Cheaper Xbox One with no disc drive denied by Microsoft exec

One of the big differences between the PS4 and the Xbox One game consoles in the eyes of consumers is price. The Xbox One at $499 is $100 more expensive than the PS4. Rumors have been circulating that Microsoft is working on a cheaper Xbox One.
The rumors claim that the cheaper Xbox One would do without one important bit of hardware to get the $100 price cut compared to the current console. That piece of hardware is its optical drive. That would mean any cheaper Xbox One without the disc drive would be good for digital downloads only.

One Microsoft exec has now stepped up and denied that the company is working on a disc free version of the Xbox One. The denial came in the form of a tweeted response to another tweet talking about the rumored $399 disc free Xbox One.

Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg simply said that you couldn't believe everything you read online. Greenburg is the Chief of Staff for Devices and Studios Group at Microsoft. He would certainly know what was coming from the software giant.

He could also be denying the cheaper Xbox One to save sales of the current console. Tech firms are notorious for denying something is in the works right up until it launches. With broadband speeds not that great in many parts of the world, I can’t see a disc drive free Xbox One being that appealing for many. It's also hard to imagine cutting a disc drive alone saving $100. The rumors this week also claim that a white version of the Xbox One is coming soon.

SOURCE: Escapist Magazine

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Microsoft pays Machinima video partners to mention Xbox One on YouTube

It can be hard to tell at times when the videos you are watching on YouTube are legitimate content created because someone likes what they are showing off or when they are paid to produce the content. That line between paid content and normal content is a bit murkier on YouTube thanks to a marketing campaign that has surfaced from Microsoft. The campaign paid YouTube video partners to produce video content mentioning the Xbox One.



The photo you see above promoting the advertising campaign for Machinima video partners on YouTube surfaced recently. Microsoft is paying these video partners on YouTube to make and post videos that mention the new Microsoft game console, the Xbox One.

Microsoft is paying $3 per CPM for the videos. That means Microsoft will pay the video partner an extra $3 for each 1000 views the video gets. Considering some popular videos can generate tens of thousands of views, this program could pay out significant money to the video partners. The program limits payouts to the first 1.25 million views meaning that the video maker could earn a max of $3750 for the video.

The advertising campaign required the video partners to include at least 30 seconds of Xbox One game footage and mention the console by name. The video also had to have the tag "XB1M13" listed. The legal terms behind the campaign also leaked and clearly state that to get the money the video producers can't say anything negative about the Xbox One or any of its games in the video and have to keep the terms of the advertising campaign confidential.

SOURCE: ArsTechnica

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Xbox One Titanfall Limited Edition Wireless Controller incoming, designed by Respawn itself

It's not long now until Titanfall arrives for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC - 14 March, to be exact - and Microsoft and developer Respawn Entertainment have joined forces to mark the occasion with the release of a limited-edition controller for the next-generation console.

The Titanfall Limited Edition Wireless Controller for the Xbox One has been designed by Respawn in collaboration with the Xbox design team. Its patterns are intentionally placed to make it look like it could exist in the game itself.

"Our goal was to create a controller that feels as if it is a piece of military spec hardware transported from the universe of Titanfall and into players' hands," said Joel Emslie, lead artist at Respawn Entertainment.
Xbox 360 and PC gamers will have to wait to find out if there will be a Titanfall special-edition controller for their machines, if ever. We'd bet our houses on some form of special edition bundle though, considering how hotly anticipated the game is.

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