ID@Xbox - Xbox Wire

Gaming Must Promote and Protect the Safety of All

by Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox Posted on May 20, 2019May 20, 2019

Today, in an opinion article I published on the Official Microsoft Blog, I shared my views on gaming as one of our society’s great unifying forces. We are a 2.6 billion-person strong community of parents playing with our kids, adventurers exploring worlds together, teachers making math wondrous, grandmothers learning about their grandchildren through play, and soldiers connecting with their folks back home. Most gamers today are adults; nearly half are women. For many people around the world, gaming is the first entry point into technology. This widespread embrace of gaming and its global communities have turned video games into the world’s leading cultural industry, bigger than... Read more

Join the Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour in July on Xbox One

by Des O’Connor, Producer, Fishing Sim World Posted on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019

The challenge of man versus beast, the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline of competition, Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour lets you feel it all. Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour introduces a brand-new career mode where you can take part in carp, bass or predator tournaments (or all three) and progress through the ranks from amateur to elite angler. Not only will you need to overcome the challenge of finding and catching the fish, but you will also be up against over 100 professional anglers from across the world in your pursuit of glory. You will gain social media followers and career earnings as you progress which will trigger sponsorship opportunities from over 50 licensed partners featuring in... Read more

Hidden Horror: The Essence of Layers of Fear 2, Coming Soon to Xbox One

by Rafal Basaj, Brand Manager, Bloober Team Posted on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019

All stories need to have a beginning and for Bloober Team, it was the creation of Layers of Fear. It was not the first game we developed, nor was it made during the first years of our existence. It did, however, become the hallmark for our company. It was our leap of faith into a genre we always wanted to work with and after years of gathering experience we were finally able to pull it off. In 2015, we sat down and started work on reimagining the philosophy of what we do. We knew we wanted to work with horror, but we didn’t want to create another shooter or survival game. We wanted it to be more personal. Monsters can be frightening, as is a need to constantly run for your life, but... Read more

Samurai Shodown Returns This Summer on Xbox One

by Jonathan Campana, Community Manager, SNK Corporation Posted on May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Samurai Shodown is considered one of the major fighting games that helped shaped the genre with its nail-biting weapon play. The newest installment coming June 25 in the US and June 26 in Europe will take players back to the battlefield where they can sharpen their blades on the bones of their fallen enemies. Adding on top of the already robust cast of characters comes three more characters completely new to the series: Darli Dagger: A strong-willed shipwright always looking for the next adventure and another drink. Her weapon, the Libertalia, is actually the tool she uses to repair ships. It changes form depending on the task, whether it’s hammering in a nail or sawing her... Read more

Free Play Days: Build a Red Planet Colony This Weekend in Surviving Mars

by Nikhat Ali, Lead Producer, Surviving Mars Posted on May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Greetings fellow Earthlings! I hope you’re just as excited as we are about building a new home on Mars now that Surviving Mars is free for Xbox Live Gold members this weekend. If you were waiting to try it out, you can start building your first colony on the Red Planet starting at 12:01 a.m. PDT on Thursday, May 16 through 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, May 19. For the new recruits, Surviving Mars is a survival management game where players must build a colony capable of supporting human life on Mars. Easier said than done considering the Martian atmosphere is hostile to humans and kills anyone directly exposed to it. The mission begins the moment you land on the Red Planet. Using... Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for May 21 to 24

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy on your favorite gaming console. To find out what’s coming soon to Xbox One, read on below and click on each of the game profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to... Read more

Undead Horde Rises on Xbox One

by Sampo Töyssy, Team Lead, 10tons Posted on May 15, 2019May 15, 2019

After over 1.5 years in development, Undead Horde is finally ready. The game is a necromancer simulator or a combination of ARPG and RTS with a lot of necromancy. The project started in late 2017. At that point we had done several top-down shooters in a row. Those included Neon Chrome, Jydge, Time Recoil, and Tesla vs Lovecraft. After working on top-down shooters since late 2014 we wanted to do something else. At that time games with interactive battling armies seemed to be quite popular. We started to research the topic and made a couple of prototypes with a fantasy battle simulator theme, but in the end, we couldn’t get those feel right for us. We put our thinking caps back on and... Read more: Undead Horde Rises on Xbox One

Stay on Target with These Sniper Elite V2 Remastered Tips and Tricks

by Sinan Kubba, Marketing Team, Rebellion Posted on May 14, 2019May 14, 2019

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is out today on Xbox One, and we’re delighted to be bringing a classic back on Xbox. Its combination of stealth gameplay, sniping simulation, and advanced bullet ballistics is still a joy seven years on from its release on Xbox 360. Now you can enjoy it on Xbox One with substantial graphical improvements, and numerous refinements and tweaks. We’ve also added a photo mode that lets you pause and advance the action frame-by-frame for that epic X-Ray Kill Cam shot, and all the playable characters from Zombie Army Trilogy. And we’ve expanded the multiplayer for up to 16 players to make it online play even more intense. If you really want to the visuals... Read more

This Week on Xbox: May 10, 2019

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on May 10, 2019May 10, 2019

We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox! ID@Xbox Game Fest Brings A Month of Games for Everyone We’re excited to kick off the fourth annual ID@Xbox Game Fest this week, where we celebrate the diverse range of games and experiences offered by independent developers on Xbox One. From May... Read more: This Week on Xbox: May 10, 2019

Tips and Tactics for a Battle of the Butts in Brief Battles, Available Now on Xbox One

by Andrew Freeth, Creative Lead, Juicy Cupcake Posted on May 10, 2019May 10, 2019

It’s time to grab your luckiest pair of undies and embrace the power of the butt, because Brief Battles is now available on Xbox One! For those unfamiliar, in Brief Battles, you use superpowered underpants to fight your friends! It’s a fast-paced, underwear-fueled party game that lets you wage hilarious battles with friends, family and foes, cheek to cheek on the comfort of your couch. Brief Battles is also brimming with solo and co-op challenges to test your skills, battle beasties, and unlock neat crossover skins from Yooka-Laylee, World of Goo, Bit.Trip Runner, and more. Our two-person team is ecstatic to share Brief Battles with couch gaming fans. To get you battle ready,... Read more

6 Things You Need to Know Before You Start Playing For The King, Available Now with Xbox Game Pass

by Michael Fisher, Product Manager, Curve Digital Posted on May 10, 2019May 10, 2019

Hello, Xbox fans! We're happy to announce that For The King is out now on Xbox One! Whether you’ve picked it up on Xbox Game Pass or as a direct purchase on Xbox One, we're following up on our previous Xbox Wire article to offer you six comprehensive things that you need to know before you start your For The King journey! #1 Level up on the Overworld Before Tackling Dungeons When you encounter one of the many deadly dungeons in For The King you will be given a recommended level for challenging the depths. In order to get this level, or better yet, higher than this level, you will want to explore the overworld and fight groups of enemies. This will not only net you a great... Read more

Next Week on Xbox: News Games for May 14 to 17

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on May 10, 2019May 10, 2019

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy on your favorite gaming console. To find out what’s coming soon to Xbox One, read on below and click on each of the game profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to... Read more

Black Paradox Brings Neon-Tinged, Space-Bending Shoot ‘em up Action to Xbox One

by Matt Cundy, Community Manager, Digerati Posted on May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

What is a ‘black paradox’? That’s a great question. I’m glad I asked. Developed by the talented folks at Italian developer Fantastico Studio, Black Paradox is first and foremost a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up with authentic neon-infused pixel art, a sublime synthwave soundtrack, and gameplay as intensely explosive as a super nova. And it’s available to download now on Xbox One! But that’s not the only black paradox in Black Paradox. Players assume the role of Black Paradox – an intergalactic bounty hunter and general badass. Travelling through the galactic quadrants in the Star Phoenix – a sweet-looking DeLorean-style ride that can fly through space – Black Paradox... Read more

Surviving Mars is Now Available with Xbox Game Pass – Get Started with These Survival Tips

by Nikhat Ali, Surviving Mars Lead Producer, Paradox Interactive Posted on May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

Xbox One players have been braving the harsh environments of Mars and building colonies on the Red Planet’s surface since Surviving Mars landed on Xbox One in March last year. With the upcoming launch of Surviving Mars: Green Planet expansion on May 16th, we’re excited to share that Surviving Mars is now available with Xbox Game Pass! Surviving Mars is a challenging survival management simulator developed by Haemimont Games and published by Paradox Interactive that tasks you with constructing a self-sustaining colony capable of supporting human life on Mars. This is no walk in the park thanks to the Red Planet’s hostile environment, limited access to resources, and lack of... Read more

Uncover Ancient Secrets in Valencia, Black Desert’s New Desert Region Update

by Danny Park, Live Service Project Manager, Black Desert Xbox Posted on May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

The new desert kingdom of Valencia is now available for Adventurers to explore within Black Desert for Xbox One. Gear-up and prepare for harsh temperatures, devastating sandstorms and toughened, hostile desert inhabitants. Valencia is the biggest region update since Mediah, and Adventurers will explore new territories, battle new monsters and bosses, and even be sent to prison. That’s right, prison! One of the exciting new features within Valencia is the new world boss, Kutum. This ancient construct lies burrowed beneath the desert sands, emerging only to hunt Adventurers and bring their journey to an end. Those who succeed in defeating Kutum will have a chance of obtaining rare... Read more

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10 Things You Might Not Know About Darkwood, Coming to Xbox One May 17

by Gustaw Stachaszewski, Co-Founder, Acid Wizard Studio Posted on May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

Hey there! My name is Gustaw and I am the co-founder of Acid Wizard Studio, the developers behind Darkwood. Darkwood is not a standard game - it is not really bound to one specific genre. It is a survival horror with RPG mechanics, but without jump scares. It is also a story driven open world game with crafting and some roguelike elements. It’s basically a mashup of features and things that we love in video games. You probably get the idea. Because the game is coming to Xbox One, we thought it might be nice to explain some of these features and share some not commonly known facts about the development process of the game. Did you know Darkwood was crowdfunded? Darkwood’s... Read more

Take a Journey Through Gaming History with SNK 40th Anniversary Collection on Xbox One

by Stephen Frost, Senior Producer, Digital Eclipse Posted on May 8, 2019May 8, 2019

At Digital Eclipse, we have always felt that the preservation of video games goes far beyond just the experience that you play on your TV. It is also the story and history behind the games, so when we were first approached by SNK to develop a collection of games that existed before the defining Neo Geo era, we knew that the project could end up being something truly special. Our company is no stranger to classic game compilations, but the idea of being able to explore a period of time that was so important to this industry yet so unknown to most gamers just felt utterly compelling. I mean, after all, these were the games that not only built the foundation of SNK as a company but also... Read more

Descenders Available Now with Xbox Game Pass

by Mike Rose, Director, No More Robots Posted on May 8, 2019May 8, 2019

Hey all! Last Summer, we launched downhill biking game Descenders on Xbox Game Preview that allowed us to take feedback from our players, and build Descenders into the best game it could possibly be. Can you guess what the number one thing you all kept asking for was? Multiplayer, of course! Over and over, and over, and over again. At some point we decided to take the hint, and so today we have some very exciting announcements for you. Descenders has now left Xbox Game Preview and launched into Xbox Game Pass, complete with a ton of new content including – yep, that’s right – online multiplayer. Ride with Friends When you boot Descenders up, you’ll be thrown into... Read more

ID@Xbox Game Fest Brings A Month of Games for Everyone

by Tao Sila, ID@Xbox Product Marketing Manager Posted on May 8, 2019May 8, 2019

We’re excited to kick off the fourth annual ID@Xbox Game Fest this week, where we celebrate the diverse range of games and experiences offered by independent developers on Xbox One. From May 7-27, we’ll be unearthing some of the ID@Xbox program’s hidden gems for players to discover. Beginning this week until May 20, we will focus on Gaming for Everyone and feature diverse stories, voices, creators, and characters across 31 participating titles. We’ll wrap up the month (May 21-27) with an ID@Xbox Super Sale highlighting even more games that have released through the ID@Xbox program. As a Game Fest tradition, we talked with the developers behind some of these games to learn... Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for May 7 to 10

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on May 3, 2019May 3, 2019

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy on your favorite gaming console. To find out what’s coming soon to Xbox One, read on below and click on each of the game profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to... Read more

Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Wargroove, and More

by Vincent Wang, Product Marketing Manager, Xbox Game Pass Posted on April 30, 2019May 1, 2019

*Alarm blares* *Yawns* Whoa, you would not believe the dream I just had! I was driving along the countryside when I took a wrong turn, hit a random turbo boost, flew into the sky, and ended up on Mars! That seemed normal, but the weird part came when knights and pirates started flying toward me from out of nowhere. Oh, and did I mention that everyone was block-shaped? This hasn’t been the first time I’ve had this dream either. Maybe I should stop having strawberry milkshakes before bed. Or maybe I’ve just been thinking about all the games coming to Xbox Game Pass. I should point out, if you’re looking for less random dreams and more actual memes, check out our Xbox Game... Read more