Same Games, Higher Prices; A Disappointing Xbox 2025 Showcase

The Xbox Games Showcase happened June 8th. Having passed and seemingly forgotten already, Microsoft and Xbox has failed to give us a reason to even own an Xbox console. Even with their debut into the handheld gaming space, their games on-offer fail to capture the attention (wallets) of the overall gaming community.

Halo CE Remake (Unreal Engine)

The Build-Up to the Showcase

This showcase had the potential to be massive. Last year, major titles were teased to be not only in the Xbox space but multiplatform as well. Notable titles being Gears of War E-Day and Fable. There was actual hype and potential marketing that us gamers came to expect of this showcase.

After all, this event is to "showcase" what there is to be excited for, not only for Xbox but gaming in general.

Pricing

The biggest hurdle that the industry (Nintendo) pushed overnight was the price increase of almost every major videogame. Jumping from a $60 standard to now $70, every little bit makes the difference. Especially for special and deluxe editions of games, that price can now go as high as $100.

This was a predictable move though as Xbox still markets and encourages Game Pass. With heavy-hitting, AAA titles such as Doom: The Dark Ages, adding such games to the library would raise the price anyway. Moving into the showcase, people were already hyper fixated on content offered at the price it is.

Gear of War E-Day

"Exclusives"

Even if we are moving past the age of exclusivity in console gaming, there were still veteran franchises missing from the showcase. This is even more confusing as we know these exclusive titles are not abandoned, People are still working on prequels, sequels and everything in-between.

The most polarizing miss was the exclusion of Gears of War E-Day at the showcase. Last year, a CGI trailer showcasing Marcus Fenix and the return of Dominique Santiago. For the first time since 2011, it seemed like the Gear of War franchise was returning to form. Especially for it being a CGI trailer alone, it got people talking for such an old franchise (2006). All of this hype building for a year, only to get a remaster trailer (Gears of War 1 has been remastered twice now).

Even when Phil Spencer teased it to be returning next year in the 25 years of Xbox celebration, I still have little hope. Who's to say that we don't get another CGI trailer? This is also concerning because we don't even know when the game is going to release. Sure, Phil Spencer mentioned Gear of War E-Day by name for next years 25-year celebration. However, with the gaming landscape as unforgiving as it is, there is always a possibility of a delay. (Insert: Halo Infinite)

What This Means for Gamers

Unfortunately, the industry hasn't caught up to it's own customers. The industry still thinks we're stuck indoors with nothing to do but play video games. That time has passed and with price increases on standard games, we cannot and should not accept the demand for what is offered. Even with Microsoft's push into the portable market, as exciting as it should be, other competition such as Valve and Asus has been doing this for a while compared to the gaming landscape.

People are starting to become aware of the inflation of games and prices and have lost the patience, time and money to consume everything.

Looking Ahead

Yes, the gaming industry has swept us all from under our feet, mainly from the overstay of the price increases. However, since the industry is so unpredictable that can also play into our advantage. It's known that Nintendo has seen lackluster sales of the new console and every AAA dev is following the standardization of $70 games. Should we as consumers continue to not give into their heavy business practices, we could see a crash in the industry as many other industries have crashed before it. Overall, the showcase itself was just another push over for some noteworthy games to come later. Games that actually give the showcase it's Xbox name.