While it isn't always reciprocated, Microsoft does its best to support other platforms, putting its apps on rival mobile operating systems and releasing its videos via Google's YouTube. Now the software giant is planning a big release celebration for the much-anticipated Xbox title Halo 5: Guardians, and will be bringing the festivities directly into the homes of fans.

Today Xbox Live chief Larry Hryb, AKA Major Nelson, announces that Microsoft will utilize YouTube to show "Halo 5: Live,” a six-hour live broadcast featuring exclusive gameplay reveals, celebrity appearances, live interviews with the 343 Industries development team and much more.

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PC gaming is in a really wonderful place right now. Both AMD and Intel have released respectable processors -- the former's APU's are a great value, the while the latter's Skylake offerings are powerhouses. AMD's discrete graphics cards are on another level -- the 300 series are powerful, while the Fury X and Nano are game changers. Nvidia's offerings are great too -- what a fantastic time to be a gamer!

If you are a fan of Nvidia's cards, you have no doubt heard of G-Sync -- its version of AMD's FreeSync. It allows the graphics card to transmit to a special monitor to reduce choppiness and tearing -- you should have smoother movement. Today, Acer announces its curved Predator X34 gaming monitor featuring G-Sync is coming to the USA. If you have a compatible card, you will want this 21:9 display!

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If you are a PC gamer, you should invest in a quality headset. Not only can you achieve immersive audio to enhance the gameplay, but a microphone too so you can communicate with teammates during online matches.

One of the most popular gaming headsets comes from HyperX -- the gaming division of Kingston. Its Cloud headset (and subsequently, the Cloud II) is sort of a cult classic -- gamers love it for its reasonable price, solid build and exceptional sound quality. Today, it announces the Cloud Mav Edition Headset, and it looks awesome. Apparently, it is designed for those with a "maverick gaming personality" -- will John McCain buy it?

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America is a very materialistic country. After all, we are built on capitalism. This isn't a bad thing -- making money and working are wonderful things. Being a contributor to society is honorable. Unfortunately, as shifts get longer, and people work harder, family life can suffer.

One of the saddest attacks against the family is forcing people to work on Thanksgiving. What used to be "Black Friday", has crept into the prior Thursday, Thanksgiving, ruining many family moments. This is due to many people's love for tech, and getting a great deal. This year, GameStop is putting its foot down. Its retail employees will not be working on Thanksgiving, as it puts a focus on families, rather than profits. Amazing.

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The Xbox One to PC games streaming capabilities of Windows 10 make for a whole new PC gaming experience. Attach a controller to your rig, and you're ready to go. But what about if you fancy the idea of ditching the cables and going wire-free?

This is where the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows comes into play. This simple USB dongle lets you use your Xbox Wireless Controller to play both Windows 10 and Xbox One games -- complete with in-game chat and stereo sound. It's not available just yet, but it can be yours very soon.

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Microsoft seems to be placing increased importance on gaming. The latest in its list of acquisitions is game physics company Havoc which has been bought from Intel for an undisclosed fee. Used in titles such as Assassins Creed, Call of Duty, and Halo, Havoc's physics and AI solutions will be an important weapon in Microsoft's gaming arsenal alongside DirectX 12.

Announcing the acquisition, Microsoft says it will "work with developers to create great gaming experiences, and continue to license Havok's development tools to partners".

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Throughout the years, desktop keyboard quality has suffered greatly. Computer manufacturers are understandably dealing with small profits on each computer sold, so cutting corners on the included keyboard and mouse probably seemed like a way to save some money. Sadly, many consumers did not realize that they were eventually typing on spongy, low-quality crap.

To the delight of many, myself included, mechanical keyboards are making a huge comeback. While most PC manufacturers will not be including the more expensive keyboards, consumers have a lot of options when buying them separately. Today, Logitech announces its latest mechanical variant, the G410 Atlas Spectrum TKL.

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Perhaps Konami wasn’t that insane when it announced it’s almost entirely switching to the mobile platform, and Nintendo also might be onto something with its announcement that it’s creating a couple of mobile games.

According to a report by the NPD Group, mobile is the number one platform for gaming, overpassing even the PC. The report called Kids and Gaming 2015 offered insights into what platforms children ages 2-17 play the most.

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The online gambling industry is big business, estimated to be worth over $40 billion this year. But its success makes it a target for extortion and for DDoS attacks.

DDoS can prove particularly harmful for this type of site as around 60 percent of transactions are carried out in real time and are therefore sensitive to latency.

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Despite the number of high-profile data breaches over the last year, many businesses and consumers are still not taking appropriate measures to ensure proper security online. The games industry is no exception, with several major game companies having been hit by significant breaches.

A survey by gaming industry backend service PlayFab of more than 500 users who play video games for more than four hours per week, reveals that 83 percent of respondents believe game developers should be responsible for securing players' personal data. However fewer than 40 percent say they feel confident in current safeguards.

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As well as refreshing its Fire TV and Fire TV Stick streaming hardware, Amazon has also introduced a new variation of its set top box aimed squarely at gamers.

The new Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition combines the updated Amazon Fire TV box with a game controller, a 32 GB microSD card, and two free games: Shovel Knight and Disney’s Ducktales.

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Classic RTS game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is currently available for free via Electronic Arts' "On the house" scheme.

You get the full package, both campaigns -- Red Alert 2 and Yuri’s Revenge -- and it’s yours to keep forever.

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30 years ago today, iconic Italian plumber Mario made his first appearance in the legendary Super Mario Bros.

Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario remains Nintendo’s most enduring -- and recognizable -- creation, and while the hardware his games appear on might have changed considerably over the past three decades, Mario himself is still the same lovable character he’s always been.

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Many consumers want gaming PCs, but simply don't have the space for a massive tower. For this reason, mini ITX systems have exploded in popularity. But what if you want something smaller? Maybe you are interested in keeping a HTPC in your living room where a small footprint is preferable.

Today, Zotac announces a diminutive gaming PC -- the ZBOX MAGNUS EN970. Not only is the Intel Broadwell-powered PC very small, but it should offer solid gaming performance with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 3GB DDR5. It even offers a mind-blowing 4 HDMI-out ports!

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AMD is on fire lately. The company's latest family of 300 series graphics cards have the gaming community excited. The Fury X is a top-of-the-line card, while the R9 Nano is a diminutive marvel of engineering.

Today, PowerColor announces an AMD-powered card that is so insane the company has given it the 'Devil 13' moniker. This demonic masterpiece is essentially dual R9 390 cards in a 3-PCI case slot configuration. It only utilizes a single pci-e 16x card slot, however. Not only is it a powerhouse, but it looks beautifully evil too.

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