While the series has garnered plenty of critical and commercial success, it has also seen been through some rough roads. With Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on the horizon, now would be a great time to look back at the highs and lows of this iconic franchise. Let’s dive in.

Born from The Shadow of a Legend

Out of all the big publishers out there, Ubisoft needs to be given credit for their constant attempt at new IPs and shaking things up with their existing franchises. One of its franchises that had seen immense success and popularity back in the early 2000s was Prince of Persia.

Ubisoft had successfully brought the DOS game in 3D format complete with a great story and fun gameplay. The series soon became one of the most loved single player games among players thanks to a strong finish to an excellent story in the series’ third game. With the story now complete, Ubisoft still saw potential in the brand and wanted to make more Prince of Persia.

But this time they wanted to go for a more grounded approach, with a realistic setting leaving the fantasy elements behind. A concept was born where the story focused on one of the prince’s guard instead of the prince himself.

The parkour and stealth element seen in the first Assassin Creed was also part of this concept. While this concept was shaping up quiet well as game, it stepped way too far from what the audience would expect from a Prince of Persia game. So, with some tweaks to the plot and setting the concept took form as game of its own and would be later known as Assassin’s Creed.

Related Article: Six games that have aged like fine wine

An Odyssey Begins

Revealed in E3 2006 by Jade Raymond, the original Assassin’s Creed instantly had the attention of gamers with its promise of mixing parkour and stealth in an intriguing setting, along with the then jaw dropping visuals. After plenty of hype in the following months, the game was released in 2007 to some mixed reception.

While the game was praised for its visuals and the scope it presented through its massive open world,  many were put off by the repetitive gameplay, and  by the fact that the game actually took place in present day, while the protagonist lived through the events of the games third crusade setting through the eyes and body of rookie assassin Altair.

Assassin Creed launched when the PS3 and Xbox 360 were the hot new next generation consoles, and through that lens it showed what a modern open world game would look like. It easily superseded what we had seen as open worlds in the PS2 era. This game in some ways created the template for future open world games to come in that generation. And naturally, despite the mixed reception Assassin’s Creed was a commercial success which made way for its far superior sequel, Assassin’s Creed 2.

The Ezio Saga

Perhaps the most beloved Assassin in the franchise yet, Ezio Auditore Da Firenze was a much more charismatic protagonist than Altair from the first game. Assassin’s Creed 2 served as the origin story for Ezio’s venture into the world of assassin’s and their war against the templars. The game threw most of the flawed gameplay philosophies from the first game out of the window, while keeping what worked, and presented those elements in one of the series’ best stories about revenge and redemption.

AC 2 was a massive success both critically and commercially and this success made Assassin’s Creed as one of the tentpole franchises from the Ubisoft library. The company had invested various studios to work on the franchise and series would now have yearly iterations. Something that ended up working towards its detriment in the long run.

For as great as Assassin’s Creed 2 was, the best game in the Ezio saga would come in the form of the next game in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. Expanding on all things that worked well on AC2 and adding even more mechanics like recruiting fellow assassins, Brotherhood was an even better experience and is still considered as the best game in the Ezio saga.

Ezio’s story was capped off by an equally great Assassin’s Creed Revelations, but by this time the gameplay and mission structure felt all too familiar, despite the addition of a hook mechanic that let you zip through conveniently placed ziplines. The mildly setting franchise fatigue aside, Ezio’s story went a long way into cementing the Assassin’s Creed brand in the gaming scene.

The Legacy of the Kenways

With Ezio’s story completed, the series then moved on to the American Revolutionary War which served as the setting to tell the story of Father and Son, Haythem and Connor Kenway. While the series introduced much more fluid gameplay, a robust combat system and a fresh new look thanks to its shift to a new game engine, Connor’s story was more or less forgotten. The game, while commercially successful, also had mixed critical reception. But this did not matter as the best game in the old school Assassin’s Creed line-up came in the form of Black Flag.

Now chronicling the antics of Connor’s grandfather Edward Kenway, AC Black Flag was set during the golden age of pirates. Edwards journey from a military man to a swashbuckling pirate and his rather resentful ties to the world of assassins and templars made for a great story and extremely fun gameplay. Most importantly Black Flag introduced naval combat to the AC franchise. A template that is followed even now in the newer RPG focused games in the series. Black Flag also stepped into the 8^th generation of consoles and made way for future (then) next gen Assassins Creed games.

Lowest of lows

Perhaps the lowest point for the franchise that no one saw coming until the game’s release was what came with the release of Assassin’s Creed Unity. This was a game made with love, no doubt. As is evident in its setting which was the French Revolution this time around, and the way France was meticulously crafted on a 1 to 1 scale.

But it was the execution that dropped the ball hard. Unfamiliar with the new engine for next gen, the team that worked on the game clearly needed more time to finish the game, but Ubisoft still released the game. What followed was a barrage of negative reviews and internet memes thanks to the games lack of polish and various bugs. The release of AC Unity not only tainted the legacy of the franchise but also that of Ubisoft.

The negative buzz surrounding the game even impacted sales of the next game AC Syndicate, which lead Ubisoft to drop prices sooner than any game in the franchise. Syndicate, which was arguably a much better and well put together game struggled to see success despite the positive reviews. But perhaps the biggest victim to the Unity fiasco is also arguably the most underrated game in the franchise, Assassins Creed Rogue.

Released alongside Unity for the Xbox 360 and PS3, AC Rogue served as a refinement to the already great AC Black Flag. Rogue was indeed Black Flag with a fresh coat of paint, but it was intriguing in its own right as it told a story of an Assassin turned Templar which was unlike anything the series had seen. To this day AC Rogue is considered the most underrated game in the series and a better version of Black Flag.

Big Changes

With the controversy of Unity and the commercial struggles of Syndicate, the franchise was at a crucial crossroads. The series needed a reboot and a fresh direction. The team behind Assassin’s Creed Black Flag took on the challenge and their efforts brought fruition in the form of Assassin’s Creed Origins.

The first game to since AC2 to be released after a year’s break, Origins took inspirations from modern action RPGs like the Witcher 3 and presented it in its own flavour. Origins, as the name suggests, told the story of protagonist Baek, and how his journey made way for the origin of Assassins.

This new approach was met with mostly positive criticism, while purists felt that the series had lost its identity. Despite the conflicting views the game was considered successful and served as the new template for upcoming AC games.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey followed the footsteps of Origins and expanded on the RPG elements with deeper combat mechanics and was met with critical acclaim along with commercial success. And that leaves the door open to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Yet another game in the series that is being released after a year off. We will get to Valhalla after addressing two rather important aspects of the franchise.

The Modern Day Setting

Considered the double-edged sword for the franchise, the modern-day segments have mostly been met with little fanfare, but it is something that the franchise is tied to thanks to the Animus. Perhaps the best of these modern-day stories was that of Desmond Miles, which capped off in Assassins creed 3.

The series has since played with various ideas to varying degrees of success. Here’ s hoping that the new modern-day arc started in Origins is fleshed out and given a proper treatment in the next game.

The Various Spinoffs

From 2D side scrollers to standalone DLCs to games on portable machines, the series has seen various spinoffs, but none have emulated the success of their full-blown console cousins. These games may lack significance to the stories in the mainline games, but they were fun while they lasted. That said it has been quite a while since a proper spinoff has been released.

AC: Valhalla – Odin is with Us!!

Say what you will about the new AC formula, it did succeed in bringing rejuvenated energy into the franchise. AC origins was a solid reboot to the series and Odyssey was quite a lot of fun despite the grind. Valhalla is being developed by the same team that delivered AC Black Flag and Origins and is set to be a far more refined experience than Origins and Odyssey.

The fact that the creators acknowledge the grind in Odyssey and have made a more narrative focused game this time around instils confidence and excitement. And if history is any evidence, the team working on Valhalla, who have delivered the best games in the series, will once again deliver one of the best games in the series. Holiday 2020 cannot come soon enough.

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Or at least that is what we think.

Our all-time favourite movie from the 90s, which we watched as a child may now dawn upon us as a cheesy and badly written blunder. And we have all been embarrassed at some point about the choice of music, or our favourite song from a couple of decades ago. Such is the case with videogames as well.

We have fond memories of games that we played for hours together when we were young, and we gleefully recall how good they looked and how exciting the gameplay was.

The truth though is that one visit back to those games and things may not look as bright and shiny. Especially in the videogame domain where every passing year brings new innovations in the way games are made, our favourite work of art don’t really age well.

Be it in terms of visual fidelity or game mechanics and gameplay, old game lose their sheen very soon most often than not. So, a ten-year-old videogame typically looks and feels much older than it actually is.

But, just like some movies and music out there, we do have games that are timeless. Games that have aged like fine wine and hold up to this day. Games that make our jaws drop in their own ways. Today, we’ll look at a few such games. These games may not necessarily be the best looking in some cases, but they sure do have their own way of captivating their audiences. Let’s begin with..

GTA San Andreas

To a lot of people, GTA San Andreas is THE definitive GTA game. And rightfully so. Released back in 2004 following GTA 3 and Vice City, which were revolutionary in their own rights at the time, San Andreas was an instant hit, thanks to its setting, gameplay and massive open world. The game was certainly a product of its time, right down to the story and the structure in how the game was designed. That said it was a giant leap forward for the industry and a shining example of how innovation and passion were deep-rooted in the industry (at least back then). Its gameplay has been mimicked in various other games since and holds up well to this day. It is a given that a person who once finished San Andreas has finished it at least a few more times. And then there is the army of gamers who never really finished the story but have sunk in hundreds of hours just wandering through its world. The game is much fun to play.

San Andreas has a strong following to this day and has been the most talked-about game in the franchise for reasons good and, well, controversial. GTA V may be the best selling in the franchise, but it did enjoy a broader spectrum of audience, a spillover to a new generation of consoles and strongly supported by various updates to its online mode. San Andreas had none of this in its time yet managed to turn heads and made this industry watch how it is done.

Super Mario World

One of the best Mario games ever made at least in the 2D side-scrolling space. Released way back in 1990, Super Mario World is a joy a to play even today. The game introduced a plethora of new mechanics while refining the then-existing Mario tropes. With its bright cartoony visuals and quirky sound design, this game is just as much fun to watch as it is to play. Released for the SNES, the game certainly made use of every ounce of graphical fidelity the 16-bit console could muster. And the result is a glorious, mechanically robust Mario game that still holds up 30 years later, which, in the world of technological advancements in videogames and game design is like 3 centuries ago.

There is something so endearing about this game that gets you every time you boot it up. Nintendo truly outdid themselves with their formula of keeping things simple and charming with super Mario world. Watching Yoshi hatch out of that egg, and to ride him while having him gobble up enemies and spitfire is vintage gaming gold.

Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater

Considered the best MGS game by many, Snake Eater is Kojima at his best. This is a game that was oozing with style and there was nothing like it in its time. The lengthy cutscene that sets the game’s story up ends with Naked Snake air dropping into the jungle in dramatic fashion and the game doesn’t look back from that point. This setting was so intriguing. Within an hour into the game, you are left in awe with how atmospheric the game looked. The various perils of the jungle are put to great use as game mechanics. And just when you thought you have seen a lot already; the true beginning of the game then hits you with the game’s title complete with a James Bond-style opening song. I had never seen anything like it until then. And this was on the PlayStation 2.

Although the visuals look somewhat dated today, the game still has no issues selling the atmosphere to the player, because it clever relies less on graphical fidelity and more on nuances like sound and jungle-based gameplay elements like dangers and assists from its flora and fauna. The gameplay and RPG-like elements hold well to this day, and as a result, the game is just as much fun to play today as it was back in 2004. The story was not the most straight forward, but you do get the gist of what is happening. Even if you are new to the franchise, the story will get you to care for the characters and have you clawing at every healing item and camouflages you can get to ensure Snake’s survival, and have your best colourful villainous characters before delivering that gut-punch of an ending.

Okami

Okami may be the least popular game in this list but it is on the list for a reason. Released back in 2006 for the PS2, this game was nothing short of magic in display on your TV. While most of the game’s pedigree may be attributed to its visuals (and rightfully so) which comprises of a hand-drawn, watercolour art style and looks as charming as beautiful today as it did fourteen years ago, the game delivers in terms of gameplay and story as well. Okami is not your typical third-person action game with a gun touting macho protagonist moving from one big set-piece to another. It tells the story of a wolf, an incarnate of the sun goddess, who needs to fight a force of evil to save the province from destruction.

It is a classic good vs evil tale told with utmost passion and all of it is visible in the way the game has been put together. The game’s emphasis on ancient Japanese culture and folklore elevates the story, and the musical score serves the premise very faithfully. The visual style is reminiscent of Japanese painting, and the 20+ hours of gameplay is a whole lot of fun even today. And all of this in the PS2 version of the game. Luckily this gem of a game has since been remastered for the subsequent generation of consoles, including the PC in the form of Okami HD, which is great and all, but if you want a slice of the good ‘ol times of the PS2, find a CRT TV, fire up your PS2, play Okami. And get lost in pure bliss. The original Okami can still do that to you.

Resident Evil 4

Like GTA San Andreas, Resident Evil 4 is a game that not only was a fantastic entry in its franchise, but also one that was pivotal to the industry. It’s over the shoulder perspective was a big risk that Capcom braved at the time, considering the last three games in the franchise had a completely different, fixed camera perspective and they thrived in that format, but it turned out to be a risk that paid off big time. Resident Evil 4 propelled the franchise from catering to a niche audience to mainstream audiences in style.

The game excelled in its setting, gameplay, and most importantly, atmosphere, all of which made for a nerve-racking horror experience which could be rivalled only by few other games at the time. Like MGS 3 snake eater, here was another Japanese game that delivered the goods not with graphical fidelity, but with nuances like sound, setting and character design. To hear the chainsaw during an intense gunfight was nothing short preparing yourself to lose all hope and die. Like Okami, this game has had its fair share of remasters, but the original PS2 version still holds up and delivers the chills.

Metal Slug

What more can I say about Metal Slug? One of the most fun 2d side-scrolling shooters ever made, that oozes charm in every frame. Check out our Retro love series on Metal Slug to learn more.
Also, check out Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (a bonus game for you) in the same series if you are into metal slug type of games.
There are of course many other games that would fit in this list, but the above games have been the most impactful culturally and for me personally, growing up. We will discuss more such game and other game-related topics. Check back to Ixie gaming blogs soon, for more like this.

The post Six Games that have aged like fine wine appeared first on iXie Gaming.

PT was a revolutionary, yet short-lived triumph. A masterclass in its genre, that blended psychological and atmospheric horror in the best way possible. It induced fresh energy into horror games and many games have since been inspired by it. Blair Witch sets out to use the same formula in its eerie world and the results are astounding if you forgive its technical shortcomings. This is the review of Blair Witch.

Overview

I had to reference PT as Blair Witch could have taken form in various styles. This could have easily been an Until Dawn style third-person horror game while being faithful to its source material. Or, some kind of multiplayer shenanigan set in the Blair Witch universe ala Friday the 13th. The decision to go for a PT style first-person setting was bold and one that has been executed very well. The similarities to PT end right there though, as Blair Witch has some very neat tricks up its sleeves to make it stand out on its own.

Story and Gameplay

You take on the role of Ellis, a former cop who is on the task of investigating the disappearance of a boy named Peter. This takes him to Black Hill forest which is known to house the titular Blair Witch. The premise is simple enough to be forgotten and the developers make the best use of it. About an hour in the game is more so about your survival and sanity. And to that effect Blair Witch delivers the chills in spade. Just traversing the forest is an anxiety-inducing experience, especially, like me, if you aren’t exactly a fan of the spooky.

There is no HUD in the game and the core gameplay has been cleverly tied upon an AI system in the form of Bullet, your trustee German Shepherd. Bullet may seem like just a companion, but he is so much more than that. He makes do for the lack of HUD and other conventional guiding systems, and it is all done in a contextually convincing manner. He will guide you along the right path, growl at the direction of any threats, find clues and above all he is the emotional support for Ellis, and more so for the player.

Other than bullets excellent integration to the core gameplay you are limited to a handful of tools like a Walkie Talkie, Flashlight, a rather cool looking school cell phone, and a camcorder that you pick along the way, all of which have their own part to play in the game. This minimalist approach works in favour of the game as every encounter during its 5-6-hour runtime turns out to be a nerve-racking affair. There are quite a few glaring technical issues though which takes you off the moment. Here’s hoping that these get ironed out soon.

Graphics and Sound

The success of this game would have to be largely owed to the Graphics and Sound team. Especially sound. The subtle rustling of the trees, howling winds, sometimes eerie silence and various other noises of the jungle complement the rather decent visuals on display. The jungle itself is well realised and there are little details sprinkled throughout that calls back to the game’s lore. The sights and sounds at times can be genuinely unsettling and this only shows the amount of passion that has gone into making this game.

Overall

Blair Witch is a game that no one asked for or saw coming for that matter. But it is one that we are glad to have. This may not break new barriers in the genre, but what we have here is a cleverly and crafted experience that deserves all the praise that it has garnered. As a horror game, it delivers the spooks in spades and keeps the player on the edge throughout its short runtime. It is a dan shame that something so well thought out would be bogged down by bugs at launch. With a bigger budget and more time for developing this game could have well been a Game of the year contender. Or one of, if not, the best horror game of the year. But what we have now is a pretty decent game in its own right. One that every horror fan should experience.

Final Score 8/10

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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.

Also read : A Peek into the Next Generation of Consoles – which delicates the future of Gaming industry

The Evolution of Unlockable Content

Back in 1998 the PlayStation 1 had a little game called Tekken 3. It was a 3D fighting game which was revolutionary for its time. It had slick cinematics and super smooth 3D gameplay that was easy to pick up and hard to master. More importantly, it was a gift that kept on giving. Finishing the Arcade mode with each character unlocked a new character. Then there were new modes like Tekken Ball mode, theatre mode etc., that unlocked as we kept playing the game. And just when you thought you have seen everything the game offered, it threw in Doctor B. This character was special. He was a feeble old man who could hardly stand on his legs which was a direct contrast to the hulking heroes and villain of the game. But master Doctor B’s move set and none of the characters stood a chance. It was a blast playing with him. He never returned as a playable character in the subsequent games in the series, until Tekken Tag Tournament 2 in 2011. But this time he was a DLC character, although free. Fast forward to 2015 and Tekken 7 had a good number of fighters as paid DLC. And the long-awaited Mobile version of Tekken is rife with loot boxes. Reflecting back on Doctor B today, it amazes me how much effort and love has gone into making this character. Something that was given away for free. This is something that you can never expect in today’s age of microtransactions and loot boxes. Monetization and recurring income streams have become priorities and the conviction of making a proper game has taken a back seat. The Tekken series is not the only offender here. It is merely following the trends of today. And so are most of the companies and studios that are involved in making games.

Microtransactions and DLCs are different

Upon its release, Resident Evil 5 had a $5 DLC. Once the purchase was made the content was unlocked from within the Disc. These were the days when micro transactions and DLCs were taking their baby steps. Companies have been trying to implement new forms of monetization since and there have been multiple implementations with varying degrees of success. DLCs for games quickly evolved into microtransactions which particularly thrived in the FPS and fighting genres. And after enduring the initial uproar, companies have been aggressively pushing micro transactions until it became the norm. Today any form of DLC with reasonable quality and value is acceptable. Micro transactions have been embraced, so long as they are cosmetic only. And if we consider the companies’ argument of the cost of development being a lot higher than before, which it naturally is, then it does feel fair now that we are used to the idea. Besides, the player has full control over whether or not he wants to make the purchase and above all, he knows what he is getting. Unlike loot boxes. Loot boxes simply meant random rewards of varying value. Something that cannot be specified and left up to chance, or how the developers had programmed it be. This evokes a feeling of winning a lottery. Something that you pay for beforehand without knowing what you get. This model has been promptly pushed by companies. And its ramifications are much worse than just companies trying to nickel and dime their players.

Great Games mutate into Boring Grind Fests

As a natural evolution of the monetization ideas loot boxes have crept into many games, so much so that the game is designed to favour loot boxes and not the other way around. Two such examples are Shadow of War, and more famously Star Wars Battle Front II. Let’s look at Shadow of War first. This was a sequel to the surprise hit Shadow of Mordor. The game had promise, as it set out to improve upon its excellent nemesis system with plenty of refinements to its game playtest. It’s initial 16-minute gameplay trailer showed a lot of promise and there was plenty of hype surrounding the game upon its release. While the game did have all the above, it was marred by the implementation of loot boxes. This system affected the game by a large degree. As mentioned earlier it felt like the game was built around the loot box systems and trying to obtain any item without the boost of actual money was an unbearable grind fest. Something similar could be said about Star Wars Battlefront II, expect everything was dialled up to eleven. From the implementation (of loot boxes), to the grind, to the controversy, Battlefront II was everything that the fans did not want. Special credit to this game for being so loot box centric that they became the talk of the industry, with government officials and bodies getting involved to investigate the matter.  Today, both Shadow of War and Battlefront II have been reworked and are free of loot boxes and are much better games now. I recently finished Shadow of war and you could feel the love and attention that has gone into this game. It is clear this was a passion project for the developers. And it is a shame that such a great game was met with such negativity at launch, thanks to loot boxes.

What of the Player?
Loot boxes are not only harmful to the games in how they work, but more importantly for the player. Video games have been embraced by a large audience spanning multiple demographics. Among them are kids. And some governing bodies have realised this and have been pushing for the removal of loot boxes. As the exposure to such ideas as loot boxes evokes a sense of gambling which could lead to gambling addiction. This, of course is serious, and it is baffling how companies seem to ignore this fact. That said, things have been changing and a lot of noise is being made about it as well. The Belgian government has banned loot boxes in video games and would not allow the sale of any game with such mechanics. Companies, in general, seem to have taken a step back in how they approach monetization through loot boxes.

Loot Boxes are here to stay

While the ban on loot boxes seem encouraging, it is unlikely that companies will let go of such a profitable business model. While things have toned down a bit, and we are seeing a better implementation of it in recent games like Apex Legends, loot boxes are here to stay. With titles as recent as the Trials Rising implementing loot boxes, it looks likes companies will keep pushing it with the excuse of ‘cosmetic only’ until this too becomes a norm. But with all the attention from everyone in the world, it is highly unlikely that loot boxes will be embraced like the idea of a DLC. It will be interesting to watch how things pan out and how it evolves. Only time will tell what our future games hold for us.

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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.

It has been significantly becoming popular these days, with a large amount of money spent on games, gaming equipment, and there are many games releasing in the market. Gaming companies are working their best to provide the best possible graphics, gameplay, art, sound, strategic physics and skills so that their game stands out in this competitive world of games. This in turn has made a sport out of it, hence the name e-Sport.

So what is E-Sport?

Electronic sports simply put are games being played on computers with the best players competing against each other to show their skills and strategy. The gamers themselves play the games and are live-streamed and watched by millions of people and enjoyed. It has been played for generations just like the physical sport.

Many PC games have benefited from increasing internet connectivity from the year of 1990.

In the 2000s the growth of e-Sport is thought to be influenced by the building internet network following the 1997 Asian financial crisis.  It is also thought that the high unemployment rate at the time caused many people to look for things to do while out of work. The development of e-Sport in South Korea was the prevalence of the Company-style internet cafe/LAN gaming centre, known as a PC bang.

To grow e-Sport gaming, many big companies joined hands with local Japanese gaming companies in 2014.

Professional leagues

e-Sport gaming involves the use of promotion and relegation to move sponsored teams leagues within the competition’s organization based on how the team fared in matches.

Blizzard Entertainments announced the Overwatch League in which the Overwatch game was played. The league was announced in 2016 with its inaugural regular season featuring twelve teams. Starting in January 2018, players were getting an annual salary and benefits and had to share the prize-winning across the team. The first season (2018) had a prize pool of $3.5 million with US$1 million to the team winning in the postseason

How big are E-Sport gaming tournaments?

e-Sports tournaments are tournaments where players can earn a huge prize pool by competing against others. The International 2014’s top team won a cheque of over $ 5,000,000, which sounds massive for being an awesome gamer. Some of the large companies like Valve and Steam conduct these tourneys in an arena with a capacity of 17000 people.

Riot’s League of Legends world championship and MLG Pro Circuit makes huge pay-outs for the best teams. Prizes include gaming gears, PC’s etc for the gamers. They even include a lucky draw for the audience. E-Sport is making a big mark in the world by offering various attractive prizes to anyone who can stand out in this arena. It’s rumoured that E-Sport may be a part of the Olympics in the future.

Here are some of the most popular E-Sport teams

Given the vastly appealing prize money, there came many E-Sport teams playing many competitive games which have gained huge fan bases watching the teams and cheering along.

The most well-known E-Sport team would be the Team Liquid which won the ” International 2014’s Major” and there are many teams in specific e-Sport games, such as Cloud9, Fnatic, Natus Vincere, Vitrus Pro, SK gaming, Ninjas in Pyjamas and the list goes on.

Which genre of games are there and what kind of games are played?

Video games which are played in professional competitions come under few major genres. The main titles are fighting games, first-person shooters, real-time strategy, or multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) with MOBA being heavily popular in terms of viewership.

The following games are currently played in E-Sport arena

Fighting games genre includes Streetfighter, Super smash bros, Marvel vs Capcom, Tekken etc.

First person shooters are one of the most popular genres in which Counter-Strike: Global Offensive being the top most played game in E-Sport over some MOBA games like League of Legends and Dota 2. Overwatch, Crossfire, Battle fiend series, Rainbow Six: Siege are the games played in these tournaments.

Then comes the moderately popular real-time strategy games such as StarCraft: Brood War, Warcraft 3,     StarCraft 2.

Sport games are also played here like FIFA series, NBA 2K, Rocket League but are not popular genres compared to the above ones.

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA): When it comes to E-Sport, the top genres of games are played from MOBA. The games such as League of Legends, Smite, Heroes of Storms, Heroes of Newerth, Clash Royale (mobile platform).

Many other genres are also played but they are not as famous as the genres mentioned above.

Who are the major e-Sport tournament organizers?

Here are a few major titles that are being played by some organizations.

For Counter-Strike – CEVO – Empowering Gamers, Growing Communities

ESL – Electronic Sport League

PGL- Pro-Gaming League

ESEA- E-Sports Entertainment Association League is an e-Sports game organizer. It’s widely used for organizing online tournaments because it is considered as an anti-cheat software.

FACE IT.

DotA-2 joindotA, E-Sportal, Valve – It hosts all the Major for DotA2

League of Legends Riot (creator of League of Legends -LOL) hosts the most notable competitions such as the LCS(League of Legends Championship Series).

How does e-Sport make money?

Most big tournaments pay for travel and hotel now so the organizers are just playing the role player mainly. But merchandise and sponsorship would be the biggest source of income I guess.

For example, the CSGO Cloud9 team made $225,000 in prize money in 2015 but they definitely made a lot more through sponsorships.

However, the most popular e-Sports games have been shown to fulfil all of the requirements necessary for defining them as sports with little exception. These games are comparable to any traditional sport in terms of the magnitude of viewership/spectatorship, professionalism, competition and rivalry between teams/organizations/fan bases, as well as the methods of consumption. As e-Sports consumption has grown tremendously from the rapid growth of the internet and information technologies, this has piqued the interest of potential investors who may serve as sponsors for the e-Sports market. In addition to giving e-Sports the respect that it deserves classifying it as a sport could lead to e-Sports competitions being aired on sports channels such as ESPN further increasing awareness. If deemed an official sport the increased recognition can lead to more marketing and sponsorship opportunities allowing the industry to grow to even greater heights.

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