Which games from Xbox and Summer Game Fest captured the most media attention?

The last week has been bustling for the gaming industry, featuring numerous live events and broadcasts, with more scheduled for later this month.

Two prominent events were Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest on Friday and the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, both highlighting major announcements and giving fresh previews of upcoming games.

Prior to his event, Geoff Keighley indicated during a Twitch Q&A that this year’s Summer Game Fest would spotlight previously announced games rather than new premieres. This decision seemed justified in hindsight, as the show received critical feedback: over 40% of around 250,000 gamers rated it a D, with less than 10% giving it an A (according to a poll on X conducted by Geoff).

Two days later, Xbox delivered one of its most impressive showcases in recent years, crucially needed at this time, featuring several high-profile games set to release in 2024, 2025, and beyond. Another poll from Geoff on X confirmed the positive reception, with a massive 65% of more than 163,000 respondents giving it an A grade.

Which games grabbed the most attention and headlines after these two shows?

Fancensus' Flare Score, assessing factors beyond the sheer number of articles such as the reach of about 3,000 featured websites, the prominence of the articles, and their placement on a website’s front page, provides a summary score out of 100 focusing on quality.

During the 24-hour period following each event, the Xbox Games Showcase made a more significant impact on the press; the top five games ranked by Flare Score all came from this showcase, with three more in the top ten.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 led with the highest Flare Score by a considerable gap, probably due to its dedicated segment after the Xbox Games Showcase.

This indicates two things: Summer Game Fest had fewer new exciting announcements (with some exceptions like Lego Horizon Adventures), reflecting Geoff's remarks. Meanwhile, the Xbox event highlighted the vast array of titles from its acquired studios including Activision Blizzard, MachineGames, Id Software, Compulsion Games, and Playground Games.

Despite challenges in the industry, major franchises continue to stand out. Seventeen out of the top twenty titles are from established franchises. It will be intriguing to watch the extended effects as embargoes lift throughout the week.

Top 20 games featured in either Summer Game Fest or Xbox Games Showcase with highest Flare Score 24 hours following respective showcase