Microsoft’s press conference at Gamescom 2014 showed their continued support for making the Xbox One a great platform to play games on.
Here is all the biggest news you might have missed all in one place. You can also watch the entire conference on demand here.
Rise of the Tomb Raider Xbox One Exclusive
Rise of the Tomb Raider will be exclusive to Xbox One when it releases next year. There’s some confusion online as to whether that exclusivity will be permanent or timed, but it’s quite a big win for Microsoft all the same. Stay tuned for more details.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVNT0bNKQZQ&w=560&h=315]
Update: It has been revealed in an interview with Eurogamer that Rise of the Tomb Raider will not be fully exclusive to the Xbox One. “Yes, the deal has a duration,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer told Eurogamer.
Quantum Break First Look
Quantum Break received its first live gameplay demo in the form of an 8 minute extended preview. Remedy creative director Sam Lake was there to introduce us to hero Jack Joyce, a man who after being caught in a science experiment gone wrong now has the ability manipulate time at will.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUAzotGeboM&w=560&h=315]
More news about Quantum Break will be forthcoming. In the meantime, Remedy have released a few screens on their official site.
New Halo: The Master Chief Collection Info
Microsoft announced the “Halo Channel,” a self-described “interactive digital network that provides unprecedented, personalized access to the Halo Universe.” We’re a little light on details at the moment but it sounds a lot like the Halo Waypoint app on the Xbox 360, albeit with new added functionality. It will feature full Twitch integration, allowing you to broadcast your gameplay or watch other community feeds.
Here is a quick teaser:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0XgIEQ8NR8&w=560&h=315]
Also shown at the event was the classic Halo 2 map Sanctuary, which has been confirmed as one of the six returning Halo 2 maps to be remastered as part of Halo 2: Anniversary. Veteran Halo 2 players were brought aboard to showcase the map for the reveal.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odsa3YY7fj4&w=560&h=315]
Topping off the Halo news was the following update on the Halo 5: Guardians beta: the beta will focus on 4 vs. 4 arena-based gameplay and will begin Dec. 29.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnMKTl9VhJU&w=560&h=315]
New Hardware Bundles
Four new console bundles were announced today. For sports fan, the first new bundle will include a copy of Fifa 15 (£349.99/€399.99) alongside a standard black Xbox One game console. A second sports bundle will instead include a digital copy of Madden NHL 15.
The more interesting bundles are the white Sunset Overdrive ($399/€399) and custom Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare ($499/£429/€499) bundles, pictured below. The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare console will have the distinction of being the first Xbox One console to include a 1 terabyte hard drive.
No local release dates have been made available. We will keep you updated on the matter.
ID@Xbox and a New IP
As part of their continued support for independent development on Xbox One, Microsoft has unveiled the following trailer showcasing some of the many and varied games coming to the platform through the ID@Xbox program. Some titles that will be hitting the console in the near future include Coffee Stain Studios’ Goat Simulator, Hi-Rez Studios’ Smite, and Halfbrick’s Fruit Ninja Kinect 2.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltNUiVy2iOQ&w=560&h=315]
Also at the event was Screamride, the new game from developer Frontier. It is a new IP centered around a futuristic amusement park and it will be coming exclusively to Xbox.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4E9j6mEEx8&w=560&h=315]
Frontier also worked on Kinectimals and the Xbox One launch title, Zoo Tycoon. Screamride is set to launch sometime in 2015.
Everything Else
Information about a new system update as well as trailers for the following games have also been made available on the official Xbox Youtube channel – be sure to check them out.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nbd1t5zaxM&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGJrAqPG-V0&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98zJwigBvBY&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap4nwVYKaM8&w=560&h=315]
Happy Gaming!
Remember to keep coming back over the next few days for all the latest news out of Gamescom 2014 and be sure to tell us what you thought of Microsoft’s press conference in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
