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Microsoft had one of their best E3 showcases in a long time. Instead of the usual gimmicks and non gaming related aspects of their console, Microsoft focussed mainly on gaming and new features. With that being said, did Microsoft do enough to cement a victory for this years E3? Only time will tell but it’s very likely Microsoft had the best E3 in their history.

Microsoft's focus was solely on gaming, with Xbox One and Windows 10 being the main platforms. What was the biggest announcement you ask though? Well, the Xbox One is now backwards compatible with all Xbox 360 games, and it is to be completely FREE. Digital and disc based games will be able to be installed onto the Xbox One. Of course, there was no mention of Xbox Originals making an appearance, but maybe that will be announced later this week.

They didn’t stop there though. RARE revealed their first original game in years, titled Sea of Thieves, a multiplayer adventure game with pirates. They also revealed a new collection set called Rare Replay with 30 RARE titles for $30. Microsoft revealed many other exclusives from; Halo 5 Guardians, Forza Motorsport 6, Gears 4, Fable Legends, Gigantic and many more. There was also more news on Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and a slew of indie games coming to Xbox One and Xbox 360.





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Fallout 4 on the Xbox One will also support mods which could bring more mod support on the Xbox One for future games. Not only that, Microsoft also announced the Xbox Game Preview, which allows gamers to purchase early access games that are still in active development, with free trials available to users, so they can test the games out prior to buying, Awesome! This could be a big momentum shift for Microsoft allowing their users to experience newer games before they’re officially out.





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VR is another aspect of gaming on Microsoft's radar. They showcased an impressive tech demo of The HoloLens playing a completely new version of Minecraft. That is not all, as it was announced before their E3 conference that they also teamed up with Oculus and Facebook, and now they’re also teaming with Valve and their Vive headset. This is huge for Microsoft as they now have many more VR options available to the gamers.





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Microsoft also showcased their new controller, the Xbox Elite Controller, which boasts the ability to customize the controller's button layout and style. Due out this October, it will set you back $149.99, thought it does look really well built and may be worth checking out. The user can change around the buttons and layout of the controller and essentially make it their own.

What do you think of Microsoft bringing out backwards compatibility? Do you think Sony and Nintendo will follow Microsoft’s lead and release a future update to include backwards compatibility? Also, will this get you to purchase an Xbox One? Why or why not? What was your favorite reveal from the Microsoft show? Discuss in the comment section below. STAY TUNED for our recap of the Sony & Nintendo conference debuts and more updates on upcoming games very soon.