As part of our coverage for E3 2015, Shacknews is taking a look back at last year's press conferences to see what panned out, what didn't, and what it all means for our expectations this year. First up: Microsoft.

A Humbled Giant

After a vocal outcry, Microsoft spent much of 2013 and into 2014 reversing course on some of its most unpopular policies. Sony had taken the lead in the console race, waking Seattle from its complacency and forcing a shake-up. We saw much of this play out in announcements and personnel changes, most notably putting Phil Spencer in charge of Xbox. He wasted no time mending fences with fans by assuring them that their feedback was valuable.

That apologetic tone continued at the E3 press conference. Both at the opening and closing of the presentation, Spencer peppered his comments with fan outreach, stressing that fan feedback had helped shape the console relaunch and the direction of monthly updates. Statements like "you are shaping the future of Xbox" and "we will continue to listen to you" may have been standard executive patter, but given Microsoft's various course-correction moves in the surrounding months, it certainly seemed genuine.

What We Can Expect: At this point, the good ship Xbox has been more-or-less righted, and Microsoft has been rewarded with revitalized sales. The company may put less emphasis on an apologetic tone, but we're unlikely to see it return to the boastful chest-puffing of the market leader either. It has found its footing, but it's still facing stiff competition.

Splitting in Twain

In terms of show organization, Microsoft made two specific moves last year intended to emphasize its commitment to games. For one, it focused its entire presentation on games. Gone were the entertainment application demos of 2013. This time, it was wall-to-wall video games, demos, and trailers. This echoed a shift in the direction of Xbox updates as well, as the Xbox One console has continuously minimized its set-top box applications and Kinect functionality, while putting more focus on updates to enhance its gaming half.

Second, it split the conference into two distinct parts. This is a trend that has actually been going on at Microsoft for years, but 2014's conference was especially noticeable. Instead of a confusing mish-mash of games with various release dates, it devoted the first hour of its 90 minute presentation to 2014. The last half-hour was then given over to 2015. It made for a presentation that was easily understandable.

What We Can Expect: Given that this year's Microsoft presentation is also slated to be 90 minutes long, the company is almost certain to take the same approach. It's a smart, digestible way to divide the conference into understandable chunks. We're also likely to once again see a games-focused conference, perhaps with a hint of PC streaming tech that will be expanded upon at the PC conference on Tuesday.

Making Good

At this point, the big publishers know better than to overpromise or make announcements that aren't a near certainty. For that reason, almost everything Microsoft committed to came true. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Evolve, and Dragon Age: Inquisition all got exclusive content first on Xbox. It was spot-on with its release dates for Forza Horizon 2 and Sunset Overdrive, and Fable Legends did indeed get a multiplayer beta in the fall of 2014. 

A handful of other release windows were either correct, or presumably will be soon enough. A lengthy ID@Xbox sizzle reel showed off a wide variety of games in the works with the implication that they would be out in 2015. Not all of them will be--Hellraid has been notably pushed back--but that's hard to hold against the company for simply promoting indies on its platform.

Broken Promises

Not all of the promised release dates came true, and that's mostly the fault of third-party developers that were outside of Microsoft's control. Dragon Age: Inquisition slipped from October 7 to November 18, and The Division won't be coming in 2015 after all. Similarly, the dystopian game Inside from Limbo developer Playdead was pegged for "early 2015," but it was recently delayed.

It's worth keeping in mind, also, that some games go through small shifts or simply show better in their polished stage presence. The Witcher 3 went through some minor interface and quest changes, and Assassin's Creed: Unity played smoothly without a single bug in sight. Something to remember while being wowed with carefully choreographed demos during this year's show. 

Other games may have just run into unfortunate circumstance. The promised Phantom Dust reboot has apparently been shuttered along with its entire studio.

The biggest broken promise came in the form of technical shortcomings. While Microsoft has so far made good on its release plan for Halo 5: Guardians, its glowing phrasing regarding The Master Chief Collection didn't hold up when players started logging on. Phrases like "precisely the way you remember it" and Halo 2 "exactly as it shipped 10 years ago" probably rubbed gamers the wrong way when MCC's online spent so long busted that 343 had to offer ODST as a make-good.

Missing in Action

Though the last half-hour of the presentation was given over to 2015 releases, a handful of teasers have gone quiet since then. That raises some doubts about whether they'll be out this year at all. We haven't seen much of Scalebound since its original presentation, and Crackdown has basically gone entirely silent. We're likely to see more of those at this year's conference, but don't be surprised if they slip to 2016 or beyond--especially given that all we've seen of Crackdown is a cinematic trailer.