It’s Microsoft’s turn to take to the E3 stage. Is there anything left to reveal that hasn’t been leaked?
We’ll be reporting on each announcement as it happens.
Microsoft E3 2016 press conference report
10:53 – Phil Spencer is back to talk devices.
He’s really pleased with Xbox Play Anywhere. And so he should be.
More cheers for the Xbox One S…
… and here comes the 4K and VR announcement.
Well, some developer talking heads first.
Meanwhile, a Project Scorpio logo forms and the music builds.
Ships next year and will be the most powerful console ever built. Created to support 4K gaming and VR.
Full compatibility with Xbox One. “No one gets left behind” promises Phil.
Drops the mic.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:49 – Halo Wars 2
New cinematic trailer for the 343’s RTS sequel. A free, week-long beta is available on Xbox One now. Go, go, go!
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjN1eWhzPeA” autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:47 – State of Decay 2.
Looks to be a huge step up from the first game.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JMJFyXuGUw” autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:42 – Sea of Thieves.
Xbox and Windows 10 Play Anywhere exclusive. The trailer gives little away but it’s another distinctive game that looks darker than it’s E3 2015 reveal.
Here’s Craig Duncan from Rare. Emergent gameplay promised. Time for a demo showing three crews embarking on their first adventure.
Scratch that darkness comment, it’s bright and beautiful. Features lots of mucking about between the players. Ship-to-ship combat. Drinking and sinking too.
Looks really fun, lots of cool co-op opportunities.
These players are grating though!
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQlsN6EO2oU” autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:34 – Scalebound.
Hideki Kamiya promises the biggest boss battles ever and introduces some stunning co-op gameplay. It’s a bad attack of the crabs. Although, it should be said that the boss doesn’t look as big as the one in the Final Fantasy XV demo.
Combat takes place on land and in the air and the transition is super smooth between each element.
And little numbers pop up when you shoot something. It’s a Japanese game!
It’s like an amped up Monster Hunter. With terrible music.
Coming next year.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ZVMU_KA-M” autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:33 – Frank’s back
It’s Dead Rising 4. Looks as crazy as ever and takes the story back to a mall.
Coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 this holiday.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT3cb3f5pM0″ autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:28 – Fight! It’s Tekken 7.
I need a fighting game fan to help explain what’s going on here. Everyone is so, so angry.
From Bandai-Namco and coming in early 2017.
Tekken Tag Tournament is free to Xbox Gold members via Back compat.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:24 – CD Projekt RED introduce Gwent
It’s real. Office title: Gwent – The Witcher Card game.
PC/console cross-platform multiplayer confirmed. Comes with new visuals and mechanics but still offers the same bluff-focused gameplay.
Coming in September.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:19 – We Happy Few
Very odd. Time manipulation. Masks. Newpapers. Something called the Redactor. It’s very dark and disturbing.
Looks interesting, this one. Fallout x Bioshock x Portal x Clockwork Orange?
“What’s life like outside the tube?” As a London commuter, I can relate to that.
Available on Xbox Game Preview from 26th July.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:17 – ID@Xbox sizzle reel
Arc is also coming to Xbox Play Anywhere, if you’ve got it on Xbox One, you can play it on Windows 10 too.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_mLdDSi7L8″ autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:14 – Inside
A short, moody teaser that gives nothing away. Limbo, also from PlayDead, is now free to anyone with an Xbox One. If you haven’t played it, please do.
Inside is coming on 29th June.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:12 – Custom Xbox One controllers
Oh, this is cool. You can design your own Xbox One controllers. All sorts of colours and you can get it engraved too. Sweet.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGxxXkDqRS8″ autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:08 – Minecraft update
Players across iOS, Android and Windows 10 can now play together using Minecraft Realms. It’s available right now.
They even mention a Surface, how cute.
John Carmack then turns up to look around Lydia’s realm using Oculus. He’s having a good time.
Add-ons are coming to Minecraft this fall. Lets you modify object and characters.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:04 – Xbox Live update.
Background music coming this summer. So is language region independence and Cortana.
Also coming are Clubs. Sounds a bit like the PlayStation 4’s group features.
Biggest cheers goes to Arena, a new tournament platform for Xbox. FIFA will come to Arena, “in the coming years.” Sounds a bit vague.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:01 – Battlefield 1.
First time we’ve heard the words “than ever before”, I think.
Battlefield 1 early access is coming to Xbox One on 13 October.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]10:00 – The Division Underground.
A little trailer for some DLC for The Division.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBlQYBIidoM” autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:55 – Final Fantasy XV demo.
A huge battle. Shadow of the Colossus style gameplay. But this guy really is colossal.
Someone says “No more Mr. Nice guy.” Good to see great localisation isn’t dead.
Music is wonderful and complements the cinematic presentation. Although, it’s tricky to see what they players are actually doing.
Epic stuff. Released on 30th September.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:53 – Recore.
Well, this does look fun. Lots of humour and energy. A mix of combat and puzzling. A dash of platforming too.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnKT9ZCGgBE” autoplay=”no”]Has a real identity. And it’s nice to see a game that’s nice and bright.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:46 – New Forza
It’s Forza Horizon 3. Some beautiful environments. Looks like Australia.
It is Australia!
Time for a gameplay demo. It really is a looker. Some lovely skies on the Great Ocean Road. Ah, reminds me of the time I went backpacking. The tears, the laughs, the flies.
You can see each player driving at different times of day.
There are tonnes of social features. Looks ace, frankly.
Coming September 22nd.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTSUgXkfooA” autoplay=”no”] [divider style=“dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:44 – Killer Instinct.
Lots of cheering for this. Didn’t realise the game was quite so popular.
New character announcement: General Raam. He looks mightily miffed. No wonder, he’s in the wrong game.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzrjBID4bHU” autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:36 – Gears of War 4 co-op gameplay demo.
The game looks heaps better than last year’s reveal, although the environments have a certain blandness.
It’s definitely a Gears game though. Cover shooting, check. Roadie run, check. Team bants, check.
The environmental effects are impressive. Lots of things blowing about in the wind.
And the crowd goes… mild.
There will be a Gears of War 4 Elite controller too. Look’s like someone had a nosebleed on it.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:33 – Rod Fergusson from the Coalition introduces Gears of War 4 and Xbox Play Anywhere.
Xbox Play Anywhere offers cross-platform play between console and Windows 10 PC. Buy once and play on both platfroms. Brings cross-platform multi-player to the party too.
Horde mode confirmed for Gears 4.
[divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:08 – Leak 1 confirmed – New Xbox One S console.
Priced $299 and released in August. Features 4K HD video and Blu-ray, and HDR gaming. New, tweaked controller too.
Looks very smart, very mainstream at that price too.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuTwtOo88r8″ autoplay=”no”] [divider style=”dashed” align=”center” color=”gray” opacity=”1.00″ width=”” pull=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_bottom=”10px”]09:23 – Pre-flight check.
All systems go. All leaks, erm, plugged.
Keep up to date with all of our E3 coverage right here.
