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Microsoft chooses new Chief Executive Officer Yesterday Microsoft announced that Satya Nadella will be the new Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors. Bill gates also has made a switch of positions as he takes on the new role of Technology Advisor after leaving as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Satya Nadella, who has replaced Steve Ballmer as CEO has been at Microsoft for 22 years, joining in 1992. Before the announcement yesterday Nadella was the Executive Vice President of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise group. Upon his new role, Nadella sent emails to his fellow employees saying how humbling it is for him and that it's like his first day joining the company over two decade ago. "Today is a very humbling day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at Microsoft, 22 years ago. Like you, I had a choice about where to come to work. I came here because I believed Microsoft was the best company in the world" Bill gates who was also among the change of positions said a few words on Nadella becoming CEO. “During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” The co founder also said; "Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth.” Quite a few changes have been happening at Microsoft lately, being within the main company itself and within their gaming studios. What do you think about the recent news? Leave any thought's in the comment below. Sources: Micrsoft (1), Microsoft (2) View full article

According to "respected sources" given to VG247 Microsoft will be lowering the price of the Xbox One sometime this year. VG247 reported that it will fall down to the price of the price the PS4 "Microsoft has told trusted publishing partners that it will release a new model Xbox One before the end of the year, a senior source has confirmed to VG247. Although the source was unable to confirm that the system will be disc-less and feature a bluetooth adaptor, the new console will be priced cheaper than the current $499 model. Upon release, Microsoft would likely drop the price of the current Xbox One model, placing it in the same price point as Sony’s PlayStation 4." There has been quite a lot of rumors buzzing around regarding Microsoft this week, mostly coming from Neogaf by the user of "ntkrnl". There has been several rumors including a Halo 2 anniversary edition being set to release this year and Halo 5 being delayed as many of you may already know. But many of us were unsure on how to take these rumors but according to Kotaku nktrnl is connected to microsoft and they are seeking legal action against these leaks. "So how valid is this stuff? Well, thanks to a reliable source, I've been able to confirm that ntkrnl is indeed connected to Microsoft, although I haven't been able to verify any of the poster's claims. Just because the leaker is in a position to know this information doesn't mean this information is true. (When I reached out this morning, Microsoft declined to comment.)" Another Kotaku statement. "On top of all that, according to one person familiar with the situation who spoke to me under condition of anonymity, Microsoft is currently trying to track down and identify ntkrnl. According to that person, Microsoft executives are looking to take legal action against ntkrnl, which, again, doesn't mean that everything he says is true." So with the latest news on these rumors and Microsoft seeking legal action, what are your views on all of this so far? View full article

Microsoft is offering $100 of store credit towards purchases of the Xbox One at their Microsoft stores for anyone who trades in their PS3. Neogaf user "oxidax" made a post on the forum saying he got the advert in his emails. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=98953025#post98953025 There is a list of terms and conditions that comes with the promotion The promotion is valid until February 28th, the offer is only at Microsoft stores in the US and Canada and it is not valid online. The console must be fully functional with out broken or missing components or have any damage to it and it must not be password protected. You must also purchase the Xbox One at the time of the trade in. View full article

Hey guys as most of you have probably read on the news page Microsoft has bought the rights for Gears of War and "tasked" Black Tusk with creating games for it. While I am not happy about this I want to know your guys opinion on it. Do you believe that Microsoft is going to pull a Capcom and start having them put out "Cash-In Games?" (Cash-In Game is a term that I use to describe games that were put out on the game market for the sole fact that the company knew that the franchise name alone would guarantee sales ex: Call of Duty or in other words the company do not have to put in any effort to make the game replayable or a "good game" in the sense that the majority of players would call it well made or basically some title that the company can CASH IN on.) so my question to you guys Do you believe that Microsoft is going to turn Gears of War into a Cash-In Game? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Microsoft has bought the rights to Gears of War from Epic Games and has given their game studio Black tusk the task to continue making new games for the franchise polygon has reported. Rod Ferguson who was executive producer and director of production at Epic Games has joined Black Tusk to aid them in further production of the Gears of War franchise, he will be working along side the studios manager Hanno Lemke. Ferguson spoke to polygon about this new turn of events. "I'm extremely excited to be joining Black Tusk Studios to oversee development on the Gears of War franchise," Ferguson said to polygon. "I've been privileged to work on a lot of great games with a lot of great teams, but Gears has had the most impact on me professionally and personally, so this really feels like a homecoming. I can't wait to share more with you all soon." Polygon also spoke to Microsoft Studios corporate vice president, he stated that they are not planning to talk about the franchise yet, but will be making announcements this year. Most likely we will see something regarding it at this years E3. View full article

Microsoft has sent out some interesting emails to popular YouTubers. Following what seemed like a successful Xbox One launch, Microsoft seems to be attempting to push ahead of Sony in the race, now paying YouTubers to promote their system. Apparently, emails were sent out to YouTubers offering a payment of $3 per 1,000 views. For the average YouTuber that has, let's just say, 35,000 views, it would roughly translate to a cool $105. To those who have more, like 100,000 views or more, they can expect much more income. View attachment: _1390077152.jpg With recent events piling up, such as the bots used to win a twitter poll on Microsoft's side, and the original slue of issues on the Xbox One at it's reveal, negative press keeps rolling in for Microsoft and their Xbox One. Does this seem like desperate business, or a smart strategy for the Xbox One? Source: CinemaBlend.com View full article

Microsoft working on Cortana voice search service; Coming Fall 2015. Around September of last year reports came out concerning a new voice search service called "Cortana." Cortana has been confirmed to be voiced by the same actor who voiced Cortana in the Halo video games, Jen Taylor. According to an entry on msftnerd: "Cortana will launch first in beta on Lumia this April for US developers. The service will expand to the Bing app for iPhone in the US market this fall. The underlying technology will be extended to American Xbox One & Windows users in 2015 with Threshold. Availability in additional English-speaking territories will be spread out over 2015 & 2016." This service is likely Microsoft's attempt to rival Apple's Siri voice searching service. I'm personally looking forward to using Cortana as a voice search system, let me know what your thoughts are in the comment section below. SOURCE:MSFTNERD SOURCE:ZDNET ~All for One View full article

No, Microsoft will not be making a Halo movie. After many rumors sprung up about Ridley Scott directing this film, these rumors have since been shot down by a Microsoft spokesperson in a response to Eurogamer. "The Halo franchise encompasses many elements, including games, action figures, novels and more," "As always, we have many projects in the works that offer us the opportunity to bring in new audiences to the franchise, as we did in the past with Halo Legends and Halo: Forward Unto Dawn." "We plan to continue telling the Halo story through innovative channels, but there are no plans for a Halo motion picture at this time." As it appears we will not be receiving a Halo film anytime soon, but we still have much to look forward to in the future with the Halo televsion series announced by Microsoft at last year's E3. What do you think, should Halo produce a feature-length film? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Source: Eurogamer View full article

Since its initial unveiling at E3 2013, 343 Industries' upcoming science fiction video game, Halo 5 is shrouded by mystery. Though the game was teased earlier, and Microsoft, its publisher confirmed it for a release in 2014, not much of information has trickled out. Below IGN make a list of the known facts of the still-in-development game A teaser video of the game that was titled only as Halo was shown at E3 2013 confirming the appearance of Master Chief. But no information on the role of Cortana is available. A data chip in Master Chief's hand is shown It might mean her resurrection or if it is only for her remembrance is not yet known. Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios spoke about the teaser trailer claiming that it was just a conceptual representation for where Microsoft wished to take its Halo series. It was also stated that Halo Trilogy will exceed its limit and will be a Saga, henceforth. 343 Industries is working on a Halo TV show that will be handled by Stevan Spielberg of Jurassic Park fame. The studio is also working on projects other than Halo."What is looming on the horizon for the studio is both exciting and daunting. We're working on projects that you know about (the TV show and Halo Xbox One) and others that you don't (insert absolutely zero clues here)," it wrote on Halo Waypoint blog. Corrine Yu, principal engine programmer of Halo 4 left 343 Industries and joined Naughty Dog. He was regarded as a great talent in the industry and was the driving force behind Halo 4's technical achievements. Timothy Longo, creative director of Tomb Raider joined 343 Industries and will be acting as the creative director of the joining studio. He previously worked with two Star Wars Projects: Republic Commando and other Lucasarts projects. Source-ibtimes View full article

The Best of 2014 on Xbox Take a look at this list of upcoming Xbox One and Xbox 360 games that will be hitting your console in 2014. Images and content courtesy of Xbox_Wire. “D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die” (Microsoft Studios) – From the creator of “Deadly Premonition,” Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro along with Access Games presents “D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die,” an interactive and episodic mystery series that fully utilizes Kinect with seated gameplay and voice recognition. Players assume the role of a detective with the curious ability to dive back in time as he tries to solve his wife’s murder and prevent it from occurring. “Tom Clancy’s The Division” (Ubisoft) – “Tom Clancy’s The Division” takes place in New York three weeks after a lethal virus, released on Black Friday, has swept through the city. One by one, basic services have failed. Society has collapsed into chaos. The President invokes Presidential Directive 51, and The Division, a top-secret unit of self-supporting tactical agents, is activated. When the lights go out, their mission begins. Discover a persistent, online, open-world New York where exploration, combat, and RPG player-progression are essential. “Dragon Age: Inquisition” (EA) – Explore a vast, fantasy world at the brink of catastrophe in “Dragon Age: Inquisition,” a next-generation action RPG, where your choices shape and drive the experience. In this upcoming video game from BioWare, makers of “Mass Effect 3” and “Dragon Age: Origins,” you’ll make your mark in an expansive, story-driven open world filled with complex characters, challenging combat and difficult decisions. A cataclysmic event has plunged the land of Thedas into turmoil. Dragons now darken the sky, casting a shadow of terror over a once-peaceful kingdom. Mages have broken into an all-out war against the oppressive Templars. Nations rise against one another. It falls to you to restore order as you lead the Inquisition and hunt down the agents of chaos - your choices will forever change the Dragon Age. “Dying Light” (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) – “Dying Light” is a first-person, action survival horror game set in a vast and dangerous open world. During the day, players traverse an expansive urban environment overrun by a vicious outbreak, scavenging the world for supplies and crafting weapons to defend against the growing infected population. At night, the hunter becomes the hunted, as the infected become aggressive and more dangerous. Most frightening are the predators which only appear after sundown. Players must use everything in their power to survive until the morning’s first light. “EA SPORTS UFC” (EA SPORTS) – With its first new major sports league partnership in over a decade, EA SPORTS presents “EA SPORTS™ UFC.” The next-generation of fighting has been built for the Xbox One by the team behind the critically-acclaimed “Fight Night” franchise. Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE™ technology, “EA SPORTS UFC” brings the action, emotion and intensity inside the Octagon™ to life in ways that were never before possible. The next-generation of True Player Motion not only showcases the diverse, powerful and fluid of attacks of elite mixed martial artists through Precision Movement, Dynamic Striking and Strategic Submission Battles, but also brings the combatants to life with Full Body Deformation and Real-Time Exertion. The simulation of Human Intelligence takes leaps forward with the strategic and adaptive MMAi system and is expressed through the most realistic characters ever created in a sports game. “The Elder Scrolls Online” (Bethesda) – “The Elder Scrolls Online,” the latest chapter of the award-winning franchise, will bring the legendary experience online for the first time. Whether you play with your friends or adventure alone, the game’s innovative combat system allows you to focus on action and tactics, not the UI. Use any weapon or armor at any time and customize your abilities to play the way you want as you uncover the mysteries of Tamriel and seek heroic quests on your own terms. Explore the far reaches of Skyrim, the mysterious lands of Morrowind, the sprawling metropolis of Daggerfall and beyond. The choices you make, from the alliance you join to the battles you fight, will shape your destiny and the world of Tamriel. “Kinect Sports Rivals” (Microsoft Studios) – “Kinect Sports Rivals” is the next generation of the best-selling Kinect franchise, “Kinect Sports,” that brings your favorite sports back in re-imagined ways, and delivers new sports and events made possible only with Xbox One’s revolutionary technology. “Kinect Sports Rivals” puts you in the game like never before, tracks your movements and expressions with incredible accuracy, and offers never-ending competition with your friends and rivals. The all-new Kinect instantly scans and creates a stylized digital version of you, your Champion, then drops your virtual athlete into the ever-evolving world of “Kinect Sports Rivals.” Compete in a world full of competitors on one of three global teams, each with its own philosophy and playing style. The competition starts in spring 2014. “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” (Konami) – World-renowned Kojima Productions showcases the latest masterpiece in the Metal Gear Solid franchise with “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.” “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” (on sale Spring 2014) is the first segment of the “Metal Gear Solid V” Experience and prologue to the larger second segment, “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” launching thereafter. “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” gives core fans the opportunity to get a taste of the world-class production’s unparalleled visual presentation and gameplay before the release of the main game. It also provides an opportunity for gamers who have never played a Kojima Productions game, and veterans alike, to gain familiarity with the radical new game design and unparalleled style of presentation. The critically acclaimed “Metal Gear Solid” franchise has entertained fans for decades and revolutionized the gaming industry. Kojima Productions once again raises the bar with the FOX Engine offering incredible graphic fidelity and the introduction of open world game design in the “Metal Gear Solid” universe. This is the experience that core gamers have been waiting for. “Minecraft: Xbox One Edition” (Mojang) – “Minecraft: Xbox One Edition” will deliver the Minecraft experience to Xbox One. Building off the hugely successful “Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition,” the edition on Xbox One will give players larger maps for bigger adventures, expanded multiplayer features, and feature enhancements powered by the Xbox One platform. “Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare” (EA) – Prepare your peashooters! “Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare” delivers a best-in-class multiplayer shooter experience with the fresh humor of the wildly popular “Plants vs. Zombies” series. Powered by the Frostbite 3 engine, “Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare” features stunning, 3D worlds, blooming with vibrant colors and unique landscapes. Players will take on the roles of plants and zombies across a mine-blowing world that is full of surprises. “Project Spark” (Microsoft Studios) – “Project Spark” is the ultimate digital playground for creative gamers of all ages. It’s a powerful, yet simple way to build and play your own worlds, stories, and games. Share all of your creations with a dynamic community, and play what the community makes. “Project Spark” brings creation to life and presents endless opportunities for play. Delivered as a free digital download and available on Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows 8.1, “Project Spark” lets creators carry over in-game progress from one platform to another, while providing new ways to interact with Kinect and Xbox SmartGlass. “Sunset Overdrive” (Microsoft Studios, Insomniac Games) – “Sunset Overdrive” breaks the mold of traditional shooter games by delivering an open world that can change every day, influenced and inspired by the game’s community of players. Developed exclusively for Xbox One by Insomniac Games, “Sunset Overdrive” is an always-changing, open-world shooter set in the not-so-distant future where a catastrophic event has left your city overrun by mutants. With an arsenal of kick-***, overpowered weapons and a knack for traversing the city with hyperagility, it’s not the end of days. Your story is just beginning. “Thief” (Square Enix) – Garrett, the Master Thief, steps out of the shadows into the City. In this treacherous place, where the Baron’s Watch spreads a rising tide of fear and oppression, his skills are the only things he can trust. Even the most cautious citizens and their best-guarded possessions are not safe from Garrett’s reach. “Titanfall” (EA, Respawn Entertainment) – Crafted by one of the co-creators of “Call of Duty” and other key designers behind the “Call of Duty” franchise, “Titanfall” delivers a brand-new online experience that combines fluid, fast-paced multiplayer action with heroic, set-piece moments found in traditional campaign modes. Set in the near future on a distant frontier torn apart by war, “Titanfall” drops players in the middle of a conflict between the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation and the Militia. The action is rapid and varied – featuring parkour-style wall running, massive double jumps and the ability to hijack titans. The freedom to shift back and forth between pilot and titan allows players to change tactics on the fly, attacking or escaping depending on the situation and extending the action vertically to new heights. “Warface” (Crytek) – “Warface: Xbox 360 Edition” is a global, free-to-play, online first-person shooter for Xbox 360, created by Crytek. Powered by the CRYENGINE it offers intense online co-operative and competitive multiplayer action set in the near-future. Players engage in thrilling multiplayer battles on the frontline to solve the conflict between the elite "Warface and Blackwood forces. “Warface: Xbox 360 Edition” keeps gameplay fresh and exciting by providing new content on a regular basis, including daily co-operative campaign missions and a continual supply of new maps, weaponry, boosts and more. “Watch_Dogs” (Ubisoft) – In “Watch_Dogs,” you play as Aiden Pearce, a brilliant hacker, whose criminal past led to a violent family tragedy. On the hunt for those who hurt your family, you'll be able to monitor and hack all who surround you by manipulating everything connected to the city’s network. In “Watch_Dogs,” this system is called the Central Operating System (ctOS) – and it controls almost every piece of the city’s technology and holds key information on all of the city’s residents. Access omnipresent security cameras, download personal information to locate a target, control traffic lights and public transportation to stop the enemy, and more. “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” (CD Projekt Red) – “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” is a unique combination of non-linear storytelling and open world exploration – a fantasy RPG focused on player choice, tactical combat and an immersive environment. Spinning the tale of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter, “The Witcher 3” aims to attract gamers with a mature and compelling narrative told like no other. With over 100 hours of hand-crafted core and side quest gameplay, “The Witcher 3” redefines the genre, shaping the next generation of RPGs. “World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition” (Microsoft Studios) – As the custom-built Xbox 360 version of the global online multiplayer phenomenon dedicated to tank warfare in the mid-20th century, command some of history’s most powerful tanks and experience intense combat. The excitement of battle is enhanced by working together with your tank platoon to win the fight, which puts you in the driver’s seat of some of the world’s most powerful armored vehicles. Engage in global online tank combat where team-based tactics and coordination are the keys to victory. View full article

A recent job posting from Microsoft Game Studios provided a vague view into the future of Microsoft's PC titles. It appears they are at work on a ''new title based on a beloved franchise for Windows 8.'' The Job Posting went live on December 13th and seeks a senior engineer for the project mentioned above. There is no mention of what this franchise is exactly, but the development team "is focused on building a robust and highly scalable cloud service that is central to the game experience." But considering the inclusion of Azure Cloud Support on many titles on the Xbox One like Titanfall and Forza 5, this doesn't narrow things down. If this is an exclusive, it sure isn't the first Microsoft has put out on a Windows system. The PC version of Halo 2 required Vista to play in 2007, much to the disappointment of those disinterested in upgrading to Vista or paying a fee to play online. Most notably as well, the recent Spartan Assault, which was limited to Windows 8 before recently. Microsoft began working on a large scale of PC games again last month after being somewhat in limbo, with Phil Spencer stating that there are "more individual projects on Windows than we've had in ten years at Microsoft Studios." He further stated the company is looking beyond the casual games at the Windows 8's launch, saying, "Now we're starting to look at bigger and core gamer things. I'm excited by that." More recently (Again through Job Postings) Microsoft revealed it was exploring it's "back catalog of existing IP," as well as Free-To-Play games, it's possible this is related to the new Windows 8 project above. The same could be said for another Job Posting from Fable developer Lionhead, though whether that is for the Windows 8 version of Fable Legends, or something else entirely, has yet to be seen. Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/13/microsoft-bringing-a-beloved-franchise-to-windows-8

An article posted on teambeyond.net say's 343 Industries Creative Director Josh Holmes has stepped down from his position and has become the executive producer instead. As you can see from his twitter page it states he is the EP (Executive Producer) at 343. The person replacing him is Tim Longo who was the creative director of Republic Commando and the Tomb Raider reboot. He has also stated his new position on his twitter page. The reason for the switch of positions is unknown at the moment as neither of them has stated why it has happened but news on that may surface soon. View full article

Microsoft has acknowledged that government snooping - moreover, the monitoring of internet data - is an "advanced persistent threat" in a blog post written by the company's General Counsel and Executive VP of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Brad Smith. “Many of our customers have serious concerns about government surveillance of the internet,” Smith writes. “We share their concerns. That’s why we are taking steps to ensure governments use legal process rather than technological brute force to access customer data. Like many others, we are especially alarmed by recent allegations in the press of a broader and concerted effort by some governments to circumvent online security measures in order to surreptitiously collect private customer data. “If true, these efforts threaten to seriously undermine confidence in the security and privacy of online communications. Indeed, government snooping potentially now constitutes an ‘advanced persistent threat’ alongside sophisticated malware and cyber attacks.” As a response, Microsoft has declared that it will be offering safeguards, boosting its encryption services and bolstering the legal protection for customer data. The company also promises to be more transparent about its own coding in an effort to ensure consumers are better able to understand how Microsoft handles their data. “Ultimately, we’re sensitive to the balances that must be struck when it comes to technology, security and the law,” Smith continued. “We all want to live in a world that is safe and secure, but we also want to live in a country that is protected by the Constitution. “We want to ensure that important questions about government access are decided by courts rather than dictated by technological might. And we’re focused on applying new safeguards worldwide, recognising the global nature of these issues and challenges. We believe these new steps strike the right balance, advancing for all of us both the security we need and the privacy we deserve.” <via MCV> View full article