I've compiled some quick thoughts on the E3 press conferences this year. These were my thoughts immediately following each press conference:
MICROSOFT:
We saw 5 exclusive titles in a period of 90 minutes, and they were all guns and cars. Most of them looked pretty okay, but really how good can they be? Most will be a prettier version of a game you've played before, and I won't reward that kind of stagnation and pandering with my money.
Xbox needed to come out swinging for the fences and I'd say they just clipped second base. They didn't show variety, they didn't show innovation, and most importantly they didn't show me something I hadn't seen and played already. Titanfall was, unsurprisingly, my pick of the conference. Either way, the Xbox One is more or less a joke at the moment. They need to step their game up very hard in the next few months before launch to really show me why the Xbox should be the console I buy come holiday, because as of now I am extremely uninterested.
ELECTRONIC ARTS:
EA showed nothing I didn't expect. They met my expectations whole heartedly both good and bad. This is what I get for making the industry and its news my life.
Mirrors Edge will likely be excellent if the roughness of the first one is improved upon. The first game was too short and unrefined. It didn't sell well, but the community begged for more and now we're getting it. This is a really good thing and I truly hope it comes out shining.
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| Titanfall by Respawn Entertainment |
Titanfall still looks great, and I'll definitely play it on PC. BF4 is more of the same but if it ain't broke don't fix it.
I can't imagine how anyone could fuck up a Battlefront remake...the formula is already right there, only a fool could goof this. I have extremely high expectations for this. I loved the Battlefront series.
Dragon Age 3 is and will continue to be guilty until proven innocent. BioWare continues its trend of making poorly concepted games that hit every market but the target market. I'll hold true judgement until next year, but since BioWare is swinging about 50% success ratio right now, I'm not optimistic. I fear the prime design talent has all left the studio.
And that's all I have to say about EA's conference. I give it a C+. It didn't impress me - at all, but when you go in with low expectations its hard to be disappointed.
UBISOFT:
Watch Dogs is still GOTY. So good. So cool. So innovative. I love every moment I've seen of that damn game.
The Division was a good looking game, but words cannot express how little I care for post-apocalyptic shooters right now. I'm over it. It's done. It's over. It's just as over-saturated as Military shooters now and I'm over it. It will probably be cool, but in a "meh I guess" kind of way. I'll probably play it - it seems like a cool thing to play with friends. But online worlds require sustainability, and I don't know what they have in store for this to achieve that.
The Crew also looked neat for a racer. I'm not a racing game buff. I prefer Mario Kart and Mod Nation to Need for Speed or Forza. But it looks like it might be the first to actually expand on the genre rather than just pile in on it and for that it gets an honorable mention from me.
Rocksmith is shaping up to be a worthy successor to Guitar Hero and Rockband.
A new Rayman might be cool. Old formula, new style. Can't hate it, right? It's not a home console experience to me, though. This is the kind of game I play on my Vita or 3DS or tablet, not my 47" TV.
The Mighty Quest looked too edgy for my taste, I don't think I'm hip enough for that game. I want to see gameplay before I pass judgement.
Ubisoft gets a B- because they showed the most things that didn't suck so far.
SONY:
We're 5 minutes in to Sony's conference and I've already seen more video games than I saw throughout the entire Microsoft conference. Come on now. Sony just wrecked E3 so hard I don't even feel like I need to post opinions. You know. You all know. This was utter domination. Sony for President of Video Games. Pre ordered on Amazon already.
NINTENDO:
This Nintendo direct was all about games. I have not been a supporter of the Wii U. I believe that Ninty should drop out of the console business, bring their software to Sony's console, and focus on their handheld hardware. But this go around, they showed games. Games, games, games. Games we expected, games we didn't expect...and even though I'm real done with each new incarnation of Mario, and Zelda hasn't been sitting right with me on consoles since the GameCube, nothing they've shown didn't look fun. It's above and beyond what I expected (which was almost nothing). I give Nintendo a C+. My expectations are low because they continue not to deliver. I feel like they might be hitting the right track here, but I'm still cautious for them. I don't know how they plan to truly compete in this gen, because a new Mario and yet another Zelda remake aren't going to be competition.
Nintendo gets a B-. I like where this is going, and I hope it keeps going that way.
SQUARE ENIX:
Square has disappointed me for a long time. I find their financial and corporate missteps to be childish and obvious. It's actually hurt me, a lot. When I was a kid, I loved (and still love) the Final Fantasy series. It's a huge part of what made me want to become a part of the video game industry. After the last series of blunders, it warms my heart to see them headed in the right direction again. With Final Fantasy XV officially on the table and Kingdom Hearts 3 finally seeing the light of day, I believe Square may have finally pulled its head out of his ass. I'm still not completely certain, but it does feel like a return to form. FFXIV will probably still be mediocre at best, but at least it won't be a complete train wreck. I'm very excited for the former two, however. I only hope that this is a sign of positive things to come; listening to the fans is clearly leading Sony to glory right now, and not listening to the fans has been crushing the likes of Square for a long time. I want them to succeed, their success is my success. Don't get off track, SE. Don't get off track.
Square gets a B. Just like with Nintendo, this is either the start of something great, or the real downfall of video games.
Overall, this E3 has been nuts. Totally nuts. I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am! I haven't been this excited about the vidya in years. If this is how the next gen is going to be, there will definitely be a spot next to my PC for a PS4.
SQUARE ENIX:
Square has disappointed me for a long time. I find their financial and corporate missteps to be childish and obvious. It's actually hurt me, a lot. When I was a kid, I loved (and still love) the Final Fantasy series. It's a huge part of what made me want to become a part of the video game industry. After the last series of blunders, it warms my heart to see them headed in the right direction again. With Final Fantasy XV officially on the table and Kingdom Hearts 3 finally seeing the light of day, I believe Square may have finally pulled its head out of his ass. I'm still not completely certain, but it does feel like a return to form. FFXIV will probably still be mediocre at best, but at least it won't be a complete train wreck. I'm very excited for the former two, however. I only hope that this is a sign of positive things to come; listening to the fans is clearly leading Sony to glory right now, and not listening to the fans has been crushing the likes of Square for a long time. I want them to succeed, their success is my success. Don't get off track, SE. Don't get off track.
Square gets a B. Just like with Nintendo, this is either the start of something great, or the real downfall of video games.
Overall, this E3 has been nuts. Totally nuts. I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am! I haven't been this excited about the vidya in years. If this is how the next gen is going to be, there will definitely be a spot next to my PC for a PS4.
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