Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Windows 8 sells over 100 million copies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/windows-8-surpasses-100-million-copies-sold/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/windows-8-surpasses-100-million-copies-sold/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/windows-8-surpasses-100-million-copies-sold/#comments Over 100 million individuals have purchased Windows 8 licenses from Microsoft in roughly six months.

Tami Reller, co-head of Microsoft's Windows division, told Reuters an OS update is due by the end of the year, code-named Windows Blue. "We've considered a lot of different scenarios to help traditional PC users move forward as well as making usability that much better on all devices," she said. One thing the update will do is make Windows 8 more friendly to smaller tablets, such as seven and eight-inch models.

Reller couldn't say exactly what would be in the update, nor could she confirm if Microsoft would manufacturer a smaller version of its Surface tablet. In the first quarter of 2013, Microsoft has sold 900,000 Surface tablets, compared to 19.5 million iPads and 8.8 million Samsung tablets.

JoystiqWindows 8 sells over 100 million copies originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmicrosoft-surfacepcsalessurfacewindows-8windows-blueWed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft Surface Pro launching in January starting at $899]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/microsoft-surface-pro-launching-in-january-starting-at-899/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/microsoft-surface-pro-launching-in-january-starting-at-899/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/microsoft-surface-pro-launching-in-january-starting-at-899/#comments Microsoft Surface Pro starting at $899, launching in JanuaryMicrosoft has pinpointed the price points for both versions of its forthcoming Surface Pro tablet, which is set to release sometime in January. When the new year does roll around, the 64GB Surface Pro will cost $899, while its 128GB twin will go for $999.

Both versions come with a stylus and otherwise identical internal specifications, although neither SKU includes a Touch/Type Cover, which costs an extra $120/$130 respectively. What your money does net you, however, is a higher-resolution screen than the Surface Pro's baby sister, a Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics thingy, 4 gigs of RAM and (most importantly) the full version of Windows 8 Pro.

Due to its upgraded internal doohickies, the Pro's battery life is expected to be around half of that enjoyed by the Surface RT, which translates to a little over four and one-half hours of doin' stuff, according to our friends at Engadget. Which, should be plenty of time for the person you're sitting next to on that business flight to ask what kind of iPad you're using.

JoystiqMicrosoft Surface Pro launching in January starting at $899 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftMicrosoft-Surfacepcpriceprice-pointpricingrelease-windowsurfacesurface-prosurface-RTwindows-8Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft Surface launching alongside Windows 8 this October]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/30/microsoft-surface-launching-alongside-windows-8-this-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/30/microsoft-surface-launching-alongside-windows-8-this-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/30/microsoft-surface-launching-alongside-windows-8-this-october/#comments Microsoft Surface launching alongside Windows 8 this OctoberMicrosoft's Surface is launching on (or near) October 26, according to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. "The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012. At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices," the report reads.

The Surface launches in two flavors: Surface for Windows RT and Surface for Windows 8 Pro, the latter carrying beefier specs. It's unclear if both will launch simultaneously, and no pricing has been set on the two varieties of Surface. At least one game will be available at launch - Skulls of the Shogun - with others expected alongside it.

JoystiqMicrosoft Surface launching alongside Windows 8 this October originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmicrosoft-surfacemobilepcq4-2012release-dateskulls-of-the-shogunsurfacewindowswindows-8windows-rtMon, 30 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Halo 4 will work with Microsoft's new tablet ... somehow]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/11/halo-4-will-work-with-microsofts-new-tablet-somehow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/11/halo-4-will-work-with-microsofts-new-tablet-somehow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/11/halo-4-will-work-with-microsofts-new-tablet-somehow/#comments Halo 4 will work with Microsoft's new tablet somehowMicrosoft's President of Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick, says Halo 4 will interact with Microsoft's upcoming tablet computer, Surface. Exactly how the two will interact, however, remains a mystery. Mattrick noted the news during a VentureBeat event in San Francisco yesterday; later, he reconfirmed the functionality with a reporter on-hand but refused to give any more details.

If we had to guess, though, we'd say the only functionality between the two will be the already announced SmartGlass features from E3 (say, using Halo Waypoint, or viewing the game's encyclopedia). After all, Microsoft told us at E3 that SmartGlass will be part of all Microsoft Studios games going forward after its fall 2012 launch.

Of course, Microsoft could always go totally off the rails and add full-on gamepad support via Surface's touchscreen. Or maybe just a personal Cortana app where she freaks out and yells at you randomly while you're playing. Maybe they should just stick with the Waypoint stuff.

JoystiqHalo 4 will work with Microsoft's new tablet ... somehow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>343-industriesdon-mattrickhalo-4microsoftmicrosoft-studiosmicrosoft-surfacemobilesmartglasssurfacexboxWed, 11 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Skulls of the Shogun gives asynchronous, cross-platform play a turn]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/28/skulls-of-the-shogun-gives-asynchronous-cross-platform-play-a-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/28/skulls-of-the-shogun-gives-asynchronous-cross-platform-play-a-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/28/skulls-of-the-shogun-gives-asynchronous-cross-platform-play-a-t/#comments Skulls of the Shogun gives asynchronous, crossplatform play a turnSkulls of the Shogun will feature Skulls Anywhere mode, which offers cross-platform play and asynchronous multiplayer across all of its launch platforms: XBLA, Windows Phone, Windows 8 PC and Windows 8 tablet, a la Microsoft Surface. Players with the required devices will be able to take turns independently of one another, for up to four players, and the single-player campaign will be accessible across all Windows platforms through cloud saves.

"The turn-based nature of the game makes for perfect asynchronous play across every platform we're shipping on," 17-BIT's Jake Kazdal says. "You can start playing a game at home on your Xbox, then head out and play a few turns from the same game on your phone. You might be playing against someone on a PC or a tablet - everyone's connected via Xbox Live. And regardless of platform, everyone's having the same great experience, because it's the exact same game across all those devices."

Skulls of the Shogun will still feature online, real-time multiplayer, called Skulls Online, and the standard local multiplayer matches.

JoystiqSkulls of the Shogun gives asynchronous, cross-platform play a turn originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>17-bitasynchronouscross-platformmicrosoftMicrosoft-Surfacemobilepcskulls-anywhereskulls-of-the-shogunsurfacewindowswindows-7windows-8xboxThu, 28 Jun 2012 21:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Portal and Flight Simulator played on Microsoft Surface]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/portal-and-flight-simulator-played-on-microsoft-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/portal-and-flight-simulator-played-on-microsoft-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/portal-and-flight-simulator-played-on-microsoft-surface/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Students at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Robotics Lab have adapted an "on-screen joystick" for use on Microsoft's Surface table with Portal and Flight Simulator. The DREAM (Dynamically Resizing Ergonomic and Multi-touch) controller is activated by putting five fingers on the table. The joystick will then resize itself to the user.

The controls don't look nearly as efficient as a keyboard and mouse, or as comfortable as a gamepad, but it gives a good idea of the interface we may eventually use on the "iPad XL." Check out the video after the break for the full effect (and be prepared to mute the audio).

Continue reading Portal and Flight Simulator played on Microsoft Surface

JoystiqPortal and Flight Simulator played on Microsoft Surface originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flight-simulatorMicrosoftMicrosoft-SurfacePortalSurfaceUMASSUmass-LowellUniversity-of-Massachusetts-LowellThu, 09 Sep 2010 18:04:00 EST<![CDATA[D&D rolls with the changes, ported to Microsoft Surface]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/dandd-rolls-with-the-changes-ported-to-microsoft-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/dandd-rolls-with-the-changes-ported-to-microsoft-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/dandd-rolls-with-the-changes-ported-to-microsoft-surface/#comments By the time your average Dungeons and Dragons player has failed his third death save and gone off to that great dungeon in the sky, he or she's spent nearly $800,000 on miniatures and various-sided dice. (Trust us, it adds up.) Keeping that number in mind, we'd like to turn your attention to an alternative to tangible tabletop gaming: Surfacescapes, an in-development application for the Microsoft Surface, which attempts to recreate the D&D experience on an outrageously large touch screen. As the Surface currently costs $12,500, the lifetime savings would be abundant.

Sure, there's a few kinks to work out -- the dice roll a little slow for our tastes, though this would make saving throws infinitely more dramatic. There's also the small matter of how introducing this technology into the game might diminish the whole "role-playing" element. If used just for combat encounters, it could be a powerful streamlining tool. For everything else, it would need to be fitted with an Imagination Manifestation Drive[TM], and those don't exist yet.

Check out a demo of Surfacescape's proof of concept in the video after the jump.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading D&D rolls with the changes, ported to Microsoft Surface

JoystiqD&D rolls with the changes, ported to Microsoft Surface originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>d-and-ddungeons-and-dragons-onlinemicrosoftMicrosoft-SurfaceRolePlayingrpgsurfacesurfacescapestabletoptabletop-gamingwizards-of-the-coastTue, 20 Oct 2009 11:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Today's most Microsoft Surface-y video: Firefly demo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/28/todays-most-microsoft-surface-y-video-firefly/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/28/todays-most-microsoft-surface-y-video-firefly/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/28/todays-most-microsoft-surface-y-video-firefly/#commentsFiled under:

It's been a while since we first speculated on the gaming potential of Microsoft's Surface multi-touch tabletop computer -- long enough, in fact, that that potential has now become somewhat more actual. Sarcastic Gamer has the video of a Carbonated Games demo for Firefly, a simple game that, appropriately enough, involves gathering fireflies into jars (sorry Whedon fans, no Reavers here).

The multi-touch abilities of the Surface are put to good use in the video -- even with three hands and up to 15 fingers pushing the little flies around, the Surface doesn't seem to miss a beat. Our favorite part, though, has to be the ability to squash opposing players bugs with your actual fingers. Try doing that with one of today's consoles. We dare ya.

Continue reading to see why the future of gaming is as bright as a squished firefly's bottom.

Continue reading Today's most Microsoft Surface-y video: Firefly demo

JoystiqToday's most Microsoft Surface-y video: Firefly demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demoFireflyfuturegameMicrosoftMicrosoft surfaceMicrosoft-SurfaceMicrosoftSurfaceMSmulti-touchPCtouchThu, 28 Feb 2008 17:15:00 EST