Microsoft Opens gamescom 2015 with New Game Reveals for Xbox and Windows 10

COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 4, 2015 — (PRNewswire) —  Today Xbox opened gamescom 2015, the world's biggest interactive games and entertainment expo, with new game reveals for Xbox and Windows 10, extending the company's greatest lineup in Xbox history into 2016. 

The company debuted world-premiere gameplay of anticipated exclusives "Crackdown 3," "Scalebound" and "Killer Instinct Season 3," alongside a new gameplay demo of the heavily anticipated "Quantum Break."  

Xbox also announced "Halo Wars 2" — an exciting new strategy game packed with fast-paced action, massive battles and an all-new Halo story, coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in fall 2016. 

Shawn Ashmore, lead actor for Remedy Entertainment's "Quantum Break," surprised fans as he took the stage with Remedy's Creative Director Sam Lake to discuss and showcase the game's latest time-amplified gameplay features.

By popular fan request, Xbox announced DVR for Over-the-Air TV is coming to Xbox One as a subscription-free service¹ in 2016. Once Xbox One is set up for over-the-air TV, Xbox One owners will be able to record their favorite TV shows, movies and sporting events and store them onto a hard drive, so the amount of recorded content is only limited by the size of the drive.

The Greatest Games Lineup in Xbox History Starts Today

The launch of "Rare Replay" on Aug. 4, 2015, kicks off the 2015 Xbox games lineup, which was the most awarded lineup in Xbox history at E3 2015. Today at gamescom, the company revealed more 2015 games news and gave fans an in-depth look at the blockbuster games available this fall:

• 343 Industries signaled the return of Halo eSports with the Halo World Championship, kicking off this fall with the biggest investment in Halo eSports history — a $1 million prize pool.
• Crystal Dynamics gave fans their first look at one of the expansive hubs gamers will be able to explore in the highly anticipated "Rise of the Tomb Raider," before showing off Lara's new guerilla combat skills and the awe-inspiring Prophets Tomb, filled with secrets to be discovered when the game releases this November, exclusively on Xbox.
• Turn 10 Studios announced four additional tracks coming to "Forza Motorsport 6," each built from the ground up for this generation — Circuit of the Americas, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Sonoma Raceway and Germany's famous Hockenheimring — as well as all-new Forza Race Leagues that offer competitive 24-player multiplayer on dedicated servers.²
• Electronic Arts shared a look at "FIFA 16," detailing the full roster and new features coming to FIFA Ultimate Team Legends, and reminded fans that EA Access members³ will get exclusive early access to the game beginning Sept. 17, only on Xbox One.
• Gamers who purchase Square Enix and Avalanche Studios' upcoming open-world action adventure "Just Cause 3" on Xbox One will exclusively receive "Just Cause 2. ⁴"
• Ubisoft provided a look at the German CTU featured in its upcoming multiplayer shooter "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege." Gamers who purchase the game on Xbox One will exclusively receive both "Rainbow Six Vegas" and "Rainbow Six Vegas 2. ⁴"
• Oxeye Game Studio, co-founded by "Minecraft" Lead Developer Jens Bergensten, Daniel Brynolf and Pontus Hammarberg, will launch indie title "Cobalt" as a console exclusive on Xbox 360 and Xbox One in October 2015.
• ID@Xbox showed several innovative titles at gamescom, including "Worms WMD," "Thimbleweed Park," "Train Simulator," "Ark : Survival Evolved," "Sheltered," "We Happy Few," "Bloodstained" and more than 30 independent games coming to Windows 10. Fans have a lot more to look forward to, as more than 150 new ID@Xbox titles are coming in the next 12 months.
• Just in time for the holidays, two exclusive "FIFA 16" console bundles, a limited edition "Halo 5: Guardians" console bundle and two new limited edition controllers from "Halo 5: Guardians," are all available for preorder starting today.
• Mojang announced that since the launch of "Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition" beta less than a week ago, players have traveled more than 826 million meters in-game; the equivalent of circling the earth 20 times.

Xbox One Backward Compatibility Launches in November with 100 Xbox 360 Titles and Games With Gold Support 

• Since the announcement of Xbox One Backward Compatibility at E3 2015, fans have cast over 3 million total votes on Xbox Feedback for the Xbox 360 titles they'd like to play on Xbox One.
• Xbox One preview members have logged more than 83 years playing Xbox 360 backward-compatible titles on Xbox One.
• "Gears of War" and "Shadow Complex" are the newest titles playable on Xbox One today through Backward Compatibility.
• Xbox One will be the only next-generation console to offer backward compatibility for free this November. With more than 100 Xbox 360 titles and hundreds more to follow.
• All future Xbox 360 Games with Gold titles will be playable on Xbox One, meaning Xbox Live Gold members will have more free games to play each month on Xbox One.

Xbox Is Home to the Most Anticipated Exclusives and Blockbusters of 2016

Building on the greatest games lineup in Xbox history announced at E3 2015, including games like "ReCore," "Sea of Thieves" and "Gears of War 4," Microsoft revealed additional details on the exciting lineup of titles coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2016:

• "Crackdown 3" (XBOX ONE EXCLUSIVE). Stop crime as a superpowered Agent of justice in this hyperpowered sandbox of mayhem and destruction. Developed by original creator Dave Jones, "Crackdown 3" delivers cooperative mayhem and an all-new multiplayer mode² where destruction is your ultimate weapon, powered by the Microsoft Cloud. Multiplayer beta beginning in 2016.
• "Dark Souls III." Known for delivering a high level of unrelenting challenge to gamers, the next chapter of the "Dark Souls" saga returns with "Dark Souls III." Developer FromSoftware returns to create a new blighted world for players to explore. The embers of a once-proud kingdom set the stage for this new adventure. Players will battle against fearsome enemies and bosses with a variety of weapons and magic through a mysterious land riddled with secrets. 
• "Halo Wars 2" (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). An exciting new strategy game packed with fast-paced action, massive battles and an all-new Halo story, "Halo Wars 2" is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in fall 2016. Developed by Creative Assembly, a SEGA company and the creators of the popular "Total War" series, in partnership with 343 Industries, "Halo Wars 2" is the sequel to the game that redefined real-time strategy on consoles.
• "Homefront: The Revolution." "Homefront: The Revolution" is an open-world first-person shooter where you must lead the Resistance movement and wage guerrilla warfare against a superior military force to ignite the Revolution. The dynamic, evolving world responds to your actions as an oppressed nation rises up in defiance against the occupation.
• "Killer Instinct Season 3" (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). Launching in March 2016 on Xbox One and Windows 10, "Killer Instinct Season 3" was announced at gamescom and features eight new characters, including Rash from Battletoads. Killer Instinct and "Rare Replay" players can download and play a limited sneak peek of Rash on Xbox One starting Aug. 4.
• "Quantum Break" (XBOX ONE EXCLUSIVE). From the makers of "Max Payne" and "Alan Wake," Remedy Entertainment showcased new gameplay and footage of "Quantum Break," the studio's latest blockbuster game with time-amplified action and a suspenseful storyline brought to life in a way never done before in the gaming world. "Quantum Break" will be available on April 5, 2016.
• "Scalebound" (XBOX ONE EXCLUSIVE). Unite with a fearsome, noble dragon in "Scalebound," the next great adventure from critically acclaimed developer PlatinumGames and renowned Game Director Hideki Kamiya. Available fall 2016.

DVR for Over-the-Air TV Coming to Xbox One

With DVR for Over-the-Air TV, you can stream shows to other devices, schedule recordings and take your shows with you on-the-go.

• Stream recorded TV shows to other devices in your home and schedule recordings while on the go, either via the Xbox app on Windows 10, or through Xbox SmartGlass for iOS and Android.
• Add, review and edit your scheduled recordings from your Windows 10, iOS or Android PC, tablet or phone while you are away from home with ease.
• Download shows to your Windows 10 phone, PC or tablet so you can watch them on an airplane, on a bus – really anywhere – even without an internet connection.

New Xbox One Consoles Offer Fans More Ways to Play This Holiday

In addition to the previously announced "Forza Motorsport 6" Limited Edition Console and Xbox One "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition" Bundle, Microsoft offers even more options for bringing home Xbox One at a great value this fall.

• Xbox One "Halo 5: Guardians" Limited Edition Bundle. Featuring a 1TB custom-designed console and controller, a full game download of "Halo 5: Guardians," the Warzone REQ Bundle that includes 14 premium Requisition Packs, access to "Halo: The Fall of Reach" animated series, and more. The bundle is available starting Oct. 20 for an estimated retail price of $499.99/399 pounds/499 euros, so fans will have the benefit of pre-downloading "Halo 5: Guardians" to be ready for launch day.⁶ 
• Xbox One 1TB and 500GB EA SPORTS™ "FIFA 16" Bundles. Pre-order the Xbox One 1TB EA SPORTS™ "FIFA 16" bundle or Xbox One 500GB EA SPORTS "FIFA 16" bundles today. The Xbox One 1TB EA Sports "FIFA 16" Bundle includes a full-game download of "FIFA 16," three Xbox exclusive FIFA Ultimate Team Loan Legends and one-year of EA Access for an estimated retail price of $399.99/369 pounds/399 euros. The Xbox One 500GB EA SPORTS "FIFA 16" Bundle includes a full-game download7 of "FIFA 16," three Xbox exclusive FIFA Ultimate Team Loan Legends and one-month EA Access for an estimated retail price of 319 pounds/369 euros. Regional offers may vary. As an EA Access member, play "FIFA 16" and other upcoming EA games on Xbox One for a limited time before they're released.⁷

Xbox Chatpad and Halo Limited Edition Controllers Take Your Gaming to the Next Level

• The Xbox Chatpad. A new Xbox Chatpad for all Xbox One controllers will let you compose messages to friends, enter codes and search apps in seconds. Two new programmable buttons⁸ available mid-2016 on Xbox One only will give you access to your favorite features like Game DVR, screenshots or apps at the touch of a button. The Xbox Chatpad is coming this November for an estimated retail price of $34.99/29.99 pounds/34.99 euros.
• Xbox One Limited Edition "Halo 5: Guardians" Wireless Controller. Featuring a unique laser-etched design inspired by Spartan Locke and UNSC technology, the controller includes metallic blue accents, UNSC military insignias and a bonus Requisition Pack including the Resolute visor. The controller will be available starting in early October for an estimated retail price of $69.99/59.99 pounds/69.99 euros.
• Xbox One Limited Edition "Halo 5: Guardians" "The Master Chief" Wireless Controller. Featuring the signature green and metallic orange accents of the Master Chief's armor, the controller includes laser-etched designs and a bonus Requisition Pack including the Dauntless visor. The controller will be available starting in early October for an estimated retail price of $69.99/59.99 pounds/69.99 euros.

About Xbox
Xbox is Microsoft's premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world's largest libraries of movies, TV, music and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass and Xbox Live, the world's premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

¹ After purchasing the necessary hardware, there are no monthly service fees for OneGuide or Xbox One Live TV DVR services.
² Online multiplayer requires Xbox Live Gold subscription (sold separately). Broadband Internet required for streaming; ISP fees apply.
³ EA Access requires paid subscription, sold separately; see http://www.ea.com/eaaccess for details. Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately) also required to access certain vault title online features. Conditions and restrictions apply.
⁴ Xbox One Backward Compatibility feature works with select Xbox 360 games, see http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/backward-compatability. Xbox 360 accessories and Kinect, and games requiring those accessories, are not compatible with Xbox One consoles. Xbox Live and broadband Internet required for initial download of game to console. General availability of backward compatibility expected fall 2015.
⁵ Some features of Game DVR for Xbox One require Xbox Live Gold subscription (sold separately).
⁶ Digital content provided on multiple labeled download cards inside package. Download from Xbox Live; ISP fees apply. Warzone REQ bundle requires Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately). Halo: The Fall of Reach – Animated Series is streaming only via Halo Channel.
⁷ "FIFA 16" code and FIFA Ultimate Team™ Loan Legends token inside; game download from Xbox Live and requires up to 20 GB. Loan Legends will be randomly selected and only available for play in five games. After complimentary year, EA Access requires paid subscription, sold separately; see http://www.ea.com/eaaccess for details. EA Access Terms are located at http://www.ea.com/eaaccess/terms.html. Xbox Live Gold (sold separately) also required to access certain Vault title online features. Conditions and restrictions apply.
⁸ Programmable keys for Xbox One only.

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