Development so troubled that developers hoped it would just get cancelled.

It may come as no surprise to you to hear that the development of Redfall from Arkane Austin was plagued with issues at all levels. This includes a lack of oversight from Xbox management, staffing issues, and an ever changing design basis for the game itself. When Redfall launched last month, it was met with plenty of poor review scores from critics and players. It was filled with a myriad of technical bugs,...

This approval "represents a significant improvement for cloud gaming."

Hot on the heels of the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocking the merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard comes the approval of the merger from the European Commission (EC). This approval brings Microsoft's $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard that much closer to being completed.

Interestingly, the European Commission had very similar conclusions and concerns...

Wasn't this already announced?

Microsoft just announced that there will be an Xbox Games Showcase streamed live on June 11 at 10AM (PT). The Xbox Wire announcement suggests we will see a blend of both first-party and third-party titles that are coming to Xbox platforms in the months and possibly years ahead.

There were no specific developers or games shared in today's announcement. All we can say with certainty is that the titles shown off will be coming to Xbox, PC, and...

Friends can now get 14 days of PC Game Pass for free.

Microsoft announced a new referral program that will allow existing Game Pass subscribers to refer friends for a free 14-day trial to the service. Each person with either Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass will be able to send up to five referrals by clicking on the new "Give PC Game Pass" button from the Game Pass home screen.

Each of these trials can be redeemed for access to a 14-day PC Game Pass trial...

At least this one isn't about cloud gaming.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard on the grounds of how it would stifle cloud gaming competition. As absolutely ridiculous as that sounds, that wasn't the only weird thing the CMA decreed during yesterday's vote and report.

The CMA also claims in their final report (PDF link) that Nintendo's consoles are not technically capable of running games like Call of...

O'Connor worked on Halo since 2004.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that Halo's franchise director, Frank O'Connor, has left Microsoft. The confirmation from Microsoft comes shortly after initial reporting from Windows Central where they noted that O'Connor's LinkedIn page showed he was no longer working at Microsoft or 343 Industries.

Microsoft's statement about O'Connor's departure was very short. They say, "We thank Frank for his numerous contributions to the...

Staten will lead development on a new "AAA multi-platform game."

On April 8, 2023, news about Joseph Staten parting ways from Microsoft made its way around the Internet. Staten served as the creative lead on Halo Infinite and was the cinematic director on the first three Halo titles from Bungie. At the time, Staten said that he would have "more info to share soon."

True to his word, Staten's immediate future was revealed today. Taking once more to Twitter,...

If you sideload Windows on your Steam Deck, Microsoft is working to make the experience a lot better.

Word from The Verge says that Microsoft is currently experimenting with a new "handheld mode" for Windows. This Windows handheld mode would allow those who install Windows onto devices like the Steam Deck to enjoy a more streamlined experience.

The report from The Verge cites a leaked video that dates back to September 2022. The video is from an internal hackathon...

He was the head of creative on Halo Infinite and cinematic director for first three games.

It's the end of an era this weekend as Joseph Staten is leaving Microsoft. Staten was the head of creative on Halo Infinite and was also the cinematic director on the first three Halo titles. Microsoft confirmed this news on Friday, April 7, 2023.

Microsoft's statement to the public, via IGN, about Staten's departure did not indicate where he may be headed next. There was also no...

The ending came abruptly and impacts all regions.

Over the weekend, several people noticed they were no longer able to pick up either Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass for the low, low price of $1 (USD). Microsoft then confirmed that they have ended their $1 trial offer, which has been available now for years, as they consider new promotions instead.

Head of global communications at Xbox, Kari Perez, says, "We have stopped our previous introductory offer for...

Arkane's Harvey Smith says a planned PS5 version was scrapped following Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda.

Redfall is an upcoming cooperative FPS that will have you and up to three additional friends roaming the town of Redfall slaying vampires. Redfall was announced as being exclusive for PC and Xbox platforms, which does make a lot of sense seeing as how the developer, Arkane, is owned by Bethesda and Bethesda is owned by Microsoft.

In an interview with IGN France,...

The deal will bring some titles to Nintendo platforms and Nvidia's streaming services.

Microsoft has agreed to a 10-year deal that will bring Xbox titles to Nvidia's cloud streaming services and to Nintendo platforms. This is being done in an effort to appease antitrust regulators that still feel as though Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard would lead to anti-competitive behavior or even a monopoly.

In the deal with Nvidia, games like Minecraft...