Why Microsoft Didn't Talk About PC Gaming at E3

Microsoft's Phil Spencer, who heads up gaming for the company, has explained why Windows efforts didn't factor into Microsoft's press conference earlier this week at E3.

"E3's a retail show," Spencer told Polygon. "It's a retail show, it's a console show, so it didn't really feel like the right place for us to talk about Windows. But Windows and gaming on Windows is critical to Microsoft's success."

What might be a good venue for Microsoft to talk more about PC gaming? "Well, they do these huge world championship events and they fill up arenas," Spencer. "I do think there could be a space there." It's not immediately clear what Spencer is specifically referring to, but the League of Legends World Championships last year at the Staples Center in Los Angeles drew thousands in person--and millions watching online.

Earlier this month, Spencer said Microsoft needs to do more in the PC gaming space, explaining that part of his job as Head of Xbox is to "bring back [Microsoft's] Windows gaming focus." Though Microsoft may have broader plans for PC gaming, Spencer made it clear that the Windows platform is already a healthy destination for computer gaming.

"I think in a lot of ways, you could argue gaming on Windows has never been more healthy in that the biggest of the big franchises, League of Legends, World of Tanks, those things dwarf a lot of what we're doing in this console space in terms of users and monetization," he said. "They're all on PC."

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced Direct X12, the latest version of the graphics API that promises major improvements for Xbox One and PC developers.

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