Category: XBOX

Microsoft to Kinect Up the Next Windows Phone

The Verge has reported that Microsoft is in the process of inducting Kinect features in its next Windows phone, code named “Mclaren”. The Mclaren was introduced to the world through phone tripsters EVLeaks.

The phone will be a successor to the Lumia 1020 and will boast propriety technology like 3D touch and Real Motion. These features will assist in interaction with the phone without actually touching the display.

Kinect is now integral to the Xbox experience

Kinect was reveled at the 2010 E3 conference. Kinect made sense on a large screen system like the Xbox. Its features which made technology invisible was appreciated by people. The question that everyone seems to be asking is whether a phone version of Kinect will actually have some benefits or will be just another gimmicky add-on.

Some of the reported features include the ability to answer a phone call by just bringing it to your ears or cutting a call when the phone is dropped back in the pocket. The phone can also be put on a table to start an speakerphone conversation. These features have to be utility based or else they will end up as the Air Gestures in the Samsung phones.

The phone will also be fitted with pressure sensing instruments on the sides to detect changes in grip. They want to make external buttons completely obsolete. One of the way this can be used is gripping the phone can power on the device. Even the Camera can be zoomed in and out just by doing the usual pinching motions near the device.

These features were originally intended to be used on the Windows 8.1 powered Nokia Goldfinger phones. This phone is now being pushed back for a later release, while the Mclaren is being given priority. This is one more way in which Microsoft is pushing the Nokia name off the edge. Some have said that Nokia’s innovations are being stripped for profitable parts in Microsoft’s research labs.

The new UI will be inspired by Zune Mixview

The phones will also have a tiny UI renovation with the Kinect induction. When pointed above a tile it will open multiple floating tiles. This is inspired by the Zune Mixview. The tech makes sense on a big screen where there was minimum learning curve, but in a small screen it will be a whole different story. Microsoft would have had to go back to the drawing board to make the technology featurable on a handheld device.

Now as these are still leaks and we’d have to wait for the device to come in our hands before we comment on the functionality of these features. This of course will be a good experiment to look forward to. Microsoft Xbox’s Kinectic abilities suit it well for a home entertainment system, but it has to take some real efforts to convince people that hovering fingers over your phone is as good as having a touch response.

June 10, 2014
Microsoft’s Xbox One Finally Set to Launch in India

Well the wait is over, Microsoft has officially confirmed that Xbox One will be available in India on 23^rd Sept 2014 starting at INR 39,990. They will also launch Xbox One with Kinect at INR 45,990. Both bundles will include the Xbox One console with a 500GB hard drive, Xbox One Wireless Controller, and a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new members.

Microsoft had announced a rough September timeline for India launch (along with 25 other countries) back in March. Conspicuously, Sony launched the PS4 in India (at the same Rs. 39,990 price) in January making Microsoft lag behind by 9 months.

The owners of Xbox One with Kinect will be able to experience a number of games and entertainment experiences special to Xbox such as gesture controls, biometric sign-in, controller paring, Skype video calls, direct personalization, instant scanning of QR codes, and improved features only available with Kinect in games such “Kinect Sports Rivals,” “Dead Rising 3,” and “Project Spark.”

Both the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 use an incorporated CPU-GPU design by AMD, including an 8-core low power x86-64 AMD “Jaguar” CPU. The Xbox One’s CPU cores runs at 1.75GHz, compared to the Sony PlayStation 4’s 1.6GHz. Although, it doesn’t make any tangible difference.

Xbox One is packed with features like the Game DVR/Upload which lets you capture and record your greatest game moments and through ‘Upload Studio’ you can easily edit and share clips with your friends and community. It also offers many apps such as Skype which is specially designed for Xbox One, Internet Explorer, OneDrive, Twitch, Machinima and IGN integrated flawlessly with your games and TV experience.

Back in 2013 when it was launched in USA, Microsoft sold approximately 2 million units of Xbox One gaming consoles in its first 18 days on sale. It is too early to say that Microsoft will match its success in India, but it surely will give a tough competition to Sony’s PS 4.

June 10, 2014
Rockstar Releasing GTA 5 Online Mode Patches For Xbox 360 And PS3

Gamers eager to play the new multiplayer version which went live on Tuesday have been met with frozen loading screens, connection problems and repeated error messages.

Rockstar, the makers of the popular franchise, said the entire team was “working around the clock” to fix the problems as they arise and urged players to remain patient.

A title update for Grand Theft Auto Online is now live on PlayStation 3, with a patch for Xbox 360 slated to launch later today, Rockstar announced in a press statement.

Rockstar says that a PSN server issue was the culprit in PS3 users’ GTA Online woes, as it “was limiting the amount of possible concurrent users,” therefore “preventing most players from accessing GTA Online altogether and as of this morning, that problem was resolved.”

The developer noted that players are having issues completing the introductory tutorial mission on both platforms as well, and that it is “working on unblocking this for everyone as soon as possible,” as well as improving GTA Online server stability.

GTA Online lets up to 16 players form teams and enter the world of Los Santos to carry out crimes, take part in races, complete missions and play sports.

The company had apologised pre-emptively to fans on the eve of the launch in anticipation of problems following record sales of GTA 5 when it was released last month.

The game made £500 million in its first 24 hours on sale and £1 billion after three days – believed to be the fastest entertainment product to reach the milestone.

October 5, 2013
Microsoft : Xbox One Kinect Won’t Fetch Data For Advertisments

The development team at Microsoft says that it currently has no plans to use the motion tracking and identification powers of the Kinect sensor to power personalized advertising that intrudes on a user.

Albert Penello, one of leaders preparing the launch of the next-gen console, says that his team has more pressing concerns linked to the upcoming launch.

In a previous interview, Penello suggested that because the Xbox One’s Kinect can read facial expressions and determine levels of engagement, Microsoft could provide this data to advertisers.

“This is the point that seems to draw some controversy,” Penello said.

However, “nobody is working on that” kind of technology at the moment, Penello said. “We have a lot more interesting and pressing things to dedicate time towards. It was an interview done speculatively, and I’m not aware (emphasis original) of any active work in this space.”

If such an advertising initiative were to come to fruition, Penello said users can be sure that it would not happen without people having full control over it. “Period,” he said.

Penello proceeded to illustrate how Microsoft is protecting users’ privacy on Xbox One. “First, Kinect can recognize your face and log you in automatically. There could be some cool features we could enable if we stored that data in the cloud, like being able to be auto-recognized at a friend’s. I get asked for that feature a lot. But, for privacy reasons, your facial data doesn’t leave the console.

“Second: You’ll see us do some things around Skype that freezes the video when Skype is not in focus (meaning, it’s not the primary app). If you go back to the home screen, or launch another app, we actually stop the video stream. We do this so the user can’t even ACCIDENTALLY have the video stream going on in the background.

“I’ll say this – we take a lot of heat around stuff we’ve done and I can roll with it,” he concluded. “Some of it is deserved. But preventing Kinect from being used inappropriately is something the team takes very seriously. Hope that helps.”

[Via]

October 5, 2013
Microsoft Streams Halo 4 To Demonstrate Cloud Gaming

Microsoft’s Halo franchise is set in space, but the cloud is where today’s most interesting advancements seem to be happening for the Mast Chief-helmed video game series.

Microsoft has long been suspected to have been working on its own brand of cloud streaming technology for Xbox software, and the latest reports suggest they’re making progress on that front.

The Verge writes that sources familiar with Microsoft’s internal machinations describe a demonstration by company officials that showed Xbox 360 blockbuster Halo 4 running smoothly via network streaming on both a PC (presumably running Windows 8) and a Windows Phone device, specifically the 4″ Nokia Lumia 520.

We understand that Microsoft is building the service as a way to stream games to its Windows devices. Microsoft’s demonstration included a Windows Phone with a Xbox controller attached through an accessory, and a low-end hybrid PC. Microsoft has not yet branded the cloud games service, and officials stressed it was simply prototype at this stage.

It seems unlikely Microsoft will have their cloud game streaming service ready in time for the launch of PlayStation Cloud, which Sony has announced for release in early 2014.

This could be the company’s answer to making the vast library of Xbox 360 backward compatible with the forthcoming Xbox One console. It could be utilized for “more complicated things like rendering full games like a Gaikai and delivering it to the box.”

September 27, 2013
‘Grand Theft Auto V’ Goes on Sale Tomorrow

The much anticipated game of this year, the Grand Theft Auto V will be available for purchase starting 17th September 2013. The franchise, which boosted after Grand Theft Auto III (2001) has been titled the best selling action-adventure video game series by Guinness World Records. This new GTA V game is the biggest production ever from the Rockstar Games.

To encourage the exploration of the game’s entirety, the designers for the first time let players control three different characters. Michael de Santa is joined by Franklin Clinton and Trevor Phillips.

It allows us to weave multiple stories together in an extremely compelling way that flows naturally to the player, and it gives the player more freedom in a game already synonymous with freedom,” says the game’s art director, Aaron Garbut.

Michael, Franklin and Trevor are the main leads in the game. With this new game players can entertain themselves by playing golf, doing yoga, building a real estate empire and alot more. For the first time, an online feature that lets players compete together and against each other.

The game is available for Xbox and PlayStation 3 starting 17th September and is available on mostly all online shopping websites. You can expect an iGyaan style review for this game ‘really’ soon. Stay tuned!

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September 16, 2013
Xbox One Voice Commands Won’t Work For Everyone

After slashing the number of countries getting the Xbox One this year to just 13, Microsoft’s website shows that voice command for the Xbox One will only be available at launch in five countries – the US, UK, Canada, France and Germany.

As Videogamer spotted, the Xbox One website’s footnote reads: “Xbox voice commands will not be available in all markets on the product release date. Voice commands will be available at launch in US, UK, CA, FR, and DE.”

Microsoft’s tiny disclaimer doesn’t explain why the limited launch of voice interaction is necessary, but it might be related to the voice localization issues that previously resulted in delays for eight other European countries. Although, it could also be server load or production volume related.

Microsoft at E3 demonstrated how the Xbox One can be turned on by simply saying, “Xbox on”. And while Microsoft has since stepped back a bit from the lofty aspirations it carried into E3, there’s no question that voice controls feature largely in its plans for the future of the console. In fact, the Xbox One “Get the Facts” page specifically states that “advanced voice and motion control open up new game experiences like never before,” and that it can be turned on, off and controlled in various ways using voice commands.

While the Xbox One will still be usable in all of its launch markets, players simply won’t get a reaction if they buy the console from outside of the five supported regions.

Hindi voice commands soon please!

August 30, 2013
Xbox One At Gamescom 2013

Xbox One claims a new generation of gaming and entertainment and to push the boundaries of realism. With Xbox One, you can quickly jump from TV to movies to music to a game. Just with the sound of your voice says Microsoft.

Xbox One is said to be the perfect balance of power and performance. In addition to Xbox One’s architecture, the combination of its CPU, GPU and ESRAM is made to give users the best experience like having a supercomputer in your living room claims the company.

There’s been 50 games announced for the console so far, 23 of which will be available at launch. The other ones includes titles like Watch Dogs, Dead Rising 3, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Killer Instinct and Ryse: Son of Rome.

Few more include games from Electronic Arts(EA), 2014 editions of Madden, NBA Live and FIFA. For starters, EA has confirmed that you’ll be able to carry over a season from current-generation consoles to next-generation and Microsoft has announced that all consoles pre-ordered in Europe will include a free copy of the game.

Xbox One consoles require the Kinect motion controller to be plugged in at all times. However, that’s not deterring the company’s plans to keep the Kinect a mandatory addition to any future console bundles.

“Xbox One is Kinect. They are not separate systems. An Xbox One has chips, it has memory, it has Blu-ray, it has Kinect, it has a controller. These are all part of the platform ecosystem,” Phil Harrison, a Microsoft corporate vice president said in response to a question on whether or not the Xbox One will ever be sold without the Kinect.

What will be your choice, the PlayStation 4 or the Xbox one ? Both are said to be available in the month of November.

August 23, 2013
Microsoft Posts New Video To Discuss 40 New Improvements In The Xbox One Controller

Microsoft has published a new video in which Xbox community mouthpiece Larry Hyrb and Xbox One general manager Zulfi Alam discuss the creation of the console’s brand-new controller.

Microsoft has “redefined” the wireless protocol used in the Xbox One’s wireless controller to reduce input lag by 20 per cent over the current Xbox 360 wireless controller.

“There were two goals: first increase the bandwidth of this wireless protocol, significantly more, 20x more than what we have right now. And the other one was to reduce the latency, so the moment you press the fire button, the time it takes to go to your console and back, essentially we reduce that.”

The controller is confirmed as having haptic feedback, advanced rumble motors, and a more comfortable design. There is also a USB input on the back of the pad, which gives consumers the option of playing either wired or wireless.

“The moment you plug in the wire essentially the radio in the controller shuts down, and at that point the controller transforms into being a truly wired controller,” he adds, with data carried purely through the USB cable.

The pad also has IR LEDs so that the system knows – thanks to Microsoft Xbox Kinect – who is holding the pad. The Xbox One automatically shifts gamers profiles depending on who is handling it.

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August 12, 2013
Microsoft Points System Will Be Removed With The Next Xbox 360 Update

Earlier, Microsoft announced it would be retiring its Microsoft Point system for purchasing games and other virtual items on the Xbox One when it launches in favor of using real money from a user’s local currency. Today, there’s an update on the Microsoft Points shutdown which concerns current Xbox 360 owners.

“Our goal is to make this transition as easy as possible for you,” Whitten wrote on the Xbox blog. “After the next Xbox 360 system update, when you go to buy something or redeem a Microsoft Points card or code on your console with your Microsoft account, we’ll add to your account an amount of currency equal to or greater than the Xbox Marketplace value of your Microsoft Points, which will be retired.”

Some of the added benefits of the change include faster and easier purchases with no need to calculate the conversion of your local currency to Microsoft Points. Whitten assures that you’ll still be able to purchase content directly from Xbox stores using any form of payment in your region. Furthermore, in late 2013 you’ll be able to buy new Xbox Gift Cards through Microsoft’s online retailers and local retail stores.

Whitten said that any Microsoft Points earned by people as part of their now shut down Xbox Live Rewards program will remain in their account and will also be converted to real money with the Xbox 360 update. A new rewards program will be announced on September 1st.

[Via]

August 10, 2013
Microsoft’s Augmented Reality Gaming Glasses Patent Revealed

Microsoft is jumping on the wearable display bandwagon, but don’t expect a Google Glass competitor. This week the company patented a head-mounted display aimed at bringing augmented reality to gaming.

The fact that Microsoft is planning to make AR goggles was leaked last year, when a 56-page ‘roadmap’ for the Xbox One (pictured below) found its way onto the Internet. Microsoft subsequently confirmed that the roadmap was genuine, but outdated.

Beyond mimicking some of the functions of Google Glass though it was never really clear what exactly the AR glasses, codenamed Fortaleza, were for.

“In one example, a potential player invitation program receives user voice data and determines that the user voice data is an invitation to participate in a multiplayer game,” the patent request continues. “The program receives eye-tracking information, depth information, facial recognition information, potential player head-mounted display device information, and/or potential player voice data. The program associates the invitation with the potential player using the eye-tracking information, the depth information, the facial recognition information, the potential player head-mounted display device information, and/or the potential player voice data.”

Apart from acknowledging that the roadmap leak was real Microsoft has never mentioned the glasses officially and it’s unclear if and when they will do so. Many of the projects rumoured in the roadmap have since been revealed by Microsoft, including new Kinect, Xbox One, and forthcoming entertainment services.

The patent though, which was only published yesterday, suggests the idea is still well underway.

[Via]

August 2, 2013
Microsoft Boosts Xbox One GPU Clock Speed

Microsoft will boost the clock speed of the Xbox One’s AMD graphics processor from 800 MHz to 853 MHz, Marc Whitten, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Xbox, said during the Major Nelson podcast. He also noted that game makers are now working with final Xbox One development kits.

Perhaps Xbox One engineers found that the GPU is most efficient at the said clock speed. The new “mono driver” is also a new “100% optimized for Xbox One” DirectX driver, Microsoft’s proprietary API.

In the podcast, Whitten also stated that Microsoft “dropped” the Xbox One GPU after E3 2013, allowing them to tweak and fine tune the hardware to match their vision of the experience that they wanted the Xbox One to provide the gamer/user with.

The Xbox One is slated to launch later this year, and the next-gen console will sport an 8-core CPU, 8 GB of system memory and a 500 GB hard drive. Sony’s PlayStation 4 will sport a similar system-on-a-chip architecture. Both semi-custom APUs will be manufactured by AMD.

The move comes after Microsoft’s console has been criticised for having significantly less raw performance compared to Sony’s PlayStation 4.

What do you think of Microsoft upgrading the Xbox One’s GPU? Does it matter to you at all? Why or why not? Let us know below!

[Via]

August 2, 2013
Microsoft : Xbox One Allows Games To Be Played While Downloading

We already knew that Microsoft’s Xbox One console will allow you to play a disc-based game while it installs in the background – which is apparently required – but now it has also been confirmed that you will be able to play a game while it’s still downloading.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed with Polygon that the Xbox One will be able to play games as they download, eliminating the need to wait for dozens of gigabytes to transfer to the console before you jump in and start playing.

Sony already confirmed the convenient feature for the PS4, but this is the first time Microsoft has mentioned it.

This will certainly be a huge time saver for Xbox One gamers, especially since the games themselves will likely have large file sizes. Xbox One game discs will be based on Blu-Ray which means that the games themselves could have file sized of well over 10 GB.

The feature presumably covers Xbox Live Arcade Games, Indie Games and titles that are already available as a physical copy, dubbed ‘Games on Demand’. It’s not clear, however, whether this would cover additional downloadable content (DLC) too.

Sony’s play as you download feature will let you choose to first download the single-player or multiplayer part of the game, letting you access your favourite part faster.

[Via]

July 17, 2013
Microsoft Backtracks On Xbox One DRM And Used Games Policy

Xbox One will not require regular online check-ins or place restrictions on game-lending “as a result of feedback from the Xbox community,” Microsoft announced today.

“Today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360,” wrote Don Mattrick in an official blog post today.

Additionally, Mattrick wrote, players will be able to “trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today. There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.”

This will come at a small cost — despite previous announcements, Xbox One will require that discs remain in the tray in order to play games, and players will be unable to share downloaded games. In other words, it’ll work exactly like the Xbox 360 — for better and for worse.

Originally it was planned that the new Xbox One would have allowed digital games to be shared with ten friends and family, allowing others to log in and play the titles. A cloud-based system also meant that software would be available from any console, even without a physical disc, and downloaded titles could be shared and sold. That would not be the case now.

Now, when the new console is released this November, there will be no need to authenticate the system online every 24 hours – a requirement thought to have been introduced as a digital rights management measure. According to the statement, “After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again.”

On the other side of the coin, capitalizing on online anger about Microsoft’s policies, Sony took E3 by storm with their announcement that the PlayStation 4 would use no similar DRM scheme.

June 20, 2013
Xbox One Games To Cost The Same As 360, No Price Hike

Xbox One first-party titles will be $59.99, as confirmed by a Microsoft representative speaking to Kotaku. Activision, EA, and Ubisoft have not announced game pricing for the next-generation console.

In an official statement to gaming-exclusive sister site of The Verge, a Microsoft representative tells Polygon that pricing for Xbox One games published by Microsoft Studios will remain the same at $59.99: “I can confirm that Microsoft Studios games on Xbox One will be $59.99,” the representative told Polygon.

With every release of a new generation of consoles, gamers and enthusiasts alike often wonder what kind of, if any, price increase they’ll be seeing in the gaming market. When Microsoft and Sony unveiled their previous generation of new consoles, games saw a pretty substantial price increase.

It comes to many as a relief that there won’t be a price increase for Xbox One titles, despite the added cost of development for new consoles. Truly a win for the hardcore and casual gamers who work hard to buy multiple titles each and every month.

While that is good news for some, what about PS4 gamers? Can they expect the same treatment? After all a $100 difference in console pricing means nothing if the price of games will just end up covering the difference, right? While Sony has yet to confirm the pricing, an earlier report in February, Sony announced that the maximum price for PS4 games should be $60 too. Although Kotaku emphasized that Sony representatives were quiet on this topic at E3.

June 15, 2013