E3 2018: 10 Ups & 5 Downs From Microsoft's Conference

1. The Next Xbox Console Is Actually Mentioned

Perhaps the most surprising thing in the entire conference - yes, even more shocking than Battletoads - was the fact that Phil Spencer actually specifically mentioned that Microsoft is currently working on the next Xbox console.

Spencer said, "The same team that delivered unprecedented performance with Xbox One X is deep into architecting the next Xbox consoles, where we will once again deliver on our commitment to set the benchmark for console gaming."

While it's mere common sense that R&D is already going on for the next Xbox, to hear formal confirmation of it probably at least 18 months before it'll even be unveiled, on the E3 stage no less, is pretty surprising.

Then again, Microsoft did announce "Project Scorpio" insanely early, and considering the rough start they had with the Xbox One this gen, it certainly makes sense for them to get this messaging out there ahead of the competition.

What did you think of Microsoft's E3 conference this year? Shout it out in the comments!