XBox, as a brand, on trial at E3 this year.

The 500 pound gorilla in the room this year at E3 is a promise as old as Generation 6 itself. A promise mentioned so many times in this forum and others like it all across the internet for as long as some of our posters have been gaming:

"This is Microsoft we're talking about. They could just buy EA/Square Enix/Grand Theft Auto exclusivity/God's left nut if they wanted to."

..and up until this generation, they've made a semi-convincing argument for this. The first XBox launched under the harshest of conditions and made a name for itself. The 360 literally sat down and ate Sonys lunch by taking away a lot of tradtional Japanese franchises (Final Fantasy, Ace Combat, Tenchu, Devil may Cry.. the list goes on) However, they've launched with a $500 console and managed to send that pricetag to an impressive sauna cutting down to $350. They've bundled it with more Assassin's Creed than you can shake a stick at. They've bundled it with an All-You-Can-Eat buffet of Halo. They dropped a Titan on it. They've come out with so many Forza games, I'm actually surprised they bundled this thing with a camera initially rather than a racing wheel.

With all that being said, in terms of the worldwide audience, they are struggling. In terms of the US audience, they are struggling. Who would ever think three or four years ago that Lemmings would be dancing in the streets over a 12,000 unit NPD victory? In short, they are struggling to make a case for their spot as the third manufacturer of the "Big Three" that they currently occupy. Whereas Nintendo has a very strong handheld business to lean on and Sony is making the PS3s launch woes look more like a fluke than the way of things to come, it leaves MS in a precarious position. Every day, the evidence mounts that the once invincible Xbox Live platform can and will be overtaken in terms of an online service. The interface for their new toy is utterly atrocious. The superior game performance that was the highlight of their systems in the 6th and 7th generations is now an ongoing joke on this forum and across the internet. There's even a term for it, "ResolutionGate."

There still remains that one promise, though. I mean, this is Microsoft we are talking about here. Which makes it extra weird to hear them focusing on first party at E3 this year where they are traditionally a one-trick pony (and yes, I am talking about Halo) with a supporting cast of IPs hobbled together. Sure. We can point to Rare intellectual properties, but the actual creative talent left that studio eons ago. More recently, the MasterChief Collection launched as a complete fiasco, showing how weak MS are when it comes to managing their internal studios. With Ensemble Studios mothballed, things have seemingly gone so far south that there are people who dare to hype Crackdown as a major franchise to look out for. That's some serious WTF territory right there. It can't be that bad, can it?

So. Where are the infinite money hacks? You're waiting for it. I'm waiting for it. Microsoft fans are waiting for it. Sony fans have been conditioned to fear it. If Phil Spencer and co don't up,up,down,down,left,right,B,A,Select,Start at E3 this year, the game is up. The once mighty XBox juggernaut will be perceived as a paper tiger. So, I submit to you, System Wars. What's Really going to happen at E3 to make us all afraid of the big bad wolf again?

FFXV announced as an XBone exclusive? GTAVI exclusive? FIFA? Fallout 4? Tekken? Kojima? Bueller?

It's not that we've been expecting a megaton this year. It's that there was always a megaton to be had. There's that fifth Ace card that's been sitting in Microsoft's wallet since the words X and Box were first put together. Heaven help me if you think an American football game is going to bring peace and joy to the realm. Where are the actual bombs at? I know I'll be watching MSes E3 conference like a hawk waiting for it. ..and I know you will too.

Great thread Shew but it is all insecurity. The One is selling better than the 360.

There will be games and megatons at E3 from Microsoft.

If I was a cow I would be worried about Sony. So far you guys have a 1TB sku that you guys will talk yourself into that it stole the show. We all know Sony is scrapping the barrel and momentum ends without something behind it.

Thanks for your concern. Microsoft Won E3 already.

Ah, I think if I was half the Cow people think I am, I'd be over in a corner shivering rather than making this thread.

I am curious, though. What do you speculate could be MSes massive third party bombshell this year?

wtf is this shit.

Unusually well written and interesting post for this place. Thanks.

Re: MS. I think they've spent all their Xbox pocket money on Rise Of The Tomb Raider exclusivity. They may have something else up their grubby little sleeves but it won't be on the same level.

I don't know what this first party revolution is that Spencer talks about unless he's alluding to new Gears announcements.

Whatever the case, much as I really love Halo MCC (for the SP campaigns) I am hoping MS make announcements at E3 that actually make me feel less of a chump for buying an Xbox One. That will be enough for me.

Well, I'll be fair. They've really needed to take a look at their first party catalog for a while. It is actually a good thing for them to put focus there. However, no one ever bought an XBox for its first party because that is where they are the weakest of the three. XBox is a house that third party built, and that is where it has always been expressed it will take its stand. By both its fans and by its leadership.

"In terms of the US audience, they are struggling."

You call an 800,000 unit disparity that is shrinking, them struggling in the US lol? Especially with all that went down? By that metric they're even more successful than the PlayStation 4 here given what they've had to overcome...

I consider the PS3 having to cut out Backwards compatibility to make an effective pricepoint "struggling". What the XBone has done is outright drastic and borderline dumping. Keep moving the goal line, though. FFS, the thing is called a One because of it's all-in-one entertainment focus and it threw the Kinect out the window before its first birthday. **** off with all that. Sincerely.

I can tolerate a lot of bullshit, but the rose tinted glasses are blinding you.

Moving the goal line? Are you fucking kidding me? The console with one of the worst launches in history that was peddling DRM with 24 hour check in's, no used game market, a $500 price point which was $100 more expensive than the competition and a weaker GPU is only 800,000 units behind the most successful console in history with a shrinking margin, and you're saying that it's struggling in the US? Are you being serious right now...

Halo, Gears, Forza, Fable, are they really that weak? I'd say they're pretty much on a par with Sony so far this gen. The perception of console gamers that the X1 is just a weaker console is what really hurt them, and their high price point, and their legendary cock ups trying to block used sales and online DRM basically every **** up in the book MS did it, and worse but I don't think their first party line up is that bad.

That said, I think they need a lot more 'only on Xbox One' titles to stay relevant to the end of this gen and I don't mean timed exclusives or shit indie games. Where they will come from I have no clue. I don't think Phil has either.

Laughably bad. It's gone through hoops to still be behind in a country that was obscenely dominated by its predecessor. We can argue about this, but you'll find yourself in an argument that makes you look bad.

There's nothing to argue, what you just said makes you look like the one wearing rose tinted glasess, this console fucked up a lot and pulled a 180, but to say it's struggling in the US is idiocy, pure and simple...

So weak that even when people list their best games as being first party, they are still talking about Epic Games and Lionhead Studios..

The problem I have had with MS since 360 is that they spent more on 3rd party exclusives than building up their own 1st party. The ps3 caught up because Sony pounded them with 1st party games and not relying on a trinity of games in halo, gears and forza. Then it was the focus on kinect while Sony was releasing games like Last of us MS were releasing Kinect crap. I bought a 360 late last gen and I played most exclusives but some were also on pc like L4D but for the most part most of 360's exclusives did not grab me.

With the current gen I went PS4 after watching both reveals and E3 that year. MS f'ed up big time I was actually going to buy both but right now if multiplats are better on PS4 and MS's exclusives don't appeal to me why waste the money so MS have to woo me with unique 1st party games to get me to buy an X1.

MS's screw ups with X1 are still in my mind and buying rise of the tomb raider timed excusivity p'ed me off as square weren't in trouble financially but I understand why Capcom did it with Dead rising and SF5 as they were really hurting but at the end of the day it is about 1st party exclusives which seperate your system from the rest but if you own a pc then why buy an X1 a lot X1 exclusives are on pc. Even though I am no fan of current nintendo they still have those exclusives you can't find anywhere else.

Sony are not getting a free pass they need to show some good stuff at E3, Bloodborne was a start but more of that kind of quality is needed, The very reason I am a playstation guy since PS1 was the exclusives they need proove that's still the case.

M$ is on its way to making a big come back. Sony has been slacking and if M$ buys Silent Hills with Kojima, Sony is gonna see them selves struggling.

M$ already has the rest of the year in the bag and we dont know what E3 has in store

It's too bad the rest of Sony can't do as well financially as the gaming division. Perhaps they should just split off from the sinking ship?

True but Halo 5 is going to rock the hell out of the next holiday season and Sony have literally nothing to counter it with. I can't wait for Halo 5. No Man's Sky if you want me to fake enthusiasm for that shit you're going to have to pay me first.

Meh. I say MS still gon' buy Kojima and make him first party and give him a big ol' blank check for his next game. Im still putting my money on it, and I've predicted it since before the rumor a week or two ago. I stand by it, and I'll happily get "owned" on here.

Obviously Phil isnt going to say "yes, we certainly are going to do that as our big E3 surprise" over twitter. If you add up all the details, it simply makes the most sense.

• Kojima and most of his team publicly leaving Konami.
• The remaining team being renamed.
• Kojima's name and presence being scrubbed from everything, and
• The removal of P.T. from PSN. You cant even redownload it.
• The fact that Kojima has been being pretty friendly with MS since the start of this gen. Appearing in MS's "Xbox Anthem" video at the Xbox One's Reveal event, as well as opening MS's E3 2013 debuting the first ever Phantom Pain gameplay, instead of at Sony's press conference.

The only other possible outcome if MS isnt pulling a megaton, is if Kojima is simply super-trolling again.

Whatever happens, there will be blood at E3.

Not just that, even Uncharted 4 isn't safe, Microsoft has Quantum Break to counter that, they've got all of their angles covered for once.

Xbox exclusive of FF15 or Fallout 4 don't really make sense. Buying Kojima could be a thing though. Would be good to see funding back behind Kojima even if it means Xbox exclusive (which might translate to Xbox/PC multiplat anyway).

They're still dropping balls all over the place though. Gears remaster is the first one only? lol who the **** is going to buy that? Meanwhile Sony have Uncharted Trilogy. Let's be honest it's been lame from both parties but there's just enough to keep me going on both consoles I really wish there were more exclusives though. It's almost as though this gen dropped with neither MS or Sony being prepared for it outside of multiplats.

All I know is I am rocking MCC online and some ODST campaign tonight.

Both Sony and Microsoft would do well to distance themselves from remastering their back catalog after E3 this year. It makes sense to build up hype for a new gears game and a new uncharted. Hopefully, there's enough actual new stuff from both to make 2015 a footnote rather than the direction of days ahead.

@Shewgenja: third part bombshell? Fallout 4 is out I guess. That puts The Elder Scrolls (which I doubt), Half-Life (which I also doubt) or this whole Kojima mess with one of his projects into the running.

Cod, BF and Ass Creed are too mainstream to make this list.

GTA has too much rape and murder to be a sought after exclusive to pump your chest about with advertising. So that is out.

FIFA has a home with its exclusive content and even if it was to be a full blown exclusive, who cares outside of Europe.

Remember Yoshida can't confirm that Tomb Raider is coming to PS4. Timed doesn't mean it is going to Sony. So just adding this to your Topic bTw. Little kick in the nutts.

So...... Some Star Wars exclusive? You bet.

This is bullshit. You cannot acknowlege that millions of people purchased an Xbox solely to play Halo (first party) games, and then in the same breath claim that not only is Xbox the house that third party built, but the laughable implication (at least prior to this gen) that people historically bought Sony consoles for first party.

The whole "Sony is about first party" thing is a NEW mantra, not an old one. Historically, the playstation brand's legacy was built almost entirely on third party exclusives (Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto, Devil May Cry, Tekken, etc.) Sony didnt adopt their new "first party" mantra until Microsoft started bullying them out of these exclusive 3rd party contracts, and Sony needed franchises that were nailed to the floor.

Sony has never had a first party franchise that commanded console sales the way Halo did. The closest thing they ever had to a "mascot" in that reguard was Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. And Gran Turismo.

No one bought an Xbox for its third party? Explain how Halo did so well then.

@Shewgenja: Very well written Shew.

I'm not getting my hopes for MS at this years E3, I am excited about what's coming but I'm not counting on MS actually showing anything ground breaking considering their track record. I expect to see QB, TR, Halo 5, Forza 6, Fable, and maybe some Crackdown and Scalebound peppered with some indie games. Then we'll have hololens talk/demo (maybe), Windows 10 integration, new SKU anouncement, so yep, all of that should make for a full hour long presentation.

There are really no megaton exclusives that MS can money hat this gen, the only one I can think of, and it's highly unlikely, would be Mass Effect 4, but Bioware would have to be insane to sign up for that, or either MS would have to basically give them a blank check.

On a side note I would rather MS be in this situation rather than Sony. The main reason is because MS at least has the resources to keep them in the game if they choose to stay, so they could actually bring something noteworthy to the table. Had it been the other way around Sony would have been in worse shape, then we would have a console scene becoming monopolized by MS and their funky policies and standards, and them resting on the success of 3rd party game supremacy to sell the system.

Pretty disappointed by both MS and Sony at this point, this is the gen that makes me want to go all in on PC gaming. It's already started since I pretty much stopped buying multiplats on console and have found myself double dipping on a few games.

Just another thing going for Microsoft is the biggest, well known titles have been delivered or will be by the end of this year.

If you own a Xbox One you got to play Halo, and Forza. Before the year is out add Fable and Gears to that.

Now look at Sonys big guns. Infamous is all that has been delivered. God of War is nowhere to be found. Uncharted is delayed till Dec. 82nd 2067. Oh and Killzone. Delivered but we will leave that one alone.

Thank Christ for the Indie.

@Shewgenja: Joe Montana 16 exclusive to Xbox one with the NFL license

"It's like destiny is a first party game." - Sony

Halo is a massive influence, or at least it once was. Didn't H3 sell better than 4? Anyways, I'm saying that for the millions that did get XBox for Halo, there are millions who also did not.

Indeed you are correct in saying that Halo "was" a massive influence. It was huge for the Original Xbox and further cemented the 360's legacy but 4 was pants and the MCC collection has certainly *not* helped.

Scalebound will be amazing, (Sony can keep its demon souls trash) Crackdown has potential to be an amazing open world game, and FUN, something Infamous never had. And if Banjo 3's being made like the rumors point to? These 3 games alone will decimate anything Sony's put out.

But then look at the things Phil Spencer's saying vs. Sony, Phil actually wants to bring true first party exclusives to Xbox all the time, meanwhile Sony's saying things like "Destiny is like our first party game" and "our lineup is a little sparse this year..." if anyone's lineup looks bleak, it's Sony's.

Both of them need to bring the heat this e3 because thus far it's been shit across the board.

Well, like I said earlier in the thread, focusing on their first party is something MS has needed to do for a long time. That being said, fan service to loyal XBone owners is all well and good, but what about the bombshells? I thought MS could buy anything they wanted to when push came to shove.

I'm sure Sony will be hated on this year for only showing remasters and very little AAA games that are first party.

What are they supposed to buy? Tomb raider was a pretty big bombshell wasn't it?

I think MS is going to have more to show than Sony at E3... put it that way. I'm confident, as an Xbone owner, I'll be happy by the end of it.

I'm still not understanding how Tomb Raider was such a bombshell when Sony still has the Uncharted series.

There's a lot of questions surrounding that. Even on MSes website they're not embracing that. It was also summarily countered with the Street Fighter announcement. I think MS can afford an announcement that doesn't need an asterisk like Barry Bonds homerun record, don't you?

Are you talking about the chance it might be timed exclusive?

I don't know what you want them to buy, but I think they're getting ready to go hard with exclusives.

Because a lot of people like TR? I'm not one of them, but there was a bit of a shitstorm from its exclusive announcement.

Not any more, Gears IP is owned by microsoft Now.

and Lionhead are owned by Microsoft so they are a first party developer and have been since 2006 in the same way that 343i and turn 10 are first party developers for Microsoft.

Spot on , all the best Exclusives on the Ps1 where third party save a few and a lot of the best games where also available on other consoles or PC.

Game like Soulreaver, Metal gear solid, Tomb raider and Fear effect.

MS pretty much has E3 sewn up this year. Sony however, is slipping. I'm seeing more and more Sony guys stating that they're dissapointed with both MS, and Sony's output so far. In reality, MS's output, updates, and future game releases looks good. That's just cows trying to bring MS down to their level.

Sony desperately needs to show people why they bought a PS4, because so far... There aren't many reasons. I'd say it's Sony who needs to prove themselves at this year's E3.... Not MS.

LOL every brand is on trial every day, they are all at the whim of the consumer.

Which is silly, considering the XBone has yet to answer The Order this year and nevermind Bloodborne.

After last years E3 it couldn't be any worse for M$ could it? With the DRM stuff they tried to pull I'm surprised anyone would buy their system. People have some major short term memory problems. Watch they'll **** up Halo 5 the same way they did the Chief collection some way some how. They lost me as a customer with the RROD issues. In the 38 years I've been on this planet and playing video games M$ is the worst company I've ever seen enter the race. Not only are they the worst gaming brand they're the greediest most anti consumer company in gaming next to EA.

Seems fitting after MS tried to change the industry on their own, back fired and got knocked the **** out. Here's hoping for some new IPS and not times exclusive.

I'm wanting some new exclusives to play with my X1.

@blueinheaven: Yeah, whole trilogy without changing engine and without multiplayer.