News
Microsoft E3 Press Conference
June 9, in the year of our Lord 2014 -- Xbox
delivers winning lineup of exclusive games for this Christmas
season
Microsoft premieres an Xbox One lineup heavy on iconic
franchises, blockbuster games and vibrant independent titles;
debuts new Xbox One option for $399.
LOS ANGELES — June 9, in the year of our Lord 2014 — Monday, on
the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft
Corp. unveiled the future of gaming on Xbox One through a
spectacular lineup of games from the world’s most visionary
creators. This Christmas season on Xbox One gamers will enjoy
“Forza Horizon 2,” “Fable Legends” and “Dance Central™
Spotlight.”
From start to finish, Microsoft’s annual E3 press briefing
featured wall-to-wall games and highlighted the deep passion for
gaming that Xbox creators share with their most dedicated fans.
Showcasing the power of the cloud and the best multiplayer
experience on Xbox Live, Xbox exclusives shared the stage with
independent games such as “INSIDE,” adding to a growing library
of games on Xbox One. In addition, beginning today, gamers can
choose to buy an all-new Xbox One option for $399.1 Xbox One
with Kinect will continue to be available.
“We are committed to delivering amazing experiences that will
help define this generation of games and delight the millions of
passionate Xbox fans around the world,” said Phil Spencer, head
of Xbox. “Xbox will be the only place you can enjoy the
most-anticipated blockbusters and new franchises, including
exclusives like ‘Forza Horizon 2,’ and ‘Dance Central
Spotlight.’ In addition, on Xbox One gamers will be able to play
upcoming games from independent developers.”
Led by fan feedback, Xbox has delivered new features and updates
every month since the launch of Xbox One, setting a new pace for
innovation. Only on Xbox One can you instantly switch between
your favorite games and entertainment, so you never miss a
moment, and easily share your gameplay with others via Upload
Studio and Twitch. Xbox Live Gold offers a superior multiplayer
experience, with innovative features such as dedicated cloud
servers for multiplayer matches, no waiting in lobbies, cloud
storage for Game DVR and an advanced reputation system.2
Since the launch of Xbox One, the Xbox Live community has spent
nearly 1.7 billion hours on games and entertainment, an average
of five hours per day per console. The introduction of the new
Xbox One console option offers more choice than ever before at a
great value.
“Today we’re thrilled to offer our fans more choices to play the
games they love and to enjoy all of their entertainment with the
new Xbox One option for $399,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice
president, Devices and Studios at Microsoft. “With an amazing
lineup of exclusive games and more than 225 entertainment apps
available around the world by this Christmas, powered by our
Xbox Live multiplayer service, we’re committed to making Xbox an
incredible place to play.” 3
Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games debuted the first gameplay
of “Forza Horizon 2,” highlighting its massive, wide-open world
featuring dramatic weather and day-to-night cycles, all in
beautiful 1080p resolution on Xbox One. In addition, the
Nürburgring track for “Forza Motorsport 5” was revealed. The
full 16-mile combined circuit has been laser scanned at
subcentimeter accuracy, was crafted from the ground up for Xbox
One and is available now to all “Forza Motorsport 5” owners for
free.5
Lionhead Studios invited aspiring heroes (and villains) to
embark on a new adventure with the first gameplay of “Fable
Legends,” showcasing its stunning Unreal Engine 4 graphics and a
brand-new online experience that pits four players against the
series’ first-ever playable evil mastermind. The “Fable Legends”
multiplayer beta begins in fall 2014. Microsoft also thrilled
gamers with the long-awaited return of several popular Xbox
franchises, including “Crackdown,” a new iteration of the
groundbreaking open-world action series that features a whole
new campaign — fully playable in co-op — and uses Xbox Live to
power a city that isn’t just an exciting place to play, but is a
part of your destructive arsenal. In addition, Microsoft
unveiled “Phantom Dust,” a reimagined version of the beloved
classic with all-new gameplay and graphics.
Legendary developer Harmonix took to the E3 stage to announce
“Dance Central Spotlight,” the newest game in the award-winning
Kinect franchise, available exclusively as a digital download on
Xbox One this fall. “Dance Central Spotlight” features authentic
dance routines, accurate body tracking using Kinect for Xbox One
and chart-topping music, with even more variety and player
choice than ever before.
Highlighting some of the most anticipated titles coming to the
Xbox platform, acclaimed third-party publishers took the stage
to showcase their games.
ID@Xbox unleashes new games from independent creators.
Unique, creative games continue to burst onto Xbox One via the
ID@Xbox self-publishing program for independent developers. In
addition to an initial sample of titles revealed in March, E3
brought a slew of new ID@Xbox games, from brand-new IP. With
more than 350 developers with development kits and interest from
thousands more, gamers can expect even more innovations from the
independent developer community on Xbox One.
Free to Play games offer more ways to enjoy new content.
In addition, Microsoft reinforced its commitment to delivering
innovative experiences to a broadening audience through a
diverse lineup of Free to Play games for Xbox Live Gold members,
giving gamers easy and quick ways to purchase additional
content.
With more than 1 million creators crafting tens of thousands of
new games, the “Project Spark” beta on Xbox One and Windows 8
has delivered an open-world digital canvas that enables anyone
to create, play and share. Coming this fall, developer Team
Dakota will deliver new sci-fi content (“Galaxies”), a co-op
campaign (“Champions Quest”) with Champions that evolve through
gameplay, and four-player multiplayer in play and create modes.
Xbox 360 continues to deliver amazing value for gamers
Underscoring its continued support for Xbox 360, Microsoft has a
rich pipeline of games in development for Xbox 360, including
“Forza Horizon 2,” “Project Spark,” “Ori and the Blind Forest”
and “Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers” that are also
coming to Xbox One. With more than 84 million consoles sold into
retail worldwide and $37.7 billion in lifetime game sales to
date, Xbox 360 continues to enjoy strong momentum, fueled by a
thriving community of gamers that has logged more than 88
billion hours of gameplay (equivalent to more than 100,000
centuries), while enjoying access to gaming and entertainment
apps without a Gold membership, including Twitch, Upload Studio,
Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, YouTube and NFL on Xbox.3
The best lineup of games in Xbox history
With incredible games for the adventurer, thrill-seeker and
speed demon within us all, Xbox One is poised to deliver a
spectacular games lineup, including the following:
· “Dance Central Spotlight” (Harmonix Music Systems, Microsoft
Studios). “Dance Central Spotlight” is the newest game in the
award-winning “Dance Central” series, bringing authentic dance
routines, chart-topping music and the characters you love
exclusively to the Xbox One. With an all-new soundtrack, more
than 50 songs available as add-on content at launch, more
routines per song than ever before and a 1- to 2-player dance
experience updated for the Xbox One, “Dance Central Spotlight”
is the next generation of motion dance games. Step up for your
turn in the spotlight.
· “Fable Legends” (Lionhead Studios, Microsoft Studios). “Fable
Legends” innovates on the franchise’s well-loved world of magic,
humour and high adventure, delivering a unique experience that
feels familiar for fans, yet new and vibrant. Featuring stunning
visuals brought to life by Xbox One and Unreal Engine 4, “Fable
Legends” lets you play cooperatively with your friends as a team
of up to four heroes, each with their own play style, or become
the Villain and control the reins of battle from on high. Sign
up today to register interest in the multiplayer beta, which
begins this fall, at FableLegends.com.
· “Forza Horizon 2” (Playground Games, Turn 10 Studios,
Microsoft Studios). Arriving in the U.S. on Sept. 30, “Forza
Horizon 2” allows you to race through a massive wide-open world
featuring dramatic weather and day-to-night cycles. Instantly
connect with friends in the ultimate celebration of speed, style
and action-packed driving while exploring beautiful and exotic
locations in more than 200 of the world’s greatest cars — all
created with precise detail in stunning 1080p resolution on Xbox
One.
· “Forza Motorsport 5” (Turn 10 Studios, Microsoft Studios).
“Forza Motorsport 5” is a cinematic automotive journey starring
the world’s greatest cars and tracks. Built from the ground up
to take advantage of Xbox One and the vast power of the cloud,
no game better delivers the wide-eyed thrill of racing. Arriving
for free to “Forza Motorsport 5” owners this June is the
new-generation debut of the Nürburgring track, which has been
laser scanned with subcentimeter accuracy, resulting in the most
beautiful and realistically exhilarating racing experience yet.5
· “Ori and the Blind Forest” (Moon Studios, Microsoft Studios).
Venture with Ori, a young orphan destined for heroics, in this
action-packed adventure for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Play
through an amazingly beautiful and emotional journey as you help
Ori save his dying forest of Nibel.
· “Project Spark” (Team Dakota, Microsoft Studios). The highly
anticipated “Project Spark” brings imagination to life in an
open-world digital canvas game, transitioning from current beta
to full release on Xbox One and Windows 8 this fall. With a
powerful creation engine, downloadable content packs and
multiplatform functionality, “Project Spark” gives players the
power to create their own worlds, stories and games and then
share and play their creations with a dynamic global community
of fellow creators.
1 U.S. estimated retail price; actual prices may vary by market
and retailer.
2 Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately) required for
online multiplayer features. Cloud-hosted multiplayer and Smart
Match available in supported games.
3 Available apps vary between Xbox One and Xbox 360 and by
country. Some apps, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO and NFL on
Xbox, require app provider-specific subscriptions and/or
additional requirements. Skype video calling functionality on
Xbox One requires Kinect for Xbox One (sold separately; coming
fall 2014). Upload Studio on Xbox One requires Xbox Live Gold
membership. SmartMatch and Game DVR on Xbox One available in
supported games.
4 Some game features, including hidden terminal videos, require
broadband internet; ISP fees apply. Online multiplayer features
require Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately). Halo:
Nightfall: 5 episode live action series is streaming only, with
episodes releasing on a weekly basis. Xbox One or Windows 8.1
and broadband Internet required; ISP fees apply. Halo 5
Guardians Beta: Halo: The Master Chief Collection game disc
required. Limited Time Beta starts Dec. 27, 2014, and ends Jan.
22, 2015. Must be 17 years old or older. Xbox One, broadband
internet (ISP fees apply) and Xbox Live Gold membership (sold
separately) required. Halo: Nightfall and Halo 5: Guardian Beta
dates, content and features subject to change.
5 Download track from Xbox Live; ISP fees apply. Forza
Motorsport 5 game and up to 3 GB storage required.