Analyzing why Xbox's E3 is such an abysmal, boring show every single year

[Bodycount611]

This past E3 got me thinking, why is Xbox's show always so drop-dead awful? Let's discuss, because I think I know the reasons why:

-Lack of Exclusives: There's really no further talk necessary with Xbox, the buck always stops at this point. The console has literally ZERO true exclusives. Therefore, every single announcement is marred by the fact that you already know the game is available for PC, or in most cases as well, PlayStation. the excitement is always muted as a result. Until MS make games only for Xbox, this problem will never fix itself.

-First Party is always a no-show: MS's internal teams had nothing to show this past e3, except the yearly racing game as per usual. I want you to take a few seconds and think about Xbox's showcase if they didn't sandwhich it between two Bethesda games, both former also-on-Playstation multiplats they bought off of the market with the Bethesda acquisition. Without RedFall and Starfield, the show would have been unfathomable.

-3rd party partnerships that matter, and premium AAA games always show with Sony: Capcom and square-Enix both have partnerships with sony (Resident Evil, FF, etc) but it goes beyond even that. Now even Bandai-Namco, who used to show up at MS's show, are absent. Callisto Protocol is another great example, they also decided to partner with Sony, and they represent another example of AAA games either deciding PlayStation is a better partner or that the gamepass model isn't the right fit for their premium product. That brings us into our next problem, which I consider the biggest.

-The show is always an indie reel featuring the slops, the leftovers, and the low-budget games no one has ever heard of: I walk away Xbox's e3 conferences every year sometimes unable to even remember a single title they showed, that's how bad it's gotten. Maybe it's low market share affecting the deals they can sign, or maybe its something else, like Phil Spencer's poor content curation skills (or poor taste in games). There is no reason to give the spotlight to indie games for 95 minutes straight unless you're specifically promising an indie showcase. It needs to stop.

Well, that's my thoughts on the matter. Of course, there were other lows and pure filler (Fallout 76DLC, Grounded DLC, etc) but that about covers it.

tl;dr:

It's telling that both a 20 minute 3rd party-only youtube video by both Sony and Nintendo each outclassed a 95-minute showcase put together by Microsoft. And to think, Sony and Nintendo show every few weeks inbetween State-of-Play and Nintendo Directs, and they still managed to show more compelling content than Microsoft, who insists on the 'show once a year' model. Unreal.

 

[DynamiteCop]

Umm... Last years show was awesome and they had one of their best years ever game wise.

 

[Cragarmi]

Umm... Last years show was awesome and they had one of their best years ever game wise.

Out of interest what did you find awesome? Personally I'm not a Halo fan, though Forza Horizon always presents well.

 

[Kretos]

Next year is going to be the best Xbox E3 show

 

[Cragarmi]

Next year is going to be the best Xbox E3 show

Phil at his best!

 

[Three]

Personally I don't look for exclusives in a show but interesting games. Usually watching the MS show leaves a wierd taste in my mouth where it seems like it's a bunch of suits doing this

It's always trying to be hip, trendy and zany but it usually feels like forced marketing and by the numbers. I'm looking forward to starfield though.

 

[Bryank75]

I mean there was always gonna be a tradeoff when MSFT chose the Gamepass route....

You can never put everything on a subscription for a flat fee each year.

People who pay upfront will always control the broader market and Xbox fans will have to be happy with what Xbox leadership CHOOSE to put on gamepass.... and since the shows are now heavily built around Gamepass and selling subscriptions, you're not really going to get that level of excitement IMO.

Xbox chose to compete on value, it comes at a cost sooner or later and companies will do what is right for their longterm health.

 

[Deleted member 141]

Usually watching the MS show leaves a wierd taste in my mouth where it seems like it's a bunch of suits doing this

It's quite literally "How you doin' fellow kids?", those old guys from Nintendo blow them out of the water because they are being true to themselves.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

-3rd party partnerships that matter, and premium AAA games always show with Sony: Capcom and square-Enix both have partnerships with sony (Resident Evil, FF, etc)

EA and Ubisoft also like that Phil $$$ usually but not this year. Ubisoft is now partnering with Sony on PS+ with Ubisoft Classics and the rumored Avatar game. That was surprising.

Bandai Namco is also not showing up at Xbox because Sony owns the Anime industry. They could delete all their shows They were dumb to always be with Xbox anyway.

This year it was only Activision for obvious reasons with Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 but Activision was quick to give away Crash 4 on PS+ as compensation. Deep down I know that Bobby Kotick hates Microsoft. He never supported Game Pass, only PS+.

The AAA industry is dead on Xbox, they all stopped giving away their Day 1 AAA on GamePass. Only SquareEnix was dumb enough with Outriders last year. The rest is EA Play or cheap indies.

Kojima is a ho.

 

[Bodycount611]

that too, Phil Spencer crammed into skinny jeans and some random indie-game t-shirt one size too small for his body, doesn't give off the best first impression.

he needs to hurry up and retire.

 

[Bodycount611]

EA and Ubisoft also like that Phil $$$ usually but not this year. Ubisoft is now partnering with Sony on PS+ with Ubisoft Classics and the rumored Avatar game. That was surprising.

Bandai Namco is also not showing up at Xbox because Sony owns the Anime industry. They could delete all their shows They were dumb to always be with Xbox anyway.

This year it was only Activision for obvious reasons with Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 but Activision was quick too give away Crash 4 on PS+ as compensation. Deep down I know that Bobby Kotick hates Microsoft. He never supported Game Pass, only PS+.

The AAA industry is dead on Xbox, they all stopped giving away their Day 1 AAA on GamePass. Only SquareEnix was dumb enough with Outriders last year. The rest is EA Play or cheap indies.

Kojima is a ho.

That's it too. Ubisoft, EA, take-two, you name it, all will never show at Xbox's E3.

So basically don't expect anything big, only scraps...

 

[ethomaz]

You need games to make a good show not promises.

 

[Sircaw]

This past E3 got me thinking, why is Xbox's show always so drop-dead awful? Let's discuss, because I think I know the reasons why:

-Lack of Exclusives: There's really no further talk necessary with Xbox, the buck always stops at this point. The console has literally ZERO true exclusives. Therefore, every single announcement is marred by the fact that you already know the game is available for PC, or in most cases as well, PlayStation. the excitement is always muted as a result. Until MS make games only for Xbox, this problem will never fix itself.

-First Party is always a no-show: MS's internal teams had nothing to show this past e3, except the yearly racing game as per usual. I want you to take a few seconds and think about Xbox's showcase if they didn't sandwhich it between two Bethesda games, both former also-on-Playstation multiplats they bought off of the market with the Bethesda acquisition. Without RedFall and Starfield, the show would have been unfathomable.

-3rd party partnerships that matter, and premium AAA games always show with Sony: Capcom and square-Enix both have partnerships with sony (Resident Evil, FF, etc) but it goes beyond even that. Now even Bandai-Namco, who used to show up at MS's show, are absent. Callisto Protocol is another great example, they also decided to partner with Sony, and they represent another example of AAA games either deciding PlayStation is a better partner or that the gamepass model isn't the right fit for their premium product. That brings us into our next problem, which I consider the biggest.

-The show is always an indie reel featuring the slops, the leftovers, and the low-budget games no one has ever heard of: I walk away Xbox's e3 conferences every year sometimes unable to even remember a single title they showed, that's how bad it's gotten. Maybe it's low market share affecting the deals they can sign, or maybe its something else, like Phil Spencer's poor content curation skills (or poor taste in games). There is no reason to give the spotlight to indie games for 95 minutes straight unless you're specifically promising an indie showcase. It needs to stop.

Well, that's my thoughts on the matter. Of course, there were other lows and pure filler (Fallout 76DLC, Grounded DLC, etc) but that about covers it.

tl;dr:

It's telling that both a 20 minute 3rd party-only youtube video by both Sony and Nintendo each outclassed a 95-minute showcase put together by Microsoft. And to think, Sony and Nintendo show every few weeks inbetween State-of-Play and Nintendo Directs, and they still managed to show more compelling content than Microsoft, who insists on the 'show once a year' model. Unreal.

I really wish Microsoft would cut out all the filler and concentrate on quality rather than quantity.

This let's show 50 games in an hour and a half is so damn boring.

Bring out your big guns like a new quake, concentrate on that with a 15 min segment then do a starfield and perhaps an avowed, 10 mins each. Cut your show to 45 mins tops,

Have a couple of short segments between those big games, and throw in some short updates on Forza, halo, gears and fable news, a couple of mins each max, then get the hell out of dodge.

Make your game show events memorable and save all the game pass filler crap for some indy show before or after the show.

 

[Bodycount611]

nintendo execs come out in full business suits, get straight to the point and introduce the game, then leave. Somehow they manage to be cooler than Mr. Cult-of-personality himself.

Plus Xbox leans heavy on woke marketing, influencers, and social media presence, all of which comes off as a toxic corporate culture and ultimately... FAKE.

that's why a small Japanese man speaking a foreign language in a 3-piece suit seems to more relatable than the dad-bod exec covered head to toe in the Hot Topic clearance rack. Phil has got to go.

Larry hyrb as well. Especially Larry Hyrb.

 

[DynamiteCop]

EA and Ubisoft also like that Phil $$$ usually but not this year. Ubisoft is now partnering with Sony on PS+ with Ubisoft Classics and the rumored Avatar game. That was surprising.

Bandai Namco is also not showing up at Xbox because Sony owns the Anime industry. They could delete all their shows They were dumb to always be with Xbox anyway.

This year it was only Activision for obvious reasons with Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 but Activision was quick to give away Crash 4 on PS+ as compensation. Deep down I know that Bobby Kotick hates Microsoft. He never supported Game Pass, only PS+.

The AAA industry is dead on Xbox, they all stopped giving away their Day 1 AAA on GamePass. Only SquareEnix was dumb enough with Outriders last year. The rest is EA Play or cheap indies.

Kojima is a ho.

You're missing the point of where Microsoft is headed. Their plan isn't to rely on others albeit they have to now, their plan is hoist up their own service which is exactly why they went on a spending spree buying up literally a third of the industry.

In short order they won't need anyone else.

 

[Cragarmi]

You're missing the point of where Microsoft is headed. Their plan isn't to rely on others albeit they have to now, their plan is hoist up their own service which is exactly why they went on a spending spree buying up literally a third of the industry.

In short order they won't need anyone else.

And consequently most 3rd parties will die on Xbox

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

This past E3 got me thinking, why is Xbox's show always so drop-dead awful? Let's discuss, because I think I know the reasons why:

-Lack of Exclusives: There's really no further talk necessary with Xbox, the buck always stops at this point. The console has literally ZERO true exclusives. Therefore, every single announcement is marred by the fact that you already know the game is available for PC, or in most cases as well, PlayStation. the excitement is always muted as a result. Until MS make games only for Xbox, this problem will never fix itself.

-First Party is always a no-show: MS's internal teams had nothing to show this past e3, except the yearly racing game as per usual. I want you to take a few seconds and think about Xbox's showcase if they didn't sandwhich it between two Bethesda games, both former also-on-Playstation multiplats they bought off of the market with the Bethesda acquisition. Without RedFall and Starfield, the show would have been unfathomable.

Some good points with a little bit of console fanboy narrative. So meh, it muds the whole argument.

-3rd party partnerships that matter, and premium AAA games always show with Sony: Capcom and square-Enix both have partnerships with sony (Resident Evil, FF, etc) but it goes beyond even that. Now even Bandai-Namco, who used to show up at MS's show, are absent. Callisto Protocol is another great example, they also decided to partner with Sony, and they represent another example of AAA games either deciding PlayStation is a better partner or that the gamepass model isn't the right fit for their premium product. That brings us into our next problem, which I consider the biggest.

Again. Too much fanboy bias.

-The show is always an indie reel featuring the slops, the leftovers, and the low-budget games no one has ever heard of: I walk away Xbox's e3 conferences every year sometimes unable to even remember a single title they showed, that's how bad it's gotten. Maybe it's low market share affecting the deals they can sign, or maybe its something else, like Phil Spencer's poor content curation skills (or poor taste in games). There is no reason to give the spotlight to indie games for 95 minutes straight unless you're specifically promising an indie showcase. It needs to stop.

With this persistent narrative this thread would be closed and you will be at least warned.

Well, that's my thoughts on the matter. Of course, there were other lows and pure filler (Fallout 76DLC, Grounded DLC, etc) but that about covers it.

Bruh.

tl;dr:

It's telling that both a 20 minute 3rd party-only youtube video by both Sony and Nintendo each outclassed a 95-minute showcase put together by Microsoft. And to think, Sony and Nintendo show every few weeks inbetween State-of-Play and Nintendo Directs, and they still managed to show more compelling content than Microsoft, who insists on the 'show once a year' model. Unreal.

.

This is the thing:

Yes, Xbox shows haven't been great at all, too long, too boring and always disappointing regarding AAA First party.

Again, you made a good few points, but your fanboy narrative makes you look (not smart).

I think the issue with MS is quite clear. They really fucked up their first-party output. Bad decisions that until this very day are quite visible.

What happens when you don't have content?...you over compensate, creating this ilussion that you have all the content.

Just think about it. Imagine an Xbox without game pass?....yep, Big Yikes.

 

[DynamiteCop]

And consequently most 3rd parties will die on Xbox

They won't need them though, like streaming services we're entering an age of self reliance and conglomerates. Sony is heading this direction as well as they have to but their issue is a lack of financial capital which could potentially sink them long run.

 

[Cragarmi]

They won't need them though, like streaming services we're entering an age of self reliance and conglomerates. Sony is heading this direction as well as they have to but their issue is a lack of financial capital which could potentially sink them long run.

Or the 3rd parties will just stop porting to Xbox, and effectively become a PS exclusive, without an exclusivity contract. They don't have to follow MS' trajectory on this! At least I hope they don't! 3rd party development needs to remain an important part of the industry imho.

 

[DynamiteCop]

Or the 3rd parties will just stop porting to Xbox, and effectively become a PS exclusive, without an exclusivity contract. They don't have to follow MS' trajectory on this! At least I hope they don't! 3rd party development needs to remain an important part of the industry imho.

They’ll never walk away from Xbox, regardless of all the forum warrior nonsense the platform still generates them millions and millions of dollars.

Also everything is going to PC anyways (even Sony) so who really cares?