Hellblade 2
Xbox
Microsoft certainly shook things up at The Game Awards this year. Despite not winning as many awards, the pre-show buzz was all about the debut of Starfield, which ended up only securing a single award for Best RPG, losing to Baldur’s Gate 3. This was a surprising disappointment given the game’s high profile.
Microsoft cleverly utilized the draw of the show, turning it into a sort of Winter E3, given the absence of the summer program and the trend of publishers, Xbox, and PlayStation creating their own showcases.
It was a well-executed plan by Microsoft, as they not only won a few awards, including Hi-Fi Rush for Sound Design, Forza for Racing/Sports, and Accessibility, but also made several big Xbox-centric announcements throughout the event. This included:
- A captivating glimpse of Hellblade 2, which is set to release next year, accompanied by a stellar music performance, effectively serving as a substantial 10-minute ad for the game, even without a release date. This overshadowed many other games showcased, including Hideo Kojima’s OD.
- Speaking of which, Kojima’s OD is a project made in collaboration with Microsoft. Although it was somewhat downplayed, the fact that Microsoft is partnering with him is significant, and combined with Hellblade, it made up a significant portion of the event.
OD
Kojima productions
Forbes VettedFor You
- One of the biggest announcements was that Arkane is developing a licensed Marvel Blade game, a third-person adventure that debuted with an intriguing trailer and concept that everyone seems to be excited about. Despite not being explicitly confirmed as an Xbox exclusive, all signs point to it being one.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 was released on Xbox after winning Game of the Year. Even without any nominations, Microsoft managed to align itself with the Game of the Year by finally launching Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox on the same night it won the award. It was supposed to be announced on stage, but that didn’t happen, and it was released nonetheless.
Microsoft played the event strategically, while Sony didn’t have as much of a presence as in previous years, when it had won numerous awards, including Game of the Year.
The most significant Sony story is probably Marvel’s Spider-Man,
