E3 2013 Wrap-Up: Microsoft

On Monday, June 10th, 2013, Microsoft took center stage to showcase to the world the future of the Xbox franchise, and the future of gaming. Given the chance to present their console and new games before the rest of the competition, they had an advantage. They had the chance to showcase the console to the world, and prove it to be better than the rest. They said E3 will be “All about the Games” and with the promise of 13 next gen exclusives for the XboxOne, I was interested. And given their lackluster press conference last month when they unveiled the XboxOne they really need a chance to de-bunk the rumors about the console. Sadly this did not happen.

We started off the press conference with the world premiere presentation of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. They showed the new gameplay mechanics and went a little in depth with the story.

Next Yusuf Mehdi took the stage to show the new slimmer version of the Xbox 360 based of the XboxOne’s design that was made available that day, also for Gold members starting July 1st will receive 2 free games per month to keep, and finally they revealed 3 new titles for the Xbox 360: World of Tanks, Max The Curse of Brotherhood, and new gameplay of the highly anticipated game Dark Souls 2.

Next they started showing all the exclusive titles for XboxOne, such as Ryse Son Of Rome, a third person action game set in the time of gladiators. The demo showcased the main character, and his army storming a castle after coming under fire. The game was graphically stunning, and combat was very fluid. Next they showed a game very close to my heart, Killer Instinct. Probably one of the greatest fighting games series ever made, it FINALLY has a new game, with updated graphics, new character models, and new fighting engine, a game I am personally looking forward to playing.

Insomniac Studios then took the stage to debut Sunset Overdrive, which at first glance looks like a Parkour/action/shooter game with infected monsters. Quite unique the art style chosen for the trailer, and I loved it.

Then as expected they unveiled Forza Motorsport 5, which they stated will be on a new level of gaming, and from what I saw I agree. Graphically speaking it was by far the best graphics of the show, especially considering MGS5 was shown early, that runs on the new FOX engine that has been in development and improvement for years.

Minecraft was shown next, and the game will be on XboxOne.

A game that was teased at the XboxOne unveiling event, Quantum Break was shown. The story was further explained, and we learned about Jack Troy the main character. This time the game was finally shown with gameplay, that showed off the game’s unique time stopping mechanics. It will be interesting to see how this mechanic works in game.

Right after that D4 was revealed, an episode murder mystery game from Microsoft studios, with a lovely art style, the game looks… interesting to say the least.

Up next was something that was actually pretty impressive, Project Spark. This showed the ability to create your own areas, and set designs using Xbox smartglass. This was really impressive because in real time, a game was created right in front of you, and came to life.

Next they showed the potential possibilities with smartglass using Ryse as a demo, then moved back to Killer Instinct to showcase their new partnership with Twitch. Now gamers will be able to record their matches, and livestream from their own home. Once that was over they started to dive into the console’s social aspects once again: now you can have an unlimited amount of friends, instead of just 100, Microsoft points are no longer used, instead you can use your actual currency, and finally Xbox Live Gold Sharing. What that means is that everyone in your household can share your Gold Benefits.

The game they showcased next was a surprise. From the creators that brought us Panzer Dragoon, and Phantom Dust: Crimson Dragon. Despite no sound at the actual showing of the game, the visuals and art style were very reminiscent to Panzer Dragoon, can’t wait to see more from that game.

Next Capcom debuted Deadrising 3, an open world game holding true to the original game’s play style.

Next to be shown, The Witcher 3, with some great news. Made an open world game, better graphics, a deep, dark story, and XboxOne exclusive features, followed by a trailer which showcased new abilities, and locations.

Battlefield 4 took the stage next, despite a few technical problems, and we got to see a brand new live demo of the game.

Next a new game, Below, made by a small indie development team, was featured to show Xbox’s devotion and support for indie companies.

The next game to be shown lead to me screaming “YES!” at the top of my lungs, and it was the unveiling of a new Halo game coming to XboxOne. What was even more exciting was the reminder of the Steven Spielberg Halo series coming sometime in the future.

After that they finally announced the release window, and price for the XboxOne. It will be coming out November 2013 at $499. It received a tad delayed response. Must have been from the high price of the system, kinda repeating what SONY did with the original price PS3.

Finally they showed a game that wowed me, Titanfall. It’s being made by Respawn Entertainment, the original Call Of Duty developers. It was followed by a live stage demo. Titanfall is a Sci-Fi, first person shooter, that has Parkour, hi-tech weapons, and my favorite, MECH SUITS! I was hooked from the trailer. The game looks incredible, the gameplay was as solid as a shooter can be, and the things you are able to do in this game are very unique. This game promises to have an incredible multiplayer experience like nothing else on the market, and might be the game to knock Call of Duty off of the top.

To wrap this up, the Microsoft Press conference was decent, it wasn’t great but it was ok. I was glad to see some of the games that they promised as well as some shockers like Killer Instinct and Titanfall being shown. I was not happy with the price point of the XboxOne, and a tad angry that the rumors and speculations about the XboxOne were not addressed, and the fact that Don Mattrick basically told people if they don’t like the XboxOne, stick with the Xbox 360.  This  was a pretty bad move in the console race they are dealing with at the moment. I hope Microsoft revisions E3 and changes their game plan, because if they expect to beat SONY and Nintendo in sales of their new console, they will have to do better than that.

Article Images by Milk Tea Photography