Hasta La Gadget!

The folks behind such games as the original Max Payne and Alan Wake are crafting a next-gen experience for the Xbox One in Quantum Break. The tease video we saw showed a young girl, in real life, with her parents — she apparently sees through time, and is able to convey what she sees. She places a hand on her mother and shows her a massive war ship crashing through a bridge. We’re then taken to an office building lobby being shot up. It’s… not clear at all what all this has to do with anything, but there you have it. We’ll have more details as soon as possible.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Microsoft

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Now leading the pack in gaming consoles, Microsoft’s future growth lies outside the gaming sphere. We’ll surely see tons of games at E3 in a few weeks, but at the big reveal of the Xbox One, the company chose to focus on non-gaming features, such as media streaming and Skype conversations.

But what makes streaming and entertainment a true upgrade on the Xbox One, which already has access to almost all streaming platforms? Instant Switching. It allows you to switch between inputs, games, menus, internet explorer, and almost anything else almost instantly. And what’s more, it lets you layer the power of Microsoft partnerships and information across live TV.

The Xbox responds to the voice; saying “Xbox On” turns on the console to the homescreen. The UI is familiar, and lets you see what you were doing last, along with trending content from friends, and other panels like games, tv, etc. But then you say “Xbox watch TV”, and live TV pops on. “Xbox show Guide”, and the guide pops up letting you see what’s available on Live TV. “Xbox watch ESPN”, and bloop, ESPN is on. Instant Switching at its best.

And here’s where it gets interesting:

“Xbox show Fantasy,” and instantly, along the right side of the screen showing a Knicks vs Celtics game you’ll see a run-down on your fantasy league, letting you access further information and even make alterations in real-time, right alongside the game itself.

This is thanks to a feature called Snapmode, which will offer new interactive experiences for Live TV. This includes social, applications, and more.

Because Xbox is now tapping into your live TV, it offers a more targeted and complete entertainment UI, with favorites showing all of your favorite content in a single destination.

And it’s all powered by your voice, should you like. What’s that? Is that the voice of Microsoft telling the hundreds of thousands of Xbox 360 owners out there, who proudly revel in their ownership of what’s considered the most popular gaming console out there, that they should maybe think about upgrading?

Of course, Microsoft wouldn’t upgrade software without hardware (which you can read more about here), and that includes the addition of a Blu-ray player.

Alongside announcing the Xbox One, Microsoft also announced a partnership with 343 Industries and Steven Spielberg to develop a live action TV show about Halo. They didn’t go into much detail, but how much you want to bet there’s some awesome Snapmode features and Xbox SmartGlass features?

EA teased hours ago that FIFA 14 would be one of the first Xbox One games, but it just used Microsoft’s event to unveil a considerably wider slate. FIFA 14, NBA Live 14, Madden 25 and EA Sports UFC are all coming to the new console within the next 12 months. All of them are using a new engine, EA Sports Ignite, that has 10 times the animation detail, smarter artificial intelligence, 3D crowds, “living” sidelines and a daily dose of new content through Xbox Live. EA and Microsoft are getting cozier with the deal, too — FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be an Xbox exclusive. We’ll have to wait for more detail about that game later this year, but it’s safe to say that Microsoft won’t be lacking for major sports titles during the Xbox One’s vital first year.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Microsoft

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The latest update out of the currently unfolding announcement in Redmond: the next-generation Xbox will run three operating systems simultaneously. Complementing Windows 8 and RT on PCs and tablets, there’ll be a third distinct version of Microsoft’s operating system that has been pared down specifically for the new console. This will be the main system OS used to run apps such as Skype and other non-game titles downloaded from the Xbox storefront. At the same time, virtualization technology similar to Microsoft’s Hyper-V will be used to allocate the bulk of system resources to a second, dedicated “Xbox OS” when the user loads up a game. This game OS will remain a fixed entity throughout the life of the console, so that game developers can be confident their games will run regardless of how much the Windows side of the machine gets updated. Finally, the third OS sounds like a small layer to assist with the virtualization, allowing the two main personalities of the console to talk to each other. Read on for more.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Microsoft

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It may have taken two years and a new console generation, but Microsoft is finally making good on an old promise: Skype is coming to Xbox. Microsoft has been planning to port the internet telephony service to its home console since it purchased Skype back in 2011, but it never surfaced on the Xbox 360. Now, the service is poised to make the most of the next generation, leveraging the refreshed Kinect and voice enhancements for a higher-quality experience than its predecessor was capable of. Gamers can receive calls even while watching movies, and they can open them up side-by-side other apps in Snap Mode. Naturally, Skype can be controlled via voice, with commands to shut off the mic or camera, end the call and go full screen. Group video chat is also available, but it’s still not clear just how many folks can be looped in.

Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft

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