Skip to main content

Microsoft’s E3 2018 showcase may break from the typical formula

microsoft e3 2018 changes 2016 xbox project scorpio
Image used with permission by copyright holder
We’re in the right calendar year so it’s not too early to talk about E3 2018, right? Head of Xbox Phil Spencer did just that when he teased a possible change of form for Microsoft’s annual E3 press conference on Major Nelson‘s podcast (via GameSpot)

“I don’t think we’ve talked about [it] yet, but I think will be some positive changes at E3. Could be fun for us; it’ll be a nice change,” Spencer said.

Recommended Videos

What exactly could those changes be? It’s hard to say. Microsoft and other major publishers/developers have followed a rather predictable method for running conferences in recent years. Typically, pressers of late contain cinematic trailer after cinematic trailer, with gameplay sessions spliced in throughout, amounting to a compilation of prepared videos, but little actual on-stage discussion.

While the format for Microsoft’s press conferences hasn’t been a noticeable issue, it’s interesting to hear that the studio has plans to switch it up in some way this year.

Since E3 happens to be the most noteworthy gaming convention each year, it’s not surprising that some discussions have already taken place within Microsoft about the video game giant’s presence at the show nearly five months before the event kicks off. E3 2018 will take place in Los Angeles June 12-14.

Regardless of the “positive changes” at E3, the fact remains that Microsoft’s E3 showing will be graded on the showcased games. And in 2018, with the PS4 maintaining its steady dominance and the Nintendo Switch surging, the stakes for Microsoft’s E3 showing may never be higher.

Microsoft could make a big splash by revealing the next entry in its flagship Halo franchise, believed to be titled Halo 6. The last entry in the iconic first-person shooter series, Halo 5, launched in 2015.

Gears of War may be another franchise to look out for at E3 2018. Gears of War 4, the latest entry in the third-person cover shooter, arrived in 2016.

It’s also possible that Microsoft could officially reveal the next entry in the Fable series at E3. Yes, that Fable series. Playground Games, the studio behind Forza Horizon 3, has revived the epic RPG franchise and is said to be working on a full budget title, possibly Fable 4.

Basically, any changes made to Microsoft’s E3 press conference will likely be received well if the Xbox One exclusive game lineup on display delivers. It’s pretty simple.

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Here’s what E3 2023 could look like without Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft
Playstation character wall at E3 2018

Let's start with the good news: E3 2023 will be held in its in-person format once again after three long years of digital events necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this time with ReedPop at the helm. The bad news is that Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo -- gaming's "Big 3" -- may not show up at the industry’s biggest convention this summer.

This is according to a report from IGN citing multiple sources, who claimed the companies won’t be a part of the show or make appearances on the floor at the Los Angeles Convention Center in any way. Their absence from this year’s E3, especially Nintendo’s, may come as a shock to the gaming community, but it's not such a surprise when looking at the past few iterations of E3. Even before the pandemic locked everyone down in 2020, Sony and Xbox had been hosting their own E3-style livestreams, so it was more likely they would do it again this year anyway. Nintendo, on the other hand, managed to show off its upcoming games via Nintendo Direct streams and at its booth, console kiosks and all.

Read more
Summer Game Fest returns just before E3 2023 next June
The official artwork confirming Summer Game Fest's return on June 8, 2023.

Geoff Keighley has confirmed when Summer Game Fest will return in June 2023. It will begin with a live kickoff show on June 8, 2023, placing Keighley's game announcement alternative less than a week before E3's grand (intended) 2023 return.
Unlike past years, Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff 2023 will feature a live audience, like Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards. It will take place in the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park, with tickets going on sale in early 2023. It will still be livestreamed across platforms like YouTube and Twitch, though. It's currently unknown who's participating, how long Summer Game Fest will run afterward, or if it will feature a Summer Game Fest Play Days-like element for fans. Still, Keighley says all of that info will be revealed ahead of the event next year, teasing what people can expect. 
"In keeping with tradition, we'll have tons of exciting announcements from the developers that are pushing the games industry forward, and will once again highlight other publisher digital events, demos, and more surprises to be announced in the coming months," Keighley says in a press release. 
That June 8 start date, and the other Summer Game Fest events likely to follow, put Keighley's show just ahead of E3 2023. The ESA and ReedPop plan to bring E3 back between June 13 and June 16, 2023. With five days of lead time on E3, Summer Game Fest can coexist with the long-running gaming conference and encompass the plethora of publisher showcases that tend to precede E3.
Geoff Keighley made it clear that he wants Summer Game Fest and E3 to coexist for a while. "We've had extensive conversations with ReedPop about E3," he said in an interview with Epic Games Store. "I think it'll kind of fit together and flow kind of from what we're doing into what they're doing and stuff. E3, to me, is this kind of master brand that represents gaming news in June."
With the start date of Summer Game Fest confirmed, the coexistence of these two summer gaming events is a reality. Summer Game Fest returns on June 8, 2023.

Read more
E3 2023 returns in June with separate business and consumer days
The logo for E3 2023.

E3 2023 will return as an in-person event from June 13 to June 16, 2023, as announced by ReedPop today.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) already revealed that E3 will return in 2023, but now we know exactly when the event will take place, along with several other key details. E3 will once again take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center after a four-year hiatus, but will incorporate separate days for industry professionals and general consumers.

Read more