XBOX

Xbox is offering free 25th anniversary gifts, which include a dynamic theme and avatars. The gifts are available to celebrate the company's 25th anniversary.

Xbox is experiencing an outage preventing users from playing disc-based games they own. The article has gained 49 points and 31 comments on Hacker News.

Xbox consoles have increased in price in the EU and UK, with the entry-level model now starting at 499.99€ in the EU and £429.99 in the UK.

Microsoft has increased the prices of Xbox products by up to 43%. The article is discussed on Hacker News with 27 points and 11 comments.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma outlined priorities to return Xbox to growth and improve profits following a major restructuring that included layoffs and studio spin-offs. She aims to achieve these goals by the end of fiscal year 2027.

Microsoft's Azure cloud business surpassed $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time, growing 33% from $75 billion in the previous fiscal year. The fourth quarter saw 43% year-over-year cloud revenue growth, contributing to $90 billion in quarterly revenue and boosting Microsoft's stock by over 8% in after-hours trading.

Xbox is testing ad-supported free game streaming to replace Game Pass subscriptions, aiming to boost profitability amid restructuring. The move faces challenges in balancing ad integration with player experience, as gaming audiences are historically averse to ads. Microsoft's strategy leverages its adtech stack and Activision Blizzard's assets to expand into gaming advertising.

Xbox acknowledged a major outage caused by an external licensing service. The company's executive described the incident as 'unacceptable'.

Thousands of Xbox users reported a major system outage, with over 2,000 complaints logged in the past hour on Downdetector.com. The issues began late Sunday evening, and Xbox acknowledged the problem on Monday morning.

A phishing campaign targeting Call of Duty Mobile players offers fake free points in exchange for login credentials and two-factor authentication codes, enabling account theft. Stolen accounts are valuable due to stored payment methods, purchase history, and linked gaming platforms like Xbox, PlayStation, or Battle.net.

An individual fell for a scam involving an email from a person pretending to be their boss’s boss, purchasing $1000 in Apple and Xbox gift cards with a promise of reimbursement. The scammer requested the gift card codes, but the victim realized the scam before sending them and sought a refund through CVS and their bank, which was unsuccessful.

A proposed class-action lawsuit claims Microsoft increased Xbox prices due to tariffs and later requested refunds from the federal government.

Sony's 2013 decision to make sharing PlayStation discs easier than Xbox is now seen as ironic as their current policy upends gamer conventions and threatens a $7 billion resale market. Gamers criticize Sony for becoming what they previously mocked.

Cocoa demand shows uneven recovery amid market instability driven by supply uncertainties and price volatility. Consumer spending on entertainment, termed 'Funflation', persists despite rising costs, with companies competing through new content and services. The White House aims to coordinate utilities and data center developers to manage AI-driven electricity demand without increasing household or business energy costs.

SteelSeries is offering the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless gaming headset at a discounted price of $239.99, down from $379.99, due to damaged packaging. The headset supports Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Switch, features active noise cancellation, Bluetooth, and a base station for sound settings, with both versions available in black and white.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma will advise the Federal Reserve on AI’s impact on jobs and productivity as Xbox undergoes the biggest restructuring in its history. The announcement comes days after Xbox announced 3,200 layoffs.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma was appointed to advise the Federal Reserve on jobs just days after announcing mass layoffs. The article notes this as 'a choice'.

id Software, the developer of Doom, is reportedly losing half its staff amid shakeups at Xbox.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 employees, primarily in its Xbox gaming division, as new CEO Asha Sharma admits the business is 'not healthy' and operating at unprofitable margins. The gaming industry faces broader challenges, including Sony's controversial shift to digital-only PlayStation games and a memory shortage driving up costs, while Grand Theft Auto VI's release may not resolve these systemic issues.

Xbox is laying off 20% of its staff as Microsoft resets its strategy, with the CEO stating the company 'didn’t focus on the core business' and 'spread ourselves too thin'. The article references a Fortune report on the layoffs and mentions market selloffs, Bitcoin strategies, AI costs, and World Cup fan food trends.

Microsoft is cutting thousands of jobs, with its gaming division, including Xbox, being significantly impacted due to a 'not healthy' business model. The job cuts will not be offset by AI replacements, according to Microsoft's VP.

Microsoft is cutting 3,200 jobs from its Xbox business, with new CEO Asha Sharma stating the unit is 'not healthy.' The layoffs and divestitures follow failed growth strategies and rising costs in the video game industry, which analysts say are exacerbated by expensive game development and competition from mobile gaming.

Klarna is seeking a U.S. bank charter to establish FDIC-insured services, Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs with a focus on its underperforming Xbox division, and the U.S. service sector saw slower growth in June but increased hiring.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs, approximately 2.1% of its global workforce, with the majority of layoffs occurring in its Xbox video game division. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced the cuts in a memo, highlighting the impact on the company's gaming sector.

Microsoft is cutting 3,200 jobs beyond its gaming division, extending layoffs beyond the Xbox department.

Xbox’s CEO states the business is 'not healthy' as Microsoft prepares for 3,200 layoffs. The company’s shares have dropped 20% this year, joining peers like Meta and Oracle in using layoffs to offset rising AI development costs.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs (2% of its global workforce) through a restructuring of its Xbox gaming division, with 3,200 gaming jobs eliminated and four studios being spun off or sold. The layoffs aim to redirect resources toward AI investments.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs globally, including 1,600 Xbox employees, as part of a reorganization to 'reset' its gaming division. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated the business is 'not healthy' due to lower profit margins compared to competitors and a 'hardware crisis' in console component costs.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs, primarily in its Xbox division, as part of a restructuring to address financial challenges and invest in AI. The company will spin off or sell four game studios, with others under review, as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma aims to improve the division's profitability by 2027.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs in its Xbox division as it resets the gaming unit due to weak margins and the industry's sharp hardware downturn.

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs globally, including 1,600 at its Xbox division, as part of a reorganization to 'reset' its gaming business amid heightened competition and a 'hardware crisis.' Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated the division operates at significantly lower margins compared to similar platform and publishing businesses.

Microsoft's Xbox division plans to cut 3,200 employees (20% of its workforce) this fiscal year, with 1,600 layoffs announced immediately. The cuts are part of a broader Microsoft restructuring, citing poor business performance and a hardware crisis.

Microsoft announced layoffs of 4,800 employees, primarily affecting sales and Xbox divisions, as part of cost-cutting measures to fund AI infrastructure investments. The cuts include 1,600 roles in Xbox, which plans to reduce its workforce by 20% this fiscal year. The move reflects broader trends in Big Tech, with companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google also implementing job reductions.

The article discusses Microsoft's Summer Game Fest showcase featuring games like Halo, Gears of War, and Fable, as well as a translucent Xbox. The newsletter 'The Stepback' examines the bleak state of the video game industry.

Microsoft is planning to cut thousands of jobs in sales, consulting, and Xbox. The job cuts are expected to affect less than 2.5% of Microsoft's workforce and could be announced as early as next week.

Epic Games, Roblox, and Microsoft are seeking to compel arbitration in a California lawsuit where a mother claims their video games are addictive to minors. A judge is considering whether a valid contractual agreement exists to require arbitration, as the plaintiffs argue the terms of use were not clearly agreed to by the child or parents.

Xbox is reportedly planning layoffs, including closing Arkane and canceling Blade, with cuts starting next week.

Tech firms are attributing recent price increases for devices and consoles to AI developments. Xbox consoles, Nintendo's new Switch 2, and Valve's Steam Deck are among the products experiencing significant price hikes.

Apple has increased prices for products like the 16-inch MacBook Pro, 11-inch iPad Air, and HomePod Mini, with Tim Cook attributing the hikes to the AI industry's impact. Cook described the pricing as 'unsustainable' and 'unavoidable,' linking it to broader tech sector trends like 'RAMageddon' and similar price increases at companies like Xbox and Nothing.

The article advises against purchasing an Xbox currently, describing it as a 'bad deal' despite an upcoming price increase.