microsoft

23 Mar

Why Would Microsoft Want to Buy Discord for $10 Billion?

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A recent report from Bloomberg suggests that Microsoft is interested in acquiring instant messaging and digital distribution platform Discord for the stunning rumored price of nearly $10 billion. If we allow ourselves to move past the standalone absurdity of that figure, the question becomes “Is Discord really worth that much?” The answer to that question ultimately requires you to properly analyze a lot of figures that are quite frankly too boring to even dream of extensively debating, but if we’re just talking about Microsoft and Discord as video game companies, then it actually makes quite a bit of sense for…

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03 Nov

Link Tank: How Microsoft Tackled Backward Compatibility With the Xbox Series X

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Xbox exec Jason Ronald spoke on how Microsoft finally addressed head-on the issue of backward compatibility in gaming. “Game preservation and backward compatibility have been foundational pillars of Xbox’s next-gen plans since the project began more than five years ago. It’s a refreshing, consumer-friendly approach in an industry that traditionally hasn’t batted an eye at the prospect of making players buy multiple copies of the same title — or flat-out abandoning classic games in an attempt to further the adoption of new hardware.” Read more at Inverse. Donald Trump had apparently declined to meet with Chris Evans as a part…

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28 Oct

Xbox Series X Unboxed: Microsoft’s Next-Gen Console Isn’t a Fridge But It’s Definitely Hefty

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Reports of the Xbox Series X‘s size have been greatly exaggerated: you won’t find anything as big as Snoop Dogg’s monolith-shaped fridge inside the next-gen console’s retail box. But the first thing you’ll notice when unboxing this console in November is that it’s pretty heavy. Despite the countless memes and comparison pictures declaring the Xbox Series X an absolute chonk, I was still surprised by how hefty the console is. At about 5.9 inches wide and 11.8 inches tall, and weighing in at 9.8 pounds, the console definitely has a commanding presence. Not quite PC tower (or fridge) height when…

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08 Oct

GameStop Announces Partnership With Microsoft

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Gamestop and Microsoft have announced that they’ve entered into a “multi-year strategic partnership agreement.” “This is an exciting day at GameStop,” says GameStop CEO, George Sherman. “Since joining the company last April, we have been on a mission to evolve our strategy to take advantage of our undisputed leadership position in gaming.” Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, also weighed in on the deal by noting that “GameStop has been a strong go-to-market partner for our gaming products” and that Microsoft is “excited about continuing and evolving that relationship for the launch of the Xbox Series X|S.” Most of the terms…

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28 Sep

Xbox Boss Says Microsoft Intends to Keep Making Consoles Despite Streaming Innovations

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In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Xbox head Phil Spencer states that Microsoft intends to continue producing console hardware in the future. “In terms of future hardware, absolutely I think we’re going to see more console hardware down the road,” Spencer says. “Just like in video, just like in music, it’s not that streaming has cut off device innovation. I think we’ll continue to see that, and that’s absolutely what we’re planning for.” Spencer’s comments come in response to concerns that Microsoft’s aggressive growth of the Game Pass subscription service and xCloud gaming platform would seem to suggest that they…

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23 Sep

Xbox Series X May Be Sold Out After Pre-orders But Microsoft Promises More Stock at Launch

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It seems like only yesterday that we were ruminating on what went wrong with PS5 pre-orders, and here we are again. The Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders didn’t quite go as planned for Microsoft, even after suggesting things would go much more smoothly than they did for Sony. The sudden rush of customers to retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop led to sites crashing and many people being left without a pre-order as stores sold out of the next-gen consoles within minutes. Target wouldn’t let some people actually add a console to their carts. Even The…

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14 Sep

Microsoft Reportedly Interested in Acquiring Destiny 2 Developer Bungie

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Recent reports suggest that Microsoft and Destiny 2 developer Bungie have discussed the initial terms of a possible acquisition agreement. According to Venturebeat’s Jeff Grubb, Microsoft and Bungie representatives have spoken a few times regarding the possibility of Microsoft acquiring the studio and officially bringing them back into the fold. Eurogamer also reports that their own sources have confirmed that initial discussions between the two parties have occurred. Based on the information that’s currently available, it sounds like those negotiations haven’t progressed much. The biggest problem at the moment seems to be the purchase price. Eurogamer notes that Bungie is…

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21 Aug

Microsoft Flight Simulator Review: Around the World on a PC

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I’m going to level with you. I review video games, and as Microsoft Flight Simulator’s title clearly indicates, it isn’t exactly a game, at least in the traditional sense. It’s a simulator that tries to get as close to the real thing as possible — and it’s a massive one, to boot. Diving into the latest iteration of Microsoft’s long-running series was a daunting endeavor to say the very least. Fortunately, Microsoft Flight Simulator is absolutely delightful, its true-to-life approach to air travel one of the best simulations of flying ever created. But it’s also an incredibly challenging game. The…

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06 Aug

Xbox Live Will Not Be Discontinued, Says Microsoft

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A recent update to Microsoft’s service agreement referred to Xbox Live as “Xbox online service.” This prompted some to speculate that Microsoft could be re-branding Xbox Live or even discontinuing the service. However, in a statement released to The Verge, a Microsoft representative clarified the reasoning behind this service update and new terminology. “The update to ‘Xbox online service’ in the Microsoft Services Agreement refers to the underlying Xbox service that includes features like cross-saves and friend requests,” reads the statement. “This language update is intended to distinguish that underlying service, and the paid Xbox Live Gold subscription. There are…

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16 Jul

Microsoft Ends Production of Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition

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Microsoft has confirmed that they are ceasing production of the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-digital edition ahead of the release of the next-gen Xbox Series X. “As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we’re taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition,” said a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to IGN. “Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally. Gamers can check with their local retailers for more details on Xbox One hardware availability.” The Microsoft representative mentioned a few of the…

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16 Jul

Call of Duty 2020 Alpha Reportedly Uploaded to Microsoft Store as The Red Door

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It appears that Activision may be teasing Call of Duty 2020 via a mysterious new listing on the Microsoft Store for a game known as The Red Door. As noted by PC Gamer, a listing for a previously unconfirmed Activision game known only as The Red Door has been posted to the Microsoft Store very recently. The description for the game reads: “There is more than one truth. If you go looking for answers, be ready to question everything and accept that nothing will ever be the same. The Red Door awaits, do you dare step through it?” It’s described…

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15 Jul

Xbox Series X Velocity Architecture Explained by Microsoft

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In a post on Xbox Wire, Jason Ronald (director of program management for Xbox Series X) explains what Velocity Architecture is and how it will elevate the technological capabilities of the Xbox Series X. “The Xbox Velocity Architecture was designed as the ultimate solution for game asset streaming in the next generation,” Ronald says. “If our custom-designed processor is at the heart of the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Velocity Architecture is the soul. Through a deep integration of hardware and software innovation, the Xbox Velocity Architecture will power next-gen gaming experiences unlike anything you have seen before.” As the…

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07 Jul

Microsoft Reportedly Interested in Buying WB Games

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A report from The Information suggests that Microsoft is now one of the leading names in the rumored acquisition of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. In case you missed our earlier coverage on this story, AT&T is reportedly interested in selling Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The WB Games banner not only includes a noteworthy roster of studios such as NetherRealm, Monolith, Avalanche, Traveller’s Tales, and Rocksteady, but it also has access to licenses such as Harry Potter, Batman, and Lord of the Rings. In our previous story about that rumored sale, we mentioned that Microsoft felt like one of the few…

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02 Jul

Fable Trademark Renewal Filed by Microsoft

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A recent trademark application spotted by IGN suggests that Microsoft may be interested in reviving the Fable franchise in the future. To be fair, the renewal of a trademark doesn’t mean much in and of itself. It could easily be read as Microsoft’s desire to simply hold onto the Fable franchise should they ever choose to revisit it down the line. It’s a pretty standard practice for any major company. However, it’s also been noted that this appears to be what’s called an “Intent to Use” trademark, which would suggest that Microsoft has indicated that they wish to make use…

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