Microsoft is behind Sony in the console war for this generation, plain and simple. Losing? It’s hard to be considered a loser when you make millions upon millions but for consumer’s sake let’s say yes, they are losing. E3, which is a strong way to gauge the direction of the big three consoles, is next month. A holiday for gamers at this point, many will theorize on what they will see at the event (Final Fantasy VII is coming, I just know it) and the companies will be graded on their performances.
This is the time where you gain new customers, retain current fans, and get back people you may have lost with previous moves. Yea, Microsoft, you can get some people back. But how?
The ideas below are just that, ideas. We (myself, Gary Swaby and Richard Bailey) decided to collaborate on this article leading into E3 2014. As former Xbox 360 owners, these are things that likely will happen, those less likely to happen, and the long shots that could make us believe in the Xbox One again.
Most Likely
Halo 5 Gameplay Demo (Charles)
This one is pretty much a shoe in. Halo is the largest franchise on the console, rightfully so, and they’d be idiots not to show off the next gen version.
Quantum Break Gameplay Demo + Release window (Gary)
When Quantum Break was first shown at last years E3, it intrigued many. To this day it remains one of the most anticipated titles for the Xbox One. I’m a fan of Remedy’s work, and the original Max Payne game remains in my top 10 games of all time list. What I love about Remedy is their ability to create thought provoking, emotional thrillers. Throwing time manipulation into the mix will only deliver an experience like we haven’t seen before. With that being said, Microsoft can easily sell me by showing off some jaw-dropping gameplay at E3, followed by an official release window for the game.
Halo 2 Anniversary (Charles)
Less desired, but this release could bring back fond memories of the best title in the franchise and build some steam into the next game.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Demo (Richard)
When Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was revealed earlier this month, it became a foregone conclusion that this game would have a major presence at E3 2014. Microsoft is notorious for debuting Call of Duty games at their press conferences as a means of generating excitement and reminding customers that they will have additional map packs before their competitors. Going by this logic, I fully expect to see a lengthy demo preview during the show.
Preview the Halo TV series pilot (Charles)
Hinted at last year, this could round out the big Halo news and set a solid foundation for heavily investing in exclusives for the conference
Killer Instinct Season 2 Teaser (Richard)
Double Helix changed the game when they released Killer Instinct as an Xbox One exclusive late last year. Now that the IP has been taken over by Iron Galaxy Studios, we all can expect to finally get a glimpse of what the second season will be like. Iron Galaxy has already confirmed that 8 new fighters and No Mercy finishers will be added to this game. Expect plenty more details to emerge about this season on June 9th.
Project Spark Featurette (Charles)
Spark has been one of the most interesting projects on the Xbox One and will open up the console to a creative demographic that Sony tapped into with Little Big Planet.
Forza Horizon 2 (Richard)
News regarding Forza Horizon 2 has already been leaked by various websites around the globe. Microsoft’s grand scheme has always been to have this spinoff operate alongside the main Forza Motorsport series every other year. It all of this turns out to be true, then we can all expect to see some more Forza next month.
Less Likely
Debut Star Wars Battlefront Gameplay (Charles)
Battlefront has a avid following, even after all these years. Though not an exclusive, Microsoft could show off some gameplay with unique Kinect features that will a) tip the multi-platform scale and b) continue to justify the $499 price point for the full featured console. {Profex Note: That price drop to $399 is no price drop. You lose a piece of the experience that they built the console around}
Crackdown 3 Announcement (Richard)
After successfully debuting the latest installments for Halo and Gears of War on the Xbox One, the next major franchise that Microsoft should focus on has to be Crackdown 3. Phil Spencer has said time and time again that he loves this franchise and wants to bring it back for another sequel. Unfortunately, this game may be a lot farther out than we think and for that reason I think Microsoft will wait until next year to let everyone know that they are working on it.
Lost Odyssey 2 (Gary)
Not only does Microsoft need to appeal to the the Japanese market, but they also need to show RPG traditionalists such as myself that their system is more than a shooters haven. Lost Odyseey is highly praised as both a JRPG, and a Final Fantasy spiritual successor. To this day there are many JRPG lovers that believe Lost Odyssey is what Final Fantasy XIII should have been. If Microsoft were to reveal a sequel to Lost Odyssey and blow everyone away with Final Fantasy like quality, I guarantee more eyebrows than mine would be raised.
Day Z Exclusive Announcement (Charles)
Day Z is likely to come to consoles, but shelling out the cash to keep it console exclusive would be a huge shot in the arm for the MSoft. Here they should also tap into the Twitch partnership a bit.
Longshots
Shenmue 3 Exclusive Announcement (Charles)
This would hurt me. Well, my wallet specifically. This happening is nearly on the level of FFVII getting announced for PS3/4. For some reason myself and others still want to witness what happens with Ryu Hazuki and Lan Di, a journey that started on the ill fated Dreamcast. Still one of the greatest games I’ve ever played, hopefully they’d offer a video digest for the first two titles in order to bring a new audience in the fray. {Profex Note: Honestly, screw a new audience I just want to finish this story.}
Fallout 4 Exclusive Announcement (Richard)
Rumors regarding Fallout 4 have been floating all over the Internet for months now. While Bethesda still hasn’t revealed what exactly they are working on these days, all signs seem to clearly point to the next chapter in the Fallout series. Once the title is announced, I highly doubt Bethesda will make this an Xbox One exclusive mainly because the PS4 currently holds the lead in sales. In any case, we will definitely hear news about Fallout 4 sooner rather than later.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 (Charles)
Announced back in the stone ages, BGE2 is much like Shenmue in it’s cult following. The first title was a surprise hit that, for some reason, has not been capitalized on yet. This would be the hook to the one-two punch of Shenmue. Now for the haymaker.
League of Legends Exclusive to Xbox One (Charles)
This, in my humble opinion, would break the console war. However unbalanced it may seem currently, this would tip the scales in Microsoft’s favor immensely. Riot Games has continued to fine tune one of the best games you can play on PC right now and they recently added some big console developer names to their repertoire. If they somehow managed to get the controls down perfectly, this along with the Twitch partnership could crush Sony’s hope of ever touching them in the multiplayer market. Period.
