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Microsoft hit the ground running talking exclusively about games, completely ignoring the Kinect and disregarding their plans for original television programs. They did however not surprise anyone, they showed exactly what you expected Microsoft to show; Halo, Forza and Fable.
Sony had a few heavy hitters at their show and even had some genuinely surprising announcements in an age filled with leaks. They did however spend an agonizing amount of time putting gamers to sleep talking about their upcoming show Powers.
Nintendo used the talented folks behind Robot Chicken to introduce viewers to their press conference. They also had a stunningly diverse amount of games on display during their digital event. The downside to their conference was that they introduced us to ‘Amiibos’ which could be a money grabbing scheme to try and convince gamers to buy piles of toys to ‘enhance’ their gaming experience.
So…all that being said, let’s cut to the chase. Who the hell won E3 2014? Well it’s mostly a matter of opinion, but if I was a gambling man I’d be putting my money down on Nintendo. They were the shortest conference presented at E3, coming in at a mere 45 minutes and they injected humor into what they were saying. At no point during their show did I feel the urge to look at my phone or check on tweets.
They showed their big hitters and they bowed out while letting viewers know where they could find more information if they wanted to. Well done, keep your show concise and to the point, show us the games! Which is exactly what Nintendo did. Yoshi’s Wooly World, and the new Super Smash Bros. impressed, but seriously, how amazing did that new Zelda look?! A wide open world to explore in a Zelda title is everything everyone’s ever wanted from the franchise.
Sony had some great looking games at their conference, I cannot wait to play Bloodborne, Destiny, and No Man’s Sky, but they decided to go on a tangent about their upcoming original programming. Not a single person watches E3 to see what they’ll be watching on their tv in the upcoming year.
Brian Michael Bendis may be a great comic book writer, I don’t know I haven’t read Powers, but he should’ve never been allowed to speak for that long at Sony’s conference. He was painful to watch on stage and he just rambled for forever about partnerships with people and companies I had never heard of.
Not to say that I could’ve done any better, public speaking doesn’t come easy to anyone, I’m just saying someone from Sony should’ve played the “get off the stage” music from the Oscars much earlier during his presentation.
Microsoft, like I stated at the beginning of the article, made the right choice when they made E3 all about the games. I didn’t have to suffer through a single second of them talking about why Xbox One would be the premiere electronic box for my home entertainment system.
The standout game from Microsoft’s conference was The Master Chief Collection. That’s a little sad when you think about it, we’re talking about a remastered version of games from a few years ago. Not to say that The Master Chief Collection looks bad, it’s just I wish that they had been more focused on a new IP. Gameplay of Halo 5 or more than just a logo for Gears of War 4 tacked on to the end of the conference would’ve done a lot more to get people excited.
There you have it, my winner of E3 2014 is Nintendo. They hit the perfect length for their press conference, showed viewers some amazing new games they’ll be experiencing soon and weren’t afraid to have fun at their own expense. But this is only my humble opinion, who do you think “won E3”?