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No More "Wait Till Next E3"; 2021's Show Will Define Microsoft's Prospects One Way Or Another

What's the most important thing you feel Microsoft needs to show this E3 for the masses (choose 3)?

  • Stellar re-showing of Halo Infinite

    Votes: 212 55.9%
  • Reveal and gameplay for Starfield

    Votes: 128 33.8%
  • New exclusive Japanese IP reveal

    Votes: 37 9.8%
  • New exclusive Western IP reveal

    Votes: 63 16.6%
  • Visually "next-gen" gaming exclusives (BMI, Scorn, Exo Mecha, Gunk etc.)

    Votes: 144 38.0%
  • More GamePass announcements/partnerships

    Votes: 81 21.4%
  • Gameplay from a new secret first-party IP

    Votes: 122 32.2%
  • Another major acquisition (WB Games, Sega, etc.)

    Votes: 51 13.5%
  • Announcement for VR on Xbox

    Votes: 22 5.8%

  • Total voters
    379
  • Poll closed .
So "Wait 'till next E3" has become a meme at this point WRT the Xbox brand, but it's fair to say that amid a tepid 2019 presentation and a 2020 July event that did more to show off GamePass than their marquee next-gen console (the somewhat ho-hum and even janky-in-places visuals of Halo Infinite didn't help), going into the first full year of the new cycle Microsoft actually has to make their E3 presentation count. With Sony already having gained plenty of momentum and getting quality 1P content out for PS5 even amid COVID (including not only Rift Apart coming in June, but a just-announced State of Play for Horizon: Forbidden West on May 27th with 14 minutes of gameplay), and Nintendo stirring up interest with a possible Switch Pro let alone new releases in some of their marquee IP, 2021's E3 is not the time for Phil Spencer to go "I'm more excited for what we didn't show".

The truth is, this E3 will be a turning point, one way or another. Microsoft needs to convince people outside of the Xbox ecosystem that their platform ecosystem is worth both their money and time, and there's only one way to truly do that: content. Not just any content, either; the common complaint with a lot of people not already in the Xbox ecosystem is that there's been very little shown from Microsoft or partnered developers that "looks and feels" next-gen, and can't already be had elsewhere, i.e PlayStation. Unfortunately, this is a bitter truth; while Microsoft's system has been enjoying an increased lead with more multiplatform titles, it's not the kind of lead that creates a definitive drive for most to invest in the platform or ecosystem. Meanwhile, their other advantages are with FPS boosts and in some cases, resolution boosts, in older games, the issue there being...they're older games. If people outside of the ecosystem want to be stimulated, they need to see some impressive stuff from NEW titles, that can't be had anywhere else but in the Xbox ecosystem.

So with that said, here is a following of what I think Microsoft needs to do this E3 in order to have a truly impressive show not just for the Xbox fanbase but for all gamers in general. I have broken this up into two tiers, the first being things that ABSOLUTELY need to happen, the second being things that will be nice to have but aren't mandatory (IMHO) to have a stellar show. You'll probably see a very common theme between the tiers here ;). I fear that if Microsoft cannot deliver the vast majority of what's in Tier 1, and offers nothing of equivalent to make up for them, then they will effectively harm future growth of the brand. Not just Xbox consoles, but also GamePass and Xcloud, too. Ultimately great hardware and services mean nothing if stimulating new content is not there to draw people in, and given Microsoft's size and position in the industry, it's not unbecoming to expect them to provide some things that can compete with the best from Sony and Nintendo. Or better to say, present and message that content much more effectively, give it that TLC to wax among the media and gamers, and treat the games you know will best show off your ecosystem with an intimate attention.

---------------

[TIER 1]

>Visually impressive gameplay for Halo Infinite​
>Gameplay for Starfield (at least a little bit, even if mostly CG trailer)​
>Gameplay for Bright Memory Infinite (~5 minutes raw; 2021 release so no excuses)​
>Gameplay for Scorn (same as BMI IIRC)​
>Gameplay for The Gunk (same)​
>Gameplay for Exo Mecha (same)​
>Gameplay for Forza Horizon 5 (CG reveal trailer & maybe 1-2 minutes of gameplay)​
>Gameplay for FS 2020 (~5 minutes gameplay, show off new content and modes)​
>At least one major Western 3P AAA console exclusive for release 2021/Q1 2022, GamePass or not​
>At least one major Japanese 3P AAA console exclusive for release 2021/Q1 2022, GamePass or not​
>At least one major surprise for gaming community (i.e maybe funding or timed exclusivity for​
Black Myth: Wukong or Project EVE, etc.)​

[TIER 2]

>Teaser for Kojima Productions project (just a logo is good enough; save rest for TGS)​
>Gameplay for Ark 2 single-player campaign​
>Any Nintendo partnership (i.e Master Chief in Smash Bros. (most likely) or Banjo-Kazooie 3 for Xbox​
Series & Switch (less likely but not completely ruled out)​
>Some announcements of new system/GamePass/Xcloud QoL features, peripherals etc.​
>Some game announcements for GamePass (including Battlefield 6 if that is actually happening)​
>Substantive update on at least a few 1P games (Project Mara, Everwild etc. at least two of them)​
>Announcement of maybe a couple longer-term 3P partnerships WRT co-funding software dev for​
ecosystem exclusives (full or timed)(at least one Western dev/pub, one Japanese dev/pub, i.e​
Team Asobo, Sega, SNK etc.)​
>Any GamePass service partnership (i.e Ubisoft UPlay, etc.)​
>Trailer reveal/tease for a new 1P AAA IP to close the show​

------------

I don't think most of what's being asked here is too much; the games I'd like gameplay for are literally scheduled for 2021 or early 2022 at the very latest. Sony has and continues to show excellent gameplay for upcoming releases this year alone like Rift Apart and Forbidden West on the 27th; Microsoft should be able to do similar with some of the titles they showed off/revealed last year of all things.

There is no need for more acquisitions ATM; they need to at least get some games out from the studios they've actually acquired so far to start showing people real results with those purchases and investments, otherwise yet more acquisitions could come off as the equivalent of being a patent troll. This event needs to prioritize what can be done for the Series X, as that is the aspect of the Xbox ecosystem the majority are genuinely interested in seeing more from, what it can do etc. plus that's the one Microsoft built up their earlier messaging going into the new gen with. It wasn't Series S, it wasn't GamePass and it wasn't Xcloud: it was the Series X reveal and for the next couple of years it will continue to be the Series X that most defines the brand.

If their E3 does well and gives Series X its boost, then those other things will naturally benefit in relation to it. However, if Microsoft's E3 is majority focused on yet more CG trailers for games years away, or mediocre 1P gameplay reveals, or a perception of flooding the focus on GamePass with smaller indies and inclusion of months/years-old games that players outside the Xbox ecosystem will have most likely already played....then Microsoft's gaming ambitions may be in serious trouble. And it's not like Sony and Nintendo will stand still; Sony may or may not have their own E3-style event this year, but if they do more similar to what they will with Forbidden West gameplay on the 27th, can get their other 1P (Forbidden West, GoW etc.) out this year and do some big reveals of new 1P IP and 3P exclusives (like the rumored FF Souls-like, MGS Remake etc.), they run the greatest chance of relegating Xbox to a literal footnote in mindshare going forward.

What do you guys think Microsoft needs to do this E3 in order to make inroads with the masses outside of the Xbox ecosystem?
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
They just need to show something gameplay wise. Something. No more CGI, or alot less CGI.

And better showing of Halo Infinite.

And something thats says next gen for Series consoles besides The Medium. No knock to the devs of that game, but that wasnt it.

I'm just patiently waiting for Scorn, Hellblade 2 and Fable. Love State of Decay but I dont expect that to be a next gen showcase.
 
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NullZ3r0

Banned
What I want:

  • Halo Infinite looking spectacular
  • Starfield 2021 release date
  • ES 6 real-time footage
  • A truly next-gen looking exclusive
  • A new exclusive we never heard about
What we'll probably get:
  • Halo Infinite looking cross gen AF
  • Indiana Jones CG
  • Starfield 2022 release date
  • An ID@Xbox sizzle reel that's way too long
  • UbiSoft on GamePass
  • Pride month virtue signaling
  • BLM virtue signaling
  • New controller colors
  • More CG trailers
 

Termite

Member
I completely agree.

Because of stock shortages and delivering two stellar pieces of hardware not having any major exclusives so far hasn't hurt them - they've done superbly so far. But as XSX and PS5 start appearing on shop shelves for anyone to buy (early next year) they're going to have had to have made their case for why it's a worthy competitor on the exclusive games front.

I have an XSX and I personally think they're going to have a good e3. I'm excited for it.

The most important thing for their show, imo, is a new first party reveal, whether that's Starfield's full reveal or something secret. Something that will get people talking. I expect Halo Infinite to be much improved, but "much improved" won't move the needle.
 

Camreezie

Member
What I want:

  • Halo Infinite looking spectacular
  • Starfield 2021 release date
  • ES 6 real-time footage
  • A truly next-gen looking exclusive
  • A new exclusive we never heard about
What we'll probably get:
  • Halo Infinite looking cross gen AF
  • Indiana Jones CG
  • Starfield 2022 release date
  • An ID@Xbox sizzle reel that's way too long
  • UbiSoft on GamePass
  • Pride month virtue signaling
  • BLM virtue signaling
  • New controller colors
  • More CG trailers
Just add EA access and Gamepass and that's a bingo
 

splattered

Member
Was gonna post this in the "Microsoft is quiet, i think they are doomed" thread but it got closed.

I have faith that the games are coming, most likely they have been quiet because they are going to blow our socks off with new stuff come E3. Phil is on the board at E3 and the show is on life support so MS (and other companies) are probably holding off from doing multiple smaller shows like they did last year (which were ALL lackluster) so they can do full blowouts come E3 in June to try and raise excitement for the show again.

What i'm more interested in seeing is if any recent partnership whispers come to fruition and we get to see maybe a VR solution they are working on. Stuff like that. Games are great but i like to see different things from E3 as well.
 
How long has this 'wait till E3' garbage been going on for?

No matter what they show, (me myself has no expectations and not really that interested) that crowd will be saying wait till E3 again right after this one ends.

At least a couple of years. To be fair not all Xbox fans are like this, it’s a few outspoken with followings they placate to.
 

GHG

Gold Member
How long has this 'wait till E3' garbage been going on for?

No matter what they show, (me myself has no expectations and not really that interested) that crowd will be saying wait till E3 again right after this one ends.

Since the start of last gen the denial has been strong.

Now that there have been several acquisitions it's time to start showing some results. It's no good having all those studios and IP if their internal studio management continues to be piss poor.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
I just want something tangible. It's been years of "listen to this list of things we're going to do".

Halo's a given, let's see something more interesting actually playing.
 

sublimit

Banned
Uncle Phil has been feeding Xbox fans with promises ever since 2014 and they all eat it up nice and proper.Every year it's the same situation until E3 passes again and MS guys say "don't worry next year will be Microsoft's year"!Then nothing happens and then more promises etc etc.It's a neverending cycle of empty promises but it seems to work for them so i can easily see at least 3-4 more years of Xbox just feeding on the goodwill of its fans and on "how awesome Gamepass is" or "how awesome 15 year old games look with BC."
 

Robb

Gold Member
I think it'd be smart to leverage their Bethesda aqcusition. Show Starfield and ES6 and announce them as MS/GamePass exclusive even if they may be far away.

Not to mention potential new stuff like Wolfenstein 3, the next Doom, The Evil Within 3, Prey 2 etc. etc.

The Bethesda purchase is obviously a long term play, but hopefully there are some projects that were far in development that MS can announce under their belt during this years E3.
 
Last e3 was average..but by the end of the year, they announced Avowed, the Fable reboot, the Forza reboot, State of Decay 3, the Perfect Dark reboot and acquired Zenimax.

All these companies are gonna reveal what they want, when they want.
 

Ceadeus

Member
Really good read OP, thank you!

I also think that this year is crucial for Microsoft. They need to show us the realization of what have been building up for all this time.

You're totally on point with both tier of what their E3 should look like. Like, make it real big or go home. They can't afford to go thin this year, particularly after the Bethesda acquisition. People are hungry and expecting novelty, choice and release dates.
 
I’ve been waiting for MS to blow me away since, like, E3 2008 or so?

they always seem to disappoint. I just keep my expectations low.

one of these days they should have an impressive showing given all the studios they have now, but seemingly many projects are still a ways off.

i think Microsoft needs to have something impressive by mid-gen, I don’t think this e3 in particular is too critical

best they can hope for is to gain momentum by mid to late gen, at which point you would hope that they start entering the conversation again as a legitimate competitor with Sony and Nintendo as far as first party goes
 
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NickFire

Member
I honestly don't know what to expect. Part of me says they must have something good to show off by now. Another part says heard that before, like a million times.
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
Best I can hope for is Halo Infinite, Flight Sim, Psychonauts 2 & Forza Horzion 5 for 2021, and a Starfield q1 2022 release date.

It would be nice to get a big drop (100+) of FPS boost games. If they could do some fan favourites like DaS 1-3, Sekiro, Cuphead & Ori and the Blind Forest that would be sick.

They will announce a lot of Game Pass games, quality over quantity for me though; I hope they have some really good quality AA games and maybe 1 or 2 big AAA q4 games.

As for acquisitions the dream would be Moon, but they don’t want to be aquired as far as I know. SEGA obviously the meme worthy candidate for a publisher, fits them for their PC Game Pass plans and Japanese games.
 
Uncle Phil has been feeding Xbox fans with promises ever since 2014 and they all eat it up nice and proper.Every year it's the same situation until E3 passes again and MS guys say "don't worry next year will be Microsoft's year"!Then nothing happens and then more promises etc etc.It's a neverending cycle of empty promises but it seems to work for them so i can easily see at least 3-4 more years of Xbox just feeding on the goodwill of its fans and on "how awesome Gamepass is" or "how awesome 15 year old games look with BC."

I’m a Xbox fan, I don’t eat it’s up. In fact I’m not a fan of Spencer so far, a minority perhaps but not everyone thinks the sun shines from his arse.
 

Kuranghi

Member
What I want:

  • Halo Infinite looking spectacular
  • Starfield 2021 release date
  • ES 6 real-time footage
  • A truly next-gen looking exclusive
  • A new exclusive we never heard about
What we'll probably get:
  • Halo Infinite looking cross gen AF
  • Indiana Jones CG
  • Starfield 2022 release date
  • An ID@Xbox sizzle reel that's way too long
  • UbiSoft on GamePass
  • Pride month virtue signaling
  • BLM virtue signaling
  • New controller colors
  • More CG trailers

I say combine these two for efficiency, I can't see how that would go wrong.
 
Whether or not, Microsoft disappoints or not, we will do this all again next year. Why? Because we need Microsoft to compete to push Sony. Not that Sony is doing a bad job doing that all by their damn selves, but we need these guys to be competitive again.
 
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
 
I can’t imagine why anyone would doubt MS will have a stellar conference. So much is aligned and they are focused.
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.

They just need to show something gameplay wise. Something. No more CGI, or alot less CGI.

And better showing of Halo Infinite.

And something thats says next gen for Series consoles besides The Medium. No knock to the devs of that game, but that wasnt it.

I'm just patiently waiting for Scorn, Hellblade 2 and Fable. Love State of Decay but I dont expect that to be a next gen showcase.

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.

I just want something tangible. It's been years of "listen to this list of things we're going to do".

Halo's a given, let's see something more interesting actually playing.
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.

Uncle Phil has been feeding Xbox fans with promises ever since 2014 and they all eat it up nice and proper.Every year it's the same situation until E3 passes again and MS guys say "don't worry next year will be Microsoft's year"!Then nothing happens and then more promises etc etc.It's a neverending cycle of empty promises but it seems to work for them so i can easily see at least 3-4 more years of Xbox just feeding on the goodwill of its fans and on "how awesome Gamepass is" or "how awesome 15 year old games look with BC."

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).

I think it'd be smart to leverage their Bethesda aqcusition. Show Starfield and ES6 and announce them as MS/GamePass exclusive even if they may be far away.

Not to mention potential new stuff like Wolfenstein 3, the next Doom, The Evil Within 3, Prey 2 etc. etc.

The Bethesda purchase is obviously a long term play, but hopefully there are some projects that were far in development that MS can announce under their belt during this years E3.

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.

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

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.
 
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Kev Kev

Member
i dont think they need vr.... but i reeeaaalllly want it lol, so i picked that as my third. mostly halo and starfield tho, which could satisfy the showing next gen graphics choice. theyve been acquiring new IPs and games companies just fine outside of e3, so that isnt a big thing either, imo.
 

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
I really want MS to knock this out of the park, I want to be blown away and whilst it won't convince me to buy one as I just bought a PS5 but I still wanna see them come out swinging.

Show MS flight SIM running on XSX and melting eyeballs

Show Fable looking like a fantastical cartoon with incredible visuals

Show Elder Scrolls 6 and just kick all the Sony fanboys in the balls with a look at what you won't be playing, same with Starfield

And show gameplay footage of Hellblade 2 looking exactly like that unbelievable trailer

Show me that shit and I'll cry into my PS5 and consider picking up one for when ES6 releases but this is MS ffs and they consistently drop the fucking ball and don't know how to put a show together that isn't fucking cheese and doesn't show anything worth of shit, that's what I'm expecting, as for the other shit.. that's what I'm hoping for
 

Impotaku

Member
Spoilers: will be like everytime they say wait for E3. Pointless getting excited till they actually show something.
IpDAgCi.gif
 

ZywyPL

Banned
Halo gameplay is a given, the game releases this year after all. Maybe some Forza, either Motorsport or the rumored new Horizon.

Now, I don't get all the hype about Starfield, there was just a tiny teaser showing absolutely nothing, and the people who hype it at the same time trash on Bethesda how their games are garbage, unpolished, buggy etc., so like I said, I really don't get what makes people so excited when it'll most likely be yet another technical disaster, except actually good looking for once.

I personally would like to be (positively) surprised, some unexpected acquisition, some new, never before heard of IPs out of nowhere, some partnerships maybe. And of course gameplays, actual gameplays, because 2h of CGI fest is as meaningful as no show at all for me.
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
For me, it's more Gamepass.

I don't want to buy games anymore, so I'm hoping Microsoft announce some deals to bring third party AAA games on Gamepass day one. Also hopefully some Gamepass exclusive games, which will ultimately increase GP subs and get more publishers on board.
 
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.

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
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
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.
 

kyliethicc

Member






 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
the biggest mistake Phil made was releasing Gears 5.
You shouldve just stopped there. Gears is a dead IP in a serious need of a reboot. I was going to create a thread about how GoW and Gears of War were released barely a year apart way back in 2005 and 2006, and yet here we are with GoW the most anticipated game of E3 by a long shot and Gears not even in the picture. Gears 5 came out a year after GoW and comparing the advancements of the franchises is not even fair.

I liked Gears 5 at first. It felt more action packed than 4, looked better and gameplay didnt feel dated. But then after three chapters, I had had enough. The female protagonist didnt do anything for me. The open world was used to just add travel between story missions. Guns felt boring. 90% of the time it felt like I was playing a 2006 game. Janky, tanky and boring.

I think they should kill the franchise but if they want to stick with it because Phil paid $100 million for that IP then do what SSM did with GoW. A complete revision. Change the perspective to first person. If you want to make it an open world hub world then make a hub world like GoW. Dont just have me drive around from point A to point B. If you want me to feel invested in characters then make them likeable.
 
You shouldve just stopped there. Gears is a dead IP in a serious need of a reboot. I was going to create a thread about how GoW and Gears of War were released barely a year apart way back in 2005 and 2006, and yet here we are with GoW the most anticipated game of E3 by a long shot and Gears not even in the picture. Gears 5 came out a year after GoW and comparing the advancements of the franchises is not even fair.

I liked Gears 5 at first. It felt more action packed than 4, looked better and gameplay didnt feel dated. But then after three chapters, I had had enough. The female protagonist didnt do anything for me. The open world was used to just add travel between story missions. Guns felt boring. 90% of the time it felt like I was playing a 2006 game. Janky, tanky and boring.

I think they should kill the franchise but if they want to stick with it because Phil paid $100 million for that IP then do what SSM did with GoW. A complete revision. Change the perspective to first person. If you want to make it an open world hub world then make a hub world like GoW. Dont just have me drive around from point A to point B. If you want me to feel invested in characters then make them likeable.

long term you’re right

but I see Gears 5 having the potential to be a safe, but impressive, next gen showcase much like Ratchet. Easy to make and get out on time

people would be willing to accept the rather stagnant gameplay
 
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