If there was one thing that Microsoft needed to do at E3 2018, it was reveal a load of new exclusive games. Although the console manufacturer has been great in introducing new pro-consumer services (such as Xbox Live Game Pass and cross-platform play), there is no denying that they have been lacking in providing Xbox players with some amazing new games to play.
This problem has been exacerbated even further by the fact that the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch have received some stellar exclusive titles over the past two years (just take a gander at a few “best games of 2017” lists and you’ll see what I’m talking about).
Well, E3 2018 is done and dusted, and Microsoft did showcase a load of games. Of all the announcements made, only about 11 concerned content that was exclusive to Xbox (including DLCs). While the number may seem very large, it has elicited a mixed response from the gaming community. Some gamers were happy with the conference overall, whereas others believe that Microsoft has still not done enough.
So, has Microsoft taken a step in the right direction to closing the exclusive gap between them and Nintendo and Sony? Or, have they still not done enough? Well, let’s look at some of the facts about the conference.
Halo Infinite, Gears of War 5 and Forza: Horizon 4 – If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
Most gamers were expecting Microsoft to reveal new Halo, Gears of War and Forza titles at E3 this year. With so many leaks indicating such, it was almost a given that Xbox players would hear some news about these titles, and sure enough they did.
It would be fair to say that while many players were excited by the announcement of new sequels in Microsoft’s biggest gaming IPs, there were also those who were not all that phased. Series fatigue is a term that has been thrown around a lot with regards to some of these titles over the last few years.
With these titles having received several sequels and new exclusive IP being somewhat scarce on Xbox, it’s tough to argue against a player who suggests that these games are suffering from series fatigue.
Overall, I think it’s great that Microsoft decided to announce new titles in their most famous franchises. (I mean Halo is practically synonymous with Xbox and probably always will be). That said though, it’s difficult not get disappointed in the fact that there were no other major exclusive triple-A announcements.
Many gamers are waiting for Microsoft to release their own Horizon Zero Dawn or God of War 5, and many thought that they may have announced such a title at E3 2018. But, they didn’t and so understandably some gamers are very disappointed.
So Many Indies, So Many Launch Exclusives
So, last year I wrote a piece about timed-exclusive content before Destiny 2 came out. Basically, I questioned whether people actually bought consoles on the basis of whether a particular game saw DLC released first in a particular console.
While I don’t really care to deeply about timed-exclusive content, it seems that many other players do. There’s a lot of people that will buy a PS4 simply to play Call of Duty DLC as soon as it is first released. Thus, I do understand why companies invest in timed-exclusive deals.
However, the question here is whether any of these games are compelling enough to make players switch consoles. Call of Duty is a massive franchise with a big following, whereas it is debatable whether any of the launch exclusives will be able to make any PS4 gamers switch to Xbox (pun not intended).
Look, I love indies. I was more excited than anything to hear that there would be Cuphead DLC. Perhaps, it isn’t fair to judge those who believe timed-exclusive indies aren’t a substitute for true exclusive content as, believe it or not, they will get to play them later.
Cyberpunk 2077, Devil May Cry 5 and Just Cause 4 are all great – But I Can Play Them on PS4
So, the thing about multi-platform third-party titles and E3 is that it doesn’t matter where they are revealed as they are playable anywhere.
Perhaps, some players can be enticed to switch console on the basis of one title having timed exclusive DLC but, as previously stated, this is dependent on the game, the content and the player.
If Cyberpunk 2077 got a full story DLC made completely exclusive to Xbox, yeah then maybe, but this isn’t really ever what happens. Usually gamers to get to play content first or they get an exclusive cosmetic item that doesn’t really affect anything all that much.
You could make the argument that the showcase proved that these games will look better on the Xbox One X, but if a person has no interest in or can’t afford to buy a new console, this fact really doesn’t do much to make gamers believe they need an Xbox.
Some believe that these titles, along with the console launch exclusives, were used to mask the fact that Xbox didn’t have all that many large triple-AAA announcements that gave gamers a reason to invest in the console. Perhaps, if you already own a PS4 or PC that will be able to play these games, it is kind of hard to fault the logic.
So, has Microsoft taken a step in the right direction?
With all this taken into account, it is easy to see why some gamers may be very critical of the conference. If you’re not a fan of Microsoft’s biggest IPs or have enough patience to wait for games to come out on another system, you could argue that the conference wasn’t all that great.
Ultimately, I was excited by Microsoft’s E3 2018 conference. Although I felt disappointed that we didn’t see a new massive triple-A IP in development, there were still a load of new games, some of which looked absolutely amazing.
Perhaps, I’m still a little heart sore over Scalebound, but new games are new games, right? So, what’s all the complaining about?
What did you think about Microsoft’s E3 2018 conference? Do you think they did enough on the exclusive front? Please share in the comments down below.
