An Xbox official reaffirmed what spectators and players can anticipate from the presentation with only two days left before the Developer Direct demonstration airs. Their argument was stated in a Twitter reply when they acknowledged that gamers should keep any lingering expectations from Xbox and Bethesda under control ahead of the exhibition.
The show will debut only days after Microsoft announced a major round of layoffs. The cutbacks were felt across the board, including Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and 343 Industries. The layoffs accounted for around 5% of Microsoft’s employees, and Xbox CEO Phil Spencer indicated that the effects were part of a long-term strategy throughout the firm, although he could not go into details about what some of those plans were. With the FTC and EU regulatory committees currently looking into Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard, only time will tell how much the layoffs influence those choices.
Before the Developer Direct, Xbox’s VP of Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg responded to a tweet from Parris Lilly of Kinda Funny on why Xbox fans should temper their expectations. Greenberg then asked, “How many times can I like this Tweet?” before tweeting a statement from an Xbox Wire article about the programme. Greenberg then added that one of the motivations for the Xbox Wire announcement and explanation was to be as upfront about the broadcast as possible ahead of time.
Also since many folks have asked our show is tracking 43 mins long. As outlined in this announcement our goal has been to be as transparent as possible on what dev teams/games to expect to see in the show. Be sure to read the details from the 4 teams:https://t.co/PfitWOIsX5
— Aaron Greenberg ??????U (@aarongreenberg) January 12, 2023
On January 25, at 12 PM Pacific, the Xbox YouTube and Twitch feeds will begin to stream the Xbox Developer Direct. According to Microsoft, it will last roughly 43 minutes and will include updates from four previously announced or confirmed titles. The four games that will be displayed at the expo include the next instalment in the Forza Motorsport series, Mojang’s Minecraft Legends, and two distinct Bethesda family experiences. Arkane Studios, the creators of Dishonored, Wolfenstein, and Deathloop will have more videos to show from Redfall, a new first-person shooter set to debut on PC and Xbox Series X/S in the first half of 2023. Finally, ZeniMax Online Studios will provide a quick preview of The Elder Scrolls Online’s future expansion. The Elder Scrolls Online team will host a separate and complete broadcast immediately after the Developer Direct that will go into greater information about where players will be heading in Tamriel later this year.
The Developer Direct will provide audiences with a sneak peek at what Microsoft has in store for the Xbox platform in 2023 despite the challenging start to the year for the company. It remains to be seen if Microsoft’s version on Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play will be well received by the public.
