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- State of Play and Summer Game Fest were not the most exciting showcases in 2024.
- Xbox completely changed that, with its latest showcase offering incredibly exciting reveals from both first and third-party teams.
- The event also offered these reveals at a brisk pace, never letting the audience rest, even for a moment.
Gaming’s showcase season was highly anticipated this year. Following a disappointing State of Play and a mediocre Summer Game Fest, however, many feared this season would be quickly forgotten.
Much to our surprise, Xbox was ready to save the day. After hitting the ground running with an exciting Black Ops 6 debut, Phil Spencer took to the stage. What followed was more than an hour of game reveals, new trailers, and announcements.
Microsoft truly captured the feeling of E3 this year. In fact, the event was head and shoulders above anything we saw this year. I would even argue that it was the best showcase that Microsoft has ever hosted.
Why it matters: Xbox Games Showcase has raised the bar for future gaming events.
The Disappointing Summer Game Fest & State of Play
One factor that helped Xbox this time was the mediocrity that preceded its event.
For instance, while not a full-blown event, PlayStation’s State of Play was a substitute for Sony’s typical showcase during this time of the year. Apart from God of War Ragnarok and Astro Bot, this livestream didn’t do much for me.
Silent Hill 2 was also disappointing, with Monster Hunter Wilds being the only saving grace. Fast forward to Summer Game Fest, and this event ended on a similar note for me. However, it’s not difficult to see why.
Some major announcements during the Xbox Games Showcase could’ve benefited Geoff Keighley’s event, but Microsoft seems to have been hell-bent on putting on a show for everyone to remember. On June 9, it did just that.
First-Party Goodness
What I loved about the showcase was that it was relentless from beginning to end.
When you kick off a show with Doom: The Dark Ages, it’s already hard to follow up with equally exciting reveals. However, not only did Microsoft successfully continue the excitement, but some would even argue that it took things up a notch.
For instance, what followed Doom: The Dark Ages were games like Fable, Indiana Jones, State of Decay 3, Perfect Dark, and Gears E-Day. Not everything listed here was new, but I can’t stress enough how thrilling it was to see back-to-back hits.
Typically, I go into these showcases expecting a bunch of indie games. Xbox completely flipped that narrative, offering AAA trailers one after another. Even the smaller games like South of Midnight ended up being enjoyable.
This showcase had been in the making for a whopping four years. Everything Xbox promised in 2020, including Fable, Perfect Dark, and State of Decay 3, was on full display here.
Xbox’s Best Showcase
Remember how I said various titles from the Xbox Games Showcase could have been at Summer Game Fest? Well, it seems like Microsoft didn’t want to share anything this year.
Between Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the event’s third-party showing was as strong as ever.
All in all, Microsoft came in at just the right time. While everyone seemed to be craving an exciting E3-like conference, Xbox was preparing something nobody could have expected.
I would say this showcase was so good that it can be compared to Sony’s E3 conference from 2016. Remember how PlayStation revealed God of War, Spider-Man, and Days Gone at the same event?
Well, Xbox brought Doom: The Dark Ages, Gears E-Day, and Black Ops 6 to the table. Microsoft even introduced a few new console models to mix things up, addressing nearly every facet of its gaming business.
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[News Reporter]
Bawal is an MBBS student by day and a gaming journalist by night. He has been gaming since childhood, growing fond of the creativity and innovation of the industry. His career as a gaming journalist started one year ago, and his journey has allowed him to write reviews, previews, and features for various sites. Bawal has also been cited in reputed websites such as Screenrant, PCGamesN, WCCFTech, GamesRadar, and more.
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