There gamescom 2023 took place last week, it was an opportunity for visitors to get their hands on future video games that will be released on the market, while professionals were able to talk to several major players in the sector. This is the case of Joe Skrebels, editor-in-chief of XboxWirewho met Phil Spencer, the big boss of the branch Xbox of Microsoft.
So yes, Xbox who is interviewing Xboxit’s not necessarily ideal for expelling Phil Spencer on sensitive subjects, but the latter still shared his pleasure to be back, at the gamescom but also in the competition against its competitors. Because Xbox went big in Cologne, with a 5,000 square meter stand showcasing its games, including Starfield with director Todd Howard, and a strong presence at theOpening Night Live before the show opens. Phil Spencer said:
It’s the largest consumer video game show, and it’s great to see how gamescom has grown in importance. As a team, we took the opportunity: Starfield is coming out, then it’s going to be Forza Motorsport, we had a lot of partners that wanted to be there, and we were like, ‘Let’s go, (let’s build) 5,000 square meters for our stand”. It’s about showing that Europe is important, that the games are obviously important, that we are investing and that we have a lot to show. I am happy to have been able to come this year. And the reception has been fantastic so far.
For 2023 and 2024 we are very confident and we have a lot of games to come. It’s not just Starfield and Forza Motorsport, which are obviously the two games expected this fall, but I must say I loved the announcement of Age of Empires IV on console during Opening Night Live – c It’s a game I’m going to play a bunch of times. But you know, Ara: History Untold is on the stand. Towerborne is also on the stand. We have games like Hellblade II and Avowed coming.
We need multiple talk times as not all games qualify for a 45 minute Starfield Direct as part of our Showcase. But we need to give creators time to tell their stories and explain what they’re looking for. It will be important to use these times throughout the year.
Phil Spencer also returned to the presence of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylonce again repelled but who offered himself gameplay and which was playable gamescom 2023an important thing for the parton of Xbox :
We’re at a big video game trade show, I like to talk about it, and then you’re talking to this team about what they’ve been through, and the video game discussion seems almost irrelevant. In terms of life experience, what they had to endure in Ukraine. So, spend some time with the team, find out where they are, find out if they’re safe? And not everyone is, or has been. And yet, they are here to show their game with great pride.
It kind of transcends what video games are – it’s great that we’re here. I want STALKER 2 out, I want it to be great, but more than anything I want this team to be safe. I think developing their game was a rallying point for them, among other things (…) With all the horrible things going on around them, they had this thing – it could have been a video game , it could have been anything – but they had this video game that gave them a foothold. We tried to help them in their approach, but everything depended on them and on the conviction they had. To have a STALKER 2 section in the stand, to be able to play there, to have part of the team here, it’s really exceptional.
Phil Spencer is confident for the future of Xboxbig games are coming, with Forza Motorsport this year, then titles like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II And Avowed later. But right now it’s Starfield which is expected in the next few days, you can pre-order it by Constellation Edition collectible at 299.99 at the Fnac.
| Clint008 Writer – Tester |
