Tag: Microsoft
News Microsoft Will Apparently Announce Blizzard's New President 'Next Week'
Mike Ybarra is departing
Xbox this week revealed it was laying off 1,900 employees and in the process, Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, who was an ex-Microsoft executive before this, also announced his departure. There's still obviously a lot to take in, but if you are wondering who will replace Ybarra, apparently that update will be happening as...
Talking Point Would You Buy A 'Revised' Xbox Series X|S Controller In 2024?
Or are you perfectly happy with the current one?
After first leaking last September, this week brought fresh rumours that a new Xbox controller could be revealed soon. Reportedly set to be announced around the time of Xbox's summer showcase this year (although unconfirmed at this stage), project "Sebile" sounds promising so far. According to that...
News Odyssey Was 'Fantastic' Says Blizzard Dev, Despite Reports Of Development Troubles
"The Blizz survival game was fantastic"
Yesterday, we all got the news that Blizzard's long-in-development survival game Odyssey had been cancelled as part of Microsoft's huge round of Xbox layoffs. Odyssey had been in development in some form since 2017, and development was seemingly progressing well despite some issues with the game's engine. In...
News Microsoft Hits Historic $3 Trillion Valuation On Same Day Of Xbox Layoffs
It's the second company after Apple to achieve this
Microsoft announced 1,900 jobs had been axed in the Xbox division earlier today, with MS Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explaining how the goal going forward is for leadership to "align on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure" to support the whole of its growing business...
News Xbox Is Employing 'A More Focused Strategy' After Merging With Activision Blizzard
"Together we will continue to create amazing games"
Following the Microsoft and Blizzard layoff news posted earlier today, Xbox's Matt Booty has also made a lengthy statement on the company's reasoning behind such a huge round of job losses. Coming by wa
News Blizzard President Quits Microsoft, In-Development Survival Game Also Cancelled
"It’s an incredibly hard day"
After today's megaton news of almost 2,000 job losses over at Team Xbox, we have even more disruption amongst the ranks. Long-time Blizzard president and ex-Microsoft executive Mike Ybarra has announced his departure from the studio - and with it the cancellation of Blizzard's in-development survival game. Ybarra has...
News Microsoft Cuts 1,900 Jobs Across Xbox, Bethesda And Activision Blizzard Teams
"We have made the painful decision to reduce the size of our gaming workforce"
The move to bring Activision Blizzard into the Xbox ecosystem has largely been seen as a positive one, but unfortunately we have some bad news to share today. As part of a company restructure post-ActiBlizz deal, Microsoft has laid off almost 2,000 people. Shared by IGN...
News Halo TV Star Sends Blunt Message To Fans About No-Helmet Master Chief
"There's no point discussing it"
Paramount's Halo TV series has had its fair share of ups and downs so far, but one of the showrunner's most controversial decisions up to now has been revealing no-helmet Master Chief. Yep, Halo's main star goes helmet-free at t
Talking Point Do You Think Xbox Will Release Another Disc-Based Console?
Or could Xbox Series X be the last one?
Throughout this generation we've been very happy with where things are with Xbox Series X and S, but we're starting to wonder if Microsoft would ever go with a similar approach again. Of course, releasing two different consoles on day one isn't the 'normal' way to do things anyway, but more specifically -...
News Starfield Discs Could Be Removed From Sale At US Retail Giant Soon
Living in a digital world
It's not rocket science to suggest that Xbox is a digital-focused game seller these days - after all, Xbox Game Pass is a massive part of the company's overall strategy. However, even though the Xbox Series X still supports discs of course, it looks like one of the team's biggest releases isn't doing so well in physical...
Rumour Major Xbox Series X|S Controller Revision Still To Be Revealed This Year
"Ahead of June showcase"
Back in September, leaked FTC documents from the huge Activision Blizzard case revealed numerous bits of upcoming Xbox hardware, including an Xbox Series X console refresh and a brand-new Xbox controller revision. At the time of writing, neither of these have been officially announced by Microsoft, but The Verge's Tom Warren...
News 'Quake 6' Was Teased At Xbox Developer Direct, And We Didn't Even Spot It
You cheeky fellows
The dust is beginning to settle on Xbox Developer Direct 2024, but not before fans have managed to extract one final teaser from the showcase. During MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle segment, Bethesda seems to have teased a new Quake game. Yep, during a section of Indiana Jones developer chit-chat, a whiteboard is...
Reaction Xbox Developer Direct 2024 Proved That Microsoft's New Format Really Works
Another home run
Well, that's it folks, another Xbox Developer Direct is in the bag after the 2024 event came to a close yesterday evening. It was a fantastic showing all-in-all, with four Xbox studios and one surprise Square Enix appearance packing out a neat livestream that never outstayed its welcome. We didn't get an unexpected shadow release...
News Xbox Game Pass Likely Surpassed 33 Million Subs Last Year, Claims Analyst
"We’re seeing slowing adoption of Xbox Game Pass"
It's been a while since we've had any official numbers on Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Back in early 2022 Microsoft announced that the service had hit 25 million members, but aside from a quietly-retracted 30 million milestone in September last year, we've not r
Gallery Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Looks Super-Slick In New HD Screenshots
Big budget adventuring
The biggest reveal of yesterday's Xbox Developer Direct came via MachineGames and its closer look at Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - with lots of fresh gameplay and a whole load of new details unleashed on this exciting FPS. You can check all of that out in the video up above, but shortly after the presentation the team...
News Phil Spencer Thanks Xbox Developer Direct Teams, Praises Show Format
What did you think of the latest showcase?
It's safe to say Xbox's latest Developer Direct showcase was a huge success, with the official reveal of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as well as many other exciting upcoming projects. Microsoft's Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has always shown a lot of support for Xbox's studios as well, and sure enough...
News 'Indiana Jones And The Great Circle' Gameplay Has Landed, And It Looks Awesome
Coming to Game Pass in 2024!
We still can't quite believe our eyes, but yes, Bethesda is releasing an exclusive Indiana Jones title on Xbox Game Pass. The project, now named Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, was first teased back in 2021 - and a new gameplay deep dive has confirmed that the game launches on Xbox Series X|S and PC
Guide Xbox Developer Direct 2024: Event Date, Start Times & Where To Watch
Everything you need to know
It's almost time for Xbox's 2024 Developer Direct event, where various teams will provide closer looks at their upcoming projects. Last year's event was Microsoft's debut effort, and we're expecting big things from its second outing. Here's everything you need to know about the Xbox Developer Direct 2024 event. What...
Poll Which Was Your Favourite Big Exclusive From Year-Two Of Xbox One?
2014 was a fantastic year for Xbox!
Somehow it's been a whole decade since we were all settling in with our Xbox One consoles! Yep, this time 10 years ago, we were becoming well-accustomed to Xbox One. The year after a big console launch is always a tough one, but we thought Microsoft handled year-two of the Xbox One's lifespan very well indeed. As...
News Indie Dev Says Optimising For Xbox Series S 'Benefits Consumers Immensely'
"Multi-platform development doesn't have to be difficult"
In the build-up to the Xbox release of Baldur's Gate 3, there was a fair bit of drama surrounding the Xbox Series S version of the game. In short, Larian Studios was having trouble getting the title to perform properly on the less-powerful Xbox, and it's led to questions being asked about...
News Microsoft CEO Says ActiBlizz Deal Helps Xbox Become 'A Good Publisher' On All Platforms
"On Sony, Nintendo, PCs and Xbox"
Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal finally came to its long-awaited conclusion back in October 2023, with the two companies successfully merging late last year. While the deal makes the Xbox platform a much-more inviting one for gamers, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been keen to point out that this benefits...
Rumour Xbox In 'Discussions' With Square Enix Over Final Fantasy 7 Remake
The game launched on PS4 in 2020
It's been that long since Final Fantasy 7 Remake launched on PS4 that we'd almost given up hope on an Xbox release, but a new comment from Windows Central's Jez Corden has left us hopeful about the prospect once again. Speaking on a recent episode of The Xbox Two podcast, Corden had the following to say about it:...
Talking Point What Are You Hoping To See Over The Next Year From Xbox?
Developer Direct should be the start of another big year
Last year's Xbox Developer Direct event laid down a big marker for 2023 on the platform. The show focused on what Microsoft was hoping to put out that year, and by and large, the team stuck to its plan. However, as we near 2024's event later this week, the next 12 months still seem very up in...
News Xbox Insider Update Adds Controller 'Thumbstick Calibration' Tool
Usable on modern, official Xbox pads
Xbox has detailed its latest Insider update for Alpha Skip-Ahead users, and it contains a pretty useful-sounding feature for console players. The program's latest patch adds the ability to perform a 'Thumbstick Calibration' on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers. For now, the team says that this...
News Phil Spencer Celebrates Another Birthday As Head Of Xbox
And we're glad to see it!
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer celebrates another year on this big spinning rock of ours today - the man himself is now 56 years of age! Happy Birthday Phil, we're glad to see you continue to lead the Xbox team into 2024. Of course, this year also marks a big occasion for Phil in relation to his position at Xbox...
News Epic CEO Makes Outspoken Statement About Microsoft 'Empowering Developers'
"Congratulations to Microsoft on a well-deserved honor"
You may have seen in the news recently that Microsoft has overtaken Apple in becoming "the world's most valuable company", and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has had something to say on the matter. Sweeney has congratulated the Xbox owner for its achievement, while making a not-so-subtle dig at...
News Halo TV Show Season 2 Trailer Lands Ahead Of Next Month's Launch
Prime time
The official trailer for Halo The Series: Season 2 has landed! Take a look at what's coming in the Paramount show's second season up above - arriving on the Paramount Plus subscription service next month. While the show's first series didn't quite live up to the hype, there's still lots of attention on how Season 2 will fare. Views on...
News Indiana Jones Trademark Reveals Potential Name For Upcoming Xbox Title
Liking the sound of this?
The hype is starting to build for Xbox's Indiana Jones game, folks! Just a few days ago we knew next-to-nothing about this MachineGames title, but we now know that it's set to star at Xbox Developer Direct 2024 - and there's more news starting to leak out ahead of the event. Game researcher 'Kurakasis' has taken to Twitter...
Soapbox Microsoft, We'd Love Another Surprise Xbox Game Pass Release At 'Developer Direct'
Hi-Fi RUSH was an amazing surprise last year!
It's always exciting times when an Xbox event is coming up, isn't it? The big summer showcases are always good fun but I particularly liked Developer Direct last year. The more in-depth looks at those 2023 titles made Dev Direct a fantastic new format, and that surprise launch of Hi-Fi RUSH was just...
Poll Which Games Will Get Release Dates At Xbox Developer Direct?
Proper dates, that is!
We're very excited for Xbox's second-ever Developer Direct event later this month - featuring four upcoming titles. Sure, we've heard about all of these games before in some fashion, but last year's Dev Direct followed a fantastic deep-dive format and we're looking forward to getting some juicy details on each of these titles...
News Bethesda's Indiana Jones Game Reportedly Set To Launch This Year
Whipped into shape
Yesterday's Developer Direct announcement brought the exciting news that Bethesda will finally be lifting the lid on Indiana Jones soon - with a world premiere gameplay trailer confirmed for next week. The game's appearance at Dev Direct has fans wondering about the projected release date, and a new report sheds some light on...
Talking Point Do You Think Xbox Will Ever Stop Making Consoles?
Or will Team Green always make hardware?
It's been an interesting start to the year for Xbox. We have a new Developer Direct announced that makes 2024 on Xbox look quite tantalising indeed, and there've been some great Game Pass announcements already - and we're not even halfway through January! Things are looking good then, especially with that...
News Xbox's New Developer Direct Will Feature First-Look Gameplay From Indiana Jones
Whips at the ready
Remember when Bethesda unveiled its Indiana Jones project right before being acquired by Microsoft? Well, three years later and we're about to finally see the game in action. Yep, Xbox has announced its second-ever Developer Direct event this week - and Indiana Jones will feature. In fact, we're set to see "the premiere of the...
Rumour Xbox Releasing Acclaimed First-Party Title On 'Competitor System' In 2024
Update: Could there be more than one?
Update: It's also now being reported that Sea Of Thieves could be in line for a PlayStation / Switch version: <related ids="160475"> Original story: The same source who suggested Xbox was actively working on a new Banjo-Kazooie game recently is now claiming Microsoft will bring a first-party exclusive...
News Starfield Has Been Nominated For Another 'Game Of The Year' Award
Hi-Fi RUSH as well
Starfield has taken home a bunch of awards recently, including the big Game of the Year award here at Pure Xbox, and now it's also been nominated by the New York Videogame Critics Circle - once again for "Game of the Year". Its competition includes titles such as Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 20
News Fallout Creator Says They're Helping Out With Xbox's The Outer Worlds 2
"I’m not gonna tell you what to do, but here are the pitfalls"
Xbox studio Obsidian Entertainment has been working on The Outer Worlds 2 for a while now - you may remember the team's amusing announcement during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase of 2021. As far as we're aware the team is still working away on the title — alongside Avowed —...
News Xbox Studio Double Fine Teases 'Cool Things In Store' Ahead Of 25th Anniversary
"There's tons of fun on the way"
2024 is only just kicking into gear, but Xbox studio Double Fine is already teasing some of what we can expect to see this year and beyond. The Psychonauts 2 developer celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025, and it seems to have things planned for this year and its anniversary year. The team isn't quite ready to...
News The Xbox Series S Toaster Is Real, And It's Out Now In The US
"Achievement Unlocked: Optimal Carb Experience"
Way back in March 2023 we caught the bread-scented rumour that an Xbox Series S Toaster could be in the works, following the arrival of the popular Xbox Series X mini fridges. We couldn't quite believe what we were seeing at the time, but as it turns out, the Series S Toaster is real - and it's...
News Microsoft President Brad Smith Softens Stance On UK CMA After ActiBlizz Agreement
The UK is no longer "bad for business", apparently
During Microsoft's face-off with the UK CMA earlier this year, Microsoft president Brad Smith made some upfront comments about the UK's Competition and Markets Authority - the CMA. At the time, Smith said the CMA's block was "the darkest day in our four decades in Britain", but his tune has...
Feature 2023 Has Been An Incredible Year For Games, And We Can't Wait For 2024 On Xbox
We should have a great year ahead!
This past year has been an absolute landmark 12 months in gaming, hasn't it? Here at Pure Xbox we've given out four 10/10 scores in 2023 - not to mention the long list of super impressive titles that haven't quite managed that top rating but have landed well all the same. This generation is finally kicking into...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite Xbox First-Party Release Of 2023?
Is it Starfield or something else?
Earlier this week we talked about Xbox's first-party lineup for 2023 - asking you for your overall grade of Xbox's output over the last 12 months. At the time of writing a 'Grade B' has been the most popular pick, which is a respectable rating, but now we want to know which release in particular you all liked best...
News Xbox Sparks Fury Over Using AI-Generated Art To Promote Indie Games
The post has since been deleted
The ID@Xbox program has been growing for years now, with an indie-focused team over at Microsoft using it to build relationships with developers and bring their games to Xbox and at times, Game Pass too. However, a now-deleted Christmas post from Team Green didn't do much to help public perc
Feature In The End, Are You Happy With Xbox's First-Party Lineup For 2023?
What have you made of it?
After Xbox's much-documented barren spell in 2022, this year finally delivered some major first-party games to help fill out our 2023 gaming calendars. Largely bolstered by the recent addition of Bethesda alongside Xbox Game Studios, it's been quite a big year for Xbox with several AAA titles gracing the Game Pass library...
Review EON XBHD - A Sleek OG Xbox Adapter That's Just Too Expensive To Recommend
High definition dollars
The original Xbox was an incredibly impressive bit of kit when it launched back in 2001, and at the time it was one of the most powerful gaming machines on the market. We've moved on a lot since then of course, but somewhat surprisingly, OG Xbox games actually hold up quite well in 2023. The biggest issue these days is...
News Xbox Makes Leadership Changes As Bobby Kotick Leaves Activision & Microsoft
Another big shuffle for Team Xbox
Update: Another change that's been announced during the day is that Jill Braff is becoming the new head of ZeniMax and Bethesda's studios. Jill has been the General Manager of Integrations & Casual Games at Xbox Game Studios since 2020, and has previously held roles at the likes of SEGA,
News Three Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass In Late December 2023
Update: Make that three!
Update: Make that three! GTA V will also be leaving Xbox Game Pass on December 31st, 2023. Original story: It's been a busy old year for Xbox Game Pass, and now that Far Cry 6 has arrived on the service, we're starting to look ahead to what's coming to Game Pass in 2024. Before then, we've got a couple of games
News 'Xbox-Next' Rumour Suggests Microsoft Could Launch Another Console Before 2027
"Xbox-next isn't that far away"
A few months ago, a huge leak stemming from Microsoft's Activision Blizzard case outed a potential Xbox Series X console refresh for next year - we covered Xbox's 'all-digital' Series X plans when they first leaked back in September. Those plans seemed believable given that they came directly from FTC files, however a...
News Multiple Xbox Exclusives Nominated At BAFTAs, But None Make The 'Best Games' List
The nominees are in
Around a month ago we found out that Starfield wasn't going to be up for 'Game of the Year' at The Game Awards, and it's now the same case for this year's BAFTA ceremony. Although the winner won't be announced until next April, Starfield isn't in the running for 'Best Game' at the event - in fact, nothing from Xbox Game Studios...
News Three More Xbox Games Join Nvidia's GeForce Now Library This Week
Including Forza Horizon and Minecraft Dungeons
As part of the ongoing partnership between Xbox and Nvidia GeForce Now, three more Xbox Game Studios titles have today been added to the service. This includes Playground's Forza Horizon 4, Forza Horizon 5 and Minecraft Dungeons by Mojang and Double Eleven. These games arrive alongside 10 other titles,...
News Major Nelson Reveals The Next Chapter Of His Post-Xbox Career
He's now an advisor of a publisher backed by Microsoft
Earlier this year, Xbox legend Major Nelson (also known by his real name Larry Hryb) said goodbye to Microsoft after 20 years. He mentioned at the time how he would take a step back to work out the next chapter of his career, and now in an update, he's revealed he's joined the board of Midwest...