As the number of days until E3 continue to count down like players during a round of Fortnite, excitement grows. With each passing day, gamer’s from all over discuss and predict what will happen. While leaks have already sprung, one thing looks to be certain. Microsoft will likely take last place when it comes to exclusive properties once again.
Amid the plethora of leaked (though not confirmed) titles by Wal-Mart listed below, Microsoft looks to be focusing on sequels. Particularly Gears of War 5, and Forza Horizons 5. What adds to the validity of this leak is the release of two trailers for Bethesda’s Rage 2.
Now to be fair Sony did just release God of War, and last year Nintendo teased Metroid Prime 4 at E3. However, nobody saw those titles coming, especially the latter of the two. Also it has been a long time since new iterations of the two properties have hit a home console. This goes back to my article about release dates.
The longer you wait to release a new property or a sequel to a major property, the better the reception. Putting out a new Gears of War every couple of years is fine, but it’s not exciting. Sony announcing a Spider-Man game that’s an exclusive is exciting, Nintendo teasing Samus’ return to console is exciting and makes me want to buy a Nintendo Switch right now! The Last of Us Part II while I don’t think it’s needed has me intrigued.
I cannot think of an exclusive that would make me want to go out and buy an Xbox One. But here is how Microsoft can make that happen. You own Rare, use them! Tease a new Battletoads, make a new Perfect Dark, let people know a new Conker is coming.
Try to resuscitate PlatinumGames’ Scalebound which was cancelled last year. The truth is this, you can have the power of a computer in an Xbox One X, but its library means so much more. Create new stories and properties while building on old ones. Not every exclusive has to be original, it just has to be something that makes me feel like I’m missing out.
As of right now I don’t. Also the better exclusives you have, the more you can bundle them with your console. Part of what sold me on getting a PlayStation 4 was it came with a copy of The Last of Us which I hadn’t played prior to buying the console. Microsoft, you cannot go through another E3 and make myself and others feel like you have nothing special to offer.
Announce a major acquisition of a studio and trust them to make a game that will please people. Don’t just do what you did with Lionhead Games (makers of the Fable games) and acquire them, only to neglect them, causing them to close their doors as Lionhead did in 2016. Do something, anything. Just don’t think you can get by with the Fenix family and Master Chief alone, embrace new things.
Right now you’re looking like a kid who doesn’t want to try new foods. But the truth is if you tried them out, you’d like them. Use E3 2018 to blow myself and others away.
