Xbox Games Showcase was one of the big events before the Xbox Series X is out. It was supposed to show the caliber of Xbox’s next-gen console but ended up disappointing many. Halo Infinite was the only game with actual gameplay footage. The Xbox Series X gameplay footage of Halo Infinite wasn’t so impressive. All other games were only there in the form of trailers. There were many announcements for Series X along with some announcements regarding the optimization of old games. There is no doubt that the hardware of Xbox Series X can deliver amazing performance. However, first-party developers are not utilizing it.
Game Pass was the main focus of the Xbox Games Showcase. The segments of events were slowly paving the way for the marketing of Game Pass. It was announced that all the games you see in this event would be available on Game Pass when they are out. The problem is that all of the Xbox Series X’s games are cross-gen. Microsoft just wants to get as many people on Game Pass as possible but it still wasn’t able to show the true caliber of its next-gen console.
Xbox Games Showcase
Xbox Series X Gameplay Footage was demonstrated through Halo Infinite. Saying that the graphics of Halo Infinite were not so great would be an understatement. The game had horrible graphics for Series X’s game. It is understandable to some extent as Halo Infinite and all other Xbox first-party games are cross-gen. None of their first-party games can represent the graphics of Xbox Series X. Not only Halo Infinite is being held back by Xbox One but the developers of the game are also incompetent. They are saying that the game is still under development and the final product would be different. The claims of 343 Industries don’ts make sense because we are only a few months away from the release of the game. Unless Microsoft is planning on releasing a buggy and crappy game or releasing it without multiplayer.
The cross-gen nature of Xbox’s first-party games won’t let it utilize the full power of Xbox Series X. The console has potential but first-party titles won’t be the one utilizing it. We might see 3rd party games showing us the true potential of the console. Far Cry 6 could be that game but it’s also cross-gen so we won’t know for sure. The Medium was only game with somewhat digestible graphics. For current-gen games, graphics are acceptable but not for next-gen games. The purpose of Xbox Games Showcase was to show the caliber of the next-gen console but it ended up showing nothing. People would buy Xbox Series X or PS5 to play next-gen games not games with outdated graphics.
Xbox Games Showcase Event
Many games were being shown for Xbox Series X. Only a few of them were first-party titles and none of them were interesting enough. The entire event was revolving around Halo Infinite and it turned out to be a total disappointment. The list of all the games from the Xbox Series X game event is below.
Halo Infinite
As Dusk Falls
Avowed
CrossfireX
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Everwild
Fable
Forza Motorsport
Grounded
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis
Psychonauts 2
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
State of Decay 3
Tell Me Why
Tetris Effect: Connected
The Gunk
The Medium
The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Xbox Games Showcase and Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite was a big deal it turned into total disappointment. The series is one of the most famous franchises of all time. Halo Series is also known as a system seller for Xbox consoles. Many were expecting an amazing next entry into the Halo series. After the gameplay footage of Halo was revealed many were shocked. Halo Infinite was supposed to be the next-gen Halo that was going to take the industry by storm.
The multiplayer element of it was supposed to grind all other competitive games into dust. After watching Halo Infinite many are doubting the caliber of Microsoft exclusives. The quality of their most anticipated game is tarnishing their reputation. Halo Infinite is a next-gen game with graphics that are even worse than Xbox One X. There are rumors that the multiplayer would be free-to-play and there would be a lot of microtransactions.
Missteps of Xbox
The gameplay of Halo infinite was not that good. Xbox Games Showcase reminds me of the Inside Xbox. This event is also a disappointment just like their previous event. Xbox did clarify that the game was still in development and the final product would be different. I don’t believe what they are saying because you can’t just improve a game in two months. The release date is almost upon us. Why make such a powerful console if you can’t utilize its power?
None of Xbox’s first-party games were showing amazing graphical paralysis. Other than Forza Motorsport, all their games have bad graphics. We don’t even know how the actual Xbox Series X gameplay footage of Forza Motorsport would look like. After what happened to Halo Infinite I am skeptical of it as well. We didn’t see the gameplay other games but there was an announcement regarding a new Fable game. Finally, a new Fable game is coming with official confirmation. Xbox is trying to build an eco-system and all this is part of it. 3rd party games will utilize the full power of Xbox Series X. The first-party titles are just there to sell Game Pass.
Game Pass Was the Central Focus
Microsoft is trying to build an eco-system and Game Pass is the central part of that ecosystem. It doesn’t matter what platform you play on as long as you have Game Pass. It is also the reason that Microsoft is keeping current-gen and next-gen console into consideration while moving ahead. PC is also a big part of their new strategy because Game Pass is also available on it. Microsoft will even make it available on Nintendo and PlayStation but they won’t allow it on their platform. PlayStation has an alternative for Game Pass in the form of PS Now. It serves as the competitor of both xCloud and Game Pass but Sony is only marketing it as a cloud gaming service. Microsoft is marketing Game Pass as the Netflix of games and all of their strategies are trying to make sure that consumers know it.
Game Pass is available on Smartphones through xCloud, PCs, and Xbox consoles. Microsoft is trying to bring as many people to xCloud as possible. Some are speculating that Microsoft doesn’t even care whether or not people want to buy their next-gen consoles. They just want people to buy Game Pass. Xbox’s approach is different than Sony when it comes to selling games. Microsoft is trying to become a service provider for gaming and wants to make an eco-system that reaches everyone. All of the games from the Xbox Games Showcase would be available on Game Pass along with many more. The quality of their first-party games is not too good but their Game Pass offers a somewhat digestible deal.
Verdict
Microsoft has been fighting with Sony for the dominance in video games for a long time. Now, they are trying to expand beyond consoles and it is now becoming a platform war. Their central focus is eco-system and Game Pass is part of that strategy. Game Pass is trying to be Netflix of games but many famous games are not available on it making it kind of a half-baked deal. To top it all off, the quality of Xbox’s first-party games is decreasing since the release of Game Pass. They just want to put as many games on Game Pass as possible. The low quality of Halo Infinite and other games in the Xbox Games Showcase makes it a mediocre deal at best. Series X is just a machine for them to try to bring in new players to their ecosystem.
