170°

Microsoft: HoloLens Doesn't 'lock out' Xbox VR

VRFocus - Ever since Microsoft revealed its HoloLens augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD) earlier in 2015, many have assumed that this was the company's answer to virtual reality (VR) HMDs such as the Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus. In fact, the company even went as far as to invite Oculus VR to work with it on HoloLens at its announcement. However, Microsoft's work with HoloLens doesn't necessarily mean that it won't be working on Xbox VR, perhaps for its Xbox One console.

tinynuggins3357d ago

I hope they don't make their own. I would rather they partner with Oculus for VR and do their own thing with Hololens.

iamnsuperman3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

For a company like Microsoft, making their own is the only logical way forward. Partnership with Oculus would never happen since it would require Microsoft to leave the VR capabilities up to someone else. Microsoft is too big to do that

breakpad3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

i think they will partner with Occulus ...is the best logical approach (especially if they invited them to check HoloLens) they are both american companies and there are many VR (wiht strong RD teams behind them) in development for MS to compete

VenomUK3357d ago

I genuinely think a future iteration of HoloLens could be successful especially with education and business. However right now, the market of manufacturers and software developers are working on VR for leisure (games). This includes Oculus, Valve and Sony and the many companies producing games. The benefit is that VR research can be swapped from one platform to another. So if a developer gets VR game Adrift working on Morpheus then it can easily be converted to Oculus. This means VR has a real chance to grow to become a profitable sub-industry.

However HoloLens AR is different and requires different research so it is effectively carving it's own niche in the industry. I'd love to see Xbox One get in on the VR action but Microsoft would confuse the public if they release HoloLens and a VR headset. Phil Spencer knows there is merit to VR and is perhaps lining up a product for the next Xbox...

blackout3356d ago

With the strong in house work on Surface and now the purchase of Nokia I don't think Microsoft will be outsourcings anything is. On another note isn't Microsoft a major investor in Facebook. Just a thought but anything is possible in this day In age.

Charybdis3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

With windows 10 stuff etc I can see Microsoft supporting different VR devices on the different windows 10 devices including the xbox one. I assume that windows 10 will support multiple VR devices, which might eventually translate into support for the xbox one (also being part of the same ecosystem).
There could be some interesting partnership possibilities for VR display ond the xbox 1. Meanwhile I do hope they will keep doing their own thing with their hololens.

ShottyatLaw3357d ago

I would like the idea of a piece of hardware like Oculus being Windows compatible across my PC and my Xbox.

lemoncake3357d ago

I think we will see them partner with oculus, microsoft are all about trying to create one ecosystem atm.

BallsEye3356d ago

I rather want hololens for XO. Not only because it's way more advanced tech, but because it's a computer on it's own. A lot of people forget VR needs TONS and TONS of processing power to work. You need basically 60 (best 120)fps game n 1080p running TWICE in the same time. Now consoles struggle to pull of good graphics in 1080p/30 so don't expect a good looking VR game on consoles. Hololens however will actually boost XO, as it's a separate computer running on win10, not a peripheral like VR.

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Gazondaily3357d ago

I think they should focus on HoloLens instead of scattering their focus on AR.

christocolus3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

I have always assumed that MS would announce their own VR tech.its been rumored for a while now that MS has been working on other input devices for Xbox.i remember one of the oculus guys also saying MS was one of the companies interested in buying out the tech but they went with Facebook instead.

If MS wasn't interested in VR then why would they make a bid for Oculus?i'm guessing they've been working on theirs or maybe partnered with another company to create a standard VR device capable of working with Kinect2 and maybe Hololens (a partnership similar to what valve and htc are doing with vive).My guess?we will see an announcement at E3..

DigitalRaptor3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

"why would they make a bid for Oculus?"

Because their primary competitor in the console space has an almost consumer-ready VR headset that has been many years in the making, and they have nothing to compare. An idea like HoloLens is something they were probably always going to do regardless of gaming, after Google prototyped their Glass technology. It's something that is more applicable to areas outside gaming than within since gaming is a fraction of their operating structure. VR, it's obvious they won't be doing until Project Morpheus has been their case study.

Bigpappy3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

From my recollection, I believe I have read some one from M$ stating that M$ have put years of research into VR and had several prototypes. If am not mistake, that person was Phil Spencer.

http://123kinect.com/gdc-20...

http://gamingtrend.com/2014...

raymantalk13356d ago

ill just point out to you bigpappy sony was working on VR long before MS came to the gaming market not knocking MS but stating a fact i know you dont like anything sony but this is a truth you cannot deny but i am sure you gonna try :)

bleedsoe9mm3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

or not bother with either and make great exclusives i can play on my tv . i've got a bad feeling ms and sony's E3 are going to be VR heavy .

UnHoly_One3357d ago

Don't waste your time, Microsoft, VR is going to flop.

HARD.

Stiffler3357d ago

I believe MS is partly thinking this and that's why they're almost keeping a step back from the VR crowd and seeing what happens.

Could be wrong but it seems like that's what's happening with them atm.

gangsta_red3357d ago

I think this is actually the case. Not that VR is going to flop hard, but to actually see if VR is going to be an actual success.

There seems to be a buzz about it, but that buzz seems as artificial as the buzz and push for 3D these media billion dollar corporations marketed to the consumer.

Stiffler3357d ago

My thoughts exactly red. Interesting

Concertoine3357d ago

How many people are willing to pay 200 for a peripheral with limited use? Maybe some on this site, but in real life, no way.

annoyedgamer3357d ago

They have been talking about VR since the 80s, it has never materialized because the concept works only in the imagination. In real life it is impractical.

Moldiver3357d ago

The thing is, VR headsets will cost almost as much as a console. I dont see the adoption rate being very high on any platform that is not the PC. And even on PC Its difficult to say how successful it will be. I dont hear any non gamers talking about VR, and the ones I know would not been seen dead with one. Its an uber-nerd gadget in there eyes. May aswell be the old nintendo powerglove.

Im on the fence about whether I will buy one personally. I still need to know more about these side effects from por longed use. I know gamers that spend up to 6-8 hours playing. Dread to think what would happen to them if they got their hands on VR headsets.....

UnHoly_One3357d ago

I'm one of those gamers that will play for long stretches.

I have absolutely zero desire to get a VR headset.

Wearing my TV on my face adds absolutely zero value to the experience for me. I just don't see the appeal of it, especially once you weigh all the negatives.

Moldiver3356d ago

"especially once you weigh all the negatives"

^^Especially this. I guarantee you when these headsets are out in the wild we will hear of a few horror stories.

Bigpappy3356d ago

I am scared as an MF about the side effects of VR or anything screwing with my eye and perception.

I will wait a year or two before I even consider more than a few minutes of VR. Once they come up with a standard that works, the should have it independently studied for long term effects before using gamers as test animals.

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krypt19833357d ago

They should keep there focus on hololens and not worry about vr it is going to be niche just like 3d tvs and go away for gaming atleast, there is will be small indie titles that are like a hour long but you wont see call of duty and AAA games, vr will better suit other applications besides gaming and the entry fee will be outrageous..

iamnsuperman3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

If you think Microsoft should not bother with VR because of it being niche then I can't image how you think a focus on hololens is a better route. AR is far more niche than VR. If they are going to do one or the other VR is a better route

bleedsoe9mm3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

ms is all about keeping their thumbs in every pie in case the world heads that way they don't have to start from scratch . i don't think the industry knows what VR or AR games/experiences are going to look like , throw crap at the wall and follow the money .

LexHazard793357d ago

Lol...dont make me laugh dude. AR has better usage for real world applications. Go watch the concept video again....the one with the plumber showing a customer how to fix plumbing issue. You cant do that with VR...Hololens has the potential to be a game changer. MS is thinking more than just games with Hololens. Anyway..I hope VR does well...MS will have Hololens and a VR headset....

iamnsuperman3357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

@BakPAin

You might want to think about the practical side of wearing a headset all day. For the business side employees are going to hate it. Wearing a big visor not only looks ridiculous but also far less comfortable that sitting in front of a far cheaper monitor. Employers are not going to waste the money on something that a monitor can do. Employees won't want to wear something all day. This is a problem that effect the consumer side of things. People don't want to wear stuff on their face to see an AR view of the world (look at Google Glass)

Then the gaming side. AR requires space because it overlays on your living room. It will have the same problem kinect had. You need space and uninterupted space. AR has never sold to the public well. Look at Google Glass. What it did was impressive and it isn't far off what Microsoft is offering

If you think AR is popular then you are going to be shocked when it doesn't sell. AR is more like 3D than VR (and VR is fairly niche itself)

nickster3357d ago

Go ahead MS and copy Sony, it's ok.

LexHazard793357d ago (Edited 3357d ago )

Did Sony invent VR? They weren't even the first console makers to dable with VR. Did you forget SEGA and Nintendo back in the days. Who's copying who? Let me guess Sony has Morpheus blueprints from early 90s...LoL..

Btw- We'll see whos copying who if Hololens does well.

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150°

Microsoft to Add Copilot AI to Video Games

Microsoft recently revealed its plans to incorporate Copilot directly into video games, with Minecraft being the first showcased example.

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xpgained.co.uk
Fishy Fingers1d 15h ago (Edited 1d 15h ago )

F*** AI

"Hey Copilot, what's a good meme to prove I dislike AI".... https://giphy.com/clips/sou...

Einhander19721d 15h ago

Two trillion dollar company that just can't wait to put as many people possible out of work as fast as possible.

It feels like every single thing they do is making gaming worse and destroying the industry.

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darthv7218h ago

....you know it takes people to program the AI.... right? It isnt like it is sentient. We haven't reach skynet level of situation or anywhere close to the matrix just yet.

That's next Thursday.

Einhander197211h ago(Edited 11h ago)

It takes a people to program the AI then that AI is used for who knows how many games eliminating countless jobs which only grows as AI is used for more and more game creation functions.

What you're saying is so ridiculously short sighted and truly larking any kind of understanding and foresight.

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CaptainFaisal1d 4h ago

Why all the hate? Im actually excited about this! Always wanted this kind of immersion, and an AI companion with me all the time helping me out knowing the status of my skills/inventory/progress and giving me tips on the best approach or how to craft something specific is game changing for the industry.

Hate all you want about AI, but this is just the start and I can see the potential already. You wont be complaining in the next 5-10 years about this, but rather complain if a game hasn’t implemented it.

MrDead1d 3h ago

Yes we can't wait for the work of others to be used without the need to pay them so that MS can profit even more from the people they fire.

I_am_Batman1d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

There is no chance I'd ever use something like this, especially if it's not part of the core game design, but a layer on top of it. It's way too much handholding. Many games already feel like busy work, because they don't let the player figure things out on their own. Having a real-time interactive guide defeats the purpose of playing the game in the first place in my opinion.

If this were to become the standard like you predict, we'll see more and more video games get away with bad design, because people will just be used to ask for help from the AI companion anyway.

Number1TailzFan1d 3h ago

Well Nintendo don't need this with some of their games these days, with invincible characters, items, easy bosses etc.. they do the hand holding built in

helicoptergirl1d 3h ago

Takes "hand holding" in games to a whole new level.

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70°

Activision team is opening a new game studio in Poland 'Elsewhere Entertainment' to build new AAA IP

Microsoft's Activision subsidiary announced today that it is opening a new game development studio to take advantage of the huge talent pool growing in Poland. It'll be the second Activision studio based in the region, joining Infinity Ward Krakow, although this studio is, in fact, not working on Call of Duty.

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windowscentral.com
Psychonaut854d ago

They’re not working on Call of Duty? Give it time.

380°

Microsoft's quest for short-term $$$ is doing long-term damage to Windows, Surface, Xbox, and beyond

Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's plans to increase every department's margins.

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windowscentral.com
Brazz7d ago

"The plan to move Xbox games to other platforms is codenamed "Latitude" internally, and I know there's debate and unease at Microsoft about whether or not this is a good idea. More upcoming Microsoft-owned games slated for PlayStation are already being developed. At least for now, they're potentially obvious games you'd most likely expect. And yes, while it's true Microsoft is a prolific publisher on PlayStation already, it has typically revolved around specific franchises like Minecraft. From what I've heard, Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's mandate to increase every department's margins. "

Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware.

Xeofate6d ago

"Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware."

It's for the best.

Quit stringing along xbox fans and screwing over PlayStation owners.

crazyCoconuts6d ago

Take good care of those Xboxes if you have 'em ...

outsider16246d ago

An Xbox game on a Playstation. Never in my years of gaming did i ever thought this was gonna happen.

jznrpg6d ago

It is dying anyway so doesn’t make much of a difference

VersusDMC6d ago

No way can they get rid of the hardware as probably 90% of game pass subscribers are hardware users.

Highly doubtful those users will move to PC or Cloud to subscribe there and the competition (Sony and Nin) will never have gamepass on their system.

If they want to keep the current subscribers, they need to keep releasing new hardware.

PSPSA6d ago

I'm not convinced, why then announce that they're actually working on the next-generation Xbox with “the largest technical leap”, and also looking into handhelds now?

Rols6d ago

Not like MS don’t drop things a hot potato if it is not performing. Look at MS history to see products or platforms discontinued. Xbox is not a charity for MS, it needs to make money and the ABK was the last roll of the dice for Xbox.

purple1016d ago

Xbox hardware team members have been incorporated into surface team

This perhaps shows they are not expecting big things from Xbox as a separate entity

Abear215d ago

Seems like they are planning to win next gen. All the acquisitions were this generation and nobody except Xbox fans expect games from the acquisitions any time soon.

I’m sure Microsoft can afford to lose money on the short term, pretty sure they do risk assessment when acquiring many companies and spending billions, they’ll be fine lol.

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gold_drake6d ago

i think it will kill off the xbox brand. windows will be fine.

but there is and would be a chance that xbox might be killed off in the future. if they fail to make the money they put in. imo.

S2Killinit6d ago

They wont kill it, but they will go fully PC while keeping xbox as a brand, and go multiplatform for the most part. They will also work tirelessly to diminish console gaming’s importance.

PRIMORDUS6d ago

It would be best if Xbox goes the way of Sega, just make and publish games. I know I myself will not support them at all with buying games from them, you all can. 🙃

ChasterMies6d ago

The Xbox brand will live for the games. I don’t expect Microsoft to entirely drop out of gaming hardware. They make Surface tablets and laptops. They’ll make Xbox branded hardware for those that want it.

shadowT6d ago

"Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation"

Forza and Starfield next?

Skuletor6d ago

Starfield would be no surprise and there's the rumor that it will come to Playstation after the Shattered Space DLC, Forza (along with Halo and Gears of War) I find less likely but I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually end up on PlayStation too, especially if Xbox give up on hardware and go the Sega route.

shinoff21836d ago

Not to worried about forza. I'd rather see others like what inxile and obsidian are working on. Starfield sounds like it needs more time in the oven so let it cook first imo. If starfield and it's a small if does release on ps it'll be in the fall around the time for dlc or right at the dlc and come packaged with it.

-Foxtrot6d ago

In the words of Phil Spencer when he was talking about Nintendo last year

“It's just taking a long time for Microsoft to see that their future exists off of their own hardware"

S2Killinit6d ago

Yup. MS are a cancer to console gaming.

Aloymetal6d ago

100%!!
I wonder what happened to that dude that was always here posting those court articles with cartoons about MS spending all those billions in studios. He suddenly disappeared, I guess he doesn't like bad news when the green brand is in trouble. No new articles from him as of late...

PRIMORDUS6d ago

Yup, and it's only going to keep spreading.

Outside_ofthe_Box6d ago

Phil Spencer's words always comes back to bite him lol

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