Microsoft Conference Recap - E3 2013

Without a doubt the most anticipated press conference at E3 was Microsoft’s as they attempted to turn the tide of public opinion after a rough last month. Luckily, our wait was short as Microsoft took the stage to open E3 only 19 days after their Xbox One announcement last May.

Over the last month, questions and rumors have run amuck about Microsoft’s unpopular decisions behind online necessity and used game sales. Add in the the fervor behind a lack of games shown at the Xbox One reveal and things were getting pretty dicey right out of the gate. However, Microsoft has remained calm and concise in their messaging, never wavering from the promise of bountiful software support for their next-gen console. So E3 was the time to either put up, or shut up.

Microsoft actually got the ball rolling before ever taking the stage, announcing the 2013 Summer of Arcade prior to their conference. The long-time speculation was confirmed when Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was confirmed for the lineup, joined by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and the latest from Dishwasher developer James Silva, called Charlie Murder. These titles will be joined by the HD remake of Flashback.

After that housekeeping was taken care of--not to mention a slight delay--Xbox opened the conference showing off impressive footage of Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. There were more horses in store for this trailer as Ocelot and Solid Snake rode through the Afghan desert. The game boasted an open-world atmosphere with, as promised, renewed focus on stealth. While there are still issues with next-generation graphics--smoking continues to be an illusion-breaker--the overall product was impressive. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain looks to continue the epic, visually striking tradition of the series, though it is undeniably weird to hear Kiefer Sutherland lending his voice to Soild Snake.

Don Mattrick then took the stage to talk about Microsoft’s continued support of the Xbox 360. Mattrick promised hundreds of future games for the Xbox 360, including a console exclusive version of the free-to-play MMO World of Tanks. Trailers were also shown for Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood, a spiritual successor to Max and the Magic Marker, and for Dark Souls 2, due in March of 2014. Xbox Live Gold members will also start to receive free games, much like PlayStation Plus subscribers, Gold users can look forward to games like Assassin’s Creed II and Halo 3 free for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Mattrick yielded the stage to Phil Spencer who turned the audience’s attention to the Xbox One and a litany of launch titles, beginning with the third person, sword-and-sandal, war game, Ryse: Son of Rome. A lengthy gameplay demo showed the main character lead an amphibious assault against a barbarian horde. The gameplay featured button-prompt finishing moves used to cut through enemies and tactical sections where the player must command their Roman legions. CEO of Crytek, Cevat Yerli, made a brief appearance to say Ryse: Son of Rome would be available at launch of the Xbox One.

The trailers and announcements continued with the revival of Killer Instinct, and Insomniac showing off an Xbox One exclusive called Sunset Overdrive. The trailer for the new IP featured a cartoon-esque art-style, not all too different from what Insomniac teased with Overstrike--which later became Fuse--a few years ago.

Forza Motorsport 5 took the stage, exhibiting sleek car models and new elements for the Xbox One exclusive racing sim. Racing against computer opponents will be less predictable due to improved AI, and cloud memory will store players racing tendencies, delivering a completely unique experience for each player. In-gameplay footage was shown, boasting a well crafted jump into the next generation of racing games.

Phil Harrison, with his dignified British accent, announced a Minecraft version for the Xbox One, with bigger maps and larger multiplayer. Then Remedy’s Sam Lake took the stage to show new, pre-rendered footage for their new IP, Quantum Break. A trilogy of trailers was capped with the episodic murder mystery, D4. A new title from the makers of the cult-beloved, critically lambasted, Deadly Premonition.

Microsoft then showed off a world building project, that looked like it was conceived to rival the level (or game) creator in the Sony exclusive, Little Big Planet. The game creation project was named Project Spark (assumed working title). For demonstration purposes, a village was created on stage, a rock friend was given to the main character who then battled an incoming horde of goblins. Per examples shown, Project Spark should allow players to share a variety of user-created content, from Space Invader remakes to whole new experiences, with their friends over Xbox Live.

Speaking of Xbox Live, Marc Whitten took the stage to explain improvements to the online service. These changes included swapping out Microsoft Points for the dollar, pound, or euro, as well as new innovations to Smart Glass, allowing players to track their in-game progress and compare with friends. Microsoft also demonstrated how players can record online matches to their game DVR and stream over twitch.tv.

The announcements continued with the creator of Panzer Dragoon and Phantom Dust showing off a trailer for Crimson Dragon. However, technical issues removed the sound, diminishing the full experience.

Dead Rising 3 was the next title to be announced, with an extensive gameplay demo. Set in Los Perdidos, CA with a new hero Nick Ramos, the developers showed off an open-world experience with no load screens and plenty of weaponry. Driving, weapon crafting, and strategies were all demonstrated for the audience, promising more of the zombie carnage Dead Rising is famous for.

After making promises for the last few months, CD Projekt finally showed a new trailer for the Witcher 3. The game promised to continue the Geralt saga as he battles the armies of the invading Nilfgaard. Exclusive content was promised for the Xbox One, including Kinect implementation and Smart Glass character management.

More Battlefield 4 was demoed, after further technical difficulties threatened to postpone the footage. Much like the gameplay previously shown, Battlefield 4 featured epic, destructive environments with dynamic set pieces. Upon a sinking ship, the player battled his way to a boat and escaped the wreckage.

One of the speculative issues with Microsoft’s future platform was a lack of indie support, however Phil Spencer attempted to alleviate those concerns by announcing a top-down, action-adventure, retro-style game called Below. This was followed by Black Tusk’s still untitled project, which showed a small CGI demo, revealing little about the game.

Spencer then got down to the nitty-gritty, announcing the already leaked November launch window and a price of $499. However, before the conference was over, Respawn Entertainment announced one last Xbox One title, the long anticipated first-person shooter, with Mechs, called Titanfall.

Over the next days, more details are sure to be revealed about many of these Xbox One titles, but Microsoft really stayed true to their word about making their time at E3 all about the games. There is a lot to take in as we move closer to the next generation of console gaming, be sure to keep checking New Game Network throughout the week for more on this year’s E3.