At their Gamescom event earlier today, Microsoft addressed the launch line-up for their next-gen console, the Xbox One. In doing so, the company confirmed that no less than 23 games will be completed on time for day one; nine of which will be available exclusively on Xbox platforms. Though it isn’t receiving the worldwide launch we first thought, here’s the definitive software list for the Xbox One when it launches November, 2013:
Note: Those in bold represent Microsoft-only releases.
• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)
• Battlefield 4 (DICE, Electronic Arts)
• Call of Duty: Ghosts (Infinity Ward, Activision)
• Crimson Dragon (Grounding/Land Ho!, Microsoft Studios)
• Dead Rising 3 (Capcom Vancouver, Microsoft)
• FIFA 14 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts) **Bundled with European pre-orders.
• Fighter Within (AMA Ltd., Ubisoft)
• Forza Motorsport 5 (Turn 10 Studios, Microsoft Studios)
• Just Dance 2014 (Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft)
• Killer Instinct (Double Helix, Microsoft Studios)
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (TT Games, Warner Bros. Interactive)
• Lococycle (Twisted Pixel, Microsoft Studios) *Timed exclusive
• Madden NFL 25 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
• NBA 2K14 (Visual Concepts, 2K Sports)
• NBA LIVE 14 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
• Need for Speed: Rivals (Ghost Games, Electronic Arts)
• Peggle 2 (Popcap, Electronic Arts)* Timed Exclusive
• Powerstar Golf (Zoe Mode, Microsoft Studios)
• Ryse: Son of Rome (Crytek, Microsoft Studios)
• Skylanders: Swap Force (Vicarious Visions, Activision)
• Watch Dogs (Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft)
• Zoo Tycoon (Frontier Developments Ltd., Microsoft Studios) *Timed exclusive
• Zumba Fitness: World Party (Zoë Mode, Majesco)
Though the bulk of the games fall under the multi-platform category, there are a considerable amount of Xbox One exclusives that will be readily available concurrently with the launch of the console. Most notably, this category includes Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome and Ubisoft’s Kinect-powered sports title, Fighter Within. Of course, we understand that the rumoured “big third-party partnership” that Microsoft leveraged was with EA, which will result in Xbox One pre-orders receiving a complimentary download of FIFA 14 in Europe.
With nine of the above list launching solely on Microsoft platforms, the company has also confirmed that Lococycle, Peggle 2 and Zoo Tycoon will be timed exclusives for the Xbox One this November; with Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts receiving exclusive content, too. What’s more, with several of the games straddling both current and next-gen generations – namely Watch Dogs and Need for Speed: Rivals, among others – it was almost certain that these titles in particular would be available in time for the Xbox One’s eventual release.
With that said, the company also provided details regarding the console’s launch window leading into 2014. As such, here’s every game that will be vying for your bank balance in the next twelve to eighteen months after the hardware’s launch.
Note: Those in bold represent Microsoft-only releases.
• Below (Capy Games, Microsoft Studios)* Timed exclusive
• D4 (Access Games, Microsoft Studios)
• Destiny (Bungie, Activision)
• Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved (Harmonix, Disney Interactive)
• Dragon Age: Inquisition (BioWare, Electronic Arts)
• Dying Light (Techland, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• EA SPORTS UFC (EA SPORTS, Electronic Arts)
• Fable Legends (Lionhead Studios, Microsoft Studios)
• Final Fantasy XV (Square Enix, Square Enix)
• Halo Xbox One (343 Industries, Microsoft Studios)
• Kinect Sports Rivals (Rare, Microsoft Studios)
• Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix 1st Production Department, Square Enix)
• Mad Max (Avalanche Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Kojima Productions, Konami)
• Minecraft: Xbox One Edition (Mojang Studios, Microsoft Studios)
• Mirror’s Edge 2 (DICE, Electronic Arts)
• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (PopCap Games, Electronic Arts)* Timed exclusive
• Project Spark (Microsoft Studios)
• Quantum Break (Remedy, Microsoft Studios)
• Star Wars Battlefront (DICE, Electronic Arts)
• Sunset Overdrive (Insomniac Games, Microsoft Studios)
• The Crew (Ivory Towers, Ubisoft)
• The Elder Scrolls Online (ZeniMax Online Studios, Bethesda Softworks)
• The Evil Within (Tango Gameworks, Bethesda Softworks)
• The LEGO Movie Videogame (TT Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt RED, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment – North America)
• Thief (Eidos Montreal, Square Enix)
• Titanfall (Respawn Entertainment, Electronic Arts) *Respawn’s FPS has been confirmed for PC, too.
• Tom Clancy’s The Division (Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft)
• Wolfenstein: The New Order (MachineGames, Bethesda Softworks)
Once again, the vast majority are multi-platform titles. But nevertheless, Microsoft published some statistics to provide us eager gamers with perspective on these formiddable line-ups. Specfically, 44% of the above software will be bundled with timed or exclusive content for Xbox One owners. What’s more, 38% of the titles will be Xbox One exclusives and no less than 37% of the forthcoming library is new intellectual properties.
It’s a dizzying amount of games and statistics, but the company has nailed down a varied day one line-up that could confound the old adage of new consoles having limited software support upon release. We’ll just have to see if that support is worth getting excited for this coming November.
What’s your most anticipated game from the line-ups? Indeed is their one title in particular from the latter category that you would have liked to have on day one? Give us your thoughts below.