Does the name Steven Gerrard mean anything to you? How about Zachary Quinto? Microsoft has employed both the England football captain and the Star Trek franchise’s “Spock” - among a slew of others - for its first Xbox One ad that sets the message right, in terms of establishing the new console as not just an entertainment device, but also a fully powered gaming console for serious gamers.
Microsoft owns the Xbox console lineup, right? And the company also owns the most widely-used desktop computing platform, Windows, as well. It would naturally make sense for the Redmond giant to have a dedicated app for promoting its Xbox console by simple math. Hence, the company has done just that, by releasing a news and countdown app for Xbox One for Windows 8.
As well as delivering plenty of insight into its upcoming Xbox One console along with some of the many launch titles set to be available when the November release date arrives, Microsoft has been doing a pretty stellar job of talking up the next-gen Kinect, which will ship with each and every newly-purchased Xbox One. We've already seen some of the many powerful features on offer with the new device, including the ability to recognize two different voices when they're talking at the same time, and and an intriguing new video clip offers perhaps the most vicarious look yet through the eye of the sensor.
Microsoft's original Kinect sensor was extremely popular when launched back in 2010, and as we draw ever closer to the release of the Xbox One, we're looking forward to seeing what the next-gen Kinect is made of. Microsoft has waxed lyrical about it and its various new capabilities for quite some time, but while we might have thought we knew the new motion sensor inside out, the Redmond company has dropped a little more interesting information. Talking at the London Eurogamer Expo, Microsoft's Phil Harrison spoke of how the new Kinect will include the ability to understand two people talking at the same time, which take things quite a bit further than we've ever seen in the gaming world.
Xbox One is one device that isn’t just for gaming, and the company is out to prove that in full force. The newest gaming console from the Redmond company has been touted several times as a multi-purpose home entertainment system - something that you would frequently use for more than just gaming - and the company’s latest ad for Xbox One takes that fact even further. This time, Microsoft is targeting National Football League (NFL) fans directly, showing off Microsoft’s Fantasy Football system for the Xbox One and more.
Although the Xbox One has been revealed and, more recently, finally been given a release date, we're still learning new and exciting things about Microsoft's console every day. The official Microsoft support channels on the various social networks have been inundated with questions from eager gaming fans, and, slowly but surely, the Redmond company is getting around to divulging some of this important information. In the latest, it looks as though the Xbox One will be able to connect up to eight controllers at any one time, meaning those looking to enjoy extended family / friend multiplayer match-ups probably won't need to keep rotating. By the same token, the PlayStation 4 will only support a maximum of four, but given the limited support for more than four competitors, as well as the practical issues, this shouldn't be a deal-breaker.
Let's be honest, those who are managing to hold down a steady job should class themselves as extremely fortunate. Those who get up each morning and walk through the employment doors of prestigious companies like Microsoft, even more so. If you take away the regular salary bank deposits and the respect that comes with working for a huge corporation on extremely popular products, then just what's left? It seems that employees of the Redmond based company are left with access to an exclusive employee-only white Xbox One, and we couldn't be more envious.
The battle for supremacy in the next-gen console wars is really heating up, to the point now where every day, either Microsoft or Sony has something to reveal regarding their respective consoles. With the latter having disclosed the PS4 release date for the whole world to drool over, today is Microsoft's turn, and the Redmond company now has the Xbox One on display for all to see at it own retail outlets. Unfortunately, they're securely housed within the confinements of glass boxes, but with many consumers still on the fence with regards to which console they will eventually choose, a close-up look at the new design could tempt some into going ahead and pre-ordering.
It's a well known fact that Europeans love their football, or soccer, as it known in some parts of the world, and as a sweetener, Microsoft is throwing in a free copy of FIFA 14 with every Xbox One pre-order. The move, which is an overt attempt to pull in consumers tempted by the PlayStation 4, was announced by the Redmond company at the Gamescom trade show in Germany, and will be available to all pre-orderers while stocks last.
Microsoft may have announced its Xbox One console significantly later than Sony did the PlayStation 4, but the software maker appears to be making up for lost time in spades. Today, the company has announced a boatload more games heading to its forthcoming console, bringing the current total up to fifty. With more on the way, we're finally getting down to the really tantalizing bit as far as the gaming community is concerned, and with such a wide variety of games now confirmed for the Xbox One, there's something for everyone.
