Editorial: How Microsoft Can Have a More Exciting Summer Games Showcase Than Sony
Sony recently held a summer showcase for their upcoming games on PlayStation, and while there were plenty of cool games teased, gamers came away feeling a bit disappointed with the showing. Can Microsoft come out on top with their next games showcase?
While Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 blew people’s minds at the end of the presentation, there was little else in the way of blockbuster first-party titles. No The Last of Us multiplayer game from Naughty Dog, no word on Bend Studios’ next project after Days Gone, nothing on Bluepoint’s next potential remake, no Ghost of Tsushima 2 tease from Sucker Punch, and no new and exclusive blockbuster IPs to sink our teeth into.
The underwhelming feeling following the presentation provides an unexpected opening for Microsoft to claw back some ground after a poor first half to 2023. They have their own Xbox Games Showcase in just a couple of weeks. If they can show that they have a whole roster of exciting first-party games coming in over the next year or two, they have a real shot at gaining some ground after Sony’s surprising wobble.
Of course, the recent humiliation with the terrible launch of Redfall does mean that just because Microsoft has some exciting games coming out, it doesn’t mean they’ll be good. The Redfall embarrassment is so recent that most gamers would rightly be cynical about Microsoft’s ability to deliver quality games regularly. However, if they can convince gamers that Xbox’s short-to-medium-term-future looks brighter than Sony’s, that would provide a much-needed shot in the arm.
There are 10 high profile games they can realistically tease at their showcase on June 11 to take advantage of Sony’s blunder. Let’s briefly discuss them below.
Starfield
This is the most obvious potential win for Xbox. Starfield is Microsoft’s biggest first-party release for the remainder of 2023, and thanks to the Redfall blunder, there’s more pressure on Bethesda Game Studios’ newest than ever before to be an excellent game. We already know we’ll see this game next month, as Microsoft is giving Starfield its own special presentation right after the main Xbox Games Showcase. If this demonstration pulls it off by previewing some excellent gameplay, then that sways a lot of momentum back in Microsoft’s favor all by itself.
Plus, while Sony was reluctant to give Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 — their only AAA exclusive game this year — a release date beyond “Fall 2023”, we already know that Starfield is coming to Xbox and PC on September 6. Though this is because the game had already been delayed from last year, it does give Starfield an advantage that Sony’s big tentpole release currently lacks. Now they just need to make sure it looks good.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
With the first Hellblade game being a timed exclusive for PS4, having Hellblade 2 as a permanent Xbox first-party exclusive is a major boon for Microsoft. It’s a game we’ve been waiting on for a while after it was first teased three years ago; considering it’s been a year since its first gameplay trailer, it seems likely we might get another tease during the Xbox Games Showcase, perhaps even with a cautious release date announcement.
Another excellent gameplay trailer with a release date would do a lot for hype levels around Xbox’s future. Ninja Theory proved with the first game that they can release a quality AAA game with a unique voice; people believe they can do it again, regardless of Microsoft’s involvement.
Indiana Jones
It’s been a couple of years now since it was announced that MachineGames, best known for the Wolfenstein series, were working on an Indiana Jones game. With Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny hitting theatres next month, it seems like a good time to show us a first trailer for the game.
Considering the developer has likely only been working on the game for two or three years, it’s unlikely that we’ll see gameplay at this stage, but we could get a CGI story trailer that gives us more of a feel for the game. Perhaps it’ll even be able to use the game engine for something cinematic that can get the hype train rolling.
Quake
It’s been three years since id Software released Doom Eternal, and two since the developer finished the game’s DLC expansions. No new projects have been confirmed from the studio yet, but rumors have been swirling that they might be focusing their attention on another classic id Software IP for the reboot treatment — Quake.
The franchise has remained mostly dormant for a while now, save for the multiplayer-only Quake Champions arena shooter that launched in 2017. If id Software has decided to give Quake the reboot treatment like 2016’s Doom, then an announcement trailer would certainly generate a lot of excitement. It’s probably slightly too early for a gameplay trailer, but if they’re using the same engine that they did for Doom, then don’t rule out a gameplay sizzle reel.
This is one of the few surprise announcements Microsoft could pull out for a quick win.
Avowed
Obsidian has been plugging away quietly for a while now. So far, the only Xbox exclusive they’ve released since Microsoft acquired them is the small critical darling Pentiment late last year. However, it’s been two years since that CGI teaser for Avowed, the highly anticipated medieval fantasy RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe.
If Microsoft wanted to do something really cool, they could give us a better look at the RPG. While it’s presumably still too early to see gameplay, a story trailer showing us protagonists, villains, and the general premise would go a long way to getting people excited for the future of Xbox. This is a game that even PlayStation fans would be interested in.
Fable
Like Avowed, it’s been two years since Microsoft showed a short teaser trailer for Fable, the fantasy series being rebooted by Playground Games (known for their gorgeous Forza Horizon open-world racing series). The developer can’t have been working on the game for more than three years at this point, so a gameplay trailer is out of the question, but another CGI trailer revealing more of the story would get a lot of fans excited for the return of what was once an important franchise for Xbox.
We’ve been dying to know more ever since it was confirmed, so seeing more of Fable on top of everything else in this list would make for a fantastic Xbox Games Showcase.
Gears 6
The Gears of War franchise (now simply renamed Gears) is probably the only reliable IP Microsoft has going for it right now in terms of quality besides Forza, with Coalition being its most consistent developer when it comes to AAA exclusives. It’s been four years since Gears 5 was released, so it seems about time that we at least get an announcement that Gears 6 is coming in 2024.
Normally, I would expect a gameplay trailer at this point, though admittedly the COVID-19 pandemic might have slowed down development more than expected. The highly anticipated sequel will be using Unreal Engine 5, so if we’re lucky enough to see any gameplay, then expect it to look gorgeous.
Halo – Project Tatanka
Rumors have been swirling for a year or so that Certain Affinity (who worked on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary) are working on a Halo battle royale codenamed Project Tatanka. Originally rumored as an add-on for Halo Infinite, there have been new reports that Tatanka will be a separate release built on the Unreal Engine — a first for the Halo franchise.
Halo has always been Microsoft’s flagship series, and even though Halo Infinite‘s launch was a bit rocky, there’s arguably nothing more exciting to Xbox gamers than a new Halo release. There should at least be an announcement that this is coming, but in order for it to really make waves, there needs to be a gameplay trailer too.
A CGI-only trailer for this one would be a letdown; we need to see the game in action, even if it’s only for a couple of minutes. A Halo battle royale would get the blood pumping for fans of the series, of which there are many. With Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer still nowhere to be seen, this would give Microsoft a massive head start over Sony in the multiplayer space.
Everwild
Rare’s next project, Everwild, was first announced three years ago, but we haven’t had an update on it since its last trailer two years ago. There have been reports in that time that the game has been going through some developmental challenges, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable to expect a new trailer showing us more of the game three years after its announcement.
All the footage we’ve seen so far has done a good job at conveying the tone of the game, but it would be great to get a new trailer giving us a much clearer idea of what the game is about. Admittedly, Everwild doesn’t look like a AAA blockbuster, but it certainly could match the likes of Sword of the Sea, the big indie game shown at PlayStation’s showcase. If the other games on this list appear, then Everwild would be a great choice to bolster the Xbox Games Showcase lineup in between the blockbusters.
State of Decay 3
It’s been two years since State of Decay 3 was announced with a gorgeous CGI trailer. Historically, State of Decay has a been a lower budget AA franchise for Microsoft, but that trailer certainly made it look like Microsoft and developer Undead Labs had something more special in mind for the third game in the zombie survival sim franchise.
Assuming Undead Labs has remained a small-ish team, then I don’t expect to see any in-engine gameplay or cutscenes, but perhaps another trailer could be on the horizon to remind people that this game is still coming along and progressing nicely?
Honestly, it seems more likely we’ll get our next update on State of Decay 3 next year, but if they are working on something to show next month, then it would reinforce the idea that there are a lot of exciting exclusives coming to Xbox, something that Sony didn’t quite manage to do for PlayStation this time around.
Other potential candidates
Some Xbox gamers may have noticed I have not mentioned The Initiative’s Perfect Dark reboot on this list. That’s because the game is reported to be in such bad shape that it seems very unlikely we’ll get an update on that for another year or two, so I’d be surprised if we saw it next month. Other than that, we should get a release date for Forza Motorsport 8, but racing games are so niche that it’s not likely to carry the showcase.
We might get another CGI trailer for Obsidian’s The Outer Wilds 2 though, which would definitely get people talking. Like Hellblade, the first game was received extremely well, so there should be plenty of positive buzz for the sequel that was officially announced two years ago, even if it’s not quite considered a huge blockbuster game.
It does seem likely we’ll learn what Compulsion Games have been working on since We Happy Few was released five years ago, but if it’s of a similar budget to that game, then it will likely just be an interesting AA game. I don’t expect it to set pulses racing like some of the other games on this list. We should also get an announcement about inXile’s new project, but I’d be surprised if it’s anything other than a top-down RPG, which also is a bit too niche to dominate the gaming discourse for a while.
Microsoft has a rare opportunity to capitalize on a Sony blunder and capture the excitement of the gaming industry once more. They cannot afford to squander it.
Josh is a huge a fan of Star Wars, superheroes and video games. He spends most of his time wondering who would win in a fight between Boba Fett and Star Lord.
