After PlayStation's "The Future of Gaming" press conference revealed more than two dozen games (along with a console design), Microsoft was quick to announce its own gaming-focused event in the form of "Xbox Games Showcase". Plus, since then, Xbox Manager Phil Spencer has taken photos at Sony on a variety of topics, from their heavily story-based exclusives to the pressure they put on gamers to switch to. the PlayStation 5.
This is a bold move by Spencer, as the PlayStation 4 undoubtedly takes away the winner of this generation. However, we believe Thursday's Xbox Showcase will even be the playground and display the overwhelming benefits of owning their next hardware. Here is our prediction of what you'll see from the upcoming event.
Halo: Infinite
via XboxYou have to start with the obvious first, mainly because Halo: Infinity will eat up most of the hour-long show. Game developer 343 unsurprisingly released the game's artwork just a day before the series began, and now is the time for players to get some new looks on both the story and its multiplayer mode. A grappling hook has been mentioned before, so we expect more quirks to be introduced, to make the gameplay a major change from the predecessors. If all of these features are on display, it's more than reasonable that the release date is dropped, and we believe it will launch with the X Series in November.
Forza Motorsport 8… with a twist
The little-known PC title Rue Forza was the series' first attempt at a Need For Speed-esque game, being more of an arcade game than a realistic one, but it offered very little to consumers. However, this could be a taste of what will come to the X Series. We believe that Forza's next entry in the series is inevitably a launch title for the X Series, but it's possible the series will deliver its first game. principal who basks in this rigid culture of street racing. Eleven games, the series must offer at least one title that is not afraid to delay and give fans a change of pace. Whether in the vein of including bikes or trucks, it would be interesting to see a high-quality and reputable Xbox franchise like Forza bring some twists and turns that continue to maintain its popularity.
Fable 4
After the Lionhead Studios closed in 2016, all hope was lost in Fable 4, which is still alive. However, we believe it's entirely possible that a new studio has quietly held the reins of the franchise ever since. In 2018, Eurogamer reported that UK developer Playground Games was tasked with looking into the development of a sequel. Although nothing was revealed, Microsoft recently rebranded for the Fable Name. It's too much of a coincidence, and so we think a teaser for the alleged successor is in order. If anything, viewers might see a thirty-second trailer vaguely mentioning Fable lore, with a Playground Games logo to close it.
FIFA 21
If you want to make money, you have to follow it. According to UltimateTeamUK's Twitter, Xbox will apparently do just that, in the form of becoming EA Sports' exclusive marketing partner, conclusively showing FIFA 21 in the storefront. FIFA and Madden made appearances in the last Xbox event before, and now they'll likely have deeper looks, in the form of in-game footage. To announce their alleged partnership, it wouldn't be unusual for Xbox to offer some more. Exclusive Ultimate Team content for the pre-order of the game. If the series makes an appearance, it will surely be revealed as an X series launch title.
Obsidian's next IP address
Image via nintendo.co.ukFollowing the trend of fortuitous announcements expected in the days of the Xbox Games Showcase, developer Obsidian posted on Twitter from the outside world that gamers should stay tuned to the game's site. So far, nothing on the site hasn't changed, but it may preview the DLC soon, something that should debut during the showcase. It would be refreshing to see how it could be optimized for the Xbox Series X, but it's a short show, why not go for something a little more interesting? We think you'll see a DLC announcement, with the developer teasing a new RPG slated for release in 2021. It's a long time, but their site is currently looking for a suspicious amount of new talent, possibly to work on something other than The Outer Worlds.
Banjo-Kazooie Launch Title
via NintendoHow can fans comfortably tell that Banjo and Kazooie's last appearance was over a year of a Nintendo Switch title that isn't on the box with its name? Well, even though it's hard to swallow, it won't be for long. We think one of the reasons Phil Spencer has been so brave in standing up for Xbox is because he knows he has a few console vendors heading into Series X at launch. Although the game's developer, Rare, is currently busy with the next Everwild, Banjo-Kazooie could come back with a new developer, possibly one who is working on optimizing a previous title for the X series. If nothing Banjolié is shown , Twitter will likely be set on fire.
Xbox Live is no longer
Like Halo and Forza, we can almost guarantee that the show's ending would solve the mysterious disappearance of the 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription from Microsoft's online stores. Our guess is that Spencer will close the stream stating that gamers can use all multiplayer features on Xbox Series X at no cost. With one and three month subscriptions still available, Xbox could promote them until the service goes free in November.
Project: Mara
via Ninja Theory YouTube channel
In January, Developer Ninja Theory unveiled a new Xbox-exclusive IP address called Project: Mara. The best way to describe it is that it appears to be the Xbox's Silent Hill point of view. The horror title is a first-person experience set in a mental health facility that certainly differs from typical Xbox proprietary games. We think it's set in stone that will be here on Thursday and, at the very least, viewers will receive an update on how the new IP address evolves. At the most, some terrifying gameplay could emerge, along with a release date - which would likely be set for 2021.
Since this is a game showcase, the Xbox probably has no plans to reveal the price of the Series X, nor to talk about the rumored Xbox Lockhart aka Series S. The console maker will be hosting any events. At least once a month, when Series X releases, the hardware-focused reveals are therefore expected to appear in August or September.
The Xbox Games Showcase will go live at 9 a.m. PT or 12 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 23 on a number of video streaming platforms.
