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Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct is their most important showcase ever

Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda just announced that their first-ever Developer_Direct showcase will be held January 25, giving Microsoft footing in the game showcase space outside of events like E3 and Gamescom. After a rough year for Xbox first-party studios, this Developer_Direct will finally give us another very deep look at games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and Minecraft Legends, whichwill start to form its game lineup for this year, whetting our appetites for what’s to come to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Game Pass in 2023. Although the seeming lack of any brand new first-party announcement might make this Developer_Direct not feel that exciting to the average player, this is a critical showcase for Microsoft if it wants to win jaded fans back.

So far this console generation, Microsoft has been inconsistent in terms of both content and transparency about the state of its games. We’ve gotten a couple of exhilarating bursts of info on new upcoming exclusives at the past couple of Xbox summer showcases, and fall 2021 had a solid lineup of releases in Deathloop, Forza Horizon 5, and Halo Infinite. But these flurries of excitement are overshadowed by large droughts in terms of releases and reports that cast doubt over the state of some first-party games’ development. That’s why Developer_Direct will be so crucial for Microsoft. This show will allow it to refocus players on a (hopefully) more consistent release lineup and start to give fans a consistent showcase cadence to be excited for. 

The content factor

Digital Trends has done plenty of writing highlighting how 2022 was a very weak year for Microsoft. The delay of Redfall and Starfield in 2022 really ruined that year, even though Pentiment and As Dusk Falls were good games. For more mainstream gaming fans, though, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda’s 2023 looks way more exciting. Games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and Starfield have 2023 release windows, while long-announced games like Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade II, Contraband, and Avowed seem like they’ve been in development long enough to not be too far off. However, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda haven’t shown us how this year will be paced out in terms of releases, and players were not pleased with Microsoft’s lackluster presence at The Game Awards 2022

That’s the first major task of Developer_Direct. While no release dates were technically promised in its announcement, this show is a prime spot to let Xbox fans know precisely when they can get their hands on these long-awaited first-party titles. One of the most exciting parts of a Nintendo Direct is consistently seeing Nintendo’s lineup for the next few months take form in real time, giving fans a bunch of neat titles to experience before the next inevitable showcase. Xbox is sorely in need of something like that, and Developer_Direct provides the perfect opportunity to do so, mainly because it seems to be focused less on the number of announcements and more on delivering info about games people are already interested in. 

A car rendered in beautiful detail in Forza Motorsport for Xbox Series X.

Hopefully, we will also start to see a semblance of a release cadence that we can expect Microsoft to follow in the future. Even though Starfield isn’t getting a release date at the January 25 event, its delay and vague release window will sting a lot less when we know exactly when other first-party games (plus an Xbox port of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition) are coming out. It has been easy to lose faith in Microsoft’s content lineup this generation, so Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda need Developer_Direct to emphasize just how much Xbox fans have to look forward to, even in just the next couple of months.

The consistency factor

While the decision not to include Starfield is controversial, I don’t mind it because it sets Microsoft up for showcase consistency throughout 2023. It has already confirmed that Starfield will get a showcase of its own, and the success or failure of Developer_Direct will likely play a part in how that announcement turns out. Regardless, it’s clear that console fans like consistent digital showcases, even outside of major events like E3. There have been whole Twitter accounts dedicated to counting the days since the last Nintendo Direct, while the rumor mill is always full of people speculating when Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft might be holding a showcase and what games could possibly be at those events. 

A screen capture from the Redfall gameplay reveal.

From 2018 to early 2020, Inside Xbox provided that for a while, but those shows seemed to die off at this console generation’s genesis, as there were a couple of separately branded presentations ahead of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S’s launch. After that, Xbox fans have just had the two Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcases in June and individual game marketing. Although those Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcases were both pretty good, one showcase a year is just too little for many gaming fans, especially when the release lineup is light in a year like 2022. 

With Developer_Direct, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda are introducing a new showcase branding, and it needs to become something that Xbox fans can remember and look forward to regularly. Microsoft needs 2023 to be a redemptive year for Xbox, and Developer_Direct may play a big part in that, starting with the presentation on January 25.

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Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Everything announced at the June 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase
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Lagging behind a strong State of Play from Sony and an excellent Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase from Microsoft, Nintendo has now held a presentation of its own. It's not a full-blown Nintendo Direct, though. Instead, this June 28 presentation is a Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase, the first of its kind since 2020. As the showcase's name suggests, this is shorter than a typical Nintendo Direct and mainly focused on what third-party developers and publishers are bringing to Nintendo Switch in the coming months. 
As Nintendo has said that this presentation would contain "roughly 25 minutes of info on upcoming third-party #NintendoSwitch games" on Twitter, don't expect the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 or Metroid Prime 4 to show up here. Still, there are plenty of cool games like Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope that make an appearance here, and we have a clearer idea of what the biggest third-party Nintendo Switch games of 2022 are. We kept track of everything announced during the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase, so you can look below and see everything Nintendo and its partners revealed throughout the event.
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In one of the most notable announcements of this Partner Showcase, we learned that the critically acclaimed Nier Automata is finally coming to Nintendo Switch. It's one of PlatinumGames' best titles and has an amazing story, so be sure to check this out on Switch if you haven't already. It's also a native port, and not a cloud version either. Nier Automata: The End of YoRHa Edition launches on October 6.
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Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope release date confirmed

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Everything announced at Xbox Games Showcase Extended
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Microsoft held the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12, giving a first look at gameplay for Redfall and Starfield and revealing brand-new games like Pentiment and Minecraft Legends. As that showcase was focused on reveals, it had a very fast pace outside of the extended looks at Redfall and Starfield. Microsoft changed that with a slower-paced Xbox Games Showcase Extended presentation on June 14.During it, we learned more about some of the games that we saw on Sunday, and even got some news about games that weren't featured, such as Valheim and Slime Rancher 2. This livestream was definitely much slower-paced and less reveal-heavy than Sunday's showcase, but those who want a more in-depth look at Xbox's upcoming lineup of games will enjoy watching it (below). We've rounded up everything that was announced and discussed during Xbox Games Showcase Extended.
Xbox Games Showcase Extended
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The first real announcement of the Xbox Games Showcase Extended was that Valheim is coming to Xbox Game Pass. The PC version of the game will arrive on Xbox Game Pass this fall. It will then come to Xbox consoles and that version of Xbox Game Pass in spring 2023 as a console exclusive.
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Slime Rancher 2 is still coming this year
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After skipping out on the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, console-exclusive Slime Rancher 2 popped up here with a new trailer showing The Conservatory, the player's base of operations, exploration gameplay, and more. It will be released in fall 2022 and be on Xbox Game Pass on day one. 
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Everything Else

Bethesda's Pete Hines defended the delays of Redfall and Starfield, discussed how Redfall was distinct from previous Arkane and cooperative shooter games, referenced The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76's expansions, and emphasized how players have lots of freedom to do what they want in Starfield in an interview.
Naraka: Bladepoint's developers gave an overview of the game's characters, gameplay, and the campaign ahead of its release on Xbox Series X|S consoles next week. NetEase Games also confirmed that it would come to Xbox One later this year. 
We got to see some brief gameplay footage from Ara: Stories Untold as the developers discussed how this grand strategy game supports player agency and reflects player choice. They also confirmed that its technical alpha begins later this summer.
The developers of Grounded reflected on the survival game's development and teased how the 1.0 launch this September will resolve the story and introduce a new Praying Mantis boss. 
Microsoft Flight Simulator and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's collaboration was discussed in a video featuring Gamertag Radio's Parris Lilly. 
High On Life's Justin Roiland discussed the formation of Squanch Games and his quirky new sci-fi Metroidvania shooter where players take down the leaders of a cartel with talking guns.
A dev diary for Pentiment revealed more details about the story, characters, and setting of Josh Sawyer's new medieval narrative adventure game.
As Dusk Falls got a new developer diary showing how its choice-based gameplay works and discussing its themes and narrative ahead of its July 19 launch. 
We saw some new gameplay from the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion, showing just how these toys have been incorporated into four new Mexican biomes.
Mojang Executive Producer Dennis Ries revealed that Mojang first teased Minecraft Legends at Minecon 2018 with a T-shirt and explained why Mojang is making an action-strategy game with Blackbird Interactive's help. 
An ID@Xbox trailer highlighted upcoming indie games like Tinykin, Togges, Coral Island, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
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Xbox’s 2022 lineup feels as desolate as it did in 2017
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The Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12 was Xbox's chance to prove to the gaming world that it had an incredible lineup of titles coming. And it does, just not anytime soon.

Redfall was previously slated to release this summer, with Starfield following on November 11. This would have given Xbox a much-needed slate of exclusive games in 2022, however, they were both delayed to 2023. Now that Microsoft’s showcase is over, Xbox’s first-party portfolio in 2022 feels like it could be a repeat of the company's showing in 2017: Barren compared to its competitors.
What is Xbox offering in 2022?
At the showcase, Xbox did announce As Dusk Falls' July 19 release date, confirmed that the 1.0 launch for Grounded is coming in September, and revealed Pentiment. Grounded and Pentiment both come from Obsidian Entertainment, so I’m looking forward to checking both of those games out when they release. Still, they aren’t the types of games that excite the mainstream masses hungry for blockbuster titles like Halo Infinite, God of War, or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

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