Console rivals Microsoft and Sony battled for players’ hearts with big announcements about blockbuster games and future plans, as the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) kicked off in Los Angeles yesterday.
The companies behind the Xbox One and PlayStation4 consoles held flashy pre-show events on Monday, showcasing their content and biggest games.
Microsoft grabbed the early headlines by announcing that gamers using its latest XBox One console would soon be able to play games bought for its predecessor, the XBox360. Gamers have long desired such “backward compatibility”.
Microsoft also touted Halo 5: Guardians, and early XBox access to hotly anticipated titles such as Rise of the Tomb Raider.
“If you have been waiting to move from your Xbox 360 to Xbox One, now is the time,” said Xbox division head Phil Spencer.
Xbox executive Mike Ybarra said more than 100 titles would be available by the end of the year.
Xbox and PlayStation are investing in new franchises and cultivating original content from smaller, independent studios.
Microsoft studios announced a partnership with Japanese game designer Keiji Inafune for an all-new Xbox One exclusive called ReCore.
Independent games in the works for Xbox One include Beyond Eyes, in which the main character is blind and engages her world using other senses, and Cuphead, a game with the look of a 1930s cartoon.
Sony proclaimed a “new era” of PlayStation gaming using its Project Morpheus virtual-reality headgear. “We are witnessing a historic evolution in gaming,” said Sony Computer Entertainment America chief Shawn Layden.
PlayStation is the “new home” for the blockbuster Call of Duty franchise because of a tie-up with video-game publisher Activision, said Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House.
Microsoft announced a partnership with Valve VR to make Windows 10 a platform for play using virtual-reality headgear. It show off a version of the popular Minecraft game using the HoloLens augmented-reality visors, which have yet to hit the market.
artslife@thenational.ae
