Microsoft to appear on stage at the PC Gaming Show at E3
I would hope that by now you've heard of the PC Gaming Show. It's the first-ever E3 show dedicated to the power and glory that is the PC, and we've got a great lineup of guests coming to the party, including, among many others, Blizzard, Bohemia, Paradox, Square Enix, CCP, Fullbright, and AMD. Today the list grew again, as Microsoft announced that it's hopped on board as both a sponsor and a participant.
Microsoft's Head of Xbox will appear on stage as part of the first ever PC Gaming Show at E3 on June 16.
"For us, the PC Gaming Show is the ideal place to speak directly to PC gamers, and it’s a great time to talk about Windows 10 - the best operating system we've ever created for gamers on PCs,” Microsoft's Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said. “With Windows 10, we’re bringing the best of Xbox with the best of Windows gaming, including Xbox Live and the new Xbox app, Game DVR for nearly every game, and DirectX 12 for better gaming graphics and performance.”
It may seem a little incongruous to be talking about Xbox at the PC Gaming Show, but Microsoft is clearly seeking to establish the platform as an "ecosystem." Windows 10 will feature an Xbox app, and Spencer told us in a March interview that "Xbox is now a gaming brand," rather than merely a game console.
This week we spoke with Spencer about what Microsoft has in mind for the show, its vision for the future of PC gaming, and having the Xbox brand so visible at a PC gaming event. You can read the whole thing right here, but what's beyond doubt is that Microsoft remain integral to the PC platform for most of us, so it will be interesting to hear the company's plans.
The PC Gaming Show takes place from 5-8 pm PT on June 16 and will be streamed live on our Twitch channel. Don't miss it!
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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.