Welcome to our weekly Xbox news recap series, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Xbox. Let’s get started.

PUBG will run at 30FPS, despite previous claim

PUBG is going to be running at 30FPS at launch on both the Xbox One X and the Xbox One, according to new claims. Earlier in the week we had a “confirmation” that Bluehole’s popular battle royale game will launch at 60FPS on Xbox One X, but the company has backtracked. The latest tweet from the official PUBG Twitter account says that “this early in dev, we’re unable to confirm” anything about future framerate. PUBG will be launching at 30FPS on both consoles, and there’s a chance that they could increase that in the future.

While I previously stated PUBG would run at higher FPS at XGP launch on 12/12, I want to clarify that PUBG will run at 30 FPS across all @Xbox One devices. We’re constantly refining the game & exploring options to increase FPS, but this early in dev, we’re unable to confirm more.

— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) December 1, 2017

Destiny 2 gets free trial on Xbox

Destiny 2 now has a free trial on Xbox One, similar to the trial that the original Destiny got after the release of its third expansion, The Taken King. The trial is designed, like most trials, with the intention of getting users to try out the game for a bit before they decide they’re interested in purchasing the whole thing. With Destiny 2 being an MMO-like experience, this format is fairly successful as a way to hook players into the game’s core gameplay, while still promising a bounty of content going forward. This also comes just before the release of the first expansion – Curse of Osiris – which is due on December 5th.

Destiny 2 Free Trial is now live.
– Opening missions of Cinematic Campaign
– Quickplay Competitive Multiplayer
– Explore Two Full Destinations
– Carry progress to full gamehttps://t.co/FiZfcUCFc5 pic.twitter.com/ggWkKjeNRs

— Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) November 28, 2017

Bethesda games are now Xbox One X enhanced

Fallout 4 and Skyrim, as well as a suite of other Bethesda titles, have received updates on Xbox One X to get them looking shiny and new. The games on Xbox One X are now equipped with 4K texture packs, improved draw distances, some changes to framerate limits, and more. You can check out our full article for specifics on the changes, but you can rest assured that most recent Bethesda games are affected in some way, shape, or form. If you have an Xbox One X and have been waiting to dive into a Bethesda game recently, now’s the time.

Fallout 4 on Xbox One X delivers a detail-rich 4K experience https://t.co/61cgTxaSCz

— Fallout (@Fallout) December 1, 2017

Marvel Heroes Omega shuts down, Marvel forced to offer refunds

Marvel Heroes Omega has been shut down, and with it, Gazillion entertainment has been shuttered. This comes as part of some internal licensing issues at Disney, and it’s brought a very abrupt end to a game that was relatively well liked. The set date for the game to shut down its servers was December 31st, but to add insult to injury, the company then decided to shut the game down effective immediately, blowing off the grace period for fans to say goodbye. Fans who reach out to Microsoft will be refunded any in-game purchases, so you should make a point to get that money back as soon as possible if you’ve sunk anything into the game.

pic.twitter.com/Q12AUQ61c3

— Marvel Heroes Omega (@MarvelHeroes) November 27, 2017

Thanks for joining us. To keep up to date with all the latest Xbox news, keep a close eye on our Xbox One tag.

Since Microsoft announced earlier this week that Timeline would finally be available for testing with the next Redstone 4 build, we’ve been really looking forward to try this new feature. Unfortunately, Head of the Windows Insider Program Dona Sarkar has just tweeted that a bug with UWP apps is preventing the team from releasing a new build today:

#WindowsInsiders we’ve hit a bug that prevents UWPs from opening so we will not be flighting a new build today. Have a great weekend! ❤️

— Dona Sarkar (@donasarkar) December 1, 2017

It’s certainly not the first time that a blocking bug forces the team to delay the release of a new build, but make no mistake, there are definitely some fun times ahead. In addition to Timeline, tabs for UWP apps (aka “Windows Sets”) will also be tested with select Fast Ring Insiders over the coming weeks, and this is really one of the most exciting features to be added to Windows 10 since launch. It’s really exciting to be a Windows Insider these days, and we hope we won’t have to wait too long to get a new Redstone 4 build.

As slow as Microsoft often moves to assert itself with new trends, most of its business customers are even slower and less willing to change to accommodate new communications, workflows, or integrate ‘modern’ software. The glacial pace of Microsoft’s software pivots have been undeniably tied to its most profitable contributors in the enterprise sector and for good cause as a financial executive recently found out as he attempted to extract Microsoft’s Excel software from CPA’s on the floor.

The Wall Street Journal published a brief article last week where it posited that Microsoft’s Excel software has not kept up with contemporary needs the finance sector requires and subsequently resulted in financial chiefs asking their staffers to part ways with the aging piece of software. Predictably, that did not go over well with people who have embedded Excel in their most vital workflows.

One CPA went as far as to respond to the article via Twitter with a declaration that, “You can have my Excel after you ripped it from my cold, dead hands.” Another management consultant summed up his fellow co-workers affair with Excel as being similar to an addiction, “asking finance professionals if they’ve given up Excel is “like asking whether we’ve given up drinking.”

While, probably, a bit of hyperbole, the sentiment seemingly was unanimously felt across employees in the financial services industry that felt Excel was needed to maintain consistency and familiarity with tasks with responses and anecdotes to the article came pouring in over the Thanksgiving break in both the comment section and on Twitter.

Daniel Blumen, a treasury management consultant in Naperville, Ill., said he was astonished to find that one of his clients in the solar industry had bought a treasury management system that likely cost more than $250,000 but had never properly implemented it. The company was using an Excel spreadsheet to track several hundred million dollars in letters of credit.

Understandably, executives and IT managers are finding themselves at ends with employees as they attempt to introduce newer and more mission-tailored technology, according to a follow-up article by the Wall Street Journal on the same topic.

Mr. Schiller, the Virginia software engineer hired by a boutique insurer, said he wasn’t shocked that the actuarial staff was still working in Excel. What he couldn’t fathom, he said, was that sometimes they crunched numbers on a calculator, too.
In his 17-year career, Mr. Schiller said he’s never encountered so much resistance to change. At meetings, he said, “everybody was pleasant to each other.” Afterward, however, they would buttonhole their bosses to lobby against the technology project.
When the company finally adopted a new platform, he said, 4½ years had passed.

Slowly, Excel’s grip on the enterprise market is loosening as businesses opt to use custom software for more task-specific operations, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft is idly sitting by allowing its software to stale. With more than 90% of the Fortune 500 financial companies being powered by Office 365 in the cloud, Brian Jones head of Excel is closely monitoring the UserVoice suggestion boxes from those users to keep the software as competitive as possible.

A few months ago, Microsoft started pushing premium Outlook.com features to Office 365 subscribers including a new option for an ad-free Outlook experience and other enhancements. Noted by Paul Thurrott, Microsoft may now be using inbox ads with standard Outlook.com users who do not have the premium features bundled with Office 365.

From a reader: New kind of advertising, in https://t.co/wq7LmZiMmH. pic.twitter.com/a91zYZAgHV

— Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) December 1, 2017

This is a first for Outlook.com, which generally does not punish users with this very intrusive type of inbox advertising. It’s also very similar to the kind of ads which may occasionally appear in Gmail, Yahoo, and other free email services. With that so, it will be interesting to see how the Outlook.com community reacts this type of change, or if it will be pushing more Outlook users into buying an Office 356 subscription for premium features and a cleaner and more secure inbox.

Do you find the inbox ads troublesome or intrusive to the traditionally clean Outlook.com experience? Let us know your thoughts below.

Buying new tech gadgets for that special someone on your list this holiday season can be tricky, but Microsoft is here to help. The tech giant recently launched their 2017 holiday gift guide website, which features a series of videos explaining the top tech products and accessories from Microsoft and it’s partners this holiday season.

The videos and guides to gifts are aimed at mothers, fathers, the traveling gifter, fashionistas, trendsetting techies, mobile professionals, music lovers, and gaming gurus. Microsoft Store employees and scenery from the company’s retail stores even make appearances in the videos, which is especially thoughtful.

Anyway, store employees discuss the top tech products this holiday season, be it from Microsoft or it’s partners. We noticed the Fitbit Alta HR, Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and much more in some these holiday gift guide videos.

Nice to see Microsoft helping those who aren’t always up to date on tech find the best gifts this holiday season. We invite you to check out the guide for yourself and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Yesterday, we learned that PUBG developer Bluehole was working hard to make the game run at 60 FPS on both the Xbox One X and the standard Xbox One. In an interview with gamesTM magazine, Director Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene shared that the game would “definitely” hit 60FPS on the freshly released Xbox One X, but he was still “not sure if we’ll get there” on the older console.

Earlier today though, Greene backtracked on his comments and shared on Twitter that the game will run at 30FPS on both consoles at launch:

While I previously stated PUBG would run at higher FPS at XGP launch on 12/12, I want to clarify that PUBG will run at 30 FPS across all @Xbox One devices. We’re constantly refining the game & exploring options to increase FPS, but this early in dev, we’re unable to confirm more.

— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) December 1, 2017

This turnaround is really disappointing, especially when popular online FPS such as Call of Duty: WW2, Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 all run at 60FPS on next-gen consoles (Destiny 2 is the notable exception). PUBG is probably the biggest Xbox exclusive title of 2017, and it’s sad to see that the PC version of the game will continue to provide the best gameplay experience for the time being.

Unfortunately, it’s also some kind of bad PR for the Xbox One X, which Microsoft is marketing as the most powerful console ever released. PUBG will be enhanced for the Xbox One X with 4K graphics, but we assume that most players would much prefer smoother framerates over sharper textures. But as Greene previously said to gamesTM, it’s the standard Xbox One that seems to be causing issues. “The last time I saw it, it was running at about 30 to 40,” the Game Director explained.

Still, Greene said in his tweet that the team was “constantly refining the game & exploring options to increase FPS,” so it may well get better in the future. In the meantime, are you still interested in playing PUBG on your Xbox One even if it’s locked at 30FPS? Sound off in the comments below.

Today is the December 1st, which means that Xbox Live Gold subscribers now have two new games to add to their game library for free. This month, the first Games with Gold titles are the online FPS Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide and the Kinect-enabled game Child of Eden. The first one is already enhanced for the Xbox One X with support for 4K graphics. You can find more details about both games below.

Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide ($39.99 value):

The world is ending… though few believe it. The once proud city of Ubersreik now stands in ruin at the hands of the dreaded Skaven army. Few have survived their ruthless invasion. Team up with 3 friends and work together to thin out the ratmen’s forces and drive them out of the city. Assume the role of one of five heroes, and hack, slash, smash, burn and pierce the vile Skaven using a multitude of weapons. Fight your way through the city of Ubersreik, from the top of the Magnus Tower to the bowels of the Under Empire. This is our last stand and only you can stem the Vermintide.

Child of Eden ($29.99 value):

One of the most anticipated games of 2011 for Kinect. Winner of 9 awards at E3 for innovative graphics, music, and gameplay. Child of Eden is the “multi-sensory shooter” that will send players diving into a visual matrix of synchronized music and mind-blowing visuals. It will usher forth yet another landmark game experience from the mind of renowned game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

As a reminder, the two other Games with Gold titles to be available starting December 16 are Back to the Future: The Game and Marlow Briggs and the Mask of the Death. Anf If you haven’t done it yet, you can still download the excellent Tales from the Borderlands Complete Season for free through December 15.

Windows Insiders on the Fast Ring can now test a redesigned version of the Windows 10 People app, which now looks slightly more consistent with the native Mail and Calendar apps (via Aggiornamenti Lumia). The big headers for “Contacts,” “What’s new” and “Groups” are gone, replaced with a hamburger menu with Acrylic transparency effects.

Clicking on a contact will open a card on the right where you can see contact details, recent conversations and upcoming events with this contact. There is also a pin button to add contacts to your taskbar (next to the My People shortcut) or your Start Menu.

We’re not seeing the update on Windows 10 Mobile yet, but the new desktop app is quite an improvement over the previous version. If you’re on the Fast Ring, the version 10.3.3241.0 of the People app is what you’re looking at, let us know in the comments if you like this new design.

When Spotify launched in the Microsoft Store earlier this year, it was ported using Microsoft’s Desktop Bridge tool. Though still a solid option for fans of the service who also own a Windows 10 PC, the app did not include support for some of Windows 10’s unique features such as Live Tiles or notifications.

Well, Spotify has finally delivered, and a recent update to the app finally introduces support for Live Tiles (via Windows Central.) The Live Tile support is still a minor addition, but it’s appreciated nonetheless. Turned on by default, it is available in three tile sizes (medium, wide, large) but will only show suggested playlists and songs, and not what is currently playing. As usual, the user can also turn the Live Tile off by right-clicking and choosing “Turn live tile off.” from the “more” sub-menu.

This is still a very far way from the native Groove Music app, but also a small step forward, opening up hope for additional features in later updates to come. You should be seeing this update now in the Microsoft Store. If you’re not seeing it, you can manually trigger the update by clicking the link below and opening the Microsoft Store on your PC.

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Spotify Music

Developer:
Spotify AB

Price:
Free⁺

Looking for a new strategy game? Something a little different than the usual run-n-gun, hack-n-slash action? The Escapists 2: Special Edition is now available on Xbox One, giving you all access to a pretty solid strategy sandbox game on your favorite console. The special edition includes the base game, the season pass, and the “Wicked Ward” add-on. In other words, it gives you about as complete of an experience as you can get.

The Escapists 2 Special Edition (@Escapists_Game) from @Team17Ltd is now available for Xbox One, includes The Escapists 2, Season Pass and Wicked Ward add-on https://t.co/mij0Lm895P pic.twitter.com/p9x0XnLLew

— Larry Hryb ????????☁ (@majornelson) November 28, 2017

The Escapists is a pretty storied franchise of games at this point, having built up a dedicated following after the first game’s release. Now, after being a relatively successful series on consoles, the creators at Team 17 are enjoying a thriving franchise across all platforms. If you’re interested in picking up the special edition, it’ll run you about 30 dollars.

Despite a handful of publicly announced partnerships, it seems Samsung would like its customer to know it’s still fully committed to the big G and that rumored Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition phone is nothing more than a rumor.

According to Windows Central, the often whispered Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus Microsoft Edition phones were never an actual product. In hindsight, it seems a bit obvious that Samsung would not go out of its way to produce a phone with specific Microsoft software onboard, but for many, the idea of a Microsoft Edition phone conjured up those exact expectations.

As we, along with Windows Central reported back in the day, the concept of a Microsoft Edition phone was a fairly straightforward affair where employees at the company’s retail outlets would sell a purchased Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus running Android and then walk customers through the process of Microsoftizing it by downloading items such as Arrow Launcher, Microsoft Apps, and Bing Search.

Samsung was in enough agreement with the idea that when issuing its clarification about the non-existent S8 and S8 Plus Microsoft Edition phones, they detailed experiences as such.

Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note8 devices are available in the Microsoft online and retail stores with a unique Microsoft experience which ensures their customers, particularly small-to-midsize business owners and entrepreneurs, a best-in-class productivity experience. There is not a ‘Microsoft Edition’ brand of any Samsung Galaxy products.

So, long story short, there is not and perhaps never will be a Microsoft Edition branded phone coming from Samsung and as far as we know, was never officially announced to have been. What Microsoft fans and Windows Phone converts can look forward to, is turning every Android phone into a Microsoft Edition phone thanks to a handful of applications and tweaks.

As if customizing your very own Xbox controller with your whatever wacky color combination your hearts desires isn’t enough, Microsoft is now offering free engravings to make sure your friend’s Cheetos-laden fingers never mistake your controller for theirs.

What used to cost an additional $9.99 for anyone visiting the Xbox Design Lab website looking to brand their controller with whatever quip or signature they could come up with is now free for what we believe is a limited time.

Further sweetening the pot, Microsoft is also claiming early takers of this deal should get their custom controllers in time for Christmas.

PSA: Get free engraving when you buy any #XboxDesignLab controller. Design yours now to get delivery by Christmas: https://t.co/v9cwdg73ot pic.twitter.com/Sg2gzICPMO

— Xbox (@Xbox) November 28, 2017

For those interested, head over to the Xbox Design Labs website to try out a few customizations and engraving options before dolling out the $79.99 for that personalized piece of hardware. Anecdotally, I tried out several options to actually match the decor in my living room straight from the website and the results were awesome.

Share with us below in the comments your ideal customized controller.

Earth Defense Force 2017 and Sonic Adventure 2 are the latest Xbox 360 games you can play on your Xbox One console. These two titles follow the addition of Peggle 2 and Marlow Briggs and the Mask of the Death to the Backward Compatibility list two days ago.

Earth Defense Force 2017 and Sonic Adventure 2 are coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility today https://t.co/qPMRNrLoTQ pic.twitter.com/Ytk8hsyCts

— Larry Hryb ???????? (@majornelson) November 30, 2017

For those unfamiliar, Earth Defense Force 2017 is a futuristic third-person shooter developed by Japanese developer Sandlot, and the first game in the series to be released in North America. As for Sonic Adventure 2, it’s a remastered version of the platform game originally released on the Sega Dreamcast back in 2001. You can find more details about both games below.

Earth Defense Force 2017 ($14.99)

Earth Defense Force is a shooting action game and follow-up to “The Earth Defense Force” and “The Earth Defense Force 2”, released in Japan. In this game, the player becomes a soldier of an international army, the EDF, trying to defeat an alien army that suddenly arrives on Earth. The PS2 predecessors have sold over 350,000 copies in Japan, and now the popular series has made its way to the XBOX 360. To take advantage of the console’s high definition capability, the graphics and gameplay have been improved, while the design and game world have been completely revamped.

Sonic Adventure 2 ($9.99)

In the fight between heroes and villains, will you choose to save the world or conquer it? The hunt for the Chaos Emeralds is on and battle lines have been drawn between Hero and Dark. Experience two unique adventures featuring both long-time heroes and new and returning villains as they battle for the fate of the world! Sonic Adventure™ 2 makes its return on Xbox LIVE Arcade with a full cast of playable heroes and villains, exciting two-player competitive modes, Chao Gardens, and more than 30 action-packed stages, all remastered in HD!

Overall, nine new Xbox 360 games have been added to the Xbox One Backward compatibility list this month, and we’re looking forward to see what’s in the pipeline for December.

There’s another Xbox backward compatibility game title available for EA Access subscribers. This time it’s Dead Space 3, an Xbox 360 exclusive, released in 2013.

Play as much as you want. Dead Space 3 is now available on EA Access. https://t.co/4em0SJitdq pic.twitter.com/KNNtc8hQBk

— EA Play (@EAPlay) November 29, 2017

EA Access subscribers can now play Dead Space 3 on the original Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X. Dead Space 3 on EA Access has all of the Season Pass content, including Dead Space 3: Awakening.

If you don’t already have one, I suggest getting an EA Access subscription. It’s a cheaper option if you want to play some of the best EA game titles without buying each one individually. EA Access is just $30 for the year, a 50% savings over the $5 monthly plan.

Right now, EA Access subscribers can play games like Mass Effect: Andromeda, Titanfall 2, NHL 17, and more. EA Access also allows players to play new Xbox One games (on a trial basis) before you buy and you get an additional 10% off any EA games you decide to buy. Join EA Access today.

Dead Space 3 is currently available to buy for $19.99 from the Microsoft Store.

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Dead Space™ 3

Developer:
Electronic Arts

Price:
Free

Microsoft yesterday held its annual shareholders meeting, where CEO Satya Nadella discussed the future direction of the company and how Microsoft is helping customers and partners thrive. Four new Board of Directors members were voted on and added during the meeting, and the company also announced its quarterly dividend.

The Microsoft Board of Directors now sees the addition of Reid Hoffman, Hugh Johnston, Penny S. Pritzker, and Arne Sorenson. Hoffman is a partner at Greylock Partners and was a co-founder of LinkedIn, Johnston is the CFO of PepsiCo Inc, Pritzker was a former US Secretary of Commerce, and Sorenson is president and chief executive officer of Marriott International.  Other proposals were acted on by the company’s shareholders can be seen below.

• Approved, on a nonbinding advisory basis, the fiscal year 2017 compensation of the company’s named executive officers. The advisory measure received more than 95 percent of votes cast.
• Approved a yearly advisory vote on executive compensation. The advisory measure received more than 90 percent of votes cast.
  Ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company’s independent auditor for fiscal year 2018, with over 98 percent of votes cast.
• Approved material terms of the performance goals under the Microsoft Corporation Executive Incentive Plan, with a vote of more than 98 percent of votes cast.
• Approved the Microsoft Corporation 2017 Stock Plan, with a vote of 96 percent of votes cast.

In addition, the Microsoft Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, payable on March 8, 2018 to shareholders of record on Feb. 15, 2018, with an ex-dividend date on Feb. 14, 2018.  Appearing front of the same board members, Satya Nadella also discussed Microsoft’s pursuit of a $100 billion gaming industry and Windows 10 reaching 600 million monthly active devices.

Microsoft has just updated its Skype UWP app for Fast Ring Insiders, delivering subtle touches of Fluent design to the messaging app. Though a bit small of a feature, the update brings it visually up to speed with some of the other stock apps in Windows 10.

Seen in the featured image above, the 12.10.534.0 update introduces Fluent Design’s reveal effects to the sidebar of the Skype app, where conversations are listed. Again, still a minor change, but it’s an indication that Microsoft has not forgotten about the UWP Skype app, and might be adding more Fluent Design UI enhancements soon. However, we’ve not seen any traces of Fluent Design on Windows 10 Mobile so far.

This update also introduces some changes to the profile page. The toggles for ” Do Not Disturb” and  “Do Not share my presence” are replaced with a simple “Status” field, which is more consistent with how status management now works on other platforms. There also is a change in the green status dots, which are now slightly larger.

You can expect this update to roll out to a wider audience soon. For now, though, Windows Insiders can bask in all the Fluent Design glory by heading to the Microsoft Store and updating the Skype app.

Earlier today, Bethesda Studios updated a number of titles in its game collection, including Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, to use all the power of the Xbox One X. Skyrim and Fallout 4 now support 4K resolution, dynamic range, and a number of other updates. Fallout 4 contains an extensive list of updates across all platforms, that’s available on Bethesda’s website.

Besides Skyrim and Fallout 4, Bethesda updated their other game titles too. Here’s a list of the other games and their updates:

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

• Supports 4K Resolution
• Dynamic Resolution

Dishonored 2 & Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

• Supports 4K Resolution
• Dynamic Resolution
• Improved framerate stability
• 4K textures
• Improved geometry/draw distances
• Improved anti-aliasing
• Improved shadows quality

The Evil Within 2

• Upgraded resolution
• Higher framerate
• 30 fps lock removal

The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)

• Supports Native 4K Resolution and HDR
• Increased view distance
• Upgraded shadows with Screen Space Ambient Occlusion
• Upgraded water reflections

All these updates are live today, with the exception of ESO (details here), which will get its update for Xbox One X tomorrow, November 29. Bethesda also added that “Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion are also joining the Xbox One X Enhanced catalog.” Bethesda gave no update as to when we will see the updates, so stay tuned.

Seems as though the developers behind the Destiny franchise are looking to increase their gamer adoption numbers this holiday season by offering a free trial of their latest installment, Destiny 2.

For gamers who are home on school break, working relaxed winter hours or simply have more free time in December, they can now try out Destiny 2 free on both Xbox One, PC and PlayStation 4 starting November 28th.

The trial will consist of both a single player campaign and a player vs player mode and progress gained from during the trial will thankfully be carried over if and when a full purchase of the game is done.

The timing of the trial seems a bit strategic not only in luring more buyers during the holiday gift-giving season but also precedes a highly anticipated expansion pack that might just be the tipping point for fans to convenience their friends and fellow combatants to buy the full version of the game.

Bungie, the studio behind Destiny and Destiny 2 have not publically stated how long players will have with the free trial which makes downloading after November 28th a priority to get as much time with the game before potentially plopping down $59.99.

As with Black Friday, we imagine Destiny 2 will continue to see on-again, off-again discounts from major retail outlets well into next year. So, if you’ve always wanted to try out Destiny but not at the steep asking price of $60, head over to your Xbox One, PlayStation 4, app or webpage and download the game to your console immediately.

Yesterday, Microsoft took an unusual step in pre-announcing two new features that will soon be included in Windows 10 Insider RS4 builds, Timeline and Sets. Timeline will allow users to go back to a previous point in time in their workflow, re-opening files, apps, and webpages. “Sets” is the not-yet-final name for Tabs in UWP apps, and what sounds to be a useful but perhaps not as earth-shaking a change as Timeline.

But what got some Insiders fired up on Twitter yesterday was mention of what we think is a fundamental change to the way the Windows Insider Program works. Dona Sarkar wrote this:

Second – we’re going to start doing controlled studies with some of new features for Windows 10 we’re working on. We’ve been doing this on a smaller scale – like trying out different Hub icons in Microsoft Edge to see which one people like more. Now we’re going to start doing these with entire features. This means that a smaller percentage of you will initially get certain new features in builds and others may not get these new features for a while, as we compare the usage and satisfaction of these features versus people who don’t. Eventually everyone will get these features—but it just could be awhile. With this approach, it also means that we will make these features broadly available when they are ready, not necessarily tied to the next major feature update of Windows 10. (italics ours)

We had fun yesterday debating the significance of the change on Twitter, which boils down to this: are Insiders in the program to be helpful testers for Microsoft, or are they looking to gain early access to builds and features? Of course for many/most of us, it’s probably some of both, but up until yesterday, if you were on the Windows Insider Fast Ring, you were ensured first access to new features. With the changes, this is no longer the case, and a percentage of us may have to wait days or weeks to try out features that we’re only able to read about in the tech press.

Anyway, I contended on Twitter that some/most testers join the Insider for early access more than to test whatever comes their way, is that true? Why did you join the Windows Insider Program, and what are your expectations? Let us know in the poll below:

While we don’t doubt for a minute that doing A/B testing on Insiders will yield results for Microsoft that may well ultimately make Windows better, we can’t help but feel that something significant was taken away yesterday. Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below

Microsoft announced today a massive extension project for its Redmond-based campus, which has been the company’s home since 1986. The company plans to expand its 500-acre campus with “18 new buildings, 6.7 million square feet of renovated workspace, $150 million in transportation infrastructure improvements, public spaces, sports fields and green space.”

The refresh project will kick off next fall and should take up to seven years, with the goal to create more room for up to 8,000 additional employees. “Our new campus will be more open and less formal, divided into a series of “team neighborhoods” while capturing more natural light and fostering the type of creativity that will lead to ongoing innovation to advance the industry and benefit our customers,” explained Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith.

The construction of the new campus should require 2,500 construction and development jobs, and Smith explained that it should be a boon for the Puget Sound area. “It’s an investment that’s good for our employees, good for the Puget Sound community, and makes good sense for our shareholders,” said Smith. “We are not only creating a world-class work environment to help retain and attract the best and brightest global talent, but also building a campus that our neighbors can enjoy, and that we can build in a fiscally smart way with low environmental impact.”

The extension of Microsoft’s Redmond campus is a reflection of the company’s recent growth, and it also follows other redevelopment projects at Microsoft’s offices in Vancouver BC and London. Following the opening of Apple’s new spaceship campus in Cupertino, it seems that it also was an opportunity for Microsoft that it represents one of the best workplaces in the tech sector. “As Microsoft continues to create the tools and services that are shaping the future of work, we can’t think of a better time to modernize our campus into a model of ingenuity and innovation,” explained Smith.

Highsnobiety is a website dedicated to its namesake, and as a tech fan, you’d be forgiven not knowing much about the lifestyle focused blog. For the most part, Highsnobiety and the world of tech remained seemingly in suspended states with one another until the iPhone X debut and brought the two into a very public collision course, with former Apple insiders finding themselves on the outs in favor of writers of the fashion and lifestyle publication.

Continuing its courtship with mainstream technology, Highsnobiety will now find itself hosting a livestream show called Pushing Buttons with some help from Xbox community.

Gaming fans rejoice because we’ve teamed up with Highsnobiety, the online publication covering forthcoming trends and news in fashion, art, music, and culture, to bring you a brand-new interactive livestream show on Mixer. Starting this Friday, December 1 at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET, “Pushing Buttons,” will feature a range of celebrities and influencers as special guests.

To celebrate the new livestream the Xbox team will be offering gear from partner Raised by Wolves which will include totes, jackets, jerseys, and hats in limited quantities on top of an Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Limited Edition Bundle giveaway each week.

For those interested, the guest for the livestream includes:

• • December 1: Joey Bada$$ & Mack Wilds
  • December 8: Flatbush Zombies
  • December 15: Just Blaze & DJ Shiftee
  • December 22: Jillionaire & Fat Boy SSE
  • December 27: Ayo & Teo
  • December 29: CJ Fly & Kirk Knight

Feel free to visit Highsnobiety’s social media pages for details on the schedule, giveaways, and additional contest throughout the rest of the year.

Microsoft today added two new games to the Xbox One Backward Compatibility Catalog. Gamers with an Xbox One, Xbox One S, or Xbox One X can now enjoy Peggle 2, and Marlow Briggs on their systems (via Neowin.) As usual, we’ve included the trailers, download links, and details for both these titles below.

Marlow Briggs and the Mask of the Death: $14.99

A new breed of WARRIOR returns, committed to destroying the enemies of FREEDOM! No-nonsense hero Marlow never shied away from danger or trouble. But now he faces his ULTIMATE challenge. Blasting into Central America, he has an industrial evil to defeat whilst bound to an ancient Mayan Death Mask who’s had no-one to talk to for 2000 years. With cliffhanger over the top action and cinematic gameplay, Marlow Briggs takes inspiration from the best of blockbuster films, comic book heroes, and action games with its focus on relentless high-octane combat, exotic and danger filled environments and epic set pieces.

Peggle 2: $11.99

Everything is better with Peggle! Catch the fever now on Xbox 360 with Peggle 2, where you’ll master over 120 new levels and trials in the sequel to one of the most engaging puzzle-action games of all time. Unleash amazing magic powers as you learn from Peggle Master Bjorn, and 4 all-new masters like the dark and mysterious Luna, while you shoot balls at colorful, challenging boards of pegs to reach Extreme Fever. But there’s more! Unlocked costumes allow you to dress up the various masters for laughs and for multiplayer fun. And try four-player Peg Party mode or two-player Duel mode, which let you deploy your Peggle skills to the utmost against friends and family. Peggle 2 is a game for our age, and, indeed, all ages!

The last titles to be added to the catalog were Cars: Mater-National, Persona 4 Arena, Tecmo Bowl Throwback, and Jewel Quest. As always, if you own a disc version of these games, you can insert it into your console, and your Xbox will begin downloading the game to your hard drive, though you will still need the disc to play. If you own digital copies, they will show up in the Ready to Install” section on your Xbox One console.

Along with the Surface Book 2, Windows Mixed Reality headsets might as well be the next big thing for Microsoft this shopping season. So, if you’re in the market for both a new Surface Book 2, and a Mixed Reality headset, you’re in luck, as you can now bundle the two together and save up to $400.

The bundle offer includes any flavor of the 13.5 inch Intel Core i7 Surface Book, your choice of Windows Mixed Reality headset, and a free 3-month trial of Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan plus 1TB of cloud storage. Keep in mind, though, that Surface Book 2 requires a USB-C to HDMI adapter for use with Windows Mixed Reality headset.

There are many Windows Mixed Reality headsets to choose from, including the Lenovo Explorer headset which we recently unboxed and reviewed. It’s the perfect pairing, really, as the Surface Book 2 is powerful enough for a premium Mixed Reality experience, with high-speed Intel processors and up to 1060 NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics.

Feel free to check out the deal via the links above. If you so happened to take advantage of the offer, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Today marks #GivingTuesday, a global movement to help others through the gift of your time, donations, goods or your voice, fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. To celebrate the occasion, Microsoft is matching youth-serving nonprofit MS Rewards points donations through December 31.

Word on Microsoft’s matching of donations was spread on the Giving Tuesday blog in a post penned by Microsoft Vice President, Laura Clayton McDonnell. She explains that Microsoft has stood with the movement since 2012, and will be matching MS rewards points donations for youth-serving nonprofits to help the generosity go even further.

If you are in the U.S., simply select Boys & Girls Clubs of America, City Year, Code.org, FIRST or Teach for America, and we’ll double your impact through December 31 – details. Not a Microsoft Rewards member? We’ll give you a free $1 to donate. If you are in the U.K., we’ll double your impact through November 30 when you donate your points to Special Olympics, UK Youth, and AbilityNet.

The Microsoft Store will also be recognizing the commitment by 92Y, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and City Year by contributing grants and Microsoft products to these organizations. The company also invites people to visit the Microsoft Wish Machine at any Microsoft Store and share inspiring wishes through December 31 for the chance for a selection of wishes to come true.

Microsoft Philanthropies donated more than $1.2 billion in software and services to nonprofits last year, and every bit counts. Consider doing your part, too, as your gift and donation only helps build a better future for everyone.

As quickly as they come, some leave even quicker. The studio behind Marvel Heroes Omega is dolling out a bit of bad news for fans and customers as it’s closing up shop and no longer supporting the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms.

According to Rock Paper Shotgun, Gazillion Entertainment and the makers of Marvel Heroes has closed its doors for good which is unfortunate for those of us who were getting used to the character-heavy free-to-play action RPG. Marvel Heroes most closely resembled the old Marvel Alliance games with its top-down view and environment destruction gameplay.

Seems as though Disney is undergoing some internal property licensing as it breaks partnerships with previous software companies (Microsoft) and now gaming studios (Gazillion).

“It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of Gazillion Entertainment. As a result, we are no longer able to operate Marvel heroes Omega until December 31 as originally planned. Instead, Marvel Heroes Omega will be sunset immediately on all platforms and will no longer be available as this process is completed. The company would like to sincerely thank its fans and employees for all the support over years of development and live service.”

Perhaps, even sadder is the notion that Gazillion relied almost solely on the licensed Marvel property as its main source of revenue. Without Marvel or Disney’s partnership, the entire studio shut down.

Seems, the only silver lining here is that a Reddit thread popped up discussing the Xbox teams efforts to refund customers who spent money on in-game purchases.

On November 27, 2017, the Xbox One subreddit page claims that “Marvel Heroes Omega has officially shut down. Microsoft support has stated all purchased content will be automatically refunded.”

Reading through the thread it doesn’t appear that the refund is automatic and customers looking for one will have to reach out to Microsoft support. Another nugget of information found in the thread is the level of difficulty some PlayStation 4 gamers are having with trying to obtain a refund for the game.

Windows Insiders have had many leaks to examine over the past few weeks, including both the new Cortana and some hints of Windows Timeline features. Today, though, Microsoft made things more official, revealing that the next Windows 10 Insider builds will include both Windows Timeline and a new feature called Sets.

Microsoft’s Microsoft’s Terry Myerson penned an email on the subject, explaining both of the features to Windows Insiders. Importantly, he detailed that the eagerly awaited Windows Timeline will be coming to the next Windows Insider Fast Ring build.

Earlier this year at Build, we showed you Timeline, which allows you to jump back in time, making it easier to find the files you’re looking for. A visual timeline is integrated directly into Task View so you can easily move back into files, apps, and sites as if you never left. We’ve heard strong interest in this feature, and we’re pleased you’ll see it in the next WIP build going out to the Fast Ring.

Secondly, Myerson revealed “Sets,” a new feature for Windows 10, similar to the UWP tabbed experience which leaked last week. The EVP of Windows and Devices dubs the feature as an “easier way to organize your stuff and get back to what you were doing.” The naming of the feature is not yet final, and according to Dona Sarkar, it will be A/B tested in “controlled studies” with Windows Insiders, meaning not everyone will see the feature right away.

With Sets, what belongs together stays together — making it easier and faster to create and be productive. The concept behind this experience is to make sure that everything related to your task: relevant webpages, research documents, necessary files and applications, is connected and available to you in one click.

Definitely some fun times ahead, as both of these features will bring new experiences to Windows 10 for Windows Insiders now, and all Windows 10 users come the Spring. Be sure to check the email linked to your Windows Insider account for the full details on Sets and Windows Timeline, and be sure to keep it locked right here to OnMSFT for all your Windows 10 news and information.