40°

PAX Prime 2015 Celebration – Microsoft Special Xbox One Controller Giveaway

Today Microsoft is celebrating PAX Prime and on this occasion Microsoft has announced a special giveaway of Xbox One controller.

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news.xbox.com
180°

Xbox No Longer Has Its Head In The Game

Microsoft & Xbox have shut down Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks to lay off more workers, insinuating that they're not in the game anymore.

XiNatsuDragnel14d ago

They're headless for a long time because closing tango isn't exactly a good move

PapaBop13d ago

Ever since that cringe Kinect reveal they've never been the same. They used to make some amazing games and do great deals with third parties Early on in the 360 era they had games like Chromehounds and Shadowrun, both well ahead of their time. Now instead of nurturing their studios, they'd rather gaslight gamers and throw billions on pre existing studios. Not sure how Spencer is still in a job, I wouldn't trust him to organise a piss-up in a brewery.

Father__Merrin13d ago

We've said all along Spencer needs to go. I wish xbox went back to xbox only with new gears fable forza halo releases lots of third party releases

Those early rainbow 6 Vegas days and phantasy star universe are gone forever

S2Killinit13d ago

MS has its head in the game but the game they are playing is something different from what console gamers expect from a platform. MS’s end game has always been to use the xbox as a trojan horse.

XiNatsuDragnel13d ago

Lol that's funny well this plan they have isn't working homie

343_Guilty_Spark14d ago

Acquisitions always come with cuts

1Victor14d ago

“Acquisitions always come with cuts”

343 trillion points shield activated
343 trillion percent damage negate activated
All damage reduced to 1 for 343 trillion turns.
MICROSOFT DEFENSE FORCE IS A GO

Tacoboto14d ago

Especially for Microsoft, when Booty pretty much said they didn't know how to handle that many studios.

Why even make the acquisition then.

-Foxtrot14d ago

Didn’t they make the swipe for Bethesda when Sony wanted like 6 months exclusiveness for Starfield

It’s like…chill, you got Rise of the Tomb Raider for a year.

romulus2314d ago

Do they always come with senseless cuts becasue that's exactly what cutting Tango was, senseless.

H914d ago

Everyone's acting now that game companies care about games and Xbox is committing the Ultimate betrayal, they are all like this and you have just been quiet about it for far too long

Nuclearmoon14d ago

I wonder if Microsoft do pull out of the console market that it might open the door for valve to relaunch the Steambox. Competition is good for the industry but Microsoft don't even seem to be trying anymore.

UltimateOwnage14d ago

Steam / Valve are one of the few truly pro-consumer bright spots in gaming right now. Thankfully.

Jingsing12d ago

From all the money Valve make from Steam they reinvest almost 0 into creating new AAA titles for the PC platform, Absolutely no giving nothing back in that regard. Wake up.

jwillj2k414d ago (Edited 14d ago )

“Your game has won some pretty significant awards and is a show piece for where we want to go in the future.”

1 hour later.

“We’re gonna have to let you go. You can’t cover our 100 billion dollar acquisition. Oh and take your awards too 👍🏾”

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260°

Game Pass seems to have missed its sales target for the third year running

Xbox growth continues to disappoint, and interfere with its exec's pay bonuses, as Microsoft's CEO stops counting Game Pass entirely.

-Foxtrot214d ago

Puts things into perspective when Spiderman 2 managed to sell 2.5 million copies in 24 hours only on the PS5, a single platform.

Gamingsince1981214d ago

Gamepass will never hit the growth they want, its just not a thing the majority of gamers have interest in, it goes to show a console with good games will sell well, that's all you need.

Christopher214d ago

I would honestly be careful saying 'never' when Microsoft just spent $80b more on top of their billions from before to make this happen. They'll spend over $100b more if they can control the gaming market and turn it to all digital and relying on their hardware for others to even compete.

bobtheimpaler214d ago

@Christopher they can't just burn money. Investors have been wanting them to ditch their Xbox division for years for poor performance.

It's the division destroying destroying shareholder value.

neutralgamer1992214d ago

Chris

MS have Better odds of winning the powerball than go buy another big publisher. This boat has sailed and they will buy smaller independent studios but that’s it for them publishers wise

They will literally do the complete opposite of what they were telling the regulators before the acquisition

On topic:

Gamepass isn’t sustainable no matter what the cult of Xbox fanboys will say. It will never reach 100 million and by 2030 MS will be a 3rd party publisher in gaming. They have put their eggs in the wrong basket just like when they backed HD DVD

Ms investors have been wanting them to sell Xbox brand for a while and if spending almost 100 billion won’t resolve anything than this is IT for Xbox. It is kind of funny and sad that the so called savior of Xbox Phil himself would have saved the Xbox brand (according to Xbox fans) and killed it after spending 100 billion

blitz0623214d ago

It sounds like MS set unrealistic expectations which lines up with how out of touch they are with gaming. I wonder what their targets will now be after the Activision acquisition

Godmars290213d ago (Edited 213d ago )

@neutralgamer1992:
"This boat has sailed and they will buy smaller independent studios but that’s it for them publishers wise"

MS doesn't do that. They tend to buy troubled studios with well known IPs, which should be the biggest red flag that their approach is all wrong.

For instance, their involvement with HD-DVD was more about preventing BR from continuing the dominance of physical media, to allow streaming to take over, and yet for such destructive and disruptive effort, they gained little to nothing of direct value or investment.

Well, aside from licensing fees from menu formats for BR. But again that's nothing "direct".

@blitz0623:
"It sounds like MS set unrealistic expectations which lines up with how out of touch they are with gaming."

They seem to be out of touch with reality in general.

MrBaskerville213d ago

I do think there's interest. But 100 million subscribers is a very optimistic target.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 213d ago
Ninver213d ago

Without review manipulation tactics either.

The3faces213d ago

That 2.5 million copies includes early pre orders and console bundles. Out of 45 million PS5 users 2.5 really isn't impressive. As you said just putting things in perspective.

mkis007213d ago (Edited 213d ago )

While games dont sell their whole load on day 1. It would be remarkable for any game to get a 50% or more attach rate. Heck a 30 percent attach rate is crazy. Its potential is high regardless, the spiderman series on playstation alone sold 33 million before the windows release.

Chevalier213d ago (Edited 213d ago )

Which Xbox 1st party in the last 15 years has matched Playstations records sales?! Oh right NONE. if it's so easy than how come Xbox can't even pull it off in the last 15 years or so?

Plus the first game started slower and has sold over 30 million copies. Again NO Xbox game has even come close to those numbers

MrDead214d ago

...so does this mean MS will punish gamers even more now by taking away even more multiplatform publishers to try and make this turd a viable service model? They have proven over the last two and a half generations to be totally creatively bankrupt to bring anything new to gaming and all they do now is take.

Rude-ro214d ago

Microsoft will flood gamepass with the ips from their acquisitions to see if there is growth due to their investment first.
They will also want to see how foolish said players will be with seasons and micro transactions in games inside said subscription service.
This will take a solid year to incorporate and digest the info.

darthv72214d ago

Missed the goal but still showed growth.
Dom: It dont matter if you grow by a point or a percent... growing is growing.

Jin_Sakai214d ago

Except revenue was down from last year.

gold_drake213d ago (Edited 213d ago )

so by your analogy, less loss, is a plus lol

Hofstaderman214d ago

Imagine theres still miniscule growth after call of duty is on gamepass? That would be hilarious.

214d ago Replies(3)
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280°

Former Sony executive joins Xbox to lead Japanese partnership operations

Mena Sato Kato was previously the Vice President of Mobile Business for Sony.

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windowscentral.com
darthv72270d ago (Edited 270d ago )

"VP of Mobile Business"... could be beneficial once the ABK deal closes.

blackblades270d ago (Edited 270d ago )

She's not there for mobile shes there to lead JP partnerships its in the title

darthv72270d ago

I get that, but it also doesnt hurt that she has experience in mobile seeing as MS are about to take on a pretty big mobile acquisition.

glennhkboy269d ago

Actually outside of US, mobile game is a much bigger deal. In Japan, a lot of games (anime IPs, especially) are being developed exclusively for mobile. So MS focusing on that sector is a much better strategy than focusing on traditional console games.

blackblades270d ago

5% possible but I 100% doubt it

GhostScholar269d ago ShowReplies(2)
StarkR3ality269d ago

Good Xbox's new approach to Japan has been refreshing, and I'm hoping that this means more JRPG's come to PC through Xbox!

nommers269d ago

It says she was a part a mobile division though so don’t get your hopes up.

glennhkboy269d ago

No.... in Japan & Asia, mobile game is a much bigger deal than PC or even console gaming now. A lot of those small to mid size developers, ones that traditionally developed Japan-centric games, are now developing exclusively for mobile.

TheCaptainKuchiki269d ago

lmao she goes from one flop venture to another

phoenixwing269d ago (Edited 269d ago )

if she was the reason genshin impact came to ps5, that alone netted Sony enough for her to be worthwhile

Edit: While i know most gamers don't care for gacha games from mobile they make huge numbers and i don't mind playing the good ones.

TheCaptainKuchiki269d ago

She only had the VP of mobile role for a year. Trust me, she didn't do anything.

Christopher269d ago

Hope this means more games going to Xbox out of Japan.

phoenixwing269d ago (Edited 269d ago )

that's actually been the main reason i never felt compelled to buy xbox all these gens except for 360

the good part now is even if they do get a bunch of exclusive jrpg's i like i can use game pass to play them on my pc

jznrpg269d ago

Exclusive Japanese games I doubt unless they pay for full development or pretty damn close to it. There just isn’t enough money to be made for Japanese games on Xbox in general especially as an exclusive. Xbox gamers barely buy western games now

glennhkboy269d ago (Edited 269d ago )

@jznrpg A single month of global income from Gamepass subscription can almost fully fund the development of Starfield. So I think there will be no issue if MS pay for a full price for any Japanese mobile game in development now. It only takes the developer to ask MS. I think this is the job for Ms.Kato to contact any interested developer.

blackblades269d ago (Edited 269d ago )

Why her a former mobile leader to lead up a Japanese partnership. What experience can a mobile leader have to help with Japanese games going to Xbox.

glennhkboy269d ago

Xbox, or even PC may not be the focus of MS. The great prize IS the mobile gaming market! In Asia-Pacific & Japan, mobile gaming is much bigger than console & PC.

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