Xbox

Today, Microsoft announced that the Xbox One is gettingbackwards compatibility. But how will it work? Here, let Microsoft explain.

Xbox One Getting New Dashboard UI

As part of an update due in the Fall, the Xbox One will be getting a new dashboard user interface. Looks nice! Microsoft is promising improvements to things like community interaction (via a new friends list system), but most important to users will be the pledge that this is going to be faster than the…

Platinum Shows Off Its Fancy New Transformers Game

Leaked this weekend via website and retail listing, Platinum Games’ Transformers: Devastation is officially a real thing, and it looks just prime. A single-player beat-em up featuring five first generation Autobots versus some 30-plus Decepticon enemies, including the game’s massive namesake, Devastation will be coming to Xboxes, PlayStations and PCs later this year. It’s no…

Xbox One Gets Backwards Compatibility; Microsoft Takes Shots At Sony

Xbox boss Phil Spencer just announced that the Xbox One is getting backwards compatibility with 360 games later this year, which is pretty damn cool. You’ll be able to access your digital collection of 360 games on Xbox One, as well as put discs in and download games you already own. The service will be…

E3 2015: Microsoft Press Conference Liveblog 

Microsoft’s E3 press conference is about to begin. Can’t follow along with the livestream? Fear not. We’ve got you covered. “`

Watch Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference Live, Right Here [UPDATE: Over]

From Gears of War to Halo 5, Microsoft’s E3 2015 press conference will be full of people shooting aliens in various ways. We’ll also see some Tomb Raider, some Rare, and maybe some other solid surprises, too. Microsoft’s presser starts at 12:30pm ET. (The full E3 press conference schedule is here. Read our liveblog right…

We Hear There’s A Rare Collection Coming To Xbox One

For months now we’ve been chasing down a rumor that Microsoft plans to release a collection of Rare games for Xbox One this summer to mark the storied company’s 30th anniversary. Today, a Kotaku reader sent over a retail image that seems to corroborate this rumor. GameStop is listing an entry for something called “RareReplay,”…

A U.S. judge has sentenced 23-year-old David Pokora to 18 months in prison for his involvement in a group that stole software from Microsoft, Valve and other companies. (Read more about Pokora and crew in this piece.)

One Year Later, Did Microsoft (And Friends) Keep Their E3 2014 Promises?

The gaming year’s biggest planned spectacle, E3, happens next week, which means that it’s time for us at Kotaku to once again check what the big console makers promised at E3 a year ago. Let’s see how Microsoft did. The Xbox maker had a simultaneously humble and aspirational press conference last June. They thanked fans…

Two Hours With Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

You know how Konami tried to pull Hideo Kojima’s name off the box art on their website? With Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima more than gets his due. Every mission in the newest Metal Gear game—which will almost certainly be Kojima’s last—both begins and ends with a brief credit sequence that runs…

Looks like Amazon just spoiled one of Microsoft’s E3 announcements: there’s a new Xbox One model with a 1TB hard-drive launching onJune 15. It’ll include that new controller with a headphone jack.

Far Cry 4 Is My Favorite 2014 Game Of 2015

I nearly gave up on Far Cry 4. I recently recovered from that mistake. Late last fall, faced with a stack of games to play, I gave Far Cry 4 just a couple of hours to impress me. My quick 2014 take: it’s too similar to the wonderful Far Cry 3, the tropical game about…

Oh Hey, a New Xbox One Controller with a Headphone Jack [UPDATE]

The PS4’s DualShock 4 has a headphone jack that allows you to plug whatever headphones into the controller. The Xbox One’s controller, however, only has proprietary port. Make that, only had. As revealed on the Xbox Supportwebsite (via Eurogamer), an upcoming version of the Xbox One controller will have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Here’s…

Modern Warfare 2 Deserves More Credit

Call of Duty is not supposed to be good, so the idea goes, especially not Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The sixth Call of Duty has been described as a jingoistic mess, a Michael Bay-esque cacophony of nonsensical story bits, a mere shooter that couldn’t—shouldn’t—try to be anything more. “It’s Call of Duty” has…

Bioware’s Casey Hudson is Microsoft’s New Creative Director

While working at Bioware, Casey Hudson made his name as the director of Mass Effect 3, though he left the studio in August last year. Today, Microsoft announced that he will be joining the company as its new creative director. (This article originally appeared on Kotaku UK.) His main focus is going to be on…

Microsoft Punishes Gears of War Leakers [UPDATE]

UPDATE (7:12pm): Well now here’s an interesting addendum. Earlier today, following a number of video leaks from a wide-scale beta test of the upcoming Gears of War remake, the game testing company VMC said in a memo that Microsoft had both permanently banned the leakers from Xbox Live and temporarily disabled their consoles, rendering them…

Microsoft just announced their plans for E3 2015: they’ve got their Xbox presser at the usual time (Monday, June 15 at 9:30am PT) and a daily live show they’ll be streaming from the conference floor. More info over on Major Nelson’s blog

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Has Pre-Order Incentives, Of Course

You need a cheat-sheet to figure out how to get what you want out of any new game these days. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is no different. Here’s what we’ve figured out so far about navigating your way to buying the game. Syndicate will be the next major Assassin’s Creed game, moving the series to Victorian…

“I think Banjo-Tooie’s the better game.” So says Kotaku reader BlackmanFord in a series of comments below the chat we published yesterday celebrating Banjo-Kazooie. Read his thread for some Tooie love.

In an apparent delay, Ubisoft is now describing its third-person shooterThe Division as a “fourth quarter” release. Given that their company’s financial year ends in March, that would peg the game for sometime between January 1 and March 31, 2016.