After a fairly disastrous Xbox One reveal, Microsoft was looking to bring its A-game to E3 in order to win back some of the hype it had lost. While overall, the Xbox presentation had a lot to love, there still were a few aspects that didn't quite work. Here are the three biggest missteps of Microsoft's E3 press conference.
Crossplatform Reveals
When Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, they closed their presentation with a hefty dose of Call of Duty: Ghosts, a game that is being released on just about every other platform as well.
Perhaps proving the company's difficulty with processing feedback, their much hyped E3 presentation pulled the exact same move. Only instead of CoD, they showed off ex-CoD developer Respawn's Titanfall. Titanfall will also be released on the Xbox 360 and PC.
It's a step in the right direction at least, as the game won't be released on Sony's devices, but for anyone hoping for a true "next-gen exclusive" reveal, Microsoft did not deliver.
On the same note, Microsoft opened the Xbox One presentation with an extended look at Metal Gear Solid V. It looked fantastic, it will also be available on the PlayStation. It's a similar story for Dark Souls 2, Battlefield 4, and strangely enough, the entire segment of the show dedicated to World of Tanks heading to the Xbox 360.
Leave the cross-platform for the publishers to show off, and give us a reason why the Xbox One is a must-buy system this holiday season. It felt like Microsoft was so interested in linking up reveals and trailers that it inadvertently reminded everyone that most of the good stuff will also be available on other consoles.
$500
Last week we speculated on the Xbox One's price, and why a $500 price point might be fair. Still, even though it's not unexpected, it's still a little disappointing that Microsoft didn't opt for a lower launch cost.
It's really tough to figure out what market exactly Microsoft is targeting. Those who are more interested in the TV aspects are certainly not going to pay $500 for what basically amounts to a combination Blu-ray player and Apple TV. On the other hand, gamers who were disappointed in the TV focus are going to need some serious convincing before they're ready to drop that amount of money on a console that isn't completely focused on the gaming experience.
If nothing else, a lower price certainly would have made the hardware specs and confusing DRM a little easier to stomach.
Used Games
Speaking of DRM, I can't have been the only one expecting a more broad explanation of the new policies. Microsoft revealed a few details last week, but left many of the specifics unmentioned.
We now know that Microsoft itself won't charge a used game fee, but they alluded to publishers and/or retailers setting up their own transfer fees. Would this cost be passed on to the customer? Which stores are on board with this system? Can I get around the 30 day waiting period if I want to sell a game myself? If I gift a game to a friend, can he sell or trade it in later? How will publishers be required to disclose whether or not a game can be traded in?
We need answers Microsoft!
Let's be honest though, while Microsoft's press conference wasn't everything we were hoping it would be, it was definitely on the right track. The company set out to prove that Xbox One hasn't forgotten about games, and their presentation was basically a straight hour of game reveals.
Even if it doesn't completely even the score, it does feel like the E3 battlefield is at least a little more level now. Read on here for a breakdown of some of the highlights of the Xbox press conference.