At the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo or E3 as it is generally called; American technology giant Microsoft has revealed key details about its next-generation Xbox gaming console. Codenamed Project Scarlett, the device will be the successor to the Xbox One X gaming console released in the year 2017. It will also go head to head with the upcoming PlayStation by Sony, details of which were released a while ago. The details about the new Xbox were unveiled via a video shared by the company.
Microsoft Project Scarlett
As mentioned above, the newest generation Xbox or Project Scarlett will be Microsoft’s flagship gaming console. This insinuates that a smaller device, likely to be a successor to the Xbox One S might also be released with Project Scarlett. According to the company, the upcoming device will have a custom designed CPU; based on the Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture by AMD. Microsoft claims it will be up to four times more powerful than the Xbox One X, which is still the most powerful gaming console on the market. To improve the resolution and framerates while gaming, the console will use the latest GDDR6 RAM.
The upcoming Project Scarlett gaming console will also have support for 8K gaming, with framerates up to 120fps in games. Like the upcoming PlayStation 5, it will also feature ray tracing and have a variable refresh rate support. The upcoming device from Microsoft will also use an SSD as virtual RAM which is touted to reduce game load times and increased speeds. According to the company, all the aforementioned upgrades will increase performance by 40x over the current generation. While Microsoft has not announced a particular launch date for the Project Scarlet gaming console; but it has revealed the device will launch in the second half of 2020. For the beginning, the gaming title Halo: Infinite has been exhibited to be available for the console at launch.
Microsoft has yet to give out any set specifications or details regarding its new cloud gaming service, xCloud. The software developing company has been testing the service with its employees as of late, letting them stream Xbox games anywhere. Microsoft is currently in the process of setting up multiple servers required for xCloud across the world.
The company revealed today that the service is capable of streaming more than 3500 game titles all without ever needing their respective developers to make any optimisations. Capcom and Paradox are one of the game developers that are testing their games on xCloud. Microsoft has confirmed that it has sent Project xCloud to data centres encompassing 13 Azure regions, focusing on a few key locations in the world, not just the US, for its launch. The public trials are set to start later this year.
The service has prompted many game developers to tweak their games for smaller displays in compact devices (namely text sizes and fonts) and to add the ability to host multiplayer games. More information on xCloud is claimed to go public at E3 2019 in the following month. The service will face Google’s Stadia and Sony’s PlayStation Now head on. Interestingly enough, Sony is working in conjunction with Microsoft for future cloud game streaming services.
Microsoft and Sony in a groundbreaking new move shook hands for collaboration, something that the gaming community thought was impossible. The companies would still operate separate services for their respective Xbox and PlayStation customers, but Sony has reached out to Microsoft for their Azure Services. Sony lacks an integral part of the service which is cloud computing.
Excited about the opportunities ahead with @Sony for us to pursue our mutual gaming ambitions and delight players around the world. https://t.co/3vBuQiruiR
Azure by Microsoft is a cloud computing service that allows first and third-party developers to put out their proprietary services through Microsoft’s data centres around the globe. Sony and its PlayStation Now is severely underequipped in comparison to either Google or Microsoft. Sony has never taken stream service into account as its PS4 Remote Play only supports limited devices that are streamed through the consumer’s PlayStation console. PlayStation Now so far is only confirmed to be able to stream to PC and PlayStation.
Cloud game-streaming is not intent on overthrowing the console or PC markets. Many would claim that it would ‘kill’ the hardware breed as cloud-based service does eliminate the need for a console or PC, but most forget it is not a zero-sum game. Sony assured that the PlayStation brand is here to stay and the company will take it forward for the foreseeable future.
Sony with Microsoft Azure’s technology showcase a healthier trend of business rivalry, this benefits both in the long run. Cross-Play in consoles comes to mind when talking about healthy relations, that may arrive soon maybe with the launch of the new generation consoles.
Microsoft’s Xbox gaming console is a renowned device for gaming enthusiasts. To ensure users with limited mobility can enjoy the games of their choice, the company launched the Adaptive controller for the Xbox One console last year. According to a fresh patent that Microsoft has been granted, it is revealed the company is working on another type of controller which is specifically designed for visually impaired gamers.
Xbox Braille Controller
Microsoft filed for a patent at the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) for a “Haptic Braille Output for a game controller”. The patent was published on the 2nd of May and showcases an Xbox controller with support for braille input that supports haptic feedback. Images in the patent present a special braille accessory which can be mounted on the rear of existing Xbox controllers which make it possible to input braille characters. The said accessory is comprised of six paddles and a display, which can show texts or audio in braille. So, for example, a visually impaired gamer can still participate in a chat session with other gamers. For those unaware, Braille is a tactile reading and writing language developed by Louis Braille, a French educator. The language is widely accepted as the standard for the visually impaired.
The patented Xbox game controller from Microsoft is also showcased to recognise speech commands and converting them into a text input. Furthermore, the braille controller may also be capable of giving vibration feedback which can be adjusted per game. As previously mentioned, it can be attached to the back of the controller and the functions can be mapped by the convenience of the gamer using the console, smartphone or PC. While the patent for a braille Xbox controller has been granted to Microsoft, when the company actually releases it is anyone’s guess.
For those interested, you can check out Microsoft’s patent here.
Microsoft in a blog post has announced the newest member of the Xbox lineup of gaming console. Dubbed the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, it is the long rumoured diskless variant of the regular Xbox One S. With no disk drive in the console, users would only be able to obtain the game licenses digitally. Because of the removed component, the company has been able to reduce the price of the gaming console by a considerable margin.
Xbox One S All Digital
The new Xbox One S All-Digital Edition as mentioned above will be the regular Xbox One S not featuring a disk drive. This insinuates all the basic specifications of the regular version will remain intact. So, one could expect the regular’s 4K streaming, Spatial Audio and HDR Support on board. With the All-Digital version, Microsoft is bundling three games, namely Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3 and Sea of Thieves with the console. An additional 1TB Hard Drive is available on the Xbox One S.
To facilitate the purchase of digital gaming titles on the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, Microsoft is also promoting its Xbox Game Pass. It is a subscription service by the company which lets users play over a hundred gaming titles. A disadvantage of an all-digital version of the gaming console has over its regular variant is the missing Blueray support because of the lack of a physical disk drive.
Microsoft has launched the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition in the US for the price of US$ 249 (Rs. 17,300) and it is available to pre-order starting today. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t announced when the gaming console will make its way to the Indian market, however, it is unlikely to launch in India. The reason for that is cited for the abundance of the stocks of regular variant of the Xbox One S. Additionally, all digital game titles are still not as popular as physical ones in the country.
Microsoft has been constantly upgrading the Xbox One and in their latest update they have added support for Cortana and Alexa. Cortana is Microsoft’s personal assistant and Alexa is that of Amazon. The Xbox Skill feature allows interaction with your Xbox using Alexa or Cortana devices. You can ask the assistants to start a game and they will start the device, log in and launch the game as well. One needs to download Xbox Skill to use the features. It is also being offered with an Amazon Echo Bundle. The home speakers can also reduce or increase volume.
Xbox has also introduced new avatars which focus on inclusiveness. This features all ranges of body types. One can choose any type of outfit which he or she wishes to. They also represent people with disabilities and allow avatars to have crutches, wheelchairs etc. These avatars were shown at last year’s E3 where the release date was set for Fall, 2017. Microsoft has been one year late to bring these features.
What this means for the industry
Microsoft and Amazon’s close partnership is interesting to see as both have their own assistants and this partnership could mean that they can interact with each other. Dolby Vision HDR streaming across supported televisions has also been enabled. This allows a user to stream Netflix from their device. In the future, there is a possibility that other streaming services will join the bandwagon. Microsoft is also adding Dolby Vision to the Xbox One becoming the only other than Apple TV 4K and Google’s Chromecast Ultra to support both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Tell us how this will help all you Xbox One users and if it is a welcome change or not.
The October update is available for all Xbox One, One X and One S devices.
Microsoft has launched its new gaming console, the Xbox One X in June 2017 at the Entertainment Expo. The Xbox One X, Microsoft’s much awaited Project Scorpio is touted to be the world’s first true 4K gaming console. The console will be available to buy in the US from November 7 for $499 (Rs 32,000). At the same time, the company announced a limited period Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition for consumers who’d prefer a more cosmetically enhanced version of the Xbox One Day One Edition.
The limited edition console, as mentioned earlier, features a slightly more gradient design, and the Project Scorpio code name etched on both the console as well on the controller. Microsoft confirmed that all initial Xbox One X units up for grabs will be a Project Scorpio Edition, and will sell for the same price as the Xbox One Day One Edition.
The Xbox One X is a mid-cycle Xbox refresh from Microsoft but, has enough horsepower under the hood to grant it the label of being the most powerful gaming console in the world when it arrives in November.
Since the new console runs on the Scorpio engine, it is backward compatible to run all 900px and 1080px Xbox one and 360 titles at upscaled 4K. Which means all existing Xbox One titles should look better on the Xbox One X due to enhanced visual fidelity, anisotropic filtering, and faster loading times. The new console will also work with all current Xbox One accessories, Microsoft has confirmed.
4K will largely be the buzzword, all Scorpio-exclusive games will super sample down to 1080p and all Scorpio-exclusive game modes will be available for all users regardless of their display. Technically, players will not require a 4K-ready monitor to use the Xbox One X. The console will use supersampling to improve visuals on 1080p screens while offering true 4K UHD playback on 4K screens.
At the E3 Conference, Microsoft has launched new console dubbed the Xbox One S. Available in a new “robot white” color, the Xbox One S is 40 percent smaller than the original Xbox One.
It also includes a built-in power supply, and now finally can be placed horizontally or vertically with an optional stand.
The new console will have one of the three USB ports and the pairing button to the front of the Xbox One S alongside the newly added IR blaster. There is no more a Kinect port, however, Kinect for Xbox One will still be compatible with Xbox One S via the Xbox Kinect Adapter for USB connection.
Xbox One S will be available in select markets starting early August for $399 USD, with the 1TB Xbox One S for $349 USD and the 500GB Xbox One S for $299 USD arriving thereafter. The Xbox One Vertical Stand will also be available for standalone purchase for $19.99 USD.
2015 has seen some spectacular games for the PlayStation 4. Games that have been hotly anticipated and some games that have just taken the gamers in us all by surprise. So we take a look back at some of the best games for the PlayStation 4 and why they are what they are.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne has to be one of the best games this year hands down. A PlayStation 4 exclusive, Bloodborne was released back in March and has since then earned critical acclaim, as well as selling over 2 million copies as of September 30, making it one of the biggest selling titles ever.
Bloodborne is an incredibly detailed fantasy landscape where even a single misstep can destroy you. The storytelling is as grand as the environment it’s in, with a narrative delivered through things as subtle as the name of an enemy or the description of an item.
The game is played from a third-person perspective, players control a fully customizable protagonist, and gameplay is focused on weapons-based combat and exploration. Players battle beastly and varied enemies, including bosses, using items such as swords and firearms, and journey through the story, exploring the game’s different locations, interacting with non-player characters, collecting key items involved in the story, and discovering and unraveling the world’s many mysteries.
What critics have lauded is the game’s atmosphere, detailed environments, and the overall visuals, the interconnected world design, the design of the characters, particularly that of the enemies, the challenging, fast-paced gameplay, the storyline and lore, and the soundtrack, which some touted as “glorious”.
Yes, you do miss the Joker in this one, brilliantly voiced by Mark Hamill, but all your other voice actors are here. Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman) and John Noble (voice of Scarecrow) give a terrific performance here. The combat and predator system also gets an improvement. Finally, the world of Gotham City never looked more beautiful as it does in Arkham Knight. The city being a natural extension to the characters, deserves praise and the game overall is a fitting end to the Arkham series.
Halo 5: Guardians
Halo 5: Guardians is the fifth title in the Halo series which was released on October 27 for the Xbox One. Producer Josh Holmes stated that the game’s engine employs a “new progressive resolution system that allows us to dynamically scale the resolution at which we render the game” to guarantee it maintains a frame rate of 60 FPS.
Halo 5: Guardians takes place in the year 2558, and is set eight months after the events of Halo 4. The game follows the human fireteams Blue Team and Osiris. The game also sees returning fan-favorite Nathan Fillion as Edward Buck from Halo 3: ODST. You can spot him in the opening scene below.
Halo 5 also has one of the best arsenal in the series, thanks to returning classics and design facelifts for guns that were otherwise ignored. Old favorites like the battle rifle, Spartan laser, and trusty assault rifle look and feel great.
Halo 5 is a looker. The gameplay takes you through an eerie abandoned research station, a backwater planet ripe with odd, gorgeous life and vegetation, ruins with ancient and worn-looking monuments, and several other beautiful locations.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Another game that had extremely high expectations was the fifth instalment to the Metal Gear Solid franchise. The Phantom Pain serves as a sequel to Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, and a continuation of the narrative established there, and a prequel to the original Metal Gear game.
In The Phantom Pain, players take the role of Big Boss, under the nickname Punished “Venom” Snake, in an open world environment. The gameplay elements were largely unchanged from Ground Zeroes, meaning that players will have to sneak from several points in the game world, avoiding enemy guards, and remaining undetected.
The Phantom Pain achieves sheer excellence as an espionage game. The graphics are top notch and the environment is simply spectacular. It’s a game that is deserving of the current-gen console. Check out the launch trailer of The Phantom Pain below to see how the franchise has evolved through the years.
The Phantom Pain was critically acclaimed upon release, with its gameplay drawing praise for featuring a variety of mechanics and interconnected systems which allow a high degree of player freedom in approaching objectives.
Call of Duty
We can never get tired of Call of Duty, can we? The Black Ops segment of the franchise introduced a science fiction turn in Black Ops II that features a future warfare setting with robots and futuristic technology with a separate zombie story line as well. Black Ops III, much like its predecessor, is set in a “dark, twisted future”. The game was released on November 6th on Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Pspqx0XGs
The six-hour story is set in the not-too-distant future. Black Ops 3’s story works on “Direct Neural Interface,” or DNI for short. This technology allows humans to mentally interact with computers, weapons, and other people. What these does is introduce terrific new ways of playing a game that was beginning to fall under the ‘been there, done that’ category. For example, you can’t use enemies’ dropped weapons because they’re registered to someone else’s brain.
The game has been praised for its length and the introduction of new elements that keeps the game fresh.
Good news for Dishonoredfans. Leading game distributor e-xpresshas launched the pre-orders for the Dishonored: Definitive Edition in India. Published by Bethesda Games, Dishonoredis an action-adventure game which follows Corvo Attano, a bodyguard-turned-assassin who is framed for murdering his employer.
The Definitive Edition was announced by developer Arkane Studios a few days ago during Bethesda’s presentation at the 2015 E3. The edition will contain a remastered version of the original game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and all the downloadable content (DLC). The DLC will contain The Knife of Dunwalland The Brigmore Witches, along with Dunwall City Trials and Void Walker’s Arsenal.
Dishonored was released in 2012 to positive reviews and appeared on several “Best Games of 2012” lists.The game has been voiced by known actors such as Susan Sarandon, Carrie Fisher and Lena Heady, who are best known for acting in films and shows like Enchanted, Star Warsand Game of Thrones, respectively.
Dishonored: Definitive Edition is now available for pre-order at Rs. 2,999 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. To order your game copy now, click here.
Jason Voorhees is one of the scariest characters that have been created. Though fictional, the chief antagonist of Friday the 13th has undoubtedly raised eyebrows with his mass murder spree series of films. Now, imagine playing with him against a group of equally proficient fighters. That’s right, Mortal Kombat X now has Jason Voorhees as a playable character, with his set of combat moves and fatalities. The character unveiled before Jason is the Predator, a well known fictional character from the Alien Vs Predator franchise.
Jason was inducted as a character on May 5th if you have purchased the Kombat pack for Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. Most of Jason’s moves include a standard line of attacks and if executed correctly, a clothesline. One important skill of this character is that it can become unstoppable, which means nothing would be able to escape his special moves.
In addition to Jason, the pack also includes characters like Vampiress Mileena, Kraken Reptile, and Pharaoh Ermac horror-themed skins. For players who have not purchased the package, Jason Voorhees will be available from May 12th for $7.99. Today is also the official release of the game on Android devices.
A little too late or right on time, Microsoft has announced the launch of its Xbox 360 500 GB bundle for the Indian market priced at Rs.19,990. The bundle includes two popular Call of Duty titles – Black Ops and Ghosts. The bundle also includes a one month Xbox Live Gold membership.
In addition, prices of other variants of the Xbox 360 have been slashed. The 4GB standalone version is now priced at Rs. 12,990, which gets a price cut of Rs 3,000. The 250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect now gets a price tag of Rs 29,990, while its earlier price tag was Rs. 31,990. The 4GB Xbox with Kinect price has been slashed to Rs 21,990 from Rs. 26,990.
Xbox Variant
New Price
Old Price
4GB standalone Xbox 360
Rs.12,990
Rs. 15,990
250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect
Rs.29,990
Rs.31,990
4GB xBOX 360 with Kinect
Rs. 21,990
Rs.26,990
Meanwhile in November, Microsoft announced a new exclusive Xbox One Assassin’s Creed bundle with Kinect featuring Assassin’s Creed Unity.
Fox Broadcasting Company’s hit satirical family sitcom, the Simpsons has become a household name all over the world. The show depicts the American Suburban lifestyle through frenzied family of Simpson family which includes Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.
Now, Microsoft is preparing to bring Simpson family, as well as 19 more characters to life in Minecraft’s cubic world next month. The pack contains the playable characters which will be released in late February for $1.99. The customizable models of the characters lets Homer keep his trademark potbelly and Marge her blue, beehive hair in the pixelated, polygonal forms.
Microsoft acquired Minecraft for $2.5 billion in September and has teamed up with Twentieth Century Fox to transform the characters of Springfield to textured cubic blocks for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Minecraft is an award winning sandbox independent video game originally created by Swedish programmer Markus “Notch” Persson and later developed and published by the Swedish company Mojang since 2009. Minecraft has become one of the most popular video games in history, with over 100 million downloads since its launch.
This year saw a slew of some awesome game launches. Along with that, we witnessed the prowess of the Xbox One and PlayStaion 4 and what these high-end consoles are capable of. With 2015 knocking on the door, what better time to explore what’s in store for us gamers in the coming year. A lot of promising new developers along with already established franchises, 2015 is expected to be a game changer for this industry.
There are some awesome projects in the making, hence lets jump onto our list of the most anticipated games for 2015:
Bloodborne
From the developers of Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne has all the elements of a gripping horror story. Despite having a similar feel to the Souls games, Bloodborne has a persona of its own, with a gripping gothic setting and new game mechanics. The game boasts different weapons that make combat all the more fun. Bloodborne is all geared up to make us face the Darkside and definitely one of the games to watch out for in the coming year.
The game is slated for a March 24, 2015 release on the PS4.
This asymmetric shooter has the making of something special, which blends in teamwork and competitive play with real panache. It features some over the top shooting mechanics where co-op teamwork is not just a gimmick, but a necessity. Four players don the role of futuristic hunters, each having their set of skills and weapons.
Not one of your everyday shooters, the gameplay looks stunning and certainly one of the titles to watch for. Evolve will be coming 2nd February, 2015 for PC, PS4 and the Xbox One.
Stunning vast landscapes, great storytelling, and new combat mechanics await us in this massive open world game. The Witcher 3 has a bit of everything and following on from its predecessor; the game oozes quality and more depth. From everything we’ve seen so far of The Witcher 3, it has immense potential we just can’t wait to see what’s really in store for us.
The game is scheduled for a release on May 19 for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Batman: Arkham Knight marks the return of Rocksteady Studios. Last year’s Arkham Origins developed by Warner Bros. was a bit of a disappointment. The game also marks the return of the veteran voice actor Kevin Conroy as Batman with Scarecrow being the Dark Knight’s nemesis. In this explosive finale of the Arkham saga, Batman faces his arch nemesis Scarecrow, who has united Gotham’s top evil geniuses including Penguin, Two-Face and Harley Quinn to destroy the Dark Knight forever. The game will feature the intriguing Batmobile, which apparently will form an integral part of the gameplay, for the first time in the franchise. A deadly combo of Batmobile and new gameplay mechanics should suffice hardcore Batman fanatics who have been longing for that complete Batman experience.
Arkham Knight is slated for a June 2 release and will be coming to the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Creators of the Game of the Year 2013 (The Last of Us), Naughty Dog Studios is now focusing on its other hot property – Uncharted 4. Expected to be an explosive high paced Indiana Jones like adventure, it’ll be interesting to see what the game has in store. Moreover, some of Uncharted’s lead creators not a part of the studio anymore, we’re sure that The Last of Us directors Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley have something special to do with the franchise.
Expect a well-paced cinematic adventure with some witty characters, certainly one of the titles to watch out for in 2015. No exact launch date has been announced for the game.
Slated for a release in 2014, Tom Clancy’s The Division was pushed back to 2015 with Ubisoft aiming to deliver something of a spectacle with the game. Three studios are working together on The Division namely Ubisoft Red Storm, Ubisoft Reflections, and Massive Entertainment.
It’ll be interesting to see how the game redefines the genre, touted as the most technologically advanced game in the making. With so much going on, Tom Clancy’s The Division by Ubisoft is worth the wait. The game will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows though an exact launch date has not yet been specified.
Boasting a new open world approach, the Phantom Pain is all about a complex plot line, while the core of the game maintains those intense stealth mechanics. With Ground Zeroes already getting rave reviews, laying down a solid base for stealth action game, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays on the large scale Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Long time fans of the franchise will be eager to see how the Big Boss takes the next step to becoming the warlord he’s destined to be. The game will be launched on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows, though an exact launch date hasn’t been announced yet.
The franchises’ 2013 offering reestablished our faith in the series, while the next installment in the Tom Raider saga shows a Lara Croft, who is broken. However, this is where she is strengthened by the experiences of the first game, and it’ll be interesting to see how her character evolves in the next game. The game is scheduled for a launch sometime in 2015 for the Xbox One, though an exact launch date has not been announced as of now.
Mortal Kombat X
One of the oldest franchises in video game history and soon to get its tenth installment – Mortal Kombat X. The game is expected to get bloodier and badder and is set to deliver the most brutal Kombat experience ever. In addition, the massive memory pool of current gen consoles will deliver cutting edge graphics along with new game mechanics which should make it all the more gnarly and brutal.
Mortal Kombat X is coming on the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the PC around the 15th of April next year.
DICE’s reboot of the multiplayer shooter series, Battlefront just looks stunning; showing us glimpses of the ice planet Hoth and forests of Endor. But how the game will play, what kind of game modes it will have or if we will have a full-fledged single player campaign as well, still remains a mystery.
The game is slated for a late 2015 release for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. At around the same time when Episode VII hits cinemas next year, there’re sure to be some epic levels of hype surrounding the game.
The start of a new NFL season is just around the corner, and Microsoft’s been working hard to improve the experience for football fans on the Xbox One. A new version of the NFL app for Xbox One, coming out later this month, is how the company plans to do it.
There are a lot of new features, with Fantasy Football and NFL Now, the league’s upcoming online video service, is playing a huge role in the refreshed version. First and foremost, Microsoft wants its NFL app to feel like your own, which is why it lets you personalize it with content from team and players you’re interested in, as well as different media provided by NFL Network, NFL RedZone, NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL Now.
The new version has an updated Snap mode that shows a stream of plays made by your fantasy players. And instead of navigating menus to play highlights, you’ll be able to set global Xbox One notifications for when fantasy players make big plays. Just hold the Xbox button and a replay will Snap to the side of the screen alongside whatever you’re doing. Perhaps most importantly, the new app will work with more fantasy football leagues beyond NFL.com. Microsoft representatives confirmed that ESPN is on board, and work is underway to bring Yahoo and CBS into the fold.
The new app is a fruitful result of NFL and Microsoft’s $400 million, multi-year partnership. It’s worth noting that you won’t have to buy an Xbox One to get most of these features. The NFL app will be one of the very first “universal” apps on the console. That means the same app will work both on Xbox Ones and Windows 8 PCs — a feat made possible by the fact that the game console partially runs on Windows. Of course, the advantage of having a Xbox is that you can pass your cable feed directly through the console and use the NFL app side-by-side with live games.
To go along with the introduction of a new NFL app for Xbox One and Windows 8, the software giant has also planned to help professional coaches and players during games with Surface Pro 2 tablets. It allows NFL teams to review plays instantly on the sidelines.
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.”
