Xbox E3 Press Conference — Impressions From The Conference

Microsoft kicked off Monday with their E3 Media Briefing in style. From the eerie green glow that bathed the Galen Center at USC to the snazzy neck LEDs that made Bethesda’s wristbands look like the difference between modern cell phones and the mobile phones of the 90s, Xbox made sure that their E3 press conference was all about one thing: games.

It seems as though Microsoft really is trying to extend a branch to fans and make up for the lack of graphical parity by making the Xbox One console more exclusive and inclusive. The company discussed backwards compatibility, free games with new titles, and games coming to the EA Vault. The ID@Xbox also showed some new games from smaller, passionate developers. Cuphead looks particularly interesting, indeed.

The major announcement that drew the most praise from people in the Microsoft E3 Conference was the backwards compatibility, as the Inquisitrdetailed earlier. While an interesting feature, it is worth noting that this announcement comes after remaster after remaster has been announced. Halo: Master Chief Collection, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, and the newly announced Gears of War Ultimate Edition show that while backwards compatibility is a great new feature, Microsoft is still planning on supporting new remasters of old games.

The mood of Microsoft’s conference was a little more relaxed than last year. E3 2013 wasn’t a good one for Microsoft, according to most critics, so the press conference in 2014 seemed a little restrained, safe even. E3 2015 has shown a more confident, bolder Microsoft, shedding the shadow of Call of Duty and allowing their own IP shine through. Leading the show with Halo 5 and ending with Gears 4 is a bold change from allowing Activision to headline their conference. Fallout 4 initially looked like a measured, scaled-back version of their reveal from last night, but Bethesda and Microsoft shocked everyone by announcing PC mods made for Fallout 4 will be transferrable and playable, for free, on Xbox One.

All in all, Microsoft’s press conference was a solid way for the Xbox maker to start off E3. While not perfect, the show started strong and ended strong. The HoloLens demo was incredibly interesting, and to some, mind-blowing in how they presented the highly popular Minecraft at E3, showing off a major step in the investment Microsoft made late last year.

Stay tuned for more even coverage, live on site at E3 2015. Microsoft’s E3 press conference was strong, now Sony will need to respond. It’ll be interesting to see how they proceed.

[Images via Inquisitr / Joseph Bradford]