Anyone who tells you that Microsoft is losing in any way isn’t paying attention. While the PS4 is outselling the Xbox One, Microsoft’s baby is currently outselling its predecessor and does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. Just look at the 400 million dollar launch Halo 5 had.
After a tumultuous birth into this new world of consoles, executives like Phil Spencer took hold of what was a confusing console and gave players what they wanted.
A place to play their favorite games.
Now that players are finally getting games such as Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Forza 6, Microsoft is gaining momentum that they do not plan on giving up any time soon. Taking one glance at next year’s slate of exclusives, fans can rest easy knowing that the future of their system is bright. While there are great indie games like Below and Cuphead coming next year, here are the potential system sellers of 2016:
Quantum Break
Quantum Break has been a long time coming, but ultimately, it would appear that gamer’s patience is going to pay off. The game has been dormant since its impressive showing at Gamescom this year, but that’s all players needed to see to be convinced that Remedy Entertainment looks to be delivering another quality title. For those who have been sleeping under a rock since 2013, this game seems to have gotten a bit of an overhaul for the better. Remedy has smartly downplayed the TV aspect of the game and focused on showing players the unique aspects of gameplay such as using time as a weapon. The TV elements are there but also look a lot more interesting now that Shawn Ashmore (X-Men) and Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) are on board. Wrap it all up with an intriguing sci-fi story and Microsoft could have another hit on their hands when the game launches on April 5.
Crackdown 3
While there has not been a large amount shown, Crackdown 3 is one of this writer’s most anticipated games of 2016. The demo shown at Gamescom got people’s minds racing about multiplayer sessions of laying waste to the neon-clad city while taking out each other and other mob bosses along the way. If executed properly, this is also a chance for Microsoft to really flex their muscles when it comes to the power of their mysterious cloud. But let’s be real, who isn’t excited to scale the rooftops of the city and hunt down all those orbs again? Players will get to collect those little bastards sometime in the summer of next year.
Scalebound
Microsoft’s newest IP is also one of its most intriguing games of next year. The premise of taking on building-sized beasts with a dragon of your own has gamers foaming at the mouth, but some things remain to be seen. For a game like this to truly excel on its awe-inspiring premise, the controls need to feel solid and the camera needs to handle well, two problems that plague many Japanese-made games in today’s market. But if Platinum Games can deliver on those fronts, prepare to spend Skyrim-type hours with this monster during the holiday season
Gears 4
Gears of War has become a pillar for Xbox and now newly assembled developer The Coalition (formally Black Tusk) looks to bring its vision of the Gears world to the this generation of gaming. Very little is known about the new project, other than what has been shown at this year’s E3. The gameplay reveal showed off a more intimate world than the bombastic settings of Gears 2 & 3 and seemed to harken back to the tension-filled atmosphere of the original. Players should already know they are going to get a great cover-based shooter from Rod Fergusson, but mark my words; this is going to be a different game from what we have come to expect (thus calling it Gears 4 instead of Gears of War 4). Unfortunately though, gamers will have to wait until the holiday season to find out what lies ahead in the Gears Universe.
Now that Microsoft has shaken off its rocky start to this generation of consoles, they are developing huge games that are making people pay attention to them again, a trend that obviously is going to ring true throughout the next year.
No matter what genre gamers prefer, it is a good time to be an Xbox-owner.
XbotMK1
Xbox One isn’t outpacing the Xbox 360. Microsoft was stating that in the beginning but they stopped stated that a while ago. Microsoft has completely stopped providing Xbox One hardware sales out of desperation and embarrassment, but they still want you to believe that it is outpacing the Xbox 360 when it’s not.
The $400 million dollar launch of Halo 5 includes hardware and it refers to revenue, not profit. The $400 million dollar launch of Halo 5 is nothing but a clever marketing spin that means nothing.
I don’t understand why fanboys are defending this company and this console when Microsoft doesn’t really care about it. Microsoft is trying to transition back to PC which is why Xbox One barely has any exclusives because they’re going to PC.
Fernando
Says someone neutral, named Xbot… *takes glasses off*
Pandrew Ance
please, show me a list of all the amazing exclusives on PS4 … Bloodborne is the only one.
avi
shoo, troll.
the $400m+ report is what most companies do nowadays. ms did the same with halo 2, halo 3, halo reach, halo 4, etc. (and the numbers for those games included hardware as well).
and your last point…smh. so much ignorance. I’m done with you. trolls like you should stay under bridges.
Revolver Ocelot
So much for that momentum.