Xbox adds Netflix-style video game subscriptions

SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft on Wednesday launched a subscription service for Xbox, letting players pay a monthly fee for access to a library of videogames for its console.

People who already subscribe to an Xbox Gold service can pay an extra $10 monthly for the new "Game Pass," which will be available at the same cost to console users with Live accounts in any of 31 markets around the world at the start of June, according to product marketing director Parimal Deshpande.

"At launch and beyond, our goal is to make sure there are great games to play for all gamers," Deshpande said in a blog post.

Microsoft revealed plans for the Game Pass earlier this year and tested it with users who were part of in an "insider" program.

The subscription service, using the Netflix model of monthly subscriptions for instant online access, will offer some 100 games that can be played on Xbox One or prior-generation Xbox 360 consoles, according to Deshpande.

People will be enticed to try to Game Pass with 14-day free trials.

Players subscribing to the service will be able to download games to consoles for optimal performance and be offered discounts to buy them for keeps.

Games in the opening line-up included "Halo 5: Guardians," "Bioshock," and "Borderlands."

A YouTube video about the service had logged more than 278,000 views within 24 hours of being posted.

Markets where Xbox Game Pass is launching included Australia, Britain, France, Hong Kong, India, and North America.

Sony makes a library of videogames available as part of a subscription service for PlayStation consoles, the latest generation of which has outsold Xbox One by about 2-to-1 according to market trackers.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Microsoft says game over for Xbox 360

Microsoft Corp. said on Wednesday it would stop production of its popular Xbox 360 video game console, which helped the company gain a firm foothold in the market.

More than 80 million units of the console have been sold since it was launched in 2005.

Xbox 360 also introduced Microsoft's Kinect motion-sensing game device. It was the company's primary gaming console, until it launched the Xbox One in 2013.

The Xbox 360 launched with a number of popular video games including Activision Blizzard Inc's "Call of Duty 2" and Electronic Arts Inc's "Need for Speed: Most Wanted".

Microsoft said in a blog post it would continue to sell existing inventory of the consoles, and that it would continue to provide customer support.

The company's Xbox Live network, which allows online multi-player gaming, will continue to be available for the Xbox 360.

Sales of older-generation consoles, such as the Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, have been declining as consumers shift to newer versions of the consoles from the companies.

"While we've had an amazing run, the realities of manufacturing a product over a decade old are starting to creep up on us," said Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft's Xbox division.

The company has also introduced the ability for users to play games launched for the Xbox 360 on its latest console. Microsoft currently offers over 100 video game titles as a part of its "backward compatibility" feature.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Microsoft’s Xbox to sell music, goes mobile

Microsoft Corp took another step toward its goal of turning the Xbox into the nexus of household entertainment, unveiling software to let users view extra content, control games and surf the Internet from their tablets and smartphones.

The software maker, whose market-leading Xbox already streams Netflix and ESPN and other channels, unveiled a “SmartGlass” application on Monday that links the console to mobile devices powered by Windows or Apple Inc’s iOS and Google Inc’s Android.

The U.S. software corporation has been trying for years to make a living-room entertainment hub of its Xbox, which has sold 67 million units since it launched in 2005. Now, the company is trying to expand the Xbox’s entertainment menu and hook it up to “companion” mobile devices as a way to boost sales of its seven-year old console.

On Monday, it also announced Internet browsing will be made available on Xboxes, including through voice recognition in a nod to the popular “Siri” function on the newest iPhones. And it talked about plans to sell cloud-based music a la Apple’s iTunes or Amazon.com Inc.

Wedbush Securities’ Michael Pachter deemed “SmartGlass” a nice feature — especially how it turned devices into TV remotes — but added it wasn’t clear how essential it will become.

But having Internet Explorer on Xboxes will help Microsoft compete with a new generation of “smart” or Web-enabled TVs made by Samsung and others that let viewers stream content from online services such as YouTube.

“With an open browser, it’s like you have a smart TV on an Xbox, which could mean you don’t go out and buy a connected TV if you already have an Xbox at home,” he said.

Remotely control TV screens

“SmartGlass” lets users remotely control TV displays from touchscreen enabled mobile devices — swiping, pinching and tapping just like one would on an iPhone.

It also allows viewers to see “companion content,” from TV to games, on the smaller screen. For example, gamers playing Electronic Arts Inc’s “Madden NFL” on an Xbox in the same room could design plays on individual tablets without showing their opponent. Or, someone watching “Game of Thrones” on the “HBO GO” streaming service via Xbox could simultaneously browse websites about the show’s cast.

Microsoft is the second company at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles — the annual gathering of the industry’s top executives and analysts and fans — to show off services that employ a second screen.

Nintendo’s GamePad controller, unveiled on Monday, is used in conjunction with the company’s consoles and features a screen that can display additional content and gameplay.

Microsoft also gave the audience a sneak peek at “Xbox Music,” which will work on Xboxes as well as on Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices. And it drew cheers from the fanboys in the audience with new versions of its “Halo” and “Gears of War” shooter games.

Shares of Microsoft closed down 0.4 percent at $28.55.

For some though, the proliferation of devices may be too much. South Park co-creator Trey Parker, invited onstage with partner-in-crime Matt Stone, poked fun at the concept of household connectivity.

“How many times have you watched South Park, thinking I want to play a game on my tablet, while connected to my oven sitting in a fridge?” he quipped as Microsoft executives looked on.

source: interaksyon.com