Microsoft's E3 Conference Will Be Different This Year, Says Xbox Boss

One of the biggest problems plaguing the Xbox One at the moment is that there aren't enough first-party exclusives. Well, the Xbox head-honcho wants to change that around at this upcoming E3.

Over on Twitter Phil Spencer, the current boss over the Xbox division, posted the following message about Microsoft's plans to win over the 2015 E3 conference wars.

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Finally!

One of the big problems plaguing the Xbox One since its announcement was the lack of exclusivity support. While a lot of gamers naturally hate when games become console exclusives when they don't have to be (i.e., the timed exclusivity of Rise of the Tomb Raider) they do appreciate when a console manufacturer puts time and effort into first-party titles that actually take advantage of the system's capabilities.

However, the biggest drawback for the Xbox One was that its prime separating factor from the Wii U and the PS4 was/is Kinect. Kinect 2.0 caught a heck of a lot of flak for its original operational policies and the whole Xbox One DRM outfit Microsoft announced back in 2013, but at the same time it's also a device that can help leverage the exclusivity appeal of the Xbox One.

Hardware wise, the Xbox One is stronger than the Wii U but weaker than the PS4. So while it can easily output graphics that many will deem better than Nintendo's console, the GPU having fewer compute units means that on a pure raw performance scale it'll never be able to outdo the PS4. And comparing the Xbox One to PC is just silly at this point since high-end PCs have already started moving into 12K resolution territory where-as the high-end eighth-gen consoles are barely able to hit 1080p. Hence, Microsoft will desperately need to focus on exclusive IP that will take advantage of what features are available in the Xbox One that separate it from the competition.

The first-party exclusives have been far and few between since the console's launch in 2013, and the regular roll-out of Forza Motorsport, Halo and Fable are starting to wear thin on the hardcore gaming audience. And even though Microsoft has a new Gears of War title in the works, along with Quantum Break, they'll still need something new to capture a more diverse audience. The Xbox One is thin on RPG variety and also lacking in platformers and adventure games.

Despite Kinect's shortcomings, it wouldn't be bad to see more point-and-click adventure titles designed with the Kinect in mind. A few more racing games that aren't Forza Motorsport would also help. Maybe a space simulator or an exclusive beat-'em-up title or two, similar to back in the day when the Xbox 360 had games like Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Castle Crashers.

I guess we'll see what Microsoft has in store for E3 when June finally approaches. The fact that Spencer wants to cover more first-party exclusives is only a good thing for the Xbox brand.

Will Usher

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.