Microsoft Announces First Slate of Original TV Coming to Xbox One

Xbox One
Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers. Legendary soccer players. The guys who make Robot Chicken. These are the people that Microsoft’s throwing money at to help them make TV shows. Despite the fact that their plans to create all-new filmed entertainment have long been rumored and confirmed, it’s kind of weird to think that the same company that Continue Reading →

GameStop to Focus More Heavily on Mobile and Apple Products

GameStop
In a sweeping presentation to investors earlier this week, GameStop executives laid out plans to expand aggressively in the markets for mobile and Apple products while slightly reducing the number of storefronts devoted primarily to video games. At a GameStop Investor Day presentation titled “Beyond The Game” (audio available here), GameStop CEO Paul Raines emphasized Continue Reading →

Apple and Google are Now Vying for Exclusivity in Mobile Gaming

Android vs. iOS
A long-running battle between Apple and Google for mobile dominance is spreading to the most lucrative genre of apps: videogames. The two Silicon Valley giants have been wooing game developers to ensure that top-tier game titles arrive first on devices powered by their respective operating systems, people familiar with the situation said. In exchange, Apple Continue Reading →

Xbox One Gets April Update, Adds Friend Notifications and More

Xbox One
The Xbox One April update has begun rolling out to systems and will continue over the next few days, according to an announcement on the Major Nelson blog. The latest update initially rolled out last month to users in Microsoft’s beta program, an initiative that lets console owners test system updates prior to their official Continue Reading →

Exercise Your Brain by Playing Video Games

Super Mario 64
Mamma Mia! Last year, scientists in Berlin found that playing Super Mario 64 for 30 minutes a day increased gray matter in the brain. According to the journal of Molecular Psychiatry, this astounding find was observed in the parts of the brain that involve spatial navigation, memory formation, strategic planning and fine motor skills. Enjoying yourself Continue Reading →

This Xbox Controller Gauges Your Boredom, Increases Game Difficulty

Xbox Boredom Controller
Heart rate, temperature, respiration, and perspiration: These are our autonomous functions–our core physiological processes–that signal stress or arousal and can betray our otherwise cool exteriors. Stanford researcher Gregory Kovacs is reading these signals through a modified Xbox game controller. By adding a new, sensor-laden back plate, he can measure heart rate, blood flow, rate and Continue Reading →

The Xbox One’s First Original Video Content is Coming in June

Xbox One
Microsoft is going Hollywood with a cast including comedians Sarah Silverman and Seth Green, aspiring World Cup players and eerily human robots. All are involved in shows that Microsoft’s new Xbox television studio plans to roll out globally starting in June. Helmed by former CBS Corp. honcho Nancy Tellem, who Microsoft hired 19 months ago Continue Reading →

Microsoft is Considering Xbox 360 Emulation on the Xbox One

Xbox 360
When the Xbox One was announced last year, many Xbox 360 owners were upset that the system wouldn’t be backward compatible with 360 games. Now, there’s some indication that Microsoft is looking to remedy this situation through emulation, though the specific timing or form that the emulation will take is still unclear. Microsoft’s still-nebulous plans Continue Reading →