While we haven’t seen too much of what Microsoft’s augmented reality headset, HoloLens, is capable of, we were given a glimpse of its almost science fiction capabilities in January this year at the company’s Windows 10 event. This included an impressive demonstration of how Minecraft comes alive in your living room and what it looks like to construct a block-built house on a coffee table.

HoloLens is not virtual reality, a technology that perhaps has best become known through Oculus VR and its headset Oculus Rift, but it will probably be where Microsoft mounts a challenge to such fantastic gaming experiences. And it looks like Microsoft is moving ahead in this epoch of other reality gaming experiences after hiring John Needham, former head of Fable developer Lionhead Studios, to develop Microsoft’s Xbox and HoloLens games. Needham has been involved in gaming since 2001 when he began working for Sony Online Entertainment in 2001. In his new role at Microsoft he will work under Kudo Tsunoda, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and only until recently Xbox dev teams leader.

The move is an important one for Redmond, who understand the huge potential for virtual and augmented reality gaming. Oculus has already caused a big stir, so much so Facebook acquired it for a massive $2 billion in March last year, while Sony Corp.’s Playstation VR headset, Project Morpheus, looks set to go on sale in the first half of 2016. Other notable players are HTC’s Valve and Samsung’s Gear VR. Where Microsoft might get ahead is the fact that HoloLens runs on the ubiquitous Windows operating system.

In an interview with Engadget Microsoft explained that, “With the exception of Halo, Gears of War, Forza and Minecraft, Kudo Tsunoda will lead the vision and experience development of our other Microsoft Studios portfolio investments in the United States, Europe and across our Global Publishing team. John Needham relocated to Redmond in a new role overseeing internal development for several games and experiences for both Xbox and Microsoft HoloLens reporting to Kudo. All up responsibility for Xbox EMEA will be overseen directly by Phil Spencer.”

Photo credit: Microsoft