Xbox announces new Labs initiative to explore emerging technologies
Microsoft has announced the formation of Xbox Labs, a new initiative focused on exploring emerging technologies and their potential impact on gaming. The initiative aims to make games more accessible and empower players as creators, investigating areas like AI, cloud gaming, and game preservation. This move comes in response to the growing trend of AI-powered game mods and decompilations, which have enabled older games to run in web browsers.
While Major Nelson reports the group is led by Scott, Games Industry and Retro Gamer state Xbox boss Asha Sharma is leading the initiative, and Gaming Bolt and Eurogamer name CTO Scott van Vliet as the leader. Metro UK and Rock Paper Shotgun express skepticism about the initiative's true goals, linking it to recent layoffs and a focus on existing franchises, with Metro UK noting that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma previously worked on AI at Microsoft. Microsoft clarified that AI usage will not be mandatory for the initiative.
Coverage across 9 outlets
Asha Sharma announces Xbox Labs project to "explore new technology," which sure sounds like tinkering with old games through AI
Asha Sharma announced the creation of Xbox Labs, a new R&D initiative focused on exploring emerging technologies like AI for game remixing and rejigging. While Microsoft clarified AI usage won't be mandatory, the initiative aims to turn new ideas into player experiences, potentially by decompiling and rebuilding old games or making new ones more moddable. The article expresses skepticism about the initiative's true goals, linking it to recent layoffs and a focus on existing franchises.
Microsoft reveals Xbox Labs and it's desperately pretending it's not about AI
Microsoft has announced the formation of Xbox Labs, a new division focused on experimenting with 'emerging ideas' in response to AI-driven game modding and browser-based games. Led by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who previously worked on AI at Microsoft, the division aims to explore new possibilities in game accessibility and player creation without explicitly mentioning generative AI. The initiative, headed by CTO Scott Van Vliet, is intended to leverage Xbox's expertise in game development to shape future technologies, though the article expresses skepticism about the venture's tangible outcomes and potential monetization.
Xbox announces what sounds like a generative AI-focused game-making department, Xbox Labs, while avoiding mentioning AI
Xbox has launched Xbox Labs, a new initiative led by CTO Scott Van Vliet, to explore emerging trends in game development, particularly those related to generative AI and code manipulation. CEO Asha Sharma announced the initiative, emphasizing its role in understanding how players and developers interact with new technologies, while notably avoiding direct mention of AI in the announcement.
Xbox Labs is a New Team That Will Turn “Emerging Ideas” Into Things That Can be Experienced
Xbox has launched a new initiative called Xbox Labs, led by CTO Scott van Vliet, to explore making older console games accessible in web browsers. CEO Asha Sharma stated the team will focus on emerging ideas, leveraging advancements in game decompilation and AI, with a commitment to transparency and sharing tools with the industry.
Xbox Labs is the company’s response to recent game mods and decompilations
Xbox has launched Xbox Labs, a new initiative focused on exploring emerging technologies like AI for game development and player experiences. This comes in response to the growing trend of AI-powered game mods and decompilations, which have enabled games like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Minecraft to run in browsers or be combined with other titles.
Xbox is forming a whole division in response to the vibe-coded game recomp explosion – "These are unmistakably good outcomes for players"
Microsoft has launched Xbox Labs, a new division focused on exploring emerging ideas inspired by community game recompilation projects. Led by Xbox boss Asha Sharma, the initiative aims to leverage technologies like AI coding to improve game accessibility and give old games new life, even if it challenges existing business models. This move comes amid a surge in community-driven recomps for classic titles.
Introducing XBOX LABS
Microsoft has announced the formation of Xbox Labs, a new initiative focused on exploring emerging technologies and their potential impact on gaming. Led by Scott, the group will investigate areas like AI, cloud gaming, and game preservation, aiming to make games more accessible and empower players as creators.
Xbox Announces Xbox Labs, Aimed in Part at Getting Improved Old-Gen Games Playable in Web Browsers
Xbox has launched a new initiative called Xbox Labs, designed to make games accessible in more places, with a specific focus on enabling play through web browsers. This effort also aims to improve the playability of older generation games in browser environments.
Xbox announces Xbox Labs, a new initiative to trial emerging ideas and "new technology"
Xbox has announced the creation of Xbox Labs, a new internal unit focused on testing emerging ideas and new technologies, with a particular emphasis on user feedback. Led by CEO Asha Sharma, the initiative aims to rapidly develop and iterate on tools, products, and features, potentially leveraging AI and other advancements to enhance game accessibility and creation.
