Spotlight on Xbox Game Pass as Microsoft showcases upcoming games
Visitors walk to the microsoft Xbox stand at the Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. Hundreds of thousands will check out the latest video games this week at the biggest event in the gaming industry. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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STOCKHOLM -
Microsoft on Sunday showcased 30 upcoming games and said most of those titles will be available on its monthly subscription service, Xbox Game Pass.
The company said it would launch new games on Game Pass every month through the end of the year, including titles such as PC strategy series "Age of Empires IV" and racing game "Forza Horizon 5."
One of Microsoft's big-ticket games, "Halo Infinite," is now set for a holiday launch this year after being delayed due to the challenge of developers being stuck at home during coronavirus restrictions.
Several of the game launches announced by Microsoft at the E3 conference came from video game publisher Bethesda, behind hits such as Fallout and Doom. Microsoft last year bought ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda, for $7.5 billion.
Microsoft also announced launch dates of two big-budget games, exclusive to Xbox and PC - role playing game "Starfield" and vampire-themed shooting game "Redfall." "Starfield" will launch on Nov. 11, 2022 and "Redfall" next Summer.
Both Microsoft and Sony launched their next-generation gaming devices in November last year and have seen heightened demand for the consoles as gamers stuck at home due to the pandemic snapped up the devices.
Gaming analytics firm Newzoo forecasts that the global games market will generate revenue of $175.8 billion in 2021, with 2.9 billion players, and surpass $200 billion in 2023.
Microsoft has also been developing its cloud gaming service to attract casual gamers and its own streaming devices.
Game Pass has hundreds of games playable on Xbox consoles, Android devices and PCs with a $9.99 monthly fee.
"What makes us different from a service like Netflix is that we give players both options, a subscription package and also a full retail store," said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee, European Technology & Telecoms Correspondent, based in Stockholm; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Growing fears about social media's harm have sparked lawsuits against social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada. CTVNews.ca wants to know whether your children are addicted to social media or if you have concerns about their usage of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X.
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Growing fears about social media's harm have sparked lawsuits against social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada. CTVNews.ca wants to know whether your children are addicted to social media or if you have concerns about their usage of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X.
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Russian investigators said on Thursday they had found proof that gunmen who killed more than 140 people at a concert last week were linked to 'Ukrainian nationalists,' an assertion immediately dismissed by the United States as baseless propaganda.
Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at the possibility of his country launching an attack on a NATO member, calling it "sheer nonsense," but warned that any Western air base hosting U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets that are slated for deployment in Ukraine would be a "legitimate target" for the Kremlin's forces.
A French high school student is being sued by the government for falsely accusing her former principal of assaulting her after he made her remove her headscarf on school premises, the country's prime minister said Wednesday.
Pope Francis looked well as he washed and kissed the feet of 12 women prisoners on Thursday at a traditional ritual on the first of four event-filled days leading to Easter for the 87-year-old pontiff.
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Companies that already offer ways to allow rent payments to count toward credit scores are welcoming the plan by the federal government to make the practice more widespread.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
The number of confirmed measles cases in Canada so far this year is more than three times higher than all infections recorded in 2023, the country's chief public health officer said as she urged people to ensure their vaccinations are up to date.
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Visualizing a memory is a common occurrence for many people. A whiff of cinnamon and ginger may whisk you back to your childhood kitchen to relive eating freshly baked cookies, while hearing a particular tune may trigger images of dancing with a special someone.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Growing fears about social media's harm have sparked lawsuits against social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada. CTVNews.ca wants to know whether your children are addicted to social media or if you have concerns about their usage of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X.
Ancient DNA recovered from the remains of a sixth century Chinese emperor who ruled during the country’s dark ages has shed some light on what the leader may have looked like.
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
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A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
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Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said Thursday that he deserved to be ejected for his actions less than four minutes into his team's game against the Orlando Magic.
Wrexham, the Welsh team bought by Ryan Reynolds and fellow Hollywood actor Rob McElhenney in 2021, released its accounts for the latest financial year on Thursday and reported that the amount owed to celebrities has risen to nearly 9 million pounds (US$11.4 million).
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.
Officers say 48 vehicles with a combined value of just under $4 million were recently seized as part of a Toronto police investigation focused on the trafficking, shipping, and re-vinning of stolen vehicles.
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It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
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Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
t's a competition of sorts where the town of Didsbury will select 10 to 14 submissions by local artists to have their work displayed on banners in the downtown core and along the main road leading into Didsbury.
Premier Doug Ford is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring federal workers back to the office for "a few days" to help boosts the downtown economy, as the Ontario government provides funding to revitalize Ottawa's downtown core.
Ottawa's new city manager was the highest paid public servant at Ottawa City Hall in 2023. The city says fewer employees made $100,000 or more in 2023 compared to 2022.
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
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The Parti Quebecois (PQ) has roundly denounced the federal government's 'interference' in Quebec's areas of jurisdiction in relation to its housing announcement.
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The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
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A blind Saskatoon man is speaking out about a lack of accessibility services offered to him and a group of blind curlers by West Jet while at the Saskatoon airport.
Saskatchewan’s Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said all Grade 12 graduation ceremonies will take place this spring, regardless of any job action teachers may plan to take.
The St. Marys River in the Sault Ste. Marie area is closed to traffic following a 'marine casualty' involving a commercial vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release Thursday.
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The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is asking for the public’s help locating a federal offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant as a result of a breach of his statutory release.
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The St. Marys River in the Sault Ste. Marie area is closed to traffic following a 'marine casualty' involving a commercial vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release Thursday.
Roughly 50 children will gather in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.