Xbox One requires an Internet connection and needs to check-in with the Xbox servers in order to continue functioning, Microsoft has clarified.

Microsoft's official line on the Xbox One is that it requires the Internet, but does not require a constant connection.

In an interview with Kotaku, Microsoft executive Phil Harrison attempted to clarify the position. The Xbox One "requires, at some point in the beginning and at various times through its on state, to connect to our cloud and to our Internet. That is to deliver Xbox Live functionality, that is to deliver download content to you, that is to deliver some of the innovations around TV and entertainment that we showed today."

Harrison added that the Xbox One's need to connect to its servers "depends on the experience."

"For single-player games that don’t require connectivity to Xbox Live, you should be able to play those without interruption should your Internet connection go down. Blu-ray movies and other downloaded entertainment should be accessible when your Internet connection may be interrupted. But the device is fundamentally designed to be expanded and extended by the Internet as many devices are today."

But when asked how long players can go between having to check-in online with a single-player game, Harrison said "I believe it's 24 hours."

In another interview with Polygon, however, a Microsoft representative explained Harrison's 24-hour claim as a "potential scenario" for the upcoming next-gen console. "While Phil [Harrison] discussed many potential scenarios around games on Xbox One, today we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail," said Microsoft.

"There have been reports of a specific time period--those were discussions of potential scenarios, but we have not confirmed any details today, nor will we be."

Speaking yesterday, Microsoft president Don Mattrick reiterated that players don't need to be always connected to play games on Xbox One. "No, you don't always have to be connected," he said. "Gamers can calm down; we've got you covered."

The official Battlefield 4 website (via Kotaku) has posted what appears to be Xbox One and PlayStation 4 box art designs.

It is possible that the images in question are mock-ups made by Electronic Arts, as neither Microsoft nor Sony have released official designs of yet.

If the images are indeed genuine, it means Microsoft is carrying over its familiar green-hued design, while Sony is shifting to a new blue theme similar to its PlayStation Vita line.

The Xbox One and PS4 are due out later this year, though pricing information and specific release dates have not been divulged.

More than a year after the release of Diablo III, developer Blizzard has released an infographic showing statistics for the title.

Despite criticisms, Diablo III's stats boast huge numbers.

So far, players have spent over 930 years of real-world time in Diablo III. The highest number of daily players since launch has been 5.8 million, while the game averages 2.1 million players each day.

The total number of hours played for the game has passed 2.8 billion, with an average of 8.2 million played per day. 67.1 million characters have been created worldwide since launch, with only nine percent made up of Hardcore mode characters. The most popular character choice was the Demon Hunter, followed by the Wizard, the Barbarian, Monk and witch Doctor.

The Xbox One console will contain a non-replaceable 500GB hard drive, Microsoft has confirmed in an interview with Engadget.

Microsoft's senior director of product planning, Albert Penello, confirmed that the console would contain an internal 500GB hard drive that cannot be upgraded.

By comparison, the Xbox 360 console offered hard drives with varying degrees of capacity and allowed users to replace the hard drive.

If users wish to expand the Xbox One's storage, a USB 3.0 port is available to plug-in external hard drives. Penello confirmed the external hard drives could be used in the same fashion as internal storage, including abiltiies such as installing games and storing downloads.

To keep up with the latest news on Microsoft's next-gen console, check out GameSpot's Xbox One hub.

Microsoft has clarified its stance on used games as it relates to the Xbox One, the company's next-generation platform.

Writing on his blog, Microsoft director of Xbox Live programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb acknowledged that some "confusion" over used games on the next-gen platform has arisen today.

"We know there is some confusion around used games on Xbox One and wanted to provide a bit of clarification on exactly what we've confirmed today," Hryb said. "While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, today we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail."

"Beyond that, we have not confirmed any specific scenarios."

Earlier today, a Wired report claimed the Xbox One would require secondhand users pay a fee to play used games. Hryb did not deny this in his statement today, saying only that there will be no fee for those who play their games at a friend's house, provided they sign in to their profile.

"Another piece of clarification around playing games at a friend's house--should you choose to play your game at your friend's house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your profile," he said.

Square Enix today confirmed that its upcoming action game Thief is in development for Microsoft's just-announced Xbox One next-generation platform.

"The team at Eidos-Montreal is thrilled to confirm that Thief is coming to Xbox One. The next generation of home consoles allow us to create the best and the most immersive Thief game ever," Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D'Astous said in a statement.

The game coming to the Xbox One is not much of a surprise, as it was spotted on a developer's resume last month.

Other games confirmed for Xbox One today include Ubisoft titles Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, as well as Bungie's Destiny and Battlefield 4.

Thief will launch in 2014 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The game will be on display next month at the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Microsoft is overhauling Xbox Live and its feature-set for the Xbox One. The company broke out and explained a number of these changes today following this afternoon's reveal event.

First, Xbox Live for the Xbox One will boast a new matchmaking feature called Smart Match. Microsoft described the system as a complete reengineering of matchmaking for the next generation of gaming.

Smart Match will use "advance algorithms" to pair players based on skill, language, and reputation. In addition, gamers will no longer need to wait in a pre-match lobby to be matched up, as the Smart Match system will find games for players as they watch TV, listen to music, or play another game.

Xbox Live on Xbox One will also boast an updated achievement system that reaches "across games and experiences." On top of this, gamers will be able to earn achievements in new ways, as developers will now have the option to add new achievements whenever they want.

"Our new achievements portal not only keeps track of what you earned, but how you earned it, so it’s more personal than ever," Microsoft said. "It even lets you compare your achievements with your friends. Share your legacy and achieve greatness with Xbox One."

Microsoft also announced today that Xbox One will feature a Game DVR system whereby players can capture and share gameplay moments. Similar to the PlayStation 4's "Share" functionality, the Xbox One console will constantly record most recent gameplay, which players can then access, edit, and share through social networks and Xbox Live.

The PS4 achieves this through the DualShock 4's new "Share" button, though Microsoft did not provide any details regarding how this will work for the Xbox One.

Lastly, Microsoft revealed today that friends lists for Xbox One will be expanded to support up to 1,000, up ten times from the Xbox 360's current limit of 100.

Electronic Arts today announced an all-new next-generation engine called Ignite that will power upcoming EA Sports titles for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Gamers will get a first glimpse at what the Ignite engine is capable of when Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14, NBA Live 14, and EA Sports UFC all ship within the next 12 months.

The all-new Ignite engine boasts improvements to rendering, run-time physics, animation, intelligence, locomotion, and online systems. EA says the engine is capable of portraying athletes with "human-like intelligence," as well as "living worlds" for stadiums and arenas.

"Athletes in EA Sports next-gen games will be able to make intelligent decisions with human-like reaction times," EA said in a statement. "EA Sports Ignite computes four times more calculations per second than previous consoles, unlocking nearly infinite potential for how players think, and enabling them to make more difficult decisions faster.

"Players are alive with contextual awareness and instincts--thinking, anticipating, and reacting--just like real athletes, and players are conscious of their environment," the statement goes on. "In FIFA 14, for example, a player’s sense of urgency increases as the match draws on and a goal is needed, rushing to take a free kick, corner, or goal-kick if time is running down."

Alan Wake and Max Payne developer Remedy Entertainment today announced Quantum Break, an all-new game that will be exclusive to Microsoft's just-announced Xbox One system.

According to its announcement, Quantum Break "blurs the line between television and gameplay, integrating the two into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience."

Remedy Entertainment has been hiring for next-generation game development since March 2012. The studio's most recent project was last year's Alan Wake's American Nightmare.

Microsoft will release 15 Xbox One-exclusives during the platform's first year. Of the 15 new games, 8 will be all-new franchises.

Update: EA has contacted GameSpot to clarify that its October 29 release date for Battlefield 4 does not cover the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game. The PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and PC versions of Battlefield 4 will be released on October 29 in North America, and on November 1 in Europe.

Battlefield 4 will be released on October 29, EA and DICE have confirmed.

EA also confirmed that the game will be released for Xbox One, hours after Microsoft finished announcing the next-gen Xbox at its Redmond campus in Washington. EA announced a partnership with Microsoft at the unveiling.

The publisher also confirmed that DICE would be bringing Battlefield 4's multiplayer mode to E3 2013. A Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta will be available later this year.

DICE also confirmed that customers who preorder Battlefield 4 will gain access to Battlefield 4's China Rising DLC, which is set in the Chinese mainland and offers four additional maps and new vehicles. The developer offered a similar inventive with its Back to Karkand DLC for Battlefield 3, which was later offered for sale individually and as part of Battlefield Premium.

Battlefield 4 will also be released for PlayStation 4, PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game will not be coming to Wii U.

To keep up with the latest on Microsoft's next-gen unveiling, check GameSpot's Xbox One hub.

Sony's shares jumped up 8 percent immediately after rival hardware maker Microsoft formally unveiled its next-generation Xbox One console.

At time of writing, Sony shares on the New York Stock Exchange are up 8.35 percent on where they were before Microsoft took to its custom-built stage at its Redmond campus to announce the successor to the Xbox 360. Sony shares are currently trading at $22.72.

Sony, which announced its own next-generation PlayStation 4 back in February, has recently been on the offensive. It teased the first shots of its still-unseen PlayStation 4 hardware yesterday, and took to Twitter today to jest that the day of Microsoft's Xbox One announcement was a slow news day.

Microsoft calls its Xbox One an "all-in-one" experience designed to function as the heart of a user's living room. The new hardware, which will launch worldwide in 2013, features 8GB of RAM, a Blu-ray drive, an x64 processor, and USB 3.0.

To keep up with the latest on Microsoft's next-gen unveiling, check GameSpot's Xbox One hub.

Following Microsoft's next-generation reveal event today, Bungie Studios confirmed its all-new shared-world shooter Destiny will ship for the Xbox One.

"Destiny will absolutely be shipping on four platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the newly announced Xbox One," the developer said on Twitter.

Other titles to be confirmed for Xbox One today include Ubisoft titles Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

CD Projekt Red has yet to say if The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming to the Xbox One.

Activision has confirmed Call of Duty: Ghosts for Microsoft's next-gen Xbox One, adding that the DLC for this year's Call of Duty title will launch first on the new console.

Call of Duty: Ghosts features new characters and a new storyline, set a decade after America has been hobbled by a currently unnamed superpower.

Traffic and Syriana writer Stephen Gaghan is penning the script for Call of Duty: Ghosts.

The game features a new engine and new technology, although the series' use of 60fps will still persist.

Multiplayer maps will feature dynamic elements, such as earthquakes and floods. Player actions will reportedly affect the outcomes of these events. The game's multiplayer mode will also feature a detailed character customisation system, according to Activision.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is being developed by Infinity Ward and will be released on November 5.

Microsoft today confirmed with Wired that all Xbox One game discs must be installed to the HDD to play and that while installs to other hard drives are allowed, users will need to pay an unspecified fee to do so.

This fee was not specified.

In the just-published Xbox One FAQ Microsoft addresses the preowned market with the following statement:

"We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games. We'll have more details to share later," the statement reads.

The Xbox One will not require a constant Internet connection to function, though Microsoft said those who are constantly synced up will see various benefits.

"No, it does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet," Microsoft said. "We're designing Xbox One to be your all-in-one entertainment system that is connected to the cloud and always ready. We are also designing it so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection.

The next-generation Xbox One won't be able to play old Xbox 360 games, Microsoft has confirmed.

Speaking to The Verge, Microsoft Xbox Live vice president Marc Whitten said that the architecture between the two machines is too different to allow for backwards compatibility. "The system is based on a different core architecture, so back-compat doesn't really work from that perspective," he said.

Microsoft's new Xbox One uses an new x64 processor, as opposed to the PowerPC core of the Xbox 360.

The Xbox 360 supported backwards compatibility of over 400 original Xbox titles.

Sony is in a similar position with its upcoming PlayStation 4, although the company has said it hopes to one day make its PlayStation 3 catalogue available on its next-generation console via cloud streaming technology.

Microsoft officially announced the Xbox One today at its Redmond campus in Washington.

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox--the Xbox One--will not require a constant Internet connection to function, the company confirmed today following its reveal event.

"No, you don't always have to be connected," Xbox boss Don Mattrick said on Spike TV. "Gamers can calm down; we've got you covered."

Prior to today's announcement, numerous reports claimed that Microsoft's next-generation Xbox would work only if users remained connected to the Internet. However, a leaked internal memo that surfaced earlier this month was the first to say this speculation was wrong.

Microsoft today announced that it will produce a live-action television series based on its billion-dollar Halo series. It will be available only through Xbox One, Microsoft's just-announced next-generation platform.

Series developer 343 Industries will oversee development on the show, with Hollywood director Steven Spielberg also attached to the project.

It is unclear what role the Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List director will play in the production of the Halo TV show.

Microsoft has announced that it intends to release 15 exclusive titles for the next-gen Xbox One within its first year.

Speaking during the console's unveiling at Microsoft's Redmond campus in Washington, Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Spencer added that eight of those 15 titles would be brand-new IPs.

During the unveiling, Microsoft showed off Forza Motorsport 5 and Quantum Break, a new title from Alan Wake and Max Payne creator Remedy.

The company said that some of its new titles will be shown at E3 2013.

Microsoft will release the Xbox One worldwide later in 2013.

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox One console will come with the next version of its Kinect motion sensing device, the console maker has confirmed.

The new Kinect comes with a wide-angle 1080p camera that can capture RGB video at 30 frames per second.

Microsoft says the new Kinect can recognise wrists, shoulders, balance, and the transfer of weight in its user. The device is also reportedly able to read a user's heartbeat.

The new Kinect will automatically recognise its users, logging them into a customised home screen and allowing them to navigate through the grab, pan, pinch, and swipe across the games.

Microsoft today revealed an all-new controller for the Xbox One. The redesigned input boasts an integrated battery compartment, "impulse triggers," an updated D-pad, and Wi-Fi direct.

Unlike the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller, the Xbox One's new input does not feature touch support.

The news comes as part of Microsoft's next-generation reveal event, where the company took the lid off the Xbox One. GameSpot will have more from the presentation in the time ahead.