Microsoft

Used games are here to stay with Xbox One but details hazy

Fears of a death spiral for used games with the Xbox One may be a little premature.

A Microsoft spokesman confirmed to CNET that Microsoft will support used games with its new console, though it declined to provide much information at this time.

"We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games," the spokesman said. "We'll have more details to share later."

What we do know is that users have to install games from a disc onto the console's hard drive to access the information. Users can then play … Read more

Windows' role at the core of Microsoft's Xbox One

Microsoft's Xbox One home-entertainment console has three operating systems at its core, company officials said during the Tuesday unveiling of the device.

Why three? Marc Whitten, Microsoft's chief production officer of its Interactive Entertainment Business, explained during the hour-long reveal event in Redmond, that there'd be an Xbox operating system, the kernel of Windows, and a third operating system designed to handle switching, multitasking and control inside the Xbox One.

Microsoft officials told Wired.com back in April something similar. From the Wired story:

"The Xbox One simultaneously runs three separate operating systems. First comes the … Read more

Xbox 360 games won't work with the Xbox One

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled its newest gaming console, the Xbox One, with a slew of new capabilities. But one thing it won't do is play Xbox 360 games.

Because the new gaming system has a different chip architecture -- Advanced Micro Devices' x86 instead of IBM's PowerPC -- the Xbox One won't have native compatibility with 360 games. It's unclear at this time whether Microsoft will create a solution for that, such as making some of the more popular games compatible through emulation or allowing users to access older titles through a cloud-streaming system. But it … Read more

Five unanswered questions about the Xbox One

With the pre-E3 announcement of Microsoft's next living room video game console, the parlor game of speculation about all the missing details can begin. As with the Nintendo Wii U and Sony PlayStation 4 before it, the new Xbox's first foray into the public was a carefully choreographed tease, with just enough information to get industry watchers and game fans on the hook for the next step in the long rollout plan.

The following step will no doubt be an expanded preview at the annual E3 video game trade show in June, although even then, important price and … Read more

EA announces Ignite engine for next-gen sports games

Over the years, sports games have become more and more realistic, and EA is promising to take that realism to a whole new level in next-generation versions of many of its popular sports franchises. At Microsoft's unveiling of the Xbox One, Andrew Wilson, the head of EA Sports, announced the company's new Ignite Engine and said that FIFA 14, NBA Live, Madden 25, and UFC would be available for the Xbox One within the next 12 months.

Follow the latest news on the EA Ignite engine for Xbox One at our sister site, GameSpot.

Wilson said that with … Read more

Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4

Ah, now we can finally compare the two. Pretty much. With Microsoft's Xbox One cat out of the bag, at last both it and that other yes-it's-been-announced-but-no-we-don't-know-every-detail console, the PlayStation 4, can be put under our powerful, analytical virtual microscopes.

There are still plenty of unanswered questions on both sides, but that won't stop us from diving headfirst into what we actually do know.

Editors' note (May 23, 12:52 a.m. PT): This story has been extensively updated and expanded since its original publication.

Hardware The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 house very similar silicon … Read more

Spielberg to work on new live-action Halo TV series

Microsoft and 343 Industries have recruited film director Steven Spielberg in the creation of a new Halo live-action TV series.

The companies announced the new series during their Xbox One unveil event today.

Spielberg presumably will produce the new show in conjunction with Halo developer 343 Industries. Halo, the popular franchise that has anchored Xbox for years, used to be developed by Bungie Studios. Microsoft did not specify what Spielberg's role would be.

Though Spielberg was not able to attend Microsoft's Xbox One event in Redmond, Wash., he appeared on screen, noting that the Halo franchise is "… Read more

Xbox One includes improved Kinect sensor

Microsoft's got a brand-new version of its Kinect sensor for the Xbox One, an accessory that is no longer an add-on or pack-in, but a required piece of hardware like the Nintendo Wii light bar.

The new benefit, Microsoft says, is that the console is always listening for commands, from turning the system on, to switching among games, apps, and other Xbox One features. Game developers are also now encouraged to build Kinect features into their games, knowing all players will have the hardware.

Under the hood, Microsoft's using an all-new camera, which captures 1080p video (up from … Read more

Microsoft adds Skype, live TV to Xbox One

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled Skype and live TV capabilities for its new game console, the Xbox One.

The company is positioning the new Xbox as an all-in-one entertainment system for the home. Along with gaming, which Microsoft has only briefly addressed, the system also will allow users to watch live TV, make group video calls on the TV via Skype, and search the Web.

"This is the beginning of truly intelligent TV," Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of marketing, strategy and business for Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, said at the company's event Tuesday.

One new feature, … Read more