Xbox Exec Talks About This Year's E3 Without Sony

In a big change for E3, Sony has backed out of the show this year. Microsoft and Nintendo are still attending as representatives of "The Big Three," but Microsoft's broadcast is the only live show of the bunch. Nintendo's is a pre-recorded Nintendo Direct. Xbox executive Phil Spencer talked about this unique setup today on the latest episode of Inside Xbox.

He said he and his team understand the "responsibility" of being the only one of The Big Three to have a live stage show presence as it relates to representing the gaming industry at a time when all eyes on the gaming business.

"This is going to be an interesting one," he said. "We are the [only] platform-holder that has a live stage show. It's kind of just us this year. I feel the responsibility of that. I want to represent gaming. I think it's an important time where the larger community--news [organisations] and other things--are looking at the gaming industry at E3.

"I think it's a time where we kind of pop above a lot of the noise that's out there. The whole team, we're taking the responsibility of being out there representing gaming and wanting to do a good job of that."

Microsoft is rumoured to announce at least one next-generation console at E3 this year, while the company is also expected to discuss Halo Infinite--or at least its engine--at the event. We also recently learned that Microsoft will show off never-before-seen games from some of the studios it acquired recently during the show. There will of course also be surprises.

Microsoft's E3 2019 briefing takes place on Sunday, June 9, at 1 PM PT.

While Sony won't be at E3 2019, that doesn't mean the company has no announcements to make. Just this week, executive Mark Cerny shared the first details about the PlayStation 5, and you can bet the company will talk more about the console at some point in the future.