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Phil Spencer will address Xbox multiplatform rumors on February 15
Microsoft’s head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, will directly address those Xbox multiplatform rumors on February 15. He’ll appear on the Official Xbox Podcast, along with Sarah Bond and Matt Booty.
Xbox head Phil Spencer responds to a day of massive leaks
Xbox head Phil Spencer has spoken publicly — and semi-privately — about today's big document leak for the first time.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer believed a Nintendo merger would have been his 'career moment'
One of the leaked documents from the FTC v. Microsoft case was an email Spencer sent to the company's Chief Marketing Officers Chris Capossela and Takeshi Numoto in 2020.
'The Elder Scrolls VI' is 'likely five-plus years away,' says Xbox chief
Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls VI five years ago at E3 2018, but the new fantasy RPG is still “five-plus years away,” according to Phil Spencer.
Phil Spencer says Microsoft will continue to ‘support and grow’ Halo amid 343 layoffs
In a recent interview, Xbox head Phil Spencer tried to assure Halo fans about the future of the franchise, saying Microsoft was committed to growing the series.
Microsoft now implies that it will support Call of Duty on PlayStation forever
Xbox chief Phil Spencer appears to have promised to provide support for Call of Duty on PlayStation forever.
Xbox is re-evaluating its relationship with Activision Blizzard
Phil Spencer and fellow Xbox leaders are 'disturbed and deeply troubled' by reports about the publisher.
Phil Spencer strongly hints 'Elder Scrolls VI' will be an Xbox and PC exclusive
The Xbox chief previously said Bethesda exclusivity would be handled on a 'case-by-case basis.'
Xbox chief says the Bethesda deal will deliver 'great exclusive games'
Phil Spencer claims Xbox's 'creative capability' will be the best it's ever been.
Phil Spencer: xCloud runs 'fine' on 4G
Xbox needs cloud gaming to work. Microsoft has been pushing the industry toward a digital-first, streaming future since 2013 -- years before players or infrastructure were remotely ready for the idea. It makes sense: Microsoft is uniquely positioned as a gigantic technology company with deep roots in gaming, and they're able to leverage vast resources and expertise in AI, server infrastructure, hardware and software to set standards of gameplay-delivery systems.
Xbox chief outlines plans to curb toxic behavior
Xbox head Phil Spencer has laid out some measures to combat some of the more negative aspects that pervade gaming communities such as toxicity and abuse. He wrote in a blog post that "gaming is for everyone" and people everywhere, from all backgrounds and walks of life, "are welcome to play and welcome to all the fun and skill-building that comes with gaming."
Leaked memo promises major Xbox streaming news at E3
Google had some major news on the gaming front Tuesday when it announced Stadia, its game-streaming service. Microsoft's Xbox chief Phil Spencer was among those who paid attention to Google's event, and he was quick to remind his team Stadia wasn't the only big-name upcoming game streaming project. "Google went big today and we have a couple of months until E3 when we will go big," he wrote in an internal email obtained by Thurrott.
Stream Xbox One games to any Windows 10 device later this year
Microsoft has announced that Xbox One owners will soon be able to stream their library of games to any Windows 10 device, later this year. "With Windows 10 we will enable streaming of Xbox One games to any PC or tablet running Windows 10, later this year," Xbox boss Phil Spencer said during a Windows 10 showcase event today. As part of his gaming-focused announcements for the operating system, Spencer showcased streaming by playing Forza Horizon 2 on a Surface Pro 3. "We will treat Xbox gaming on Windows 10 with as much passion" as on the console, he added. As part of a set of gaming announcements for Microsoft's upcoming operating system refresh, Spencer also announced Fable Legends would launch on PC and allow for cross-play (either co-operatively or competitively) between the Xbox One.
More news on Xbox One's Windows 10 update arrives in January
In September, Microsoft revealed that core components of the Windows 10 operating system would be added to the Xbox One in a 2015 update, though scant further information was available. According to Xbox division head Phil Spencer, all the crucial details are coming in January. The goal of this cross-platform integration is user convenience. By including features of the Windows 10 operating system in the Xbox One, Microsoft makes things much easier for developers looking to port their games from one device to another, say from the PC to the Xbox One, or from the Xbox One to a Windows Phone device. In a world where people can easily own half a dozen gaming devices, this is a very attractive feature, especially to smaller developers who lack massive budgets. Spencer will appear at a Microsoft event at the computing giant's Redmond, Washington campus on January 21 to lay out his course of action. If you can't make it to the Pacific Northwest, you'll be able to watch a live stream of the event. Details on when and where you'll find that stream are reportedly coming soon. [Image: Microsoft]
Xbox One's screenshot feature won't arrive until next year
The Xbox One's screenshot-making feature won't be added to the system's feature set until next year. Xbox head Phil Spencer explained to IGN that as the company comes "back into the new year, we'll see new stuff, and screenshots is on the list." The news follows Spencer's promise a few weeks ago that the company would deliver on oft-requested features such as screenshot creation and background themes for the Xbox One's dashboard. Those custom backgrounds will be part of the system's November update. "In December, it's probably a time for us to pause for a little bit and settle just as all the new consoles are coming online," Spencer said, indicating a small break in the action for the console's development team. He also noted that screenshot creation for Xbox One is "a little more technically challenging than I thought," but that the team found a "good solution" two weeks ago. "They're working on it. They know people want it. The team has a path to getting it done, and now it's just prioritizing," he added. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo 2: Anniversary getting a making-of documentary
In an upcoming documentary that's bound to make the wait for Halo: The Master Chief Collection's November 11 launch more painful, fans will get a peek at what went into tackling the compilation's most-anticipated piece. 343 Industries has released the above teaser for Remaking the Legend - Halo 2 Anniversary, which appears to be a reflection on Halo 2's initial significance as well as the work involved in bringing it to Xbox One. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, Xbox spokesperson Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb and 343 Studio Head Bonnie Ross are among the figures featured in the trailer, which signs off by promising the full work is coming soon. [Image: 343 Industries]
Xbox head Phil Spencer defends ID@Xbox parity clause
The ID@Xbox parity clause that requires indie games to launch on Xbox One at the same time as on other platforms (unless they already have an exclusivity deal and, we imagine, a bunch of other legal red tape) is meant to make each Xbox One owner feel like a "first-class citizen," according to Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. "I look at all the people who buy an Xbox, and they invest their time and their money in Xbox One, and, as millions of people obviously own Xbox Ones, I want them to feel like they're first-class, because they are," Spencer said earlier this week on The Inner Circle, an Xbox-oriented podcast. "I don't want somebody to come in and just think, 'I'm going to go do a special game on one platform and then I'll get to Xbox whenever I get to it,' because I don't think that's right," Spencer continued. "But I also get that, hey, for some guys, they just can't afford the time to get both done, so we've just entered into conversations with people as they're launching, and I feel pretty good about the plan." Despite the positive sentiment shared, Spencer's statements on the podcast sparked a reaction thread on NeoGAF, which was generally unimpressed. When the thread was brought to his attention via Twitter, Spencer responded, "I see the feedback on my stance on the clause, I want to rethink how we approach this, responses are heard."
Spencer: Screenshots, themes and more coming to Xbox One
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has announced that dashboard customization options such as themes and background images will arrive on Xbox One in the future. Spencer also confirmed the ability to take screenshots, something he says people "beat us up" about, will come in future updates. "We're going to deliver on them. I can't give you a when yet, but people should know they are coming," Spencer told The Inner Circle Podcast, available in the video above at 37m 3sec.
Xbox chief: Minecraft will continue on PlayStation, mobile
When word spread last week that Microsoft was considering a purchase of Mojang and its gaming titan Minecraft, fans were concerned about the game's future. Would Minecraft become an Xbox exclusive? Would it be locked to Windows Phones going forward? In a video discussing the acquisition, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that Microsoft would continue to help develop Minecraft on all the platforms that made it a $2.5 billion brand in the first place.
Spencer: 'I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports'
Xbox head Phil Spencer has some encouraging words to fans of GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie development studio Rare. Speaking to CVG at Gamescom, Spencer said that the company is developing a new game - a new "Rare game." "I think it's about them thinking about the next game that's going to be the next 'Rare game' and really stand for what they are," Spencer said. "I know they've got some great ideas. I've not been up to Twycross for maybe six months, but I'm planning on getting up there this fall and seeing bits for the new game. But I know they're hard at work and Phil Harrison has been up talking to them." Rare was under evaluation earlier this year, after Microsoft revealed a Kinect-free Xbox One. Rare was the developer behind the Kinect Sports series, and with no more guaranteed Kinect, the studio's future seemed questionable. However, Spencer assured CVG that Rare was an "important" part of Xbox's future. "I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports," Spencer said. "The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that." [Image: Microsoft]
