Get the Exclusives Out
Microsoft has some incredibly high-profile exclusives, there’s no arguing against that. Whether it’s the adventures of Master Chief in the Halo series, following the fight for Sera in Gears of War, or leaping around a futuristic city as a super-powered law enforcement officer in Crackdown 3. While their lineup of exclusives was certainly impressive last year, with Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Quantum Break all receiving positive receptions, fans are still eagerly awaiting some exclusives that have been announced for quite some time.
From the constantly-delayed Scalebound to the charming Cuphead, Xbox has a handful of titles that keep seeming to get pushed further and further back. With Crackdown 3, Scalebound, Cuphead, and Sea of Thieves all expected to release in 2017, fans will be hoping that Microsoft will finally manage to get all four of them out, alongside a few surprises, too.
Continue to Improve the Xbox One User Interface
The Xbox One’s dashboard has come a long way since it first released. Yet, its layout and the way some things are hidden away within it still hark back to the first five months or so where the Kinect was relevant to the system. With the Xbox One S completely abandoning the Kinect port on the back, it’s time that Microsoft gave the Xbox One’s dashboard the full makeover.
Improvements in the dashboard have been coming in almost on a monthly basis. Heck, the Summer 2016 update alone fixed up the Xbox One Store’s messy layout, made finding games tied to your account far easier, and allowed you to play music in the background. Oh, and it moved the entire OS to Windows 10, too. Just as the Xbox 360 abandoned its beloved ‘blades’ for the tile layout, it’s time for Microsoft to continue to bring new and exciting features and wrap it all up in a sleeker, clearer layout.
Keep the Focus on Games
Since Phil Spencer took control of the Xbox ship in March 2014, he has taken huge steps to abandon the multimedia focus of his predecessor, Don Mattrick, and instead ensure that the Xbox One is all about the games. From his complete abandonment of the Kinect, to his huge announcements of Project Scorpio (the most powerful console ever),  the Play Anywhere and Cross-Play programs, and the ever-expanding backwards compatibility library, the Xbox One is in a far better position now.
With so much focus on giving players the very best experiences on a console, Microsoft must continue to deliver on this on both the Xbox One and the upcoming Scorpio. Increasing the 2017 exclusives lineup for the Xbox One would be a particularly good place to start. Especially considering its list is dwarfed by the PS4’s.
Maintain Clarity When Discussing the Scorpio
The Xbox One’s reveal was a bit of a strange one. Players were excited about the prospect of a more powerful console and the slew of games that would come with it, but the messaging was a little off. Was it a media center? Was it a dedicated console? Or was it some strange hybrid of the two? There was also the whole no used games 180 debacle and always-online issues that tarred the system’s big unveiling. With the Project Scorpio due to release later this year, Microsoft has another chance to knock the reveal out of the park.
We already know that the Scorpio is capable of native 4K resolutions and will be the most powerful games console ever, but very little else is really known about the system. If Microsoft wants the Scorpio to do as well as they hope, it’ll all come down to maintaining clear and concise messaging during its unveiling. Don’t muddy the waters of what the system is. Show fans blockbuster experiences and give them all of the information they need to know to make an informed decision and get excited. Microsoft’s recent E3 showings have certainly been solid, so here’s hoping 2017 hosts even more excellent events for the future of Xbox.
Continue to Innovate and Excel
At the past two E3 events, Microsoft has brought with them some pretty huge announcements. In 2015, it was that the backwards compatibility program making its way to the Xbox One. In 2016, Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform took center stage, with the Xbox Play Anywhere feature bringing Xbox’s biggest franchises to PC players. On top of that, Cross-Play was announced, allowing PC and Xbox One players to play their games together. Something almost entirely unheard of until then.
As we move into 2017 and edge ever closer to another E3, all eyes will be on Microsoft to see if it can deliver another huge announcement or innovation in the industry. Whether it will revolve around the Scorpio, or even perhaps its HoloLens AR headset remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though. Fans will hope there are at least a couple of surprises in store from Microsoft in 2017.
Published: Jan 4, 2017 02:52 pm