Microsoft recently held their E3 press conference. And to kick things off, head of the Xbox Division, Phil Spencer, announced that Microsoft will continue to provide fans more exclusive experiences, services, and hardware. This was the revolving message throughout the entire conference.
Xbox One S and Cross-Play
Following this statement, he went on to announce the Xbox One S. The slimmer console will be sold at the same price as the current Xbox One model.
At the same time, Microsoft provided details with their new play anywhere feature. All future titles will have cross buy support for players. This will allow you to play a title interchangeably between PC and console anywhere. Current game saves and achievements will be available as well. The purchase of any Xbox One title going forward will allow you access to the PC version for free.
Reveal: Gears of War 4 Gameplay
The first major title to take stage was Gears of War 4. The new chapter of the franchise was introduced with a live co-op demo. It’s set to release for October 11, 2016. An elite wireless controller for the game will be released in celebration as well.
Reveal: Forza Horizon 3
The next focus on the conference was Forza Horizon 3. The racing franchise’s new entry had video showcasing new vehicles and the new Australian setting. This Forza installment includes a variety of off-road choices, like jungle terrain.
The game will feature campaign co-op for the first time. Friends will be able to join one another’s sessions, and their games will sync to the other player’s data, and so forth. Friends will be able to race together to achieve a goal. Forza Horizon 3 is on schedule to release September 27, 2016.
Reveal: Final Fantasy XV Live Demo
Final Fantasy XV followed afterwards, with a live demo that showed Noctis and friends fighting the mighty Titan. The battle showed off how the heroes fiend off the massive threat. During the fight, the enemy army makes an appearance to fight the heroes and the giant without discretion. During the madness, we see our Noctis use the confusion to his advantage to gain the upper hand and win. Final Fantasy XV will be releasing September 30, 2016.
Reveal: Battlefield 1 Gameplay
The next focus of the conference was Battlefield 1. EA’s Battlefield is taking place in World War 1. The developer hopes to deliver a war experience unlike any other before with their latest title. Fans can look forward to it’s released on October 21, 2016. The title will be available on October 13 to EA early access members.
Update: Minecraft Patch & Cross-Platform Play
The press conference then changed its direction to the more causal audience as Minecraft took the stage. It was announced that players will be able to connect together regardless of their platform with the Friendly update. The new update will allow players to enter each other’s worlds.
New texture packs were also announced, which will allow players to make their creations more realistic. More Minecraft content was teased too for later this year.
Reveal: Scalebound Multiplayer Gameplay
The hardcore theme returned as Scalebound was presented by Platinum Games. The developer went on to showcase the largest boss fight they’ve ever created with a live co-op demo. The protagonist begins his fight after being joined by a number of players and their respective dragons. Scalebound is set to release sometime in 2017.
Reveal: Halo Wars 2
The next title announced was Halo Wars 2, which is due for release on February 21, 2017. The sequel will be continuing the story immediately where the first title ended when it was released 7 years ago. A new ruthless general with a massive army appears to stand in opposition. A week long beta is available right now for the title.
Confirmation: Project Scorpio is a high-end console
At the end of presser Spencer took the stage to reaffirm their message of more exclusives, more hardware, and more innovation. This included new Xbox Live features and even customer controller colors that were displayed during the conference as well. Eventually, the conversation of hardware innovation became an announcement of Project Scorpio.
Scorpio is confirmed to be a high end gaming console and will be releasing holiday 2017. Further details will be revealed over time. Spencer also went on to assure Xbox fans that all Xbox One titles will be playable with Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Project Scorpio. No one will be left out.
What did you think of the Microsoft E3 event? What games and announcements excited you the most? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
