Game news Summer Game Fest 2022: Starfield, Game Pass, Forza Motorsport… what to expect from the Xbox & Bethesda conference?
Published on 06/11/2022 at 13:32
We are almost there ! Sunday at 7 p.m., Phil Spencer, Todd Howard and the other representatives of Microsoft and Bethesda will show the projects that the two groups definitively united in March 2021 are preparing. The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase is expected at the turn because it has several challenges to meet, such as reassuring players regarding what awaits them at the end of the year following the postponement of Starfield, convincing the refractory of the quality of Game Pass, and prove that the first party titles in development have what it takes to ignite the crowds. Tick tock, the clock is ticking, make yourself comfortable, we recap what we can expect from the Xbox conference.
Summary
- A long look at Starfield and new Redfall details
- Do you want Game Pass? Here’s !
- Update on the projects already announced and the service games…
- And, of course, surprises!
- Japan as guest of honor?
A long look at Starfield and new Redfall details
Let’s start with what is safer because already announced (half-word) as part of the program. Both games designed by Bethesda, Starfield et Redfallboth originally slated to release this year but ultimately pushed back to 2023, will be present at the event. Microsoft should show Starfield for quite a long time, a project for which Phil Spencer has great ambitions, who believes that Todd Howard’s RPG will be the biggest hit ever for Bethesda. This “skyrim in space” according to the development team will propel us adventurers into a small corner of the Milky Way galaxy located regarding 50 light years from our solar system. Thanks to his ship, the player will be able to visit several planets in order to unlock the secrets of the galaxy. As for Redfall, the Arkane Austin-crafted title that was the “one more thing” from the 2021 conference is an open-world co-op FPS set on a vampire-infested island. The characters to embody have different powers that make it easier to hunt bloodsucking monsters. Last year, the software was unveiled through a rather enigmatic CGI trailer. This year, Redfall like Starfield will show gameplay and bring many details.
Do you want Game Pass? Here’s !
Without taking any risks, we can already predict that the winner of this conference will once once more be Game Pass, as has been the case at Microsoft since E3 2019. The subscription service offering an extensive catalog of games ranges from talk regarding him once more. Aaron Greenberg himself, the brand’s marketing manager, explained on Twitter that we will eat Game Pass all the way on Sunday. Last year, of the 30 games shown during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2021, 27 were titles included in Game Pass. If Microsoft wants to make an impression in 2022, it will have to be stronger. As a reminder, at the beginning of the year, the service had 25 million subscribers. It remains to be seen whether the Redmond company will attempt to replicate the 2020 Showcase experience on a larger scale, as all of the games that were presented at this event have been announced as part of the service. It also remains to be seen if Microsoft will take advantage of this moment to announce a possible Family Sharing feature.
Update on the projects already announced and the service games…
Microsoft has a lot of projects in the pipeline, some of which were unveiled almost three years ago now, likeEverwild. Yes, the studios are numerous (23), the list of games is large (estimated at around thirty)it is therefore not easy to be sure to see this or that software this Sunday, especially since new productions will also be presented. Logic would dictate that we can see what it looks like Contraband, the Avalanche Studios project (Just Cause) edited by the American giant. All the lights are also green for the arrival ofAvowedObsidian’s RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe. Le Forza Motorsport next-gen might also come out of its garage during the Showcase to show off its gleaming bodywork, as well as State of Decay 3. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II having been shown at the Game Awards, we are not necessarily expecting it for this Sunday. maybe Project : Mara will take the opportunity to talk regarding him once more? We would definitely like to hear from Fable (reboot) of Playground and Perfect Dark of The Initiative, but the latest rumors unfortunately left little hope as to the possibility of seeing them. Will we have the opportunity to discover the future creations of Tango Gameworks, The Coalition and Double Fine? The future will tell. As for the partners, we will surely have information on ARK II et Scorn (among others). Finally, all eyes are on Machine Games, the developers of the game Indiana Jones (announced at the very beginning of 2021). Will we see the famous adventurer on Sunday evening? Hopes are allowed.
The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 will certainly highlight already released software that will host additional content. We think of Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, Minecraftor to Flight Simulator. With a bit of luck, we will witness the announcement of the arrival of Age of Empires IV on Xbox consoles. Additionally, future updates of Halo Infinite, Sea of Thieves et Forza Horizon 5 might be part of it.
And, of course, surprises!
A builder’s summer conference without surprises is like a birthday party without presents. With repeated leaks and the presence of often well-informed insiders, the most complicated thing for video game giants is to manage to keep surprises at large gatherings. There will of course be apps not yet announced that will be talked regarding for the very first time. Why not the InXile project? The studio has been very active on social networks lately, and is developing a project under Unreal Engine 5. Compulsion Games would also have enough to create the event with its still kept secret game. Unless Xbox Publishing talks regarding its new partnerships? Fans are waiting for a return of Wolfenstein, while some rumors are preparing us for the arrival of an HD version of GoldenEye 64. We are neither prophets, nor in the secret, nor in the head of Phil Spencer: we can’t predict what will surprise us on Sunday, and whether the Banjo and Kazooie duo will return from limbo. We just hope to see more gameplay than CGI trailers, and find some exciting stuff.
Japan as guest of honor?
As we explained in the previous paragraph, we cannot predict surprises. Nevertheless, we notice that Microsoft has been active for quite some time in Asia, and more particularly in Japan. Efforts that seem to be starting to bear fruit, with sales of Xbox Series X | S having been on a good dynamic for a few months in the land of the rising sun. Phil Spencer knows that fans of the American brand are in demand for strong partnerships with Japanese studios, they who, at one time, might be proud to play exclusive RPGs produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy). Xbox gamers who love Japanese games expect two things from this Showcase. The first is that titles such as Persona 5 et Final Fantasy VII Remake finally land on their console. The second is that Microsoft is directly founding Japanese projects, a bit like at the time of Mistwalker on Xbox 360, via partnerships, takeovers, or the creation of studios. It’s been several months that the indiscretions evoke the possibility of an Xbox project with Hideo Kojima. It is obvious that an announcement of this type might set the Internet ablaze.
There isn’t much time to wait until we see what the Xbox and Bethesda teams have cooked up for the event. Expectations are obviously high, especially following a particularly successful 2021 conference. As a reminder, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase will take place on Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m. It will last 95 minutes and you can, of course, follow it with us.
About the Summer Game Fest
What is Summer Game Fest?
No E3 this year, but we can still count on another world-class event: the Summer Game Fest, a big show dedicated to announcements of video games to come this year or the following years. It was in 2020 that journalist and host Geoff Keighley launched this now unmissable festival for the first time. Last year, the show featured stunning images from Elden Ring; so inevitably, the third iteration raises high expectations.
When does Summer Game Fest 2022 start?
The Summer Game Fest is this Thursday, June 9 at 8 p.m. The show will once once more be followed by a Day of the Devs session devoted to the independent scene.
How to follow the Summer Game Fest 2022?
On JV, we will react live to announcements from the LeStream channel alongside Maxildan and Aymeric Lallée in particular. The program will also be directly visible as a teaser on JV’s homepage. And for those who prefer reading, you will of course find our news throughout the conference. A written summary will also be available
What is the program for Summer Game Fest 2022?
Among the games not to miss, there is in particular the heir to Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol, which shows us its first gameplay images. For its part Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 presents us with its first level. Also on the program: Gotham Knights, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, the first game from Aaryn Flynn’s studio (ex-Bioware) Nightingale, the JRPG One Piece Odyssey, the free-to-play Warframe or even Planet of Lana. Geoff Keighley further announced: “We have a few new game announcements for this show and hopefully a few surprises if all holds together. But it’s definitely a show that mostly focuses on things that are foretold.”
