E3 2014: Microsoft Press Conference Impressions and Reactions

Microsoft kicked things off at this year's E3 with a press conference that focused almost exclusively on games. There were whoops and hollers throughout the GameSpot war room as brand-new games were revealed alongside deeper looks at games we had already known about. It was a blistering presentation that seemed to be much shorter than its 60-minute running time, and we were left with a lot of thoughts of the future of the Xbox One. Here are four editors offering their take on what transpired. And check out our live blog for everything that happened.

Kick Me When I'm Down -- Tom Mc Shea

Microsoft now wears the crown as the world's biggest troll. They know how rabid Rare's fanbase remains, despite how long it has been since they've release a worthwhile game, and yet instead of appeasing us, they taunted us. After the Project Spark demonstration ended, Conker took a chainsaw to the logo, making people like me giddy at the prospect of another adventure from the foul-mouthed squirrel. Even though the creative lead of Conker's Bad Fur Day, Chris Seaver, left Rare a long time ago, I still had the glimmer of hope that Conker would somehow be reborn. And then we find out that Conker is in Project Spark, and I'm completely deflated. Microsoft, why must you taunt us so?

Thankfully, there were other elements that stood out for being good rather than painfully cruel. Although it's sad that Platinum Games' Scalebound is exclusive to Xbox One (everyone should be able to enjoy this!), I'm always glad when my favorite action studio is able to realize their creative dreams. And Inside looks to continue where Limbo left off, already making me feel the desolation and alienation that were so common in PlayDead's first game. If I had one wish, though, one chance to change what we had seen, it would have been this: At the end of the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare demo, when one guy has his arm caught in a helicopter while your character looks on, I was desperately hoping the two men would kiss. Alas, we were so close and yet so far from a perfect E3.

Playing a New Song -- Carolyn Petit

The beginning of Microsoft's press conference demonstrated the company's understanding that it needed to set a different tone this year. After getting trounced by Sony in the court of public opinion last year, this year, they kicked things off by appearing contrite and thankful to fans, and with grandiose expressions of how players have helped to shape the Xbox One. It seemed to me a calculated move rather than a heartfelt one, but it was an important gesture for them to make nonetheless.

More important was the unrelenting focus on games, and although Microsoft knew they had to give most of the attention to predictable, high-profile releases like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and The Division, there were enough surprises in there to give me hope that the Xbox One can be home not just to big mainstream shooters and the like, but to a great variety of games. Seeing that one of my favorite Xbox games, Phantom Dust, is being resurrected on Xbox One was exhilarating, getting a glimpse of the charming Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime warmed my heart, and hearing Lara Croft say “We become who we are meant to be” gave me chills. Well done, Microsoft. I'm ready to pay attention again.

But What's Next For Microsoft? -- Maxwell McGee

From the moment Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, opened his mouth, I knew something was going to be different about this year’s Xbox press conference. The language used felt very modest compared to how Microsoft carried itself last year. Spencer noted how "humbled" and "amazed" he was by the community’s support of Xbox One, and personally thanked the fans. This sort of language was one of Sony’s strongest advantages during last year’s conference. In 2013, Sony felt like it was talking to the audience, while Microsoft was talking at them. This year, it was nice to see this gaming juggernaut taking a step back and paying tribute to those who make their success possible.

The ensuing press conference was filled with games, some new and some we already knew about. After last year’s whirlwind of used game policy shifting, TV integration, and Kinect functionality, Microsoft needed to refocus on what matters most to its audience today: the games. And this was a press conference filled with games. However, it also felt like a smoke screen. This conference revealed little about the future of Xbox, the Kinect, and Microsoft’s strategy for both. Because of this, Sony is in a unique position to lay down a clear road map of our gaming future, and if they execute on this it will further widen the gap between the two companies.

Lots and Lots of Games- Justin Haywald

Microsoft delivered on the promise that their press conference was going to be "all about the games" and that's exactly what I wanted to see. And they packed their presentation with games that I'm excited about: the Cthulu-like monster in Evolve looks amazing. The ability to play as the villain in Fable Legends adds a unique twist to one of my favorite franchises. And a new game from the Limbo devs that recaptures their dark, atmospheric original hit while still looking completely original, is terrific news.

Given that the $399 Xbox One is available today, it's not surprising that Kinect was basically a footnote. But I was still hoping to see some gif-able demonstration of a new game on stage, whether I'd want to play it or not. But it sounds like I'll have plenty of other games to console me instead.

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