Microsoft to "break the bank" at E3

By Robert Purchese Published 8 December, 2008

Near and far 360 games to be shown.

Microsoft Game Studios boss Phil Spencer may "break the bank" at E3 next year by talking about Xbox 360 titles further than five or six months away.

"I came out of an E3 planning meeting just about an hour ago and we were looking at some of the plans for the future and things that we might want to tease," Spencer told Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb in a podcast.

"[It's] very exciting, because there's a lot of stuff on the docket and maybe we'll break the bank a little bit and talk about things that are further out, which will hopefully get the community excited."

Spencer said there had been "some pressure" to do so, but was careful not to spoil any of the surprises.

Microsoft delivered one of the strongest platform holder conferences at E3 this year, thanks to the New Xbox Experience and the unforeseen Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360 announcement.

The company has so far been secretive about plans for 2009, however, although Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST are already talking points.

Spencer had just been to see the former, and said everything was hunky dory at developer Ensemble, which is to close after Halo Wars ships. Contrary to popular belief, the real-time strategy game will apparently feature a lot of storytelling and video cut-scenes; good for those "into the Halo fiction", said Spencer.

He also looked back at the catalogue of first-party Xbox 360 success stories, which recently include Fable II and Gears of War 2. The latter, he said, is "pushing 3 million" sales. Not bad for a series that didn't exist until this generation.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (60) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • menage #1 3 years ago

    I really wonder what we'll see next year, next to the Halo stuff, which I can live without.

  • Yossarian #2 3 years ago

    I really think this strategy they've had the past two years of only showing stuff that's coming in that calendar year has hurt them somewhat. There's still this lingering perception that Microsoft doesn't have any more games, which has proved to be untrue (remember all that 'year of the PS3!' rhetoric thrown around at the start of 2008? yeah, not so much).

  • Fab4 #3 3 years ago

    Pfft!! M$ copying ideas again..this time from the 'Credit Crunch' ;)

  • Collymilad #4 3 years ago

    ^^ yeah, a perception peddled and enforced by Sony and PS3 fanboys, and a perception which I'll add has been proven wrong each year, time after time.

    Every year is "The Year of the PS3", remember 2008 was, now, since that failed to be true, it's 2009. I can see this BS continuing right to the end of the generation. I'll just look at what's REALLY happening and see that the 360 is going perfectly well and will continue to do so.

  • Triggerhappytel #5 3 years ago

    Wont Halo Wars be out by then? I thought it was due by about April.

    I'll be interested to see what's forthcoming for the 360, and the less games where you shoot aliens in the face the better. More variety needed, and stuff like Lips or Scene It doesn't count.

  • ps3owner #6 3 years ago

    \sneakds into thread...

    2009 YEAR OF THE PS3 .... heheheee

    \runs away

    we'll all be looking for a job in 2009 anyway, no time for playing console games... well, unless there is no work. if that's the case then please Sony, release a few games ;)

  • Les #7 3 years ago

    "Every year is "The Year of the PS3", remember 2008 was, now, since that failed to be true, it's 2009."

    LOL, you shouldn't take the media so seriously. There will be only years of the Wii for the forseeable future while 360 and PS3 battle each other for the ever more distant second place.

  • Dizzy #8 3 years ago

    >More variety needed, and stuff like Lips or Scene It doesn't count.

    Seriously... you have XBLA, community games, all cross platform games, plenty of RPGs and some exclusives. What genres do you want? The waggle genre? The 360 has all bases covered.

    TBH I do not think MS needs to talk about games far into the future. They have plenty of stuff coming up next year to fill a whole E3.
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/08 @ 12:47

  • beastmaster #9 3 years ago

    MGS4.

  • NotSoSlim #10 3 years ago

    Loads of PS3 games for 09 and loads of 360 games. Wii on the other hand....meh!!

    Hopefully a cheaper PS3 and more to games on 360 & PS3 can finally challeng the Wii...hopefully!!

  • Bremenacht #11 3 years ago

    Oh joy - another PS3 vs 360 argument. Good job no-one ever tires of them.

    [jumps on hamster wheel for another exciting run]

  • Xerx3s #12 3 years ago

    It has never been about games with the wii. The wii sells on perception and marketing. The perception being that it is the machine to have. It could only have pong and it would still be 'the machine to have'.

    Both the ps3 and the 360 crush the wii in lineup quality yet the wii will crush them in sales.

  • drumbaby #13 3 years ago

    GOW 3 and Halo 4.

    Whup-de-do. :/

  • makeamazing #14 3 years ago

    Microsoft delivered one of the strongest platform holder conferences at E3 this yea

    Well considering there were only three of them, and they were all pretty much rubbish, not sure where they got the idea for this statement from.

    Would be interested in knowing what MS have lined up for next year, as someone else said in another thread, know about DLC based content, but not really heard about much else. Is Halo 4 next year?

  • beastmaster #15 3 years ago

    PS3 and Wii compatibility. Rise of the Robots 2 and a cure for the common cold.

    Perhaps they've got a whole load of new IPs ready to go. But they'll be FPS, RPG, the usual sort of thing.

    If I were to hazard a guess here goes my wish list (including multi-platform stuff) -

    Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake, Killer Instinct, The Outsider, LA Noire, new non-Halo Bungee game, Lionhead's next game.

    What's id like as a 38 year old gamer (I know - ancient) would be some (decent) remakes of 8 bit classics. Forbidden Forest, Aztec Challenge, Manic Miner etc. I know, I know - let bygones be bygones :-(




  • keyboardmonkey #16 3 years ago

    Breaking my wallet is more like it. I would like a small games drought for the next 6 months....

    Sorry, maybe I don't get to spend enough time playing games, but at the moment there are games piling up waiting to be played... I haven't even finished GTA4 yet.... and there's Fable2, Fallout 3, CoD:WaW, Mirrors Edge plus others.. waiting still unopened.

  • RedSparrows #17 3 years ago

    Rick Dangerous in 2.5D with added coolness.

  • Stuz359 #18 3 years ago

    Hopefully we should have Mass Effect 2 next year. A new Forza would be nice, though I think the PGR format is a little stale now I think we may see PGR5 as well. More than likely we will see Bioshock 2, the next COD, maybe Assassins Creed 2. Ubi may come back with new Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six games maybe even a new Splinter Cell game . Codemasters will probably show the new Colin Mcrae game and hopefully the new F1 game as well. Obviously I don't have a clue what new IP will be shown but hopefully there will be something new and exciting.

  • Moonprince #19 3 years ago

    "^^ yeah, a perception peddled and enforced by Sony and PS3 fanboys, and a perception which I'll add has been proven wrong each year, time after time. "

    ok buddy calm down, it's just a game. You're lol though :s

  • Masarin #20 3 years ago

    @beatmaster: What's id like as a 38 year old gamer (I know - ancient) would be some (decent) remakes of 8 bit classics. Forbidden Forest, Aztec Challenge, Manic Miner etc. I know, I know - let bygones be bygones :-(

    Argh, you beat me with one year. No no. Not ancient. More like... experienced... educated... informed... and of course... critical.

    :-)

  • DrDamn #21 3 years ago

    I think MS have previously got what they do and don't announce just about right at E3 so I'm not sure I want to see them going this route. Sony have previously gone the wrong way and shown a lot of stuff which wasn't ready yet or not oug for a very long time, though last E3 was better for them.

    Having said that if they desperately want to announce something then a handheld Xbox would be nice thanks :).

  • bad09 #22 3 years ago

    "Rick Dangerous in 2.5D with added coolness. "

    Wow, there is a name I haven't heard in a LONG time, I may start up the old Amiga emulator tonight :)

    As for E3, well nothing could be worse than the god awful show they put on this year, the silence of the unimpressed audience was deafening!

    (all 3 were poo this year before anyone starts!).

  • j1m.ch053n #23 3 years ago

    when will target renegade be released on xbla? or the original shinobi. or p.o.w - prisoner of war or one of the latter double dragon games or Pang (buster bros) or midnight resistance or virtua racing or . . . . someone needs to put the arcade back into XBLA

  • the_dudefather #24 3 years ago

    @bad09
    oh god yeah E3 was terrible on all fronts last year (it was hard to not cry at the sight of the people playing wii music on stage), Microsoft only managed to scape out as 'the winner' because of FFXIII (yay?)

  • adcworks #25 3 years ago

    i want pp hammer remade :p

  • Vic #26 3 years ago

    Maybe they should 'break the bank' fixing RROD...just an idea like
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/08 @ 14:09

  • LHH #27 3 years ago

    Mass Effect 2 would make me happy although I reckon more news will creep through the grapevine before the next E3.

  • Xerx3s #28 3 years ago

    "Argh, you beat me with one year. No no. Not ancient. More like... experienced... educated... informed... and of course... critical. "

    Face it man, you're OLD. ANCIENT even! You make cher look young! ;)

  • mazzl #29 3 years ago

    i'd like a new day of the tentacle game.
    or an A-TEam game :) creating weapons and not shooting people till they die ....

  • dr_faulk #30 3 years ago

    I'm on holidays and I brought my DS. I'm beginning to think no one needs any more than this little thing. (Keep in mind, I own all teh c0nsoUlZ)

  • mkreku #31 3 years ago

    Alan Wake would be nice..

  • HardCoreGamer999 #32 3 years ago

    concerning ps3 and xb360 games

    My opinion for 2009
    Now the capital importance is (for all consoleholders)
    -CONSOLE PRICE SETTING
    Now that Xbox has a "slight" advantage on ps3 ,Sony has to lower the price , this has to happen FIRST, THEN only gamers (mainstream) will compare gamecatalog.(if not to late already)
    AGAIN, My prevision with even more good ps3exclusives for 2009 ,Sony HAS to lower price.

    credit crunch will affect all 3 platformholders. overall losers , no point in discussing that.

  • Garulon #33 3 years ago

    "-CONSOLE PRICE SETTING
    Now that Xbox has a "slight" advantage on ps3"

    £130 vs £300 is "slight"?

  • BigE0n #34 3 years ago

    @ mazzl
    The A-Team never shot anyone till they died!

    They shot at and around them forcing them in some way to perform a explosive stunt, car crash e.t.c. that was the fun of the A-TEAM.

    But yeah being locked in a room with a blow touch, compressed gas canister and a small bulldozer, to build a make shift tank would be all kinds of awesome :-)

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #35 3 years ago

    I want a proper Perfect Dark 2.

  • Feanor #36 3 years ago

    If you're going to report on this podcast, at least give us an update on what the camp couple of Major Nelson and e have been up to.

  • StooMonster #37 3 years ago

    Duke Nukem as 360 exclusive in 2009.

  • quantumsheep #38 3 years ago

    They always made sure you saw the people stumble away from the crash too - NOBODY died on the A-Team :)

  • NotSoSlim #39 3 years ago

    @ Raajaa

    The article is about announcing games and of course cue the fanboys turning into a flame war. Boring!!

  • Ornithophobe #40 3 years ago

    Only this morning I was thinking about how terrible the months of hype before major releases are these days, and now it's going to get worse ?

    /throws router out of window



  • ronuds #41 3 years ago

    MS always keeps things exciting.

  • Moonprince #42 3 years ago

    Yawn.
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/08 @ 16:05

  • Xerx3s #43 3 years ago

    "I want a proper Perfect Dark 2. "

    I think that there is a big chance that they announce it. There have been rumours for some time and MS needs to fill it's shooter gap for next year.

  • tnt_2008smum #44 3 years ago

    ok i'm going to give this another go and see if he gets the hint

    @zero_cool

    PISS OFF YOU TROLL!!!!!!!

  • Xerx3s #45 3 years ago

    /facepalm

    Oh god, not you too.

  • Xerx3s #46 3 years ago

    /facepalm

    The two of you. Get a room.

  • Vic #47 3 years ago

    Yeah £130 gets you no wifi, no HDD, no Blu-ray and no reliability!

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #48 3 years ago

    Vic, you really are quite a pathetic little boy aren't you?

  • The-Bodybuilder #49 3 years ago

    /sigh
    Well since no one has said it yet, I guess I will.....

    SHENMUE 3.

  • snafu65 #50 3 years ago

    If Ensemble are closing after finishing Halo Wars why don't they just keep screwing up development so the release keeps being put back, I would.

  • wellzy4eva #51 3 years ago

    I don't know if it's just me, but I'm surprised that with the new Xbox 360 Arcade having a 256mb internal memory, they haven't reconsidered building a Xbox 360 Elite with built in wireless.

    Considering the major differences between the Xbox 360 Premium and Elite are now smaller (60 gig vs 120 gig, both now have HDMI)

    No, this is not an attack on the Xbox 360, but do people think there will be a revamped Elite coming out for E3 (I'm not counting the halo console (Which was received well... http://tinyurl.com/haloxb ox )

  • captainrentboy #52 3 years ago

    ''Yeah £130 gets you no wifi, no HDD, no Blu-ray''
    All of which make a massive difference to the actual playing of games, right?... No.
    Surely if Microsoft want to succeed next year they just need to push a load of really shitty sports compilation titles out of the door, those or titles where you get to pet/race/breed/dress up or provide medical care to various cute animals. Fuck quality control, that's how you win in this generation of consoles :)

  • Ryze #53 3 years ago

    @Raajaa

    The 360 was fixed well over a year ago, and the PS3 was updated 6 months ago re the messaging shite.

    @wellzy4eva

    I had hoped for this, but avoiding it keeps the quality of online play connections high, and the rip-off price must be making M$ a mint, along with the HDDs. It's obviously one of the reasons why M$ is turning a profit with the Xbox these days.

  • Stuz359 #54 3 years ago

    You know, I absolutely love my 360, I like the games, the interface could use some work but that's a different issue. But let's face it, if any other consumer product had the faliure rate the 360 has had during it's lifetime it would be deemed a colossal faliure. Please don;t let fanboyism sway your views about MS faliure to address this issue properly. because really it's fucking disgraceful. Without the best games line-up it would have been destroyed by the PS3.

  • imperial_seal #55 3 years ago

    Shenmue 3 please.... someone !!! I'll pay 300 pounds for that god damn game...even if it is really shit !
    Edited by 1 at 09/12/08 @ 08:29

  • Les #56 3 years ago

    Not too long ago they criticized Sony for giving info on products that aren't close to release (which I think is a fair criticism though it's a bit ironic coming from the kings of vapour ware) and now they think it's a good idea to let the world know that in 6 months time they might do some announcements of products that will not be close to release by that time?! Pot-kettle-black and all. They must be seriously worried about the current state of the business...

  • DB2k #57 3 years ago

    WHERE THE FUCK IS ALAN WAKE YOU BASTARDS

  • Penguinzoot #58 3 years ago

    @Les,

    Perhaps MS are simply acknowledging that the previous policy of only announcing current year games at E3 didn't work so well for them, and that's all there is to it. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but in practice it kinda backfired a bit.

  • Calgon #59 3 years ago

    More bullshit from Les lol what dickhead just because you type it, it will never be true: You really have to be smoking something lethal to even try and pretend MS are more known for vapourware than Sony... does this guy even pay attention to games anymore?(I mean I bet you he couldnt even name a recent example of that completely baseless claim... or is yet again not even talking about games?) Doesnt look like it because only an idiot would come to that conclusion(14 games cancelled by Sony this year... some of them were hyped at the first PS3 E3 too). Pot-kettle indeed.... does anyone else find him really annoying? Someone who probably considers themself some sort of genius but is often completely wrong, yet he automatically assumes the guy opposite is the idiot.

  • Calgon #60 3 years ago

    On topic... I thought theyve enjoyed better sales of games this year? Why change the stratagy? Giving everything away too early works out worse in the long term IMO, unless you are just using them as statistics to flog hardware before they are even out like Sony. Better to leave the hype window shorter, that way theres less chance people will be sick of hearing about the games before they are out = negative impact. The fresher things seem the better; providing the quality is there and you make sure the product is noticed by advertising it when its close enough to on sale... suprises are good, just ask Nintendo.
    Edited by 1 at 10/12/08 @ 00:13