Geekscape Roundtable: All About E3!
The expo may be over, but there were announcements made during this year’s E3 that the gaming world will be talking about for a long, long time. Each of us here at Geekscape had a blast either being at or remotely covering the event, and since we’re all so different in our gaming wants and opinions, we though we’d each answer a few specific questions:
1. What was the best announcement/reveal/moment of the expo?
2. What was the worst announcement/reveal/moment of the expo?
3. What was the biggest surprise of the expo?
Take a gander at all of our thoughts below, and don’t forget to share your own! We hope that you enjoyed all of our coverage of this year’s E3!
Josh Jackson
This year’s E3 will definitely go down in the record books as one of the most anticipated in the show’s history. Between the launch details of the PS4, the Xbox One, and all of the controversy surrounding the two, plus Nintendo’s attempt to win gamers over with the Wii U’s line up, there was sure to be something at the show that every type of gamer was looking forward to.
Now that the show is over and all of the news is out, it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be to pick a favorite moment. During the press conferences, I would have easily given it to Sony’s PS4 reveal, but after it turned out that some of what they said either wasn’t entirely true, (there WILL be used game restrictions if third parties choose, just like the Xbox One,) or flat out untrue, (like Final Fantasy XV being exclusive,) it’s clear that the old Sony is live and well. Other exciting announcements included Star Wars: Battlefront 3 and Mirror’s Edge 2, but I think I’m going to play it safe with my answer. There was no single moment that made me more excited than when each new character was announced for Smash Bros. Villager was somewhat expected, but his gameplay style looks so exciting. Mega Man had me running around my house screaming like the N64 kid. But when Wii Fit Trainer was quietly revealed the following day? It showed that Team Sora isn’t afraid of getting creative with their characters, and I can’t wait to downward dog all over your faces!
As far as what disappointed me the most, my first instinct, (haha,) is to say Killer Instinct. I was so happy to see it back, but when I learned that Rare was too busy making a new Kinect Sports game to come back and work on it, and that it was adopting a free to play model, my anticipation dropped. Whatever excitement was left disappeared when I saw how dumbed down the game was. I could also say how terrible the Warner Bros. reps were when my friend tried to take a picture of Zod in Injustice even though there were no signs saying he couldn’t… So much so, that they threatened that he wouldn’t be able to go home unless he deleted the “video” that he didn’t film… But worse than that, I’d say the lack of creativity was the worst part of all. As seen in each press conference, aside from a few exceptions, many of these games look like games we’ve already played. Even Nintendo, who is known for their creativity, had a huge focus on Wind Waker HD and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the latter of which was a fantastic play through, but was still very familiar. New generations should offer new experiences, but aside from the cloud data ghosts in Forza, the graphics system in Knack and the two players on one control mini games on Wii Play U, there’s nothing I saw that can’t already be done. Since graphics have pretty much peaked on consoles, they can’t rely on smoke and mirrors to push the envelope forward, but with games getting so expensive to make, it discourages taking chances. Let’s hope the coming years will show the power of the new generation being put into action.
Lastly, there were plenty of surprises, but the one that blew me away was Disney Infinity. I walked in expecting a Skylanders ripoff, (and to be fair, it really is in a lot of ways), but what I got was something so much more. Each of the universes in the game is a standalone 8 hour experience? The ability to customize your Toy Box world any way you want? Online friends who are able to alter it with their figures over the Internet? And creation tools so deep that gamers can design their own games within Toy Box if they want to? Not just half assed mini games either, but full platformers, racing challenges, sports games… All with the creativity that one’s imagination will allow. The real surprise here was that out of everything at E3, this might be my game of show. With so much potential, it’s impossible not to get excited. Being able to play as Stitch and Vanellope are just bonuses.
Shane O’Hare
This year’s E3 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the big ones. The fight between Sony and Microsoft was what most major news outlets were focused on, and unfortunately, I believe it took the focus away from not only the smaller games, but all of the games in general.
The whole media fiasco that Microsoft went through was terrible to watch…but I just couldn’t look away. Quotes like “We have an offline console, it’s called 360” and “Move to another country if you want to play Xbox One” were shocking to say the least. To watch a company like Microsoft mishandle promotion of their console in the way they did was mind boggling. Now by the time the convention floor opens, people like to ask the question “Who won E3?”, but console wise it is way to soon to tell honestly. Yeah the PS4 had an AMAZING press event, the team at Sony really knew how to attack Microsoft where it hurts. Hearing an entire building full of gamers CHEER at the fact the PS4 will support used games blew my mind. You could see on Jack Tretton’s face when he announced that news just how happy he was. You knew what was going through his head. In-fact, it made him so confident and cocky while being interviewed on GTTV his exit consisted of him throwing his microphone over his shoulder. He LITERALLY dropped the mic like a freestyle rapper in a battle.
Though the PS4 had the best appearance, I can’t say that it won the conference. The games that are planned to come out at launch don’t look that impressive, and we don’t know if any of them are going to be GOOD.
My personal favorite event was the Ubisoft conference, I covered it, but I covered it for a good reason. Ubisoft has really brought themselves to the forefront recently for some truly amazing AAA+++ titles. They are focusing on great games, and not churning out high def sports simulators that will be obsolete by next year. Their event wasn’t full of awkward moments, awful jokes that could be construded as rape, or trailers that were muted. Their spread of games was very diverse, and seeing what they are going to be bringing to the next generation really impressed me. My E3 game of show had to be The Division from Ubisoft, even if on paper it’s just another Tom Clancy war story. Based off of real world simulations showing how fragile the US infrastructure is to any kind of pandemic, it seems rather bland at first, but this third-person MMO game seems like it has some real depth. Players can team up and explore cities that have fallen victim to the pandemic and choose their objectives and missions as they come up. The game has an extremely high polish to it, even in the tech demo, and the interface looks flawless. Seeing the tech demo players quickly move from PvE to PvP in the manner they did impressed the hell out of me. This was a confirmed PS4 title from me, but after reading about a survey Ubisoft had given out to see if there was PC interest, and the survey/petition destroying its “goal” in less than a day had my platform decision waned.
The publisher that I feel didn’t got the love it deserved was Nintendo. After some poor Wii U sales, most of the game media/game fans criticized Nintendo for not pumping out first party titles (and almost going the way of the Dreamcast in its beginning). At E3, they game out guns blazing with a stack of impressive first party games. Smash Bros. looks fun as always and the new Mario title reminds me of Mario 64. The problem I see is that the fickle gamer audience gave poor marks to Nintendo for not having a strong third party title lineup this E3. I feel like Nintendo just can’t win. I do have to say though, if you haven’t yet bought a Wii U, it is now time. I believe the console is finally going to hit it’s stride.
All and all it was a fairly tame E3 for me. Nothing made me fly out the door and preorder it right away. I feel the XBONE and PS4 pissing match really did steal the lime light from games that really deserved more attention. Hopefully we can get some hands-on with the PS4 and XBONE come San Diego Comic Con, and see some more impressive games come Gamescom Cologne.
Jonathan London
People are passionate about seeing the latest and brightest offerings, and I’m no different. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Halo mobile game, Spartan Assault, and was really impressed by Disney Infinity and Watch Dogs. Of course, I loved racing some tracks on Mario Kart 8 and climbing walls as Cat Suit Mario in Super Mario 3D World. That being said, my favorite part of E3 was the Videogame History Museum. So many memories came back to me as I perused the tables of old systems like the Odyssey, the Atari Lynx, the Saturn and the 3DO. There were old cabinets set up where you could play Sunset Riders or Gauntlet and classic systems where you could try out the original Sonic or Bonk’s Adventure. It was an incredibly nostalgic and educational experience (I had forgotten that there was a nearly completed Star Fox 2 for the Super Nintendo… and they had it!). I’ll for sure be visiting them online at http://www.vghmuseum.org/ to see where their next showcase will be.
My least favorite thing about E3 is always the crowds. It’s pretty overwhelming and at times hostile. Even though this can be fun, like the blast that I had at the Machinima party on Tuesday night, usually the lines are just too long for demos that are just too short or vague. The frustration of E3 is always that it’s a bit unsatisfying. You leave with only a taste of what these game experiences will be upon release, and most times you’re not able to play the games at all, but just watch tech demos (thank you Nintendo, for having the most playable lineup on the floor)! Probably the lamest part of the weekend is the entitlement of some attendees. I walked up to one person in line and asked what she was standing in line for only to have a bespectacled hipster behind me reply with “I know what you’re not standing in line for”. I’m sorry, dickhead hipster nerd wearing a costume to impress your 3 friends, but are you that far removed from the ass beatings in high school that you’re that desperate for another one? Way to act like an asshole. Yes, being a geek might be cool today, but that doesn’t give you a green light to act like a shithead. I left E3 wishing I’d punched his Buddy Holly glasses off his face… and that’s not really in the spirit of E3, now is it? I’d have remembered his face but his forced geek hipster style was so generic that I wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a crowd.
This is my 8th E3, so there isn’t a lot that surprises me anymore. Maybe I should comment on what impressed me. I show up each year expecting to be impressed by something new and am rarely disappointed. I definitely have to say that I’m completely bowled over by how rapidly trans-media is taking over our gaming experience (which I think is awesome). From having a mobile version of Halo, to the smart glass interactivity of Watch Dogs, it’s really incredible just how quickly video games are pushing the limits of technology and further integrating themselves into our every day life. Decades ago, if you wanted to play a video game, you had to go to them at a neighborhood arcade or a video game store. Today, the games are coming to you whether you like them or not and integrating themselves into our various lifestyles, whether they be on our handheld devices, social media or our home entertainment setup. There will literally be games available to anyone and everyone. And I’m not just talking about Farmville or Free to Play games, but AAA titles like Halo and Call of Duty. Even Nintendo has announced an expansion into the F2P market. We really are living in the future that we dreamed of, and I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities.
Andy Breeding
My favorite thing from E3 2013 was the way that Sony went on the offensive against everything Microsoft’s Xbox One has done to bring the ire of many people. From no used games restrictions, no required check-ins, and the price announcement of $399.99, Sony did the equivalent of a mic drop. Actually, Jack Tretton did a mic toss. Not a drop, but close enough. Hell, there was even an impromptu video starring Sony Developer Relations VP Adam Boyes and Sony President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida showed the many steps it takes to share a disc-based game on the PS4.
Worst thing that happened at E3 2013 was all the technical snafus during the stage demos. I seriously feel sad for anyone that has to go through any of this in front of a large audience. The Assassin’s Creed 4 demo sputtered and died at the end which lead to an awkward silence from everyone in the theater. The Battlefield 4 demo had a major false start leaving EA’s Patrick Sutherland stunned as to what to do next. Maintaining composure until the demo was finally running takes a lot of courage.
Even though we sort of knew about it due to EA making a help page live before it should have, I was pleasantly surprised by Mirror’s Edge 2 being announced. No date on when it’s coming, but I am still happy with the fact that Mirror’s Edge 2 is finally coming. Like most people, I hope gunplay is eliminated since it hampered the Mirror’s Edge experience for me.
Derek Kraneveldt
I love E3. I’ve never had the opportunity to attend in person (that comes next year), but it’s always an amazing week of seeing what’s new, dreaming of playing games that are years away, and wondering what surprises developers and publishers have in store for us. I still recall sprinting home from school each day of the expo in 2005 to watch G4’s incredible coverage of nearly every facet of the expo (plus, that theme song was so damn catchy).
This year was no different. Tons of new games that I’m going to need to find money to buy, and of course this year introduced a new console or two as well. Understandably, the biggest news to come from this year’s expo was the pissing match between Microsoft and Sony. Microsoft unveiled and confirmed a series of bullshit policies, and when Sony announced that they weren’t going through with the same bullshit, but instead would be following the same expectations set by every single other console ever, people cheered and screamed that Sony had won. It’s really hard for me to see how that constitutes a win per se, it just feels like they didn’t destroy their reputation as Microsoft seems to have done. The fact that people felt the need to cheer for something like this remains the most perplexing and surprising moment of the event for me.
It’s really tough for me to narrow things down to a single best announcement. There are so many good titles being released later this year (and next) that I’m just excited to be a gamer in general. Things like Watch Dogs, a new Mirror’s Edge, Star Wars: Battlefront, and other games that have been mentioned a million times are going to rock. Arguably (and strangely), the thing that I’m most excited for this year is to replay The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I was just 11 years old when the game released, and though I finished the adventure all those years ago, the only thing that I remember is how much fun I had. The Wii U release (which also serves as the developer’s way to familiarize themselves with the new console) is going to be a beautiful, nostalgic, and incredible experience for me. I can’t wait to jump back on that sailboat.
As for the bad stuff. Honestly, I didn’t really see too much of it. Games are games, and everything that was being shown off was obviously something for a vast majority gamers to look forward to. Sure, there are things that I saw that didn’t do much for me, but that doesn’t mean that those things don’t have merit. When my most aggravating experience with E3 this year was the fact that Sony’s press conference (which I was in charge of liveblogging) began 30 minutes late and left me worrying if it was Sony’s problem or just my own computer, you know that it was a damn good year. Oh, except for the fact that The Last Guardian is probably on hiatus, but Sony won’t make that official.
I’m excited for all that the future brings. I’m excited for new consoles, experiences, and competition, and I’m damn excited to kick all of your asses at Mario Kart 8! Bring on the games!
JC Marquez
Best: Platinum Games is easily becoming my favorite third party. After playing The Wonderful 101 at E3 2012 and again at Pax Prime last year, the Viewtiful Joe/Pikmin hybrid looks and handles better than ever this time around. There’s no doubt that Hideki Kamiya and his development team behind the game have taken great time and effort to ensure the title is recognized as one of the must-have games for the Wii U in 2013, and quite frankly, it’s shaping up to be one of the most fun titles on any console this year.
Worst: Ever since it became known Retro Studios was working on a secret project for Wii U, I wondered what game it could possibly be to keep Nintendo from even making mention of it at last year’s E3. Instantly, the internet blew up with rumors suggesting a new Metroid game was in the works. Later, rumors claimed it was a Metroid/StarFox crossover. As fans argued over what Retro was working on, I doubt anyone would ever have guessed it would be another Donkey Kong Country title. I don’t hate what I saw, but I was expecting more from Nintendo when it came to the Wii U—especially with a holiday season which sees the debut of two brand new video game consoles. While Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze looks and plays amazingly well, and Mario Kart 8 looks absolutely gorgeous, I can’t help but feel disappointed that new entries in the Metroid, StarFox, or F-Zero franchises weren’t announced.
Biggest surprise: To say that Mega Man’s inclusion in the next Smash Bros. game somewhat surprised me would be a gross understatement. Much like a confirmed release date for The Last Guardian and Beyond Good and Evil 2, I was convinced that a Mega Man appearance in Smash Bros. was never going to happen, regardless how much I wanted it or how many deities I prayed to.
Then Tuesday morning happened.
Judging by the way the people in Starbucks looked at me as I pumped my fists in the air when the announcement was made, I can safely assume my reaction was pretty telling of my excitement, but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of these live reactions:
So there you have it. E3 2013 was a pretty incredible experience, and it will be more than interesting to see how the launch of both the PS4 and Xbox One turn out. As always, stay tuned to Geekscape for all of your further E3 coverage, and all of your gaming needs! Don’t forget to share your favourite moments from this year’s E3 with us below!
