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E3 2015: The HoloLens Shown on Stage and Might Actually Work
From a gaming perspective, the big announcement at Microsoft’s E3 press briefing was that they are bringing backwards compatibility to the Xbox One. If you were looking for the next wave in technology and just general spectacle, Microsoft stole the show with a live on-stage demonstration of their HoloLens technology while playing Minecraft.
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E3 2015: Microsoft Announces Xbox One Backwards Compatability
Two years ago, then-Xbox division boss Don Mattrick said “If you’re backwards compatible, you’re really backwards” claiming that only 5% of users used new consoles to play games from a past generation of consoles. It’s funny how much things can change in two years.
While Microsoft might not have had a mind-blowing press conference in terms of new reveals, they certainly scored more than their fair share of points with hardware announcements. The biggest of those announcements was that Microsoft would be rolling out backwards compatibility of Xbox 360 games on Xbox One.
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E3 2015: Microsoft Trailer Roundup
The first of the Monday press conferences was also the first from a console manufacturer. With Microsoft clawing back ground in the current generation console wars, this year’s E3 is the green brand’s opportunity to regain the lead over PlayStation that they had in the PS3/360 generation.
So from Microsoft’s keynote, we have a total of 16 trailers from triple-A and indie games alike for you to watch and get hyped over. They even pulled off a few unexpected third-party coups by getting Dark Souls 3 (From Software is often at Sony press conferences) and Mad Max (featured in Sony’s 2014 E3 presser). That doesn’t mention getting the first official announcement of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2.
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E3 2015: Rumours, Predictions and a Preview of Microsoft’s Presser
With Bethesda’s E3 opening press conference out of the way, it’s time for the big boys to play with the four Monday press conferences that we typically see on the Monday before E3 officially begins. The first of the four Monday pressers is Microsoft. While Microsoft bounced back from the Xbox One launch E3 presser last year, this year looks to be an even bigger year for Microsoft at E3. This could be their big chance to move ahead of Sony in the 8th-Gen console wars.
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Windows 10 to Include Xbox App and Cortana Integration
In the gaming sector, Microsoft is often criticized for seemingly being opposed to cross-platform play opportunities. For those outside the gaming space, Microsoft isn’t open to Xbox console gamers playing with those on the likes of PC and PlayStation at the same time. A leak from a technical preview of Windows 10 shows that Microsoft might be willing to integrate a little more cross-platform functionality.
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Rise of the Tomb Raider to be Published by Microsoft
Just when you thought that the controversy over bought and paid for third-party console exclusives had regained new life with the announcement that Capcom’s Street Fighter V would have console exclusivity on the PS4, the story got bigger. Not only is the sequel to 2013’s hit Tomb Raider going to have timed exclusivity on the Xbox One but publishing duties will be handled by Microsoft Studios rather IP holders Square Enix.
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Microsoft Is Late with Payments to Indie Devs
Microsoft doesn’t have the best reputation in the indie gaming community. They didn’t have many fans before eliminating self-publishing on the Xbox One at the console’s announcement and subsequent reversal. They aren’t going to win any more with the latest scandal.
A number of developers on the Xbox Live Indie Games Marketplace have come out to say that Microsoft is late with their third quarter payments by over two weeks.
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Is Microsoft Working on an Xbox One Slim?
Not only does Microsoft have the for-now-temporary $50 discount on Kinect-less Xbox One consoles and bundles that started yesterday, late last week, news broke that Microsoft is working on the next “generation” of Xbox One consoles that could lead to a permanent price drop. Word on the street is that AMD has developed a smaller processor for use in the Xbox One which could be the precursor to big changes to the Xbox One.
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Microsoft Fires First Holiday Salvo with $349 Xbox One
Since the start of the current generation of video game consoles, Microsoft has been on the back foot. Whether it’s the DRM controversy at the console’s unveiling or the inclusion of Kinect or the $100 higher price tag at launch, Microsoft has been struggling in its battle with Sony for the living room.
For the upcoming holiday season, Microsoft is going to fight back with discounted bundles that will see a $50 discount applied from November 2nd to January 3rd.
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Microsoft Unveils Windows 10, Skips the Number 9
The much-anticipated (and needed) next step for Microsoft’s popular Windows operating system was unveiled yesterday. After two years of the miserable failure that is Windows 8 (and the slightly less terrible Windows 8.1), Microsoft has given up on Windows 8 and is moving on to the next iteration of Windows to be called Windows 10.
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