14 DAY TRIAL // During 2015 the Xbox One managed to stay relatively close on the heels of the PlayStation 4 in terms of sales, but the team in charge of the home console at Microsoft is aiming to take the number one spot by delivering a range of new intellectual properties that have the potential to make the platform more interesting for a higher number of buyers.
Phil Spencer has been very vocal about the positive prospects of the device, and on Twitter he has been talking about how the company plans to use the new year to show gamers the kind of value that they can get if they purchase one of the consoles.
The first of the new intellectual properties that the executive at Microsoft is talking about is Quantum Break, the title created by Remedy Entertainment that was delayed from 2015 so that it can deliver improved quality.
The game is centered around time mechanics, allowing players to manipulate the world around them to progress and defeat enemies, and also features a specially created television show that tells the same narrative but uses the perspective of the main villain.
Quantum Break will be offered only on the Xbox One and is set to arrive on April 5, with more details about the specific mechanics coming during the next few months.
In 2016, Microsoft is also aiming to deliver a new Rare title called Sea of Thieves, Scalebound from Platinum Games and ReCore, all of them based on entirely new ideas and clearly designed to introduce more diversity regarding genres, esthetics, and audience.
For the most hardcore of Xbox One fans, a new Gears of Wars title is in development, set to use the full power of the platform to offer a new take on the third-person shooter that defined the original in the hardware line for many gamers.
The Xbox One might get a new lightweight version in 2016
Microsoft will need new intellectual properties to be successful because it cannot deliver new installments in major franchises like Halo, which will return in 2017, or Forza.
It's also unlikely that timed exclusivity deals like the one used for Rise of the Tomb Raider will be used given that the game, while critically appreciated, seems to have failed to generate too many sales.
A recent rumor also claims that Microsoft might be exploring the possibility of launching an entirely new version of the Xbox One in the coming year, which will lack a disk drive and will only be able to play content obtained from the official store.
Apparently, this new device will be offered for a lower price and might be designed to compete directly with other media-driven platforms, like the ones from Apple or Amazon.
The company has denied any such plans and says that it will use new bundles and promotions to make its console reach a wider audience.
There are also plans to continue to improve the firmware that powers the Xbox One and to integrate the home console further with the wider Windows 10 ecosystem.
@DigitalBiscuit Should be a very good. Shipping more new IP than we have in a long time. Good challenge to make new IP succeed.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 2, 2016