We're also giving away a copy of Overwatch to one lucky reader! Check out the Gleam widget in the article for details on how to enter.
Every week, I summarize some of the biggest rumors and talking points in one handy post every weekend. You can also rely on this weekly column to catch up with all the latest Xbox One game releases.
Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Xbox One News.
Original Xbox creator recounts how Bill Gates initially hated the idea
As part of an interview with IGN's Xbox lead Ryan McCaffrey, Xbox co-creator Ed Fries recounted a bizarre meeting in which Bill Gates was 'insulted' by the plan for the original Xbox.
According to Fries, Bill Gates' reacted to the Xbox team's original proposal by calling it an 'insult to everything he's done at the company,' noting that Windows was out of the picture. It was only when co-creator J Allard explained how Sony's PlayStation was slowly invading living rooms with RAM, processors and hard drives that Bill Gates changed his mind.
Understanding that PlayStation could eventually evolve to be a PC for the living room, Bill Gates greenlit the entire project, allowing the Xbox team to work in their own silo with limitless resources. The rest, as they say, is history!
Be sure to check out the full interview with IGN over here.
Xbox Ultimate Summer Sale begins next week
Prep those wallets, because the Xbox Summer Sale is almost here! Starting on July 5th, you'll be able to save up to 60% on hundreds of titles on Xbox Live, ranging from small indies all the way to heavy hitters.
Some of the games you can expect to be discounted include: The Division, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, DOOM, Dark Souls III, ARK Survival Evolved, Battleborn, Quantum Break, Halo 5, Grand Theft Auto V, Fifa 16, Black Ops III, Far Cry Primal, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Just Cause 3, Star Wars Battlefront, and Fallout 4. It'll also include backward compatible titles such as The Witcher 2, Deus Ex Human Revolution, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Left 4 Dead 2.
The sale will run until July 11th, and will feature over 250 deals. Hopefully, we'll see some high profile backward compatible titles hit the store around the same time.
System Shock Remastered heads to Kickstarter
Nightdive Studios are seeking crowd funding to produce a remaster of the 1994 classic, System Shock, which is widely regarded as one of the most influential games of all time. System Shock's most obvious successor was Bioshock, built by Ken Levine, who worked on System Shock 2.
System Shock is credited with being one of the first exploration-driven narrative-heavy shooters, feeding a horror atmosphere with tense music and harrowing audio logs. Nightdive Studios are seeking $900,000 to build a remastered version, which retains some of the retro aesthetics while bringing modern Unity3d flare.
System Shock Remastered is only planned for Xbox One, Linux, MacOS and PC thus far, making it an Xbox console exclusive for now.
The company appears to be rapidly closing in on its goals, but if you'd like to support Nightdive, check out the Kickstarter campaign over here.
OneCast Episode 21 - Hands on with Battlefield 1, INSIDE impressions and the implications of Scorpio
On this week's OneCast, we discussed Battlefield 1, INSIDE, Gwent, Sniper Elite 4 and much more. Check us out using the widget above, in the official Windows Central App or via the RSS links over here.
Giveaway – Overwatch
This week we're giving away another copy of Overwatch! Check back here next week to find out if you've won!
Win a copy of Overwatch - Origins Edition from Windows Central!
ICYMI - Some of Windows Central's biggest Xbox articles of the week
- Mech-based shooter Hawken blasts onto Xbox One
- Microsoft's Ultimate Game Sale for Xbox titles begins on July 5
- Microsoft's Xbox Play Anywhere program officially launches Sept. 13
- Among The Sleep review: The horrors of being a kid
- BioShock: The Collection is coming to PC and consoles this September
- First big DOOM update on June 30 will add the classic weapon center viewpoint
- Check out the Windows 10 VLC app running on Xbox One, due later this summer
- Xbox Anniversary Update details confirmed ahead of August 2 release
- There are now 1 million Xbox One Elite Controllers in the wild
- Inside Xbox One review: A Lynchian puzzle platforming masterpiece
New Xbox One game releases for the week ending July 3rd, 2016
INSIDE - Action & Adventure - Playdead
"Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project."
Prison Architect: Xbox One Edition - Strategy & Simulation - Introversion Software
"Will you build and manage a prison to create a social order where it's failed in the past, offering rehabilitation and peaceful coexistence amongst inmates? Will your prison disregard human rights, impose intentional harshness and be devoid of any notions of wellbeing and freedom? The choice is yours."
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II - Role Playing- NeocoreGames
"In the sequel to this gothic-noir adventure, you can choose from three very different classes: the classic Hunter with shooting and melee skills, the magic-wielding Thaumaturge or the Arcane Mechanic, the master of deadly devices, all included in the base game."
Ethan: Meteor Hunter - Platformer, Puzzle & Trivia- Seaven Studio
"Freeze time and manipulate the world with endless possibilities: build the solution YOU want where nothing is scripted, and levels can be solved in multiple ways. When Super Meat Boy meets Braid, you may die repeatedly and enjoy it!"
Hawken - Shooter - Reloaded Games
"HAWKEN is a multiplayer first-person shooter that places you inside a mechanized war machine on the battlefield of a dystopian world. With tactical, fast-paced gameplay in customizable and upgradable mechs across multiple competitive modes, HAWKEN is explosively fun."
The Magic Circle: Gold Edition - Action & Adventure, Other, Puzzle & Trivia - Question
"You are the protagonist of an unfinished 1st person fantasy game, trapped in development hell. The designers (played by James Urbaniak, Ashly Burch, and Karen Dyer) are god-like but so indecisive that they've given you no powers whatsoever."
Lost Sea - Action & Adventure - Eastasiasoft Limited
"Lost Sea is an action-adventure game set inside the Bermuda Triangle. Recruit a crew of survivors who can help you explore the hazardous islands as you hunt for the artifacts needed to navigate the Lost Sea."
WARRIORS OROCHI 3 Ultimate - Action & Adventure - KOEI TECMO GAMES
"The WARRIORS OROCHI series is a series of tactical action games in which heroes from the DYNASTY WARRIORS and SAMURAI WARRIORS franchises work together to defeat Orochi, the Serpent King."
RESIDENT EVIL 5 - Action & Adventure - CAPCOM
"One of the most popular Resident Evil titles comes to Xbox One in full 1080p HD with an increased frame rate. Featuring single-player and co-op modes and a dramatic storyline, this fully-loaded release includes all previously released DLC."
7 Days to Die - Action & Adventure - The Fun Pimps / Iron Galaxy
"Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead,7 Days to Die is an open-world game that is a unique combination of first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. It presents combat, crafting, looting, mining, exploration, and character growth, in a way that has seen a rapturous response from fans worldwide."
Full Mojo Rampage - Action & Adventure, Role Playing - Over the Top Games
"Full Mojo Rampage is a rogue-like game that takes place within the confines of the Voodoo reality. In this realm, only the most powerful rites and powers can provide a safeguard against evil. Dying is not the end, only the beginning to becoming a stronger voodoo soul!"
LEGO® STAR WARS™: The Force Awakens - Action & Adventure, Role Playing - TT Games
"The Force is strong with this one… The No. 1 LEGO® video game franchise triumphantly returns with a fun-filled, humorous journey through the new Star Wars adventure!"
And that's a wrap!
Thanks for reading another edition of This Week in Xbox. I'm still getting over the harrowing conclusion of INSIDE, which is a game I'm more than happy to recommend to Xbox fans everywhere.
What have you lovely people been playing this week? Let us know in the comments for a chance to win Overwatch!
