Microsoft
Microsoft's press conference wasn't their best E3 presser by a long shot. It, unfortunately, failed to predominately focus on the core gamers, which is the point of a press conference during expo. That said, they did manage to conjure up some great unveils; namely, world premieres of gameplay footage for quality titles.
Pros:
- Halo 4 – Microsoft opened their press conference in the strongest way with the world premiere of the campaign of 343 Industries' Halo 4. We saw. We were amazed. We now eagerly anticipate November 6th.
- Tomb Raider – Making its second consecutive E3 appearance during Microsoft's press conference, Crystal Dynamics once again showcases an impressive gameplay demo of their Tomb Raider reboot. Sure, it immediately drew comparisons to Naughty Dog's Uncharted series but there's no doubt that the iconic Square Enix franchise has its own identity.
- South Park: Stick of Truth – Not only did South Park creators make Microsoft's E3 press conference much more entertaining, they showcased an extremely intriguing-looking South Park game. The pair stressed that they want players to feel they're in an actual episode of the cartoon and that transition seemed to have panned out perfectly in their E3 presentation.
Cons:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2:
You're really going to close the show off with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2? Really? I understand that the Xbox 360 and Call of Duty are synonymous with the high sales on the platform and Activision's profitable relationship with Microsoft (timed-exclusive DLC), but to close the show off with the game was a bad decision. Granted, the gameplay of the title, which was the world premiere, impressed many due to the new direction Call of Duty was taking but why not showcase that at the beginning of the presser and leave the juggernaut that is Halo 4 until the end?
- Usher:
Microsoft paying Usher a ton of cash to dance at their press conference (and dancing is all it was) showcased how the company are totally losing it. Core gamers, which is what E3 press conference is about, want to see Usher dancing around instead of seeing quality titles? Appalling.
- Kinect:
Yes, we understand Kinect has sold more than 10 million units. Maybe 20 million. But Microsoft hasn't supported the motion sensor peripheral ever since a few months following its launch. So, with the motion war all but dead (there wasn't any considerable focus on PlayStation Move during Sony's E3 presser), why keep showcasing the ability of Kinect? The device is predominately geared towards the casual audience, who don't even watch E3, let alone know what it is. As previously stated, E3 is for the core audience and Microsoft, as they did last year, failed to acknowledge that. Examples of Kinect functionality for software at the presser was, out of all games, FIFA 13. No, thank you; I'll stick to my controller.
- SmartGlass:
SmartGlass may seem like an innovative piece of technology, turning your TV and tablet into an extension of the Xbox 360—but it adds nothing for gamers. Microsoft would've been better off showcasing the tech at CES instead of using E3 as its platform.
- Splinter Cell: Blacklist:
If anyone says Splinter Cell: Blacklist looked "cool" or its returning to its roots, you have my permission to give them a slap. Ubisoft's unveil took place at Microsoft's E3 press conference via a gameplay demo and it undoubtedly looked like the title borrowed a disturbing amount of components from Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.
