Xbox Done Discussion - 2016's #1 Master Race Bottom Bitch

[Qalbert]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/17/80...apps-sdk-plans

Microsoft is planning to open up its Xbox One apps platform in a big way this summer. While the software maker has remained consistently quiet around its timing for cross-platform (universal) apps running on its gaming console, sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company will start to allow more and more apps on the Xbox One by the end of the year. Microsoft is planning to detail its plans fully at the company’s Build developer conference in April, but we understand they’ll involve allowing developers to turn retail Xbox One units into developer kits.

Microsoft will also publish an SDK preview in May alongside the retail to dev kit switch, and both will be available publicly for developers to start creating apps in the summer timeframe. Microsoft currently restricts Xbox One app development to a small group of app developers, and this new program will open this up to everyone. Developers will also be able to use beta apps to test them with the community, and apps will finally be able to run in the background allowing third-party music apps to continue outputting music while a game is being played.

[Obsidian]

Ultimate Games Sale

[Qalbert]

March Update now hitting Preview Program

Xbox One March system update: Screenshots and suggested friends now available in preview

Earlier this month, we added a host of new features and improvements on Xbox One and starting today, members of the Xbox One preview program will get to check out even more new features – some of which are planned for the March system update.

Check out the list of features in the March system update preview that are starting to roll out tonight.

Screenshots

New in preview is a highly requested feature by our community from the Xbox feedback site. While playing a game, you can now take screenshots on your Xbox One console by simply double-tapping the Xbox button on your controller to capture a screenshot and pressing Y to save the screenshot. You can also say “Xbox Take a Screenshot” to take and save a screenshot.

The Upload app is being updated so that you can manage your screenshots in addition to your game clips. You can use a screenshot as your background, by viewing the screenshot in full-screen mode from the Upload app, then, press the Menu button and select Set as background. In coming preview builds, you will be able to use Upload to share screenshots to your activity feed, attach to messages, add screenshots to your showcase, and eventually share to Twitter. Also, your screenshots will be visible in your profile alongside your game clips. In the initial preview build, the sharing functions are not yet enabled, but you can start capturing screenshots and using them for your backgrounds.

Suggested friends

With the suggested friends feature, the Friends area in home and your friends list will help you find and add friends. Suggested friends will include people you might know, so you add more friends to game with, and top community broadcasters and clip creators, so you can get more great content in your activity feed. We’re also adding a new suggested friends page to the Friends area.

Sharing your name

This month in preview, we’re rolling out two new ways to share your real name; with all of your friends or to everyone in the Xbox Live community. You can also continue to share your real name with select friends, or with no one, if that’s what you prefer. Gamertags are still the primary method of identifying yourself on Xbox Live, but sharing your real name helps people recognize you who might not know you by your gamertag. The new name sharing options can be found under Friends > My profile > Name sharing settings.

Tile transparency

We continue to listen to your feedback and are adding a setting to enable you to vary the level of transparency for your background images, go to Settings > My Xbox > Tile transparency.

Privacy and online safety settings

We added a new setting for sharing voice search data to create an option for you to allow collection and analysis of voice data when using Xbox – Bing to search. You can go to Settings > Privacy and online safety > Share voice search data to change the setting.

Report spam

The Messages app has an added option to allow you to notify Xbox when you receive spam. You can now select a specific message, press the A button and then select Report > Spam to report a specific message as spam.

OneGuide for Australia

Support for OneGuide will continue in preview in Australia for free-to-air TV listings.

Xbox One Digital TV Tuner in Australia

Xbox One owners in Australia with an Xbox Digital TV Tuner can now use it with the preview builds of this month’s release.

[Qalbert]

according to GAF

[Anoat]

Damn, two big AAA titles. Sure they are 2 years old, but still great games.

[Qalbert]

Additionally, at a special preview event Microsoft hosted on Tuesday, we provided a sneak peek at a slew of new ID@Xbox games coming soon to Xbox One. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for much more on these games in the weeks ahead, but see below for a full list from the event!

The Adventures of Pip (Tictoc Games)
Anarcute (AnarTeam)
Aritana and the Harpy’s Feather (Duaik)
Blues and Bullets (A Crowd of Monsters)
Clusterpuck 99 (PHL Collective)
The Flame in the Flood (The Molasses Flood)
Fortified (Clapfoot)
Grabbles (Noble Whale)
Hyperdrive Massacre (34BigThings)
Inside My Radio (Seaven Studio)
Knight Squad (Chainawesome Games)
The Little Acre (Pewter Games)
Magic Duels: Forge (Magic the Gathering)
Pixel Galaxy (Serenity Forge)
Quest of Dungeons (Upfall Studios)
R.B.I. Baseball 15 (MLB)
Redout (34BigThings)
Rivals of Aether (34BigThings)
Screencheat (Surprise Attack)
Shadow Blade: Reload (Dead Mage)
Shovel Knight (Yacht Club Games)
Soul Axiom (Wales Interactive)
Space Dust Racers (Space Dust Studios)
Standpoint (Unruly Attractions)
Starpoint Gemini 2 (LGM)
Submerged (Screen Australia)
The Sun and the Moon (Digerati)
Swordy (Frogshark)
Tumblestone (The Quantum Astrophysicists Club)
Wasteland 2 (inXile Entertainment)
Zheros (Rimlight Studios)

[6souls]

Gigantic coming to XBone & Win10

We’ve partnered with Microsoft to publish Gigantic on Windows 10 and Xbox One.

A simple statement, but it says a lot. For starters, it affirms the faith we’ve had in Gigantic all along—that it represents something bright, refreshing, and fun in a sea of sequels and knockoffs. Gigantic is going to be a key launch title for Windows 10, and countless console gamers will play it on their Xbox Ones, too.

Second, it means the Gigantic community is about to get a whole lot bigger, and that’s a good thing! A competitive game like Gigantic thrives when lots of people try it, and now we have the resources to bring Gigantic to more gamers faster and in a higher-quality fashion than Motiga could have ever done alone. We’ll be translating the game into more languages and hosting matches on more servers spread around the globe. That means you get a high-fidelity competitive online experience: better ping times for you and your teammates.

Third, the Gigantic team can tap directly into Microsoft’s expertise. After all, Microsoft created both platforms, and we’ll be getting advice and info straight from the source. The Microsoft campus is 20 minutes away by car, so we have unfettered access to everything we need to make Gigantic shine on Windows 10 and Xbox One.

Right about now, you’re probably asking yourself the same kind of questions we had when we first started talking with Microsoft about Windows 10. We’ve been neck-deep in Windows 10 for a while now, and we’re impressed at the gamer-centric features it has: social sharing, streaming from Xbox One to Windows 10 platforms, and more. And when they told us gamers could upgrade to Windows 10 for free, we were sold.

Maybe more important than any of that, we’ve seen a renewed sense of purpose at Microsoft to make the Windows 10 launch a moment to really push PC gaming. One of PC gaming’s biggest powerhouses is upping the ante in a big way.

Likewise, Gigantic on the Xbox One is a great experience. We’d always believed Gigantic could be a successful console title from the game’s earliest days, and many testers told us they saw the potential, too. We didn’t want to dumb down the experience or come out with a second-class port, though. This partnership with Microsoft lets us make an Xbox One version that’s first class all the way.

http://www.gogigantic.com/news/motig...ft-partnership

Rumor: Phil Harrison has left Microsoft after about 3 years

Executive Phil Harrison is leaving Microsoft, GamesIndustry.biz has learned through multiple sources at GDC, though Microsoft has so far refused to confirm his departure.

"I don't, no. I'm sorry, I don't think I can say anything about that," Xbox boss Phil Spencer told Eurogamer when asked today at GDC. Chris Charla, director of ID@Xbox also refused to comment - with a Microsoft spokesperson stepping in to say Charla wasn't the person to ask about staffing issues, and that the company does not comment on rumour or speculation.

The news comes in tandem with the proposed merger of Lift London, which Harrison was instrumental in founding, with Microsoft's multimedia-focused Soho Productions. Several redundancies are understood to have taken place as part of that move.

Harrison joined Microsoft in 2012 as VP of the Interactive Entertainment Business and EMEA head of games, having previously held a senior role at Sony and founding London Venture Partners in the interim. He was hired by then head of the Xbox business, Don Mattrick, who it's understood had a long standing friendship and mutual respect with Harrison.

However, GamesIndustry.biz understands that Harrison grew frustrated when Mattrick's departure and Spencer's subsequent promotion did not result in him moving up the corporate ladder, issuing the ultimatum to Microsoft that he would leave if not offered a new position. However, it seems that no offer was forthcoming, and Harrison has made good on his promise.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...eave-microsoft
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...rged-with-soho

Rumor: Banjo & Perfect Dark reboots in production, maybe Conkers as well

There’s been a little bit of a buzz recently, after Ken Lobb announced that there were plans to revive some older Rare IPs, and a bunch of old Rare guys have come together to do a Banjo successor. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some stuff from when I was working at Microsoft, and I can say that there has been a lot of internal conflict about these old Rare IPs as of late.

I was with MS for several years, and have been tied to a lot of projects, like Sunset Overdrive and was doing a little bit of work for the Master Chief Collection. I wasn’t working on any games per se, but I was in a position where I was able to see a lot of these games and other potential projects in development. From my position, I was able to learn a lot about the relationship between MS and these old Rare IPs, and the one that had the most ‘buzz’ around the office prior to my departure: Conker.

So the Conker IP has been pretty much been stagnant since the Xbox version, and it’s kind of fallen by the wayside. With other IPs, management seems pretty chill in discussing new ideas, but for the longest time Conker was never really on the table for new projects. A lot of people around the office thought that MS didn’t have much faith in the Conker IP. From what I heard, a lot of people thought the style felt really dated, and that the crude humor of it felt too 90’s for modern audiences. That was just rumors and gossip from the staff, some of which have been with the company since the first Xbox came out, so I trusted what they said.

That mostly changed around spring of 2014. All of a sudden, I became flooded with emails and design docs for a new Conker game. Basically, MS wanted to reboot Conker, and was shopping around for developers to make the new game. MS wasn’t comfortable developing it, and Rare DEFINITELY wasn’t making it.

For a while, it really looked like Insomniac would take on the Conker reboot, they were already doing third-party stuff for MS, and they had made a hit platformer series in the past.

However, Insomiac turned MS down too. Apparently MS wanted Conker to hit store shelves by the end of 2015, and Insomiac refused because of the short dev cycle. MS wanted Conker out the door really quickly, because they wanted to reintroduce audiences to a bunch of older IPs that MS were planning on rebooting for 2016-17, like Perfect Dark and Banjo.

The Conker project has been pretty much canned. No one wants to make it, because MS wants to rush it out. I’m not sure if those other reboots will continue as planned, or if they wanna wait for someone to tackle Conker, like I said, I no longer work for MS and have been out of the loop for a little while, but as is, don’t hold your breath for a new Conker game.

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comme...her_rare_info/

[6souls]

Ori and the Blind Forest, to be released March 11th
(also coming to Win10)

[Qalbert]

http://news.xbox.com/2015/03/xbox-on...inkId=12943047

In January, we announced that Sling TV, the new live TV service, would be making its way to Xbox One. Today, we’re proud to announce that Xbox One is the first gaming console for which the over-the-top television service is available, and the best part is that only our members get an exclusive extended free trial for 30 days.

Sling TV on Xbox One offers the same great features our fans have come to expect, including the ability to Snap while enjoying other activities, Pin the app to your Home and use voice or gesture controls with Kinect for Xbox One. Check out the walk-through video above for a deeper look into how it all works on Xbox One.

If you’re not already a proud owner of an Xbox One, you can also head to your nearest Microsoft store or go to microsoftstore.com and receive a limited time offer of three free months of Sling TV service with the purchase of an Xbox One console (offer available in the U.S. only).1 You can also check out a live demo of Sling TV on Xbox One at your local Microsoft store.

We got a chance to sit down with Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch to learn more about the new service and what it means to bring Sling TV exclusively to Xbox One as the first gaming console. See below for our Q&A.

Major Nelson: Tell us about Sling TV.

Roger Lynch: With Sling TV, you can watch live TV instantly without the cable company. That means you get access to the NFL, NBA and X Games on ESPN and ESPN2, plus your favorite shows like “The Walking Dead” from AMC, Adult Swim, TNT, TBS, and others. You can also explore Video-On-Demand (VOD) entertainment, as well as content from Maker Studios like Polaris+, which is coming soon.

MN: How much are people paying for Sling TV?

RL: For just $20 a month, members get the “Best of Live TV” core package with live sports, lifestyle, family and news channels, plus Video-On-Demand entertainment. Customers can tailor their experience by adding on “Sports Extra,” which gives you access to even more ESPN and big time sporting events, including the SEC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Universal Sports, Univision Deportes, beIN Sports, and part-time college sports networks ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded and ESPN Goal Line.

Additional add-on packs available include “Kids Extra,” “News & Info Extra,” and “Hollywood Extra,” which gives you access to hit movies. Each of these add-on packs is priced at only $5 per month. Plus, Sling TV members also have access to live channels and VOD entertainment from Maker Studios, including the soon-to-be-launched Polaris+. Xbox members can try Sling TV with an exclusive extended free trial for 30 days.

MN: Why partner with Xbox as the exclusive gaming console at launch?

RL: We built Sling TV with millennials in mind, and that includes gamers. Xbox has been at the forefront of gaming and technology for years, so it made sense to bring Sling TV to the passionate Xbox user. For many millennials, Xbox One is already the center of their living room experience, and we want to reach these fans to show there’s a better way to get live TV that doesn’t require a long-term commitment, high programming costs, additional wires or hidden fees.

MN: What do you think viewers are most excited about when they sign up for Sling TV?

RL: With Sling TV, our customers get access to live TV at a low price, plus the flexibility to customize their TV experience so they can choose content that matters most to them. And, customers aren’t locked into a long-term contract like you get with traditional pay-TV providers.

MN: Anything else you’d like to share with Xbox Live members?

RL: We’d love for Xbox Live members to Take Back TV and try Sling TV today through the exclusive extended free 30 day trial. Join our journey on Facebook, Twitter, and our blog for the latest news and don’t forget to invite your friends to #TakeBackTV with @Sling.

[6souls]

Games with Gold - April

• Pool Nation FX ($9.99) Available all month on Xbox One

• Child of Light ($14.99) Available all month on Xbox One

• Gears of War: Judgment ($19.99) Available from April 1-15 on Xbox 360

• Terraria ($14.99) Available from April 1-15 on Xbox 360

• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag ($29.99) Available from April 16-31 on Xbox 360

• Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel ($19.99) Available from April 16-31 on Xbox 360

http://news.xbox.com/2015/03/xbox-april-games-with-gold

[6souls]

April Update
Voice Messaging | Dedicated Party Chat Servers | Expanded What’s On feature

[6souls]

Witcher 3 Dev, Damien Monnier, States that DirectX12 will not improve Resolution on XBone
https://twitter.com/Bacon_is_life/st...65076952711168

[BadKarma]

Child of Light is free? Cool

[-Zer0-]

Oshit, definitely hopping on that if so.

[Qalbert]

yeah child of light and some pool game

[6souls]

April Update
Voice Messaging | Dedicated Party Chat Servers | Expanded What’s On feature

Update is now Live

[6souls]

XBone has finally reached 50,000 sales in Japan
(It has been on sale since September 4, 2014)
http://www.m-create.com/english/late..._ranking.html/

[6souls]

May Update - Lots of new features, Mostly benefits Win10

http://majornelson.com/2015/04/22/ne...inkId=13700251

[6souls]

https://twitter.com/GabeAul/status/595325485309005824

DVR capabilities to be added later this yrar.

[6souls]

1TB Xbone up for pre-order on Spanish retailer Lamee Software

https://www.lameesoftware.es/product...-000-gb-basic/