Ten Ways Microsoft Can Swing The Pendulum Back Their Way

Focus on Kinect

For all the rumours of a next gen PlayStation Eye, very little concrete information was given about it at the PlayStation meeting. What with the rumours about Kinect being mandatory in the next Xbox, Microsoft would do well to bear all regarding what kind of features will be attached to the next Kinect. It has been a focus of the company’s Xbox 360 strategy for so long now, that it seems right for them to continue focusing on Kinect for their next gen machine as well. Who knows, a good reveal might even get more of the hardcore gamers on side for Kinect 2.0.

Discuss New Xbox Live Features

Yet more rumours that Sony failed to touch on, there was a large ellipsis where information on the new PlayStation Network features ought to have been. We have confirmation of the share button on the DualShock 4, but that’s about it. Xbox Live has always been an important part of the Xbox’s appeal, so MS need to come clean with us about what they’re doing to improve this area of the Xbox experience.

Bring in Big Name Games

An obvious point, but one that few systems ever seem to really get right. We’ll be excited enough by the hardware reveal, I’m sure, but it won’t mean anything without decent games to run on it. Sony have done a good job of unveiling some solid system sellers, but Nintendo are still struggling to provide a killer app for the Wii U. Microsoft need to make sure they don’t make this mistake and hit the ground running with top exclusive games; at least as many as Sony did, but preferably more.

Prepare for E3

If MS manage to announce the 720 before E3, then they need to make sure they don’t give out all of their information prematurely. After all, there’s a pretty important expo to prepare for in June. Considering the total lack of decent announcements made by MS last year, they need to hold back some big news for this one. And by big news, I don’t mean Usher.