Did you think all of the rumors about this year’s E3 were going to spoil everything? Maybe you thought all the leaks were going to make Microsoft’s press conference today pointless? Well… if you didn’t, I sure did. Microsoft took time on the 9th to laugh at all the rumors, confirm a few leaks, and created 90 minutes of gaming bliss for those of us who love to talk about such things.
Here are the best moments from the press conference:
#1. “Inside” Is Coming to XBox One First
This game has been in development for 4 years. It’s like watching a combination of 1984 get combined with the new version of Wolfenstein and it looks pretty awesome indeed! I usually yawn at the long lines for new games, but this time I’ll be standing in line with everyone else when this hits store shelves.
Honestly, for me, the only thing that could make the potential of this game any better is a surprise appearance by Doctor Who.
#2. Phantom Dust Is Coming Back
Back in my Sega Saturn days, when I was the only kid in the college dorm who had one, I was thoroughly addicted to a game called Panzer Dragoon. That transitioned me into the Phantom Dust title because it was the same game director and it might just be one of the Top 5 best games of all time. Can’t wait for this reboot to become a reality!
I have high hopes that this will be one of those games where you’ll need extra servings of hot wings, a constantly running coffee pot, and a comfortable hoodie for at least a week.
#3. Ubisoft Makes a Shift
Sony and Ubisoft have always had a unique partnership/friendship/let’s make Microsoft wait for everything type of relationship for years. The announcement that XBox One would get not one, but two new titles first was pretty surprising. Additional content for The Division and Assassin’s Creed is coming Microsoft’s way, so maybe this is the start of a new, beautiful relationship.
#4. Ori and the Black Forest Looks Amazing!
If you haven’t seen the video yet, it speaks for itself.
So just shut up and take my money Microsoft!
#5. More on the Halo 5 Beta
I actually did some freelance work on the new Halo trilogy last year and I’ve got to say I’m a bit disappointed at the outcome of this. Don’t get me wrong: it looks good, it plays well, and people are going to love it. A good story is worth at least 100 hours of gameplay, however, and even though it scores points for being a next gen mutliplayer arena, the concept seems a bit better than the reality on this one. ‘
Here’s the E3 trailer.
#6. Kinect Takes a Back Seat
This really wasn’t that surprising. PlayStation has been killing it on their platform sales and Microsoft needs to catch up. Kinect is cool and all, especially when you’re playing games with the kids, but for most practical purposes their games are a bit gimmicky at best and ridiculously bad on average.
The focus on titles was encouraging and it seems like Phil Spencer has righted the ship. There’s a lot of good stuff coming up in the next 12 months, so if you haven’t jumped onto the XBox wagon yet, now might just be the perfect time!
