What Would You Like To See From Microsoft During E3 This Year? - Editor Round-Up

E3 2015 is nearly upon us and with it comes yet another Microsoft press conference. Last year, the company made it a point to focus more on the Xbox One's games rather than its entertainment features. But what does the company need to do this year to keep gamers interested? We asked our editors what they would like to see from Microsoft and what they think the company needs to do to win the hearts of gamers everywhere during E3 2015. Check out their answers and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Here are links to our other E3 2015 editor round-ups!

• What Would You Like To See From Nintendo During E3 This Year?
• What Would You Like To See From Sony During E3 This Year?

The game of catch up | Alex Newhouse

The Xbox One’s sales are behind, but the console’s fall lineup is shaping up to be a behemoth. With Rise of the Tomb Raider, Halo 5: Guardians, Forza Motorsport 6, and several other big-budget exclusives, Microsoft is perfectly poised to strike at the PS4’s position. Along with hammering home its lineup, however, I think Microsoft needs to reveal a hardware refresh. That console is far too bulky, and with its power brick it is significantly larger than the sleeker and lighter PS4. As a person who travels a lot with his consoles, I personally would love for an Xbox One Slim.

Show Scalebound | Peter Brown

I'm not a big fan of Microsoft's heavy hitters, like Halo and Forza, but I'm very interested to see more of Scalebound, the verdant action game that features a warrior/dragon tandem. It's being made by one of my favorite developers, Platinum Games, a studio that typically crafts over the top, stylish action games. My imagination runs wild when I try to picture Scalebound in my head, but I'm sure Platinum will subvert my expectations and create something totally original, and completely unexpected.

PC gaming and higher resolution | Zorine Te

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I'd like to see Microsoft talk more about PC gaming. Specifically, more details on what Windows 10 will mean for PC gaming. Showcasing what DirectX 12 can do would also be of interest to both PC and Xbox One gamers; Microsoft could tell us what it can do for gaming, and why gamers should care. On the console side of things, I think needs to step it up a notch and give the Xbox One what it needs to get on graphical parity with the PS4. Too many times have I seen stories about the inferior resolution in the Xbox One's versions of games.

Fix the interface, and show us some games! | Rob Crossley

My kingdom for a new Xbox One Dashboard. Microsoft is leading the way on console support with monthly updates and improvements to the Xbox One operating system, but I've criticized its tragically bad interface before, to the extent that I don't think it can be saved by tweaks alone. Otherwise I think the Xbox One line-up is looking strong, with Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Scalebound especially, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they play. It's probably a little too early for Gears of War gameplay, but a trailer explaining its direction would be welcomed. Also, Cuphead. More Cuphead.

Go big or go home | Eddie Makuch

Just like last year, Microsoft again finds itself in the position of underdog as it relates to the Xbox One vs. PS4 sales race. The company's back is not against the wall, however, not by any stretch. But Microsoft has the opportunity at E3 this year to go big and really make a splash, bringing the fight to Sony and heating things up for the upcoming holiday.

Halo being one of my favorite franchises, not only from Microsoft but overall, I am very excited to see and learn more about Halo 5: Guardians at E3. Tell me about the story. Show me how large-scale multiplayer works. Finally talk about Steven Spielberg's Halo TV.

I would also like to see Microsoft announce some kind of Xbox One backward compatibility solution. This would most likely, if it does happen, be done through a PlayStation Now-like streaming solution. Microsoft has already said this is totally possible. It would not only allow third-parties to make more money off back-catalog games, but it would help people coming over from PlayStation 3 to know that they could play all the Xbox 360 exclusives they might have missed.

Cut the malarkey | Kevin VanOrd

I feel like it's easier to say what I don't want to see from Microsoft. No Kinect, no dashboard, no Project Spark-related tease, no self-congratulatory talk of new partnerships with television networks and sports leagues. Bring me the diversity of games Sony shows year in and year out. Microsoft's internal developers are easy guesses: Halo, Forza, Crackdown, Gears. (A new Gears, please, not a remaster.) But Microsoft's own studios can't carry the show; it's up to third-party developers to show their stuff. Put Valve on the stage and announce Dota 2 for the Xbox One, Portal 3 or (dare I wish it?) Half-Life 3. (I'm out of my mind, right?) Focusing on indies would also help, particularly if the company is ready to show off how it plans to make Xbox One development accessible to everyone.

Give me a reason | Daniel Hindes

I'd like to see Microsoft try to give me a reason to buy an Xbox One. It will need to do nothing short of reinventing the console's entire image to do this. I'm not interested in the entertainment functionality or split-screen features--I just want the console to play the best games at their best detail. Apparently the move to DirectX 12 will help some of this, so Microsoft needs to demonstrate this in action. If the new controller that was leaked which contains a standard headphone jack is also a real thing, then that will further help bring the console up to par with the PS4 in terms of convenience.

Bridging the gap | Justin Haywald

Sony's PS4 has a commanding lead in overall console sales, but that doesn't mean Microsoft can't catch up. Having a strong slate of third-party Xbox One exclusives to show off at E3 would go a long way toward bridging the gap with PS4. And equally interesting would be a focus on Windows 10 functionality. The all-encompassing new operating system could open the door for not only playing Xbox One games on your PC, but also streaming PC games to your Xbox One. And there are also the gaming possibilities of Microsoft's VR tech Hololens. So far, we've only seen a MInecraft demo, but I'd love to see how the headset could work with the Xbox One.