#E3withWGL: XBOX Conference Gamers POV: @NinjaDuce
Bethesda Started E3 with a bang. Microsoft, however, was the 1st of the big 3 (sony, nintendo, xbox) to bless us with their yearly offering of gaming hype overload. We got almost everything we hoped for from Xbox this year from the obvious exclusives to new tech and fuel for the never-ending console wars. Here at WeGotLeagues we wanted to bring you E3 from the eyes of gamers like you. So whether you missed it or were to hype to catch everything, let’s review Xbox’s E3 2015 briefing.
Above is the E3 trailer for Xbox. I’m sure it will be their main TV commercial going forward through the gaming/holiday season. The trailer really captures the mood of the entire show and is pretty well done.
Of course Microsoft leads with their franchise leader Halo.
Halo 5: Guardians looks fantastic in the new campaign trailer. As a long time Halo nut, I’m not sure how I feel about the new squad based mechanics in a Halo game. I mean….. It Looks awesome and seems to work really well in the demo, but outside of the artwork and sound effects it just doesn’t scream “HALO” to me. I played the Halo 5 multiplayer beta (which came with the historically broken Master Chief Collection) and I liked it. As more details pop up I’ll be sure to share them with you as we get closer to launch.
Follow your superstar with a promising rookie. Xbox follows Halo with a very intriguing new IP from the makers of Metroid Prime. Presenting ReCore an XBOX ONE EXCLUSIVE title where “As one of the last remaining humans, forge friendships with courageous robot companions and lead them on an epic adventure through a mysterious, dynamic world.” What’s cool about this trailer is how the dog robot self destructs but the player can still take its power core (hence the games name) and reuse it in another robot. Also note at the end she has a mini army of robo friends ready to fight the good fight along side her. Nice new exclusive to look forward to next Spring 2016.
So this would be a good time to blow our minds as we ponder this new game right???? Yup that’s exactly what Xbox thought as well when they decided this was the time to announce Backward Compatibility is coming to the Xbox One!!!! This holiday they will start going through the catalog of Xbox 360 games and basically making an emulator for them to work through the Xbox One. They plan on unlocking all 1st party titles as well as the most popular titles available on the 360. The feature is already live and available to Xbox Live Preview members RIGHT NOW!!! For right now its limited to 21 games (Mass Effect, Kameo, Perfect Dark Zero, Viva Pinata series, and Banjo-Kazooie to name a few)
As we all scream the praises of Backward Compatibility, Xbox slips in a slick trailer showing a new “ELITE” controller. What’s shown as a new super fancy and customizable controller that really looks cool but also expensive. Of course they didn’t show the price so I had to look it up. Sooooo they are a bit crazy as my early research shows the controller is projected to be at a ridiculous $150 price point. As a fighting game player, at that price I can just buy a arcade stick for my fighters. Even a racing wheel would be a more practical price for a more precise racing gamer. As great as the new “elite” controller is, I’m sorry it can’t be worth more than $70-$90 bucks MAX. I really hope that Xbox rethinks this price point between now and the fall launch.
Next, the Bethesda guys pop back in to add to their Fallout 4 reveal. We will be able to use any custom mods that are made on the pc version of Fallout 4 on the Xbox One. This is huge news for Fallout fans out there and I am sure they are all losing their collective marbles over all the Fallout 4 news they have gotten this week after such a long wait.
Even though EA has its own conference they of course pop in on Xbox’s to talk about how great EA access is & blah blah blah. The did take the time to give us the 1st look at Plant vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 and it looks as crazy as ever.
Back to the jaw droppers. Microsoft then decides to lower the 1st look at the brand new Ford Gt from the rafters like Sting at a wrestling pay-per-view. Ladies and gentlemen, Forza 6. The most precise and ever elegant simulation racer continues to push the bar of automotive beauty and realism. Still an Xbox One Exclusive Forza Motorsport 6 will be out on Sept. 15th 2015.
Possibly winner for creepy trailer of the show, we have Dark Souls III. Not much info here as it’s just a teaser announcement trailer. Stay tuned to WeGotLeagues for upcoming news and previews leading up to the Spring 2016 release.
Just like EA, Ubisoft has its turn to drop in on the Xbox slot. Here we get yet another stunning trailer from The Division that makes me wonder why it has gotten pushed back so many times. Personally, this is the last chance Ubisoft has with me. I really hope they get The Division right. Looks to be a groundbreaking gaming experience. Xbox One getting the Beta in December 2015.
While Ubisoft is here why not throw in the new Rainbow Six Siege. Set for release October 13,2015.
In a cross play Xbox One/Windows 10 Exclusive, We have another new title called Gigantic. A free to play 5v5 online battle game that looks really….colorful. Hey, its FREE!…the Beta starts sometime in August 2015. www.xbox.com/gigantic
Now my vote for OVERALL GAME OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! CUPHEAD!!!!!!
This is the part of the show where most folks take a bathroom break. The Indie games. Xbox iD department, however does put out some quality games that you would miss out on if you just dismissed them simply because they aren’t huge budget blockbusters. I won’t go through all of them but here is the montage video for the iD games this year:
Like I said before, Cuphead will be an instant buy for me haha. Either way, don’t ignore the ID@xbox games. You might just find a gem that you love for under 20 bucks.
Xbox Game Preview– New early game demo program for indie games.
Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next installment in the Lara Croft adventures looks as intense as you would expect from a Tomb Raider title. Set for release November 10th 2015, Rise of the Tomb Raider is now available for pre-order.
Rare Replay– Celebrate Rare’s 30th Anniversary with a jaw-dropping collection of 30 iconic games, lovingly presented for Xbox One. August 4th 2015 we’ll be able to get all these classic games for just 30 bucks. Great bargain. Also to celebrate their 30th Anniversary, Rare brought us a brand new title in Sea of Thieves. A new pirate themed open world rpg.
Fable Legends gets a nice new trailer from the villain perspective. Xbox is really pushing the cross play features between Xbox One and Windows 10.
Tech time!
All Oculus Rift Headsets shipping with Xbox One controllers, but that’s just a shout out for a lead in to a crazy Hololens demo.
GEARS BACK!!! Original Gears of War remaster coming August 25th 2015 as the Gears of War Ultimate Edition. Ultimate Edition multiplayer beta live now for this next week!!! Oh, Did I mention Gears 4 Confirmed?!?!?!?!?
ok ok ok, I’ll be honest Doom got me quite a bit more hype than gears.
Overall I really feel Xbox gave us a really solid E3 this year. They really hit all the buttons they wanted to. They only draw back is I’m not coming out of this conference super eager for any game in particular. Of course I’m ready for games like Halo 5 & Forza 6, but this Xbox conference hasn’t filled me with the uncontrollable urge to pre-order way too many games for my budget this holiday season. Funny enough, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. Last few yrs I’ve left E3 super hyped for baskets full of games only to be let down by broken launches. Maybe this year will be different. Maybe Xbox and their partners will provide us all with a deeply fulfilling gaming season. A gaming season full of releases that measure up to their expectations and provide countless hours of entertainment. Has the next current generation of consoles finally start to hit its stride?
