Skip to main content

Microsoft, Epic Records Ink Xbox Deal

Microsoft and Epic Records late last week announced a deal which will bring some of the latter’s music content to the Xbox Live service for access by Xbox 360 owners. The content will be made available for free monthly over the next year.

Epic’s downloadable content, said the two companies, will showcase 12 up and coming music artists through an artist of the month (AOM) program. Featured music videos and exclusive interviews will be among the offerings. Kicking off the AOM program on Xbox Live is British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield.

Recommended Videos

“Our goal has always been to make Xbox Live a cutting-edge entertainment experience,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, in a statement. “This agreement with Epic Records offers our members exclusive artistic content directly from the source. With Artist of the Month we will be providing exactly what music-loving gamers want: brand-new, exclusive music videos that can be downloaded quickly, easily and free of charge.”

Digital Trends Staff
Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…
7 excellent game deals you can’t miss during Steam’s Xbox publisher sale
Raz runs on a colorful stage in Psychonauts 2.

Like a lot of modern gamers, I'm an Xbox Game Pass subscriber. I get a lot out of the subscription service, using it to play everything from Microsoft's first-party exclusives to smaller indie sensations like Citizen Sleeper. There's just one downside to that: I don't own any games I play on it. If Microsoft decided to pull a game like Forza Horizon 5 one day, I'd have to shell out if I ever wanted to continue my progress. It's a peculiar side-effect to the gaming subscription era, one that still makes me eager to buy any Game Pass title I love.

If you're in the same boat as me, Steam can help. The PC storefront is currently running an Xbox Publisher Sale, which features major discounts on some of Microsoft's biggest titles. From now until May 4, you'll find heavy hitters like Halo Infinite and Gears 5 discounted. What's particularly eye-catching is that tons of excellent games are currently on sale for $20 or less -- with some of Xbox's best exclusives selling for as low as $5. If you're looking to buy some of your favorite Game Pass titles, here are seven deals you should know about (you can grab all of them for just over $86).
Psychonauts 2 -- $20.39

Read more
Microsoft pledges to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia GeForce Now
geforce-now-og-no-text-1200x630

Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Nvidia aimed at bringing Xbox PC games to its cloud gaming service competitor Nvidia GeForce Now as part of its ongoing efforts to win over companies skeptical of its potebtial Activision Blizzard acquisition.
This means that players can use Nvidia GeForce Now to play the Steam, Epic Games Store, or Windows versions of titles like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and eventually, Call of Duty through the cloud on GeForce Now. Third-party publishers with games on the Windows Store can also now grant streaming rights to Nvidia. This announcement came during a European Commission hearing where Microsoft tried to convince regulators that its impending acquisition should bne allowed.
Microsoft has been under a lot of regulatory scrutiny even since it announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022. It's trying to win over industry peers with deals like this one with Nvidia. This week, the Communications Workers of America voiced its approval of the deal, and Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms as well. Previously, Nvidia had raised concerns about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but the press release announcing this agreement states that the deal "resolves Nvidia's concerns," and that Nvidia now gives "full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition." 
Regulatory bodies in the U.S., U.K., and Europe are worried that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will hurt the game industry and sabotage Microsoft's competitors in both console and cloud gaming. Nvidia GeForce Now is seen as one of the biggest competitors to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud service offerings, which makes it surprising that it reached an agreement with Nvidia. However, this deal also demonstrates how Microsoft is willing to make concessions so that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved.

Read more
Microsoft signs a 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty games to Nintendo platforms
Characters shooting in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Microsoft and Nintendo have signed a 10-year deal to bring Xbox games to Nintendo platforms. Microsoft President Brad Smith announced the deal in a tweet, which affirmed that Call of Duty will come to Nintendo platforms if its Activision Blizzard acquisition formally closes.

Ever since Microsoft announced its intent to purchase Activision Blizzard, the company has maintained that it intends to keep games like Call of Duty multiplatform. It even went one step farther, sayingg that it would bring the series to Nintendo devices. Now, Microsoft and Nintendo have officially signed a "binding 10-year contract," says Smith.

Read more