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Playdate: We're livestreaming the 'Halo 5: Guardians' beta! [update: game over!]
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is more than just a collection of the green supersoldier's greatest hits -- it's also an early access pass to the next game in the franchise, Halo 5: Guardians. How early? Well, the game isn't expected until fall 2015, so pretty freakin' early is the answer. Right now -- today -- you can get into Halo 5's multiplayer beta months ahead of the game's completion. In that spirit, we're streaming a few hours of the game in action while taking questions live! Join us at 1PM ET today for Halo 5: Guardians, multiplayer, in beta. Update: We're done for now, but the archived video is available just below the break!
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' on Xbox One! (update: game over!)
You'd think that ten years after Halo 2 launched, Master Chief saying, "I need a weapon" would have less of an impact. I thought that, anyway, and I was wrong. Like, super, super wrong. In Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Microsoft's Halo studio (343 Industries) has made a decade-old game shockingly relevant once again. Halo 2 "Anniversary" (as it's known) is gorgeous, it sounds dramatically better, and the cutscenes are completely re-made by the CGI masters at Blur Studio. But let's not kid ourselves -- unless you're a hardcore Halo dork (like me), you're here for the wealth of online multiplayer, right? Follow us below for a stream of both Master Chief Collection's campaigns and all that multiplayer.
Microsoft's got another Halo game for 2014: 'Halo: Spartan Strike' headed to Windows 8 and Steam
Image from Halo: Spartan Assault Apparently Halo's top-down mobile version was successful enough to warrant a second go, as Microsoft's planning a December launch for Halo: Spartan Strike. But what is Halo: Spartan Strike? It's a direct sequel to last year's Spartan Assault, and it features an unnamed Master Chief-esque super soldier shooting, driving and grenading his way through a variety of Halo-flavored worlds. To be totally clear: it's a twin-stick, top-down shooter made by the same folks who made last year's mobile Halo (Vanguard). You'll see New Mombasa! You'll see a Halo-based area! You'll see...some jungle! Sadly, we can't actually show you any of that, as Microsoft's worked out some form of exclusivity with another outlet. We even played a bit of it, but we can't actually tell you how that went because of the aforementioned exclusive. Pretty dumb, right? What we can tell you is that Halo: Spartan Strike will cost $6 when it arrives on Windows 8 devices (from Surface to phones to PC) and Steam this December 14th. The marketing gentleman from Microsoft said the game will remain exclusive to Windows 8 and PC -- unlike the previous game, which ended up on consoles as well -- but we don't believe him. You probably shouldn't either.
Getting to know Microsoft's new Xbox lead, Phil Spencer
When Phil Spencer was appointed the new head of Xbox following the departure of longtime lead Marc Whitten, he promised a re-focus on gaming across all Microsoft platforms. That wasn't a huge surprise, of course -- most folks know Spencer as the Microsoft Studios guy; the guy who makes game deals; the guy who speaks at E3 about games during Microsoft's keynote. While that's all accurate, Spencer is also a longtime Microsoft employee, starting as a programmer and working his way up. In an interview with Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, Spencer detailed that 26 year history and how it led him to the lofty position he's in today. Beyond the history lesson, Spencer teased out at least one juicy tidbit: "we've got a game we haven't announced yet, we're gonna show on stage at E3." Unannounced games at E3? Get right out! Joking aside, he said it's got a "fantastic setting" and a "soulful" feeling (comparisons were made to indie darlings Limbo and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons). Color us intrigued. Join us below for a bulleted list of quick facts about the man charged with running Microsoft's gaming division, and the full video interview from Microsoft.
New Xbox head Phil Spencer promises renewed focus on gaming across all Microsoft platforms
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the new head of its Xbox division this morning: Phil Spencer, longtime Microsoft Studios leader and Xbox game dude. In Spencer's initial letter to the legions of Xbox owners the world over, his approach comes across as scattershot. See for yourself: "This past year has been a growth experience both for me and for the entire Xbox team. We've taken feedback, made our products better and renewed our focus on what is most important, our customer. Our mission is to build a world-class team, work hard to meet the high expectations of a passionate fan base, create the best games and entertainment and drive technical innovation. As we continue forward, this renewed focus and mission will be a foundational part of how I lead the Xbox program." Given that, our first question to Spencer in a short phone interview this afternoon was one of clarification. With so many aspects of Xbox to oversee, where will he begin? "I'm gonna lead with a gaming focus and making sure that's where we're led. That's the North Star for the organization," he told us.
Microsoft buys Gears of War franchise, new game in development
Microsoft now owns another major franchise tied to its Xbox game consoles: Gears of War. That includes "rights to all existing and future games, entertainment experiences and merchandise," and it looks like a new game (likely for Xbox One) is already in production at Black Tusk Studios in Canada (Microsoft actually teased a project from Black Tusk back at E3 2013 during the company's press briefing). The franchise's former director of production, Rod Fergusson, will take on oversight. The Gears of War franchise was exclusive to the Xbox 360 (and later on PC as well), and Unreal Engine developer Epic Games used the third-person shooter series to show off its engine's graphical chops. Beyond being a graphical showcase, however, Gears of War developed a loyal following among online console gamers -- last year's Gears of War: Judgment was the first entry in the franchise co-developed by Epic and Bulletstorm dev People Can Fly, and it was expected to be the final entry in the series. Beyond a new entry in the massively popular shooter franchise, we expect re-issues (perhaps prettied-up re-issues) will happen at some point (a la Tomb Raider's "Definitive" Edition). At the very least, Gears fans can rest assured that more tales of meaty space marines taking down Locust are on the way care of Microsoft.
Unity game engine to support Xbox One, gets a boost on Windows 8 and Windows Phone
When the Unity game engine runs virtually everywhere -- well, almost -- it's no surprise that Unity Technologies has just announced that the engine will support the Xbox One. However, the firm is also revealing a partnership with Microsoft that promises a deeper level of integration on the One than we've seen on some other systems. Microsoft Studios partners will get to build Unity-based Xbox 360 and Xbox One games for free. They'll also receive tools that take full advantage of the One's tricks, including cloud computing, matchmaking, improved Kinect gestures and SmartGlass. Developers who aren't console-inclined are covered as well: the partnership will give all Unity Pro 4 customers free access to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 development add-ons once they're available this summer. While there's no guarantee that game producers are more likely to target Microsoft's ecosystem than they have in the past, the Unity deal could lower some of the costs and technology barriers. And there may be more: Microsoft has dropped hints that it will provide further details on its support of indie console app development sometime in the near future.
Microsoft patent filing attempts to lock down games with multiple engines running concurrently
Shortly after Microsoft released its Xbox 360 HD update to Halo: Combat Evolved -- a game which allowed players to seamlessly switch between the original game's graphics and the update -- the company filed a patent for games "having a plurality of game engines." That patent filing just got published today, and it seemingly attempts to specifically lock down the concept of gaming classics being re-released in an updated form while also allowing longtime fans to switch between the original game and the update. Microsoft-owned Halo developer 343 Industries is at the forefront of the filing, with executive producer Daniel Ayoub's name listed first and two other 343 employees rounding out the list. The description of the patent does allow for some flexibility. "A game having a plurality of engines is described. In one or more implementations, a computing device displays an output of a first engine of a game by a computing device. An input is received by the computing device to switch from the output of the first engine of the game to an output of a second engine of the game, the first and second engines being executed concurrently by the computing device," it reads. However, later on in the filing, it specifically speaks to "remakes of games" that "attempt to captivate their audiences by leveraging emotions associated with the initial game." Certainly a blunt way to put that, eh?
Nikkei: Microsoft porting first-party game franchises to Android and iOS (update: not quite)
Microsoft is selective about where its first-party game franchises appear -- outside of lightweight releases like Kinectimals and Wordament, it prefers to use games as technology showcases and system sellers. It may not be picky for much longer, though, as Nikkei claims that Microsoft has reached a deal with Japan's KLab to develop Android and iOS versions of its first-party titles. The deal reportedly includes adaptations of both PC and Xbox games, and would start with a free-to-play variant of Age of Empires that could launch before the end of the 2013 fiscal year. We've reached out to Microsoft to verify the rumor, but it's clear that the arrangement could be a breakthrough for gamers who aren't wedded to Microsoft's existing mobile strategy. Update: Microsoft's Phil Spencer says that the report wasn't completely right -- the company isn't bringing Xbox games to non-Microsoft devices, Kinectimals and Wordament notwithstanding.
Forza Motorsport 5 coming to Xbox One at launch (update: video)
Phil Spencer just hopped on stage at Microsoft's Xbox Reveal event and has just unveiled Forza Motorsport 5 for the Xbox One. While there's no firm launch date for the console just yet, the next-gen racing title will arrive on launch day when Redmond's next gaming box arrives later this year. Microsoft hasn't published the eye candy-filled trailer it just played up on stage, but you can be sure we'll update here when it does. Update: Our fine friends over at Joystiq have gotten ahold of the trailer, which we've slotted in past the break.
Microsoft announces new entertainment and game studio focused on Windows 8 tablet development
Windows 8 slates are riding a wave of 40 Xbox titles into an October launch, and now Microsoft has laid the foundation to deliver more games with a brand new studio focused on tablet development. The currently unnamed, London-based outfit will be headed by former Rare Production Director Lee Schuneman, who has shepherded Kinect Sports titles, the Xbox 360 Avatars, Fable: The Journey and the Xbox's Sky TV app to completion. Slabs running Redmond's latest OS won't see a project from the team for a while, however, as the studio is still looking for new hires and won't open its doors until November.
Microsoft confirms first wave of Xbox games for Windows 8
Been wondering what your gaming options will be when you first take a new Windows 8 PC or Windows RT tablet out of the box? Microsoft has confirmed today that its first wave of Xbox titles (as they're now known) for the OS will include 40 games, 29 of which come from Microsoft Studios. Those include quite a few familiar titles like Angry Birds (and Angry Birds Space), Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, as well as the old mainstays like Solitaire, Minesweeper and Mahjong -- anyone hoping for the likes of a Halo or Gears of War title are out of luck for now, though. As we'd heard previously, all Xbox games will be accessible from within the pre-installed Games app, and they'll each boast most of the Xbox Live features you'd expect, including achievements and leaderboards. You can find the full list after the break, and Microsoft promises that more will be added "through holiday and beyond."
Mad Catz partnering with Microsoft Studios for Halo 4-branded headsets
Looks like Mad Catz has more up its sleeve than just the Wii U accessories it announced at E3 last week. The company just announced a partnership with Microsoft Studios to create Halo 4-branded gaming headsets. Mad Catz says it worked with sound engineers to make sure the headsets complement Halo's "epic sci-fi universe." Alas, that's about all we know right now. Photos and pricing into remain MIA, though the accessories maker says the products will be available in time for the 2012 holiday season.
Microsoft kicks off Kinect Accelerator program to take 11 Kinect-centric start-ups to the next level
Microsoft unwittingly created quite the hacking cottage industry when it first introduced Kinect. Though it took awhile for the company to come to grips with the amazing inventions enabled by its sensor bar, Redmond eventually released Kinect for Windows. Now, the Kinect Accelerator program is here to take Kinect development even further. Kinect Accelerator is a three-month long incubator of sorts for folks with Kinect-basted start-ups. It works by providing the chosen ones with mentors from Microsoft Research, Microsoft Studios, Kinect for Windows and the Xbox team to provide support and knowledge to refine and improve their Kinect apps. Additionally, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs will be available to give advice help the teams craft business plans to help them become profitable. We had the opportunity to chat with Craig Eisler -- who heads up the Kinect for Windows team and is heavily involved with Kinect Accelerator -- about this new venture. Eisler told us that Microsoft's been planning the program since last summer after witnessing all the Kinect innovations that have been percolating organically. So, the Accelerator gives Microsoft the opportunity to find some of the best ideas and speed up their development. Microsoft wound up receiving almost 500 applicants to the program, and winnowing it down to a final 11 was no easy task -- the final 50 ideas were apparently all quite good, and the initial plan was to only take ten into the program. The 11 who made the cut hail from across the globe (US, Canada, Argentina, France, and Germany), and will receive $20,000 and office space, plus Kinect hardware and development software to get their ideas off the ground. Unfortunately, we couldn't get Eisler to tell us exactly what each team is working on, but he did say they'll benefit the medical, retail, fashion, and even farm industries when all is said and done. Specifics about the inventions will come later, once the mentors have worked their magic and the apps are closer to their final forms, so stay tuned. You can learn more about the Kinect Accelerator and the chosen teams at the source link below and PR after the break.
Microsoft's Kinectimals lands on the App Store, breaks on through to the other side
Hell's apparently frozen over, pigs are indeed flying and, yes, the gods must be crazy because Microsoft Studios has just released Kinectimals, its Tamagotchi-like "mobile experience" with tiger cubs, to the App Store. The $2.99 app brings the isle of Lemuria directly to your iOS device of choice, letting you nurture these fledgling digital felines, in addition to unlocking a handful of them on a companion Xbox 360 title of the same name. It's not the first time Redmond's made its app wares available to Apple, as both OneNote and My Xbox Live have already hit earlier this month, but it certainly does signal a growing change for MS' attitude towards its mobile competition. If only Steve could see this now.
Kinect adds Sesame Street and National Geographic to Xbox Live, makes motion control wholesome fun
Kinect -- it's the Xbox 360 peripheral that just keeps on giving, now with more edutainment. Yes, that collision of worlds typically yields cringe- and boredom-inducing interactive experiences. Not so with this marriage of MS' motion-controlling sensor and the fine folks behind TV mainstays like Sesame Street, National Geographic and Disney. The newly inked content partnerships will see the creation of specifically tailored episodes of Kinect Nat Geo TV, in addition to a season's worth of Kinect Sesame Street TV for Xbox Live, letting your youngins play virtual connect the dots with Elmo. Plans are also underway for a virtual storybook effort, codenamed Project Columbia, aimed at indoctrinating children into the fundamentals of reading, and Rush, a videogame that'll lead adults and their tots alike through Pixar's virtual worlds. These various family-friendly titles and TV shows are set to rollout sometime next spring, so if you need to get your little ones' blood pumping (and slim down those love handles while you're at it), it looks like X's prepping to mark that spot. Official presser after the break.
Hollywood Arts eBaying Halo 3 cameo
Got extra cash burning a hole in your pocket and feeling the need to give? The Hollywood Arts charity is auctioning off all kinds of video game related goods including one sweet Halo 3 cameo donated by Bungie. Other auctions include a tour of Bungie Studios, a Red vs Blue package, and a signed WoW package. But it looks like you'll have to empty out your college savings fund, because the Halo 3 cameo auction starts at $1,000 and is sure to go up within' the coming week. But remember, 100% of all the auction money will be donated to the Hollywood Arts making this one of those win win situations. Also, be sure to note that the winner of the Bungie Studios tour auction gets to bring a friend with and my schedule is open for the rest of the year. You know ... just saying.
