Microsoft talks plan for “the next 20 years of gaming,” including an enhanced Xbox demo program

“Project Moorcroft” is rolling out later this year

Just today, as part of a vague tease of what’s to come on Sunday during Microsoft’s “E3” 2022 conference, they’ve posted some plans for both the next few years and “the next 20 years.” Perhaps most importantly in the near future, the company announced an enhanced Xbox demo program coming later this year.

Here’s the recap, with some bullet points being more pertinent to some audiences than others:

• Bringing the Xbox app to Samsung 2022 Smart TVs
• Expanding Xbox Cloud Gaming to more countries
• Bringing new gaming experiences to Microsoft Edge and Windows 11
• Rolling out updates for Xbox Game Pass members
• Introducing more options to express yourself with Xbox Design Lab

Several facets of this plan just involves plain old Microsoft corporate expansion: the type of thing that only really excites shareholders/execs. But the biggest point is arguably the bit about Xbox Game Pass, including a new Xbox demo program announced today called “Project Moorcroft.”

No this isn’t a misspelled code name for a game starring a Sherlock Holmes relative: it’s a vague promise of “new curated demos of upcoming games.” Microsoft says that it’ll arrive “within the next year,” and the start of the program will focus on “independent developers from around the world.” Apparently it’s not just offering consumer-side benefits, as developers can view metrics of “how their demos perform,” and earn compensation.

Paying people to bring stuff to the Xbox platform is decidedly Microsoft. But I’ve generally been a fan of everything they’re doing this generation from a macro-perspective, so hopefully this does actually encourage better relationships for indie studios, publishers, and fans alike. We’ll find out more “within the next year,” and possibly on Sunday during Microsoft’s showcase.