The Electronic Entertainment Expo or E3 was held in Los Angeles from June 13 to June 17. The annual event showcased some of the biggest video games and gaming technologies coming later this year and in the future. Though some new hardware was featured, this year was all about the games. Fortunately for gamers, 2016 is going to be the year where some highly anticipated games make it to stores.
E3 did officially begin on June 13, but some developers had their press conferences a day earlier. Electronic Arts (EA) and Bethesda has their conferences on June 12.
EA revealed gameplay for Titanfall 2, the sequel XBOX ONE hit from Respawn Entertainment. This time the game will not be an XBOX ONE exclusive. It will also see a debut release on Sony’s Playstation 4 (PS4). Alongside that, the game will also feature a single-player campaign—a feature lacking in its first title, and too much critical dismay. EA also revealed gameplay upcoming Battlefield 1. The new Battlefield game is to take place during World War 1. It’s a radical shift in a time where first-person shooters have been generally centered on science fiction. Both games have October release dates.
Microsoft had their morning press conference on June 13. They announce a new XBOX model coming this August called the XBOX ONE S. The console is to be a slimmer version of the current model, and it will able to perform at 4K resolution. Alongside that, Microsoft also announced “Project Scorpio.” The project is a planned hardware update of the XBOX ONE which aims to be the “most powerful gaming console.”
Microsoft also displays gameplay for the upcoming Gears of War 4 and Halo Wars 2, and there were reveals for Dead Rising 4 and Forza Horizon 3. They also announced a new system in cross-platform gaming. The XBOX Play Anywhere program will allow players to purchase supported XBOX ONE titles, and have them playable on Window 10 computers. In this case, players could technically buy Gears of War 4 for both XBOX ONE and PC for one price. Microsoft has be spending that last few years trying to connects all of its many technology together, and this is one of its further steps.
Ubisoft had their press conference on June 13 in the afternoon. Ubisoft is notorious for having some of the most awkward E3 conferences, but this year came out without too much embarrassment. Hosted again by the famed Aisha Tyler, Ubisoft revealed gameplay for Watch Dogs 2 and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Both of these are using Ubisoft’s most advanced game engines. The biggest franchise, Assassin’s Creed, was absent this year as there is no game upcoming for their usual annual release, but a behind-the-scenes feature was present for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie coming this December.
The reigning champions of E3 and the current generation of games, Sony made a definitive appearance this year. Different from typical E3 norms, the Japanese company’s conference had very few guest, except from gaming legend, and was marathon of reveal trailers and gameplay. The presentation was accompanied by a full orchestra, and the presentation was swift and surprising.
Kicking off their show, with an overture by the orchestra, Sony did a cold-open reveal for the exclusive God of War. Not necessarily being called “God of War 4,” the new game is a more grounded feel to previous titles, and it moved the games lore from Greek mythology to Norse mythology. Discussing about PS4 exclusives, Sony did announce that the classic Crash Bandicoot games, released way back in the late 1990s for the original Playstation, were being remastered in present technologies. Playstation’s original mascot is finally coming home.
Sony announced the release date and cost for their Playstation VR headset. The hardware is set for October 13 with a $399 price tag. They stated that there will be fifty games available upon release of the headset. Of those, they revealed virtual reality gameplay for Star Wars: Battlefront, and they utilized both gameplay and a reveal for Resident Evil VIl: Biohazard.
Sony’s presentation, as stated before, was not very “people” heavy. However, did have a one special guest appear, the legendary Hideo Kojima. For those who don’t know, Kojima is the masterful director behind the Metal Gear Solid games. Recently, Kojima his have a brutal divorce with long-time publisher Konami. His rebooted Kojima Production, now partnered with Sony, revealed their new game, Death Stranding. The game stars The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus. To those who know how Kojima behaves, the teaser trailer is likely just a teaser to the game’s trailer at next year’s E3. Overall, Kojima experience almost prisoner like abuse from Konami after parting ways, and seeing him return to the gaming community made this E3 all the better.
Sony, focusing on the games, revealed trailers a gameplay for Horizon: Zero Dawn, a new Spider-Man game developed by Insomniac Games, The Last Guardian, Final Fantasy XV, and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare alongside Modern Warfare Remastered.
The following day on June 14, Nintendo had their press conference. Nintendo usually does not have big and booming presentations like Sony or Microsoft, but Nintendo could still take gamers breath away just with one title, and that’s exactly what they did. Nintentdo’s conference generally focused on the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and that’s all they really needed to talk about. The Legend of Zelda games are so acclaimed that gamers sometimes buy Nintendo’s bizarre console just for that one or two Zelda releases. Luckily for players, the game will be released on the current Wii U, and the upcoming Nintendo NX.
For gamer’s, E3 is both an ecstatic experience for their minds and finances. Surprisingly, many of these games are releasing this fall and holiday season alongside new hardware. Video games and their technologies were not cheap products with new games priced at $60 upon first release. Even so, some of these games, like Final Fantasy XV, The Last Guardian, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, have been anticipated for years. Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian were first announced in the last decade for the last generation of consoles, and now there is official release dates for these titles.
Even through the recession, the gaming industry has been showing no signs of slowing down. With blockbuster franchises like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto making over a billion dollars for their releases, investing in big events like E3 is never a bad idea. 2016 is looking to be big year for gamers and starting for gaming’s future.
