Latest Front Page News

Microsoft closes Lionhead, Fable: Legends cancelled

Submitted by: Amadeus @ 01:53 PM | Monday, March 7, 2016 | (url: http://news.xbox....)

Today, I have some difficult changes to announce that affect some of our Microsoft Studios teams and projects in the UK and Denmark.

After much consideration we have decided to cease development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees about the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK. Additionally, we will close Press Play Studios in Denmark, and sunset development on Project Knoxville.

These have been tough decisions and we have not made them lightly, nor are they a reflection on these development teams we are incredibly fortunate to have the talent, creativity and commitment of the people at these studios. The Lionhead Studios team has delighted millions of fans with the Fable series over the past decade. Press Play imbued the industry with a unique creative spirit behind games like Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Kalimba, which both captured passionate fans. These changes are taking effect as Microsoft Studios continues to focus its investment and development on the games and franchises that fans find most exciting and want to play.

I speak for all of Xbox when I say that despite this news, we remain committed to the development communities in the UK and Europe, and Xbox will continue to support new IP and originality in the games we offer on our platforms, whether theyre AAA blockbusters like Quantum Break from Remedy, adventurous new IPs like Sea of Thieves from Rare, or unique new creations from independent developers like Moon Studios with Ori.

We have nothing but heart-felt thanks for the members of Lionhead and Press Play for their contributions to Xbox and gaming. We are committed to working closely with those affected by todays news to find them new opportunities at Xbox, or partnering with the broader development community to help place them in jobs elsewhere in the games industry should they desire.

Well shit. There goes a bit of gaming history.


Microsoft buying Mojang AB, Minecraft devs, for $2 Billion

Submitted by: Got Haggis? @ 05:23 PM | Tuesday, September 9, 2014 | (url: http://www.thever...)


Microsoft is nearing a deal to buy Mojang AB, makers of the Minecraft video game franchise, according to a new report. According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal would value Mojang at more than $2 billion and could be signed as soon as this week.

Microsoft and Mojang declined to comment to the Journal.

Developing ...


Tesla has coast to coast coverage with super charge stations now

Submitted by: Goshin @ 09:22 AM | Wednesday, January 29, 2014 | (url: http://watchplayr...)

You can drive from west to east for free if you own a Tesla S
takes 30 minutes to charge 170 miles, so stopping every 3 hours. I guess it'll keep you regular for bathrooms and food.
They plan on having EVEN MORE stations by 2015.

[qoute]The Model S is known to have an operating range of 265 EPA certified miles, 170 of which can be recharged (for free mind you) within 30 minutes of being plugged in. This means that essentially every pit stop that you take on your road trip allows time to recharge and stretch your legs while not costing you anything in gas. Right now, there are 71 stations active and is now possible for you to travel from one coast to the other via the network of charging stations.

By 2015, Tesla plans on having 98% of the United States covered with access to the power stations[/quote]
[img]http://watchplayread.com/files/2014/01/tesla-supercharger-map.png[/img]

Category: Console Gaming | 46 Comments
Tags:

Internet Explorer 9 Beta released

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 11:43 AM | Wednesday, September 15, 2010 | (url: http://windows.mi...)

The improvements to Internet Explorer are as much about what you don't see as what you do see. Internet Explorer 9 has a streamlined design, fewer dialog boxes to click through, more intuitive navigation, and many new features that speed up your web browsing experience. Features like Pinned Sites let you pin your favorite website directly to the taskbar for one-click access. Other features, like hardware acceleration, deliver an all-around faster browsing experience. With Internet Explorer 9, websites perform and feel more like the programs you use every day on your PC.


Bing Captures Almost 10 Percent Search Share In U.S.

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 09:10 AM | Tuesday, November 17, 2009 | (url: http://www.techcr...)

Remember all that talk about Bing starting to fizzle in September? Well it didnt happen, and now October numbers and Bing gained another half a point to reach 9.9 percent market share of U.S. searches, according to comScores qSearch service. Five months after launch, Bing has steadily gained two points of market share.

And it is keeping the pressure on, with deals to index realtime data streams from both Twitter and Facebook (Google also has a deal with Twitter, but not Facebook), a deal with Wolfram Alpha for nutrition and diet data, and the constant rollout of new features such as better video search.

The biggest loser in the search wars, however, continues to be Yahoo as it awaits approval to hand over search to Bing. In a single month, Yahoos U.S. search share dropped 0.8 percent to 18 percent, and is down 3 percent since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, Google seems unfazed, gaining another half point itself in October to finish with 65.4 percent share.

Bings progress is encouraging (someone needs to compete with Google in search), but so far all Bing has shown is that it can take share away from its future partner Yahoo. Bing has yet to put a ding in Googles share. Perhaps it needs to do something radical, like cut deals with major news and media sites for exclusive rights to index their content. Otherwise it will just keep eating away at Yahoos slice of pie, which its already been promised anyway.


Microsoft: Windows 7 sales exceed Vista sales by 234%

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 07:36 PM | Thursday, November 5, 2009 | (url: http://windowstea...)

It has been quite amazing to watch the global excitement build around Windows 7, especially during a tough economic climate. It was just a few short weeks ago that we learned about Windows 7 outselling the UK's "own" Harry Potter. In Japan, anxious PC users waited in line to be one of the first to get their hands on Windows 7. And just today, according to the NPD groups' weekly tracking service, Windows 7 software unit sales in the U.S. increased 234% over Windows Vista's first few days of sales. "A combination of factors impacted Windows 7 PC sales at the outset, but the trajectory of overall PC sales is very strong leading into the holiday season," said Stephen Baker at NPD.


Hackers Target Xbox Live

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 11:50 AM | Thursday, October 8, 2009 | (url: http://www.intern...)

As next-generation gaming consoles go online, some of the same problems that have faced consumer and enterprise IT networks are surfacing.

At a session during the SecTor security conference, Chris Boyd, director of research at Facetime security labs, detailed the myriad methods by which gamers and in particular, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox 360 users are under attack by cyber criminals.

"Though the Xbox doesn't have the number one market share, it is the top target for hackers," Boyd said. "Xbox Live has 17 million plus subscribers and that service requires payment."

Xbox Live provides a number of online products and services to gamers. According to Boyd, Xbox Live gamer accounts are now an established commodity on the black market.


Microsoft Security Essentials Released

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 02:52 PM | Tuesday, September 29, 2009 | (url: http://www.micros...)

Microsoft's new antimalware solution, Microsoft Security Essentials, is now available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Category: Software | 48 Comments
Tags: free microsoft

Microsoft and Yahoo: Search partners

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 08:06 AM | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 | (url: http://money.cnn....)

Microsoft and Yahoo reached a long-awaited partnership Wednesday in a bid to challenge Google's dominance in online search.

Under the 10-year deal, searches on Yahoo.com will be powered by Microsoft's new Bing search engine. Yahoo, in turn, will be responsible for attracting premium advertisers.

Microsoft will pay Yahoo 88% of the revenue it gains from searches on Yahoo's sites. Microsoft will also have the rights to integrate Yahoo search technology into its own existing Web search platforms.

Yahoo said the revenue sharing agreement will increase its operating income by about $500 million annually.


Windows 7 "Family Pack" price revealed

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 12:05 PM | Friday, July 10, 2009 | (url: http://www.comput...)

Microsoft Corp. will price a multi-license "family pack" for Windows 7 at $149.99, according to at least one online retailer that has posted pricing details prematurely.

Fadfusion.com, a Missouri-based online seller of computers, electronics and office supplies, lists something called "W7 Family Pack - Home Prem Upg" on its site for $138.99, an $11 discount from the $149.99 it claims is the package's suggested retail price.

The software, which will purportedly let users upgrade as many as three PCs in a single household to Windows 7 Home Premium, is listed as "discontinued" by Fadfusion.

At $149.99, the Family Pack would save a buyer $210 over three separate Home Premium Upgrades.


Microsoft Unveils Win 7 Pricing, Upgrade Program

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 10:25 AM | Thursday, June 25, 2009 | (url: http://www.pcmag....)

Starting Friday, consumers who purchase a PC with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate at participating retailers will get a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it becomes available. The offer will run until Jan. 31, 2010.

For those waiting until the October 22 release date, a Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade will cost $119.99 and the full package will retail for $199.99.

The Windows 7 Professional upgrade will cost $199.99 and the full system will be $299.99. For Windows 7 Ultimate, the upgrade version will retail for $219.99 and the full version will set you back $319.99.

Microsoft said these prices are about 10 percent less than what they charged for Vista the Home Premium upgrade version of which retailed for $129.99 at launch.


Vista Service Pack 2 released

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 02:58 PM | Tuesday, May 26, 2009 | (url: http://www.theinq...)

Although the Service Pack hasn't made it to Windows Update yet, you can now grab the official downloads from Microsoft's Download Center. The installer includes Service Pack 2 for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, resulting in a 348.3MB file for 32-bit version - and a 577.4MB file for 64-bit version.

Despite the massive file size, however, there's not much to get excited about. The update mainly includes all of the bits and bobs that have been released since Service Pack 1, although this doesn't include Internet Explorer 8.


Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) Free Download

Submitted by: XTasy @ 12:57 AM | Tuesday, May 5, 2009 | (url: http://windowstea...)

Microsoft is offering a free download of Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC). Use Internet Explorer to download it.

This RC will expire on June 1, 2010, but starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours.


Microsoft's Xbox 360 division loses $31 million

Submitted by: XTasy @ 11:42 AM | Friday, April 24, 2009 | (url: http://www.gamesp...)

For the three months ended March 31, 2009, the software giant announced that company-wide revenues dipped 6 percent year-over-year to $13.65 billion, while operating income was actually up 3 percent to $4.44 billion.

The news was similarly scattered for Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, which includes the Xbox 360 business. Total revenues for the gaming segment were down less than 2 percent to $1.57 billion, and where the division posted an operating profit of $106 million during last year's second quarter, this year it ran a $31 million loss.


Microsoft owns up to "E74" 360 errors, expands warranty

Submitted by: KnightMare @ 03:26 PM | Tuesday, April 14, 2009 | (url: http://arstechnic...)

A popular gaming blog tracked a new kind of Xbox 360 error, the E74, and Microsoft has finally owned up and added the issue to the three-year "Red Ring of Death" warranty. This is a win for consumers, but it's yet another black eye for Microsoft's hardware.

While Xbox 360 systems may be known more for the dreaded "red ring of death" than any other hardware failure, one gaming blog has been tracking the rise of the "E74" error, an issue that causes the console to crash and show a multi-language kill screen. You'll also get a single red section on your system's power button. Microsoft is aware of the problem, and has since amended it's three-year warranty to cover the error.