DISCLAIMER: This is the SECOND of my 3-PART SERIES, that I will be writing throughout this week; all dedicated to the Grande, upcoming event, simply dubbed "E3". All content in the following blog post is the sole personal opinion of the user, simply dubbed "AKR".
Yes - it's THAT time of year again; the great celebration for Gamers everywhere! The biggest, and best event for all things Gaming; is all but just a week away. All the major announcements will be made here - and this year, it's looking to be quite interesting. New “next-gen” titles will be announced/fully revealed, and the foreseeable future of all 3 “next-gen” systems, will be mapped out in just 3 short days. Indeed, this will be quite the show.
Today, we’ll be looking at Microsoft and the “Ugly Betty” – the XBOX One.
THE PAST:
Microsoft is best known for their strong empire in the operating system business. Any human that has used a computer at least once in their lifetime – was more than likely using one that ran on Microsoft Windows. Considering their technical expertise – it was quite the surprise when they decided to JUMP IN the console-gaming business, after dipping their toe in just a little, by helping SEGA with their (last) console - the Dreamcast.
Ever from since the original XBOX came into fray 2 generations ago; Microsoft has had a strong presence in the gaming business. One of the most popular racing franchises – Forza, started on XBOX. One of the most popular shooters – HALO – started on XBOX. These are just two examples of the stronghold that Microsoft has. These titles, along with many others, have built up the XBOX brand over the years. While they may have been outshined by the PS2; the 7th-gen saw the rise of the XBOX 360 – which was Microsoft’s Trojan Horse, to cut Sony and their equally-popular PlayStation brand, down to size. It did; selling on par with Sony’s PS3 throughout the generation.
THEIR CURRENT STATUS:
Microsoft may have built an empire; but every king has his day. After such a good performance during the 7th-gen, somehow, Microsoft took the XBOX brand and spun it around in the WRONG direction. They basically took just about EVERYTHING a gamer could NOT ask for, and dressed their latest console – the XBOX One – with it. As to how, or why, this happened – is a mystery. This is why I’ve dubbed the One as none other than the “ugly betty��� of the 3 ‘next-gen’ home systems.
It’s gone through quite a number of changes in its lifetime, to change its image, but the damage could already be done. Sony has already managed to leave the One in the dust with the PS4; politely flaring its headlights at its flip-flopping competitor. 7 months after the release of both systems – the XBOX One still hasn’t managed to pick up enough steam to truly go toe-to-toe. Every day, it seems like there’s something new for PS4 owners to boast about, while XBOX One owners, continue to twiddle their thumbs. Microsoft has a bigger problem on their hands than they probably imagined, and that’s why, next week will truly be the eye-opener for all.
WHAT E3 MEANS FOR THEM:
At first; the XBOX One seemed to be an over-sized, beefed-up, set-top box – that happened to be able to play games. Well, that’s the message Microsoft seemed to be giving, anyway. This “all-in-one entertainment system” – was supposed to be the heart-&-soul of the entertainment setups of countless users. This was supposed to be the system that did just about everything you would want, and more.
Nope.
So far, the XBOX One has proved to be an ever-changing nightmare, for developers, users and Microsoft themselves. But, maybe there is a bright light at the end of this seemingly endless cave.
Next week will be Microsoft’s prime-time chance to change the face of the XBOX One, for good – and hopefully – for the better. They seem quite excited to share their secrets with us. Forget the Kinect – they already have. Forget all the fancy-yet-redundant entertainment features. This is a gaming event. It’s all about the games; and that’s exactly what MS seems to have finally realized.
What this year’s E3 means for Microsoft; is simple, yet crucial. They need to show the gamer-world what they can expect to see the One. They need to show the gamer-world the amazing experiences that can only happen, on the One. They need to show everyone who’s holding tight to the Sony, Nintendo, and PC camp; why they need to let go and JUMP IN to the XBOX experience.
After finally ditching the Kinect; the One is in the exact same price range as the currently reigning PS4. With that being the case; Microsoft needs to try even harder to convince people why when they go to the store to pick up their new system; it NEEDS to be an XBOX One. They need to show the core games, that regardless of whether “game X” runs at 900p instead of 1080p; it’ll still be worth their while.
Microsoft has the money and the power to hire developers to create these amazing experiences.
They’ve already displayed this with Titanfall. If they can do that – I promise you, by the end of E3, the XBOX One, may very well start its path as Microsoft’s most successful console yet, and possibly – the most successful console of this generation.
It can happen.
Tom Lee, Creative Director, Team Ninja: "We’re excited to announce that The Two Masters DLC for Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released to ninjas of all skill levels on March 4, 2026! This story-driven expansion continues Yakumo and Ryu’s battle against fiends that once again threaten to take over the world. After completing the main story, players will unlock new story chapters that push both characters into battles against even deadlier enemies, challenging bosses, and new trials that will test the skills of even the most seasoned master ninja."
Kotaku writes: "A Resident Evil Requiem review published by long-standing UK gaming news site Videogamer has been removed from Metacritic after readers pointed out it was written by a fake AI journalist who doesn’t actually exist. Videogamer‘s human masthead was gutted last week, sources tell Kotaku, and the site has been publishing apparent genAI slop ever since."
Genuinely well done on metacritic for taking such an immediate hard stance. Not often, if at all, you see that these days. Credit where it’s due.
This is really sad on so many levels. Not least of all the fact that all the human lost their jobs to a language model. Can we block all content coming from Videogamer site. Can we make a rule that content sumitted to N4G must be greated by a human being.
I'm gonna report every Videogamer article I see on N4G from now on so just putting it out there.
It is amazing but I'm starting to slightly miss the moron gaming press we had in the 2010s because at least they were human.
New York attorney general Letitia James called loot boxes 'quintessential gambling.'
I think they will have a big show at E3, and everything will mostly be uphill for them from here. Issue is, will it be enough to move beyond such a strong competitor? We'll see. I expect to see a lot of games, a lot of gameplay at the MS conference, and some big news regarding a game.
I think Ugly Betty is a terrible analogy. Ugly Betty was a person that was unattractive but was honest and sincere and a good friend. Microsoft is more like a manipulative arrogant bully.
Also ugly Betty had a loyal and fierce fan base but it was not enough to stop it from being cancelled.