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Next-Gen Xbox One Unveiled With Content Including Spielberg-Produced ‘Halo’ Series

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday May 21, 2013 @ 11:47am PDTTags: microsoft, Nancy Tellem, Xbox, Xbox One

David Bloom is a Deadline contributor

Microsoft finally unveiled the Xbox One, its next-generation successor to the Xbox 360 game console, with an impressive demonstration of a voice- and gesture-controlled device focused more on integrating and controlling all kinds of entertainment and social capabilities far beyond just playing videogames. The #XboxReveal event at Microsoft’s Seattle-area campus included the announcement by Xbox Entertainment Studios President Nancy Tellem that Steven Spielberg will create a new live-action TV show based on the “Halo” game franchise. In a video, Spielberg, a longtime game fan who also oversaw the launch of the DreamWorks Interactive game studio in the 1990s, briefly said “the Halo universe is an amazing opportunity to be at an intersection where technology and myth-making converge.”

Related: Nancy Tellem Talks Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studios READ MORE »

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Latest Xbox Version To Roll Out May 21

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday April 24, 2013 @ 3:22pm PDTTags: microsoft, Xbox

David Bloom is a Deadline contributor

Microsoft’s Larry Hryb said on his blog the May 21 announcement will be held on the Microsoft campus and be simulcast on Spike TV and Xbox’s online outlets. “On that day, we’ll … Read More »

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Microsoft’s $732M European Fine: Google Said To Rat Out Rival In Ongoing Tech Battle

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Thursday March 7, 2013 @ 2:26am PSTTags: Google, microsoft

In a first of its kind move, Europe’s antitrust regulators on Wednesday levied a fine against Microsoft for breaking a settlement agreement. The $732M sanction against the tech giant came after the competition authority was tipped off that Microsoft had failed to comply with an earlier promise to provide buyers of new computers in Europe the option to opt out of its built-in Internet Explorer browser. Among the companies that first complained to the EU about Microsoft’s non-complicance was arch-rival Google, The Financial Times reported. The EU’s hard line against Microsoft is seen as a warning shot that it is serious about enforcing other antitrust settlements. And, since Google is involved in its own negotiations with European regulators over their concerns about how it runs its search and advertising business, the precedent-setting Microsoft settlement could come back to haunt it.

“It’s important for the Commission to show it’s serious in this case because this will set a precedent, and because the commission increasingly uses settlements to help reach solutions more quickly, especially in the fast-moving technology sector,” Nicolas Petit, a professor of competition law and economics at the University of Liège, told The New York Times. According to the FT, Joaquín Almunia, the European Union competition commissioner, made an indirect reference to the talks with Google when he said he’d asked his staff “to be extremely careful about how we design the monitoring and compliance” provisions of antitrust pacts. Read More »

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Nancy Tellem Talks Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studios, Finally

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday February 12, 2013 @ 4:34am PSTTags: Big Deals Film, Big Deals TV, microsoft, Nancy Tellem, Xbox

Related: Microsoft Reveals Xbox Community Data

Nancy Tellem has always been a pioneer, first as a woman in the traditional TV entertainment biz and then as #2 to Les Moonves at CBS Inc. When she transitioned to a consulting role in January 2010, Tellem indulged her passion for the digital world full-time. Meetings with Microsoft to discuss CBS/CW evolved until June 2012 when, after three months of negotiations, Microsoft announced her appointment as Entertainment & Digital Media president. Now she’s expanding her turf while Microsoft expands its entertainment footprint. At the ’D: Dive Into Media’ industry event late Monday, she spilled about her vision for entertainment on Xbox and about her new Los Angeles-based Xbox Entertainment Studios. But Microsoft and innovation do not go hand in hand: it’s been a digital slowpoke from the beginning and now can’t even make a decent computer operating system. Not only is Windows 8 a bomb, but its brand new Surface tablet is a bust. Which leads us to successful Xbox.

Tellem said that, during 2013, Microsoft is planning to launch more than 40 new voice-controlled customized TV and entertainment apps on Xbox. “We want to partner with the Industry to bring entertainment into a new era,” she told the panel. “It’s an era when interactive entertainment becomes the greatest form of all entertainment – and we couldn’t be more excited to play a part in it.” Read More »

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Microsoft Reveals Xbox Community Data

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday February 12, 2013 @ 3:15am PSTTags: Big Deals Film, Big Deals TV, microsoft, Xbox

Related: Nancy Tellem Talks Microsoft’s Xbox Entertainment Studios

Microsoft is one of the most secretive companies in the world. So it’s news that Yusuf Mehdi, corporate VP of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, on Monday night released new data about entertainment usage on Xbox and how it’s “exploded”. He claims there are now more than 76 million Xbox 360 consoles around the world — or 3 times the number of original Xbox consoles sold. In 2012, the amount of TV and other entertainment offerings on Xbox almost tripled, Mehdi claims, now surpassing 100 custom voice-controlled TV and entertainment apps on Xbox LIVE. “Yes, we started with video games, but we have been on a journey to make Xbox the center of every household’s entertainment.” Here’s more, according to a Microsoft news release about Mehdi’s talk at the ‘D: Dive Into Media’ conference:

Living room entertainment is in its largest evolutionary period since the transitions of black-and-white to color, and from standard definition to high definition. The Xbox 360, alongside Microsoft’s entertainment industry partners, is at the forefront of that evolution as one of the only devices that brings all forms of entertainment together in one device, while making access to content easy and providing new ways to interact with existing programming.

Social has been an important part of Xbox from the beginning, and that’s true today more than ever. The Xbox LIVE community has grown to 46 million members, a 15% growth since last year.

2012 also marked the Xbox’s biggest year for entertainment and games usage. Users enjoyed more than 18 billion hours of entertainment in 2012, with entertainment app usage growing 57% year over year globally. Last year in the United States, Xbox LIVE Gold members averaged 87 hours per month on Xbox, an increase of 10% year over year.

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Microsoft’s Year-End Earnings In Line With Forecasts, But Entertainment Results Soft

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Thursday January 24, 2013 @ 1:19pm PSTTags: microsoft

Shares are down about 1.4% in post-market trading following the release, which shows a decline in revenues for the Entertainment and Devices Division which includes the Xbox. Microsoft ended its fiscal Q2 with net income of $6.38B, -3.7% vs … Read More »

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Microsoft’s Head of Windows Unit Stepping Down: Reports

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday November 12, 2012 @ 6:39pm PSTTags: microsoft

Steven Sinofsky, the president of Microsoft’s Windows and Windows Live operations, is leaving the company, according to media reports. The announcement comes just days after Microsoft launched Windows 8. Sinofsky will be succeeded by Julie Larson-Green, who will head … Read More »

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Microsoft Shares Fall After CEO Says Sales Of Its New Surface Tablet Have Been Modest

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Monday November 12, 2012 @ 12:59pm PSTTags: microsoft, Surface

Talk about scratching the Surface. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer inadvertently dinged his company’s launch campaign for its Surface tablet by telling France’s Le Parisian in an interview that sales are “starting modestly.” To be fair, he added that critics’ response to the device was “phenomenal” — and that initial sales were limited because the tablet is still just available online and at a few stores. Still, his tempered comment, along with his refusal to project potential sales, contributed to a 2% drop in Microsoft’s stock price this afternoon. The company has a lot riding on the tablet, which includes Microsoft Office programs and can be paired with a keyboard cover to function like a conventional laptop computer. Strong sales “would come as a positive surprise to investors and demonstrate [Microsoft's] relevance in this important market,” Cowen & Co analyst Gregg Moskowitz says today. Read More »

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Netflix Chief Reed Hastings Decides To Log Off Microsoft’s Board

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Tuesday October 9, 2012 @ 1:53pm PDTTags: microsoft, Netflix, Reed Hastings

The Netflix founder joined the Microsoft board in 2007 and is now its lead independent director. But he has taken himself out of the running for re-election when the software company’s shareholders meet in November. “I’ve decided to … Read More »

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Nancy Tellem Joins Microsoft As Entertainment & Digital Media President

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday September 18, 2012 @ 12:48pm PDTTags: microsoft, Nancy Tellem
Nellie Andreeva

After three months of negotiations, Microsoft today announced the appointment of former top CBS executive Nancy Tellem as Entertainment & Digital Media president.

Related: Microsoft In Talks With Nancy Tellem For Top Entertainment Post

Tellem will oversee the launch of a newly created production studio in Los Angeles that will develop interactive and linear content for Xbox and other devices. In addition to running the production studio, she will help spearhead the company’s efforts to turn Xbox into a leading entertainment platform. She will report to Phil Spencer, corporate VP, Microsoft Studios. “The Xbox is already a consumer favorite, and we now have a tremendous opportunity to transform it into the center of all things entertainment — from games, music and fitness to news, sports, live events, television series and movies — so consumers have one destination for all their entertainment needs,” Tellem said. “I look forward to building a studio team that embraces the challenges of creating true interactive content that the Xbox platform supports and to work with talent to create content that will change the way entertainment content is experienced and delivered.” Read More »

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Microsoft Deal Could Enhance BlackBerry Phones’ Video And File Sharing Power

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Tuesday September 18, 2012 @ 9:53am PDTTags: BlackBerry, microsoft, Research In Motion

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) can use some encouraging news as it loses market share to Apple, Android, and Windows-powered smartphones, and today’s patent licensing deal with Microsoft seems to provide some. The software giant gave RIM the right to use its Extended File Allocation Table that the companies say will make it easier for some BlackBerry devices to transfer “large files for audiovisual media” and facilitate data exchanges between PCs and other devices. The system, called “exFAT,” enables flash memory devices to handle five times more data than they could under Microsoft’s previous “FAT” protocol. “Today’s smartphones and tablets require the capacity to display richer images and data than traditional cellular phones,” Microsoft’s GM of Intellectual Property Licensing David Kaefer says. “This agreement with RIM highlights how a modern file system, such as exFAT can help directly address the specific needs of customers in the mobile industry.” RIM shares popped more than 3% after the mid-day announcement, but retreated shortly afterward to about +2%. Read More »

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Nokia Shares Fall After Company Unveils Flagship Smartphone With Microsoft

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Wednesday September 5, 2012 @ 8:43am PDTTags: microsoft

Nokia has a lot riding on its new Lumia 920 smartphone, designed to be the most powerful platform running Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 operating system. But investors were unimpressed with the roll out this morning. Nokia’s … Read More »

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Microsoft Reports Solid Fiscal Q4 Earnings Despite Slowing Xbox Shippments

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Thursday July 19, 2012 @ 2:05pm PDTTags: microsoft, Xbox

The latest report should carry an asterisk. The formal results show this to be the first quarter in which Microsoft recorded a net loss — due to the previously announced $6.2B writedown of ad sales operation aQuantive, as well … Read More »

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Microsoft Chief Says Cloud-Based Update To Office Is “Magical,” But Has No Price Yet

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Monday July 16, 2012 @ 1:39pm PDTTags: microsoft

Programs including PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, and OneNote aren’t sexy. But since Office is, for better or worse, the de facto standard for business, the update unveiled today is sure to attract a lot of attention. It’s “the most ambitious release of Microsoft Office that we’ve ever done,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says. While he didn’t mention Google Apps — the free, rival collection of writing, presentation, spreadsheet, social networking, and communications services already based in the cloud — they were clearly in Microsoft’s sights. There’s something else he didn’t mention: price and availability for the three versions (Office 365 Home Premium, Office 365 Small Business Premium and Office 365 ProPlus). They’ll be disclosed in the fall. “We have a lot of work to do to get the cost down,” Ballmer says, but he says the applications work together in a way that is “magical.” Read More »

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NBCUniversal Buys Microsoft’s 50% Stake in MSNBC.com For $300M; Now NBCNews.com

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Sunday July 15, 2012 @ 7:52pm PDTTags: Big Deals TV, microsoft, MSNBC.com, NBCUniversal

The end of the 16-year co-venture was announced tonight as both companies wont independent control over their Internet destinies. The deal has been teased since May, and it’s the last remaining stake which Microsoft had with NBC News after Microsoft sold its stake in MSNBC’s … Read More »

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Microsoft Says It Will Take $6.2B Write Down For 2007 Purchase Of aQuantive

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Monday July 2, 2012 @ 3:09pm PDTTags: microsoft

Microsoft’s $6.4B acquisition — its second biggest, behind Skype – didn’t turn out quite the way execs envisioned. The software giant hoped that aQuantive would provide a lot of muscle for its efforts to become an Internet ad sales … Read More »

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Microsoft In Talks With Nancy Tellem For Top Entertainment Post

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday June 26, 2012 @ 3:30pm PDTTags: Big Deals TV, microsoft, Nancy Tellem, Xbox Live
Nellie Andreeva

Nancy Tellem Xbox LiveEXCLUSIVE: Microsoft is taking a major step towards growing its entertainment footprint. I’ve learned that the software giant is in talks with former top CBS TV executive and now CBS consultant Nancy Tellem for a … Read More »

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Microsoft Getting Into Tablet Game, Unveils iPad Rival Surface

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday June 18, 2012 @ 4:35pm PDTTags: Apple, iPad, microsoft, Xbox

Microsoft Surface TabletThe business media rumor mill can be put to rest. Microsoft made it official today with the unveiling of its Microsoft Surface Windows 8 tablet. Windows president Steve Sinofsky said today at … Read More »

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Microsoft Invests $300M In Barnes & Noble Subsidiary For The Nook E-Reader

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Monday April 30, 2012 @ 4:39am PDTTags: Barnes & Noble, microsoft

Barnes & Noble shares are up more than 70% in pre-market trading following the announcement. The computer software giant will own 17.6% of the Nook subsidiary, valuing it at $1.7B, and provide a Nook application in its new Windows 8 … Read More »

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