At E3 Gaming Convention, Microsoft Shifts Emphasis of Xbox One Console to Games

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At E3 Gaming Convention, Microsoft Shifts Emphasis of Xbox One Console to Games

LOS ANGELES — The latest video game consoles can play Internet radio, Netflix movies and YouTube video clips. But Sony and Microsoft, gearing up for a blistering battle in retail stores this holiday season, are reassuring consumers that their consoles are very much about games, too.

That message was particularly forceful from Microsoft at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, game convention here, where the biggest companies in the games business show many of the products they will release later in the year.

A year ago, Microsoft was promoting its Xbox One as an all-in-one entertainment system for the living room, one that could play games and then seamlessly shift to let people watch television, and change the channels with voice commands. On Monday, though, Microsoft shifted the conversation decisively back to games, announcing a lineup of almost two dozen titles, many of them hard-core shooting games, to be released on the Xbox this year, including an anthology of classic games based on the Halo science-fiction shooter series.


At an event marking the start of the E3 game convention, Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox business, received a vigorous round of applause when he declared that Microsoft would dedicate the event entirely to games. Credit Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press

“Our goal is to make Xbox One the best place to play games in this generation,” said Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox business, who received vigorous applause when he declared that Microsoft would dedicate the event entirely to games.

While the change in emphasis may seem subtle, it comes after Microsoft was forced to respond to the success of Sony, its main competitor in the games business. Both companies introduced their new game systems in November, but Sony’s PlayStation 4 has held a decisive lead on Microsoft from the beginning.

Microsoft said Monday that the company has sold more than five million Xbox Ones. Last month, Sony said it has sold more than seven million PlayStation 4s.

At its own event Monday evening, Sony revealed its own slate of upcoming games for the PlayStation 4, including Little Big Planet 3, a new version of a popular adventure game with a character called Sackboy.

Sony also said Grand Theft Auto V, a huge hit released previously for older consoles, will be released on the PlayStation 4 in the fall. It will also be published for Xbox One and PCs.

Andrew House, the president and chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment, said the company’s vision is to make sure that its console is “above all else the place to play.”

But Sony placed a spotlight on its broader entertainment ambitions, too. The company said it would produce original television content that will be streamed over the Internet to its console, including a show based on “Powers,” a graphic novel about two homicide detectives who investigate superheroes. Microsoft has announced similar plans for original shows.

Sony has also sought to out-innovate Microsoft with plans, announced previously, to develop a virtual reality headset, called Project Morpheus, that will immerse PlayStation 4 players in 3-D worlds.

Part of Microsoft’s disadvantage came from being more ambitious about the technology in the Xbox One, which includes the Kinect camera and microphone device.

The Kinect allows people to play games and operate other functions with body movements and voice commands, and has been included with the console. The extra technology translated into a $499 price tag for the Xbox One, $100 more than for the PlayStation 4.

Sony deftly exploited that and other missteps by Microsoft to portray itself as the more gamer-friendly console maker. In response, Microsoft recently announced it planned to introduce a $399 console without Kinect, which went on sale Monday.

“They’re back on message,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, referring to the change in Microsoft’s emphasis.

Game developers still seem eager to create products for Microsoft’s system. The company and its partners showed new versions of “Assassin’s Creed” and “Call of Duty,” two blockbuster franchises that are likely to be big sellers this holiday season.

One of the most enthusiastic responses Microsoft got was for the Halo anthology, “Halo: The Masterchief Collection,” which will allow people to play four older installments of the series on the Xbox One console with improved graphics.

Microsoft will not release an entirely new version of Halo, known as “Halo 5: Guardians,” until next year. But Microsoft said people purchasing the anthology would be able to participate in a test of the multiplayer abilities of the new game later this year. Microsoft showed another exclusive Xbox game called “Sunset Overdrive,” a kinetic shooting game set in an apocalyptic urban landscape populated by mutants.

Sony and Microsoft have both enjoyed strong sales of their new systems, partly because a third competitor, Nintendo, has struggled with its latest console, the Wii U. All three are being forced to adapt to a market where smartphones and tablets are becoming the most common devices for playing games.

In an interview, Mr. Spencer of Microsoft commended Sony for its strong showing since it introduced the PlayStation 4. He said he had no intention of allowing his competitor to keep a lead on Microsoft.

“I’m in this to win,” he said.