It’s been a rough 48 hours for fans of the Xbox.
On the eve of E3 2018, Microsoft would confirm that Crackdown 3, the only title to survive their 1st party exclusive purge well on its way to a 2018 release (RIP Scalebound) was delayed once again, to 2019. Sure, the developer said in a statement that it was done to “give fans the experience they deserve”, but we all know what that really means. This would be a move that not only dashes any hope of any Xbox exclusives for the remainder of the year, but it also ensures that this egregious waste of Terry Crews’ stellar promotion for the title will fade even further from memory.
This news couldn’t have come at a worse time for Microsoft. This year at E3, the competition will be fierce from their competitors, with Sony bringing titles the likes of Death Stranding, and The Last of Us Part 2, and Spider-Man. Nintendo at this point can only keep adding to their considerable momentum with mainstays Super Smash Bros and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, along with (finally) solid 3rd-party support on their side.
The unfortunate, general consensus among forums and comment sections after this most recent casualty to their lineup is that Microsoft has nothing to show this E3. Even with Xbox head Phil Spencer tweeting that they have fifteen “World Premiere” games ready to show at their conference, it’s easy to see why they’re skeptical. Many of their “world premieres” in past E3s have either been 3rd party reveals the likes of Call of Duty, or Anthem, or timed exclusives like INSIDE. While pushing out the most technically accomplished 3rd party titles does seem to be hand they’re playing at the moment due to the release of the Xbox One X, I think everyone can agree that it isn’t enough to just be pretty. They need hooks, a true reason to purchase their platform other than the remastered games of the past. A lot could be on the line for them this year, and they NEED to impress.
With a mere few hours before the conference, we have nothing but questions, many Microsoft will have to answer if the Xbox is to see any long-term success. How many of the games shown will be 1st-party? Will Halo 6, or Gears of War 5 make an appearance? Will there be new IPs we’ve never heard of? Indies? We’ll be front and center, liveblogging the event, and hopefully, this archive of reactions will be one to remember, and we can have some renewed faith.
See you there!
