Monday, June 09, 2014

E3 2014: Microsoft

UPDATE :
Trailer compilation available at Engadget: All the games from Microsoft's E3 event.

Like last year, here is a breakdown of Microsoft's E3 presentation today in order of how much time they spent on each subject. There's no more revealing method, to me, for finding out what a company is focusing on.

First off, it was all games this year, which was a wise move. Microsoft has stumbled badly to articulate their "connected" vision for Xbox One, and they've been heavily criticized for it, so they pulled in their borders and focused solely on games this year.

Also of note: "first access DLC" and "exclusive beta" are the new "exclusives" in console world. Remember last year when I said publishers couldn't afford to do straight exclusives anymore, because it reduced their post-ship revenue stream (from the inevitable drip of DLC) too dramatically? Microsoft certainly bore out that point today. Lots and lots of "exclusive content" or "first access content".

9 minutes--Call of Duty 75: The Exact Same Game (this title may be incorrect)
7 minutes--Halo remastered (all the numbered versions of Halo on one disc, with remastered graphics)
6 minutes--Sunset Overdrive ("a high-velocity open-world shooter"). This is actually an exclusive and new IP. Release data October 28.
5 minutes--Assassin's Creed Unity
5 minutes--Witcher 3
5 minutes--Forza Horizon 2 and free Nurburgring track for Forza 5.
5 minutes--The Division (Ubisoft)
5 minutes--Fable Legends
4 minutes--Indie game montage
3 minutes--Crackdown (if it's like the original and not the shitty sequel, I'll be very happy). 2015 release.
3 minutes--Project Spark
3 minutes--Scalebound (hideki Kamiya, and it's an exclusive)
2 minutes--Dragon Age: Inquisition
2 minutes--Dead Rising 3 DLC
2 minutes--Ori and the Blind Florest (with Spark. It's exclusive.)
2 minutes--Inside (new IP. 2D game).
1 minute--Dance Central (downloadable only).

Let's all have a sad moment for Harmonix, who have been completely shafted by Microsoft's 180-degree change on Kinect being absolutely necessary to the Xbox One experience. 1 minute? Downloadable title only? Buried.

Interestingly, EA was almost completely absent, so it will be interesting to see if they have a big presence during Sony's presser later today.

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