Breaking Down “The Duke”, Xbox’s Original Controller
As most new consoles typically do, the original Xbox console launched with an entirely new design for their controller that was quite unique. The “Duke”, as it was affectionately nicknamed, […]
Microsoft’s Minecraft Approach: Cross-Platform Cooperation
When Microsoft originally purchased Mojang, the studio responsible for Minecraft, fans were understandably worried that one of the largest franchises in the world would become an Xbox exclusive going forward. […]
Microsoft Game Pass: A “Day One” Sacrifice that Comes at a Cost
Microsoft made several expensive investments into the future with their Game Pass service, but giving away their newest games such as Halo Infinite and Starfield on their launch days as […]
Microsoft’s “Gaming From the Cloud”: Powerful Access Requiring a Persistent Connection
When Microsoft first announced their plan to deliver a “cloud gaming” experience that would allow gamers to stream entire games without downloading them to their hard drive first, I was […]
Microsoft Game Studios: A Commitment Proved Through Sacrificial Investment
The amount of massive studio acquisitions that Microsoft has invested into over the last several years is staggering… from Minecraft developer Mojang to Bethesda and even the juggernaut of Activision/Blizzard, […]
Xbox Live: Giving Away a Free Sample
One of the savviest decisions Microsoft made when originally launching their new online “Xbox Live” service was to give away the first taste of it for free… almost every game […]
Xbox’s Unique Console Naming Process: A New Creation
Over the years every console developer has had their own specific naming style for each version of their hardware… but if I’m being honest, I’ve always found Microsoft’s choices to […]
Microsoft’s Backwards Compatibility: Amazing Grace for Even the Unworthy
While I’m a huge fan of both the Nintendo and PlayStation families of games and consoles for different reasons, I’ve always appreciated one thing about each console that Microsoft has […]
The Handheld Wars: Seeking the Right Priorities First
When Sony chose to challenge Nintendo, the reigning king of portable gaming, in a battle for handheld supremacy, Microsoft wisely chose to stay out of the fight at that time. […]
Halo Reach: Winning Tomorrow’s Battles Through Today’s Sacrifices
Halo Reach, Bungie’s final “swan song” in the Halo universe, was a prequel that set up the entire Halo conflict through the eyes of a brave fireteam of Spartans named […]
Finding God in Video Games 