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

[Papacheeks]

It is what it is. Nintendo struck lightning in a bottle with the Switch, PlayStation held strong, and PC gaming has exploded in popularity, so PC gets most games nowadays. MS picked a bad time to try and take consumer's rights away, spy on them, and attack physical games ownership. The fact that they actually tried those things still haunts them to this day and hardcore gamers haven't forgotten.

All of it means Xbox is last on the priority list for a lot of these core games and devs, especially ones building lower-spec, niche, hardcore-centric projects. (A.K.A. most Japanese developers, and of course indie devs).

Gamepass may lead to some renewed japanese support with MS paying devs for ports upfront. But again, the xbox customer gets the games late, if ever at all, and never a physical copy. It all comes off as looking like a very low-class, ramshackle solution.

Would I trade my Danganronpa trilogy Switch collector's edition, (with all 3 games on cart in a nice metal box ) for just D1 and D2 for $1 digital-only on gamepass? Nope.

Would I trade my Persona 5R PS4 steelbook, and disrupt my entire Persona-on-Playstation collection (that stretches all the way back to the PS1) for a 3 year late port on a console with no SMT history? Nope.

It's bleak, looking at it from a core fan's perspective. Xbox will never get a foothold in the Japanese games/gamers community, IMO. The history just isn't there.

To me if Xbox and Phil was serious about gaming in Japan they would invest in having games made. Ninja Gaiden reboot would be a good start with the new Team NInja that did NIOH series. Have them also co-develop Dead or alive story wise to go with Ninja Giaden as you meet characters from that series in the Ninja Gaiden game.

Or have someone take another stab at a dormant franchise or a new title. Start signing Japanese games on the regular to your service. Not just Yakuza and Persona then call it a day. It has to be relevant stuff.

I feel its always going to be this bleak/late stuff that hardly appeases anyone because it was available for some time on many other platforms.

Again this goes to my Gamepass analogy. They wont look at anything unless it somehow enhances gamepass. And to me thats the issue, there isn't enough on gamepass to appease people in Japan.

Which is why when there's PS5 stock Playstation sells 3-4x the amount of series. But all the Pro xbox channels leave that bit out obviously.

 

[Swift_Star]

Like how installbase loses it over a japanese game skipping switch lol

Funny that I was dogpiled on GAF by saying that Japanese games don’t release on Xbox…

 

[Remember_Spinal]

Funny that I was dogpiled on GAF by saying that Japanese games don’t release on Xbox…

Theres a lot of one sided trolling on GAF from the xbox side, its why i just said fuck it and stopped caring

 

[Bodycount611]

It's all an inferiority complex at the end of the day. What really pushes their buttons is seeing Sony included and them not. They don't cry and moan when Switch gets exclusives, only when Sony does, or when they're the only platform skipped. That really reminds them that developers and gamers have chosen PS, and they backed the clear losing horse.

I can tell you for a fact that Xbox isn't even sold in most stores in Japan and it isn't even sold as a games console. It's seen as a multimedia/blu ray device and is commonly sold in the DVD section. The games also aren't stocked, you usually have to use Amazon to special order them. 3rd party games don't usually launch here physically, ever. The console is a legitimate joke.

X means "No" in Japan and when you make an X with your arms or fingers it's deeply offensive and can stop someone in their tracks. it literally means DO NOT/ STOP.

Circle means Yes, or Go. that's why if you've ever imported a PS console from japan, circle is confirm and X is Back.

imagine what that does for Xbox's sales...

It's a platform that was designed without the Japanese market in mind and completely misses the mark in every way. it's been 20 years of gutter status for the brand, and that is death in marketing terms. It will never take off in Japan, plain and simple, discussion over.

 

[Bryank75]

Funny that I was dogpiled on GAF by saying that Japanese games don’t release on Xbox…

Why this place was started.... unfair moderation practice and bans handed out without warning.

 

[Bryank75]

It's all an inferiority complex at the end of the day. What really pushes their buttons is seeing Sony included and them not. They don't cry and moan when Switch gets exclusives, only when Sony does, or when they're the only platform skipped. That really reminds them that developers and gamers have chosen PS, and they backed the clear losing horse.

I can tell you for a fact that Xbox isn't even sold in most stores in Japan and it isn't even sold as a games console. It's seen as a multimedia/blu ray device and is commonly sold in the DVD section. The games also aren't stocked, you usually have to use Amazon to special order them. 3rd party games don't usually launch here physically, ever. The console is a legitimate joke.

X means "No" in Japan and when you make an X with your arms or fingers it's deeply offensive and can stop someone in their tracks. it literally means DO NOT/ STOP.

Circle means Yes, or Go. that's why if you've ever imported a PS console from japan, circle is confirm and X is Back.

imagine what that does for Xbox's sales...

It's a platform that was designed without the Japanese market in mind and completely misses the mark in every way. it's been 20 years of gutter status for the brand, and that is death in marketing terms. It will never take off in Japan, plain and simple, discussion over.

I somehow have a vision of a guy dressed in Xbox clothes from top to bottom...... running around Tokyo and jumping infront of people and shouting 'NO' when they are eating or crossing the road or doing whatever they are doing at the time....

X-man or Mr No!

My mind is still caught back in 90's UK comedy sketches, sorry!

 

[Deleted member 13]

Why this place was started.... unfair moderation practice and bans handed out without warning.

100% this. When mods start getting personal with the community on their opinions then it's a sure sign that something is not right at the upper level.

 

[Ronin714]

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.

It was embarrassing. They didn’t even show me one must have game from their first party studios. I was falling asleep honestly. If it wasn’t for PlayStation and Nintendo, I’d probably quit the hobby.

 

[peter42O]

Xbox Showcase 2022 was a 6.0/10 for me. Excluding dlc/expansions, out of 25 games shown, only 5 are of interest to me.

1. A Plague Tale Requiem
2. Redfall
3. Diablo IV
4. Flintlock: Siege of Dawn
5. Starfield

I know the vast majority of people enjoyed the showcase. Most A or B grades. For casuals, it seemed to hit but for Xbox fans, not so much if at all. Of course, once Sarah said "next 12 months", I knew the showcase was going to be bad because I knew that there would be no Fable, no Perfect Dark, no Avowed, no State of Decay 3, etc.

I do understand why they went this way though. For Microsoft, it's all about Game Pass. Once Redfall and Starfield were delayed, they had to show subscribers why they should stay subscribed and while it does nothing for me, that Riot Games announcement is going to be massive for them. Basically, for casuals, great show but for those like me who are on forums/twitter, etc., not so much.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

It was a good showcase. No need to show things that will come out several years from now. Seems like they learned their lesson.

 

[Deleted member 223]

I'm more excited for what they didn't show.

 

[Katajx]

In the 360 era and maybe even the X1 I really never gave a shit about their first party. As long as they had some decent third party stuff to show.

I liked Halo and I never thought I’d see the day games like MGS, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, and DMC would show up on Xbox.

They did and that’s when I stopped caring what plastic box I played my games on.

 

[Papacheeks]

In the 360 era and maybe even the X1 I really never gave a shit about their first party. As long as they had some decent third party stuff to show.

I liked Halo and I never thought I’d see the day games like MGS, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, and DMC would show up on Xbox.

They did and that’s when I stopped caring what plastic box I played my games on.

Here's the thing only 2 Main line final fantasy games have made it over to xbox. FF13, FF15.

Everything else has been on Playstation platform including handhelds.

Looking at last gen, hardly any Japanese support was there for X1. This gen it seems they are at least trying to get Atlus, Sega, Capcom to bite.

But if you are into JRPG's Nintendo or Playstation are going to just offer more newer titles.

 

[Katajx]

Here's the thing only 2 Main line final fantasy games have made it over to xbox. FF13, FF15.

Everything else has been on Playstation platform including handhelds.

Looking at last gen, hardly any Japanese support was there for X1. This gen it seems they are at least trying to get Atlus, Sega, Capcom to bite.

But if you are into JRPG's Nintendo or Playstation are going to just offer more newer titles.

Yeah, but coming from the PS2 era there was a bit of a shift from that. Those were big exclusives for me that you only got on PlayStation.

I was forgetting all the Bandai Nancy games too. Don’t think there has been a Gundam game that isn’t a Musou on Xbox has there?

If I could only choose PS or XBOX FF7-R and FF16 is a dealbreaker with those not coming to XBOX.

 

[Warnen]

Only thing I cared for was star field and Diablo 4. Now let’s see if either come out in a year.

 

[Hobbygaming]

As much as some like to try to make fun of 3rd person AAA games, this is exactly what Xbox needs more of at their shows

Show more exclusive AAA 3rd person over the shoulder games and fix the pacing too. A lot of those smaller games can be announced at other shows or just uploaded straight to YouTube

 

[Papacheeks]

As much as some like to try to make fun of 3rd person AAA games, this is exactly what Xbox needs more of at their shows

Show more exclusive AAA 3rd person over the shoulder games and fix the pacing too. A lot of those smaller games can be announced at other shows or just uploaded straight to YouTube

Show us fable, if fable looks hella good, then I think a lot of critics and skeptics will subside.

 

[Hobbygaming]

Show us fable, if fable looks hella good, then I think a lot of critics and skeptics will subside.

Fable, Hellblade 2, State of Decay 3 and Indiana Jones should've been shown at the minimum instead of that weak Gamepass showcase

 

[Papacheeks]

Fable, Hellblade 2, State of Decay 3 and Indiana Jones should've been shown at the minimum instead of that weak Gamepass showcase

I don't disagree. But I'm not worried about Ninja Theory, or Machine Games they are self contained studios who seem to have their own workflows that dont need intervention.

But Playground Games Fable team, Undead labs, RARE, Initiaitve, 343 all having development issues paints a picture that could be dispelled by showing one of them.

I just chose fable since thats the one I care about the most.

 

[nominedomine]

Fable, Hellblade 2, State of Decay 3 and Indiana Jones should've been shown at the minimum instead of that weak Gamepass showcase

They are hiding them for a reason, did you see what happened when they actually showed Starfield or Halo Infinite? Xbox fans like to dream about games they've never seen and the when reality hits they just start the process again.

The upcoming years are always great for Xbox, the problem is always the current year and all the years that came before. 20 years of having by far the worst library of games of any platform.