anniversary celebration

Winsage
May 22, 2025
An employee named Joe Lopez was terminated after protesting during Microsoft's Build developer conference, expressing concerns about the company's technology being used in the Gaza conflict. His disruption led to a series of pro-Palestinian protests at the event, resulting in multiple interruptions of executive talks and Microsoft cutting audio from a livestreamed session. Outside the venue, demonstrators gathered to amplify their message. Microsoft has a history of responding firmly to employee protests related to its operations in Israel and recently acknowledged providing AI services to the Israeli military but stated that there is no evidence of its technologies being used to target civilians. Following his protest, Lopez received a termination letter that he could not open, and an advocacy group claims Microsoft has restricted internal communications regarding terms like “Palestine” and “Gaza.” Microsoft has not commented on the protests during the conference.
Winsage
May 22, 2025
During Microsoft's annual Build developer conference in Seattle, software engineer Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's address to protest the company's technology supply to the Israeli military amid the Gaza conflict. Lopez was escorted from the venue after shouting at Nadella. He later sent a mass email to colleagues challenging Microsoft's claims about its Azure cloud platform's use in Gaza. The conference saw multiple interruptions from pro-Palestinian protests, and demonstrators gathered outside. Microsoft acknowledged providing AI services to the Israeli military but stated there was no evidence linking its technologies to harm in Gaza. Lopez reportedly received a termination letter following his protest, and the advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid claimed Microsoft has restricted internal communications related to Palestine and Gaza.
AppWizard
April 19, 2025
Nightdive Studios announced a remaster of System Shock 2 to celebrate its 25th anniversary, despite the game originally launching 26 years ago. Bethesda is selling fragments of The Elder Scrolls Online servers for its 10th anniversary celebration, which occurred a year after the actual anniversary in April of the previous year. Bethesda's keepsake is intended for players commemorating over a decade of the game, although it is technically one year late. Additionally, a new storyline titled Seasons of the Worm Cult is set to be released, described as a sequel to the base game storyline.
Winsage
April 8, 2025
Two Microsoft software engineers, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, were terminated after protesting the company's involvement with the Israeli military's use of its AI products during the company's 50th anniversary celebration. Aboussad was dismissed for "just cause, willful misconduct, disobedience or willful neglect of duty" after interrupting a speech by CEO Mustafa Suleyman, accusing Microsoft of complicity in violence and highlighting the human cost of its actions. Agrawal, who had intended to resign, also faced termination for expressing similar concerns during CEO Satya Nadella's speech. Microsoft responded by emphasizing its commitment to high business standards and the importance of addressing concerns through appropriate channels.
Winsage
April 8, 2025
Microsoft is celebrating its 50th anniversary by offering a free 50th anniversary theme for Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X players, which was made available on April 4, 2025. The theme features iconic gaming characters like Master Chief, Marcus Fenix, and Vault Boy. It is integrated into all Xbox owners' profiles and can be activated through the settings menu. Additionally, Microsoft is providing free Gamerpics, including Clippy, and has updated Microsoft Solitaire with the anniversary theme in its card designs.
Winsage
April 5, 2025
Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, spoke at the company's 50th anniversary, reflecting on its founding by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. He emphasized Microsoft's commitment to empowering individuals through technology, highlighting the importance of the past while focusing on future innovations, particularly in AI. Nadella introduced advancements in Microsoft’s development tools, such as Agent Mode in Visual Studio Code and the Code Review Agent, which enhance the developer experience. He reiterated Microsoft's mission to empower every person and organization, stating that tools like Copilot are designed for a wide range of users. Nadella expressed gratitude to all contributors to Microsoft's success and excitement for future innovations.
AppWizard
February 14, 2025
Markus "Notch" Persson, the creator of Minecraft and founder of Mojang Studios, has been largely absent from game development since selling Mojang to Microsoft for .5 billion in 2014. Recently, he launched a social media poll to gauge interest in his next project, considering either a new game or a sequel to Minecraft. He expressed interest in developing a roguelike game but acknowledged the legal challenges of creating a Minecraft sequel without Microsoft's approval. Following the poll, he decided to develop a roguelike dungeon crawler titled "Levers and Chests," despite some fans' disappointment over the lack of a Minecraft sequel. Microsoft has distanced itself from Persson since the acquisition, removing references to him from Minecraft and excluding him from the game's tenth-anniversary celebration. Persson's new project will retain a voxel/pixelated art style reminiscent of Minecraft, and he aims to create a game that honors Minecraft's legacy while respecting Mojang's intellectual property.
AppWizard
November 18, 2024
Half-Life 2 reached a peak of 64,085 concurrent players on Steam at 17:00 UTC on November 17th, surpassing the previous record of 16,101 set in 2021. This increase in player activity coincided with Valve offering the game for free to celebrate its 20th anniversary, which was originally released on November 16th, 2004. Additionally, Valve released a two-hour documentary about Half-Life 2, featuring unreleased footage of Episode Three.
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