Articles about Xbox One

Microsoft has announced sweeping changes at Microsoft Studios, affecting development teams in the UK and Denmark. In sad news for gamers, development of Fable Legends has been brought to an end. The Fable series is one that has suffered numerous setbacks and delays over the years, but this is the biggest blow yet.

More than this, the team behind Fable -- Lionhead Studios -- is at risk of closure, and Microsoft is in talk with employees about this. General Manager of Microsoft Studios Europe, Hanno Lemke also announced that Press Play Studios in Denmark will close, leading to the end of development on Project Knoxville.

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There's a new preview build for Xbox One, and it sees the arrival of Xbox 360 Backward compatible games in the Store. Coming from the TH2 branch, the update makes it easier to discover games that are backwards compatible with the older console.

The availability of backwards compatible games not only helps to increase the number of games Xbox One users can choose from, but also helps to reduce the cost of gaming -- older games are significantly cheaper than newer titles.

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It may be time for the Consumer Electronics Show, but Microsoft no longer maintains a presence at the big event. The days of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer keynotes are long gone now. That does not mean the company has nothing to announce, though.

Today Larry Hryb, also known as Major Nelson and the head of Xbox Live, is unveiling a set of new bundles for the gaming console.

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People have different needs. This is why saying one piece of technology is better than another is subjective. The Xbox One, for instance is a more powerful device than the new Apple TV. It has, by far, superior hardware and can do more things. And yet, if you do not need that raw processing power, and prefer casual games to expensive console-grade games, Microsoft's console may be too much. In other words, it doesn't make sense to spend the money on Xbox One if you only need it for streaming media. Sure, it can run Halo 5 and play Blu-ray movies, but I really don't want those things and I am sure there are others like me too.

Enter the Apple TV. I bought this little 4th generation box for $200 despite owning plenty of devices that can already handle streaming media. Why? because of its potential. You see, with access to Apple's App Store, the future will be really bright for it as a media machine, but more importantly, a gaming console. Yes, the Apple TV is a Trojan horse in a sense -- it comes into your home disguised as a run-of-the-mill media streamer, but becomes the future of gaming too.

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The one thing people have been clamoring for since the Xbox One was released is backwards compatibility to allow playing of all those collected games from the 360 era. Microsoft is granting that wish, though it will be gradual.

Today the company is publishing a list of the initial games that will be available. In all, it entails 104 titles and includes some big names. Among those in this release are Assassin's Creed II, Bejeweled 2, Gears of War versions 1, 2 and 3, Halo: Spartan Assault, Mass Effect, Plants vs Zombies and many more.

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The New Xbox One Experience is just around the corner. We already know that the rollout starts on 12 November, and that means that there are just ten days until Windows 10 comes to Xbox One gamers. Today Microsoft shows off what there is to look forward to in a couple of new videos.

This is not a small update by any stretch of the imagination -- it sees the arrival of the New Xbox One Experience. Not everyone has been keeping up to date with the snippets of news that have crept out over recent months, nor have they all been taking part in the preview program. But whether you've kept abreast of what's to come or you haven’t got a clue what to expect, the videos serve as an excellent introduction.

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The rollout of Windows 10 continues apace, and next on the list of devices to get the operating system is the Xbox One. What this means is that the console will gain what has been dubbed the "new Xbox One experience" (or NXOE) that Preview Program members already have access to.

Microsoft's Phil Spencer has revealed that the update will be made available to Xbox One users on 12 November, so there's just over a fortnight to wait. NXOE brings not just a new look and Cortana (eventually), but also backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games.

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The Xbox One is no longer new, but Windows 10 still has that shiny feel. The two were made to go together, along with Windows Phone, in an effort to bring a more unified feel to the platform. You may or may not think Microsoft succeeded in this, but the effort was there.

Now the company is enhancing the beta for its Xbox Windows 10 app with a nod towards social sharing features that allow the user to bring more friends to the fun and games.

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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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Remember Microsoft Zune? Yeah, the last ounce of it is set for a demise later this year. The company has announced that it will be retiring the Zune music service on November 15.

The company's attempt to take on Apple's iPod music players, will not allow users to stream or download content from Zune after November 15, says Microsoft. Content purchased with DRM might not also have playback support if the license of it could not be renewed, but MP3 files you own should mostly work without an issue.

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When the Xbox One launched, many people -- myself included -- chose to wait before purchasing. I finally jumped into ownership this year when I bought the white 500GB model for $349. Soon after, Microsoft released a 1TB model, which bummed me out.

Now, I am even more disappointed. Why? Today, the company announces yet another model, the Xbox One Elite Bundle, and it looks amazing. This console features a 1TB SSHD -- a combination solid state drive and hard disk drive -- plus the all-new Elite controller. Since this drive will provide faster load times, the experience will be better than on previous models. Should existing owners be angry?

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Unlike on PC, console gamers have far fewer options to gain an advantage by buying hardware. PC gamers, for instance, can buy faster processors, better graphics cards, SSDs and more. Console gamers can pretty much just buy different controllers. Third party console controllers have historically been horrible, typically offering less precision at a lower price. The old joke was that third party controllers were reserved for the console-owner's friends.

Peripheral manufacturer Razer hopes to change this with its new Wildcat controller for Xbox One (it should also work on Windows 10). The company calls it 'tournament-grade'. Featuring advanced ergonomics and additional buttons, can it outdo the stock controller? More importantly, however, can it compete with Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Elite Wireless Controller?

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Cries of "FUD!" ring out whenever potential issues and concerns with Windows 10 are pointed out, but there's no denying that the launch of this version of Windows has been more blighted than any other. The latest controversy finds Microsoft updating its EULA so that it is able to block pirated games and unauthorized peripherals.

While on one hand this seems entirely reasonable -- few people would argue too strongly that they should be permitted to play pirated games -- on the other it is confusing and worrisome. It is yet another example of Microsoft causing trouble for itself by failing to properly communicate with its customers, being insufficiently transparent and clear in meaning. Just what is an 'unauthorized peripheral'?

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Xbox One-to-PC game streaming is one of the stand-out features of Windows 10, and plans are afoot for streaming the other way as well. If you're currently playing your Xbox One games on your Windows 10 PC or laptop, you might be interested to learn that there is a way to dramatically boost streaming quality.

While the hack itself is very easy to implement, it's not something that all gamers will want to undertake because of the demands it makes of networking hardware. That said, if you think your kit is up to the job, here's what you need to do.

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