Xbox Project Moorcroft will deliver early game demos to Xbox Game Pass subscribers

Microsoft is working on Project Moorcroft, a programme that will provide Xbox Game Pass customers with early game trials. The demonstrations will be similar to the limited stages and early samples of games that fans often wait in line for hours to play at E3 or PAX.

These early game demos were largely lost during the pandemic’s transition to virtual game conferences, and they’re critical for indie creators attempting to raise recognition for their products. Microsoft’s head of the gaming ecosystem, Sarah Bond, described Project Moorcroft as an attempt to recreate the E3 experience.

“Why don’t we take Game Pass and make it look like the show floor?” Bond suggests. “Why don’t we allow a developer to take a piece, a level of their game, release it into Game Pass, raise excitement for what’s to come, and also get that very valuable input as they’re tuning and preparing their game for launch?”

Game demos like this are a lot of work for developers, especially as they prepare for the annual E3 convention. While E3 will not be held in person or electronically this year, Microsoft is establishing this programme to financially reward developers who take the time to produce these demos.

“We’ve set up and structured the programme so that creators actually get money recompense for the game, which benefits them monetarily, as well as the advantage of the fantastic feedback,” Bond continues.

Project Moorcroft is still in the works at Microsoft, but selected game demos are expected to be available within the next year. The initial emphasis will be on indie developers, but any game developer will be reimbursed and able to see how their demonstrations do.

Project Moorcroft is a new Xbox platform announcement from Microsoft for 2022. Later this month, Microsoft will also release a new Xbox TV app for Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs, expand Xbox Cloud Gaming to Argentina and New Zealand, and enable most Xbox titles to be played through Xbox Cloud Gaming.