Microsoft

Microsoft: Every Xbox One Can Be Used To Make Games [UPDATE]

Every single Xbox One can be used to make games, Microsoft says—in other words, you can use the next-gen console as your very own development kit. UPDATE: But not at launch. Microsoft’s Marc Whitten just told us that devkit functionality will be added at a later date. The Xbox 360 was a closed system, but…

Report: Indies Will Be Able To Self-Publish On Xbox One [UPDATE]

Microsoft will allow indie developers to self-publish on the Xbox One, according to a new report at Game Informer Update: Microsoft has sent along the following statement, largely confirming the information in the Game Informer report: Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development.…

Microsoft Shoots Down Rumors Of Kinect-Free Xbox One Bundle

Microsoft has denied rumors that they intend to release an Xbox One bundle without Kinect, telling Kotaku they have “no plans” to do so. Yesterday, the website Inside Gaming Daily reported that Microsoft plans to release a Kinect-free Xbox One bundle next summer, citing “an anonymous source familiar with the matter.” Inside Gaming Daily writes:…

A Tribute To One Of The Greatest Cars Ever Made

The Ford GT40. So fast. So gorgeous. Even decades later, it still turns heads, and it still stops hearts. So if a guy who draws cars in video games for a living wants to pay tribute to a vehicle, there aren’t many better options. The work you’re seeing here is that of Luis Nieves, who’s…

Japanese Poll: Few People Want to Buy the Xbox One (or the PS4)

In Japan, Microsoft just can’t catch a break with its game consoles, can it? The original Xbox was a failure in Japan. The Xbox 360 is a failure in Japan. And according to a recent poll, things don’t look so bright for Xbox One. But not so fast! The poll says things are only slightly…

The Xbox One And PlayStation 4 Face Off On The Comic-Con Show Floor

In this corner, we have Microsoft’s Xbox One, with games like Ryse: Son of Rome and Killer Instinct. In the same corner, we’ve got the PlayStation 4 with Driveclub, Knack and Octodad: Dadliest Catch. The first public hands-on for both upcoming consoles is underway. Though Microsoft has an Xbox Lounge set up up at the…

Forza 5 Isn’t All On The Disc [UPDATE]

While Microsoft has done away with its “daily check-in” requirement for the Xbox One, that’s not the end of strange new digital firsts for the system. Witness Forza 5, which even when you buy it on disc, needs to download more of the game online the first time you fire it up. UPDATE: A Microsoft…

Microsoft Might Bring Back Cut Xbox One Features That People Liked

When Microsoft pulled their Xbox One DRM-reversal, lots of people were happy. Others, not so much, and with fair cause: Microsoft didn’t just remove the console’s onerous internet and used game requirements, they removed some cool-sounding features people that were looking forward to. In a new interview at IGN, Microsoft’s Marc Whitten says that the…

Why Nintendo Fans Are Called “Pigs” (and Other Things) in Japan

Not everyone in Japan loves Nintendo. Some people hate Nintendo. Like, really, really hate Nintendo. And online, those folks have nicknames for Nintendo diehards. Online in Japan, mean nicknames aren’t unique to Nintendo fans! Previously, Kotaku covered the mocking monikers given to Sony and Xbox fans on Japanese gaming forums and in blog comment sections.…

Big Microsoft Vision Statement Mentions Gaming (Phew!), ‘Serious Fun’

The Xbox officially has a new boss today—former Windows boss and long-time Microsoft veteran Julie Larson-Green. No big gaming experience, unlike former game developer Don Mattrick, who last held the job. But, Microsoft did have stuff to say about gaming when announcing today’s big reorganization of company management. What Microsoft had to say about gaming…

Xbox Live to Refund UK Users Pinched by Currency Conversion Mistake

Microsoft is saying some pricing changes seen by U.K. Xbox Live customers trying out the new Xbox Live beta—in which Microsoft Points are converted to local currency—are an error, and these users will be compensated for the difference. The pricing changes, as currently implemented to beta users in Great Britain and elsewhere, amounted to an…

Report: China Is Ending Its Ban on Video Game Consoles

Since the year 2000, video game consoles have been banned in China. According to a new report, however, that is about to change. Video game consoles could soon be legal in the world’s most populated country. The South China Morning Post is reporting that the Chinese government is expected to reverse its 13-year video game…

You Play This Xbox One Game By ‘Mashing To Mastery’

Things aren’t looking too hot for Ryse, the Roman Empire action game and Xbox One exclusive slated for later this year. Our down-under buddies at Kotaku Australia panned the game when they saw it at E3 this year. And now… well, speaking to GameReactor, Ryse design director PJ Estevez paints a bleak picture of gameplay…

FACE, MVPC, 11-X—the Original Xbox had Some Ridiculous Alternate Names

We’re all familiar with the etymology behind “Xbox”—it’s a truncation of “DirectX Box.” But, as one of the console’s creators told Edge, Microsoft lawyers at first weren’t too sure of “Xbox” for some reason, and the alternatives favored by the suits were all hideous. The final stage of naming the console “was a battle between…

Japanese Gamers and Retailers on the Next-Gen Consoles’ Pricing

This year’s E3 turned out to be one of the more interesting and exciting conventions in recent memory. Unfortunately for yours truly, I was stuck across that pesky barrier, commonly referred to in geography classes as the Pacific Ocean. But that didn’t keep me and other interested peoples here in Japan from checking in on…

Microsoft is currently accepting sign-ups for their public Xbox Live Update 2013 beta. “It will include updates to improve overall performance and the ability to conduct transactions with local currency,” wrote Microsoft. If you’re interested, you can apply via the Xbox Beta Program tile on your Xbox 360 dashboard.

CNBC Calls Zynga a ‘Buy’ Now That Former Xbox Boss Is CEO

Sure, some people think that former Xbox czar Don Mattrick isn’t going to turn Zynga’s miserable fortunes around. But, other individuals— business-minded folk—think the exact opposite. The most interesting thing about this clip is the perceptions being quickly flung around about the executive leaders of companies like Microsoft, Zynga, EA and Activision. It’s one thing…

College Humor Takes On The Xbox One

Best part of this wonderful video, produced by the very funny folks at College Humor? The blurb: “Microsoft is screwing everybody, especially us by retracting all these policies one day after we filmed this.” Whoops. Still, this is awesome. “Alls I wanna do is be sad and alone in my basement!”

Why Xbox Fans Are Called “Gropers” in Japan

The Xbox consoles are not popular in Japan. That doesn’t mean those game machines lack hardcore fans. They certainly exist in the region. And online in Japan, there’s a disparaging nickname for them: “gropers”. The Japanese word is “chikan” (痴漢), which translates as “groper” or “molester”. “Chikan” is certainly not something anyone wants to be…

Microsoft’s New Control Pad For Flashy Rappers, Russian Oil Tycoons

I can’t think of anyone else who would consider owning one of these ostentatious fingerprint magnets. Announced earlier today, its full product name is the “Xbox 360 Special Edition Chrome Series Gold Wireless Controller”. It’s out next month and will retail for $55 “at GameStop and Microsoft Store locations in addition to select regions worldwide”.