MICROSOFT STAKES XBOX VIDEO GAME SALES ON LONG-AWAITED SPACE ADVENTURE STARFIELD

One small step for an intrepid crew of 24th century space explorers could be a giant leap or flop - for Microsoft when the Xbox-maker launches its long-awaited video game Starfield.

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Players must fend off pirates, navigate strange moons, build outposts and fix their own starships in a space epic that is due out on Xbox in September after years of development and delay. Microsoft gave its most detailed glimpse of the upcoming game at a Los Angeles event.

The release could be one of the most important in Xbox's history as it looks to attract gamers with a headliner on par with Nintendo's latest Zelda game and PlayStation's upcoming SpiderMan 2, said Mat Piscatella, a game industry analyst for market researcher Circana.

After months of watching Nintendo's Switch console and Sony's PlayStation steal the momentum in a lagging market - with boosts from Hollywood adaptions of Nintendo's Super Mario and the PlayStation exclusive Last of Us - Microsoft could use a blockbuster to drive sales of its Xbox consoles and its monthly game subscription service.