Results of the Microsoft presentation at E3

The new Xbox One S and Project Scorpio, Minecraft cross-platform servers, Witcher card game, indie platformer INSIDE and more

The standoff between Sony and Microsoft at E3 has already become traditional. Both companies are giants of the gaming industry, primarily as the creators of the two main gaming consoles of the latest generation - Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and during each exhibition a huge part of the attention is focused on their stands. Bethesda studio has already made a significant contribution the day before , but their performance was far from being the main thing at this event.

So let's see what Microsoft prepared for us this year.

Xbox one s

This year, the company announced an updated version of Xbox One - Xbox One S.
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Xbox One S compared to the original Xbox One

Proceeding from the name, it is clear that a fundamentally new product “esca” is not - it is an augmented and improved model of the Xbox One, based on the achievements in the field of electronics in recent years.

The main difference between the model "S" from the usual Xbox - its size. The console was 40% smaller than the original Xbox One and now not so much like a VCR. Also “lost” and the price of the console - you can buy a new Xbox for $ 299 . Microsoft engineers, in addition to minimizing, also conducted a device upgrade:

• USB port is moved to the front panel.
• The gamepad pairing button with the console has been moved to the front panel.
• Support 4K Ultra HD.
• Support HDR function.
• Transferring an external power supply inside the console case.
• New built-in infrared port.
• New Bluetooth module with extended range for gamepads.
• Redesign: body color - white, new matte plastic.
• New plastic for gamepad.

Separately, it is worth noting the transfer of the power supply to the case: MS engineers "shrank" the Xbox stuffing by far not 40%, but much more, since they had to make room for the power supply.

Then there is another question: how are things with cooling? Minimization is good, but won't the new Xbox One S slow down when playing 4K pictures for hours of hours or, worse, melt? But, as it always happens, we can find out for sure only after the product is on sale in August of this year .

Project scorpio

Project Scorpio is a 4K console developed by Microsoft with support for VR technologies. So far, little is known about the console. For example, Scorpio performance will reach 6 TFLOPS against 1.32 TFLOPS on the Xbox One.

At the same time, Project Scorpio creates a precedent when, in one generation, they will exist with fundamentally different performance.

The novelty will be on sale only in 2017 .

Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Design Lab, Cortana and the rejection of regions

Xbox Play Anywhere is a new service from Microsoft, which has been requested for a long time. XPA will allow users not to pay for the same game twice: if you already have a copy of a cross-platform (xbox-PC) title on one of the platforms, then on the second you can play it for free. Quite an obvious step since the launch of the Xbox One, which, however, Microsoft did just now.

Xbox Design Lab is another new service, this time for customizing gamepads.



Judging by the description, with its help any person will be able to choose the configuration of the original gamepad that he needs to be made for the player to order. Thus, Microsoft offer "modding gamepads out of the box."


Presentation video

The Xbox One also now has a Cortana voice assistant. You can control the console with a voice, for example, "Hey, Cortana, Xbox on".

Another good news for gamers - Microsoft has taken the path of liberalizing its policy and is refusing regional restrictions. Now you can connect to Xbox Live from anywhere in the world and play in any available language.

And of course, besides services and new modifications of the Xbox, Microsoft brought a lot of games to the exhibition.

Minecraft

At the last presentation MS announced quite significant changes in Minecraft. The technology giant has decided once again to experiment on the crossing of ecosystems: in the future, single servers will be open, where console gamers can play with players on the PC platform.

A good move or not, time will tell. In any case, Microsoft is far from the first: earlier, the creators of CoD and Battlefield tried to bring PC gamers and console gamers together, which the latter did not like. Perhaps the problem was in the specifics of the game (shooter) and the experiment with Minecraft will be more successful.

During the presentation, a free version of Minecraft was announced.

Halo wars 2

Microsoft also presented a continuation of the strategy of Halo Wars - Halo Wars 2.


Halo Wars 2 Trailer

The original Halo Wars - a real-time strategy for the Xbox-exclusive Halo universe. The game was designed by Ensemble Studios, sponsored by Age Of Empires, and released in 2009.

The developers of the second part were Creative Assembly, the authors of the Total War series.

Yesterday, after the announcement at the presentation, beta testing was launched, which will last a week - from 13 to 20 June.


Xbox One Multiplayer Trailer

The game will be available on Xbox One and Windows 10, the release is scheduled for February 21, 2017.

Forza Horizon 3

Players waiting for the release of new races from the Forza series.


Forza Horizon 3 trailer

In addition to the beautiful picture, which is not so surprising gamers, the developers promise a huge number of modes, network mode, as well as a cooperative for four. The game will be available not only supercars, but also mass-produced sports cars, buggies and even SUVs.

The game will be released on September 27, 2016 , and for pre-order the ultimate edition, you can get access to the game earlier, on September 23 (Friday), 2016. Available Forza Horizon 3 will be for both the Xbox One and Windows 10.

Recore

Another project is ReCore, a game from the creators of the Metroid series , originally released for Nintendo.


ReCore gameplay trailer

The game tells the story of the adventures of a girl and her robot friends.

The release is scheduled for September 13, exclusively for the Xbox One.

Microsoft also took a number of other developers and studios under their wing who could not afford to hold a separate conference.

Final fantasy XV

So, as part of the MS presentation, the release date of Final Fantasy XV, action / RPG games was announced, and a gameplay trailer was shown. Initially, the game was announced back in 2013, but the development was delayed and it will be released just now.


FF XV Presentation Video

The continuation of the cult series will be available on Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 on September 30, 2016.

INSIDE

Surprisingly, the presentation of such a giant as Microsoft got an indie project from the studio Limbo - the game INSIDE. Her trailer was shown back in 2014, and since then work has been done on creating the game. And now, at E3 2016, another trailer was shown and the release date was announced.



INSIDE is a typical indie platformer with riddles, puzzles. The overall setting of the game is rather gloomy saved on drawing the background : the main character is a little boy who is trying to confront an unknown evil and save humanity.

The game will be released soon enough - June 29, available on Xbox One and PC.

Gears of war 4

Of course, Microsoft can't give up its other high-profile Xbox exclusive after Halo - Gears of War. At E3, the company announced the release of the fourth part of the popular shooter - Gears of War 4.


Video from the presentation

This time, the developer was the Canadian studio The Coalition , which was founded by Microsoft Studios and was not seen in work on anything other than Gears of War. Multiplayer is being developed by the British from the studio Splash Damage, whose record of service includes cooperation with Id Software and work on the legendary Return to Castle Wolfenstein , Doom 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins.

The game is scheduled for October 11, 2016 for Xbox One and Windows 10.

Tekken 7

During the presentation, MS announced the release of a new fighting game from the Tekken series - Tekken 7. At E3, a gameplay trailer for the Xbox One was introduced.



The Japanese - namely, they are the developers of the Tekken series - comrades are extremely secretive. The game appeared at home on the arcade machines in 2015, but it was only now, a year later, ported to the main consoles of the world.

The release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 was previously planned in July of this year, but was postponed to the beginning of 2017. When the game appears on the PC (on Steam), and whether it will appear at all, taking into account the transfer of the release, is still unknown.

Tom Clancy's The Division

For Tom Clancy's The Division was announced DLC Underground. This time the action will unfold underground, in the subway of New York. The highlight of the DLC will be the random generation of missions.

The release on Xbox One will take place on June 28, and on the PS4 addition will be released later - July 2, 2016.

Dead Rising 4

The theme of the zombie apocalypse is already pretty much fed up with, but these games still have their fans. The Dead Rising series, of course, has little resemblance to the survivor-stealth, rather, it’s a perky zombie-rubilovo. As for the game, even the worst film was shot (the author of the post just watched it the other day), which, however, is not expected to have the highest ratings.


Dead Rising 4 trailer

The exact release date of the game was not announced: the release will take place approximately this winter for Xbox One and PC.

State of Decay 2

Another survivor game on the zombie apocalypse is State of Decay 2.


Trailer State of Decay 2

The first part of the game was released in 2013. The peculiarity of the first part is the open world and a very simple goal of the game - to ensure the survival of a group of people. Compared to Left 4 Dead and Dead Island, in the State of Decay more attention is paid to movement, stealth and search for supplies, which, apparently, will move to the second part of the game.

The release of the game is scheduled for 2017 for Xbox One and Windows 10.

Sea of ​​thieves

Another Microsoft showed the gameplay video pirate multiplayer action Sea of ​​Thieves.


Gameplay video Sea of ​​Thieves

Perhaps the spirit of naval battles will appeal to nostalgic for the times of corsairs players, and for the foreign public the game could be the first experience of naval battles, piracy and privateering.

The exact release date was not called, the game will be exclusive to Xbox One and Windows 10.

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

Surprisingly, at the Microsoft presentation, developers from CD Projekt RED, a studio that we owe a series of games based on the books of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher, lit up.

The latest release of CD Projekt RED - Witcher: The Wild Hunt broke all ratings and brought the studio deserved worldwide fame. And now, when the story of Geralt is over, the guys from the Polish studio turned their attention to the digital CCR genre that has gained popularity due to Blizzard. The Poles brought to E3 an announcement of a card game in the universe of The Witcher - Gwent: The Witcher Card Game.


Gwent: The Witcher Card Game Release Teaser

The video is quite short, and you can see a bit on it, however, it can already be said with confidence that the Gwent: The Witcher Card Game has much more in common with the classic CCI and does not clone the Blizzard approach to creating the game.

The beginning of the PTA is scheduled for September of this year, and the game itself will be released for all current platforms: Xbox One, PS4 and PC . Whether the Poles will continue to port their project to mobile platforms in the future is unknown.

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This is how the Microsoft presentation at E3 looked, in general terms. Next in line is Sony .