Microsoft’s Xbox has been around since 2001, and over that time the gaming brand has given us huge hits like Halo, Gears of War, Forza, and more. Today, the Xbox brand covers consoles like the Xbox One, PC gaming, and has even expanded to other platforms. You can play Minecraft on everything from a computer to an iPhone to a Nintendo Switch. Along the way, Microsoft has pioneered modern services like Xbox Live and Game Pass, introducing new ways to play games. And with Project Scarlett on the horizon, the Xbox looks to have a bright future.
Apple and OpenAI make a deal
On The Vergecast: the inner workings of Apple Intelligence, Xbox handhelds, and the future of movie theaters.
Rare’s hit pirate simulator game is coming to Nvidia’s cloud gaming service this week. No, I’m not sorry for the tortured cloud pun.
We got another look at Avowed during the Xbox Games Showcase yesterday, but no exact release date beyond a promise of 2024. After the showcase wrapped, Obsidian accidentally revealed Avowed is targeting a release on November 12th. The blog post was quickly edited after the release date mention was discovered, but not before I managed to take a screenshot.
Xbox boss: ‘I think we should have a handheld, too’
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer drops his biggest hint yet at an Xbox handheld.
Microsoft squeezed three new Xbox models into its bumper games showcase last night. There’s a new white disc-less Xbox Series X, a 1TB version of the Xbox Series S, and a “Galaxy Black” 2TB Xbox Series X. All three will be available later this year, just in time for plenty of new Xbox games over the holidays.
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Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase is full of release dates today, but we still don’t have an exact one for Avowed. Obsidian’s upcoming first-person RPG is still arriving in 2024, though. I heard from sources a few months ago that it was targeting a November release. Last year, we got a good look at Avowed and a promise of a 2024 launch, and we’re getting much of the same today.
Bethesda’s Indiana Jones game still doesn’t have a release date, but we got an even closer look at the game during the Xbox Games Showcase today. Sources familiar with Bethesda’s plans tell me that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is currently targeting a December release.
Diablo IV’s next major expansion, Vessel of Hatred, now has a release date: it’s launching on October 8th. And naturally, we have a dark and gruesome cinematic trailer to go with the news.
Retold, which serves as a definitive edition of the classic RTS, finally has a release date: it’ll be hitting PC and Xbox on September 4th.
Microsoft announced that the MMO’s next expansion — which is called The War Within and kicks off a major new arc for the game — will launch on August 26th. In the meantime, here’s a classic Blizzard cinematic.
State of Decay fans have been waiting for this one. Microsoft just teased State of Decay 3 during its Xbox Games Showcase. We have no idea on a release date just yet, but Undead Labs originally revealed the game was in early development in 2020.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer, Xbox president Sarah Bond, and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty are all on stage talking to the crowd that’s in Los Angeles to watch the Xbox Games Showcase. We’re around 5 minutes away and Xbox has a lot to prove this year and some big game announcements on the way.
Critical Hit Games’ Nobody Wants to Die got its first gameplay trailer during the Summer Game Fest’s Future Games Show.
A neo-noir, time-controlling detective story, Nobody looks like a slick. moody blend of Bioshock, Blade Runner, and maybe even The Fifth Element. So I’ll be buying it, no matter what reviewers say. It’s out July 17th on Steam, Xbox Series X / S, and PS5.
Sonic Generations was a good-ass game and I’m excited for its darker, edgier sequel Sonic x Shadow Generations. Just in time for the Sonic 3 movie, Sonic x Shadow Generations adds a gaggle of new levels to play as Shadow the Hedgehog — but let’s not get our hopes up that Keanu Reeves will make an appearance in this one. Sonic X Shadow Generations launches on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation October 25th.
Rumors suggested that the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch would appear on previous-gen consoles, and now we have confirmation from Microsoft. A new Xbox store listing for Black Ops 6 lists that the game is playable on Xbox One. We’ll learn a lot more about the game on June 9th after the Xbox game showcase.
[www.xbox.com]