Xbox introduces future of gaming beyond console generations and without boundaries

Xbox introduces future of gaming beyond
console generations and without boundaries

Microsoft debuts new Xbox One family of
devices, Xbox Live features and biggest lineup of games in Xbox history.

LOS ANGELES — JUNE 13, 2016 — Monday at
the Xbox E3 2016 Briefing, Microsoft Corp. unveiled a new family of Xbox One
devices, a host of new Xbox Live features and the biggest lineup of games in
Xbox history. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer underscored the Xbox team’s commitment
to building a future of gaming beyond console generations and inviting gamers
to play without boundaries.

Xbox is working to bring Xbox Live to all devices and
networks — PC, console, virtual reality and mobile — to create a unified
experience where all gamers are welcomed, respected and supported. The new Xbox
Play Anywhere program lets gamers buy a game once and play it on both their
Windows 10 PC and Xbox One console with shared progress, game saves and
achievements. Every new Microsoft Studios title shown at the Xbox E3 2016
Briefing will support Xbox Play Anywhere, with more titles on the way.

“Gamers have never
had more choice in how and where they play,” Spencer said.
“We are bringing our biggest games lineup ever to Xbox One and
Windows 10, uniting gamers across networks on Xbox Live and
expanding the Xbox One family of devices with the addition of
Xbox One S and “Project Scorpio” to give gamers more choice in how
and where they play. There’s never been a better time to be an Xbox gamer.”

Introducing the Xbox One family of
devices

The new lineup of Xbox One hardware and accessories
delivers unprecedented choice and level of personalization for gamers. All Xbox
One devices will play current and future Xbox One games as well as titles in
the Xbox One Backward Compatibility program, and all accessories will work
across every console in the Xbox One family as well.

·        Xbox One S. Debuting a sleek new design and “robot white” color, the
new Xbox One S is the smallest and most compact Xbox ever. The 40 percent
smaller console has an internal power supply and supports 4K Ultra HD for
Blu-ray movies and content streamed from partners like Netflix and Amazon
Video. High Dynamic Range (HDR) support for video and gaming delivers richer,
more luminous colors in games like “Gears of War 4.”1 The Xbox
One S will retail from US$299. Local pricing and availability in Singapore will
be announced at a later date.

·        “Project Scorpio.” Coming holiday 2017, “Project Scorpio”
will be the most powerful console ever created, with 6 teraflops of GPU
delivering a premier console gaming experience including true 4K gaming and
high-fidelity virtual reality. “Project Scorpio” will join the Xbox One family
and coexist alongside Xbox One and Xbox One S and all of your Xbox One games
and accessories are compatible.

·        New Xbox Wireless Controller. We’ve enhanced comfort with a textured
grip and introduced a sleek, streamlined design in white. Added Bluetooth radio
gives you easy wireless connection to your Windows 10 PCs and tablets.2 The
new Xbox Wireless Controller will be available worldwide starting in August for
US$59.99. Local pricing and availability in Singapore will be announced at a
later date. 

·        Xbox Design Lab. Now fans can create their own official,
one-of-a-kind Xbox Wireless Controllers with more than 8 million color
variations to customize the controller body, D-pad, thumbsticks, ABXY buttons
and more. Each controller is handmade to order and shipped directly to fans.
Xbox Design Lab is open for orders now in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico for
US$79.99 throughhttp://www.xbox.com/xboxdesignlab. Laser engraving is also available for an
additional US$9.99.

·        Xbox Elite Wireless Controller – “Gears of War
4” Limited Edition. A pro-level
controller designed in collaboration with The Coalition, the Xbox Elite
Wireless Controller – “Gears of War 4” Limited Edition features laser-etched
claw marks and a battle-weathered design, telling the survival story of a
confrontation with the Swarm. Available in very limited quantities in early
October for US$199.99. Local pricing and availability in Singapore will be
announced at a later date.

Uniting gamers through Xbox Live

The goal of Xbox Live is to cultivate a safe, fun and
reliable online community, where all types of gamers are welcome, respected and
supported. Team Xbox announced a slew of new features to break down barriers
between gamers playing on different devices and make gaming more accessible for
all.

·        Clubs
on Xbox Live. A new way to connect with gamers and create
private communities with people who have similar play styles, personal
interests and values.

·        Looking
for Group on Xbox Live. Like a “want ad” for multiplayer,
Looking for Group on Xbox Live is the easiest way to seek out players who are
available — and qualified — to jump into your multiplayer match right now.

·        Arena
on Xbox Live. A new online tournaments platform designed for everyone,
from novice to aspiring pro, Arena on Xbox Live brings competitive gaming to
Xbox One and Windows 10 devices. Sign up for tournaments directly through the
Xbox UI or the Xbox app and play for prizes and bragging rights.

·        Cross-play. Gamers on Xbox One and Windows 10 can now play
select multiplayer games together. “Gears of War 4,” “Forza Horizon 3,” “Sea of
Thieves” and “Scalebound” all support cross-play between Xbox One and Windows
10 PC, and now “Minecraft” players on iOS, Android, Windows 10
phone and Windows 10 devices can all join together in cross-device multiplayer
fun.

·        Cortana
on Xbox One. We’re bringing the popular digital assistant
Cortana to Xbox One, featuring familiar voice commands available on Windows 10
devices and new gaming-specific scenarios for Xbox One. Cortana will initially
launch on Xbox One in the U.S. and U.K. with additional markets coming soon
after.

·        PC
games (Win32) in Xbox Live. With the Xbox update coming this
summer you’ll see the top PC games on Xbox Live, with more added every month.
Use the Xbox app to see what PC games your friends are playing, view game clips
and upload your own, and message and voice chat with friends across games.

·        Language
Region Independence. Based on overwhelming fan
feedback, we’re enabling Language Region Independence to give gamers even
more control over their Xbox experience and how they engage with
their Xbox One. Language Region Independence gives gamers the freedom to choose
any supported language on Xbox One, regardless of their location.

Biggest lineup comes to Xbox One and
Windows 10

Xbox premiered a wide range of games launching in 2016
and beyond for Xbox One and Windows 10, including a mix of exclusives,
blockbusters and independent games through the ID@Xbox program.

·        “ARK:
SURVIVAL EVOLVED” (FIRST ON XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10). The
wildly popular indie game from Studio Wildcard has sold over 1 million copies
on Xbox One via Game Preview, and is soon coming to Windows 10. Stranded naked,
freezing and starving on a mysterious island, you must hunt, harvest, craft
items, grow crops and build shelters to survive. Learn how to tame, train,
breed and ride dinosaurs and primitive creatures living on the ARK as you forge
new paths across the beautiful open world in this large-scale survival game.
Team up with hundreds of players online, play split-screen locally or brave the
island on your own.

·        “BATTLEFIELD 1” (ELECTRONIC ARTS). Featuring some of the largest, most
dynamic battles in FPS history, experience the dawn of all-out war across
war-torn France, in the sand dunes of the Arabian Desert, and in the skies over
London — only in “Battlefield 1.” Join in massive 64-player battles
and experience unexpected Only in Battlefield moments during a time where the
old world was destroyed, giving way to the new one. Play it first, exclusively
on Xbox One with EA Access beginning Oct. 13. Available worldwide on Xbox
One and Windows PC on Oct. 21, 2016.

·        “DEAD
RISING 4” (WORLD PREMIERE). Developed by Capcom Vancouver,
“Dead Rising 4” marks the return of photojournalist Frank West in an all-new
chapter of one of the most popular zombie game franchises of all time. With an
unmatched level of weapon and character customization, ambitious new features
including new zombie classes and EXO Suits, “Dead Rising 4” delivers a
heart-pounding experience as players explore, scavenge and fight to survive in
an epic open-world sandbox. Available Holiday 2016 on Xbox One and Windows 10.

·        “FINAL FANTASY XV” (SQUARE ENIX). “FINAL FANTASY XV” is the highly anticipated
action RPG and 15th mainline entry in the iconic “FINAL FANTASY” franchise. Set
in an enthralling world where fantasy meets reality, players will join Crown
Prince Noctis and his comrades on an epic journey of brotherhood, love and
despair as they unravel Noctis’ destiny and take up arms against the nefarious
Niflheim empire. With a captivating cast of characters, breathtaking visuals,
open world exploration and action-packed real time combat, “FINAL FANTASY XV” is
the ultimate “FINAL FANTASY” experience for fans and newcomers to the series.
Available worldwide for Xbox One on Sept. 30, 2016.

·        “FORZA
HORIZON 3” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE — WORLD PREMIERE). The
best-selling racing franchise returns with “Forza Horizon 3.” Race and explore
the rugged wonder of Australia with your friends in over 350 of the world’s
greatest cars as you win millions of new fans and build the world’s greatest
automotive festival. As the new boss of the Horizon Festival, you can modify
every aspect of race events, and how you get to the finish is up to you.
Available worldwide as an Xbox Play Anywhere title on Sept. 27, 2016.

·        “GEARS
OF WAR 4” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). A new saga
begins for one of the most acclaimed video game franchises in history. After
narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix and his friends Kait and
Del must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new
enemy. “Gears of War 4” returns the franchise to the dark tone and intensity of
the original and includes split-screen and online co-op, the next generation of
the five-player favorite, Horde Mode, 60 frames-per-second Versus multiplayer,
and stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4. Available worldwide as an Xbox
Play Anywhere title on Oct. 11, 2016.

·        “GWENT” (WORLD PREMIERE OF CLOSED BETA ON XBOX
ONE AND WINDOWS 10). “Gwent,” the
hit card game from CD PROJEKT RED’s game of the year — “The Witcher 3: Wild
Hunt” — is now its own standalone collectable card game. Inspired by player
feedback, with new rules and mechanics, “Gwent” puts players and their style of
play, and not only their cards, in the center of the action. In
“Gwent,” You are the Wild Card.

·        “HALO
WARS 2” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). The best-selling
console real-time strategy (RTS) of all time is back! Developed in partnership
by 343 Industries and Creative Assembly, “Halo Wars 2” is an action-packed RTS
on the biggest Halo battlefield ever. Get ready to lead armies of Spartans and
other Halo fighting forces like Warthogs, Scorpions and exciting new units in a
brutal war against a terrifying new enemy, The Banished. Available worldwide as
an Xbox Play Anywhere title onFeb. 21, 2017.

·        “INSIDE”
(FIRST ON XBOX ONE). Developed by Playdead, “INSIDE” is
the long-awaited follow-up to 2010’s groundbreaking digital hit “Limbo.”
Featuring Playdead’s trademark dark art, emotion and game craft, this adventure
puzzler ships June 29, 2016, and is available for pre-order now. To
celebrate the launch, “Limbo” will be free to all Xbox players from June
13‒20.

·        “MINECRAFT”
(REALMS AND ADD-ONS). Mojang and Microsoft showcased
cross-device multiplayer between iOS, Android, Samsung Gear VR and Windows 10
devices, made possible with Monday’s launch of the “Friendly Update”
for “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition” Beta and “Minecraft: Pocket Edition.” With
Xbox Live and the “Minecraft Realms” service, Windows 10 and mobile Minecraft
players can host their own multiplayer worlds on private, cloud-based servers
and play with friends 24/7, even when the original world creator is offline.
Starting today, players with Xbox Live accounts can try “Minecraft” Realms on
mobile and Windows 10 free for one month through the “Minecraft” app. The team
also announced new game add-ons coming this fall that will let players modify
their in-game worlds to customize key game elements and create their own maps
and minigames.

·        “RECORE”
(XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). From legendary
video game creator Keiji Inafune and Armature Studio LLC, the team behind the
“Metroid Prime” series, comes “ReCore,” an action-adventure game masterfully
crafted for the modern generation. Play as Joule, one of the last remaining
humans, and forge friendships with courageous robot companions to lead them on
an epic adventure through a mysterious, dynamic world. Available worldwide as
an Xbox Play Anywhere title starting Sept. 13, 2016.

·        “SEA
OF THIEVES” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). Developed by
Rare, the legendary creators of “Perfect Dark” and “Banjo-Kazooie,” “Sea of
Thieves” is an immersive, shared world adventure game filled with pirates,
unexpected dangers and loot for the taking. Be the pirates you want to be,
share adventures with friends, and set your own rules, roles and goals in a
world where every sail on the horizon is another crew of players with unknown
intent. “Sea of Thieves” offers an experience that will evolve over time,
landing in players’ hands early and growing based on feedback from the
community.

·        “STATE
OF DECAY 2” (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE, WORLD PREMIERE). The
next installment in the fan favorite “State of Decay” franchise immerses you in
an all-new multiplayer zombie survival fantasy. Players work together to build
lasting communities where choices made shape an interconnected world and form a
unique experience every time. Available worldwide as an Xbox Play Anywhere
title in 2017.

·        “SCALEBOUND”
(XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). From critically
acclaimed developer PlatinumGames Inc. and renowned Game Director Hideki
Kamiya, “Scalebound” brings epic adventures and battles at enormous scales
across the beautiful and dangerous open world of Draconis. Customize main hero
Drew and your dragon, Thuban, to suit your playstyle as you battle legions of
soldiers and massive monsters solo or cooperatively with up to three additional
friends on Xbox Live. Available worldwide as an Xbox Play Anywhere title
in 2017.

·        “TACOMA”
(FIRST ON XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10). It is the year
2088, and humanity has taken to the stars. You step aboard the abandoned space
station “Tacoma,” the facility’s Augmented Reality technology your only
connection to the crew that once lived here. What happened to them — and what
role did the station’s AI overseer, ODIN, play? Discover the truth in “Tacoma,”
Fullbright’s follow-up to the genre-defining story exploration game “Gone
Home,” when it comes to Windows 10 and Xbox One next year.

·        “TEKKEN 7™” (BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT INC.). An engrossing story intertwines the
past, present and future fates of fan-favorite characters in “TEKKEN 7.” Known
for revolutionizing the fighting genre through both its hard-hitting gameplay
and diverse cast of characters, “TEKKEN 7” introduces enhanced fight mechanics
alongside a slew of new combatants to ensure that your next fight won’t ever be
your last. Available worldwide for Xbox One in early 2017.

·        “TOM
CLANCY’S THE DIVISION™ –
EXPANSION I: UNDERGROUND” (UBISOFT®). Dive into the
underbelly of New York to save what remains in Underground, the first expansion
for “Tom Clancy’s The Division.” Explore the randomly generated mazes of
subways, tunnels and sewers to fight deadly enemies and recover powerful loot.
Experience an all-new incursion and find the latest weapons, gear and more.
Available first on Xbox One and Windows PC beginning June 28.

·        “WE
HAPPY FEW” (FIRST TO CONSOLE ON XBOX ONE). Developed by
Compulsion Games, “We Happy Few” is coming to Windows 10 and Xbox One this
summer. In a dystopian, mod 1964 England that lost World War II, the citizens
of Wellington Wells are taking a happy drug called “Joy,” and living in denial
of their grim existence and a terrible past. Can you survive among them once
you stop taking your Joy become a “Downer?”

Other news

For additional news throughout E3 week, tune in live
to Xbox Daily: LIVE @ E3 at 7
p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Tuesday and Wednesday, and go to https://news.xbox.com.

More details about Xbox One, Xbox One games and the
latest Xbox news at Xbox E3 2016 Briefing can be found athttps://news.xbox.com.

Press releases and media assets can be found at https://news.xbox.com/media (and
relevant content can be found by clicking on Select Category).

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Multiplayer on Xbox One requires Xbox Live Gold
subscription (sold separately).

1 4K streaming
with select apps, see Xbox.com. HDR functionality available with supported
games and TVs. Some apps require app provider-specific subscriptions and/or
other requirements.  

2 Windows 10
Anniversary update required.