E3 2014: Can Microsoft Bounce Back?

Last year is going to go down in legend as the E3 where Sony pulled down Microsoft's pants and gave them a good spanking live on stage in front of millions of gamers around the world. It really can't get any worse for the platform holder, and 2013's show will mark a low-point for the Xbox brand.

But if last year was a disappointment, then 2014 offers the opportunity for Microsoft to exorcise last year's demons and come back stronger than ever before.

Much of the worst has been left behind them, and that's thanks to a reshuffle from the top down. Now long-serving Xbox man Phil Spencer is the new king of the hill, and he brings with him a groundswell of industry respect and a fresh approach to what is most certainly an uphill struggle. It's been a good start to his tenure, with the company getting widespread nods of approval following their decision to release an Xbox One hardware bundle without the Kinect.

Hey, the fact that Microsoft are still in the fight is a tremendous achievement for the company. Their botched attempts at revealing the Xbox One to the world this time last year landed them in hot water, with many unhappy at their plans to change the status quo with regards to used games and DRM, as well as the widely despised always-on online functionality. It's also worth noting that the PS4 has been released in more key territories that Xbox One.

Microsoft changed most of their plans in the now famous Xbox 180, and began the process of recovering their reputation. It wasn't easy, and don't underestimate the pain felt after their humiliation at the hands of Sony at last year's show. And don't expect them to let it happen again.

Like last year we're expecting Microsoft to go all-in with big IP, after all, it's probably their line-up of Triple-A titles that saved them from oblivion last time around. While Sony undoubtedly has a larger line-up of games, with a diverse range of indies on show, Microsoft's offerings were perhaps the more persuasive when it came to first-party and exclusives.

We're expecting to see much more Halo. Whether that's one of the Halo live-action projects that are in the works, or Halo 5: Guardians, or even the rumoured HD remaster of the first four numbered Halo games for Xbox One - Master Chief is going to be at this year's show, and likely with bells on. Microsoft need all of their major IPs looking their very best if they're going to wrestle the initiative away from Sony.

In the run up to next week we've also had announcements regarding Forza Horizon 2, a game that's getting dual development for both Xbox One and Xbox 360. Different studios might be handling the respective versions of the game, but expect Xbox 360 to continue to get that level of support - it's still an important platform for Microsoft (as PS3 is for Sony) and Microsoft certainly won't be cutting that huge user-base loose any time soon.

There's other games that we know about. Sunset Overdrive will be an important release. Signing up Insomniac Games was a signal of intent for the platform holder, such is the history of that developer's relationship with Sony. We're expecting to see plenty of that game, with MS keen to show off the fact that their new partner recently left an exclusive relationship with their biggest rivals.

And let's not forget Call of Duty. Activision may have got into bed with Sony for the release of Bungie's Destiny, but the publisher will maintain their CoD-first relationship with Microsoft, certainly in the short to midterm, possibly forever. It's hard to imagine a Microsoft press conference without Call of Duty in there somewhere, and we're predicting that trend will continue in 2014 and beyond.

As for the unknown, there's always a chance that we could get a first sight of Mass Effect 4. If that game is to be revealed at this year's show, then there's a very good chance that it'll be shown on Microsoft's stage. It's early days, but perhaps we'll even get a first glimpse of Gears of War 4, always a possibility if Microsoft wants to remind us that they've got another Triple-A franchise ticking along in the background.

Getting even more speculative and there's the rumours of some kind of Rare revival (Battletoads anyone?), and seeing as Killer Instinct has done well - perhaps we're in for a treat. Spencer's comments of "old friends" ahead of E3 had us thinking that maybe this is when Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's Third will end up making an appearance. But perhaps those aren't the explosive announcements Microsoft needs to really get the attention of the gaming world - something entirely new and exciting on the other hand might do the trick.

And then there's the indies. Last year Sony managed to pad out their line-up with a plethora of smaller titles, a theme that's continued in the past six months following the launch of PS4 and Xbox One. Since that disastrous start Microsoft has gathered themselves, establishing ID@Xbox as a brand to rally their indie efforts around. Expect some big names to reveal some exciting games at this year's show, as MS looks to regain some ground and flesh out their own release schedule.

All told the task in front of Microsoft and Xbox One is a huge one, but they've certainly got the tools to do the job. They've picked themselves up after a terrible 2013 and remain in the game, which is something of a victory in itself. Sony still have the lead, but 2014 represents an excellent chance for Phil Spencer and his team to make up some lost ground. Don't expect this year's show to be as one-sided as last year's.