T
o us, the message was clear. There were those who, following the Xbox
Series X firstparty game presentation, seemed confused: if this was to be our
first real look at Xbox’s next-gen offering, where were the bombastic graphical
showcases, the displays of processing power? Answer: PlayStation’s offering. Xbox
has a different idea of what “the next generation in videogames” should mean. Phil
Spencer put it succinctly at the start of the show: “We believe that how you find
and play your games is as important as the device you play them on.” Game Pass,
is an ecosystem Microsoft hopes will address the growing problems of curation,
accessibility and the increasing reality that success as a gaming platform is less
about hardware than it is about service. When everything’s multi- and cross-
platform, where’s the sense in only marketing the box? Promise players everything
they own will persist on your family of platforms – even across console generations –
and you’re not dependent on the number of boxes you sell. You abstain from the
console war. Nintendo did so years ago, and look how that turned out.
A strong lineup is, of course, essential. Over the coming pages, we cast an eye
over just some of what’s coming to Game Pass, Xbox Series X – and, theoretically,
beyond. The theme is originality and range. If the big players’ next-gen strategies
continue to be just as varied, this generation should be very interesting indeed.OUTSIDE THE BOX
Xbox sets out a plan to redefine what
a next-gen gaming platform could be
BY EDGE STAFF