Hasta La Gadget!

TiVo has become the Kleenex of the TV world — a once dominant brand that’s become a generic commodity. Yes, we still call recording a TV show “TiVoing.” But as cable and satellite companies started offering their own DVRs and …

Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox One, which the company is hoping will be the system in the center of all home entertainment for people everywhere.

It was unveiled in Redmond with a full press release distributed by the company. Here in Japan, we also received a Japanese version of the official company press release, and we are looking forward to the chance to get a closer look soon.

It combines gaming, viewing, sports, online functionality, photos, videos, etc., and is an aggressive roll-out by Microsoft in an area where many competitors are trying to gain dominance – being the control console for all household entertainment and digital activity.

Official Press Release:

REDMOND, Wash. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”

Introducing Xbox One

With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism, and TV obeys your commands.[1] Say “Xbox On” to launch your personalized Xbox One Home screen, discover what is popular on TV or see friends’ latest gaming achievements all using the most natural interface — your voice. The more you interact with Xbox One, the more it gets to know you and learns what you like. Some of the breakthrough Xbox One features that put you at the center of your living room entertainment include the following:

• TV on Xbox One.[1] Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.[3]

• Home. Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.

• Snap. Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.

• Skype for Xbox One. Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.

• Trending.[1] Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.

• OneGuide.[1], [2] Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network or name, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.

To create the most advanced Xbox system ever designed for games, TV and entertainment, Microsoft created a state-of-the-art gaming operating system and fused it with an equally amazing entertainment platform, so you will not have to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. An eight-core, x86 processor and more than 5 billion transistors helps make lag and load times a thing of the past, so you can instantly jump between a game and your entertainment at lightning speed or run a host of apps right alongside your game with no loss in performance.Introducing Xbox One titles and exclusives

Gaming on Xbox One immerses gamers in cinematic worlds that look like real life, with characters that feel more human than ever before. AAA blockbuster titles unveiled for Xbox One include the following:

• “Forza Motorsport 5” from Turn 10 Studios is the latest edition of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years.[3] Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel. “Forza Motorsport 5” sets a new bar for racing games and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.

• “Call of Duty: Ghosts” is the next generation of “Call of Duty” and a stunning leap forward for the franchise. It delivers an all-new world, an all-new cast of characters and an all-new story, built on a new, next-generation engine. The next-generation technical innovations built to support the incredible gameplay advancements make this the most beautiful and immersive “Call of Duty” experience yet. Activision and Microsoft also announced the renewal of their close partnership that will see both the return of the “Call of Duty® Championship,” presented by Xbox, as well as all-new downloadable content debuting first and exclusively on the Xbox platform.

• “FIFA 14,” “Madden NFL 25,” “NBA LIVE 14,” and “EA SPORTS UFC” from EA SPORTS will change the way consumers experience and play sports games. Driven by the new EA SPORTS Ignite engine, these new EA SPORTS games will deliver massive innovations in human intelligence, true player motion and living worlds. Adding to its commitment to Xbox One, EA SPORTS also announced the promise of exclusive content to be revealed in the coming months.

• “Quantum Break” from Remedy Entertainment is a revolutionary entertainment experience from the creators of “Max Payne” and “Alan Wake” that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.

In addition to the amazing lineup of games coming to Xbox One, Microsoft unveiled exclusive content partnerships with some of the top names in TV, sports and entertainment.

• “Halo” television series. Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer, Steven Spielberg will executive-produce an original “Halo” live-action television series with exclusive interactive Xbox One content, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.

• National Football League (NFL).[1] A multiyear, landmark partnership will deliver the ultimate interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve both in-game and on the sideline. The NFL on Xbox will redefine broadcast experiences through innovations around Skype, Xbox SmartGlass and player-worn technology; add an all-new fantasy football solution for the biggest screen in the house; and create a personalized NFL destination only available on Xbox One.

Introducing a new generation of Xbox Live

Xbox One is built to amplify an all-new generation of Xbox Live that is more powerful, more personal and more intelligent. Unleashing the virtually unlimited power of the cloud makes everything more convenient and accessible, from allowing games to be installed in segments so that gameplay can start quickly to updates downloading in the background. Save and store your personalized profile, games and entertainment in the cloud to access them anytime, from any Xbox One console.[4] In addition, existing Xbox Live Gold Membership for Xbox 360 will seamlessly carry over to Xbox One.[5] Xbox Live takes you deeper into the games you love with all-new features.

• Smart Match. A new Smart Match matchmaking system virtually eliminates waiting in lobbies by estimating wait times and finding people you want to play with while you are enjoying other activities — reputation fundamentally matters and helps find best matches.

• Game DVR. A dedicated Game DVR captures and accesses your magic moments, all saved to the cloud. Along with sharing tools, you will have the most amazing bragging rights with Xbox Live.

• Living Games.[6] Dynamic, living worlds evolve and improve the more you play, and advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you, so friends can play against your shadow.

• Expanded achievements. A new and expanded achievements system captures video of your epic moments, continues to grow a game’s achievements over time and rewards you in new ways, and your Gamerscore carries over from Xbox 360.

• Xbox SmartGlass.[6] Xbox SmartGlass is natively part of the Xbox One platform, built in from the beginning with the ability to quickly render content directly onto your device, and now more devices can connect at one time for multiplayer and shared entertainment.

Introducing the Xbox One look and feel

New Xbox One hardware is sleek and modern and complements any décor. The console is shaped in the 16:9 aspect ratio and employs a horizontal orientation optimized for its high-speed Blu-ray™ disc player. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

The completely redesigned, revolutionary 1080p Kinect is more precise, more responsive and more intuitive. Its unparalleled vision, motion and voice technology let you reach into games and entertainment like never before by dramatically expanding its field of view and fidelity. It works in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation.

The class-leading Xbox controller is refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit immerse all gamers in ways that are uniquely Xbox, and precision and control have been dramatically increased with all new vibrating impulse triggers.[6] The Xbox One Wireless Controller is designed to work in concert with the new Kinect, allowing the two to be paired automatically to create seamless player syncing.

Xbox One will launch in markets around the world later this year. Visit the new Xbox Wire blog at http://news.xbox.com for in-depth features on the new system, including photos and videos from the unveiling event and new and rotating content from Xbox. More details about Xbox One and blockbuster games will be explored at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music, and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass, and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Features and requirements are under development and may change prior to release. Available features and content may vary by country. Broadband Internet (ISP fees apply) and advanced TV hardware required. Games and media content sold separately. Xbox Live Gold Membership, paid subscription and other requirements apply for some Xbox Live features.

1 Live TV with Kinect navigation, Live TV with OneGuide, Trending, and NFL on Xbox available in U.S. at launch; anticipating global scale over time.

2 Kinect voice functionality only available in supported locales and languages.

3 At launch, Live TV will require a supported receiver device with HDMI output (sold separately).

4 Subject to geographical content restrictions.

5 Some Xbox Live content and features available on Xbox 360, including avatar content and some apps, are not available with Xbox Live on Xbox One.

6 In supported games.

The Xbox One is a big deal for consoles, but Microsoft just made a massive content announcement at today’s reveal event — a live-action Halo TV series. As if the existence of such a television show weren’t enough, it turns out that 343 Industries is teaming up with renowned moviemaker Steven Spielberg to bring the world of Master Chief to life in serial form. Spielberg will be the executive producer and the show will provide “exclusive interactive Xbox One content,” whatever that means. Unfortunately, neither Microsoft nor Mr. Spielberg are telling when the show will actually be available for your eyeballs to view, but it is, most assuredly an actual thing. And just knowing that the follow-up to Halo: Forward Unto Dawn is coming is enough, right?

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft

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This week traffic in the game console realm has ramped up, and not just because Microsoft will be releasing one half of the information necessary to understand their next release in the Xbox 720. While Xbox evangelist Major Nelson makes sure the world knows that they’ll be able to watch the whole event with a Live Video Player app on Windows Phone 8, SlashGear prepares by revving up the analysis engines and thumbing through the tiplines.

While the big event starts at 1PM Eastern Time tomorrow, it becomes time here and now to see what we’ve got on tap. This is the Xbox 720, very possibly set to be the first Xbox since the first released at the start of this line to be named simply “Xbox.” Along with it comes rumor of an Xbox Surface device, bringing on a whole new generation of Microsoft’s home-made tablets aimed directly at the gaming world.

With or without the Xbox Surface, word of early prototypes has reached SlashGear’s ears from sources anonymous, noting several elements as being cut or at least having been put on the cutting block and kept at the last minute for the console. One of the more important of these is a feature allowing the Xbox 720 to act as a mid-way point between your TV box and your television.

With this constantly-on feature, the Xbox would work with Xbox LIVE to give you updates and send you requests while you’re watching television shows or movies. Without such a feature, the Xbox would be attached as it always has been – connected to an input on your TV separate from the rest of your devices. With an HDMI-in port on the Xbox 720, it would appear that, somehow or another, Microsoft intends to keep you at attention all the time.

The Xbox 720 has been tipped to have “Xbox TV” features both in and out of the mix in past iterations before its final presentation this summer, with Google TV boxes having acted as a guide at points here or there. With cries out for a fully games-dedicated machine from early testers of the device, it may be that Microsoft has pulled back a bit on the entertainment side of things.

It’s been suggested that this version of the Xbox might work with DVR functionality as well as a TV tuner, both of these having been available as accessories for the PlayStation 3 internationally in the past. With such things built-in to the new Xbox, things could be more centralized for Microsoft in the living room than ever before.

The Xbox 720 has been suggested to be revealed in pieces, similar to what Sony is doing with with the PlayStation 4 – and both devices will have a massive showing at E3 2013, where gaming has its heyday each year.

Xbox 720 console prototype cuts tell of a stripped-down final release is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung is readying new, smaller versions of its S-Series Ultra HD TV, with 55- and 65-inch models due to hit Korea in June, while a 13.3-inch ultrabook display with almost as high resolution is also waiting in the wings. Samsung’s two new UHD sets will be the smallest in the range the company offers, after announcing 85- to 110-inch versions back at CES in January.

Unsurprisingly, those first sets have turned out to be very, very expensive. The 85-inch S9 comes in at a whopping $39,999 which, considering there is a serious dearth of native Ultra HD content, demands as big a commitment to the UHD format as it does a big living room.

Although 55- and 65-inch screens still make for big sets overall, the smaller models should make for a slightly more affordable, slightly less intimidating option. Samsung is yet to confirm pricing at this stage, though it says the new versions will support the Evolution Kit system it showed off at CES 2013, allowing for the processing and other specifications to be upgraded later on in the TV’s lifecycle.

Otherwise, there’ll be micro-dimming technology for better brightness, contrast, and detail, and the ability to upscale standard- and high-definition content to better take advantage of the 4x-higher-than-HD resolution.

The new UHD TVs aren’t the only pixel-packing panels Samsung has for us, however. The company is bringing new screens to SID 2013 this month, including a 13.3-inch QHD 3200 x 1800 panel ideal for high-resolution ultrabooks.

3200 x 1800 makes it more pixel-dense than the 2560 x 1600 screen Apple uses in the MacBook Pro 13, and in fact it’s even higher resolution than the 15-inch Retina Pro. It also bests the Google Chromebook Pixel, with its 2560 x 1700 display.

Exactly what Samsung has in mind for it is unclear, though we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the panel show up in a new ultrabook, perhaps at IFA 2013. The company will also show off a new, more power-efficient HD AMOLED technology – promising up to a 25-percent cut in power versus existing versions – along with a low-cost 23-inch touchscreen for up to 10-finger use.

Samsung reveals 55/65″ UHD TVs and 13.3″ Retina-beating Ultrabook display is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.