Why Microsoft didn't ditch the Xbox One's disc drive

[Time Published January 02, 2014 at 08:47PM]

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Microsoft considered creating a version of the Xbox One without a disc drive, head of Microsoft Studios Phil Spencer told the Official Xbox Magazine U.K.

Microsoft was still discussing the alternate version of the next-gen console as recently as mid-2013.

"Obviously, after the announcement and E3, there was some feedback about what people wanted to change," Spencer said. "There was a real discussion about whether we should have an optical disc drive in Xbox One or if we could get away with a purely disc-less console, but when you start looking at bandwidth and game size, it does create issues."

The Xbox One, like Sony's next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, allows users to download full retail games through its online store. The size...

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[ Author: | Source: http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/2/5266176/xbox-one-disc-drive] | Image URL: http://cdn2.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26129365/img_2544.0_cinema_720.0.jpg] [IFTTTautoSHAREv1.002 | Shared with ifttt.com More shared news etc on: http://bit.ly/Schavuiten_blog ]

Xbox One tops console purchases for select retailers on Black Friday

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[Time Published December 02, 2013 at 01:39AM]

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Microsoft's Xbox One was the most commonly purchased console from retailers Target and Walmart on Black Friday, according to a survey from Infoscout.

Xbox One accounted for 31 percent of consoles purchased, while the PlayStation 4 made up approximately 15 percent. The Xbox 360 ranked second with 30 percent, while the PlayStation 3 accounted for another 15 percent. The Wii U came in fifth with six percent, while the Wii made up a mere one percent of purchases.

The survey does not include the number of consoles purchased, or how many customers were surveyed. The success of both Xbox consoles can be "largely attributed" to limited availability of the PS4, Infoscout said. Discounts on the Xbox 360 at Walmart also likely helped boost...

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[Source: http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/1/5163832/xbox-one-tops-console-purchases-for-select-retailers-on-black-friday] | Image URL: http://cdn1.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24301321/xb1_review_photo-36.0_cinema_720.0.jpg]

A sometimes true, sometimes false history of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4

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[Time Published November 09, 2013 at 10:21PM]

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Our first glimpses of those consoles, under their code names Durango and Orbis, used by developers to secretly talk about the Xbox One and PS4, respectively, came in early 2012.

At the time, the most basic details were being reported by Kotaku; the next Xbox would include a Blu-ray optical drive, a higher fidelity Kinect sensor and might not play used games. Those details were all accurate when Microsoft announced the Xbox One more than a year later, though the company famously reversed course on restricting used games.

(Truthfully, one of the first indicators of a new Xbox was the inclusion of an "Xbox 720" logo cameo in the movie Real Steel . But since robot boxing is not yet a major spectator sport, the timing of the console's...

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[Source: http://www.polygon.com/2013/11/9/5072120/the-true-and-false-history-of-the-xbox-one-and-playstation-4] | Image URL: http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/22756141/next_gen_history.0_cinema_720.0.jpg]

Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition gets free Halloween texture pack

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[Time Published October 26, 2013 at 04:50AM]

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The Xbox 360 version of Minecraft is getting into the spirit of Halloween with a new texture pack that enables creations that could be most accurately described as "spooktacular."

Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition's new Halloween texture pack is free to download from Xbox Live Marketplace, adding art for jack-o'-lanterns, screaming trees, slimy rivers, skeletal remains, black cats and much more. The 4 MB download is available from today until Nov. 3.

A more detailed look at the Halloween-themed textures is available below.




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[Source: http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/25/5029868/minecraft-xbox-360-edition-gets-free-halloween-texture-pack] | Image URL: http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/21784129/minecraft_halloween.0_cinema_720.0.jpg]