It wouldn’t be the primary time, however Xbox followers are upset within the wake of final evening’s broadcast of The Recreation Awards. The issue? Whereas opponents like Sony scooped up award after award, the Xbox model and Xbox-related video games have been virtually nowhere to be seen.
Sarcastically, this yr’s Recreation Awards came about in LA’s Microsoft Theater. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer did in fact attend, and although an Xbox-published sport won an award and quite a lot of upcoming Recreation Cross titles and features were announced, Xbox followers felt like their console’s guardian firm allow them to down. The Federal Commerce Fee—which simply hours earlier than the Awards sued to forestall Microsoft’s pending merger with Activison Blizzard—doubtless didn’t thoughts Microsoft’s introversion, however the firm’s long-suffering followers are bored with ready for the writer to point out up.
Learn Extra: Feds Sue To Forestall Microsoft’s Activision Deal From Going By
“Zero showings since June just about,” one popular tweet in response to Xbox’s forthcoming Recreation Cross titles stated. “Y’all hate your followers.”
The sentiment appeared to echo in every single place. “Very shocked with Xbox not having a presence at The Recreation Awards,” Kinda Humorous host Parris Lilly tweeted, “IMO it’s a missed alternative to set the desk for what’s to return in 2023.” Wirecutter editor Arthur Gies seen Microsoft Gaming’s wallflower standing too, tweeting “Xbox was the quietest i believe i’ve ever seen on the Recreation Awards.”
However Microsoft hasn’t been capable of ship the inspiring exclusives its followers hold praying for shortly—Bethesda’s enormous Xbox-exclusive motion role-playing sport Starfield missed its 2022 due date, as did Arkane’s first-person shooter Redfall. We’re on the level the place even Microsoft admits Sony and its PlayStation have “higher high quality” exclusives.
As an alternative of attempting to match that high quality, and regardless of an enormous, promising Halo Infinite replace and the success of 2022 exclusives like Pentiment, Xbox appears to be emphasizing Recreation Cross as its moneymaker. That could be disappointing for diehards craving for some creativity from the model, however it’s in all probability the most secure factor for Xbox to do whereas its mess of an Activision Blizzard merger chugs on. The FTC is fearful {that a} merger would make Microsoft an excessive amount of of a gaming Goliath, and particularly mentions Starfield and Redfall in its press launch describing why it thinks so.
“Microsoft determined to make a number of of Bethesda’s titles together with Starfield and Redfall Microsoft exclusives regardless of assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold video games from rival consoles,” the press launch says. “With management over Activision’s blockbuster franchises, Microsoft would have each the means and motive to hurt competitors by manipulating Activision’s pricing, degrading Activision’s sport high quality or […] withholding content material from opponents fully, leading to hurt to customers.”
So, as its authorized troubles double, Microsoft will in all probability proceed to lurk within the shadows. Followers are dropping both means.