With the release of the new console generation people are eagerly awaiting their new games to come in. While some are almost here many aren’t set for release until 2015. Where E3 is concerned I usually expect any games mentioned to be very far off. But how did the game company presentations go? While I won’t cover every single thing said and shown I’ll try to highlight what stood out for me.
Microsoft
This went much how people expected. They laid off the Xbox One’s features and instead focused more on games. If you listened you could hear the constant use of their keywords hoping the audience will hear that Microsoft’s focus is the gamer and the gamer’s experience. An improvement from last year where people didn’t trust Microsoft or their Xbox One. They paid attention to the people who will go out of their way to support their system and spread the word if they like it.
A Halo collection is being released with Halo 1-4. There will also be a Beta for the latest Halo title, Halo: Guardians. This should make Halo fans happy. They also promised to keep the game engines for each Halo the same as they were originally. They showed off Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Very nice looking game set during the French Revolution.
Microsoft also took a page from Sony’s playbook during last years E3 and are talking about working with indy developers. They’ve always released indy titles in their Marketplace but over time these were barely mentioned. Now they want to focus on them again. Although when they showed the indy game montage I noticed some titles that are already available on phones and tablets such as Threes! I would not have shown those particular games for such a big presentation. I’m sure there is a market for it though. But for me it felt like they lacked a better collection to show off.
There was no mention of the Kinect which is a pity. While last year people were very against it. The idea that you could be spied on, it brought up the price of the console and Microsoft just didn’t make a good argument for it. There is no denying that the device has a lot of potential. Lets hope Microsoft finds a way to make it more handy and fun to use and present it at next years E3. Overall it was a good showing by Microsoft. Did it sway me to want to pick up an Xbox One? No. I just didn’t see anything that made me say I really want that. But I’m glad they made a better effort to win folks over. Here’s to hoping for a strong year for the Xbox One.
Sony
This year it felt like Sony picked up where they left off last year. Once again their focus was the gamers and the games that Sony will be playing. Just like Microsoft they have titles they’ll release first as well as some exclusives. Indy games is still a strong focus for them. I think in the long run this is a good thing since it also beefs up their library of games that are free to play each month for subscribers.
Arkham Knight had a very cool trailer showing off Batman’s mobility, the Batmobile in addition to his gliding ability and what appears to be the main villain for the game, Scarecrow. They surprised everyone with a exclusive HD release of Grim Fandango. The Order: 1886 was another exclusive that looked interesting.
Far Cry 4 was also impressive and they mentioned an exclusive feature which would allow a player on your friend’s list to jump in and assist in certain parts even if they didn’t have the game. Little things like this should be encouraged in games. Especially as we progressed. It may seem like a small thing but it really does enhance the gaming experience. Bungie’s Destiny is coming and Sony plans to release a Destiny Bundle and the PlayStation will be white. Oh yeah and Little Big Planet 3.
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While Micorsoft made no mention of the Kinect, Sony reminded everyone that they had a camera for the console. Then they announced that they have plans for the camera to integrate it with Sony’s VR device Morpheus. Sadly they had no footage of it to show off. Overall Sony put on a decent presentation. I think my only problem was that it went too long. They added a few non-gaming items in there that could have been presented at another time and place.
Nintendo
Nintendo once again did a video presentation shown online. They even seemed to hire the guys from Robot Chicken to put in some bits between segments. Nintendo hasn’t been the top console for a while now but fans still hope that they can one day bring something special back to the gaming experience. I think this year their selection was still a bit light but they had a decent titles nonetheless.
First off they introduce Amiibo. Picture Skylanders but with Nintendo characters. The added bonus to Amiibo is you can use the Amiibo figure in more than just the Amiibo game but with other Nintendo games as well. For example you can use the Mario Amiibo figure and it will transfer and back up data about the Mario character you play in games such as the latest Mario Kart or the upcoming Smash Bros. Next is Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Very nice looking game using Super Mario’s Toad as a treasure hunter.
Splatoon is a four vs four shooter type game with human/squid hybrids which use ink to mark territory. The group with the most most territory inked up wins. Sounds simple but very fun.
Bayonneta 2 which seems to be bundled with the first game. If you are a fan of the first game or were curious about it now is your chance to pick it up. A new Pokemon “Omega Ruby” & “Alpha Sapphire” was announced. For fans of Mechs, Xenoblade Chronicles X is incoming as well.
The two that really caught my eye were Hyrule Warriors. It’s basically Dynasty Warriors meets Legend of Zelda. Then the Legend of Zelda Wii U. Not the official title but it’s an open world Zelda game. Oh yeah and Star Fox.
Not as exciting as last year but it did get me pumped for the new games coming out. Sadly not too much was mentioned about the PC. And if there is one thing I must point out lots of the blockbuster games coming out are also coming to the PC which make me think I may be buying less console games in general. But we’ll see how that goes.