The issue with Xbox One, Microsoft and Machinima has reached its peak as Microsoft responds to what appears to be a fiasco of advertising that puts its next-gen console at a sly and rather dirty disadvantage.

iGameResponsibly has reached out to Microsoft for any comment on the XB1M13 campaign, where YouTubers were allegedly paid for content that puts the Xbox One on a good spotlight.

The statement below is from a Microsoft spokesperson regarding the whole venture:

"Microsoft was not aware of individual contracts Machinima had with their content providers as part of this promotion and we didn't provide feedback on any of the videos. We have asked Machinima to not post any additional Xbox One content as part of this media buy and we have asked them to add disclaimers to the videos that were part of this program indicating they were part of paid advertising."

Furthermore, there's also a joint statement that sort of justifies what was done, with the two parties describing the partnership as a "typical marketing partnership to promote Xbox One in December." But more than being a justification, it also sounds as if Microsoft is washing its hands of the affair and putting all other related issues in the hands of Machinima.

*Microsoft and Machinima may seem to be in hot water, but they aren't alone. New info pops up about a publisher that did the same tactic with its games: Read the full story here.

The whole XB1M13 affair has been condemned by a number of fans, stating the disgust for potentially tainting unbiased views on the Xbox One console in exchange for content makers to get a hand in the undisclosed compensation.

IGN previously reported that if Microsoft knew about the promotion, it can be seen as a violation of the guidelines where transparency in advertising, meaning the affair should have been publicised and the compensation campaign disclosed to the public.

*Play these iOS games of the week: Read here for more.

Phil Spencer on reboots and dreamed games

There are quite a lot of games that are slated for release on the Xbox One, but it seems that Microsoft's Phil Spencer is hoping for more.

In a recent Twitter entry found by Total Xbox, it seems that Phil Spencer has pulled up the hopes of Xbox One gamers when he had changed the profile picture to that of Phantom Dust, alongside posting "Love the nostalgia of the old franchises" on Twitter.

And while Spencer had to deal with the succeeding hype that the Phantom Dust nostalgia had caused by saying that the post is not the ideal way to announce new games, he is not disregarding the possibility of a reboot for Xbox One.

"I do listen to the XB Community, hopefully 2014 will show some of that."

*Is the Sony D6503 Sirius worth choosing over the likes of the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5? Read about the leaked and rumoured specs here.

Then again, there has also been interest in an Xbox One reboot for Phantom Dust. Creator Yukio Futatsugi has expressed his own desire to create a reboot of the game, going so far as to look into the possibility of crowdfunding.

"I've been really interested in how the Kickstarter movement has been going, and I think it would be great if it actually stays part of the industry. The reason why I looked into Kickstarter is because I wanted to Kickstart a Phantom Dust game," said Futatsugi in an interview with US Gamer.

Sadly, Kickstarter's policies are impinging on the possible Xbox One reboot, mostly because you cannot hold a project outside the U.S. or UK.

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