Xbox

Microsoft has put an end to fees it was charging developers who wanted to patch their Xbox 360 games, according to a new report.

Microsoft no longer charges Xbox 360 developers of both Xbox Live Arcade titles and full retail games to send out updates, game news/reviews site Eurogamer reported Thursday, citing multiple sources who claim to have knowledge of the move. The Xbox maker used to allow developers to update a title once for free and then charged them thousands of dollars for subsequent patches, according to Eurogamer's sources.

According to Eurogamer, Microsoft actually changed its policy … Read more

Microsoft is preparing a version of Xbox Music that will offer access to its subscription, storage, and track-purchasing service beyond its current Windows 8 and game console iterations.

"A Web version for Xbox Music will launch next week," a Microsoft spokeswoman said. "We will have more details to share then."

The news of the Web version was first reported by The Verge.

Microsoft baked Xbox Music into Windows 8, when the operating system debuted in October. The company used the leverage of its dominant operating system to help spark the service's business as it competes … Read more

Microsoft's Xbox and PC games may be coming to Apple's iPhone and Android devices sometime this year, according to a report by Nikkei via Reuters.

The tech giant is allegedly working on a licensing deal with Japanese mobile game maker KLab to bring its games to other smartphone platforms, according to Reuters. One of the first games said to be released is Age of Empires, which reportedly will be free and available on iOS and Android smartphones by the end of this year.

At least one Microsoft employee -- or somebody posing as one -- is none too happy with the company's about-face on the Xbox One.

In an anonymous Pastebin post on Thursday, a self-dubbed "heartbroken MS employee" vented on Microsoft's decision to remove at least two of the more controversial features in the Xbox One. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced that it would jettison the requirement that the Xbox One connect to the Internet. The company also said it would loosen the restrictions on used game sales.

In response, the Pastebin poster tried to highlight the vision behind the Xbox One … Read more

Microsoft says its decision to reverse its stance on Internet-connection requirements and used-games limitations was held up by last week's E3 gaming expo.

Speaking to All Things Digital in an interview published Thursday, Microsoft Xbox Chief Product Officer Mark Whitten said the company's E3 presentation was "the first time we had a chance to really lay out our program," adding that Microsoft believed it could explain the "complete story" at E3 and get to see what consumers "liked and what they didn't like."

In other words, Microsoft wanted to use its … Read more

Microsoft may have just backtracked on its derided policy that had restricted game sharing in its Xbox One console that goes on sale later this year -- but don't count on the company to revisit other unpopular features of the upcoming console.

In an interview with CNET, Marc Whitten, the chief product officer for Xbox, said the company has "no plans" to lower the $499 price tag for the console, even though Sony's rival PlayStation 4 will debut at $399. He echoed previous statements from the company that the Xbox One will offer features not found … Read more

We've still got about five months before the new Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch in North America, and already blood has been spilled.

From Microsoft gathering an arguably more impressive stable of exclusive games, to Sony revealing the lack of restrictions on PS4 games and a $100 lower price -- to Microsoft now doing a complete 180 on its DRM policies, this next console launch may be one of the most exciting and brutal yet.

And I can't wait to comfortably watch from the sidelines, praising Thor I'm not in either of their shoes.… Read more

Relief, disbelief, and some leftover bitterness surround Microsoft pulling a 180 on its Xbox One "always-on" policy.

Gamers have taken to forums, comment threads, and social media to express how they feel about the tech giant flip-flopping on the series of rules and restrictions that would have required Xbox One gamers to connect their consoles to the Internet once a day to prevent game piracy.

Microsoft announced Wednesday that it was backtracking on this much-derided policy, causing a flood of user reaction.

On Xbox's Facebook and Twitter accounts, tens of thousands of users have commented on the … Read more

Unless you've recently taken up residence under suitably large slab of earth, you're likely already aware of Microsoft's new Xbox One console. If not, buckle up, because there's an endless supply of details coming your way -- now.

The Xbox One will have a $499 starting price when it hits stores this November, and with a price that high, it's clear Microsoft is targeting the well-to-do consumer with the new device -- at least at launch. By comparison, the Sony PlayStation 4 will cost $399 -- although its optional PlayStation Eye camera and motion detector … Read more