We have only 8 hours (from time of post) before we know Microsoft's strategy and games for the coming year.

So let's join together and wait by doing what we, the internet, do best. Speculation.

After years of watching Microsoft poorly use their "Wait, we have one more thing" reveal at the end of their event. I am hoping for an awesome exclusive that we didn't see coming just blow us away. I'm also intrigued what the first gameplay of the event will be. Last year was MGSV, will we see an exclusive or a big third party?

I sincerely hope Mr. Caffeine makes his triumphant return to the stage this year, firmly cementing Ubisoft as a true leader in our industry for generations to come.

EDIT: Totally missed that this was the Microsoft waiting room, but I still stand by my assertion. Whoops.

I'm looking to buy one of the new consoles in the coming weeks, so this years E3 is a big one for me. I want to see what titles they have to show and if there's any new price cuts or hardware changes.

I'm even seriously considering the Wii U, so for once I'm actually excited to see what Nintendo show off. Can't wait. E3 is a blast despite Jeff feeling a little down on it. Even if it does mean I'll be up until way past 2am and half asleep again.

Please correct your typo of the word "watitng"

I really hope my shitty third-world internet can sustain streaming the show.

TV, TV, TV.. TV TV TV TV..

TEVE, TEA V?

...Sports

..TVTVTVTV

lawl

Really excited for the Press Conferences.. So that's probably setting myself up for disappoint. Sony's last year felt so epic watching it live that I doubt anything will match that this time round except maaaaybe a Fallout 4 reveal will get some cheers.

I really want to know what the new Microsoft strategy is. Will it be the same "this is the all-in-one media device" push, even though they made the Kinect optional or will they go into the games territory a little bit further?

I only hope I can make it home from work in time and that they'll frontload the show with all the bullshit announcements first like "new digital dolby 7.1 surround sound support for Xbox One!"

Smaller console coming soon.

New Gears trailer.

Statistics and graphs!

Football and football accessories.

Fifteen brad bucks says at least one of these is a thing!

Oh shit, what's going on with the front page? :o

Lots of them not quite admitting they fucked up last time. Maybe some games? I sure hope so. I've said this elsewhere, but I'm really hoping for a strong response to Sony in terms of the number of games (particularly indies) they're securing and supporting.

@bigjeffrey said:

Mega Powers Patrick and Alex is frightening. Fucking frightening.

Anyways awesome background. Back on topic.

Halo 2 Anniversary, Forza Horizon 2, Maybe a Trailer for Quantum Break (no gameplay just in engine stuff), Gears Teaser?, Dark Dreams Dont Die (D4) from Swery, a Below trailer, some new shit.

since im pretty much a Xbox Fan this is my most anticipated conference. Pumped for Halo.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'll be sleeping during all of the conferences and working during late night shows.

God, damn it. Time zones are such assholes.

I'd love to see Microsoft really knuckle down and have a solid show of things people want to see.

As it stands, I expect a mix of that and then the typical MS conference ingredients in the vein of things like bullshit kinect families or the equivalent with the actual game devs, an appearance by an athlete or somebody involved in sports broadcasting, a 10 minute chunk devoted entirely to world of tanks etc

I suppose one thing I'll be interested to see is the presence of kinect and how they're treating that. They've backed down on a kinect in every box, but this is a chance for them to show they do still want to push it, push it real good. Maybe some John Vignocchi's John Drake's Disney™ Fantasia™: Music® Evolved Feat. Eric Pope stage time and then announcements of some new cool uses for it? The new kinect actually seems like it works pretty well, it's just that somebody over-estimated the number of people that want to stand in front of their tv, revving imaginary jetski throttles. D4's use of Kinect actually looked worth engaging with. The best use of the original kinect may have been Double Fine Happy Action Theater. I think Patrick actually wrote an article saying exactly this in the wake of the announcement of kinect-less xbone, but it's just been utilised in really underwhelming ways.

Also, this thread title is misspelled. Where has our historic and beloved tradition gone? Kids these days, they just don't respect it.

Shit, I stayed up too late. Gotta sleep now if I'm not gonna sleep through it.

So is it actually starting in 6 hours? I've seen stuff that says it's on at 9:30am, not 9am

Probably some pre-show talk

Expect a token "Xbox One without Kinect available TODAY" and a mention of the removal of Gold paywalls in there somewhere, and a lot of their usual fare. I expect less time to be spent on media content, and more on games. Microsoft could leverage that bank account of theirs, and pick up some third party exclusives and/or announcements, which is what they did last year with MGSV. (The biggest irony of E3 2013 was MGS being featured by MS, and Bungie being featured by Sony, if you ask me.)

Call of Duty will probably get shown, since MS does love to plug their early DLC deals.

On the topic of rampant speculation:

- Dance Central, probably some kind of Kinect software aimed at children.

- Forza Horizon 2

- Halo 2 Anniversary / Halo 5

- Sunset Overdrive.

- Project Spark

- Whatever is happening with Gears of War, coming 2015

- Whatever Respawn is doing, so more DLC or a Titanfall 2 teaser.

Finally, remember that there is potentially a complete rework of Microsoft's user interface. It's not just about the Xbox division, but the company as a whole has new management - it's possible they could be gearing up to sack the Metro interface entirely with Windows 9.

I mean... I could stay up till 2 in the morning to watch the beginning, then have a few hours sleep before work... does anyone know if the commentary will be archived? I'd love to watch it on the train.

(Also, my mind skipped a word in the opening post and I read: "We have only 8 hours (from time of post) before we know Microsoft's strategy games for the coming year." and got kind of excited.)

So this is the waiting room but where is the watitng room?

I have the lowest expectations for Microsoft, so I guess the they have the highest potential to impress. They really need a good showing vs sony this year and i'm sure they realise.

My biggest worry is Microsoft seems to come off too big corporation in the way they try and sell their franchises and it always comes off a little too smoke and mirrors/marketing hype to the point you don't really buy anything they say at this point, especially with the numerous back tracks in recent years. They really need some suprises here, I don't think showing off the usual stuff is going to cut it, nor is anything regarding tech with their kinect functionality since thats all been pretty much written off for the second time as mostly a gimmick.

I think they need at least three unexpected big title exclusives, and more than like 3 indie titles. I don't think they should show anything tech related or social media related. Just big exciting games.

CRAZY SPECULATION ABOUT THINGS THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AT THE XBOX CONFERENCE BONANZA TIME NO JUTSU

• Dance Central for Xbox One. Faith in humanity destroyed
• More Sunset Overdrive stuff is shown
• Halo 5 gameplay unveiled. One of, if not the prettiest game of the generation so far but it looks so much like intergalactic Calladoody that it's worrying
• Project Spark release date revealed, should launch for Q3/4 2014
• Good news! Respawn reveals more stuff. Bad news! It's all Titanfall DLC.
• Halo 2 Anniversary hinted at, but not revealed, as Microsoft starts a marketing campaign similar to that of I Love Bees for the original Halo 2 in order to cause fatal nostalgia attacks and build hype
• Forza Horizon 2
• TEEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
• No Gears of War.
• Small amount of new info for MGSV

@toxin066: Smaller console already? Nah, surely it's way to soon for something like that.

That Gears that Black Tusk is working on is sure to make an appearance, right? Maybe just a short teaser, but I bet we'll at least learn the title.

Gears, Forza, Fable, Halo, Crackdown - if I was into memes I would post that Jumanji one of Robin Williams shouting 'What Year Is It?' but this is a curse that applies to Nintendo and Sony too. Mustn't grumble I suppose but its the unannounced new games that I am excited for. Here is hoping they come thick and fast, ooo err Matron, starting with the MS presser.

Expectations vs Reality is probably more like the scene in (500) Days of Summer.

Expectations - 360 Micro Console for 150 Bux, Crackdown 3 for 2015, Halo 5 2015, HA2 for 2014, Forza Horizon 2 gameplay demo, Gears of War 4 Teaser, Something by Mizguchi or from Q? Entertainment (maybe Rez 2 for Kinect), Free 2 Play/MOBA push (possibly League or Dota 2), New Platinum game, Big indie push like Sony did last year.

Reality - even though Spencer has been pushing the games, games, games, I cant help but feel like the culture at MS can never be fixed.

Microsoft has one new IP to show, they are going to have one of the Mass Effect games on their stage, and Fable will have a decent presence (it's a mid-to-late-2015 game). Other than that, a lot of their stuff will probably be known.

Here's the SECRET TEST STREAM that they did from their hot new set...

Oh god, the "Look at how much I don't care about E3, aren't I the coolest?" parade has begun on twitter.

That's how you know it's almost time for the show!

Phil Spencer walks on stage and says "Awwww fuck it. Just buy a PS4." Then commits seppuku on stage with a kinect camera.

@kentonclay: Maybe some people just actually don't care?

@kentonclay: Soon after will be the "I hate everything all video games are crap" parade. :(

Man, I have to go to the vet in about an hour and a half. I should still have time to make it back before the first conference starts, but I'm pretty apprehensive regardless. :\

As far as my hopes, I just hope they announce some really cool games. I don't even have a xone, but rather that's my general hope for the entire show.

That's always fun, but I'm sure it's not anywhere near as bad as the "(Blank) won E3 guys, everyone else was shit" tirade that'll encompass this part of the internet for the next week after the shows.

Man, you guys are up early for tailgating!

It's time to direct your conversation over to the official thread now though. Thanks!

http://www.giantbomb.com/e3-2014/3015-7932/forums/e3-2014-the-official-microsoft-thread-1486081/