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[The Alien]

I can’t imagine why anyone would doubt MS will have a stellar conference. So much is aligned and they are focused.

You new to GAF? Plenty of doubters.

 

[Nubulax]

l think Microsoft are far from killing it. All they have really done so far this gen is either get games on Gamepass, or enhance existing games from last gen with better frame rates. Most of the games aren’t exclusive to Microsoft, or the Xbox console system. They haven’t really shown why people should purchase a series X over a One X, other then them stating they aren’t making one x anymore. They talk a lot, and show very little.

The hard truth. Only thing they are kiling is my desire to buy a Series X so far lol. Back Compat is nice until you realize there isnt that many great 1st party last gen exclusives to play anyway. The PS + collection is arguably vastly superior imo. They better not let me down again, because this whole last year I have been waiting for a reason to say "I NEED to buy a series X for X,Y,Z game" been waiting for YEARS for that and they bring dissapointment and fail almost every single E3. I was so hyped for last years MS E3 thinking they were going to blow it out and both consoles would have amazing first years.... I still havent jumped into Next Gen and will more than likely buy a PS5 at some point in the next year or two if I can find one but im very criticial of MS when it comes to high rated good games than are outside of the Halo, Gears, Forza trio.

Also idk how "Visually "next-gen" gaming exclusives " isnt winning by a huge margin

 

[supernova8]

I just really hope there is:

• literally zero CGI throughout their entire conference/event
• no long segments of Sarah Bond pretending to talk about how she cares about gamers (no matter what she does, she gives off massive "corporate suit" vibes)
• no more padding the conference with talk about about backwards compatibility and upgrades to old games. That stuff is great but it belongs in supplementary youtube videos/blog posts, not in the main event.
• a pre-show that shows all the indie (ie smaller) stuff so that the main show is jam-packed with big titles
• lots and lots of gameplay (but keep the long, drawn out stuff for Inside Xbox later)
• no actual car brought onto the stage just before showing Forza gameplay. It's been done to death now, fucking leave it.
• the Series X equivalent of what the first Gears of War did for Xbox 360. GoW was absolutely mindblowing at the time. It was so good that I gave zero shits about what Playstation 3 was doing. We just don't have that right now.

Honestly I still don't trust them to pull off even half of the above.
Feels like they haven't had a seriously good E3 in years.

 

[Javthusiast]

nah. Nothing this year. The important e3 will be next year

 

[Neo_game]

Yes, it is time to show what they got. They have some 25 game studios now so at least 10 games should be shown. But honestly what they need is really need is GOTY contenders because that has much bigger impact.

 

[Renozokii]

Well we've been hearing from several insiders to "temper expectations", eventually that starts to settle in as a possibility. To be fair, it could be MS trying to throw those insiders off, maybe weed out a few rats etc. or just do reverse psychology.



Yeah The Medium seems like a solid game, but not a showcase for a marquee 9th-gen console. Not just in terms of visuals (to be specific, the actual visual quality is great but it's some of the animations and lip sync that's very off and uncanny valley-esque) but arguably gameplay as well (less involved game mechanics than classic RE games, doesn't do much with the fixed camera etc.).

We probably won't see much of Fable or Hellblade 2 at the event, but an update would be nice. Also very interested in Scorn, love the atmosphere they have for it so far. Curious to how narrative-driven it is though.


Running on Series X, as well. The hardware is out now, no need to have games (particularly those due closer to end of the year or early 2022) to still be running on PCs even if the GDK makes that very seamless nowadays.

Just have them running on the Series X so people can know for a fact that's what the game will look like on a console, not a PC that could have specs far outstripping it.



TBF this is why I focused a lot on them showing legit gameplay for "coming soon" platform exclusives as the main priority; IMO it isn't the time to dwell on GamePass at the event. Let the content speak for itself and naturally that will drive people to such a service but the content has to prove it's worth the cost of the player's time because time can't be recouped; once it's gone, it's gone.

Also TBF I think they've stepped up on a few fronts over the years, like with FS 2020 and Gears Tactics, but PC benefited more from that (so far) than their consoles. And even so those aren't really the kind of games that move the hearts of most gamers (story-driven, action-adventure third-person type of games or those with TONS of legacy nostalgia tend to be those sort of games).



Starfield is practically a given, even if it's not releasing this year. Could potentially be a bit too early for ES6, though maybe a logo tease showing commitment to the ecosystem announcing Xbox & PC exclusivity would do something.

Not expecting much on a new DOOM this soon, same for a Prey sequel. But Wolfenstein 3 and Evil Within 3 might have a shot of being revealed in some fashion.



This is a real possibility and also a scary one to consider, but valid points. IIRC Sony also have their own mo-cap facility, or at least a couple of their 1P studios do, so it would be easier to quarantine, sequester and keep that going even during the lockdowns if you don't have to rely so much on third-party firms and studios for their facilities in terms of flight, booking etc. given the restrictions that were imposed during the height of things.

It does leave me baffled to an extent though, why not have planned better ahead of time back in 2018 when the initial round of acquisitions were announced? Bleeding Edge should've been a cross-gen effort with an upgraded version for Series X at launch. Could have delayed the release until then which would've also benefited the game as a whole WRT community and quality. The Outer Worlds expansion should've had a version built from ground-up for the Series systems ready to go at the time of their launch or near it, i.e like the SpiderMan Miles Morales stuff Insomniac did.

I still have my doubts with Matt Booty to be perfectly honest, since he's the one helming XGS these days. Hope they are doing a better job currently tightening the ship. Microsoft may have to leverage Bethesda/Zenimax very heavily the next year or so depending on the state of 1P developments, which is complicated considering two of their more anticipated games (Deathloop and Ghostwire) are 1-year timed PS5 exclusives.

>It does leave me baffled to an extent though, why not have planned better ahead of time back in 2018 when the initial round of acquisitions were announced? Bleeding Edge should've been a cross-gen effort with an upgraded version for Series X at launch. Could have delayed the release until then which would've also benefited the game as a whole WRT community and quality. The Outer Worlds expansion should've had a version built from ground-up for the Series systems ready to go at the time of their launch or near it, i.e like the SpiderMan Miles Morales stuff Insomniac did.

this is a point I’ve made I really haven’t seen anyone share! This is why Xbox will always falter in this industry. A total lack of common sense. Why not delay grounded, actually finish the game, and launch it alongside the series x as a display of Xbox having more variety? Why not having one of your new studios with a ways off till their next game make something smaller scale but make it a graphical power house? Why not pay massive amounts of money for anyone to remake new Vegas ASAP now that you own the ip.

 

[Havoc2049]

After showing an amazing Flight Simulator trailer, Phil will bust out, "Xbox gamers can download Microsoft Flight Simulator, today!"

 

[Leyasu]

They bought a bunch of studios in 2018. We're now in 2021. 3 years is plenty of time. Not only that but the studios they have owned for decades, Turn 10, they literally released nothing. It's time to stop making excuses for them.

I’m not making excuses for them. Whatever gave you that idea?

 

[A Most Virtuous Cat]

If MS doesnt show something substantial at this E3, will everyone stop waying "wait for e3"? 'tis what I am concerned about.

 

[nemiroff]

I bet it must be tiresome to live in fiscal years and announcement lists wars.

 

[mxbison]

Gameplay from several big titles, not CGI and "in-engine" garbage.

 

[anothertech]

In my eyes, starting with 0 at this moment, it can only go up from here.

As long as they don't pull another Craig , they should have an amazing show.

 

[ZywyPL]

After showing an amazing Flight Simulator trailer, Phil will bust out, "Xbox gamers can download Microsoft Flight Simulator, today!"

"We already installed the game on you Xbox console, thank us later" ;p

 

[skit_data]

Altough my interest in Bethesdas games have cooled off significantly last gen, I’m still excited to see what Starfield is and how it plays.

 

[Vae_Victis]

I think they will namedrop and tease a lot of first party games and third party exclusives, but a good chunk of the show will still be just GCI or "in engine" videos. There might be a couple of gameplay demos, but of all the high profile games they have coming, most are objectively still quite some time away from release.

One thing they will do is flex the Zenimax acquisition A LOT. They will definitely announce/show multiple games from Bethesda, id Software, Arkane Studios and Machine Games, even if most has to be just titles and CGI.

 

[Negotiator101]

A huge disadvantage is that I think MS studios are more severely impacted by COVID than Sony

Sony studios are largely established with very strong leads, producers, processes, etc. Insomniac, GG, SSM, etc can easily get things done in a work from home environment because they know the types of games they are making and have a history of being very efficient.

Many MS studios are still trying to find their way. Coalition is fine, but the Initiative, 343, Rare, etc are probably struggling since they are either new or never had the greatest project management

Joe Staten has been leading development of Halo Infinite for nearly a year now and we all know that he knows how to get a game done.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

If you mean the ray traced Minecraft they showed off with the console reveal... that's a good question.

Aye, thats the one! It's just MIA..

It was the one thing my lad and me wanted to see. I've still got my save where I built my home town, it might have made it look nice..

 

[Perrott]

Just add Fallout 3 GOTY to PC Game Pass and call it a day.

 

[Moonjt9]

They need to show gameplay and reasonable release dates. Anything else will just be more empty promises. They must break that cycle here or they will just be a laughing stock.

 

[ZywyPL]

They need to show gameplay and reasonable release dates. Anything else will just be more empty promises. They must break that cycle here or they will just be a laughing stock.

THIS. But I'm afraid their games are too far away and they can show wither CGI trailers or follow Sony's PS4 route with showing games way too early, years before their actual launch. Maybe they can show some 3rd party games that have been in the making for some times already. But from their own studios, I cannot think of anything that's both A) a new IP and B) an actual gameplay.

 

[dyergram]

I expect a halo re showing but outside that ms have shown that they can get by with shows filled with confusing teasers with no gameplay. They should at least win the list war this year they can show so many title screen teasers I guess you gotta think they surely have something to actually show this year...

 

[Clintizzle]

As a long time Xbox fan, I'm going in with no expectations. It's the best way to not be disappointed.

Sony has built a reputation where their fans don't seem to be disappointed even with average shows. Xbox isn't there yet.

 

[GuinGuin]

nah. Nothing this year. The important e3 will be next year

Dude. You can't say "wait for E3" until after E3 has happened. Those are the rules.

 

[Rolla]

This is something Microsoft needs to be careful with, agreed. CG trailers are fine and good but only if you already have results under the belt to "get away" with them. I think that's honestly the reason people are more lenient with Sony when it comes to CG reveal trailers for games potentially far out, since they have strong consistency in their 1P both in terms of quality and schedule of releases.

Some may call it a double standard but Sony's earned the right to have it, fair or not. Microsoft has shown they can earn it as well; Forza has consistently been great and FS 2020 was one of the best "games" of last year especially from a visual POV. But I don't think those are the type of games that are going to capture the imaginations or hearts of masses not already invested in the Xbox ecosystem, they're not necessarily the type of games capable of doing it and that simply comes down to the fact they don't have recognizable characters, stories, aren't driven by any type of story, don't have human or human-esque characters players can identify with etc.

The July showcase from last year was light on gameplay outside of Halo Infinite and that wasn't even running on a Series X; I think this year they need that and several other games with gameplay footage running/captured on a Series X. Games like Bright Memory Infinite (which had a really good showcase at the May 2020 event IMO, again tho wasn't running on a Series X), Scorn etc. should be far along enough to do that with, since they are slated for a late 2021 release IIRC.

I couldn't agree more.

When you say "Sony earned the right..." More broadly... This is mindshare and momentum in effect. Like a film buff who knows or expects the next Martin Scorsese film to be engaging because he has a history of film directing that changes the conversation.

 

[skit_data]

As a long time Xbox fan, I'm going in with no expectations. It's the best way to not be disappointed.

Sony has built a reputation where their fans don't seem to be disappointed even with average shows. Xbox isn't there yet.

Doesn’t your first sentence pretty much contradict your last sentence?

 

[GymWolf]

Wrong.

I think e3 2022\23 are gonna be the real hot events for M.

For this year i still expect a lot of cg and 30 sec teaser with 3 sec of gameplay for their bigger hitters except halo and forza.

I don't expect 15 min gameplay videos for stuff like gears 6, avowed, starfield, fable etc.

 

[Stare-Bear]

Like I said in the other thread, what have they been doing since 2016? The Ps4 ended it's life cycle with a year of amazing first-party games. The Xbox One had nothing. Some said that MS had shifted it's focus to next-gen, only to launch a console with no first-party game...

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Like I said in the other thread, what have they been doing since 2016? The Ps4 ended it's life cycle with a year of amazing first-party games. The Xbox One had nothing. Some said that MS had shifted it's focus to next-gen, only to launch a console with no first-party game...

I honestly dont know why either company bothered putting out these next gen consoles, hell you cant even buy the fucking things let alone have next gen games on them.

 

[Clintizzle]

Doesn’t your first sentence pretty much contradict your last sentence?

Nope.

 

[Mr.ODST]

Need a reshowing of Halo and just show some next gen games, need to proper blow eyeballs out considering Sony is doing the Horizon event and I doubt it will look anything but stellar

 

[Varteras]

I just really hope there is:

• literally zero CGI throughout their entire conference/event
• no long segments of Sarah Bond pretending to talk about how she cares about gamers (no matter what she does, she gives off massive "corporate suit" vibes)
• enough padding the conference with talk about about backwards compatibility and upgrades to old games. That stuff is great but it belongs in supplementary youtube videos/blog posts, not in the main event.
• a pre-show that shows all the indie (ie smaller) stuff so that the main show is jam-packed with big titles
• lots and lots of gameplay (but keep the long, drawn out stuff for Inside Xbox later)
• no actual car brought onto the stage just before showing Forza gameplay. It's been done to death now, fucking leave it.
• the Series X equivalent of what the first Gears of War did for Xbox 360. GoW was absolutely mindblowing at the time. It was so good that I gave zero shits about what Playstation 3 was doing. We just don't have that right now.

Honestly I still don't trust them to pull off even half of the above.
Feels like they haven't had a seriously good E3 in years.

I have felt this way about Xbox for a long time now. Not since the early days of Xbox 360 have I been impressed with them. I remember prior to its release there was an article showcasing Halo 3, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Too Human. I was so stoked. Each game looked right up my alley. Science fiction, techno-fantasy, and space opera were my jam back then. Still are today. They sold me so hard on just those games. That was back at a time when Xbox was being built up by people who understood gaming and gamers. Back when Jay Allard, who co-founded Xbox, was the face of the brand. That was without a doubt the golden age for the brand. Xbox needs to regain its soul and you don't do that by running down a checklist. You need to show reverence for the medium. Be like Sony and Nintendo. They take the stage and just do their thing. They don't give the impression that they're conscientious of their place in the market. Microsoft always feels, to me, like they're trying to convince someone they're still cool and a big deal. Just shut up and let your games do the talking.

 

[Arcadialane]

I just want Microsoft's answer to Horizon, returnal, Ghost of tsushima, Last of us, days gone etc. Let's see your big, brand new IP franchises that rival these and I'm good.

 

[SoggyBiscuit]

With all these acquisitions it is only a matter of time before we start seeing some potential big hitters from MS. It does, however, always feel like we're stuck in the same cycle with them. Over-promise and under-deliver.

I'm hopeful they can break out of this funk.

I also fear the pandemic has pushed back a lot of work that could've been done on these titles. So realistically, I am not expecting anything from the 2021 showing.

 

[Raekwon26]

I just want Microsoft's answer to Horizon, returnal, Ghost of tsushima, Last of us, days gone etc. Let's see your big, brand new IP franchises that rival these and I'm good.

You don't think you're expecting too much?

 

[jaysius]

I just want to never see bullshot again, is that so fucking hard to ask this gen?

 

[Tschumi]

"stellar reshowing of halo infinite"

I think that poll option says it all really. Whether or not this eventuates will determine the entire narrative and value of the event, i feel.. it's 343i's shot at redemption.. it'll really be a measure of how effectively Microsoft shepherds and backs it's exclusive studios vs. sony.. I'm sure 343i has it in them, if the right practices and leaders have been plugged in.

 

[ReBurn]

Microsoft needs to announce release dates for first party games. Day 1 on Game Pass is meaningless when nothing is releasing.

 

[iJudged]

idk but it better deliver and something tells me it will be amazing.

 

[supernova8]

I have felt this way about Xbox for a long time now. Not since the early days of Xbox 360 have I been impressed with them. I remember prior to its release there was an article showcasing Halo 3, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Too Human. I was so stoked. Each game looked right up my alley. Science fiction, techno-fantasy, and space opera were my jam back then. Still are today. They sold me so hard on just those games. That was back at a time when Xbox was being built up by people who understood gaming and gamers. Back when Jay Allard, who co-founded Xbox, was the face of the brand. That was without a doubt the golden age for the brand. Xbox needs to regain its soul and you don't do that by running down a checklist. You need to show reverence for the medium. Be like Sony and Nintendo. They take the stage and just do their thing. They don't give the impression that they're conscientious of their place in the market. Microsoft always feels, to me, like they're trying to convince someone they're still cool and a big deal. Just shut up and let your games do the talking.

This is exactly what I cannot stand about Aaron Greenberg. He's like the epitome of someone trying to be "hip with the kiddos", and their official Twitter is just an emoji nightmare, as if it's being run by some "professional digital marketing agency" as opposed to keeping it simple and to the point.

 

[SafeOrAlone]

The hard truth. Only thing they are kiling is my desire to buy a Series X so far lol. Back Compat is nice until you realize there isnt that many great 1st party last gen exclusives to play anyway. The PS + collection is arguably vastly superior imo. They better not let me down again, because this whole last year I have been waiting for a reason to say "I NEED to buy a series X for X,Y,Z game" been waiting for YEARS for that and they bring dissapointment and fail almost every single E3. I was so hyped for last years MS E3 thinking they were going to blow it out and both consoles would have amazing first years.... I still havent jumped into Next Gen and will more than likely buy a PS5 at some point in the next year or two if I can find one but im very criticial of MS when it comes to high rated good games than are outside of the Halo, Gears, Forza trio.

Also idk how "Visually "next-gen" gaming exclusives " isnt winning by a huge margin

I dont think the PS+ collection is vastly superior to Xbox backwards compatibility by any means.

Your post implies that Microsoft's backwards compatibility is only useful for first party titles, but that isn't the case. There are also plenty of third party titles that run and play better on Xbox than Playstation. It's a damn shame you can't play Splinter Cell, Dead Space, or Metal Gear Solid collection on PS5, but I'm playing them in 4k with auto hdr. Little things like that go a long way.
Want more current? Gears 5, Far Cry 5, and Fallout 4, among a plethora of others also just got hdr and frame boost updates.

Of course, some will say they don't care about old games, but I doubt anyone with a next gen console has survived off of just Demon's Souls (which is old in every sense other than graphically) and Returnal for 7 months, so I'd be skeptical.

 

[SegaShack]

I already said what they need to do in the other thread. Release gameplay trailers for all games they showed off as CG last year and do Halo and Starfield rereveals.

But tbh, every year is the same. Every year I think MS will blow us away and every year they end up underwhelming. This isnt on Microsoft tbh. I dont think their studios are good enough. Hellblade 2 shouldve been shown in gameplay form last year after revealing it as an inengine trailer but i dont know wtf Ninja Theory did in the 8 months after revealing HB2. Almost a year has passed since and we still havent seen anything. We SHOULD see it at the conference, but we shouldve seen it last year as well.

Same goes for pretty much all of their studios. Sony had a pretty underwhelming conference last year but they showed up with at least three next gen games with gameplay. The other two, Demon Souls and Miles, were released the same year. What was revealed last year at that conference that has since been released or even showed off in gameplay form.

I am optimistic but after getting burned year after year for like 10 straight years now I am not sure If I trust MS to deliver. I am hopeful because I hate waiting for Sony to deliver 2-3 games a year, and would like MS to fill in the gaps, but I will say this, if MS does not show up with at least 4-5 mind blowing gameplay demos then I am gonna start treating them like Nintendo. As irrelevant as Publisher can be to fans of AAA games.

Completely agree with this. How many times have they said "this year is all about games"?

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Joe Staten has been leading development of Halo Infinite for nearly a year now and we all know that he knows how to get a game done.

1 guy doesn’t make a game

 

[Shadowhelper]

Like I said in the other thread, what have they been doing since 2016? The Ps4 ended it's life cycle with a year of amazing first-party games. The Xbox One had nothing. Some said that MS had shifted it's focus to next-gen, only to launch a console with no first-party game...

Its fucking ridiculous. Phil has been head for a while now. Maybe its tought to have a slew of AAA ready for the first year, so how about a shitload of indies and AAs? Its just shit planning by MS.

Gamepass is also not as good as advertised. They dont add many good games every month. Will be nice to get the AAA Ms games, but the as a service for smaller AA and indies games, its nothing great.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Its fucking ridiculous. Phil has been head for a while now. Maybe its tought to have a slew of AAA ready for the first year, so how about a shitload of indies and AAs? Its just shit planning by MS.

Gamepass is also not as good as advertised. They dont add many good games every month. Will be nice to get the AAA Ms games, but the as a service for smaller AA and indies games, its nothing great.

I use it as a side option for indie games I’m undecided on or older big budget stuff I missed. Outriders the exception but i got bored with that. Still going to buy physical if possible for my XSX/PS5.

 

[Shadowhelper]

I use it as a side option for indie games I’m undecided on or older big budget stuff I missed. Outriders the exception but i got bored with that. Still going to buy physical if possible for my XSX/PS5.

There are some decent indies on it, but added from before. That adds up. But from a month to month, its not that great. Even all aggregated, I would hope its a bit better with indies and smaller titles.

At the moment MS should be doing far more.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

There are some decent indies on it, but added from before. That adds up. But from a month to month, its not that great. Even all aggregated, I would hope its a bit better with indies and smaller titles.

At the moment MS should be doing far more.

I like it, it’s just a convenience at best for me mate. I’m traditional or an old fuck tho and will prefer physical particularly for a favourite franchise or a nice box art/collectors edition, I’m a sucker for those things.

I think we all know, if they don’t have much to show first party wise at E3 it will be another MLB/Outriders deal on Gamepass and they will be praised to the hilt. Understandable in a way as games aren’t cheap but you know what I’m getting at.

 

[Shadowhelper]

I like it, it’s just a convenience at best for me mate. I’m traditional or an old fuck tho and will prefer physical particularly for a favourite franchise or a nice box art/collectors edition, I’m a sucker for those things.

I think we all know, if they don’t have much to show first party wise at E3 it will be another MLB/Outriders deal on Gamepass and they will be praised to the hilt. Understandable in a way as games aren’t cheap but you know what I’m getting at.

Saving money is the only reason I will keep my XSX and GP. It is good that way, and at the moment is dirt cheap. You can get codes on Ebay and they come in 2 week increments, so you can just start your sub whenever you see something good or maybe you wanna take a break because you bought another game.

Not sure how long these cheap codes will be around for though. They dont have an expiry, so I should really just buy a ton of em.

 

[NickFire]

I think we all know, if they don’t have much to show first party wise at E3 it will be another MLB/Outriders deal on Gamepass and they will be praised to the hilt. Understandable in a way as games aren’t cheap but you know what I’m getting at.

Message boards and article comments will be absolutely insufferable if MS doesn't blow everyone away with new games set to be released in the following 10 months. I'm not even kidding.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Message boards and article comments will be absolutely insufferable if MS doesn't blow everyone away with new games set to be released in the following 10 months. I'm not even kidding.

They’ve put pressure on themselves however i know what you mean. I hope they do have great stuff, I don’t want a repeat of X1 generation.

 

[Hugare]

the biggest mistake Phil made was releasing Gears 5. It should have been next-gen exclusive IMHO.

he put all his eggs in the 343 basket, expecting it to be the big launch title, but he should have seen the writing on the wall with how at risk that was.

coalition has a much better track record, but he wanted Gears 5 to push GamePass...I just think you could have pushed GP and next-gen at the same time by making Gears 5 an impressive next gen title

They are focusing on GamePass. They couldnt care less about selling hardware.

As you've noticed, putting Gears 5 on GP day one says it all about where their priority is

I expect some Senua gameplay, Halo, maybe some Fable. Some Bethesda stuff.