Microsoft's Xbox Series X showcase offers a look at the (sad) new reality of marketing in the pandemic era

Source: Microsoft

Today, Microsoft showed off its Xbox Series Ten gameplay showcase in a alive stream on YouTube and other platforms. The issue was billed specifically every bit a demonstration of the power of the Xbox Serial Ten, just little was done to actually explain how any of the showcased games benefit specifically from the features and components present in the next-gen console.

Few of the games were really on the level we typically expect in these kinds of showcases. None of the games looked bad; in fact, they all looked peachy, only expectations were high as we ramp upwards into the regular E3 period, in a year without an bodily E3.

This result offered a glimpse into the difficulty the industry may experience marketing their titles in the pandemic age, as they pivot to habitation-fabricated experiences without the bombast and polish we typically get on a big Los Angeles stage.

Related: Everything Xbox Microsoft announced today

Overhyped?

Source: Microsoft The Xbox Series 10 goes upward against the PlayStation 5 later in 2022.

Microsoft repeatedly described this event equally being a gameplay showcase, which for me, comes with sure expectations. I realize that I'm a different audition than perchance the broader viewership (and if you're reading this, you probably are too), but when I think of "gameplay trailer" as a core gamer, I think of a sit-in of bodily play. Instead, we got primarily choreographed cutscenes, rapid supercuts, and possibly even some CGI weaved in for proficient mensurate. It's easy to exist skeptical almost whether or non this is truly indicative of what you'll experience when yous take a controller in hand.

I'm not sure how these games represent 'next-gen.'

At present, information technology may be the case that all of this footage was indeed, truly representative of Xbox Series X footage. If it was, I'm not sure Microsoft did a great job of demonstrating that. Additionally, I'm not sure the company demonstrated how the games stand for "next-gen," or why they require an Xbox Series X to play optimally. There was no mention of how NVME SSD drives will allow games to load-in more animations out of storage rather than having to keep them in memory, for example. In that location weren't whatsoever examples of ray-tracing enhancing visuals. At that place was nothing in the visual particular of any of the games that said to me "this wouldn't be possible on an Xbox One X." And as a offset impression to the very-likely expensive Xbox Serial X hardware, I think I would have liked something that felt a fiddling more real.

Source: Twitter: @Xbox This was very much billed as a "gameplay" event.

Some of my casual-gaming friends and family expressed similar sentiments to me right later on the show, saying they had expected more, specifically from Assassin'south Creed Valhalla, which was congenital up to headline the effect. Instead, we got another supercut of cutscenes (albeit, good-looking cutscenes), and some postal service-show info that was previously revealed in exclusive interviews with some press outlets.

There was nothing wrong with the games Microsoft showed off. But I wonder if Microsoft went in with live-audience mindset, thinking that they'd need to go on details to a minimum to prevent audiences from dropping off. I feel like yous tin get away with offering more detail in a live stream prove similar Nintendo does with its Direct events. If there was any time to offering more particular, doing it equally part of your next-gen console showcase was certainly information technology. But that didn't happen.

Post-E3 Covid-era games marketing

Source: Ubisoft Assassinator'due south Creed Valhalla headlined the event, but details remained a petty scant.

For those wondering why we didn't see EA'southward adjacent large AAA game, or Bethesda'due south adjacent Elder Scrolls, or whatever other major third-political party franchises, it could ultimately be found in the fashion marketing is being restructured in general for the Covid-19 era.

If y'all're EA wanting to testify off a sci-fi action game, for example, practise you lot really desire it to be at the same show as Cyberpunk 2077? Where people are able to brand an piece of cake and quick comparison? Additionally, do you want to throw all your eggs in one basket, showing your game on Microsoft'south stage, when you also have PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo versions waiting in the wings? Or, since we have no E3 this twelvemonth, do you merely brand your ain alive stream event where you can control 100 per centum of the narrative?

Source: Xbox on YouTube Gamers offer their feedback on the consequence in the form of YouTube likes/dislikes.

That's what many publishers have already been doing for years. EA has its "EA Play" effect. Bethesda has likewise been doing its own showcases. Then has Ubisoft. Some of these studios have already announced plans to do the aforementioned this twelvemonth besides. Previously, for publishers that maybe only had one large game to bear witness, such as CD Projekt RED with Cyberpunk 2077, it fabricated sense to put their game on a platform holder's stage where all the eyeballs will exist. Since at that place's no E3 this year, there's no need to do so. CD Projekt RED is doing its ain issue instead, just for Cyberpunk 2077.

There's besides the question of whether or not a lot of these games were even set up to show. I've heard from talking to industry colleagues that Covid 19 and the work-from-home wave occurring is already impacting developmental timelines across the lath. Making extra time to create demonstrations and trailers ultimately costs programmer resource, whose time may exist stretched by the hardships thrust upon the world as a consequence of this pandemic.

Growing pains for Microsoft, Xbox and the gaming industry

It's easy to succumb to negativity (this is the internet afterwards all), but at least Microsoft managed to get an array of titles together that gives us a bunch of new stuff to potentially await forrard to. Bloober Team's "The Medium" looks excellent, featuring the musical stylings of Akira Yamoaka of Silent Hill fame. Neon Giant'due south debut offering, "The Rise", looks like it could appeal to sci-fi and Diablo fans, and of course, nosotros have Assassinator'southward Creed Valhalla, which already looks immense.

The Xbox team showed passion in huge quantities during the show.

They say that you just become one starting time impression, though, and if people searching for Xbox Series X gameplay happen upon this showcase commencement, I'm not sure they would be super impressed. The fact that the 2-infinitesimal supercut trailer above ultimately contains everything you demand to come across from the 45-minute live stream says it all.

Thus sums up some of the growing pains of marketing gaming in the Covid-19 era. Traveling to studios to practise live demonstrations is ultimately impossible, and programmer timelines are impacted, every bit well as general availability to put something similar this together. Everybody's health ultimately has to come first, hence why many of the interviews were conducted over webcams and laptop microphones (Microsoft, please buy some of your employees a quality microphone ... we accept some recommendations right here!).

In any case, we'll run into more of what Xbox Serial X represents in the coming months, as Microsoft pledges monthly news drops for next-gen games and info moving forwards as part of its Xbox 20/20 initiative. Of course, the disappointments I've raised here are not for lack of passion, which the Xbox team showed off in huge quantities during the show. I just hope future events end up a little more than... meaty than this one.

Xbox Series X/S

Chief

• Xbox Serial X: Everything nosotros know
• Best games coming to Xbox Serial X/Southward
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Serial X price?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series 10 yet
• All-time Xbox Serial X Headsets

Updated February 2022

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/todays-xbox-showcase-glimpse-difficulty-marketing-pandemic-era

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