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T’was the night before Christmas, and … wait, that’s the wrong holiday.
It was the night before E3 2023, and … wait, no … E3 is dead.
Starfield’s scale and scope seem almost too good to be true.
What exactly do wecallthe traditional June video game showcase season anyway these days?
Indeed, it was a very different key in ofXbox Games Showcasefor several reasons.
E3 itself will likely never return.
Starfield’s scale and scope seem almost too good to be true.
Even the sweltering LA June weather had departed, replaced with an overcast drawl.
Yet still, there was electricity in the air I hadn’t experienced before.
Energy that cut through the bittersweet nostalgia and lamentations for an E3 lost.
Starfield’s scale and scope seem almost too good to be true.
It’s no secret that Microsoft’s Xbox has had a difficult year for various reasons.
Few other games prove that, likeHellblade II, which also had a strong showing at the event.
What really stopped the show and elevated Xbox above what it’s typically known for isStarfield.
“We are really seeing the first games come out from studios that we acquired back in 2018.
They built those new games completely as part of the Xbox family.”
Sarah echoed Microsoft’s intent to deliver four major tentpole releases every year.
Big names like Richard Ayoade and David Tennant have been attached to upcoming Xbox Games Studios projects, such as Fable and Clockwork Revolution.
“The conveyor belts are now in cycle,” she remarked with infectious excitement.
“We are really seeing the first games come out from studios that we acquired back in 2018.
They built those new games completely as part of the Xbox family.”
It felt like the team had turned a corner, focused intently and passionately on the future.
Redfall was Arkane’s first Xbox exclusive after being acquired.
She also impressed upon the need to balance that with fans' expectations.
She described how Microsoft had revisited some of its systems to support studios like Arkane in the future better.
What can we learn so we can get the balance right more often going forward?'
And we absolutely have this conversation [at Microsoft].
And then you pick yourself up.
The common theme in my conversations with Sarah Bond and other Microsoft staffers that week revolved around the future.
The common theme in my conversations with Sarah Bond and other Microsoft staffers that week revolved around the future.
Getting to this point has been a true slog, though.
I was originally inspired by the disastrous showing of the 2013 Xbox One to get into this business.
However, the middling launch of Redfall cast Xbox back into the doldrums.
Was Hi-Fi Rush some fluke?
Teams that are delivering high-quality content across a huge variety of genres for a broad demographic of gamers.
No CGI, all in-engine, full of promise and potential.
The reactions from the press, creators, fans, and even notorious detractors have been incredibly positive.
The challenges Microsoft and its teams have faced in recent years should not be underestimated.
But in Los Angeles, it felt as though the clouds were clearing.
Fable opened the show, delivering effortlessly on every key expectation for the game.
