E3 2013 was the first chance that some people outside of Microsoft were able to play early versions of the games that will be released for Microsoft"s Xbox One console (although it appears some of those game demos were in fact running on Windows 7 PCs). With the Xbox One scheduled to launch sometime in November, some of you may be wondering if there will be other chances to play games for the console, or even see the Xbox One running games live, before they are released.
The answer is, of course, "Yes." Microsoft is scheduled to attend a number of public gaming and pop culture events between now and November, and you can bet that they will bring Xbox One game demos with them. Here"s a list of where and when you might get a chance to play, or at least see, titles like Killer Instinct, Ryse and others.
San Diego Comic-Con - July 17-21
Microsoft"s Xbox division is confirmed to be exhibiting at the massive Comic-Con event in San Diego, California, as they have done for a number of years. While the company has yet to announce their specific plans, we think it"s highly likely they will be bringing some Xbox One games to their booth. In addition, Microsoft will almost certainly host one or more panels at the convention to talk about the Xbox One and we might even get a couple of game announcements.
Unfortunately, Comic-Con sold out months ago, so unless you already have a ticket it"s going to be near impossible to attend the show now. There"s an outside chance that Microsoft could also host an off-site event in San Diego to show off Xbox One games for those folks who don"t have a Comic-Con pass.
The Penny Arcade Expo expands to a third show, this time in Melbourne, Australia, for the same week as Comic-Con. While there"s no information yet on if Microsoft will bring some Xbox One games for attendees to play, the company has confirmed it will be hosting theater presentations for the upcoming console each day of the event. However, tickets for the event have sold out months ago.
The single biggest games convention in the world is Gamescom, held in Cologne, Germany. Over 200,000 people attend the event each year. Microsoft actually bypassed Gamescom in 2012 but announced earlier this year they would be attending the 2013 edition.
Gamescom will not only give an opportunity for gamers to play some Xbox One games months before the launch, but Microsoft should have some more information about their plans for the European release of the console, including new game announcements.
The major US games retailer GameStop holds its annual trade show every year and this year, for one day only (actually just for seven hours) it will open up its show to the general public. The event is being held at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and GameStop has confirmed that Xbox One game demos will be on the show floor.
Tickets are now on sale at the GameStop Expo website with $35 for general admission or $90 for a special VIP admission. While this event is brief, it is currently selling tickets which is more than can be said for other events on this list.
PAX Prime - August 30th-September 2nd
The mothership of the Penny Arcade Expo events will hold its 2013 show in downtown Seattle, Washington for Labor Day weekend in the US. Since the show is just a few miles away from Microsoft"s headquarters, you can bet there will be a huge Xbox One presence, both on the show floor and in panel discussions. As with PAX Australia, tickers for PAX Prime sold out long ago, so unless you already have bought your pass you may be out of luck with this opportunity.
Tokyo Game Show - September 19-22nd
Microsoft just confirmed this week they will be exhibiting at the Tokyo Game Show in Japan this year, after deciding not to attend in 2012. Obviously, the show will concentrate on Japanese game titles and publishers for the Xbox One and it will be interesting to see what Microsoft comes up with for the Japanese market, especially since sales of its two previous Xbox consoles have been few and far between in that country.
Eurogamer Expo - September 26-29th
While Microsoft has yet to reveal its plans for the 2013 edition of the London, UK-based show, it"s almost a certainty that it will have Xbox One games to show off at the expo. Tickets for the event are currently on sale but we suspect they will sell out well before the expo takes place.
In addition to the events listed above, we suspect that Microsoft will have other demo opportunities for the Xbox One games closer to the November launch date. We will, of course, keep you up to date on these events in the weeks and months ahead.