Xbox at E3 – My Exciting Week in Review
What an incredibly exciting week for Xbox at E3! We’ve seen that there truly has never been a better time to be a gamer. The Xbox One platform, designed to deliver a new generation of games and entertainment, was joined by an unprecedented line-up of blockbuster games, unveiled at E3. At the show, we showcased 17 new first generation titles for Xbox One, including 10 exclusive titles.
Everywhere I went, I was surrounded by the passion, excitement and intensity of Xbox fans. Here is a little week-in-review diary to give you a taste of my week at E3.
I started my week at our Xbox E3 briefing rehearsals. This is the fabulous Annie Spencer – she makes the world go round at E3, and generally speaking, at Xbox.
The team was so excited to unveil our blockbuster line-up of games and is very passionate about delighting our Xbox fans around the world. Hours and hours of rehearsals are dedicated to ensuring we put on a great show.
Here, our Chief Product Officer, Marc Whitten discusses a script change backstage in rehearsals.
The big day arrives and on Monday, the doors opened at the Galen Center for our E3 2013 briefing. This picture shows the mad rush for seating as the doors open.
The excitement during the briefing is intense. Games like “Killer Instinct,” “Ryse,” “Halo,” “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Dead Rising 3,” “Sunset Overdrive” and “Titanfall” received thunderous applause. Here are just a few of my favorite moments from the show.
Yusuf Mehdi announced not only a new Xbox 360, but also two free games per month for Xbox Live Gold members. It’s awesome to offer free games to our fans.
Then, it was game after game after game – all designed for Xbox One. Dan Greenawalt from Turn 10 had one of the coolest unveils of the show, for “Forza Motorsport 5.”
The sneak peek of the new “Halo,” for Xbox One, also was a massive hit with the audience. Bonnie Ross from 343 Industries delights as always.
Over 5,000 people enjoyed the show in-person and millions more via livestream. You can read more about the E3 briefing and all of our Xbox One announcements here.
The team behind-the-scenes that led the E3 charge – Mark Harper, Letty Cherry, Rob Matthews and Craig McNary.
Monday night, we had a media showcase event to give members of the media a chance to play our new games. The event was held at Vibbiana’s, a beautiful old church that converts into an event space with indoor and outdoor areas for gameplay. The night was beautiful and the crowd was packed.
After working for years on Xbox One and various game titles, it was a blast for our team to see Xbox fans enjoying our new games for the first time.
After lots of gameplay, the crowd was treated to a performance by The Shins. The band rocked and the night was a hit.
Finally it was time for the E3 doors to open.
And the crowds flowed into the Xbox booth – our largest ever! Here is a look at the show floor from my birds-eye view on our broadcast floor.
The games were a huge hit, along with people’s first look up-close of the new Xbox One.
Crowds had the chance to experience the new Kinect, the new controller, and a wide range of games – “Sunset Overdrive,” “Dead Rising 3,” “Project Spark” and “Ryse” were just a few of the titles that had massive crowds during the show.
Tuesday night, we held another big event at Vibiana’s in celebration of “Forza Motorsport 5.” The “Forza” team, joined by several Indy Car drivers, announced new open-wheel cars for “Forza Motorsport 5.” Surrounded by hot cars, the team mingled with the crowd.
Another highlight of the night was a special guest appearance by Chris Hemsworth, one of the stars of the upcoming Universal Pictures movie, “Rush.” “Forza Motorsport 5” will feature grand prix cars from that era, including the 1976 McLaren M23 and the 1976 Ferrari 312-2 cars for the first time. These models are the same cars featured in Rush and they will be available as a free download to all “Forza Motorsport 5” players at launch. Here is a photo of Hemsworth with the “Forza” team. You can read more about the news from the event here.
While the booth festivities continued, our President Don Mattrick participated in a fascinating panel on interactive entertainment with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on Wednesday. Amongst other topics, the luminaries discussed interactive television, including the upcoming “Halo” TV series, which Xbox and Spielberg are partnering to bring to life. You can read the full recap from the day here.
All in all, it was an incredibly exciting week for Xbox. With the opportunity to unveil an unprecedented line-up of games that are winning awards even as I write (more on this later) and most importantly – an opportunity to see our fans light up as they hold the Xbox One controller for the first time – or see the magical scenarios enabled by the new Kinect – or try and choose their favorite new Xbox One game.
Of course, the fun is just beginning. We have many months ahead until our launch in November, with lots of surprises in store. Keep following Xbox Wire so you don’t miss a beat. I’ll keep you posted.
Thanks for joining us this week at E3,
Lisa
@lisagurry