Microsoft

Everything You Wanted (or Needed) to Know About Halo 4’s Guns

The history. The purpose. The sound effects. The enormous write-up over on Halo Waypoint (linked below) has everything a series fan – or firearm fetishist – could ever want with regards to humanity’s weapons of choice. And if you don’t feel like reading? Here’s every UNSC gun in the game, shooting things in the face.…

According to this job listing, Microsoft expects to release a “new version” of the Xbox within the next 18 months.

Windows Is Its Own Biggest Threat to the Future of PC Gaming

Hey, do you remember Blackberry? Remember how for years, every white-collar professional who worked in every office had to have one? And how they made consumer smartphones, that some people actually bought, and wanted to be all cool? When I started work at the headquarters for a major media company in 2008, every executive had…

Microsoft Says When They Said ‘New Xbox,’ They Didn’t Really Mean New Xbox

Last week on a podcast, Microsoft’s Brian Hall mentioned “the new Xbox” while discussing products that his company will be releasing in the near future. But Microsoft now says he wasn’t actually talking about the new Xbox. Up until now, Microsoft has refused to confirm what we all know: there’s an Xbox 360 successor en…

Minesweeper and Solitaire Now Have Achievements. Sigh.

Well, this is depressing. In preparation for the release of Windows 8, Microsoft is updating some of the platform’s stalwart titles, like Minesweeper, Solitaire and Majong. Updating them with achievements. Minesweeper, for example, has four of them. Four. One is for finishing a board, and one is for losing a round. Solitaire has 3. Presumably…

Microsoft Finally Admits There Will Be A Next Xbox

After dodging many, many questions about the Xbox 360’s successor, Microsoft has finally confirmed what we’ve all known for years: there will be another Xbox. Windows Live general manager Brian Hall mentioned the new console to The Verge in a podcast last week “We did this- we’ve had Hotmail for- and operated Hotmail for about…

Wreckateer: The Kotaku Review

This review of Wreckateer is a little late because last week, I was also under siege from large stones, some of them burning. They were just in my kidneys. While Wreckateer may be more enjoyable than a trip to the urologist, it still involves its own degree of waiting and uncertainty, and likewise requires you…

Deadlight: The Kotaku Review

Now is the summer of our zombie apocalypse discontent. We’ve played so many zombie games; we’ve had glorious highs and depressing lows. We’ve grown sick of zombie games only to be surprised by good zombie games only to become sick of zombies games all over again. At this point, what kind of magnificent zombie game…

Blizzard Isn’t Happy With Windows 8 Either

Valve says Windows 8 is a catastrophe. Blizzard doesn’t disagree. Blizzard executive vice president of game design Rob Pardo says Microsoft’s controversial new operating system also isn’t great for his company, which makes games like Diablo III and World of Warcraft “Nice interview with Gabe Newell – ‘I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for…

Report: Microsoft Starts New Studio in London

Microsoft’s new London studio is believed to be focused on creating casual and free-to-play games for the Xbox 360. [MCVUK via CVG via Polygon]

OK, That Halo 4 Console Doesn’t Look as Bad as I Thought

Let’s be honest: most people’s reaction to the upcoming Halo 4 Xbox 360 console was probably somewhere between “oh” and “oh God my eyes”. Which may explain why some new pictures of the console have turned up on Halo’s official site looking, well, a lot better. It’s all down to that transparent effect. Not really…

Microsoft Reportedly Shuts Down Vancouver-Based Studio [UPDATE: Projects Cancelled]

Looks like Microsoft has laid off quite a few people at its Vancouver-based studio that was responsible for developing a core Kinect shooter Update: Microsoft has informed Kotaku that they have not shut down the studio but it has ended development on flight simulator Microsoft Flight and Project Columbia, a Kinect interactive TV project designed…

Microsoft Won’t Take Blame for Lack of Fez Fix

Microsoft has denied responsibility for a game-breaking glitch that the developers of puzzle game Fez said they couldn’t afford to fix. Earlier this week, Fez developer Polytron said they wouldn’t fix a rare game-breaking bug because Microsoft asked for too much money to re-certify the game. In response to Kotaku‘s request for comment, Microsoft sent…

EA, Zynga, Microsoft Support Challenge to Defense of Marriage Act

Three companies with major involvement in video games—EA, Zynga and Microsoft—have joined some 40 other companies, including the Gap, Google and Starbucks, along with several cities, including New York, Boston and Los Angeles, in filing a brief to support a legal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act. The Act, signed into federal law in…

This Is What The Real Console War Looks Like (Spoilers: It’s Deadly)

For everyone’s online bickering and arguing, who knew that the real console war was being fought out on an actual, dangerous battlefield. But who will come out victorious?

Fez Won’t Be Fixed Because Microsoft Wants a Ton of Money

Polytron, the developers of indie hit Fez, have issued a surprising statement regarding the potentially game-breaking patch they recently released, then recalled The full statement: We’re bringing the first FEZ patch online. It’s the same patch. We’re not going to patch the patch. Why not? Because microsoft would charge us tens of thousands of dollars…

It’s July 18, Check the Security of Your Xbox Live Password Today

The general manager for Xbox Live today told gamers of the more aggressive steps the service was taking to combat online fraud and phishing scams—like those that have recently generated a wave of bad publicity—while reminding everyone to take some steps that would make that job a lot easier. In a post on the official…

Thousands Line Up To Make Your Hardware

Even though heavy rains have been hitting China’s Chengdu, that didn’t stop thousands from lining up for work at the city’s Foxconn plant. As website MIC points out, Foxconn seems to be hiring up for this summer. Those who apply need to fork over 150 yuan (US$24) and have good eyesight. Just goes to show…

Now You Can Use Your iPad To Control Your Xbox 360, If You Really Want To

I know what you’re thinking. “Boy, I wish I could use my iPad to control my Xbox 360.” What’s that? You’re not thinking that at all? You just want to play video games? You don’t care about ridiculous control schemes or hardware gimmicks? Well okay then. At least this one’s free: Microsoft released a new…

NASA Made A Game That Lets You Land On Mars. Sounds Cool. Now What?

Hop on Xbox Live and search for Mars Rover Landing. You’ll find a Kinect game made by NASA and Microsoft that’s meant to simulate the tense experience of landing Curiosity, NASA’s rover that will land on Mars on August 5 after eight and a half months of travel. It’s “seven minutes of terror,” is how…