Microsoft

Microsoft has detailed the first games that will be joining the Xbox Game Pass roster in 2021, and there are some big names in the lineup. In all, Microsoft today announced seven new games that will hit Game Pass in January, covering not only the PC and console versions of the service, but also Android game streaming. Of course, if history is any indication, Microsoft will likely announce more additions for the latter half of the month, but for now, the company is putting a spotlight on these seven games.

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In the northern hemisphere, winter is currently in full swing, and what better way to welcome these chilly months than by adding a touch of winter to one of 2020's most popular games? The team behind Microsoft Flight Simulator at Asobo Studio has given us a look at the game's new real-time snow feature, which will blanket some maps with fresh powder as you fly over them.

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It's not uncommon for the first hint that a product is getting ready to launch to come in the form of filings made with the FCC. Any new electronic device that launches publicly in the US must have FCC approvals for various components inside the device. A recent FCC filing for the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 suggests that the new PC could launch soon.

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In the early days of PCs and the Internet, Microsoft conquered not only the productivity space with its Office suite but even the now-passé Personal Information Management or PIM market with Outlook. Today, Microsoft Outlook is almost like a distant memory and its disparate and disjointed versions on different platforms aren't doing it any favors. Microsoft apparently hasn't given up yet in trying to reclaim that prestige and is now working to make a new version of Outlook the only version for both Web, Macs, and especially Windows 10 PCs.

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While there was no lack of great games to play in 2020, there were many things about the games industry that were lacking throughout the year. Obviously, some of the issues we'll cover here were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic - particularly the launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X - but there were some important issues that came to light this year too. There were also some epic fumbles, and one in particular isn't likely to be forgotten anytime soon.

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The Xbox Series X, like the PlayStation 5, has been very difficult to find since it launched in November. While the holiday shopping season no doubt made those stock issues worse, those issues probably won't be sorted out right away now that we're into 2021. Demand will still be high for some time to come, but now Microsoft has indicated that it's doing everything it can to keep producing consoles.

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2020 was a bad year in a lot of regards, but thankfully, it wasn’t all bad in the gaming industry. We had a lot of really good games to see us through the pandemic, and while the games were really the only good thing to come out of the gaming industry in 2020, there were a lot of high points on the release schedule. We’ll get to the bad parts of the gaming industry in 2020 with a separate article, but for now, let’s recap the year in gaming by running down some of the solid titles we saw release in the past 12 months.

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Most people don't care at all what version of Windows their PC is running as long as the PC works. This is a problem Microsoft faces in trying to get people to update their operating system when new versions of Windows cost so much. Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 7 about a year ago, but lots of PC users worldwide have continued on with the operating system.

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There's a new Minecraft map and adventure available for no cost whatsoever as part of the current Minecraft Community Celebration. That celebration is in the mix for 2020, leading up to the end of the year. In this latest release, users have the opportunity to drop down into the heated depths of our planet with the Terra Swoop Force - it's about to get WEIRD in here.

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We're counting down the days to the end of the year but that won't be the only thing that will end after December 31, 2020. While we probably wish a certain pandemic will magically end at the stroke of midnight, it will be some other lingering malady that will be ceasing at the turn of the year. Adobe will be ceasing support for Flash, something that has been years in the making, and it is now making sure Windows 10 users know about it before that time comes.

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The last few months of this already troubled year will also be remembered for reports of massive and high-profile data security breaches, a.k.a. hacking. From security firm FireEye's disclosure to the still-spreading SolarWinds exploit, the incidents have revealed not only the flaws in current software but also the lapses in organizations and laws in protecting data, especially private ones. Facebook has been on the receiving end of that hack last year and has sought legal action against one of the biggest sources of hacking tools and is now joined by Microsoft, Google, and Cisco in its fight against the NSO Group.

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The update the game was destined for was released today: Microsoft Flight Simulator now works in virtual reality. This update brings the game out a brand new door, allowing users to transport not just a rectangle of their reality into flight, but their entire audio/visual experience. This update works with a wide variety of VR headsets, starting with (but not limited to) Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

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