Watchdogs: Legion

Unquestionably the best part and the saving grace of this year’s Ubisoft conference, Watch Dogs: Legion is one of the most ambitious third-person action game ever revealed. Set in London, the game looks more gorgeous than ever before (we’ll have to see what the release build looks like though *cough cough* Ubisoft downgrades *cough*). And aside from the usual hacking and manipulating, at the core of its gameplay is the ability to recruit any NPC who isn’t with the bad guys.

This opens up a world of possibilities and an endless amount of replay value. Here’s hoping they manage to pull off the procedurally generated story missions for the NPC’s we recruit. If they do, we may have something very special in our hands. And kudos to Ubisoft for still believing in the franchise despite lacklustre sales from Watch Dogs 2.

Fall Guys

Who knew that we’ll be discussing a Battle Royale game on a positive note in an E3 article? Yet here we are. Devolver Digital has made some waves in the industry with its unique approach towards E3 conferences. This outlook also seems reminiscent in the games they publish. Small but fun games that hit the right note. Look no further than My Friend Pedro for example. The same can be said about Fall Guys.

A Battle Royale game which isn’t a shooter, but a goofy game show like take on the genre with various obstacle courses. Of course, the game’s fun factor will depend on how good or bad and varied these obstacle courses are, but it is refreshing to see someone take a different approach towards an honestly stale genre. Here’s hoping the developers nail this one and help create more fresh ideas among other BR developers.

Star Wars – Jedi: Fallen order

To be honest, I was slightly disappointed by Jedi: Fallen Order. It was still the story-driven third-person Star Wars action game that I had always wanted, but what was shown during EA play did not really blow my mind. Perhaps, that was due to me being overhyped in my head and I expected too much at the time. In retrospect though, Jedi: Fallen Order does look like a solid game that will please Star Wars fans or fans of third-person action games in general.

With God of War 3 director, Stig Asmussen at the helm, made by Respawn who delivered the excellent but underappreciated gem that was Titanfall 2, the talent behind the scenes do show some great promise. A good story-driven Star Wars game is long overdue, and Stig and his team at Respawn may deliver just that at the tail end of 2019. Here’s hoping.

Legends of Zelda: Breath of the wild 2

One of the best games of 2017, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was almost solely responsible for the initial sales of the Nintendo Switch. So, it was a no brainer that another big Zelda game will be in the works. But, I did not (probably nobody did) see a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild being revealed just two years after the release of the first game.

Especially considering how long the first one was in development. This announcement only made an already great Nintendo showcase that much better. The truth though, is that we just can’t get enough from the Zelda franchise. So, keep ‘em coming Nintendo.

Cyberpunk 2077

Boy, Oh Boy. Did CD Project Red deliver? Cyberpunk 2077 showed no gameplay to the public at E3, yet they stole the show thanks to the reveal of Johnny Silverhand played by none other than Keanu friggin Reeves. In, arguably the best moment of this year’s event, Keanu graced the stage to explain his role in the game.

Despite all of this though, Cyberpunk 2077 makes this list purely based on the pedigree of its developer and what was shown back when the game was originally revealed. The world knows that this game is something very special and that’s reason enough to make this list even though it wasn’t technically revealed at this years E3.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy VII Remake was game I least looked forward to this year. Originally revealed in E3 2015, there was nothing that could build the hype for this game aside from the fact that it was the remake of one of the best RPGs ever made. And with the idea of a remake, also comes the fear of messing up something that was perfect, to begin with. Add to that a complete lack of any gameplay reveals save for a few screenshots through the next four years and the anticipation towards the game, at least in my head, was as good as the idea of watching paint dry on a Saturday night.

But, all of my scepticism was blown to smithereens when the gameplay was finally revealed to the world. This, in my opinion, felt like the most RPGish game of all RPGs, while also incorporating third-person hack and slash to some degree. This mish-mash of genres sounds horrible on paper, but the developers went for it and the result is just glorious. Never have I made such a 180 on my opinion towards a game and never have I ever wanted to play a game so badly. The game looks stunning, which is amazing for the number of hours of play it is set to offer. And characters obviously look better than ever. If this were a whole other game on its own and not be a remake of FF VII, I could see myself still being just as excited for it. And that is telling something.

Ghostwire Tokyo

The best part of the Bethesda conference was the reveal of Ghostwire Tokyo. Tango Gameworks’ next project had one of the best reveals made possible by none other than the game’s creative director Ikumi Nakamura. She showed genuine passion towards her game and her enthusiasm was contagious. This followed by a truly remarkable trailer only built the hype even further.

I just wish they had shown some glimpses of gameplay though. However, if Evil Within 2 was any indication, we can safely expect a spooky and gratifying horror experience when this game releases

Honourable Mentions

Needless to say, there were other games that were also awesome but just could not make the cut to this list. They are.

Doom Eternal – For as great as this game looked and played, this was not a reveal and we had seen its gameplay before.

Avengers – Like Jedi: Fallen Order, my anticipation for this game was through the roof. So, it was disappointing to see little to no gameplay during the reveal. And I am still clueless as to what type of game this is going to be.

Halo Infinite – Despite having an awesome trailer, Halo Infinite did not show us any gameplay and whatever new it brings to the table is still a mystery. Also, this was revealed in E3 2018.

The post Top Games of E3 2019 appeared first on iXie Gaming.

Their Best Foot Forward

Microsoft certainly seemed to have known what this year E3 meant for them and in retrospect, they did seem to pull no punches. From the announcement of adding Double Fine Studios to their group of internal studios to the announcement of Project Scarlett and the promise of Halo Infinite releasing alongside their next console, Microsoft has been very clear in their message. That they are focused on games and only games.

This is always a good thing. Add to it moments like Keanu Reeves’ appearance and showcases on big games like Gears 5 and Halo Infinite, the show was pretty crowd pleasing. However, despite featuring sixty games on the show something did seem missing.

Punching Above Their Weight Class

For as much as Microsoft have been touting their support for games, one thing was clear, about an hour into the show. Not much new was ready to be shown in terms of exclusives. Despite the acquisition of multiple studios, it was too early to reveal any of the games that the new group of studios have been working on. Ninja Theory’s Bleeding Edge was an exception here as it has been in development for a few years now, as per the studio executives.

The same goes for the reveal of Project Scarlett. I was left confused when the Xbox One X was revealed as Project Scorpio. It felt rushed and need not have been announced when it was, so early before release. Microsoft found itself in a similar position with their next console. The occasion was too important to miss announcing the console, so we had a reveal similar to that of Project Scorpio. A few specs were discussed, and some obvious jabs were thrown at Sony’s console, talking about load times and that their console would eat ‘Monsters’ for breakfast. This was fun to watch and all, but the reveal itself felt unnecessary for something that is to be released in holiday 2020.

Commitment To Games Saves The Day

Despite the shortcomings though, Microsoft still managed to put on a good show with what they had. While their two main games, Gears 5 and Halo Infinite were titles that had already been revealed, Microsoft still managed to sell them well to the crowd. This was perhaps due to their constant emphasis on their commitment towards games and consumer-friendly practices and services. And they made it evident with doubling down on the Xbox Game Pass. The service now offers more value than ever before by covering PC games and bundling in Xbox Live Gold.

This, in my opinion, went a long way in keeping the show, and the audiences’ spirit afloat. And, to be honest the value proposition is quite incredible. Combine this with services like Project X Cloud and Microsoft may be sitting on a recipe that is going to win them the next round of the console wars.

So…How Did They Fair

All things said and done, Microsoft did make the best of what they had and managed to put on a good show, albeit not without its cringe moments. But, did they make the best use of this year’s event. Probably not. And that’s probably because it was too early to show any significant exclusive games. The end result though is that Sony does not seem to have been affected by Microsoft’s show this year. They could still come back next year and blow the competition away. And in retrospect E3 2019 could be the calm before the storm. E3 2020 is already shaping up to be a great event and the wait will only be that much more excruciating. Regardless, my videogame loving heart is ready for it.

The post Did Microsoft Make the Best of E3 2019? appeared first on iXie Gaming.

Microsoft will be at its best

If there is one company that benefits most from Sony’s absence, it is Microsoft. To say Microsoft has struggled this generation will not be an exaggeration. So, Microsoft will want to make the most of this opportunity and go all guns blazing with its reveals. The company has been investing heavily in games and while it may be a little too early to show anything from the newly formed and acquired studios, Microsoft may still have some show stealers. You can definitely expect Halo infinite to show up. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare may get back on Microsoft’s show, now that Sony is absent, and who knows what other fan favourites Phil Spencer is bringing back. Oh, and they are very likely to reveal their new consoles as well, so this year would probably be Microsoft’s best pitch yet to have you to side with team Xbox.

Ubisoft can still pack a punch

Ubisoft evokes different emotions among different types of people. But when it comes to E3, Ubisoft has been quite consistent lately. From having the eccentric Aisha Tyler host the show to getting quirky with their presentation with Yves Guillemot and Shigeru Miyamoto standing back to back on stage with prop guns, Ubisoft’s showcase has been as much about having a good time as it has been about its games. And I expect this year to be no different. On the games front, I would love to see Splinter Cell make a return. And Ubisoft is good at surprising people. Here’s hoping.

Square Enix has taken Sony’s slot

Square Enix’s Nintendo Direct like presentation last year was, putting it mildly, a train wreck. So, it is both surprising and terrifying to see them take Sony’s time slot. In a time where Sony have now leaned towards their own Nintendo Direct like presentations with ‘State of Play’, it makes you wonder if this is a switcharoo between Sony and Square? If so, will Square be able to put on a show that would rival Sony’s E3? They seem confident about it and have spilt the beans on the reveal of the Avengers game beforehand. And while an Avengers game developed by Crystal Dynamics sounds sweet, can they hold it up with just that. Here’s hoping that it is just the icing on a much more delicious cake which would make up the rest of the show. And Square Enix can actually do that given not much has been announced by the company lately.

New AAA games will be revealed

What is E3 without its surprise reveals? If there is one thing that all companies aim for, it is to catch gamers off guard and drop a surprise AAA game reveal. And this can be expected from all of the major players this year, be it Microsoft or Ubisoft or even Square Enix for that matter. This is especially exciting this year as this will probably be that last year where games will be revealed on the big stage for the 8th generation of consoles. And if history is any evidence, the best games come out towards the end of a console generation. So whatever games they are, and whichever genre they represent, we will most likely be looking at the cream of the crop when they are revealed.

Sony may still steal some thunder

All things said and done; E3 without Sony might still feel a bit empty. And while Sony may have expressed that E3 is ‘redundant’, deep down I feel that they know how big a deal it still is. So, it would not surprise me if Sony sneaks in a surprise ‘State of Play’ with some of its big guns. But then again, they just revealed Death Stranding’s release date. This can be looked at in two ways. They either have enough to show from other games (The Last of Us 2) and maybe some surprise reveals, or they are going cold turkey and sitting E3 out for good. I really do hope it is the former. Because anything that came out of the company this generation has been a treat.

So, there it is. My hopes and dreams for this years E3. Not everything may pan out as expected, but Microsoft’s current position and Square Enix’s bold move sure do hint at something great to come. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for now.

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E3 is like Christmas for gamers, instead of getting what you need, you get what you really, really want

In case any of you are wondering, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E3, is a yearly event in the video game industry.

Developers, publishers, and manufacturers from all over the world showcase titles and products to be sold in the upcoming years.

I’ve been a huge fan of E3 from the very first time I watched it live back in 2013. The first E3 event was held way back in 1995. It has been two decades now and the thrill hasn’t gone down. The whole idea of getting to see and hear information about 100’s of games was exhilarating; add to that the new generation of consoles being revealed, I was stupefied, to say the least, anyway, I digress.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 (E3 2018) is the 24th Electronic Entertainment Expo, which was held from June 12 to 14 in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Many had amazing games to showcase and some had found more new ways to monetize their games, not going to point fingers *cough* EA *cough*

I am going to focus on Sony for this blog, not because they are my favourite and have always delivered amazing E3 conferences, oh wait, yes actually that’s my only reason.

I mean, technically it is MY blog so, without further adieu let’s just get started.

This year, Sony decided to do something different, they wanted to focus their E3 Keynote mostly dedicated to four upcoming games that we already know about: The Last of Us Part II, Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, and Insomniac’s Spider-Man.

This was something new and hadn’t been seen before in any previous E3, usually you go in with tons of leaks, rumours and ideas about what they might reveal, E3 was always about the ‘wow’ factor, so when Sony announced that they’ll mostly be talking about these 4 games, fans were a bit sceptical.

On one hand, the ‘wow’ factor was sort of brushed off and the anticipation ignored.

On the other hand, fans knew they were in for a treat either way since these 4 are AAA games being developed by the best of the best in the gaming industry, so even if there were no other announcements made, Sony was golden when it came to what they had to offer.

The date and time was set,

June 12th at 6:30 AM IST,

I got up at 6 in the morning just to watch this live.

It felt like the middle of the night since I usually wake up at 9am (My work starts at 10:30, I live 10 minutes from my office, stop judging me damn it!)

The show started exactly at 6:29 am, I had everything set up by then, breakfast (snacks), water (Coke actually) and I worked out a bit (I lied).

It was confusing since it looked a bit cramped for all the attendees inside, I mean how were they going to jump and scream when they show the gameplay for Final Fantasy 7? (I’m just kidding, please do not think they showed anything related to FF7)

Turns out it was a theme, for the game they were about to show.

Lights, camera, cry like a little girl.

Note: I’m gonna keep this brief since I’m gonna write another blog focusing solely on the Big 4 since all of them showed amazing trailers.

THE LAST OF US PART II

Gustavo Santaolalla started off the demo by playing his ‘Last of Us’ theme on a six-string banjo. It was beautiful.

Cut to the trailer we see a grown-up Ellie, chilling out at a friendly gathering of sorts with people dancing, a stark contrast to the dark, gritty undertone we’ve all come to know about the world of ‘The Last of Us’.

We’re introduced to 2 new characters (Gina and Jesse), Gina and Ellie make out (I don’t understand what all the fuss about 2 people kissing if people had played the DLC for The Last of Us (Left Behind), they would know that Ellie was always a lesbian) and then a dramatic cut to her puncturing some dudes throat with a dagger (Classic Naughty Dog’s prowess when it comes to cinematic presentation).

We get to see an amazing revamped stealth sequence with amazing details to, well, almost everything. The gameplay was a treat to the eyes, they kept everything good about the gameplay from the first part and iterated upon the weak ones.

All in all, the gameplay just looks smooth and way more immersive than any game I’ve ever seen.

I just want to take my time and point out the almost life-like animation in this trailer, this just goes to show that Naughty Dog has one of the best talents in the industry who are all amazing at what they do.

This game is going to be a lot. Every PlayStation fan knows Naughty Dog is a beast when it comes to cinematic experience through strong gameplay and genuine storytelling so, THE HYPE IS REAL!

After the Demo, the attendees were moved to the actual conference hall. The whole ordeal took about (10-15 minutes) Probably the only part of the conference I hated.

Can’t blame them for trying to induce the “OMG, I’m in the game” experience.

A great idea on paper – except no one watching at home would actually be able to really appreciate that immersion.

The intermission was made up of a roundtable showcasing a couple of games like Black Ops 4, PSVR montage and Destiny 2.

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

This demo started with some dude on stage playing the shakuhachi (Thank god for Google), which was fantastic and not something I was expecting to see again after Gustavo’s performance.

Ghost of Tsushima, which is being developed by studio Sucker Punch (They made the Infamous series) started off the demo depicting a character making his way through war-torn feudal Japan, with the sorts of sword fighting and sneaking you would expect.

This game looks gorgeous, I have to say. Slo-mo samurai combat looks amazing in this. Can’t wait to play this.

CONTROL

I have to be honest; I really had no idea that Remedy (Studio behind games like Quantum Break and Alan Wake) had something up their sleeve.

Looks like you play a woman with telekinetic powers but also who is really good at shooting guns. It has some trippy time-control combat and looks wonderfully weird.

RESIDENT EVIL 2

Three years ago, Capcom said it was remaking Resident Evil 2, but we haven’t seen much of it since then. Today, we not only got a trailer but a release date: January 25, 2019, so VERY soon. It’s coming to the Xbox One and PC in addition to the PS4.

TROVER SAVES THE UNIVERSE

Trover Saves the Universe, made by one of the co-creators of the famous Rick and Morty series, is a weird-as-hell platform adventure coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR.

I don’t have much to say about this game except that it’s just. Weird. Funny, but weird.

Kingdom Hearts III

Sigh, this game. It was revealed when I first saw E3 2013. The concepts for the game began as early as 2006!

Don’t get me wrong, this game still looks amazing, but its literally the 3rd trailer showed off by Square Enix in E3 2018 alone and for the third time, we got a glimpse at a new Disney world in the game. First, it was Frozen, then Ratatouille, and tonight, it was Pirates of the Caribbean.

Fans are still excited about it though, I don’t know why.

DEATH STRANDING

The one and only, Hideo Kojima’s first game post-Konami break up.

The latest trailer for Hideo Kojima’s sci-fi/horror/what the heck is this game, Death Stranding shows the actual gameplay for the first time.

This game man, this game is just so many things at once that it’s hard to grasp at the big picture, what it is all about? The more I see from Kojima, the more intrigued and baffled I am by the game.

It’s in my “Day one buy” list, along with the other big 3.

NIOH 2

Team Ninja is back again with a new instalment of their acclaimed game Nioh (whoa, that sounded like a rap bar). If you’ve played and loved Nioh, I’m pretty sure you were balls to walls when they announced this.

SPIDERMAN

What’s the point of these press conferences? To make us want to play a certain video game? If so, mission accomplished.

The demo showed spidey fighting off 5 of his most dangerous enemies (that’s what Yuri says in the game, so I’m just gonna go with it and so should you) in an amazing action sequence with impressive open world set-pieces and amazing, fluid gameplay.

I mean, WHO DOESN’T WANT TO PLAY AS SPIDERMAN?

The post E3 2018: What was Sony Even Thinking? appeared first on iXie Gaming.

Well, the dust has finally settled and E3 has officially concluded this year. So let’s look back at what was a ‘sort of’ stellar year. Like every E3 ever, some of the things this year landed, some fell flat, a few things blew us away and a few opportunities were missed.

Companies knowing their role

This year’s E3 displayed what was perhaps the most obvious behavior from the respective companies’ press conferences based on their current stance in the industry. While ranking the conferences from worst to best is a topic for another day, we do need to acknowledge that each press conference was the way it was because it needed to be that way.

Nintendo displayed 47 minutes premade E3 showcase with the intent of adding some fuel to the Switch’s momentum and nearly pulled a Sony 2016 in the process. It was packed with announcements after announcements for the first 20 minutes before switching focus to Smash Bros for the rest of the show as it originally announced. The show definitely had a lasting impression despite the absence of big guns like a Zelda or standalone Mario title. And that is exactly what Nintendo wanted this year.

EA was as indifferent to its fans as ever in its approach, including showcases on sports and mobile games, while tagging a few indie titles along for goodwill. Oh! And they ‘kind of’ acknowledged their mistakes. But that too was done in typical EA fashion.

Bethesda wanted to keep its momentum ongoing and fleshed out a conference with a couple marquee games, but nothing to blow us away in the way of big surprises. To their credit though, the leak of Rage 2 did not help. So a lot was riding on Fallout 76, opinions on which will naturally differ.

Ubisoft too wanted to feel relevant for the end of the current console generation and in the process, it pretty much Ubisofted its conference and felt like a clone of last years despite having a wide range of games to show. In my opinion, this was due to most of the games that featured were the ones that featured last year like Beyond Good and Evil 2 and Skull and Bones or the ones that already leaked liked the Division 2 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. I bet Ubisoft was well aware of this going in, but they needed this conference to show themselves as the top players in the industry. Surprisingly enough the much-rumored Splinter Cell was missing which I believe was a missed opportunity.

Also guilty of mostly showing previously announced games was Sony, who took a toned down approach and let the games make the noise. Sony needed this approach presumably to pounce back next year with announcement for its next console when the next-gen hype is in high gear – which we will get to in a bit.

Square Enix did what was right and took the Nintendo route by not having a traditional E3 stage show. The lack of hard-hitting titles was still glaring though and it did not do any favors for them. Perhaps square was aware of this but could not pass on an event like E3. Although I am sure that they would have had a traditional conference if their Avengers project was ready to be shown.

And then there was Microsoft, who had to win all and lose nothing this year. And they spared no expense. 50 tiles showcased, 15 world premieres, and titles ‘with exclusivity’ did indeed do a good job of masking the lack of exclusive titles. That said, Microsoft also did a good job of reassuring people that it is on the right path by announcing the multiple investments made on acquiring game studios aptly named “The Initiative”. It also cleverly sent the message that all of these studios are pretty much working on games for their next console.

Next Gen in motion

So it was Microsoft who uttered the Holy words “Next Xbox” to set things in motion on an E3 stage. While Sony took the clever approach of starting the conversation before E3, it was nice to see Microsoft throw in their chips at the grand stage. Bethesda went one step further to announce two new games for next gen already. What was surprising, however, was Sony being tight-lipped about this during the conference. Sony had a quiet year this time as all the teams within worldwide studios that have released a game this generation are probably working on titles for its next console. And them having not mentioned this may indicate that they are watching Microsoft closely and are aware of them gaining momentum. All of this seems to be paving the way for a memorable E3 next year when the next generation of consoles are hopefully announced.

A Showcase of Quality games

Although the execution of the press conferences ranged from Epic to Weird to downright Abysmal, one thing just stood out. And that is the quality and complexity of the games shown. We are in a time when games are taking advantage of the current generation of consoles in their prime. And this resulted in some truly great games showcased across all the major press conferences. From The Last Of Us 2, to Gears of War 5, to Shadow of the Tomb Raider, to even Indies like Unravel 2, we could see quality ooze out of these games. And that has me excited for the months to come when these games are released. And even more excited for what we have not seen that are in the works.

Overall

This year’s E3 may not have been the best, but one that the companies needed in order to convey their message loud and clear. And while they succeeded at this in varying degrees, the message that gamers received seemed to be more profound. That games are getting better than ever, and ofcourse, it is a great time to be a gamer. This year made me drop my jaw on multiple occasions, and that was not due to the epic-ness of the stage or what was shown on them. But to the little and more important things like when the words “No Lootboxes or boost packs” were uttered on an EA Show. Like Microsoft announcing that Ninja Theory is part of their family of studios and will work “with full creative freedom”. Like when the crowd response was strongest during the announcement of the Resident Evil 2 remake. All of this shows that the industry is evolving. So E3 2018 may look dull in comparison to the last couple of years, but read between the lines and you are sure to smile at what you can interpret.

The post A look back at E3 2018 appeared first on iXie Gaming.

One more thing before we get into our list. This list is based on personal experiences and opinions, so something that may have been the high point for a lot of people may not feature in this list. For example, the announcement of Shenmue III will not feature here as I never had a Sega Dreamcast and never got to play Shenmue I and II. So I can’t get behind the hype of the newly announced game. With that out of the way, let’s move on to our list.

8 – Uncharted 2 Demo – E3 2009

2009 was a special year for Sony. It’s PS3 was finally catching up after a disastrous launch and the heavy hitting games were just around the corner helping Sony boost sales. One such heavy hitter was Uncharted 2. The demo at E3 2009 showcased what the PS3 can do and more importantly, marked the evolution of games back in the day. This game was leaps and bound ahead of its predecessor. From the rooftop helicopter battle to Nathan Drakes quips, to the climactic battle in the crumbling building, this demo was a PS3 owner’s dream come true back in the day. And the game still holds up today which is a testament in itself.

7 – Gabe Newall at Sony’s conference – E3 2010

The Jesus of Steam and Valve’s head made an appearance at the Sony conference in 2010. While this sounds like a random executive attending a conference, things could not have been any different. The then-struggling PS3 had its fair share of flack thrown at it by developers as well, thanks to the complicated development process using the cell processor. Among them was Valve’s Gabe Newall. However Gabe went a step further to declare that he had no interest in developing games for Sony’s platform as it was “rubbish”. So it was a pleasant surprise for everyone when he appeared on Sony’s conference a few months later and began with “Hi, I’m Gabe. I’ve said a few things before.” And then went on to announce Portal 2 for the PS3. This was another moment indicating the shifting tides for Sony in the years that followed. Needless to say, this was a dream come true moment for a PlayStation fan like me.

6 – Konami Press conference – E3 2009

Back when Konami was not “Public Enemy no.1” it had maintained a decent slew of titles in various genres to keep the gaming public happy. To showcase these titles Konami had their own press conference in 2009. And what a mess of a conference it was. This list was intended to look at all the good moments from E3, and sitting though Konami conference at the time was nowhere close to a comfortable experience. However fast forward 9 years and when you look back in 2018, what you have is comedy gold from a notorious company that does not give a fudge about its consumers. From Lucha wrestlers slapping each other to an earsplitting musical performance, a dance demo which left the developer gasping for air, another dev pausing every sentence for applause followed by awkward silences, lighting and sound errors, and who could forget the infamous ‘Psycho stare’. This conference had everything going against it. The conference is as hilarious now as it was uncomfortable back then. If you have not seen this, I highly recommend that you find this rare gem of a conference from any corner of the internet and treat yourself.

5 – Ubisoft conference – E3 2017

Ubisoft surprised everyone in 2017. After a roller coaster ride that was E3 2016 namely from Sony, there was no way that 2017 could reach those heights. And no thanks to my prediction Sony did underwhelm last year and Microsoft’s conference quickly turned into a meme machine thanks to the overuse of the word “EXCLUSIVE”. Step in Ubisoft to save the day (or year) who delivered a pleasantly surprising conference. This was the year Ubisoft ACTUALLY showed signs that they do care, at least about the image of the company. For a company known for aggressive microtransactions and downgraded graphics in launched products that shined on E3 conferences, Ubisoft wanted to appear as a more consumer-friendly company. And they did just that. The regular host Aisha Tyler was ditched so the executives themselves could take the stage, and this worked. From a teary-eyed developer unveiling Beyond Good or Evil 2 to Ubisoft and Nintendo heads standing back to back with prototypes of Mario vs Rabbids weapons, and a revamped and more focused Assasin’s Creed, this conference surprised everyone and actually turned out to be better than its competitors last year.

4 – Unveiling PS4 – E3 2013

2013 was an exciting time to be a console gamer. This was the time when the shift to the then ‘next-gen’ was happening. Both Microsoft and Sony had unveiled their consoles with a price tag and teasers to upcoming games. But the similarities between Microsoft and Sony end right there. The XBOX One while announced a few months earlier, was given a price tag just the day prior to Sony’s conference. And the way it was all delivered is hurting Microsoft even today. Non-consumer-friendly practices, like always online, DRM, Kinect attached, and mandatory check in every 24 hours, complicated and restrictive used game policies, were pushed down the throat followed by a hefty price tag of $499. Of course, this was great for Sony, and they had a field day at E3 2013. Sony attacked almost all of the above fails from Microsoft, going so far as to make an instructional video for sharing used games which lasted 10 seconds (One man hands the game to another, and the video ends). Sony then announced the price for the PS4 at $399. Whether you are a PlayStation, Xbox or PC gamer, you will agree that this conference was an entertaining corporate fisticuff that Sony emerged victorious out of. And Sony is reaping the benefits to this day.

3 – Hideo Kojima – E3 2016

Sony’s 2016 conference could fill up this list completely. It was the strongest and the most fan-pleasing event yet. One that set new standards and changed the way companies look at E3. Of all things in that conference, 2 things stood out. We will discuss the other one later, but the one I want to bring up here is the appearance of Hideo Kojima. After the turmoil that transpired with Konami resulting in the demise of Kojima’s brainchild – the Metal gear franchise, Kojima had been off the grid. These events were as saddening as they were shocking and showed how a corporation can undermine and destroy creativity and creators. Enter Sony. Sony collaborated with Kojima getting him a studio and Guerilla games’ Decima graphics engine, and got him to do what he does best. Of course, all of this was under wraps for a surprise at E3. And what a surprise it was. Watching Kojima march down the stage to the tunes of Mad Max – Fury Road, followed by him uttering the words “Hello everyone… I’m Back” in his broken English, gave me and many gamers goosebumps. And that wasn’t all. He immediately announced his next game Death Stranding followed by a trailer which was enchanting and confusing in true Kojima fashion. This was a moment for the history books.

2 – Kevin Butler makes an appearance – E3 2010

I struggled to decide between entries 3 and 2 and settled that this moment definitely deserves the better spot. If 2016 was Sony’s best year, the one prior to that was in 2010. And the one moment that sticks out in peoples mind is the appearance of Sony’s fictional “VP of everything” the one and only Kevin Butler. Portrayed by actor Jerry Lambert, Kevin Butler was a character who appeared in various PlayStation adverts as VP of various fictional departments (VP of testing cars, VP of sharp things, VP of action adventures). These ads really hit the spot with the fans and they wanted to see him in E3. But the E3 roster was only comprised of actual Sony executives. Kevin crashed the party during a seemingly boring keynote about a Coca-Cola collaboration. And he delivered. The next 5 minutes resonates with everyone who has even the slightest sliver of passion for gaming. While this was a pitch for the Move controller aimed at satire, it was also everything a gamer wanted to hear in a time when gaming as a whole was still struggling to be accepted as a legitimate form of art and had an image problem. Just look up for some Kevin Butler PS3 ads to get some context, and then look for Kevin Butler at E3 2010 and enjoy what you see and hear.

1 – God of War – E3 2016

You saw this coming when you read entry number 3. What can I say about this? Sony’s conference in 2016 revolutionized E3, and how the world and other game companies look at it. Sony’s realization about the pedigree of the event and its commitment to deliver and stand out from the crowd really showed throughout the whole hour and a half the conference lasted. And it began with perhaps the strongest opener in E3 history. Complete with an orchestra and a track from the game, God of War was unveiled to the world. And it was a combination of the presentation, the impact of the orchestra and the radically different and wonderful take on the game that created the magic, setting the tone for the rest of the show. This was a moment I personally was not ready for but took in every second of it with a grin on my face. And I know there are millions who share my emotion. When we look back now we can realize that this was a pivotal moment to the industry as God of War has emerged as one of the best-reviewed games with quotes like “New standard for the Industry” thrown in regularly in its reviews. This E3 moment was one for the ages, and I hope that more of these are made in E3s to come.

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