3 is one of the most important gaming weekends of the year. People around the globe tune in to conferences led by Microsoft and Sony, as well as select third party publishers, with wide eyes and crossed fingers. For every Kingdom Hearts 3 reveal there’s a half-dozen Call of Duty gameplay demonstrations, usually demonstrating that it looks exactly the same as the last one. Hope they’re going to finally announce that Final Fantasy VII remake? Here’s Final Fantasy Xiii: Lightning Returns. But despite the cynicism one acquires after watching so many of these things, there’s always a few surprises, and there’s always something to get excited about. E3 fever is tough to resist.

Recent years have seen some fairly memorable E3 moments. Last year might have been a little bit of a non-event,...

Kevin Tsujihara, chairman and chief executive officer of Warner Bros., has joined the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (Sca) Board of Councilors, Sca Dean Elizabeth M. Daley announced Wednesday. The Board plays a key leadership role in the school’s overall planning and development, as well as supports its fundraising efforts. Tsujihara joins the Board’s other notable industry icons: Chair Frank Price, Frank Biondi Jr., Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Michael Lynton, Don Mattrick, Bill M. Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Les Moonves, Sidney Poitier,...

The president and CEO of CBS Corporation has joined the USC School Of Cinematic Arts board of councillors, Dean Elizabeth M Daley announced.

“Les is an innovator whose insights and creative energy are legendary,” said Daley. “His experience spans the entire media landscape so in addition to contributing to the overall vision and goals of the school, Les has the kind of practical knowledge that will benefit all our divisions.”

Board councillors include chair Frank Price, Frank Biondi, Jr, Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Michael Lynton, Don Mattrick, Bill Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Sidney Poitier, John Riccitiello, Barney Rosenzweig, Scott Sassa, Steven Spielberg, John Wells, Jim Wiatt, Paul Junger Witt and Robert Zemeckis.

“The board of councillors is dedicated to making sure students at the School Of Cinematic Arts have the resources they need to prepare for careers in the industry,” said Price. “Les...

Former social gaming giant Zynga is going for the ol’ Hail Mary: The company announced Thursday that they’ve struck deals with the NFL and pro golfer Tiger Woods to develop a series of sports games for mobile devices.

While new sports games for mobile phones aren’t much to get excited about, the fact that Zynga has locked down an NFL licensing deal is an interesting development in the company’s years-long struggle to pull itself from the brink of disaster.

USA Today reports that the deals came just as Zynga shares dropped 7 percent in after-hours trading when...

Microsoft

You’d think when you’re plonking down upwards of £500/$700, the company behind the product in question would endeavour to make sure you feel comfortable and pleased with doing so.

However, it seems that since day one both the Xbox hardware itself and Microsoft’s responses haven’t only managed to put one foot wrong, they’ve all but awkwardly salsa-danced themselves into an early grave. It’s actually quite rare to see a company who were so far out in front in terms of public favour and mainstream opinion thanks to the 360, end up dropping the ball in such a spectacular fashion.

But drop it they have, and in the past nine months since release it’s been one cack-handed scrabble in the mud after another to pick it back up, with offers of a Kinect-less Xbox being the thing Microsoft thought may win them back the most public favour.

Though it’s not usually good news when the vice president of a major division of your company leaves of his own accord, this may not be such a bad thing when it comes to Xbox One. Despite his unexpected departure after nearly 14 years with the company, Marc Whitten appears as enthusiastic as ever about Microsoft’s newest console.

Whitten’s most recent comments come via the latest episode of Major Nelson Radio, which is, of course, a Microsoft podcast. Whether or not Whitten has been instructed to ease fans’ concerns or if these are his true thoughts is unclear — I’d wager it’s a bit of both.

Part of what’s awesome to me right now is I think you’re starting to see what Xbox One can become. So much for us was around, ‘Hey, let’s build this architecture that we could rev quickly, that we could add to,...

After nearly 8 years of Xbox 360 and 70+ million 360 consoles sold, every Xbox fan was looking forward to 21st May 2013, the day Microsoft revealed the new Xbox console. People around the world watched live footage as Don Mattrick came on stage, gave us a brief introduction and then the moment of truth. The moment we were all waiting for. Then it went downhill. The reveal didn’t reveal much, and people found more to complain about than to praise.

The backlash from critics and fans was fierce; even some PlayStation fans were complaining about it, and loyal Xbox fans were planning to defect to the enemies (Sony and Nintendo, just in case you didn’t know). There were a variety of issues that irked us, and Microsoft pretty much went back on most of the decisions they made.

They claimed they looked at the comments we made and acted accordingly; what they...

Michael Lynton is the latest high-profile Hollywood name to join up with the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The CEO of Sony Entertainment has been appointed to the school’s Board Of Councilors, which deal with planning and development and maybe most importantly fundraising efforts. Lynton, who went to Harvard, joins board members including chairman Frank Price, Frank Biondi Jr, Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Don Mattrick, Bill M. Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Sidney Poitier, John Riccitiello, Barney Rosenzweig, Scott Sassa, Steven Spielberg, John Wells, Jim Wiatt, Paul Junger Witt, and Robert Zemeckis. Said Price in a statement today: “The Board of Councilors works in the interest of Sca’s students, who will be the future leaders of our industry. Michael is actively working on laying the groundwork for that future, and he will use his expertise to support the...

I remember when I first became a hardcore Xbox fan in 2001. Although everyone I knew at the time had a Playstation 2, I was more than happy to talk about how awesome Azurik, Fable and Killswitch was. The clunky controller didn’t phase me, I never played online and I barely knew about anything Sony released for the Playstation 2 and… I didn’t care. I didn’t snatch up an Xbox 360 console until 2008 and decided to come out of my single player “shell” to venture online. During the short era when Psn was hacked and consumer information was vulnerable, I considered me spending the extra money for a “more secure” gaming experience a great decision and even poked fun at Sony fans every chance I got when they brought up the “Red Ring of Death” (which never happened to me, by the way) .

Just two years ago I purchased a PS3 on a whim,...

Rovio Entertainment -- alongside LucasFilm -- is releasing "Angry Birds Star Wars II" in September, the company announced Monday. "The new game will tackle the prequels, introducing a wide roster of never-before-seen 'Angry Birds Star Wars' characters," Rovio said. The company also made a point of specifically saying saying that at this time it will not comment on rumors or speculation that Jar Jar Binks will be in the game. The original "Angry Birds Star Wars" was downloaded over 100 million times. Also read: Don Mattrick Leaves Xbox, Becomes Zynga CEO The sequel will be released...

The new Microsoft restructuring has been announced today, and almost every major division has a new boss that took on bigger roles.

Former Windows boss, Julie Larson-Green, is now the lead at Xbox. She was a big part of the launch of Windows 7, and helped over see Windows 8. Perhaps Xbox One will turn out more like 7 than 8 for her. Her new job has her lead Microsoft's Devices and Studios Engineering Group, and look over hardware development which currently includes Xbox among other devices.

You may remember this job was rumored to go to Don Mattrick, but he jumped ship to help bring Zynga's ship back afloat. And probably for a bigger paycheck.

Elsewhere in the company, Terry Myerson will lead the Operating Systems Engineering Group, which will allow Microsoft to build its operating systems across all platforms. Skype boss Tony Bates will focus on strengthening relationships with other companies.

By Matt Hawkins

[Source]

Don Mattrick's abrupt departure from Ms to Zynga last week was a shocker to many. As well as a bit of a relief to those who place the blame for the Xbox One's recent missteps squarely on the now former of President of the Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business’ shoulders.

More than anything else, the move from overseeing one the most popular gaming platforms of today, one that he helped to define, and which still has plenty of potential, to taking over the reigns of a company that helped to popularize social gaming, but whose stock is plummeting by the day, didn't make a bit of sense.

Though according to report published by Bloomberg, it would appear that Zynga has been on Mattrick's mind for quite some time. In fact, if things had gone according to plans, Microsoft would have gobbled up Zynga years ago.

According to sources close to Bloomberg,...

News Aaron Birch 5 Jul 2013 - 06:54

Microsoft may be preparing to have another shot at the Xbox One at Gamescom...

According to reports from Cvg, Microsoft is planning to host a press conference at this year's Gamescom in Germany. The news comes as Microsoft has, apparently, notified the event's organisers and other third parties that it plans to attend.

At the time of writing, no details of the actual conference have been supplied, but it's a fairly safe bet that the company will use the time to try and repair the Xbox One's severely damaged reputation following a disastrous E3.

A Microsoft spokesperson stated, "We're excited to be back at Gamescom this year but we're not announcing any further details on our plans at this time. Please stay tuned for more details!"

Microsoft is usually not all that concerned with Gamescom, leaving the floor to the likes of Sony, but...

San Francisco (AP) — Struggling Web game maker Zynga gave new CEO Don Mattrick a $5 million signing bonus and stock awards valued at $40 million to lure him away from his previous job overseeing Microsoft's Xbox console for video games. Mattrick's compensation package also includes a $1 million annual salary and a guaranteed bonus of about $1 million this year, according to a regulatory filing made late Wednesday. Zynga Inc. announced Mattrick would replace company co-founder Mark Pincus as CEO earlier this week, but didn't detail how much its new leader would be paid at that time. Story:

read more...

In a surprise announcement yesterday Microsoft confirmed that Interactive Entertainment Business President, Don Mattrick, has left the company to become the new CEO of the struggling social game company, Zynga. We have now learned that Mattrick’s position will not be immediately filled but will instead be temporally handed over to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who has directed all management in the Xbox division to report directly to himself.

The Microsoft big boss made the announcement about the change within the Xbox division in an email to the company’s employees, saying in part:

“Zynga announced today that Don Mattrick would be its new CEO, effective July 8. This is a great opportunity for Don, and I wish him success. Don’s directs will report to me and will continue to drive the day-to-day business as a team, particularly focused on shipping Xbox One this holiday…”

“Thank you, Don, for setting...

Just weeks after the Xbox One console was finally revealed to the world; the president of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft; Don Mattrick is reportedly leaving the company in order to take up a high-ranking position at Zynga. Mattrick who was definitely the corporate face of Xbox could be in line to take up the role of the CEO at Zynga; whilst it has also been suggested that if he does not be named the CEO; he will be taking up a top role in the company anyway which will see him work very closely with Zynga founder and current CEO Mark Pincus.

This is the same company which released around 520 of their employees in June, so the appointment of Mattrick could trigger some big shake-up plans for both companies. This news comes after Microsoft are rumoured to be in the middle of a major reorganisation, one which could see...

News Aaron Birch 2 Jul 2013 - 07:33

President of Microsoft's interactive entertainment division, Don Mattrick, is leaving for pastures new...

Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment section was one of the people that bore the brunt of the Xbox One controversy, and arguably didn't make things any easier with some of his comments regarding always on connectivity and backwards compatibility. Having come under a whole host of fire regarding the new platform, he's not the most popular guy with gamers to say the least, but that's not all that important now, as he's left the role.

Mattrick is heading to Farmville creator, Zynga, as its new CEO. In a letter to Zynga employees he stated that he's always admired the company and its role In making gaming a mainstream hobby, and now wishes to see Zynga realise its full potential.

Back at Microsoft, at this time there's no...

New York (AP) — He's not heading out to pasture, but the CEO of "FarmVille" maker Zynga Inc. is stepping aside as the troubled online game company looks to revive itself and lift its stalled stock price.

Mark Pincus will be replaced on Monday, July 8, by Don Mattrick, who was most recently head of Microsoft's Xbox division. Zynga said Monday that Pincus, who founded Zynga Inc. and named it after his American bulldog in 2007, will stay on as chairman and chief product officer.

Mattrick, 49, had served as the president of Microsoft's entertainment business, which includes the Xbox, since 2010. He had been with Microsoft for six years, helping to launch the Kinect motion controller. He also helped grow the Xbox Live online service from 6 million members to 48 million in roughly six years.

"Zynga is a great business that has yet to realize its full potential. I'm really proud to partner...

Shares jumped 10.4% during the trading day following a report that Don Mattrick would take charge of the ailing game company — and another 5.9% in after-market trading when the news was officially announced. In his six years at Microsoft, Mattrick ran the interactive entertainment operation that includes the company’s Xbox gaming console. Prior to joining Microsoft he was president of Worldwide Studios at Electronic Arts and helped to develop games including “Need For Speed,” “FIFA” and ”The Sims.” Mattrick replaces founder Mark Pincus who’ll remain as Chairman and Chief Product Officer. Zynga‘s shares have lost 43.6% of their value over the last 12 months as gamers lost interest in “invest and express” category, which includes titles such as “FarmVille” and “CityVille” where players try to earn objects that they can display in the game. But the company has found it hard to change its focus away from desktop computers and toward...

Don Mattrick, the former head of Microsoft Xbox, has officially left the company to become CEO of Zynga games. Zynga announced the hiring in a statement after the markets closed on Monday. The former president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment unit will become CEO of struggling online social gaming company Zynga effective July 8. "Don is unique in the game business," Mark Pincus, founder, chairman and chief product officer of Zynga said in a statement. "He can execute in multiple domains -- hardware, software and network, and he's been the person responsible for...

It was rumored earlier today (we wanted to wait for more official news) that Don Mattrick, Microsoft's President of the Interactive Entertainment unit (which deals entirely with the Xbox brand) was leaving the company in order to take the top spot over at Zynga. Now an official statement has been released announcing that is in fact what's happening. Come on in to check it out.

Well this is interesting. Mattrick has essentially been the face of the Xbox One since it's reveal back in May. Because of that, he's also had to deal with the brunt of all the negatvie comments on the console, which resulted in a shocking reversal of policies for the company. The man has been with the company since 2007, and it seems kind of odd for him to be leaving at a time like this, when they're on the verge of ushering in the next generation of games.

Zynga is replacing founding CEO Mark Pincus with Microsoft's Don Mattrick, who oversees the software maker's division that houses its Xbox game system, the company announced Monday. Mattrick becomes CEO July 8 while Pincus will remain chairman of the board of directors and chief product officer. Speculation that the change was coming -- courtesy of a report from Kara Swisher at AllThingsD.com -- had shares of Zynga soaring. While the official announcement came after the closing bell, the stock closed more than 10 percent higher to $3.07. Shares of Zynga reached a high of $14.50 about 16 months ago. Zynga has been slashing

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In a bit of a shocker, Zynga has named now former Microsoft President of the Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick as its new CEO, effective July 8. Mattrick will also be a member of the company's Board of Directors. You can check out the announcement below and underneath it you'll find Mattrick's controversial interview from E3 in which he said that those who don't have internet should stick to the Xbox 360. Zynga Inc. (Znga), a leading provider of social game services, today announced that the Company has appointed Don Mattrick as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective July 8, 2013. Mattrick has been at the forefront of the industry and brings more than 30 years of executive experience developing, building and managing profitable...

This was supposed to be a good summer for Microsoft. Last month they introduced the Xbox One, their next-generation console. It should have been a publicity win for the company. Unfortunately, the Xbox One came with some curious design specifications: A required always-on internet connection, the inability to sell or trade or indeed even technically own your videogames, the possibility that the Kinect would be always on watching you and gathering information on you for our robot overlords. Turns out that gamers don’t actually want a weird Orwellian surveillance device in their living room — especially not one that costs...

Following the massive backlash over the past two weeks in the wake of E3, Microsoft has changed its mind regarding the Xbox One and its various features.

Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick has scrapped three of the most complained about features of the box - the always online requirements, region locking, and restrictions on used games.

The result is games will be playable in the same way they are on the current 360, actually more so due to the lack of regional restrictions.

However, the decision means several previously announced features have to be scrapped - namely the cloud sharing services. Gone is the ability to let nine family members share a title, the ability to share and sell downloaded games, and disc based games will require the disc to remain in the tray.

The move brings the Xbox One more in line with the Playstation 4, though Sony's...

Feature Aaron Birch 20 Jun 2013 - 05:32

Microsoft may have made a titanic U-turn with the Xbox One's policies, but is it enough?

Well, it happened. Microsoft has done what many predicted was the only thing that could save the Xbox One, and has performed a complete turnaround in its controversial online and game ownership policies.

Causing little but controversy and brand hatred for weeks now, Microsoft's initial Xbox One plans for regular, mandatory online checks, game authentication and restrictions on trading and lending games have gone the way of the dodo. Yes, the Xbox One will no longer require 24-hour online checks (bar an initial setup connection) and you can trade and lend games just as you do now.

Announced by Don Mattrick via the Xbox website (link below), it's clear that Microsoft has clearly been beaten into submission by the huge backlash it's taken, which only escalated by...

At E3, Sony basically dropped the mic and walked away.  Microsoft had fumbled horribly with Xbox One by telling gamers that the system would need to check-in online every 24 hours just to play games offline, and that gamers were restricted the buying, selling, and loaning of used games.  Meanwhile, Sony responded thusly when promoting the PlayStation 4. Now Microsoft has done the only thing they could do: relent.  Microsoft president of interactive entertainment Don Mattrick has announced that they've listened to the complaints, and basically let Xbox One operate the same way as the Xbox 360.  It was a necessary change to get Microsoft back in the game, but will it be enough?  Each system will have exclusive titles, but Xbox One will still cost $100 more than PlayStation 4.  The trade-off is a system that brings in Kinect and also tries to replace your cable box.  If that's worth it to you, click...

After a disastrous E3 2013 showing, Microsoft have done the surprising thing and admitted they made a huge mistake… revealing tonight that they are reversing their decision that the forthcoming Xbox One console would need online requirements to play and have restrictions on used games.

Additionally, the Xbox One will no longer be region locked.

However, what does stay in tact is the price point; the console will remain $100 more expensive than competitor Sony’s PlayStation 4.

Microsoft then have solved three of the four main negatives that most gamers had with the unveiling of the new console but does this really change anything in the ongoing war between Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PS4? Certainly Sony dominated E3 and Microsoft looked dead in the water but with the reversal of this decision, are they back in the game Or is the difference in the price point and the “too late,...

As a direct result of feedback from the gaming community, Microsoft has just announced a complete reversal of their controversial online requirements and used game DRM policies for the Xbox One.

Don Mattrick, Microsoft’s President of Interactive Entertainment Business, made the surprise announcement this afternoon on the official Xbox website saying the new policy will allow users to “play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360.”

According to Microsoft, the changes to the Xbox One’s policies are as follows:

An internet connection will not be required to play offline games after a “one-time system set-up” is preformed online There is no longer any requirement to connection the console to Microsoft’s servers once every 24 hours There are no longer any limitations on using and sharing physical Xbox One game discs Used games, trade-ins, rentals, gifting, etc. will work exactly like it does...

After last week's less than stellar Xbox One announcement at E3, Microsoft has decided to modify some of the more widespread criticized aspects of their new gaming system. Here is the statement from Microsoft's President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick: Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience. For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of advances in technology in order to deliver a breakthrough in game play and entertainment. We imagined a new set of benefits such as easier roaming, family sharing, and new ways to try and...

This was expected after the Microsoft's disappointing E3 for the Xbox One. They have officially reversed their decision on the Xbox One online requirements and used game restrictions. The Xbox One also will no longer be region locked. But the price is still $100 more than the PlayStation 4, so does this change anything? Here's the full statement from Don Mattrick, President, Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business: Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience. For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of advances in technology...

With E3 nearly over it is time to reflect on the incredible reveals, decide the inevitable “winner” of E3, watch all those trailers and gameplay demos over and over again, decide everything you are anticipating most, and of course speculate on what is still to come. What is still to come is the release of two brand new next generation consoles. Consoles that will allow users to buy, sell, and play used games all while not requiring internet connection. Oh…I am sorry, I should clarify myself, one console revealed will allow the aforementioned things, that console would be Sony’s PS4 due out this Holiday season for the ripe price of $399. The other console that debuted was Microsoft’s Xbox One, a console that will put restrictions on buying and selling used games, and will require an always-on internet connection in order to play those games, also Xbox One...

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, giants of the big screen, the men behind some of Hollywood's defining franchises, think the film industry's headed for an "implosion." The pair were on a panel about the future of entertainment at the University of Southern California moderated by Microsoft's Don Mattrick last night, and a theme that emerged is one that's not unlike what Steven Soderbergh expressed in his San Francisco State of Cinema address -- studios are only really interested in funding tentpole content, and niche programming on internet and cable is the future for everything else. Per The Verge, Spielberg pointed out that with so many viewing choices vying for audience attention these days, the studios see giant projects as the safest bet to cut through the noise rather "than make a whole bunch of really interesting, deeply personal -- and even maybe historical -- projects that may get lost...

Feature Aaron Birch 14 Jun 2013 - 06:09

Is the Xbox One already doomed? Has Sony already won the next gen console battle with the PlayStation 4? Here are some thoughts...

Now that E3 has been and gone, one thing has become seemingly apparent – Sony has landed several blows on Microsoft, and many in the gaming community seem to think that the PlayStation 4 has already defeated the Xbox One.

The furore surrounding the Xbox One and its policies on used games and connectivity was growing day by day even before E3 and Sony's big reveal. Now that the PS4 is a known quantity, things have ramped up to a Spinal Tap-style 11, and Microsoft, rather than admit mistakes, appears to be digging a bigger hole. But what's the big deal here, and what are people unhappy about? Let's take a look.

The One And Only?

To put it simply, and taking individual system specifications,...

It only happens every few years -- when the planets align and the secret cabal of developers, publishers, manufacturers, and retailers convening in ancient, forgotten depths to speak to life a new generation of console gaming. We all knew this day was coming, as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony riled up the throbbing mob of gamers to draw lines in the sand and choose or perish. We learned tons of new and interesting stuff about the Xbox One and PS4 and got to see a bit of the big three's gaming line-up for the upcoming months. That said, there were plenty surprises, disappointments, and confusion about where exactly are these console makers going.

But that doesn't really matter because if the mass of gamers are anything, they're passionately blind about their fangirl/boy-ism for which ever corporation they feel speaks to them on an intimate level. Naming a winner of E...

Xbox One will launch in November for $499, Microsoft revealed Monday during its E3 press conference. Like its predecessor the Xbox 360, the console is designed to bring together video gaming, music, television, movies and communication. Announced last month, the system includes access to Skype and lets users watch TV, play games and chat simultaneously. But this is E3 and at this morning’s 90-minute press briefing, Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick emphasized, “it’s all about the games.”(It's a good thing, too -- since last month's Xbox announcement was lacking concrete information about games... or price... or many

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Spike TV is returning to E3 this year as the exclusive broadcast partner, and they have a huge line-up of gaming coverage slated over the course of the first two days of the show. From interviews with industry heavy-hitters like Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Amie and Shigeru Miyamoto, Peter Molyneux, and Microsoft’s Phil Spencer to exclusive game previews for hotly anticipated games like “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” “Killzone: Shadows Fall,” and “Assassins Creed IV.” Plus stick around for press conferences from Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Sony.

Hit the jump for the full schedule, and to watch the live stream, hosted by Gttv’s Geoff Keighley, starting today at noon.

Monday, June 10

11:50 Am Et / 8:50 Am Pt - Xbox Pre-show With Exclusive Reveals!

E3 stars early on Spike and Gt as we kick off our coverage from our new studio at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Our countdown to...

So we know what the console, the Kinect camera, and the controller will look like for Xbox One, but now the first video game box art and design have surfaced via the Forza Twitter account. Check it out!

From the Press Release

A new vision for the future comes to life with Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One, the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”

Introducing Xbox One

With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism,...

News Aaron Birch 23 May 2013 - 03:33

Microsoft's Don Mattrick has confirmed that Xbox One won't play old games...

If you were holding onto the hope that the Xbox One will be able to play your older 360 games, then you're out of luck, I'm afraid. According to Microsoft's Don Mattrick, who was talking to the Wall Street Journal, backwards compatibility is a pointless feature.

“If you’re backwards compatible, you’re really backwards,” Mattrick said in the interview, claiming that only 5% of customers actually use the function, presumably an opinion based on Xbox 360 figures.

Xbox One won't play older 360 game content, either disc-based or digital download, and won't use any older peripherals. It will be able to make use of transferred multimedia content, such as movies and music, however.

This is a move that's certainly going to upset some, and it's a sure bet that the lack of backwards...

There is a very strange phenomenon that occasionally happens to the market leaders in the video game industry just around the time that they are announcing their next-gen console. For whatever reason, they seem to get extremely full of themselves and their executives start saying the dumbest things to their prospective consumers. With Microsoft’s extremely lacking Xbox One debut behind them, this phenomenon has now apparently taken hold in the halls of Microsoft’s executive offices.

Now, it is important to note that Microsoft was not the overall market leader this generation — like it or not, that would be the Wii — but their recent stranglehold in the North American market over the last couple of years has clearly clouded the good judgement of Don Mattrick, Microsoft’s Head of Interactive Entertainment Business. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mattrick had this to say about the Xbox One...

Start saving your pennies, mafiosi, it’s gonna be a big holiday season, and here’s one of the sure-to-be biggest ticket, highest on your list items: the Xbox One. We have the official press release and some trailers and featurettes for your consumption, but you’ll need to provide your own washcloth to wipe off your drool. Have fun!

Microsoft unveils Xbox One: the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system

May 21, 2013

Blockbuster titles, Steven Spielberg-produced Halo TV series, and exclusive agreements with the NFL transform games, TV and entertainment for the 21st century living room.

Redmond, Wash. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV,...