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Call of Duty's Xbox DLC exclusivity continues with Call of Duty: Ghosts
Activision announced that it will continue to release timed-exclusive Call of Duty content for Xbox platforms with this year's launch of Call of Duty: Ghosts. Microsoft hosted the worldwide premiere of Call of Duty: Ghosts at today's Xbox One reveal event. Currently, downloadable Call of Duty content is exclusive to the Xbox 360 for one month before it launches for other platforms. Microsoft and Activision's exclusivity agreement will continue with this year's launch of the Xbox One version of Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Xbox One due 'later this year'
Microsoft's Don Mattrick revealed the Xbox One launches later this year. There's no word on a price or a more specific window, but we can expect to hear more at E3 next month.
Microsoft, Steven Spielberg working on Halo: The Television Series
Microsoft has announced that it will be producing a live action television series based on the Halo franchise, shown exclusively via the new Xbox One console. 343 Industries will oversee the show, and Stephen Spielberg will play a part as well (though his full role wasn't yet revealed). Spielberg appeared in a short video at today's announcement, where he said he was excited to be involved with "the heroes, worlds, and wonders that Halo will take us to."
Xbox One getting 15 exclusive games in its first year from Microsoft Studios [Update]
Update: The exclusive games are coming from Microsoft Studios specifically, as the announcement was made by studio head Phil Spencer. There may be more exclusive games for the system in its first year, depending on the Xbox One's third-party support. The Xbox One will receive at least 15 exclusive games in the system's first year, Microsoft announced at today's next-gen Xbox reveal event. Of the 15 games, eight of them will be brand-new franchises. At the event, EA's Andrew Wilson revealed that four EA Sports games in the FIFA, Madden, EA Sports UFC and NBA Live series will launch with the Xbox One, though none were named as exclusive to the system. Remedy announced Quantum Break at the event as well.
'Quantum Break' from Remedy comes to Xbox One [Update: Trailer]
Quantum Break is a new game from Remedy, developer of the Alan Wake series, coming to the Xbox One, Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer said. The Quantum Break tagline is, "Time is the fire in which we burn." The teaser video opens with a live-action family preparing to leave their house, and a little girl with some sort of special power. The game footage shows a ship as it crashes into a large bridge – and then time stops and reverses. "The actions you take and the choices you make shape your experience as the story unfolds," Spencer said. Update: Don't believe us? Check out the trailer for yourself.
Microsoft announces Forza Motorsport 5, coming to the Xbox One [Update: Now with trailer!]
Microsoft has announced Forza Motorsport 5, set for an exclusive release on the newly revealed Xbox One. A short trailer shown at today's Xbox reveal event featured branded cars and car parts racing around some nicely rendered real world locations. The game will be developed as usual by Turn 10 Studios, and available at launch (which Microsoft says will be later on this year) for the new console. Update: Trailer added! Update 2: Screens too! %Gallery-189057%
Xbox Live powered by server boost, cloud computing for Xbox One
At its Xbox One reveal event today, Microsoft announced that it plans on having over 300,000 servers powering the console's expanded Xbox Live service. The server bump represents a significant increase over the 15,000 servers that power Xbox Live currently. Player content will be saved via cloud storage, equipping players with a "dedicated game DVR" to capture live gameplay moments for future playback. The Xbox One's overhauled Achievements system is "dynamic and changing," and boasts "more ways to earn, more frequent updates and the ability to share wins with friends." Video capture will play a role in the way players earn and display Achievements with the Xbox One. Hardcore Achievement hunters won't need to worry about their Gamerscores, either, as all Gamerscore points earned in Xbox 360 titles will carry over to the Xbox One. Microsoft also revealed that the Xbox One's multiplayer matchmaking allows for "bigger matches with more players" and "living and persistent worlds." In addition, Xbox Live's asynchronous capabilities will allow players search for multiplayer matches while browsing the web, watching movies, or listening to music on the Xbox One.
Xbox One controller has new D-pad, integrated battery compartment
While the new console and Kinect might get the lion's share of attention at the Xbox Reveal, the good ol' Xbox controller is getting some redesign love on the Xbox One as well. The control will feature an integrated battery compartment, Wi-Fi Direct, "impulse triggers" that incorporate extra feedback and, most important of all, a cross-shaped "precision" D-Pad.
EA, Microsoft enter into 'special relationship,' FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, UFC on Xbox One [Update]
Andrew Wilson, EA Sports boss, took to the stage at Microsoft's Xbox One event and confirmed that EA and Microsoft have entered into a "special relationship." This will see four EA Sports games on Xbox One: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and UFC. All four will launch within the next 12 months, Wilson said. EA Sports Ignite, a new engine created at EA, will power each game, attempting to emulate human intelligence and true player motion within each games. There are "four times more calculations per second" to achieve this. Special content for FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will "only be on Xbox," Wilson concluded before showing off an EA Sports sizzle reel. Update: EA has clarified via Twitter that FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be available on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though there will be content exclusive to the Xbox One version. The text of this post has been updated to reflect that.
Next-gen Kinect sensor unveiled for Xbox One, paired with 'every' system
Microsoft unveiled the successor to the Xbox 360's Kinect add-on, and revealed it'll be paired with "every" Xbox One. It features a 1080P HD RGB camera which can be used with Skype, 30 FPS color, and an increased field-of-view. Among other voice commands, which let you instantly switch between playing a game, live TV, wathing movies, playing music, or browsing the web, Kinect's mic lets you turn on the new system by saying "Xbox On."
SmartGlass evolves on Xbox One
During its Xbox One reveal, Microsoft announced its mobile device-centric application SmartGlass will evolve on the next-generation console. On the Xbox One, the extension of SmartGlass has been developed so that other connected devices feel like they were "built" to work with the new console. SmartGlass uses computers, mobile devices and tablets to interact with their media on their Xbox console. The service's more interesting features include interaction with games, shows and sporting events. Microsoft's Marc Whitten also revealed that, currently, the SmartGlass app has seen over 10 million downloads. The application is available on a plethora of devices, including iOS and Android-based phones and tablets.
Xbox One allows group Skype video calls
Microsoft's next-gen console, the Xbox One, will offer Skype in widescreen HD and will allow group video calls, Yusuf Mehdi said during the next-gen Xbox reveal event today. Skype on Xbox One will run with the Snap feature, which allows multiple apps to run simultaneously, as demonstrated by David Jurenka and his beautifully groomed living room, shown alongside a movie.
Xbox One 'Snap' mode lets apps run simultaneously
Xbox One, Microsoft's upcoming next-generation console, will allow multiple apps to run simultaneously through Snap mode. Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi demonstrated the functionality while watching Star Trek, allowing him to instantly access Internet Explorer through the Xbox One to research trailers for the sequel film, look up movie times and even purchase tickets. The ESPN app also showed off some Snap stuff, letting Xbox One users watch live sports on ESPN, then using Snap to research stats on key players by speaking to Kinect. Xbox One will even let fantasy sports fans update their teams and interact with their leagues through Snap mode.
Xbox One specs include Blu-ray drive, 500 GB hard drive [Update]
The Xbox One will include a Blu-ray drive as well as a 500 GB hard drive, Microsoft's Mark Whitten revealed at today's next-gen Xbox reveal event. The system will feature 8 GB of system memory, USB 3.0 ports, an 8-core CPU, 64-bit architecture, built-in Wi-Fi and HDMI in/out ports. Whitten also noted that the Xbox One's architecture uses three operating systems. Microsoft also revealed details on the next-gen Kinect sensor and the Xbox One's controller at the event. Update: We've compared the Xbox One and PlayStation 4's specs.
Xbox One revealed [Update: Launches later this year]
Microsoft's new Xbox has been officially unveiled at the company's Redmond campus in a big, giant tent in the middle of the complex (so much for the console sharing its birth story with friends as a teenager). For a sense of symmetry with our PlayStation 4 reveal post, the announcement of the new Xbox console comes seven years and six months (2,737 days) after the launch of the Xbox 360, marking one of the longest distances of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff between one console and its next regeneration. The distance in time between this console and the last certainly makes up for the original Xbox's lifespan, which was one of the shortest, at a mere four years and one day. Update: The Xbox One will launch "later this year," Microsoft President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick said near the end of today's conference.
Watch Microsoft reveal the next-generation Xbox
Today's the day. After waiting weeks and wading through rumors, Microsoft will finally reveal the next-generation Xbox console. Though there are a multitude of ways you can watch the new console greet the world, might we recommend watching here with your fellow Joystiqers. Watch the entire reveal, in high-def, after the break and make sure to keep a window opened to stay updated on our liveblog, with impressions live from the reveal event. Who is Peter Moore wearing?! Did Bobby Kotick really paint the Xbox logo on his chest?! Is J. Allard haunting the reveal rafters Phantom of the Opera style?! We'll let you know in the liveblog.
EA tweet points to NBA Live at Xbox reveal
EA Sports' official NBA Live social media accounts sprang to life as recently as May 17 after being on hiatus since late September 2012. A recent tweet from the NBA Live team's Twitter account indicates that the game may be part of today's Xbox presentation, teasing fans with the words "Countdown to tip-off." It wouldn't be far-fetched to believe NBA Live will have a presence at today's event, given the expectation that both FIFA and EA Sports UFC will be shown, or at least teased in some capacity. NBA Live was also listed among the publisher's 11 games planned for fiscal 2014, and will be a next-gen title. This comes after NBA Live 13 was canceled in September 2012, two years after NBA Elite 11 was also canceled and the same point at which the NBA Live team's social media accounts stopped updating. That brings us full-circle, like a basketball.
Next-gen Microsoft: What the new Xbox can do for indies
The Xbox 360 accrued an arguably bad reputation in terms of indie games publishing over the past few years. Many vocal observers – players, mostly – saw Xbox Live Arcade as a closed, unsupportive platform that asked developers for thousands of dollars to update their own games, and Xbox Live Indie Games was a stagnant hole filled with Minecraft clones and zombie games. Microsoft may have to overcome this public perception with its next-gen Xbox conference today at 10 a.m. PT. But from an indie developer's standpoint, the issues in publishing with Microsoft are different – or nonexistent. "Working with Microsoft is great," writes James Silva, one half of Ska Studios and creator of The Dishwasher series of XBLA games. "I have heard a few stories that contradict my experience, and I know quite a few people who are happier on platforms other than XBLA, and that's fine for them. XBLA is a closed, carefully curated platform with its own set of fairly rigid standards and protocols." Ska Studios works with only Microsoft, publishing The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai after winning the Dream Build Play competition in 2007, and from there developing The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile for XBLA, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH ZOMB1ES 1N IT!!!1 on XBLIG and a version on Windows Phone, and now polishing another XBLA game, Charlie Murder. Silva makes enough money developing games for Microsoft platforms to support a life of developing games for Microsoft platforms. He says that with Microsoft as a publisher, he retains full creative control, and Microsoft supports him in terms of bug-squashing, meeting goals, play-testing, and even taking him to dinner when he's in town. "Shortly after The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai launched, I absolutely spent a night at my producer's cabin in Snoqualmie, drinking IPA and playing around with GarageBand," Silva says. "Yes, it was fine, it was fun, and it's unfortunate that 'everything's fine' doesn't really register as newsworthy, because there is currently a 'Microsoft is bad for indies' narrative trending in gaming news."
Xbox logo undergoes subtle change on site ahead of next-gen reveal
We've pulled together the very best minds at Joystiq Tech to analyse the all-important changes between the old Xbox logo (left), originally on the Xbox.com site, and a new logo (right) that's appeared today. After hours of heated discussion, they came to a consensus. The font is a different color. The sphere doesn't have the same sheen. The X on the sphere is darker, and a bit wider When asked what this all means, if anything, our hive-mind melted into a puddle before quickly evaporating into a steam cloud that drifted out of the window. Maybe we'll find out more in a few hours time.
Countdown to the Xbox reveal: T-minus 4 hours
In four hours time, Microsoft gives birth to a new generation of Xbox. We'll be there inside the tent, ready to cover the screams, the pain, the joy, the relief - the whole messy ordeal. We'll have our liveblog and a live stream straight from the show, and they'll get going on the front page at around 12PM ET (9AM PT, 5PM Brit-time). The show, the main event, the big Kahuna itself starts at 1PM ET - you can check your local converted time here. And don't forget to bring a towel.
