Xbox's Latest Showcase Was A Big Improvement

Earlier today, Microsoft debuted a new take on the game news livestream format that began with Nintendo Direct over a decade ago. The Xbox Partner Preview featured updates on Alan Wake 2, Metal Gear Solid Delta, and more, but for me, the most notable update did not involve a specific game, but instead the program itself. The Xbox Partner Preview was a major improvement upon previous Xbox showcases, and, for the first time since that first Nintendo Direct in 2012, it feels like we've seen an evolution of the format.

QR = quite resourceful

The first addition I noticed were the brief still images that followed every individual announcement. Having covered my fair share of PlayStation State Of Play presentations, the idea of posting blog updates while things are being announced is nothing new. However, devoting a few seconds to mention said blog posts--and even link to the posts via QR code--was a novel idea.

If there was a game I was particularly excited for, I didn't have to wait for the blog post to appear on its own, or the livestream to end before I loaded up the trailer again. Through a simple QR code, I was right at the information I sought, and I learned everything I wanted to know about the game I'd just seen in an instant. What's more, that QR code allows Xbox to share more detailed information on each game while keeping the presentation moving at a good pace, without slowing things down to get into nitty-gritty details. While Nintendo doesn't do the running blog post method, Sony would certainly benefit from taking a similar approach in future showcases like State Of Play.

Brief intermission

At the 14:18 mark of the presentation, this Xbox Partner Preview did something I never expected, but immediately appreciated: It recapped everything I'd seen so far, complete with one-line summaries of what each update focused on and special symbols for brand-new game reveals. In an era where the collective's short-term memory is near-non-existent, this was a smart idea.

This simple 20-second pause achieved a few key things. First, and most obvious, it reminded me of everything I'd seen thus far. Second, it briefly highlighted why those games appeared in the showcase, whether it was a debut game from a top indie studio in Ikaro Will Not Die, the deep-dive gameplay (pun intended) for Still Wakes The Deep, or the fast-approaching release date of Robocop, for the benefit of people who might have tuned it late. Third, it took a page out of Nintendo Direct's playbook and gave the viewer a chance to breathe--a sort of "soft reset"--before throwing a haymaker with the Metal Gear Solid Delta footage. That pacing makes big announcements even more impactful, and clearly Xbox had done its homework here.

Out with a bang

Whenever Nintendo premieres a new Nintendo Direct, after a while it'll release a graphic on social media that includes every game that appeared in the Direct. Xbox did the same thing with the Partner Preview, but instead of waiting and posting it later, it made that graphic the last thing we saw before it ended. 11 games were showcased in these 30 minutes, and this video made sure you were reminded of every one--in the order they appeared, no less--before it signed off.

Granted, not everyone is going to be happy with every announcement made or not made during a "direct" like this (I'm looking at you, Silksong fans). Most reactions right after a video like this go right to the strength of the games announced, for better or for worse. By placing this graphic at the end of the Partner Preview, Xbox not only recaps the entire event we'd just seen--similarly to how it did at the halfway mark--but it shows no fear in those potentially negative reactions. This is what we chose to show, this is what we're excited for, take it or leave it. I love that confidence, and I hope it continues in future installments.

A new partner

After Nintendo set the bar with the Direct and Sony put its own spin on it with State Of Play, Xbox finally has found its footing in this format with the Partner Preview. Gone was the padding of long-winded discussions with a few trailers mixed in, and in its place was a streamlined event focused solely on games coming to Xbox. A few novel additions go a long way in cementing how Xbox will handle these going forward, while also offering a few suggestions to the other members of the class on how they can improve their own shows.

I hope the Partner Preview is here to stay…and I also hope there's a first-party Preview in the pipeline too.