Conference Reaction: Microsoft Stays The Course

Once again, Microsoft hit the stage at E3 to tout new a host of new corporate partnerships for its Xbox Live service. However, those expecting talk of a new console will have to wait.

This is the first of our Conference Reaction columns -- we'll be publishing one for each of the major console manufacturers' press conferences. Keep it mind, this is our gut reaction based on watching the conference. So, we'll shoot from the hip and try to give you our best analysis as events unfold throughout the day.

The most notable part of today's Microsoft show was something that was conspicuous in its absence: talk of the next-generation Xbox console. Many had speculated that the company might try to take the wind out of Nintendo's sails by overshadowing the WiiU with the official announcement of the next Xbox, but that obviously didn't come to pass. Here's a breakdown of what happened, with a Game Informer editorial spin.

A Few Blockbusters, But Not Much New

For gamers, E3 is about…well…games. We've been complaining for the past couple of years that Microsoft has really scaled back its first-party Xbox 360 development, and once again we see that the company doesn't have much beyond a few venerable franchises like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza.

Kicking off the press conference with Halo 4 footage (and nice looking gameplay, at that) is always wise, but hardly breaking news. Still, the footage gave us confidence that 343 Industries just might have what it takes to keep the high standards set by Bungie. Gears of War: Judgment was a bigger surprise (though a certain magazine may have ruined the secret a bit). Many probably thought Epic had wrapped up the series on this generation, and the game looks great -- check our cover story for more. Forza Horizon also looked impressive, and it's nice to see Microsoft sticking with a genre that's not as relevant as it once was -- though Forza has now become the world's preeminent realistic racer.

Other titles shown include Resident Evil 6 (which showed an incredibly over-the-top demo that I found pretty charming), Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (an incredibly over-the-top demo I found less charming), and what was probably the only other high- profile announcement of the conference, Splinter Cell: Blacklist. A new Tomb Raider demo also impressed, showing off Lara in her new, Uncharted-inspired adventures. For its part, Call of Duty: Black Ops DLC will be a timed exclusive for Microsoft once again.

Overall, it wasn't a bad lineup of core games, but not exactly enough to blow the socks off of the hardcore crowd that made Xbox 360 the number one console in America. By a combination of Microsoft's divestment in internal development, and the fact that I suspect much of third-party developers' new IP budgets are now being used for next-gen games already in production, this year's Microsoft press conference seemed a bit lacking in the game department.

Live, Kinect, And Services Continue To Be A Focus

Microsoft's 360 has become as much of an Xbox Live portal as a game console, and that fact showed once again at their press conference. From the announcement of new partnerships with the NBA and NHL, expanded ESPN live events, and Kinect integration into popular EA Sports games like Madden and FIFA, the sports contingent got a lot of extra content in the press conference this year -- plus an appearance by legend Joe Montana.

So, what else? Basically if you have a device -- smart phone, toaster, whatever -- Microsoft wants to connect to it. And it will, "through the magic" of SmartGlass. SmartGlass is a portal of sorts that hooks your iOS, Android, or Windows 7 phone or tablet to your 360. You could use your device for navigation or actually seamlessly stream your content on services like HBO Go between both devices. There will also be features like bonus content for Game of Thrones displayed on your tablet as you watch the show on 360.

Perhaps most exciting for some was the fact that everyone's favorite Internet browser, Internet Explorer, was finally coming to Xbox Live.

Microsoft is also creating its own music service (good luck with that), and has new partnerships with Nickelodeon, Paramount, Machinima, and UVideos.

Finally, shoe giant Nike is making a Kinect sports training game that will send workout reminders to your phone and track your training progress.

In essence, Microsoft continued to augment what was already a strength. Xbox Live is already an amazing entertainment and media hub -- to the point where it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone who doesn't even play games to own one. Whether this is coming at the expense of Microsoft's focus on games might be a point worth discussing, but it's hard to fault the company for the work its done in bringing in such a wide range of content partners to the service.

The Rest

Outside of a few big games and a host of announcements for Xbox Live and Kinect, there were a few bits of interest. Twisted Pixel has a new game, LocoCycle, which was shown in a very short teaser trailer and seemed to be some amalgamation of Knight Rider and Tron. Definitely didn't seem to have the cartoonish, humorous vibe Twisted Pixel is known for, and I found that a bit concerning. Still, it's a talented studio so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. There was also Ascend: New Gods, a new game created by Signal Studios (Toy Soldiers) that promises "asynchronous" multiplayer strategy.

Oh, and USHER! There was so much USHER in this press conference. He came out to announce his involvement in Dance Central 3 and danced and danced and danced. He danced until the sun set in Los Angeles and the stars lit up the sky. Until every game journalist in the room became hypnotized by his dancing and began to join him. Until Bill Gates beamed down into the theater like in Star Trek and moonwalked across the stage. Until every hardcore gamer on the planet threw down their controllers and wept and danced like they couldn't believe their eyes.

Gut Check

This conference was a bit like last year's: heavy on solid entertainment partnerships and some well-known franchises, but lacking any real surprise game or something to capture the imagination of the hardcore crowd. That's not to say Halo 4 won't be amazing, but at this point we expect it. Ditto for Forza. Gears of War: Judgment was probably the biggest welcome surprise, but again it's in a series that has been a stalwart of Microsoft for the past few years.

New Kinect and Xbox Live functionality is great, as is improved Bing search and the addition of Internet Explorer to Microsoft's console online strategy. There's nothing wrong with more content like NHL and NBA season packages, either. However, in the hype-driven world of E3, those aren't the kind of announcements that get the faithful excited.

Microsoft is still presenting quality product to the public, but you get the sense they are playing it safe -- especially in its failure to try to create new, original IPs. Hopefully, that will come in the next-generation -- and possibly next year's E3.