No Sony to compete with at E3 this year, the show is very much Microsofts for the taking with possible new hardware reveals and possible first look at new titles from studio acquisitions. The lead up to the conference became mired with leaks sadly from Bandai Namco, some potential huge game reveals if true such as Final Fantasy 8 Remaster as well as rumours Shigeru Miyamoto will be on the Xbox stage. Would it all come to fruition? Here’s how Microsoft’s conference went following from Google Stadia event prior in the week.
Please be advised I’ll be typing this blog real time with the conference, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors may occur frequently due to the nature of the speed of reveals. I shall strive to ensure it’s as readable as can be.
Straight into a game trailer, I’d guess The Outer Worlds… I guess correctly. October 25th release.
Ninja Theory are onto the stage. Their game had leaked yesterday, if true a 4 vs 4 multiplayer game. Would it be true? Technical Alpha for this new title is due to start in a couple of weeks. It’s called Bleeding Edge, and it is the game that leaked a few days ago.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is up next. I love the look of this.
A new game from the makers of Minecraft is up next. Minecraft Dungeons coming Spring 2020.
Here’s the man. Phil Spencer is on stage to euphoric applause. Over 2 billion of us play games globally today. Phil is hitting home the emphasis of playing games anywhere for everyone. To bring everyone the games they want, to connect everyone with friends to play whenever they want. This is why they’re advocates for Cross Play. Today is the largest show case of games on any stage this year. 60 games to be shown. 14 from Xbox Game Studios with 34 premiering on Xbox GamePass. They’ll be announcing whats next for Xbox Game Studio, Project X Cloud and their next Xbox Console. And with that we’re jumping in.
It’s another new look at Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. 15th November 2019 release.
World Premier game next. Looks like a FPS horror. Blair Witch, coming August 30th. Wow
CyberPunk is up next. And it’s look incredible as expected, but… when did Keanu Reeves get confirmed for this? Wow, he’s up on stage next after the trailer. Keanu gives us the release date. 16th April 2020.
Well that was hype as, but no time to stop, it’s onto another world premier.A 2D build / life game? SpiritFarer is the name. No date was revealed though.
Onto Battletoads next, no information given at the end of the trailer.
Straight to another game that looks like a paper craft sort of game. Very random looking art style.
Next up is the ID@Xbox Section.
Sarah Bond is called to the stage, the head of Xbox partnerships. All the ID@Xbox games will premier on GamePass on day one.
GamePass for PC was announced last month, but we’re told about it today at E3. 100 games just for PC. Football Manager 2019 will be available. Halo Masterchief Collection is on it. Open Beta opens today.
Xbox GamePass Ultimate announced. Console GamePass, Xbox Gold and GamePass for PC for $14.99. Introductory offer of $1 for first month.
A world premier up next. Looks like a flight simulator? It is a flight simulator. Can’t lie, it looks pretty great to be honest. Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Next up is Age of Empires II Definitive Edition.
Wasteland 3 is up next
Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios takes to the stage next. He announces that Double Fine Productions have been bought by Microsoft. [Murr Note – Fuck you Microsoft, Fuck you]
Tim Schafer comes to the stage to reveal a new look at Psychonaughts 2
Next up a world premiere … Star Wars game world premiere? Oh… Its Star Wars Lego. All 9 films, One new game. Star Wars Lego, The Skywalker Saga. Coming in 2020
The rumoured or leaked DragonBall game appeared to be correct.
Next World Premier is an Annapurna game. It’s called 12 Minutes
Next up is a game where you appear to play as a mother deer aiding her fawn. It’s called Way to the Woods, due in 2020.
Gears of War 5, or just Gears 5 as it’s known now is next. It’ll be releasing on September 10th. If you are a member of GamePass Ultimate you can play it 4 days earlier.
New game mode for Gears 5 called Escape is revealed and demonstrated, after some odd pyro happening on the stage of the conference.
Terminator is confirmed for the game for those who pre-order the game.
Looks like a new more Elite controller is coming. Elite World Series 2.
Dying Light 2 trailer is next. Coming Spring 2020
World Premiere next. Forza Horizon 4, and there’s a car on the stage… of course. But this is weird. It’s a Lego & Forza cross over? Lego Speed expansion for Forza. How random but cool. The car on stage is a McLaren built from Lego. It launches this week.
Gears Funko Pop trailer is next. Pre order for IOS and Android.
State of Decay 2: Heartland trailer follows. Expansion for State of Decay 2. Available now.
World Premiere time again. There’s a Sega logo, Japans Greatest RPG launches in the West via Xbox. Features cross platform. It’s Phantasy Star Online 2. Coming 2020.
A PC Legend comes to Xbox One in 2020. SmileGate are the developers bringing on console for the first time and only on Xbox. CrossFire X. Coming in 2020
Oh what’s that… another World Premiere. It’s Bandai Namco time. Here come the leaks? Yup, looks like it. Tales of Arise is revealed. Looks rather great. 2020 is all we’re given.
2K logo is up on stage next. Guessing Borderlands 3…. Yup.
World Premiere you say? It’s Miyazaki and George R.R Martins game… Which also sadly leaked yesterday, but first trailer… here we go.
Phil Spencer is back onto the stage. 60 games shown thus far. Onto Project X Cloud and console streaming. All Xbox Devs connected to Project X Cloud. There’s Console streaming. Turns Xbox One one to free personal XCloud Server. This October the initiative starts. Where you play is your choice.
Next let’s talk about the console. It should be designed, built and optimised for one thing only… Gaming.
There is a lot of emphasis on gaming anywhere and everywhere.
This generation is going to be the biggest generational leap than ever before. 120FPS, variable refresh rate, 8K gaming. New generation of SSD. Delivering 4 generations of consoles better than we’ve ever seen them before. Not just a console launch… the future of gaming. Project Scarlet … Holiday 2020.
Project Scarlet will launch next holiday with Halo Infinite.
Onto a video montage next of games shown today. Is that the end of the show? Run time was reported to be 120 minutes.
But nope, that is it. I’ll say it, I’m disappointed, and I did genuinely start buying into the hype for this conference leading up to it.
– Murr
Totally agree with that ‘Murr Note’ above. I was watching the presentation last night and when I heard the announcement, my reaction was ‘WTF?!’
Check out the tweets from Double fine, they’re quite funny.