If great games make for a great console, Microsoft made its case for the Xbox One on Tuesday, releasing 23 launch-day titles that include several traditionally AAA franchises. Microsoft made the announcements at the Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany.
Although the list – which includes the Assassin’s Creed, Battlefield, Call of Duty, FIFA, Forza, and Madden franchises – is an impressive roster, the European market will receive EA Sports’ FIFA 14 as a bundled launch title with pre-ordered consoles.
And in addition to the top titles, Microsoft also announced a new programme, ID@Xbox, designed to lure indie developers back to Microsoft’s console.
Microsoft’s Xbox console has been the top-selling console within the United States for 31 months straight, although Microsoft only sold 107,000 Xbox 360 consoles in July, a low point as gamers begin putting their wallets away in preparation for the Xbox One.
Microsoft also announced special bonus content for the Call of Duty: Ghosts and Tom Clancy’s The Division, with a new "Blitz" mode for COLD franchise, as well as exclusive content for The Division.
Following Microsoft’s launch of the Xbox One – and its subsequent backtrack on the issue of DRM and digital games – Microsoft set out to win back independent developers, which had been turned off by statements claiming that they would need to find a publisher before they could make content available on the Xbox One. The first step was making the Unity development engine free to developers.
On Tuesday, Microsoft announced Independent Developers @ Xbox (ID@Xbox), a programme that will allow independent developers not only the ability to publish games for the Xbox One, but to take advantage of capabilities offered to larger developers, including Spotlight, which highlights games; as well as placing them within lists of Trending games and among Recommendations, plus giving them access to social discovery with features like Game DVR and Upload.
The Xbox One will be released in Ireland in November and will retail at €499.
IDG News Service
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