Microsoft

Call of Duty isn’t a big deal in the world of e-sports. Microsoft, Activision and $1 million are hoping to change that

Bungie Replaces a Defective Disc It Didn’t Manufacture of a Game It Didn’t Make

The secret to good customer service is not necessarily that the customer is always right. It’s in pretending he is always right. While, of course, pointing out he may, in fact, be wrong. Politely. Here, Bungie takes one for the Halo team, despite the fact it parted ways in 2011 with the franchise it created.…

How One Store Explains the Xbox 360’s Lack of Popularity in Japan

This sign was apparently spotted in Japanese retail chain Momotaro, and it does an interesting job of explaining why the store doesn’t have many Xbox 360 games. The poster reads, “Teacher! Why are there so few new Xbox items at Momotaro? Is Xbox not popular?” Below that in green, it reads, “That’s not the case!…

The Xbox Team Just Hired A Very Classy Designer

Andrew Kim turned a lot of heads last year with a bold redesign of Microsoft’s corporate branding, a vision and set of logos far braver (and classier) than what Microsoft eventually came up with for products like Windows 8 and Surface. It was all unofficial “fan” work, of course, but things just got a little…

They Said Alan Wake Couldn’t Be Modded; Hello Kitty Says They Were Wrong…

When it released for PC in February 2012, Alan Wake came with no mod tools. Developer Remedy Entertainment said tools wouldn’t be released because of their complexity, and their dependence on third-party tools which would presumably require permissions or licenses. That hasn’t stopped Alan Wake‘s community from hurling itself at the task, which, to change…

Report: Microsoft Replacing Xbox Chat With Skype For Next Console

According to “A person familiar with the matter”, website CVG is reporting that, as part of Microsoft’s continuing efforts to consolidate Skype (which it now owns) as the standard communications platform for the company’s products, it’ll “become the default chat service on the next generation Xbox console”. What would this mean, exactly? Who knows, the…

Microsoft Would Like To Remind Valve That Selling Hardware Is Hard

I said earlier this week that Microsoft and Sony should be worried about Valve’s Steam Box plans, because they appear to have traditional home consoles square in their sights. Well, in an interview with Eurogamer, Microsoft’s Phil Harrison (still feels weird typing that) seems to get awfully defensive, issuing what amounts as a warning to…

Tomb Raider‘s Collector’s Edition Controller Comes Pre-Distressed

As we’ve seen in trailers going back to E3, Lara Croft gets the crap beat out of her trying to escape from the bandits’ camp in the Tomb Raider reboot, though to be fair, she gives as good as she gets. That must have been on the mind of whoever came up with this design…

Here’s What (Some) Japanese Developers Are Looking Forward To In 2013

And so this is 2013, and what have we done? Another year over, and a new one’s just begun… Holiday songs aside, 2013 is upon us, and that means reflecting on the past year and looking forward to things to come. This week, Weekly Famitsu asked several Japanese game developers about their plans for 2013.…

There’s An Official Xbox 360 Car Being Sold In Mexico

Because… somebody wills it, Volkswagen’s Mexican branch will soon be selling a limited edition Beetle based on the Xbox 360. With branded stripes down the side and a colour range that (mostly) matches that of Xbox 360 consoles, it’s certainly a thing Strangely, there’s no Xbox 360 integration in the car (sorry, this isn’t Pimp…

Microsoft’s IllumiRoom Concept Turns Your Entire Room into a Video Game Level

Microsoft and Samsung apparently think that your TV—no matter how big it is—isn’t big enough. That’s the only possible explanation for the two companies’ partnership on the IllumiRoom project, which projects images and colors across the space that you’re playing video games in. Shown off at CES during Samsung’s keynote today, IllumiRoom pairs up a…

Xbox Support Staff Say They Were Fired After Posting About Their Jobs On Kotaku

If you do customer support for Microsoft, don’t post about it on this website. You’ll probably lose your job. Over the past week, I’ve been in touch with two former Xbox support staff. Both people, who asked that we not use their names, say they were fired for writing comments about their jobs on Kotaku.…

Windows 8 Was A “Giant Sadness”, Says Valve Boss Gabe Newell

He’s rarely had kind words to say about Microsoft’s latest operating system, but in the same interview with The Verge in which he spoke at length about his company’s plans for a “Steam Box” PC, Valve boss Gabe Newell also talks about Windows 8. Mainly, how it’s a “giant sadness”. And how he finds the…

Sony And Microsoft Should Be Worried About The Steam Box. Very Worried.

The future of home gaming. The next generation. For years now, the anticipation and excitement over what’s to come has been dominated by speculation over what would come next from Microsoft and Sony. In one day, Valve has changed all of that It’s been hard to get excited about PC gaming in the way you…

Demo For Panzer Dragoon “Sequel”, Crimson Dragon, Leaks Onto Japanese XBL

Yesterday, a demo for upcoming Kinect action game Crimson Dragon was accidentally released on Xbox Live in Japan before being swiftly pulled. But not before people could download it and record it being played. The actual demo itself isn’t new, it did the rounds last year, but this is the first time we’ve been able…

Microsoft Just Bought a Company That'll Help the Xbox Win Your Living Room

Microsoft just bought R2 Studios, a company that Apple and Google were both after, to help the Xbox continue its assault on living rooms across the world. R2 Studios, which was founded by Blake Krikorian (the guy who also made the Slingbox), apparently “works on” technology related to distributing and displaying digital media on televisions.…

You Don’t Often Get A Chance To Own An Xbox As Cool As This

Howard Phillips may be a Nintendo legend, but after he left that company in the early 90’s he would eventually find his way to Microsoft in time to play a key role in the launch of the original Xbox. Which explains why he’s now selling one of the coolest Xbox lots I’ve ever seen on…

If Your Xbox Cloud Saving Had Issues Last Week, You Get A Free Month Of Gold Membership

Maybe you were playing a game on Xbox Live last week and you tried to save online. Maybe it didn’t work. Maybe you are cursing at the skies, wondering why you ever relied on this newfangled “cloud” technology when back in your day all you needed was a pen, paper, and a string of meaningless…

How To Sneak Behind The Wheel Of A Pelican Dropship In Halo 4

Ever since I crash-landed in one in Halo: Combat Evolved, I’ve had a soft spot for those big ol’ UNSC Pelican dropships. As it turns out, it’s possible for three players to team up in the campaign level “Reclaimer” and hop behind the wheel of one, despite the fact that the story doesn’t call for…

The Status Of Microsoft and Sony’s Next Consoles. Plus: A Whole Bunch Of This Year’s Gaming Secrets.

No topic appeared in the rumor mill this year as much as the coming next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. At the beginning of January, British trade magazine MCV reported that the next Xbox and PlayStation would both debut at E3 2012. This did not actually end up happening, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it…