The upcoming Xbox Showcase and Starfield Direct will contain no CGI-only trailers for first-party titles, as confirmed by marketing boss Aaron Greenberg.
We are just under a week away from the Xbox Showcase and Starfield Direct, with the double feature set to be streamed live on June 11, from 10AM PT. Running at a lengthy two hours, the Showcase is no doubt going to be packed with content from start to finish, and it has since been confirmed that none of the first party trailers on show will be solely pre-rendered.
Aaron Greenberg – vice president of Xbox Games marketing – took to Twitter to confirm that, “None of our first party games in the show are full CG trailers. Everything is either in-game footage, in-engine footage, or in-game footage with some cinematics. Each of our trailers will be labeled, so it is hopefully clear for our fans.”
None of our first party games in the show are full CG trailers. Everything is either in-game footage, in-engine footage, or in-game footage with some cinematics. Each of our trailers will be labeled so it is hopefully clear for our fans.
— Aaron Greenberg 🙅🏼♂️💚U (@aarongreenberg) June 4, 2023
It’s worth noting that Greenberg is specifically talking about first party games, meaning that any non-first party titles might still be privy to a computer-generated trailer. On top of that, Greenberg also noted that there’ll be “some cinematics” throughout its first party reveals. So, you might still see some CGI.
In another follow-up tweet, Greenberg also answered “no” to one user questioning whether there would be a 12 month release window for titles shown during the event. He also confirmed that there will be no movie trailers during the showcase.
This is wholly welcomed. While computer-generated trailers are great for generating hype, they’re not exactly giving players a realistic look at the game and how the experience will pan out. What matters most, ultimately, is gameplay, and hopefully, we’ll be seeing plenty of it when the Xbox Showcase and Starfield Direct airs next week.
The one title that will be particularly interesting to see, if it shows up, is Fable. Fable fans have been waiting an eternity for any kind of news on the new Fable game, and what better time to share an update than during the Xbox Showcase? Given Greenberg’s words, we should expect to actually see some gameplay or in-engine footage from the medieval RPG if it appears.
If you’re hoping to catch the Xbox Showcase and Starfield Direct, you can tune in on YouTube and Twitch from 10AM PT, 1PM ET, 6PM BST, 7PM CET on June 11.
