Microsoft Conference Recap - E3 2015

The first conference in the day of many conferences is from Microsoft. Things kick off with a brief trailer showing characters from various Microsoft IPs. Bonnie Ross from 343 industries is first on stage for opening statements, and then it’s on to Halo 5.

A trailer is shown setting up the narrative, after which some gameplay is shown with you playing as Spartan Locke tracking down Master Chief. Your character is surrounded by a couple of squad mates and it appears you can give them orders during combat about where to go and what to do. The trailer ends with a variety of locations being shown in quick succession.

Josh Holmes then comes on to discuss multiplayer, which will have 24 players, bots, and larger maps than previous Halo games. A multiplayer trailer is then shown revealing a mode called Warzone which appears to integrate AI enemies into normal games in the same vein as Titanfall.

Immediately after this another trailer starts playing for what turns out to be a new IP, Recore, from the game director of Metroid Prime. We see a woman and a robotic dog walking through a desert, and engaging in combat with some robot spiders. This game will be launching in Spring of 2016.

Xbox Head Phil Spencer appears and talks briefly about this game, and then Xbox in general, claiming the greatest game lineup in Xbox history is on its way. The big announcement made by him is Xbox One backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 games. Head of Engineering Mike Ybarra then comes on to reveal that Xbox 360 titles will appear on the Xbox One store, while discs will also work. Mass Effect 1 is then shown being played, with Mike indicating that Xbox One features like screenshots will work with these games. The feature will become available this holiday.

Phil comes back on to talk about the new Xbox Elite controller. The controller will allow for some customization of parts, improved control and accuracy, and will work with both Xbox One and Windows 10.

Next on is Todd Howard from Bethesda to talk about Fallout 4 and its Xbox specific features. After introducing the game with mostly the same gameplay clips as seen in Bethesda’s conference, alongside a few new ones, with one clip highlighting new weather effects and power-armor. Todd then announces that mods made on the PC will be transferable to the Xbox One.

Peter Moore from EA is next on stage to talk about EA Access. He reiterates how new EA releases will be available first on Xbox One, unveiling Titanfall as the newest addition to the freely-available EA Access Vault, with Dragon Age Inquisition being added later in the summer. He then reveals that all Xbox Live Gold members will be able to use EA Access for free this week. Finally, Peter announces Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2, which will arrive next spring. A trailer is shown, with a new science fiction setting and plants using jet-packs, lasers and even a mech suit.

Next up is a Forza 6/Ford segment, with a new Fort GT being lowered from the ceiling on a platform. Henry Ford III and Dan Greenwalt then come on to talk about Forza Motorsport 6. A trailer is shown showcasing several cars, tracks and some impressive weather effects. The game will be launching on September 15th of this year.

After this another trailer is shown this time from Namco Bandai and it looks like it will be another Souls game. After some distinctive music and imposing enemies, it is indeed revealed to be Dark Souls III, with no further information being beyond this.

Immediately after, a trailer for Tom Clancy’s The Division comes on, though nothing new is shown apart from the catch phrase “when society falls we rise.” Ubisoft America President comes on to talk about the title, and an Xbox exclusive beta coming this December. He then transitions to Rainbow Six Siege, mentioning that Xbox One players will get for free with the new game Rainbow Six Vegas one and two when it launches this October. A trailer is shown for Siege, though it contains nothing we haven’t seen before regarding the title.

The next game being shown will be a Windows 10/Xbox One exclusive called Gigantic, with a trailer introducing several classes running around in a cell-shaded desert fighting various monsters. After this, a montage of various indie games are shown with only a few seconds being dedicated to each game.

Chris Charla, from the ID at Xbox program comes on to talk about indie games on the platform. Fullbright Studios come on stage to talk about Tacoma, their upcoming narrative driven Science Fiction game. Aurora 44 is on next to talk about Ashen, a survival game showing two explorers going into a cave, and then exploring a larger open environment with a large floating beast. Moving along, Tiger and Squid come on to talk about their upcoming title Beyond Eyes. A trailer reveals a heavily stylized adventure with a girl exploring a watercolor environment. Studio MDHR are next on to talk about their title Cuphead which will try and copy the style of a 1960s cartoon. A trailer with energetic piano music reveals the game to be a 2D side-scrolling action game coming in 2016. With that, the barrage of upcoming indie games comes to a close.

Chris Charla returns to talk about a new feature, Xbox Game Preview, which looks to be similar to Steam’s Early Access system, although it will allow players to try a game on the service before actually buying it. The Long Dark and Elite Dangerous are announced as being the first available for the service, with Dayz also being mentioned, indicating it is coming to Xbox One.

Speaking of Dayz, Dean Hall is next on stage to talk about a new IP for Xbox and PC. He reveals that he has been working with the company Improbable for what turns out to be a science-fiction game called Ion. Details about the game are extremely value, although it I announced to be coming to both Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview.

Crystal Dynamics are now on stage to talk about the new Tomb Raider. A gameplay trailer is shown with Laura walking through a snowy cave out onto a mountain. Laura and her traveling companion then climb up an unstable ice-wall in a dramatic set-piece that ends with Laura running from an incoming avalanche and getting separated from her companion. A montage of other clips are shown after this, with Laura swimming, fighting and exploring. A few Quick-Time events are shown in the trailer which will likely displease some fans.

Next up is Rare with a collection of 30 games called Rare Replay, launching on August 4th. Rare studio head then comes on to talk about the collection, and announce a new game from the developers. A trailer is shown revealing a slightly stylized pirate-themed game complete with ship battles and treasure chests called Sea of Thieves.

A trailer for another Xbox One/Windows 10 exclusive is shown next, which turns out to be Fable Legends. Microsoft Studios president comes on to reveal that buying the game on one platform will make it available on the other. After this, he reveals that Microsoft will be working with Valve VR and Oculus Rift. Every Oculus Rift will come with an Xbox One controller. The Hololense is then discussed with a focus on its gaming potential with Mojang Studios being brought on to reveal a demo of Minecraft being played using the new device, allowing the player to experience Minecraft on any surface like a wall or table.

Finally Rod Fergusson from Coalition is on to talk about Gears of War. A remastered version of the original Gears of War is announced, with a multiplayer beta starting today. Following this a trailer is shown for something new in the franchise. The gameplay trailer shows the player character and his companion walking through a village at night, escaping a wind storm into a creepy building and then engaging in some fairly familiar looking combat with some less familiar monsters. Gears 4 is the name of the game, with the release date set for Holiday 2016.

With that, Phil Spencer returns to close things up, indicating more announcements will be coming this week, and Microsoft’s 2015 E3 conference is over.