Microsoft looking to 'break the bank' at E3

by Justin McElroy on Dec 8th 2008 1:55PM

We expect the big three to come to E3 ready to drop bombs, but lately it seems that in the past couple of years Microsoft has been content to drop not-so-subtle reminders of their fall release calendar. On the latest Major Nelson podcast though, Microsoft Game Studios chief Phil Spencer stopped just short of promising megatons.

"I came out of an E3 planning meeting just about an hour ago," Spencer said, "and ... maybe we'll break the bank a little bit and talk about things that are further out." From this, we've implied two things. 1. Phil Spencer maybe meant to use a different metaphor and 2. We can get our hopes up a little bit for big news during Microsoft's keynote. Let's hope the competition follows suit.

[Via X3F]

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Tags: E3, e3-2009, microsoft, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (84)

Here's an interesting blog post from St. Louis area website:

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-game-guy/the-game-guy/2008/12/is-xbox-360-doomed-in-2009/

This guy has interesting observations on the Xbox 360 in 2009.....

"This guy has interesting observations on the Xbox 360 in 2009....."

No, not really.

This article is a joke. He thought the NXE "promised better graphics", called Halo 3:ODST a prequel instead on an expansion (I guess you could see it as a prequel though) He thinks Microsoft will need to get in on the bailout plan (they have limitless money!), and he thinks the Xbox 360 will be the only console effected by the economic downfall = FAIL.

Sorry, but that article was just a rant. I don't see anything enlightening or interesting in it at all.

The author of that article should really think things through better before he posts his thoughts. The 360 isn't Microsoft's only venture, and he talks about it like the only thing they have to keep them afloat. And the price point he mentioned about the arcade also applies to Sony and the PS3, but to a greater degree.

Also, there were a few games that came out at the end of 07 that are most likely readying up for a sequel come Fall 09. Just because they're not announced yet doesn't mean they'll miss the date. Even Gears of War 2 wasn't announced until earlier this year, and well established titles don't need to announced the sequels a year+ in advance.

"and he thinks the Xbox 360 will be the only console effected by the economic downfall = FAIL."

Why would anyone think that? The economic downturn is world-wide, and companies like Sony have actually taken a far greater hit in stock value than Microsoft.

I like the part where he complained about getting an elite for free. Also the part where he says he's a "gaming reporter." Heh, good times.

At this point in time, if MS was to just up and fold, i would think "the end is near".

Im talking today not 2055.

Yes and that was interesting?

*blankest face, ever...*

E3 is old hat. Sony and Nintendo showed that when neither of them really put their best effort forward during it, instead holding on to bigger announcements for other events. Microsoft seems to think that "winning" E3 with a big conference still matters when the other two (and many big 3rd party developers) have moved on.

Sure, keep telling yourself that...

Huh? Makes no difference to me.

I say the best policy is to try to win at everything. Even at things your not supposed to win at.... like yelling. WIN AT YELLING!!!

Brawndo FTW!

Sony had a weak E3 and the message boards well filled with Sony sucks,Sony had no games and Crab jokes for years.

Nintendo had a weak E3 this year and it has the boards well filled with bad jokes and wii had no games.

So yeah it change things, at least in media and message boards.

If you don't smoke Tarryltons... F**k You!

Have you kept up with the news lately Tez? If you did, you'd know that this year is the return of E3 to it's former loud, proud, and booth-babe-y version. And this thing will be a MAJOR consumer electronics convention. So expect the big three to take this a LOT more seriously than the past two years (y'know, when E3 was a teenager with his first hangover).

@Hashbrown No, I don't keep up with the news. I just visit Joystiq once a month and read the first two pages. Are you saying that isn't good enough?

If E3 had continued on the route it had been going, then yeah, Tez would be right. But old E3 is back, and its importance increases apace.

So they are going to pull a Sony????

wonder how the 360 fanboys will take that.........considering they clown Sony for talking about things a year or more out....

We already know what sony is up to. GOW3, Uncharted 2, FF. The anticipation isn't all that great. I will say that I find Microsofts tactics a bit more enticing than Sony's lack of hype. I like feeling like a kid at xmas time.

you can add Dark Cloud 3 and Team ICO to the mix. i'll await the typical "Not interested in those" rebuttal.

you know whats up Sony's sleep for next year.....PARTIALLY......like I said they announce things often time years in advance.......and catch flack for it........if MS does this and get NO flack.....then will 360 fans stop with the "It doesnt come out for x year(s)" comments......that was said of FF13 when it was announced 2+ years ago.......and people talked shit.......yet when it was announced for the 360(still a few years out) none of those folks had shit to say.....

The reason MS doesn't get as much slack as Sony did is simply that 2 years had passed since Sony first announced. If Sony originally annouced it three yeras in advance, MS annouced it on their console two years later or one year in advance.

Literately, 1/3rd the time in advance so the slack they get for annoucing ahead of time should be 1/3rd as less if the slack they get is in any way proportional to time. Enough said or do you need a better explanation?

oooh I got voted down......lol

at any rate........dude.....

FF13 wont be out til 2011 on the 360........it'll be on the PS3 FIRST.....wanna try that again??

MGS Holiday 2010 confirmed.

YAAAAAAAY.......

smh

Isn't "the bank" already broken, given the economic situation?

I realize this is off topic, but I just got the 160 gig ps3 with Uncharted and Resistance 2 for xmas, in all honesty what do any of you recommend for other titles? I was exclusively XBOX 360 up till now, but thought I would give the ps360 life a try.

Pickup some PSN titles. Super Stardust HD and WipEout HD would good places to start. I also really like Blast Factor. It's one of the oldest PSN games, but I also think it's still one of the better dual analog shooters available and, IMO, underrated. The base game was good, but the Advanced Research add-on made it even better. The game just got patched for trophies last week so I've been playing it some the past few days and I'd forgotten how good it was.

As for standard retail titles, definitely pick up MGS4 and Ratchet & Clank.

Well Justin, from reading your article, I've inferred two things:
1. You don't know the proper usage of imply and infer.
2. You shouldn't be writing.

Handheld please? Better than the PSP and DS somehow, otherwise I'll only be mildly interested.

Wait a sec, so you have Uncharted, Resistance 2 and most of the multiplatform games that were popular over the last two years on the xbox 360 already such as bioshock, assassin's creed, yadda yadda yadda?

Well there's...*smirk*...*barely disguised laughter* umm... MSG4. Heavenly Sword could last you up to 5 hours of gameplay, better to rent this one. There's GT5 Prologue if you want to pay for a demo. You could rent Haze. Reviews and general opinion were not so great on that one. Yes, that pretty much sums up what you spend ...what? $400.00 on?

Don't worry though, the games are coming in 2009. 2007 will be the year of the PS3..oops 2008 err 10. 2010. Yes, thats the year of the PS3.

Ok, I get it. Sarcasm is my second language. I just wanted a subjective opinion from gamers that have actually played the games instead of following the advice of some bullshit gaming site.

Already.
I guess that means they got nothing. That's okay after last year I'm not expecting anything out of the big three. They were all so very lame but none was lamer than M$ going after the "casual" crowd by seeing how much they could rip-off from Nintendo's most lame features.

I'd like to see them all come up with some original ideas again. That might impress me. I'm sick of every company thinking the best thing to do is copy the competition. They all do it and they're all really bad at it.

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Microsoft looking to 'break the bank' at E3

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