Xbox recently announced that the Xbox Games Showcase would take place on July 23. The PlayStation 5 reveal showcase was very successful, and now all eyes turn to Microsoft to see if they can match or exceed what Sony has done. Here is what Microsoft needs to do to nail their games showcase.
First-Party Games That Aren’t Halo
Microsoft has spent the past few years acquiring studios. Microsoft now has 15 game studios working on games for Xbox, and now is the time to show them off. Halo: Infinite is launching with the Xbox Series X, but Halo can’t sell a console alone in 2020. Microsoft needs to show gamers what else is coming, and that these games will be worth buying the next Xbox console.
No CGI Trailers
One thing that has annoyed gamers the past few E3 are these fancy CGI trailers with no gameplay. CGI trailers are beautiful, but they don’t tell people what the game is going to play like, and at the end of the day, the gameplay is what matters most. Trailers showing off gameplay will be important when showing off new first-party titles because it will show off how powerful the new Xbox hardware is.
Big 3rd Party Appearances
PlayStation did a pretty good job of including big third-party games in their showcase. Fans got their first looks at Resident Evil VIII, Deathloop, and GhostWire: Tokyo. PlayStation shocked the world when they announced that Deathloop and GhostWire: Tokyo were PlayStation 5 exclusives. Microsoft needs some big third-party games to appear at the showcase. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla already got a dedicated showing at the last Xbox showcase, but games like Elden Ring would make sense here.
Mic Drop Moments
For Microsoft to “win E3,” they need some mic drop moments. PlayStation 5 had plenty of those, starting with the announcement of a Spiderman: Miles Morales, and ending with Horizon: Forbidden West. In between these games, they had massive announcements like Demon Souls, Resident Evil VIII, and Deathloop. Microsoft needs some curveballs. Games that no one would expect. Announcing a lower than expected price for “the world’s most powerful console” would also create a big moment.
The Time Is Now
Microsoft lost the last generation. They have spent half of the time building a platform to compete with the PlayStation 5. They have acquired game studios, made GamePass, and are working on xCloud. While recent conferences have been good, they haven’t blown people away. If Microsoft wants to compete with PlayStation this generation, this conference needs to be the one where Xbox shows off everything. If Microsoft nails this conference, then this will be the closest console war that gamers have ever seen.
Source: Xbox
