Xbox Direct: 3 Predictions for Microsoft’s Much-Needed Showcase

ign.com:

Following Microsoft’s extremely frustrating no-show at The Game Awards last month, the folks at Team Xbox kicked off 2023’s events calendar by announcing its first-ever Xbox Developer_Direct, aka Microsoft Is Finally Stealing the Nintendo Direct Format Just Like Sony Did With State of Play Because This Format Just Works. The broadcast is next Wednesday, January 25, at 12pm PT/3pm ET, and we’ll have it live on all of IGN’s channels. Four games will be highlighted, and one will not: Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and Elder Scrolls Online are in, and Starfield is out – with the latter getting its own separate Direct sometime in the future.

First, I must commend Microsoft for messaging Starfield’s absence up front. The company has a history of tarnishing its otherwise-good showcases by failing to properly set the Xbox community’s expectations up front. They have done so here, though they would be wise to make sure that the same message is communicated directly in the, um, Direct itself, to ensure fans who aren’t on social media or reading sites like IGN don’t end up disappointed.

On that note, my first prediction for the Xbox Direct, as I and everyone else is going to call it forever, is that we’ll get a date for the Starfield Direct in this upcoming showcase. Xbox desperately needs release dates right now and if we’re not going to get that for Starfield at this event, then a date for a dedicated Starfield broadcast – where we probably will get the release date – is the next best thing.

Speaking of release dates, my second prediction for the January 25 Xbox Direct isn’t that we’re going to get release dates for the new games that are going to be there. No, that part is obvious. If we don’t get release dates for