Xbox sounds like it’s going big for gamescom

Now’s the time

It’s fitting that Microsoft has big plans for gamescom this year; after all, it is the biggest video game trade show in the world. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said last month that the platform-holder has just as much in store for gamescom as it did for E3. Now we have an inkling of an idea as to what that entails.

Xbox is kicking off the festivities one day early with a full-scale press briefing on August 4 (4 pm CEST/10 am Eastern). It’s already confirmed that the publisher will show games like Scalebound, Quantum Break, and Crackdown there. A fair amount of its E3 press conference was dedicated to platform-wide changes, but we don’t know if more of that is in store for gamescom or if it’ll be all about the games for Xbox.

Apart from its usual booth with hands-on demos, Microsoft has one other gamescom event planned. On August 4 and 5, it’s holding a Fanfest, much like the one at E3. At the community shindig, fans can play upcoming titles without actually having a pass to the show. There will likely be giveaways and all that sort of stuff, too.

This marks an important gamescom for Microsoft because it has way more of the spotlight than usual. Sony has opted to significantly decrease its involvement, most notably by declining to hold a presser (which usually takes place hours after Xbox’s). With everyone’s eyes on Xbox, it has an opportunity to make up some ground in the European market — a sector that traditionally leans toward Sony.

Xbox at gamescom 2015 [Xbox Wire]