Xbox has had some ups and downs over the past 25 years, but they’ve never been in a position more precarious than the one they are in today. This isn’t hyperbole; the entire business is balanced on a knife’s edge, and honestly, the vibes are bad. I’ve been a fan since the original Xbox and the 360 may be my favorite console of time, but it’s been a rough decade. From boycotts to declining sales to questionable acquisitions to confusing messaging, I don’t think things have ever been worse for Xbox.
So why even care? Why spend two hours on a Sunday watching a showcase? Well, habit for one. I’ve been watching these since the cringe days of E3 and am not about to stop now. Secondly, I’m invested. Not just in the platform (I like achievements and the controller, and Play Anywhere and whatever), but the franchises and studios owned by Microsoft. I love Halo, Gears, and Forza, but Blizzard, Rare, and id are three of my favorite developers of all time: a game from any of those studios is an event to me. And yeah, I want to maybe see what Obsidian, Double Fine, Machine Games, Turn 10, Playground, Bethesda, Raven, High Moon, Ninja Theory, inXile, etc. are cooking.
I don’t want to be over-dramatic and say it’s do or die time, but it kinda is? Hopefully the games are good, but also the showcase gives signs of sustainable studios and a healthy platform.
Here’s to a good show!
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