2013 saw many great announcements and releases in the tech world, yet not even the latest Apple smartphone could upstage the inevitability of the next-gen console wars. Both Sony and Microsoft came through with their respective PlayStation 4 and Xbox One machines after months of teasers and revelations, and although it's too early to determine which of these two titans will reign supreme, both have enjoyed impressive starts in the video game market. Yusuf Mehdi, VP of Marketing, Strategy and Business for the Xbox, has written a reflective piece on the early progress of the latest and greatest, revealing that over three million units have been sold across 13 different countries already.
Keeping up with the latest game technology sure isn't a cheap proposition. You go out, possibly lining up to get your hands on the latest and greatest gaming machine that money can buy - we'll let you argue over which one that is! - and then you're faced with the question of what software to get for that machine. The problem is that you've spent so much on that shiny new box of tricks that you want to be sure, really sure that you're choosing the right games. Especially when they're as expensive as the current generation of games seem to be.
Waking up on Christmas morning and unwrapping an Xbox One will usually be enough for most of us, but if being the same as everyone else just doesn't cut it for you, then maybe you could ask Kris Kringle for the 24-karat gold plated Xbox One that is currently available at Harrods in London.
Sony and Microsoft have both attempted to continue the console roller-coaster by issuing separate statements about their hardware. The individual statements both take the opportunity to reflect on the sales and successes of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One during the first calendar month of availability. As you might expect, neither company is initially prepared to accept that they are playing catch-up with the other, and as a result have opted to put their own individual slant on November's sales figures with the intention of claiming an early victory.
The renewed console war has officially begun, with both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One having released across several major markets. Having already heard that Sony managed 2.1 million consoles sold in just a couple of weeks from its launch in November to the end of the month, figures shared by Major Nelson suggest that Microsoft is right on its tail.
The Halo franchise has been an integral part of the Xbox's success hitherto, and with the Xbox One having just entered the scene, Larry Hryb, better know as Major Nelson, has just revealed the release date of Halo: Spartan Assault on the console.
Microsoft's Xbox One is the console that the company hopes will carry it through to 2020 and beyond, but while all the talk is often about how powerful these new game consoles are and whether they will usher in a new era of hyper-realistic games or not, often one of the important aspects of a new console is overlooked - how does the thing look?
Here's how you can enable or find free Xbox One game demos to download and try on your shiny new console before making an actual purchase of the full version.
The Xbox One finally made its debut in several major markets almost two weeks ago, and since then, gamers have been busily familiarizing themselves with the new Dashboard interface, increased power, and generally reveling in that new-console feeling. The special Day One Edition of the Xbox One was offered by Microsoft in the run-up to the release, and brought with it a series of perks reserved only to those who pre-ordered it. Here at Redmond Pie, we managed to reserve our own limited Day One Edition Xbox One, and naturally, felt compelled to give it an elaborate, snap-happy unboxing for your viewing pleasure. Check out the photos of the grand unveiling after the leap!
When Microsoft announced the Xbox One some people were disappointed to learn that there was no user replaceable hard disk, whereas the PS4 makes things nice and simple by having a trapdoor for easy access. Once Xbox Ones started being taken apart after its big release it was found that inside that big black box was a standard 2.5-inch laptop hard disk, the likes of which can be bought from any self respecting computer outlet. Almost immediately, the prospect of adding new, larger disks to Xbox One consoles became a possibility.
