XBox One

Published on April 24th, 2015 | by Admin

Xbox Newsbeat – 24 April 2015

New Features in Preview for Xbox App on Windows 10 and Xbox One

Xbox keeps getting better with more new features coming to preview this month!

The Xbox app is becoming more social, while also giving you more control over your Xbox experience. Also, this month we are delivering several new fan-requested features to the Xbox One console and Xbox One SmartGlass. 

Xbox on Windows 10

Let’s take a closer look at what’s coming to Xbox on Windows 10 with this month’s Xbox app preview and Windows Insider updates from the Windows team. We know you love recording and sharing game clips and screenshots, so this month we spent time enabling that feature on Windows 10. 

  • Game DVR for PC games – The Game bar lets you record game clips of your favourite Windows games. With an upcoming Windows Insider update (build 10061 or higher), you will be able to record game clips for Windows PC games* using the new Game bar available on Windows 10. To bring up the Game bar, press Windows + G. Click the “Record that” button to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay, or just press Windows + Alt + G. Additionally, you can manually start and stop recording a game clip by clicking on the “Record” button on the Game bar or pressing Windows + Alt + R.

The length of a recording, including the maximum length, can be changed in Settings > Game DVR in the Xbox app. There are also a few key settings within the Game bar itself. Get started by turning on “Record game clips and screenshots” in the Xbox app.  Once enabled, there are options for background recording, video and audio quality. After enabling game DVR, you may need to sign out of Windows 10 and back in for the Game bar to appear.

  • Screenshots – Take screenshots of Windows PC games by pressing Windows + Alt + PrtScr. Just as with Game DVR, you can also do this by clicking the “Screenshot” button on the Game bar.
  • Live Tiles – The Xbox tile on your Windows 10 start menu can now welcomes you back, showing off your gamerpic and letting you know when you have new messages and activity alerts. To turn this on, go to Settings > General > Live tile.
  • Avatar app – A new app is available in the Windows Store to customise your Xbox avatar’s appearance and outfit your avatar with a vast collection of items. In the Xbox app, click the icon for your profile or your friends’ profiles to see their Xbox avatar. You can download the Avatar app from the Store on Windows 10. Also, there is a new Avatar sub-forum on the Xbox Feedback site, here.
  • User profile – You can see another gamer’s bio, location, reputation, tenure, and other information in the more info page, including their animated avatar. You can also view their showcase items, including favourite achievements or game clips they added to their profile on their Xbox One.
  • Real name sharing – Similar to the features we brought you in the March update on Xbox One, you can now choose to share your real name on the Xbox app with all of your friends or with everybody. Click on the “…” at the top of your profile page, then choose Name sharing settings to view and update these settings.

In addition to keeping you connected to your games and friends, we’re giving you even more control over the Xbox experience on Windows 10.

  • Xbox One Now Playing and media controls – The games and apps you’ve used most recently on your Xbox One are now displayed when you connect the Xbox app to your console. You can also use the Xbox app to pause, fast forward and rewind.
  • Live TV streaming and PIP (picture in picture) support – For preview members with an Xbox One Digital TV Tuner (in 16 European countries and Australia) or a Hauppauge 955Q TV Tuner (available in the U.S. or Canada) attached to their Xbox One, you can now stream live TV within your home from your Xbox One to Windows 10 PC running the Xbox app. This feature is also available in Xbox One SmartGlass on Windows 8 PCs, Windows Phone 8, iOS, and Android devices.  The OneGuide on mobile devices now also provides PIP (picture in picture) support, so you can continue to stream and watch TV while you are using the OneGuide.
  • Xbox controller drivers – The drivers for Xbox controllers are now included with Windows 10, so you no longer have to download and install controller drivers on Windows 10.

The Xbox app will automatically update to the April preview version when it becomes available in the Windows Store. Once you receive the update, your version number should be 4.4.9014.0 or higher. You can verify the version number of the Xbox app in Settings.

Xbox One and SmartGlass updates

The Xbox team continues to work hard to bring the many fan-requested features on the Xbox Feedback site to Xbox One and Xbox One SmartGlass, with the following items being available to preview members this month:

  • Power on and off from Xbox One SmartGlass – The beta versions of the Xbox One SmartGlass apps for Windows, Windows Phone and Android will be updated to let you turn your Xbox One on and off. (Your device does need to be on the same home network as your console.) This feature request has more than 4,000 votes on the Xbox Feedback site. The beta versions can be found in the respective stores by searching for “Xbox One SmartGlass Beta.”
  • Wireless Display app – With more than 2,000 votes, Miracast support will be enabled on Xbox One for preview participants later this week, so you can mirror the experiences on Windows PCs (for example, Surface 2, 3, or 3 Pro; Lenovo X1 carbon; Dell Venue 8), Windows Phone 8, and some Android devices (e.g. Samsung S5, Nexus 7, Motorola Droid) that support non-protected Miracast connections. Try the Wireless Display app to cast photos stored on your phone to your Xbox One, or to stream non-protected video content from your PC to your Xbox.
  • User-selectable power mode – The team here at Xbox is also altering the initial setup experience on Xbox One worldwide to enable you to select your preferred power mode. Instant-on enables you to use the “Xbox on” voice command and receive background updates to console, game and app updates. Energy-saving mode is a low power state that requires you to press the Xbox button on your console to start up your Xbox One.
  • Voice messages – The ability to send and receive voice messages from the Xbox One messages app continues in preview this month. Also, the ability to create a voice message while in a party chat will be enabled and support will be added for third party headsets.

Stay tuned for more great Xbox features coming your way on the Xbox Wire.

ID@Xbox Spotlights

Exciting new games + Warframe updates right here on Xbox One 

Some great news to share this week with a whole bunch of ID@Xbox title announcements on Xbox One coming to Australia.

  • Pinball FX2 Add-On: Marvel Avengers Age of Ultron

Based on Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time, relive the struggle of Earth’s mightiest heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye against Ultron and his seemingly endless army. Watch the trailer here.

  • Pinball FX2 DLC: Star Wars Rebels Table – 29 April

Star Wars Pinball: Star Wars Rebels will take players on a journey to a galaxy far, far away, teaming them up with the crew of the starship Ghost, including Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, Zeb Orrelios, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla and the grumpy astromech Droid™ Chopper as they join forces to take on the evil Empire. The table will feature fully-animated starships including the Ghost and TIE fighters, a flaming engine thruster spindisk, Chopper’s own mini playfield, and seven exciting missions inspired by the show.

  • Happy Wars – 24 April

Happy Wars is a large-scale online multiplayer action game, involving up to 20 players per match. Go wild in over-the-top melees in a fantasy setting featuring comical characters! Assign any of the six unique character classes to your player character, personalise it by adding customisation parts from a wide variety of choices, and engage in heated sieges and cast spells in grand magical battles with players all over the world! Have a look at the trailer here.

  • The Escapists Add-on: Alcatraz – 22 April

Try to escape from one of the most famous prisons in the world, Alcatraz. Now is your chance to add your name to the list of ‘famous’ escape attempts as you try and escape from one of America’s strongest prisons. The Escapists is an award winning prison break simulation that provides players the opportunity of experiencing a light-hearted insight into everyday prison life. Watch the trailer here.

  • Shovel Knight – 29 April

Shovel Knight is a sweeping classic action adventure game with awesome gameplay, memorable characters, and an 8-bit retro aesthetic. You play as the eponymous Shovel Knight, a small knight with a huge quest, who wields a ShovelBlade; a multipurpose weapon whose techniques have now been lost to the ages. The Battletoads, from the iconic Rare game, are going to be returning exclusively in the Xbox One version of Shovel Knight! Developer Yacht Club Games are bringing the radical attitude and gameplay of the NES classic to the Shovel Knight world.

  • Smite

SMITE is an online battleground where the Gods of Old wage war in the name of conquest, glory, and most of all, FUN. Whether this is your first Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game or you’re a seasoned veteran, the intense action and irreverent mythology of SMITE will make you a believer. 

  • Nero (Storm in a Teacup)

NERO is a magical adventure where you play as a kid, followed by a mysterious black clothed companion, uncovering the mysteries behind the strange world they inhabit. With simple gameplay and accessible controls in a rich interactive environment filled with puzzles, NERO invites players to explore and experience emotions and feelings that are uncommon in videogames, redefining the visual novel genre and reshaping it in a next-generation first-person game.

In addition to the great titles above, Warframe’s latest update for Xbox One delivers a new elemental Warframe, a PvP overhaul, and the Sanctuary of Simaris. Go on a Quest for the new Chroma Warframe or do honorable battle with your fellow Tenno in Conclaves 2.0. Sanctuary has arrived!

  • New Warframe: Chroma

Chroma is a master of the elements – a playable Warframe whose powers alter depending on what colour energy is used when customising appearance. Breathe fire, lightning, toxins or freezing air on enemies and buff allies with unique element-specific auras.  Able to animate his pelt into a deadly, hovering turret, Chroma’s blend of squad buffs and offensive firepower make him a versatile member of any team.

  • New Game Mode: Cephalon Capture

Cephalon Capture is our latest addition to Warframe’s PvP, featuring a limited selection of Warframes and weapons exclusively balanced for a competitive Capture the Flag style game mode.  Join the brand-new Conclave Syndicate led by Teshin, a survivor of the Old War who seeks to advance Tenno through self-discipline.

  • Sanctuary

Overseen by Cephalon Simaris, the Sanctuary is a place where Tenno can work together for a common goal. Track down rare targets in missions and add them to the Sanctuary’s database using the Synthesis Scanner, unlocking new lore.  Earn standing with Simaris and practice future Mastery tests or pit battle strategies against enemies in the Codex.

  • New Quest: The New Strange

Hunt a curious new threat across the Solar System, guided by Cephalon Simaris and his new Sanctuary.  Learn more about the unique interaction between Cephalons while trying to unravel the mystery behind the Arcane Codices.  This Quest serves as not just an introduction to Synthesis Scanning, Sanctuary’s unique target hunting Scanners, but also rewards Chroma’s blueprints upon completion.

Warframe: Sanctuary is a massive update to the free-to-play third-person shooter and also comes with other exciting new changes, including: gameplay updates, new weapons, fancy cosmetics, a host of bug fixes, and more. Be sure to check out a full list of Update changes on Xbox One.  Good hunting, Tenno!

To keep up with the latest ID@Xbox news and all other Xbox updates, please visit the ID@Xbox site. 

Spartan Locke Showcases Deadly Skills in New Halo 5: Guardians Trailer

On Oct. 27, the hunt begins with the worldwide launch of Halo 5: Guardians 

Check out the exclusive trailer showing the UNSC’s elite man hunter – Spartan Locke – ripping through Covenant opposition while in pursuit of the legendary Master Chief. Featuring new and classic weapons, a host of brand-new Spartan abilities that completely transform the way you engage enemies, and more, Halo 5: Guardians marks the greatest evolution in franchise history.

Fans who reserve Halo 5: Guardians will get access at launch to the pre-order exclusive Spartan Locke, HUNTER-class armour set for use in multiplayer:

  • HUNTER-Class Armour: Sophisticated and lethal, HUNTER-class armour incorporates Watershed Division’s latest warfighting technology.
  • HUNTER-Class Helmet: Though still considered a prototype implementation, the HUNTER’s sensor suite enhances situational and threat awareness.

The trailer can be viewed via GameStop’s YouTube channel here.

Be sure to keep tuning into Xbox Wire for the latest on Halo 5: Guardians.

DICE Delivers More Star Wars: Battlefront Details

Star Wars Battlefront DICE Senior Producer Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir gave into our cravings!

Despite all the secrecy surrounding the anticipated Star Wars Battlefront DICE Senior Producer Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir was happy to chat with us following our demo, to discuss what we’d seen, tease what’s to come, and talk about what the Battlefield developer is bringing to our favourite galaxy far, far away. 

Xbox Wire: Long-time fans of this franchise have been waiting nearly a decade for this – will they immediately recognize EA’s and DICE’s reboot as a familiar Battlefront experience? 

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir: I think fans of the original Battlefront games will like what we are doing. One of the core pillars of that game was the third-person perspective and you will be able to dynamically switch between first- and third-person in our game. We were fans of Battlefront, and we’re incredibly happy as a studio to bring Battlefront to a new generation of fans. That being said, it’s also important for us to feel like we have the freedom and the ownership of the franchise going forward to be able to create it in the way that we want. So I would say that we are quite inspired by the old Battlefronts, while at the same time making it our own.

Xbox Wire: DICE has a long history of creating amazing multiplayer experiences. How will this pedigree be applied to Battlefront? 

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir: DICE is bringing, of course, many years of creating first-person multiplayer games, and that is an incredibly big part of the DNA of the studio. I think there are lots of elements from DICE games that you will recognise that have to do with quality of execution, depth of gameplay, and engaging experiences.

However, we are rebooting Battlefront and making it our own. It’s important to us that people feel like we are bringing them a fresh experience, and that they don’t immediately feel like “Oh, they have just taken Battlefield and put a Star Wars game on it.”  I would say we have a good mix of people to be able to do that… to be able to approach it and look at it with fresh eyes and think about how we designed it from the ground up to be this franchise, with its own type of DNA and its own identity. So while we have this heritage of Battlefield, we have approached Battlefront from the get-go from the perspective of creating a fresh, new take. 

Xbox Wire: Can you talk about the Frostbite engine and how that’s being used in Battlefront?

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir: Frostbite is a great graphics engine. All of our Battlefield games have been running on Frostbite, so we know it quite well. It’s also continuously being developed and evolved, so Battlefront will run on the latest edition of it. Frostbite, coupled with the technology, like the photogrammetry that we use to capture both the environments and the assets, as well as the physically-based rendering capabilities that have been added to the engine… it really gives us the ability to create these very authentic, immersive environments and assets. 

Xbox Wire: Frostbite is known for creating really dynamic destruction effects. Can we expect to see some epic destruction tearing up the Star Wars universe in Battlefront? 

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir: It’s hard to point at any one specific example, but I think that when you see the visuals of the game as a whole, and you compare in your mind with games that have been running on previous generations of consoles, you can just see the leap in capabilities of the hardware – as well as what the engine can really do, given that increased power. 

Xbox Wire: Part of that fantasy will include the ability to create battles in different environments with different characters and vehicles, tight? 

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir: Well, we are bringing in a lot of the vehicles that are sort of core to the fantasy from the original Star Wars trilogy. We are bringing you to Endor, Tatooine, and Hoth, which fans know and love. But we are not only giving you the environments that you see in the movies; we are also expanding on those planets, showing you sides of the planets that you haven’t previously seen.

We also have the planet of Sullust, which is hugely inspired by my home country of Iceland. Based on this planet of black-and-red lava and smoke, that has been a part of the Star Wars universe before… but the visualisation, how we bring it to life – that is DICE’s contribution to the universe, and a great example of how we work with Lucasfilm. 

Xbox Wire: And within these environments, players will be able to customise matches? 

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir: We are creating these amazing settings for different fantasies, and that is where you get to mix-and-match the vehicles and experiences in these different environments, and in the different maps and modes that we have. We are catering to specific fantasies, so in some cases we want to give you something like “Walker Assault,” an all-out 40-player war mode. Then we have smaller modes that cater to a very different fantasy. We are not one-size-fits-all; we are giving you varied experiences with different modes, and different means of playing out these fantasies. 

Xbox Wire: What about the iconic characters from the films? 

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir: We are giving you the ability to play as many Star Wars heroes and villains, like Darth Vader, Boba Fett… and then we have more characters that we haven’t announced yet.

Check out the full video on Xbox Wire.


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andrew@impulsegamer.com'


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