It seems that Microsoft was pretty good at keeping information from the public until they were ready to announce a slew of things at GDC this year.
Phil Spencer got on stage and laid out a pretty good amount of infromation regarding the future of Xbox Games, Windows Games, Windows 10, ID@Xbox and even a bit about the future of HoloLens. Fans were quite impressed with everything he had to say and we have a brief summary of what seemed to be the highlights of his presentation.
- The Xbox Live SDK for Windows 10 that provides developers access to many Xbox Live services currently available on Xbox One is coming soon to a broader set of developers.
- The Windows Universal App Platform means any developer can create a single project to target multiple devices, easing the process for game developers to bring content to more people.
- With the Windows Store, developers will now have the ability and flexibility to deliver content across PCs, console, tablets and phones, reaching more than 1.5 billion people.
- The Universal Development Center is the developer portal to building and delivering games to the Windows Store.
- DirectX 12 enables PC developers to have a new level of power and control and is a single API developers can access across devices. Announced today, Epic is creating “Unreal Tournaments” on Unreal Engine 4 running on DirectX 12, which set a new bar for visual fidelity in PC gaming.
- All wireless Xbox gaming accessories will be designed for and supported on both Xbox One consoles and Windows 10 PCs.
- “Elite: Dangerous” from Frontier Developments is coming to Xbox One this summer.
- ID@Xbox will be expanding the program to enable developers to target all Windows 10 devices, including future ones like HoloLens.
- A partnership with Motiga will bring its first game, “Gigantic,” to Windows 10 and Xbox One.
So there you have it, Microsoft is working hard at unifying games across the Windows and Xbox platforms as well as working hard with indie developers too. Seems that things at Redmond are in full swing and we are sure we will hear more great announcements at E3 in June.