I am a PC and Xbox gamer. When I first purchased by Xbox 2 years ago, the Masterchief Collection, Gears of War and the controller form were driving factors. Since my purchase, I’m not sure there has been any large exclusives aside from Halo Wars 2. As the platform has improved massively over the last year, going into this Microsoft show I was looking for one thing, and one thing alone – games.

Microsoft showed their commitment to exclusives by announcing 5 studio acquisitions: A new Santa Monica studio, Undead Labs (State of Decay series), Playground (Forza, and maybe Fable?), Ninja Theory (Devil May Cry, Hellblade) and Compulsion Games (We Happy Few). While Ninja Theory and Compulsion are the only 2 unexpected acquisitions, this is certainly welcome news. Apparently, We Happy Few has shifted to a more linear, narrative game with survival elements, a welcome change that I hope can encapsulate the atmosphere the original trailer did back in 2015. These studios aside, there weren’t many actual exclusives announced. Crackdown 3 had another trailer, Gears of War 5 was confirmed, a Gears of War brand X-Com clone was teased briefly, Ori and the Blind Forest: Will of the Wisps had another trailer and Forza Horizon 4, a new Battletoads and Halo: Infinite were revealed. These games are all either small in scope, or games that everyone assumed were in development. No surprises. I really feel like Xbox needs a breakthrough exclusive, something more than another Halo or Gears. Something in the vein of a Horizon: Zero Dawn, or a God of War. That said, the huge investment in first party studios is definitely a sign of commitment, and (while I’ve said this every year for the last 4 years) I think that E3 2019 will be an incredible showing for Xbox.

Another thing I noticed during the show was the commitment to both the Xbox One X and Game Pass. Every trailer featured an “Enhanced for Xbox One X” logo, something that I think is integral for such a product to exist and flourish. When the PS4 Pro was released, there was confusion about nature of the improvements that people would see in games, and I think that the Xbox branding around their half-step console is much more digestible and omnipresent. Driving home the fact that the X is truly the most luxurious way to play console games is important for a non-essential such as the X, and I do feel like Microsoft has carved out a dedicated space for the X and continue to make it a valuable console to own.

Likewise, EVERY Windows architecture exclusive had the “Free day 1 with Game Pass” logo. Game Pass is a very appealing product for me. For $11 CAD a month I have access to a ton of games, and installation/use is effortless and convenient. New games go for $80 in Canada, and that’s a steep ask, especially when I’m not sure I will like a game enough to commit that much money. At roughly $120 a year, it becomes so much easier to commit to playing all Xbox exclusives. Game Pass is truly a consumer-friendly service, and I hope that the 1^st party support is enough to drive subscriptions to a place where it can become a Netflix for games not just in concept, but also content.

Despite the exclusive presence feeling low-key at the show, Microsoft DID show games, and seem to have very relevant marketing deals. Given the public perception of the Xbox brand being undeniable worse than Sony, I do think that big marketing deals are important. Seeing The Division 2, Metro: Exodus, Kingdom Hearts 3, Devil May Cry 5 and Cyberpunk 2077 alongside the Xbox logo is important. It makes me associate games with the Xbox brand, not just the numerous issues with the platform. And for more casual viewers, I believe that marketing deals can certainly sells consoles. Last year Xbox lacked exclusives and marketing deals, and I feel like the Xbox brand wasn’t in the public eye nearly as much as PlayStation was. Exclusives, Xbox, Sony, Microsoft and anything else aside, this conference just made me want to play games. And at the end of the day, there is some power in that too.

Also god damn, Dying Light 2 looks fuckin’ rad.

Aidan (@aiomon)

www.libraryloadtime.wordpress.com