However, VP of gaming Phil Spencer confirmed that while Xbox considered that route, it won’t be the case for 2019: “This is going to be a fun E3 for us … we had a discussion internally. Should we go big? Should we save some money? No, we’re going to do our thing and we’re going to go and be as big at E3 as we’ve ever been.”
What to Expect
As is customary, the company didn’t comment on any of those ‘big’ plans. However, rumors suggest multiple consoles in the works, with a streaming and traditional one. Given the power of the Xbox One X over the competition, the streaming device seems more likely, but its entirely possible Microsoft will stick to games. Last year, the tech company acquired a number of highly regarded games studios. From Forza Horizon developers Playground Games to Obsidian Entertainment, inXile, Compulsion Games, and Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs. Microsoft also went on a hiring spree for its new ‘AAAA’ studio, The Initiative. It acquired top talent from God of War, Tomb Raider, Red Dead Redemption, Shadow of Mordor, and Sunset Overdrive. However, with no Sony presence this year, Microsoft will feel less of a need to be reactionary. It can hammer home its vision without gamers arguing about which of the two ‘won E3’. Whatever the status on its consoles, 2019 is set to be a big year for xCloud, Microsoft’s game streaming service. We expect the company to give more details about its functionality this year, as well as the return of fan favorites like Forza Motorsport.
