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Microsoft’s E3 2017 Presentation Shows Don Mattrick’s Influence is Nothing but a Bad Memory

Microsoft’s E3 2017 Presentation Shows Don Mattrick’s Influence is Nothing but a Bad Memory - Article

by VGChartz Staff , posted on 11 June 2017 / 10,374 Views

Having just finished watching Microsoft’s E3 2017 showcase, it feels as though this could be a turning point for a company that looked to be stagnating in the video game industry. It was a consistent piece of on-point marketing aimed squarely at the gaming crowd, and it was pulled off superbly.

Cast your mind back to four years ago, when the Xbox One was first revealed to the world. It left many fans disappointed, dumb-founded, even angry; it was, it's fair to say, a controversial reveal. The messaging was all over the place, and there was an unpalatable strain of anti-consumer practices running through it, from always-online to the inability to trade games. Many media pundits quite reasonably asked the question of who exactly this console was designed for given the heavy emphasis the platform's announcement made on entertainment at the expense of gaming.

Don Matrick

Interviews with Microsoft staff following the reveal only further compounded the problem. Don Mattrick's now infamous interview with Geoff Keighley in which he basically told Xbox fans who were unhappy with the reveal to just suck it up or stick with the Xbox 360 was a low point for the firm and a PR disaster, driving many away from the Xbox brand.

And then there was the system's extortionate entry price, the lack of graphical parity with Sony's rival PlayStation 4, and of course the familiar criticism with Microsoft that exclusive titles, outside of a handful of mega-franchises, were an afterthought for the company. That's not to say there weren't good games available for the Xbox One early in its life span - far from it - but it did feel as though the gaming element of the video gaming console market had become a second tier concern for the division's executives.

Don Mattrick became the sacrificial lamb and left the company just under two months after unveiling the Xbox One, and a matter of days after he was forced to U-turn on the online-only and trade-in restrictions ('features' which had initially been publicised as integral to the new system). By that point, however, the damage had been done. Thus Phil Spencer, despite generally being well-regarded by gamers, had a lot of work cut out for him when he took over as Head of Xbox following Mattrick's departure.

Phil SpencerSpencer brought with him a renewed emphasis on gaming. E3 showcases under his tenure have focussed almost entirely on showcasing new title announcements and footage for upcoming games. But still the PlayStation 4 has led to way in terms of mindshare and sales, and there have been more than a couple of instances of exclusive titles either failing to deliver, being delayed repeatedly, or being outright cancelled.

But the years spent hammering the same point home haven't gone entirely unrewarded and Spencer's efforts to right the wrongs of the past are certainly leaps and bounds ahead of the arrogant aloofness that came before him. 

This year's press conference was yet another showcase of games, games, games, but it was slightly different. There were more exclusives on display than there have been for many a year on an Xbox stage, and most of them were from fledgling franchises and developers.

It certainly helps that Microsoft has put its money where its mouth is and has developed a console wholly dedicated to delivering bleeding edge games. The Xbox One X is an impressively specced console with horsepower to spare; one that I look forward to getting my hands on later this year. It may have a very steep price tag, but that's the downside to producing a console with enough power to sate the appetite of core gamers that have been critical of the Xbox One's limitations.

The platform's backwards compatibility feature also represents a more consumer friendly approach than that adopted in early 2013 and the announcement at this year's E3 that original Xbox titles will be added to the list is yet another step in the right direction. Microsoft's efforts to allow Xbox One owners to play an increasing number of older games has already paid off, at least from a PR perspective, but probably a financial one too given the sales boost that popular Xbox 360 titles receive after being made available to play on Xbox One.

'Only' about 50 percent of Xbox One owners have made use of the platform's backwards compatibility functionality, but it's reassuring to know that you'll have access to a plethora of games, both new and old, when you decide to upgrade to a new console, even if you ultimately don't make use of the feature.

Ori

Phil Spencer and his team at Xbox have managed to turn the Xbox brand's image around. By the middle of 2013 it was almost reviled - an easy butt of jokes and source of derision - but it finally feels as though the ship has been righted and things are back on track, with Microsoft taking the initiative rather than constantly trying to put out fires of its own making. One thing's for certain from this E3: Xbox is back.


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23 Comments
barneystinson69 (on 11 June 2017)

Your right. We just have the new memory of 0 new first party titles, and so called "launch exclusives" which mean nothing. And the $499 launch? Yeah, totally different...

  • +22
ironmanDX barneystinson69 (on 11 June 2017)
  • -12

Yes, but we saw only ONE exclusive title that shows the power of the console! Anything else can be played on the PS4 Pro, and what point is there in paying 100$ for this console if there arent any games!

Look, I would've been ok with $500 ($600 CAD just so you know) if they actually had tons of new games to show the power of the console. They didn't, so...

  • +16
IkePoR barneystinson69 (on 11 June 2017)

This feels so much realer coming from Barney than anyone else.

  • +10
Azzanation barneystinson69 (on 11 June 2017)

Than the X is not for you. Stick with the S

  • -4
Dallinor (on 11 June 2017)

This reads like he didn't even watch the conference.

  • +17
DialgaMarine (on 12 June 2017)

This conference was bad. Why are people trying to defend this? No wonder Xbox is dying.

  • +10
UltimateGamer1982 (on 11 June 2017)

Xbox is not back. Xbox is still Xbox. The same brand that relies mostly on forza halo and gears. A few indies and the rest are third party multiplats. An underwhelming trailer for crackdown 3, another forza, and new trailers for games announced years ago. And they want $500 for it? I personally feel this is on par, if not slightly worse then their 2013 E3.

  • +10
Goddbless UltimateGamer1982 (on 14 June 2017)

Then get the S at $250.

  • -2
RichiPuppy (on 12 June 2017)

You gave Spencer credit for turning things around, but sales numbers would suggest otherwise. Microsoft always bragged that even though they weren't winning this cycle they were doing better then they were at this point in the 360's life cycle. You guys posted an article a few days ago with a graph showing that the 360 at this point in it's life cycle just passed the Xone's total sales. It seems things never turned around and that it is looking the most dire for the Xone right now.

  • +7
DanCarreras RichiPuppy (on 12 June 2017)

He hasn't turned the sales figures around, he's turned the perception/brand image around (in my opinion).

  • 0
Ganoncrotch RichiPuppy (on 12 June 2017)

The brand is something that gamers aren't buying, how is this different from the X1 3 years ago? Do you really think gamers are going to be running out to buy the X model this christmas for... what games?

  • +1
whatever (on 11 June 2017)

This reads like an Xbox fan boy that is more hoping what he writes is true than actually believing it.

The conference itself was pretty boring and will have no impact on the year ahead. Sony and Nintendo will go head to head for the 2017 sales crown and Microsoft will be left FAR behind.

  • +7
ABTR (on 12 June 2017)

Are you kinding? they not even show the price 499 to not have the same reaction like 3 years ago. You brainwash with the word "exclusive" because if you not have exclusives you say it every minute to the crowd so people can use to it and believe it. Last year we have 'xbox and win 10 exclusives' and now was only ''exclusive'', with a little caption later under the video ''oh its console launch'' why Sony has never make any confusion with this and say it straight ''console debut''
They not even showing gameplay from the real exclusive forza and crackdown!

  • +3
megaman79 (on 13 June 2017)

Well they're still charging $500.

  • +2
Xeon (on 12 June 2017)

The conference was decent overall. Some neat demos like Sea of Thieves and and Anthem but I thought Crackdown was a tad underwhelming. Forza looked fantastic at 4k/60fps too. Unfortunately, it did nothing to convince me I need to pick up an Xbox when I already have a ps4 and decent PC. The $499 price tag is also another hard pill to swallow.

  • +1
lukeperryglover (on 12 June 2017)

Agreed. Great article. I was so glad when mattrick left. Lol

  • 0
DanCarreras (on 12 June 2017)

Haha oh shit, maybe I should clarify: my point was that after years of concentrating on games and only games, Microsoft are in a much better position, so much so that their errors of 2013 are but a memory at this point. They're confident in their product, and giving gamers what they want, with things like backwards compatibilty being icing on the cake.

It may not be to everyone's liking (I've read your comments, I know you all disagree), but think of the average consumer in a store: consumer friendly tactics like UHD player in Xbox One S and X, or backwards compatibility may actually be enough to make them purchase an Xbox One over a PS4.

  • 0
Ganoncrotch DanCarreras (on 12 June 2017)

How can you think that they are in a better position in the console market though? This last week Nintendo have pushed over 400k consoles into gamers hands and Sony have done close to 200k while MS machines have found their way into less than 80k gamers homes around the world.
When you say Microsoft are confident in giving gamers what they want... sure... gamers are getting what they want, but only 1 gamer in every 9 wants something from MS rather than Sony or Nintendo.

  • +1
lukeperryglover DanCarreras (on 12 June 2017)

I agree with your assessment unlike some here lol They have gone above and beyond to repair their brand.

  • +1
Azzanation (on 11 June 2017)

Don was the success of the 360 which is up there as one of the best consoles ever made. Gamers today hate changes and risks so this conference relates to that. Nothing but games and hardware power.

  • -7
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