Hey gamers, almost a month has passed since E3 so I'd like
to take a quick look back at what happened during the event and shed some light
on some significant changes and announcements since.
Microsoft "We gotz games!"
It's no secret that the big Microsoft Press event for Xbox
One prior to this year's E3 left gamers scratching their heads. During that
event Microsoft centered its attention on Kinect 2, TV, and what they believed
to be ground breaking features such as always on and disc-less gaming (which
translates to no sharing or re-selling). While many fanboys from all walks of
life flooded the internet to bash Microsoft about the lack of games, us level
headed gamers were quick to point to E3 - the conference meant for video games.
Microsoft kicked off the Press Conferences in style showing off a bevy of games
to include one that many dubbed the Game of the show -
Titanfall. When it comes to exclusive games;
an area that Sony has dominated in the current generation, Microsoft boasted
about 15 exclusive titles coming in the first year of Xbox One. With most of
those titles not even mentioned, one has to wonder how many of the 15 will end
up being tied to Kinect 2.
While the focus on games was a clear positive for Microsoft,
they caused an even bigger uproar than the Xbox One unveiling buy making some
rather bold announcements. For starters, they re-enforced the fact that the
system will always be on and connected. All games would require an internet
connected check-in as a form of DRM. This would eliminate any possibility of re-selling
games, stressing that you would only be able to pass your game on to another
person one time and only if they were on your friends list for x number of
days. As far as those without an internet connection, Microsoft flat out stated
“Gamers without internet can stick with Xbox 360”. Needless to say, that didn’t
go over so well. Finally, the biggest WTF are they thinking moment…..the price.
Microsoft wrapped up their Conference by announcing that the Xbox One will be
available this November for $499.
Apparently Microsoft failed to take notes from Sony during
the birth of this current generation when it comes to sticker shocking the hell
out of everyday consumers.
Sony “Eat this Microsoft!”
Sony’s E3 2013 Press Conference was like slow building storm
that literally climaxed to a standing round of applause. They slowly announced
a slew of PS Vita and PS3 titles before transitioning over to the first couple
of big PS4 exclusives,
inFAMOUS:
Second Son and
The Order 1886,
the second being a Ready at Dawn (God of War portable titles) and Sony’s Santa
Monica Studio (God of War PS2/PS3) collaboration. Sony then went on to show
their open support for Indie developers by showcasing a dozen or so Indie games
on stage with the developers themselves. This is yet another area where Sony
was trying to distance themselves from Microsoft as indie devs have clearly
stated that Microsoft’s costs make it difficult to provide games and updates on
the Xbox 360 and Xbox One moving forward.
Then Sony did what’s never been seen before during an E3
Press Conference. They made a complete mockery of Microsoft with presentations
showing how you
share a
game on PS4, the fact that the system is not region locked, no internet
connection is required, and finally, the mother of them all, the price. Sony announced
that the PS4 will be available this fall at the low price of $399. The crowd on
hand went nuts along with the internet. Sony made it clear with the way they
carried their presentation that they care about the gamer. Of course many
including myself believe that Sony took advantage of knowing exactly what
Microsoft unveiled, but can you blame them? They learned from their mistakes
during the launch of the PS3 and used all the hate that was building up around
Microsoft as fuel to position them for a successful PS4 launch this fall.
One sore spot for PlayStation gamers during this press
conference is that online gaming on the PS4 will now require a PlayStation Plus
subscription. Not much different from what Xbox 360 requires today, but it’s
something PlayStation fans will no longer be able to brag about. However, in
this case membership does have its privileges and it equates to almost a couple
grand in
free
games.
Nintendo “It’s a me, Mario!”
Nintendo decided to opt-out of the big Press Conference
reveals this year. Partially I believe because the Wii U has already been out
for several months and let’s face it, it’s struggling. Nintendo instead held a
Nintendo Direct one morning highlighting several 3DS games and Wii U
Third-Party support. On the showroom floors, Nintendo shined like a Mario Star
with some key reveals centered on familiar names and faces. One thing stands
true when it comes to Nintendo, their flagship games are still incredibly fun
and creative, but one has to wonder if the upcoming Xbox One/PS4 war won’t leave
them in the dust.
Winner of E3 2013
Sony
By capitalizing on all the negativity surrounding Microsoft’s
odd decision making, Sony hit this E3 out of the park. From price to a genuine
feeling of care for gamers, Sony not only kept their own fanboys dancing with
glee, they converted many Xbox gamers in the process.
Game of E3 2013
Sounding like a broken record here with this one since this
was the favorite on most gaming mediums, but Titanfall just flatout looks
awesome! When I think Next Gen, this is what I want to see. If the Xbox One can
truly deliver what was shown at E3 (all gameplay was actually running on
high-end PC’s, not Xbox One dev kits), I think the system will be just fine.
Keep in mind, Titanfall will also be available on PC so it’s simply a console
exclusive.
Noteworthy Upcoming Games
-
NHL 14 (not coming to PS4
and Xbox One)
Updates Since E3 2013
-
Big wig for Microsoft (heavily involved with
Xbox decisions)
leaves
for Zynga.
That’s it for this recap. One thing’s for sure, the future of
gaming looks exciting and is full of some amazing looking games. Let me know
what your thoughts are about this and what you are most looking forward to.
Look for my current game of the year nominees in a future article. That will be
one that is subject to change as we progress through the rest of this year.
Take care and as always, Game On!
