This was made even more apparent at E3 2014 as although Microsoft had promised a ‘renewed focus’ on PC gaming at GDC just weeks before, the Microsoft E3 press conference didn’t mention PC gaming at all. Following backlash due to the PC gaming no-show, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer explained that “[E3 is] a retail show, a console show, so it didn’t really feel like the right place for us to talk about Windows.”
This sort of thinking will soon be a thing of the past, though, as E3 2015 will mark the beginning of E3’s first ever PC focused press conference. Aptly called the ‘PC Gaming Show’, the event is being hosted by PC Gamer and it will feature the likes of Blizzard, Square Enix, CCP, AMD and Fullbright. Today the publication announced that Microsoft has also gotten involved as a sponsor and a participant, with Phil Spencer scheduled to to make an appearance.
In a statement, Spencer explained that:
While some may accuse Microsoft and Spencer of trying to kiss up to PC gamers (the Windows 10 PC release date is just over a month after E3), this could be a legitimate attempt to make up for their past failures. As Spencer notes, Windows 10 has several features that will cater to gamers, including the ability for Xbox One and PC fans to play games with one another and a feature which will let players stream Xbox One games to their computers. Additionally, Spencer has previously said that Microsoft will be encouraging developers to make games for both Xbox and PC, so that no matter which Microsoft-powered device people are playing on, they won’t have to miss out.
The PC Gaming Show takes place on June 16. Game Rant will have more coverage of E3 announcements in the coming weeks.
What do you think Microsoft needs to do to make amends with PC gamers? Are you glad to see Microsoft getting involved in the event? Leave a comment and let us know.
