Suffice it to say, 2018 actually went by reasonably okay for Microsoft. While 2017 mostly saw Xbox at its nadir as a console brand right until the end of the year, when the Xbox One X launched and revitalized the console family, this year benefitted from the strong momentum the Xbox One X gave the brand, as well as a few exclusive game releases over the year.
However, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer, who is the head of the Xbox division, thinks that that 2019 will be an even better year for the brand, citing upcoming eagerly anticipated exclusives such as Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Crackdown 3, and of course, Gears 5.
“We’ve got Crackdown 3, we’re going to be launching that,” Spencer said, speaking at The Game Awards last night. “We’ve got Gears 5, which will just be incredible. One of my favorite franchises that has come out this generation for us, Ori… We’ll see the next Ori come out.”
He also took this opportunity to have a dig at rival Sony, who will not be attending E3 next year.
“We’re gonna be back here at E3, which will be incredible, right here in this theater,” he said, referencing the Microsoft Theater where The Game Awards was held, and where Microsoft will have their E3 keynote next year. “This year was an awesome year for gamers, and I look at next year and I think that it’s just lined up to be another better year.”
It sounds like the Xbox brand is in good hands with Spencer, and I personally hope that he actually lives up to his promise next year, and delivers an even better 12 months for Xbox gamers than this year proved to be.
