Microsoft Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Obsidian Entertainment‘s studio head Feargus Urquhart said that he had been approached by another publisher looking to buy the company before Microsoft. Ultimately, he turned down the offer as it “has to be a cultural fit,” and this offer was not.In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, recorded during October 7’s GI Live London, Urquhart spoke at length about being acquired by Microsoft and what studios should consider when being bought.

Xbox games could be coming to Game Pass through Xbox’s backwards compatibility program, and a datamine of the Microsoft Store potentially confirms it.As reported by TrueAchievements, XboxEra’s Nick Baker tweeted earlier this year claiming the backwards compatibility program wasn’t done, and that there would be a new batch of original Xbox and Xbox 360 games later this year.Baker has tweeted again, saying a datamine has revealed the names of some games, but “sometimes OG and 360 games are tested

Microsoft, it looks as though Sky is determined to resurrect the motion controls of Xbox Kinect with this new device – set to launch sometime next year.Announced alongside a new line of Sky Glass TVs (with built-in cameras and motion control capability), the Sky Glass camera is just the start.The 4K Sky Glass camera includes motion controls and gestures support, works across games and TV apps, and utilises a new social TV sharing feature and a built-in partnership with Microsoft.“Working with

Windows 11, the newest update to Microsoft’s long running series of PC firmware, is available now to download for free.Available from the Microsoft website, users can either install it using a bootable DVD, a USB drive, or an ISO file.In a blog post from August, Microsoft claimed that “Windows 11 delivers the best Windows ever for gaming and unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware with technology like DirectX12, Ultimate, DirectStorage and Auto HDR”.This is all part of Microsoft’s

Halo Infinite is currently running one of its insider weekends (October 1 to 3) where players can get an early look at the multiplayer, and it looks like someone has figured how to play it splitscreen.According to head of creative at 343 Industries Joseph Staten, local splitscreen isn’t going to be available for the game until it launches on December 8, but one Reddit user has found a rather convoluted way to have splitscreen players face off against bots in the beta.Outlined in this Reddit post

Microsoft announced that it is adding a series of new accessibility features to the Xbox range in the coming months.The series of plans include improvements to all things Xbox, such as the Microsoft Store, the Xbox app on PC, Xbox Game Pass apps, and Xbox.com.The Microsoft Store for Xbox will receive a new accessibility panel for each game listing. It’s designed to make it easier for players to find games that include certain accessibility features.

Starfield director Todd Howard announced at Tokyo Games Show 2021 that Bethesda‘s sci-fi RPG will feature “over 300 actors and over 150,000 lines of dialogue”, more than double the amount in Skyrim.This is certainly in line with the “large scale goals and storytelling” Howard promised for the game back in June.

Xbox Series X|S consoles. According to an Xbox Wire post, more than 100 next-gen HDR titles that are optimised for Xbox Series consoles are available with Dolby Vision right now or will be in the future.

Marvel’s Avengers will be coming to Xbox Game Pass on September 30, including all post-launch heroes and missions.In an announcement today (September 28) on the Xbox Blog, it was revealed that Marvel’s Avengers will be coming to Game Pass at the end of this month (September 30).

Windows 11’s release version is now available for those in the Microsoft Insider Program to try, releasing to the public next month.The launch build of Windows 11 releases on October 5, but Windows Insiders are already getting a preview of the upgraded operating system.

Microsoft has officially recognised that NBA 2K22 is having issues, but many claim more games are suddenly shutting their Xbox down.The Microsoft website, at the time of writing, has a ‘limited functionality’ notice next to NBA 2K22, acknowledging both there and on Twitter that the game has been shutting down some Xbox consoles.Teams are continuing to investigate reports of consoles powering off or quitting to home while playing NBA 2K22.

Deathloop’s Colt Vahn doesn’t have a PlayStation 5, so Microsoft is sending him one so he can play the game.Jason Kelley, the voice of protagonist Colt Vahn, took to Twitter shortly before the launch of Deathloop to celebrate its release and express how excited he was for fans to play the game.

Perfect Dark reboot The Initiative has announced it is working with Crystal Dynamics on the game. The announcement was shared by The Initiative on Twitter this morning (September 24), which reads: “Perfect Dark update! We are partnering with Crystal Dynamics, the world class team behind character-driven games such as Tomb Raider, to bring this first-person spy thriller to a new generation.”Perfect Dark update! We are partnering with Crystal Dynamics, the world class team behind character-driven

Minecraft developer Mojang is said to be working on two all-new projects, and they’re set within the Minecraft universe.According to Windows Central, the developer is actively working on two brand new titles. But precisely what they are remains a bit of a mystery.“One thing I know for sure: There is more Minecraft coming,” said senior editor Jez Corden.

Microsoft is bringing back old gamerpics to the Xbox Series X|S with a new option to use Xbox 360 pics on your new console.Before now, upgrading to a shiny new gamerpic on your Xbox Series X|S meant losing your old, outdated gamerpics forever. But now, Microsoft is testing a new feature that allows you to get them back.“I know a bunch of you were asking for a way to go back to your Xbox 360 gamerpic,” said Microsoft developer Eden Marie on Twitter (via eurogamer).

343 Industries has confirmed that Halo Infinite will not have a dedicated multiplayer ranking system outside of its battle pass.This decision means that owning the battle pass will be the only way to rank in Halo Infinite as of launch-day, and even this will not rely solely on a traditional XP ranking.

Microsoft Solitaire Collection now includes a Halo themed deck, and is available on Xbox Game Pass for PC.Released to celebrate 20 years of Halo, the clash of two Microsoft titans was announced this week, and changes both the front and backs of the Solitaire cards to make them in keeping with the Halo theme.

343 Industries‘ upcoming sci-fi shooter Halo Infinite will host two back-to-back test weekends to put its evolving multiplayer matches through their paces.As announced in a blog post on the Halo Waypoint, the game will see the first test running from September 23-26, and the second  from September 30-October 3.

Xbox Series X|S offering smaller storage capacity at a more affordable price.According to French website Xbox Squad (thanks, VGC), a new 500GB version of the expansion card is reportedly being sold to suppliers for €125.71 (£107.22) before tax.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection are set to change once Halo Infinite launches later this year.In a new development update via the Halo Waypoint website, publishing team lead producer Michael Fahrny shared new information regarding the future of Halo: The Master Chief Collection as well as the upcoming Season 8 (thanks, PCGamer).“As we look ahead to later this year and beyond, we expect some changes to occur around how and when we deliver future updates to MCC,” Fahrny said.

Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S users are reporting that Xbox Live is down – stopping users from logging into the service or playing online games.Update: Xbox Support reports that the issue is now fixed.Players should once again be able to access the Xbox Network, launch titles and start/join Cloud Gaming sessions.

Age of Empires IV will be throwing open the doors of history with a public ‘technical stress test’ planned for this weekend.As announced in a post on the game’s official blog, the test will run from Friday, September 17 (starting at 10am PT/6pm BST) until Monday, September 20 (ending at 10am PT/6pm BST).

Microsoft is returning for its second Xbox showcase stream at Tokyo Game Show 2021 on September 30, but will not feature any “new global debuts”.While it was reported earlier this month that the platform holder will have its own virtual streaming slot at Tokyo Game Show 2021 with promises of “exclusive news”, an Xbox Wire post from Jeremy Hinton, head of Xbox Asia, clarifies that fans should not expect any new world premiere reveals but instead there will be “a celebration with our Asia

Windows 10 PCs or above can now stream Xbox games directly from the console or via the cloud thanks to a new update. According to an Xbox Wire post, this means that as of today (September 14) the Xbox app can support both “playing Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud” and “playing games directly from your console with Xbox remote play.”Notably it means that PCs that don’t have the specs for certain games can still run them through the Xbox app if your internet is good enough.

Arkane Studios upcoming co-op vampire slaying adventure Redfall have leaked online.The Microsoft and Xbox exclusive title had playtest images posted to Reddit that were later deleted (as spotted by VGC) which were then shared across social media.

Microsoft Flight Simulator players were able to use the game’s live weather mechanic to fly through the recent Hurricane Ida.As spotted by PCGamer, several YouTubers have uploaded videos showing a first-person view of what flying through the fifth-strongest storm ever to hit the United States looks like.When Microsoft Flight Simulator‘s Real-World Weather is enabled, the game can simulate current weather conditions with the help of the meteorological service Meteoblue which gathers the data as

Microsoft has acquired the online video editing tool Clipchamp, and it could be a way to edit and share clips through the Windows and Xbox ecosystems.The news came from a blog post by corporate vice president of the Office Media Group Chris Pratley, who said that “As a web app that uses the full power of your PC, Clipchamp is a natural fit to extend the cloud-powered productivity experiences in Microsoft 365 for individuals, families, schools, and businesses.“It’s also a great fit for Microsoft

Microsoft Flight Simulator has landed, featuring improvements to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.The 1.19.8.0 patch update released yesterday (September 7), as part of the development team’s vision to continuously improve and expand Microsoft Flight Simulator.The main highlight of the update gives a visual overhaul to the regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, which not only better captures their mountain ranges like the Alps but also historical landmarks like castles.The hills are

Xbox gamer, there’s been a weird quirk of hardware design sitting in your palms for almost a decade – the buttons on the familiar Xbox One and Xbox Series X controllers are all different sizes.At a glance, it might not look that way.

Microsoft Flight Simulator‘s Top Gun expansion pack has been delayed to ensure it lines up with the Top Gun: Maverick movie’s release date.Last week, Paramount delayed a number of films on its 2021 line up including Top Gun: Maverick. The Tom Cruise starring blockbuster has been moved from its Thanksgiving weekend release slot to 27th May 2022.

Halo Infinite, 343 Industries has decided to change how it works in the future, returning to a more traditional method for the franchise.In a blog post on the Halo Waypoint site, 343 Industries explained that while some players liked the new combat sensor, most found it confusing.

PS5 or Xbox Series X – the ongoing shortage of components is likely to see availability continue to be a problem until 2022, and in some cases 2023.That’s according to Toshiba, which builds components used in the manufacturing process of new consoles, most crucially power-regulating chips (thanks, Bloomberg).

Windows store suggests that Microsoft is testing Android app functionality on Xbox consoles.A testing app for developers – called Windows Subsystem for Android – is listed on the Microsoft Store, although opening it only results in a blank window.

Xbox will be holding a showcase at Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2021 taking place from September 30 to October 3, with promises of “exclusive news”.The official program for TGS 2021 was announced earlier today (September 1), featuring showcases from a number of publishers, with Microsoft the only platformer holder hosting a stream.With a 50-minute presentation scheduled for the opening day on September 30 at 2am PST / 10am BST / 6pm JST, the blurb under the event promises “exclusive news” for

Microsoft has announced the launch date for its next major operating system, Windows 11, while also emphasising how it will benefit PC gamers.The latest update to the Windows infrastructure will arrive on October 5, when the free upgrade path will begin rolling out to eligible Windows 10 PCs. PCs with Window 11 installed by default will also begin to go on sale from that date.In a blog post today (August 31), Microsoft called the new OS “the first version of a new era of Windows”.

Mario Kart 8 into Microsoft Flight Simulator that players can fly through.In a recent Twitch stream, Illogicoma has added several tracks from Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 into Microsoft Flight Simulator.