Yesterday, Microsoft showed off the first look at Xbox Series X gameplay. After lots of details on what their plans are for next-gen and showing off how powerful their console is, they shared first looks at 13 games from their third-party partners. However, the reception of how much gameplay was shown was met with criticism as many thought that they were going to see more than what Microsoft showed off. One game in particular, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was talked about the most because of the reveal a week earlier, building to the excitement of seeing the game in action. Microsoft has addressed the criticism saying that next time, there will be setting the right expectations for everyone. Aaron Greenberg, GM of Game Marketing tweeted:
Had we not said anything & just shown May Inside Xbox show like we did last month, I suspect reactions might have been different. Clearly we set some wrong expectations & that’s on us. We appreciate all the feedback & can assure you we will take it all in & learn as a team. 🙏🏻💚
— Aaron Greenberg 🙅🏼♂️❎ (@aarongreenberg) May 8, 2020
Leading up to the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal last week was the official reveal of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla through a partnership with artist BossLogic and the cinematic trailer for the game. Everyone may have been expecting more of a gameplay demo as that is how each Assassin’s Creed gets revealed. A cinematic trailer followed by a game demo. Creative Director Ashraf Ismail addressed the criticism saying that more of the game will be shown in the future leading up to its release.
Hello all❤️
You rightfully expected to see more today. We have a long marketing campaign ahead of us, you will see in-depth gameplay and get a lot more info about the game.
Thank you for your excitement and passion! Be patient with us and be kind. It will be worth it!🙂
— Ashraf Ismail (@AshrafAIsmail) May 7, 2020
While many were left wanting more, Microsoft will have plenty of opportunities to show more through their new Xbox 20/20 initiative. Every month, they will be talking about something Xbox related leading up to the launch of Xbox Series X. In July, they will be revealing what several Xbox Game Studios have been working on such as Double Fine, Ninia Theory, and Obisidian. 343 Industries will also be a part of this sharing the first look at Halo Infinite which is set to launch with the console in the Holiday. This Summer will be filled with game news as Geoff Keighley announced the Summer Game Fest which is a four-month industry-wide celebration of gaming with publisher news events, in-game events, playable content, and demos. Several other outlets such as IGN are also doing their own showcase with the absence of E3 this year.
There are also reports that PlayStation is ready to talk about PlayStation 5 and that an event is planned for early June, although nothing official has been announced yet.