With E3 finished and those hard workers of Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony preparing to return to the real world after their three-day adventure in the LA bubble, there's plenty to talk about. All three major hardware manufacturers delivered big games, a surprise or two and, in general, a whole load of hype. They certainly kept gamers interested throughout the event.
We were busy producing coverage here at Nintendo Life, of course, but so were our colleagues at Push Square and Pure Xbox, so we've decided to pull together a combined network feature that presents some perspective from all three hardware camps.
Below we have the editors from each site giving a brief summary of their thoughts from the conference, with a little bit of opinion on the efforts of their respective rivals too.
You won't find console wars here though — we're all just gamers, after all.
Tom Whitehead - Nintendo Life
It's been a peculiar E3 from a Nintendo perspective, but I do mean that in a good way. After a tame E3 2013 in retreat, it was a confident and resolutely self-identifiable performance from the big N, as it seemed to drop pretence and put its cards on the table. It didn't even pretend to present itself in the same domain as Sony and Microsoft, and in the process showed its unique qualities and that it's trying to entertain consumers of various types, rather than the press and its most demanding fans.
Though I felt its pacing dipped in the final 15 minutes, the Digital Event was certainly refreshing and, pleasingly, quite a slick effort. Nintendo clearly invested a lot of money in the production, and the Chicken Robot animations and Reggie vs. Iwata face-off at the beginning were wonderfully entertaining. It was full of surprises, too, while also pinning down a few key releases for the rest of 2014 that should, in theory, see Nintendo through Fall and the Holiday season with some enticing releases to suit various tastes. Those with a love of action have Hyrule Warriors and the two Bayonetta games (a cool extra), with Smash on 3DS then Wii U, too, and let's not forget that Pokémon will be a big deal for 3DS. Some of the new games look promising, and I have to hold my hands up and say Splatoon has caught me off guard. I'm on video shortly after the Digital Event complaining about its prolonged presentation, but it's really seized the day and won a lot of praise; I'm now rather keen to play it.
As for the Smash Bros. Invitational, that was a lot of fun and was, again, rather slick. Occasionally the announcers got themselves in a tangle and Geoff Keighley looked absolutely exhausted, but the Wii U early build held up brilliantly under a tough examination, with the Treehouse staffer managing the debug unit doing an outstanding job. The real stars were the live audience, though.
Those were solid aspects for Nintendo, with two developer roundtables doing a good job of building more hype — especially that which turned out to be Code Name S.T.E.A.M; yet the Treehouse team stole the show. The rolling broadcast spent (I think) over 20 hours showing games, and it was simply dedicated professionals having fun showing new titles and sharing how they worked; that was it. Simple, not always smooth, but full of passion and again showing a human side to Nintendo. As a company quite rightly accused of being aloof and insensitive at times, this E3 it did a great job of loosening up and showing the humanity of those that turn the wheels.
That final point is where I think Nintendo triumphed, on its terms, this E3. I'm not going to say it 'won' though, because I'm not a fan of that yearly contest. It was certainly different, however. I quite enjoyed both efforts from Sony and Microsoft, on that score, as both focused on games and showed a lot of exciting projects, albeit — slightly more-so than Nintendo, by a smidge — relying more on 2015 games. Both pitched their causes well, but I do roll my eyes at nonsense PR-speak and bullpoop phrases — whoever used them — like "delivering a unique, connected experience like you've never seen before", or whatever the heck they were saying. That's not how normal human beings speak, and I may be a member of press that's supposedly the target of that dialogue, but I grow tired of it. Just talk to me about games. That's what I, as a gamer, want.
That's why I loved Nintendo's presence this year. I looked with envy at the broad range of stunning third-party titles on show elsewhere — Batman: Arkham Knight, yikes — but most enjoyed Nintendo's honest charm and many hours following the Treehouse team. There's also a determination from Nintendo to do its own thing, whether sticking resolutely by the GamePad or producing a tactical shooter that's also cornea-burning in its brightness. In other words, it showed guts.
In any case, E3 was great for fans of all three major manufacturers, even if on a personal level I'll take Nintendo's whimsy and focus on fun above all others. What an E3 it was for gamers.
Sammy Barker - Push Square
With the bluster of last year’s new console battlefield a distant memory, E3 2014 was always going to be a somewhat lower stakes affair – especially for policy sparring partners Sony and Microsoft. While the former had been uncommonly quiet in the months leading up to the big show, I was expecting a game-centric display in line with the Japanese giant’s catchy ‘For the Players’ marketing message – and that’s largely what the organisation delivered during the Los Angeles-based event.
Borrowing from its competitor in green, the PlayStation maker’s press conference opened at a breakneck pace, underlining its commitment to third-party partnerships with first-person foray Destiny, indie outfits with the ‘available now’ Entwined, and first-party investment with the unexpected unveiling of LittleBigPlanet 3. It was a flawless start from a firm that’s performed largely impeccably over the past 12 months, although the media briefing hit a bum note with new boss Shawn Layden’s sleepy sales and services heavy interlude.
In fact, it’s still an area where I feel that Sony succumbs to its competitors; the manufacturers may lay on press conferences by name, but they’ve evolved into fan focused affairs over the years – and a company that’s streaming its show into dozens of cinemas across the United States should really understand that better. In that sense, Nintendo’s decision to circumvent the onstage theatrics with its Digital Event perhaps made the most sense, but even Microsoft, with its more traditional format, seemed far more capable of actually getting to the point, and re-centring its focus on games.
Pacing problems aside, though, I think that this year’s convention was all about each manufacturer proving itself to both consumers and critics – and I think that they were all successful in that regard. As already alluded, the Redmond-based organisation had the task of demonstrating that the Xbox One is a games machine first, and it succeeded with a mixture of fresh franchises and former favourites. Meanwhile, the House of Mario had to evidence that the Nintendo Wii U’s maligned GamePad is more than just a gimmick, which it achieved with new properties like Splatoon.
Sony, on the other hand, with its seven million selling PlayStation 4, needed to paint a more positive outlook for early adopters, and I feel that it did that with From Software’s dark Demon’s Souls-esque exclusive Bloodborne, intriguing indie No Man’s Sky, and the return of Naughty Dog’s anticipated Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. If there’s any disappointment in the PlayStation Nation, it’s that the PlayStation Vita clearly remains a footnote in the format holder’s list of interests, with even its microconsole PlayStation TV shunning the handheld-inspired branding that it adopted overseas.
I suppose that some pundits may argue that 2014 is not shaping up to be a vintage year for games, and with The Order: 1886, Crackdown, and The Legend of Zelda some way away, it may be hard to disagree. However, among the retreads and re-releases at this year’s big show, I felt that there was more than enough new and interesting stuff bubbling beneath the surface to hold my interest over the coming months. And as such, I don’t think that any of the manufacturers ‘won’ E3 – gamers did.
Ken Barnes - Pure Xbox
It would have been hard for Microsoft not to have improved upon last year’s catastrophic Mattrick-led E3, so I was impressed to see that they went ahead and tried to do more than the bare minimum to get gamers to listen to their vision for the Xbox One. The conference was slickly put together and was designed to have an impact and deliver on Phil Spencer’s pre-show promises. He said that the presentation would be about games, and that’s exactly what he delivered. Three minutes or so of introduction and corporate barking, and then an hour and a half of games, games, games. Brilliant.
Kicking off the set with ten minutes of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare wouldn’t have done much to detract from the perception that the Xbox brand is synonymous with bland FPS titles though, even if the game looked significantly more interesting than in previous years. But things quickly picked up. Given the reception that Evolve has garnered at the show, the news that the beta will be exclusive to Xbox One is bigger than was first thought. Assassin’s Creed Unity did well on the Microsoft stage, and the first-party announcements were good, generally. It felt like a bit of a "last stand" at times, with the company desperate to prove that they still have a horse in the hardware race despite their shoddy start to the generation. Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Forza Horizon 2, Halo 5: Guardians (and the beta) and a wave of great-looking indie titles just about got the message across that despite what you're reading, the Xbox One isn't done yet. Not by a long chalk.
Platinum’s console-exclusive Scalebound was of great interest - as anything from Platinum usually is - and Ori and the Blind Forest looks like it could have the quality required to post some good numbers. The return of Crackdown was a surprise to say the least, but I think people were expecting to see more from some other franchises. A reboot of Phantom Dust was apparently pulled from the freakin’ moon, given that the even the forty people that completed the game back in 2004 didn’t see it coming, but it was an interesting announcement at least. The Conker pack for Project Spark is nice, but it feels like a rushed tip of the hat to the franchise, whereas a complete lack of any new titles in the Gears of War franchise was disappointing.
All in all, it was a show where Microsoft couldn’t get away with boring the crowd to sleep by reciting press releases, or fumbling their lines over new hardware or functionality. They avoided the pitfalls and also managed to focus on controller-based games aimed at gamers, rather than bringing annoyingly happy children to the stage to demonstrate super-bright-happy-joy-joy Kinect titles aimed at families. It wasn’t perfect by any means – they nearly lost the pacing entirely when the laughably wooden voice acting in the multiplayer demo of The Division stopped being funny and started making everyone want to stick chewing gum in their ears - but on the whole, it was better than expected.
With regards to the other platform holders, Sony’s event was a solid affair that was unfortunately plagued by too much corporate speak and more than a few audio issues. Some great looking titles, such as No Man’s Sky and Bloodborne were packed in with some big announcements such as the unveiling of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and the next-gen launch of Grand Theft Auto V, but the pacing was all wrong for me. If they’d cut out the entire section about “Powers” and maybe had been clearer about how they’re positioning the PlayStation Vita over the upcoming holiday season, the show would have been the better for it. But still, a confirmed date for The Last of Us on PS4 was enough for me to deem the presentation a success. Nintendo’s digital presentation was beautifully whimsical, with the genuinely funny claymation interludes brightening up what I thought was a relatively content-light initial showing. But I was happy to see that the meat of the content was to come in the hours and days that followed, in the Treehouse and with events that catered perfectly to the die-hard Nintendo fan. It was concerning from a Wii U owner's point of view to see every other game marked as being due out in 2015, though. I’ve no doubt that most of the titles shown in the digital presentation will feature in next year’s presentation, too. Not that I wouldn’t wait a million years to play Yoshi’s Woolly World and Bayonetta 2, because I totally would.
All in all, anyone would be hard-pressed to declare any one company to be the winner – they all had their faults and they all had their highlights - but I think we can all agree that the event as a whole shows that the industry is in rude health and capable of serving more types of gamer than ever before.
So those are our cross-platform thoughts, let us know your thoughts below.
Comments 76
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Sums up a good week for those of us that like playing games.
@6ch6ris6 more like MGS5: the phantom game. Do we even have a release date yet?
Im still pissed off about ground zeroes.
So hard to judge when you just don't have a stake in it. I watch some of the no-gameplay trailers for X1 and PS4 and I scoff. Then, I watch the Zelda footage and I lose my mind (the good way).
Part of it is just the "look and feel" of a core Zelda game is always different and hints about the direction of the game where the other established franchises just go with "photorealistic-er this time!"
I've got kids and limited time so many of those games are just too "mature" for me to really play, though some I'm very interested in.
But there is also this over-the-top fascination with gore and dissecting the human body angrily and the perspective on women that is just sexual objects of desire. Don't think I'll be wanting to subject myself to that in the repetitive nature of games even when the game play is fun or interesting. There's enough other junky influences in the world for me, I guess.
So, yeah, I'm never going to be able to give an objective view on the E3 presentations, but this article did a decent job. Thanks.
@jpfan1989 Why do you say that? I don't follow MGS but the trailer showed a game that was really far along. Not much gameplay, but it's clearly fleshed out.
Splatoon
Splatoon
Splatoon
Splatoon
Splatoon
Fantasy Life looks great. To bad I dozed off in the middle of it. 1:30Am in the morning. Good time to go live nintendo. Good time.
Sounds like all the companies did their thing. I was surprised at no Resident Evil announcement. Does anyone know about the other things like Ouya, the steam machine or amazon fire? Otherwise, I enjoyed getting a release date for Bayonetta, my most anticipated game this year.
@BLPs again nothing for the vita?? (haven't watched sony's conference)
seems like vita is becoming a sub-console. (ps tv)
If you like shooters and open world for this year the Xbox is good.
If you like shooters and open world for next year, but with slightly better frame rate and exclusive content, PS4 is good.
If you like different stuff and variation, and couldn't care about real life graphics, Nintendo is good. I personally think if either Playstation or Xbox can mix up their lineups with a few unusual games next year, they could really jump ahead of the pack. But it's unlikely, so Nintendo will remain unchallenged in this area.
What I do find amazing is I've been reading forums, comments sections and polls across the gaming internet, read glowing Nintendolife, Kotaku, Eurogamer and Polygon articles, and listened to vlogs on Youtube by people like Boogie2988 (who was worried he'd upset MS and PS by being pro Nintendo), and the general consensus is Nintendo won by far. They have 12 Wii U games or so coming out by the end of the year, 4 being very big (Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2, Smash Bros and Captain Toad), plus a bunch of stuff early next year, yet the likes of IGN, CVG, GT and Gamespot seem to refuse to believe Nintendo showed anything else barring Zelda being released in 2099. Admittedly several of these sites staffers like GT's Kyle Bosman and IGN's Jose Otero are complimentary to Nintendo but the general sites are very bias.
You have to ask; are these games sites just manned by Dudebro gamers waiting for another COD, or is it because they're worried about upsetting MS and PS who shell out for so much advertising on their sites? Or is it just that Nintendo isn't willing to pander to them with their digital direct and no Journalist parties?
@aaronsullivan because ground zeroes should not exist as a separate game!
"Hey look we are making metal gear solid 5 with big boss! the next year here you go do you want to play it? Just kidding its a demo that you just payed $40 for kthanxby."
So what about the real mgs5? I haven't seen any new information, no release date, I don't even know what system its going to be on.
@jpfan1989 i havent played ground zeroes. i can understand why people are upset about such a short game at such a high price.
BUT if you inform yourself well you could have just skipped it and wait for a bundle when phantom pain comes out. read reviews before you buy games and things like that shouldnt happen.
Despite what they say, on GameFAQs the poll (today) shows Nintendo currently ahead with 54.36% of the votes, Sony at 18.44% and Microsoft at 4.88% falling behind third parties (9.03%) - if that's not Nintendo "winning" E3 then I don't know what is.
Percentages correct at time of writing.
Nice to hear what the others are up to. Nothing terribly exciting for me though, since I haven't seen a reason to upgrade my 360 or PS3 yet.
And for Ken Barnes, Bayonetta is out in October, so not too long! Should be a good month, with Smash Bros 3DS also releasing then. I should still have some student loan left by then...
@C-Olimar Woohoo! October isn't far! CANNOT wait.
Everyone did pretty well but I really can't see where Sony and MS could have outdone Nintendo this year. Nintendo did nearly every single thing their fans and critics wanted and somehow managed to make a console with no 3rd party support look like it was going to get the best games in the next 18 months.
Sony had a surprise reboot of one of the greatest games that the Playstation generation have barely played and showed off an indie game that looked awesome. Other than that I thought their presentation was a bit dull. MS announced some of their games that really tempt me into an X1 but it still came across like it was all pretty standard fare.
I have to say I'm actually surprised that when I visit other gaming sites, there seems to be a lot less Nintendo bashing. I don't need everyone to love Nintendo but it sure is nice when everyone can get along lol.
@aaronsullivan I know, the new Zelda was very exciting partially because I was worried they were going to go more realistic, but after seeing that art style, I somehow know I'll love the game.
@6ch6ris6 I like the way you think.
Edit: I also find it funny how people didn't realize Ground Zeroes was essentially the Tanker Chapter from MGS2.
Nice overview! I don't know who won, but with all the content coming out between the three (especially The Big N) I definitely know who lost... My poor wallet :-/
@ekreig I feel ya on that. I was about ready to pull the trigger on the Vita but it doesn't have a whole lot coming out for it. Though I may eventually get one if another price drop is in the cards, if only to play my PS3/4 remotely. Plus I have a huge backlog of Vita games from my Playstation+ sub. I also heard there are some games worth getting, but still not enough for me, considering the 3DS takes a good chunk of my portable time and I don't see that changing if I did get a Vita...
@jpfan1989 The last one Metal Gear Solid was price accordingly. Which I think is totally fine.
No mention of Devil's Third on the Nintendo side? It looked curious
The problem with Sony and MS is that they announced more remakes, reboots and sequels than Nintendo. While each had their big exciting sequel or remake announcement, what seemed to excite people the most was the one or two new IPs with Splatoon and No Man's Sky.
I don't think Nintendo did that great and I'm really surprised about Splatoon's reception. That doesn't mean that Sony or MS did a better job. Non-gameplay videos are junk although effective to fool most gamers and shooters-shooters-shooters is getting tired.
I'll stick with my PC and my U.
On a personal level, Sony and Microsoft didn't really catch my attention. I have a Vita but Sony pretty much ignored it....
Nintendo + Indies make me happy to be a gamer.
This very newspost makes me proud of standing for what gaming is about: console wars are only meant to be won by gamers. And everyone won this time around. It's been an awesome E3, and the fact this article has all three "factions" of gaming covered (with their fandoms getting along) can only make me even happier about it.
Nintendo won by a mile, because they showed off tons of fresh, interesting games and everyone focused too much on shooters and other dudebro games. I am also getting sick of the dudebro mentality dominating the rest of the industry, it makes the games look samey and boring.
Nintendo won E3.
The gamers definitely won E3. This is a great time to be a gamer. I wonder if it's the last great time (if consoles are dying and it's the last golden age) but regardless I was happy.
Smash Bros, X, Bayonetta 2, Yoshi, Amiibo figues, Metea gear 5, Tales of boarder lands, Kingdom hearts 2.5, Destiny, Uncharted 4. Are the ones i want most.
What a load of crock of an article. Nintendo clearly won E3, they had the most variety, the most interesting and the most fun games. Microsoft only fed the people who are so desensitised to violence they are only entertained by the biggest explosions & most horrific injuries. It was pathetic. No variety, just shooter after shooter.
Sony had a handful of interesting games like No Man's Sky & Entwined but other than that it was all grim, dark, unfun games with a boring middle segment.
Nintendo on the other hand, hit it out of the ball park with not just awesome video games but also really funny humour too. Every game was completely different from the last with a totally different & unique aesthetic while still each maintaining the "fun is key" mantra that Nintendo have been singing since the dawn of time.
In conclusion, it's clear that Nintendo won E3, but the gamers in the Sony & MS camps just aren't mature enough to admit it. So much for their consoles having all the "mature" games.
@BLPs The Vita's been dead in the water for a while. I wish I hadn't gotten one. Tearaway was the only short and sweet gem that made me happy to own one for a short time. Now, Ninty's gotten better library-wise, so it's time for the Vita to go on eBay.
@WiiLovePeace LittleBigPlanet 3?
My main problem with MS and Sony making annoucements is that the big majority of their game trailers don't have... you know, gameplay. I really, really hate this trend.
But still, all three have exciting games in tow.
Both MS and Sony showed alot of 3rd party and they didnt have alot of 1st party exclusives, great indie game coverage but if your going to show CoD and other 3rds which are multiplats can't really be excited, nintendo came with new ip's and 1st party exclusives, there wasn't any multiplats at nintendo which is mixed emotions cause there isn't any 3rd support but nintendo is showing they can do without it, IMO I will gladly take gameplay over CG anyday since most gamers get fooled into thinking the CG trailer is what the game will look like which sets an unrealistic high expectation on the game, nintendo was all gameplay no CG, I own a U and Ps4 but from what I have seen at e3 there definitely isn't a reason not to own a U! Great year to be a gamer if you own a U!
@WiiLovePeace I'd love to know how you thought Microsoft was just shooter after shooter in their show, given that they showed Forza Horizon 2, Forza Motorsport 5 (DLC), Ori and The Blind Forest, Assassin's Creed Unity, Dead Rising 3 (DLC), Phantom Dust, Inside, Project Spark, Fable Legends, Dance Central, Scalebound, and 41 different indie titles (some of which, I grant you, were shooters - but by no means all of them.)
I guess maturity brings the ability to see facts, as opposed to just seeing what you want to see.
Gamers won, no doubt. But as to who showed the most games long-time gamers like me are excited about, it was Nintendo no doubt. Also the one showing old IPs going to inspiring, new directions (Zelda U) and innovating ways to play (Star Fox U).
Again, the only conference I saw was the Nintendo one. I saw recaps and game videos of the other two, as I got sick of their PR lectures last year. So I am not a fan of Tretton and somehow they replace him with someone even more boring? And the Robot Chicken segments really spiced things up and kept me watching the whole time.
The treehouse is the biggest thing out of this E3 for me. Instead of trying to cram all games in an overlong presentation, the devs themselves can play and show their games for 20 hours over three days, again making people watch their games during all of E3.
So not only for games presented but also for the new approaches to E3, I feel that Nintendo "won" this E3. Although, as it has been mentioned, open minded (and wallet gifted) gamers are the true winners.
This thread is so confusing. Everyone is like Nintendo won, Vita is dead. Look, games are a personal decision and I couldn't disagree more. First, the Vita isn't dead. They announced it is getting Disney Infinity 2.0 (Marvel) that will be a mirror of the PS3 version! Freedom Wars looked amazing, and they have lots of games coming. I will admit that Sony didn't give it enough time for sure. The PS4 has amazing games coming that aren't just shooters. etc. like Drive Club and Bloodborne. Nintendo had a few games but for someone who doesn't like Smash Bros. then I really didn't find any interesting games. I don't like the direction they are going with Star Fox and the New Zelda game is likely next holiday. They really didn't announce much for the 3DS either. Overall, I see the WiiU being left behind once games like Far Cry 4 and the new Batman game arrive. I realize this is just my opinion but I this year just didn't wow me outside of Nintendo's opening.
I'll say the same thing I said at Pushsqaure, which ironically is about Nintendo.
I'm surprised no one has said this, but I think Ninrendo completely botched presentation and pacing. Their digital direct was their stage show equivalent, and they were doing okay in that. I think where they really messed up, is announcing all the games for 3DS and Wii U in the treehouse. That was an after show, and shoulnt have had so many. Nintendo could have had a lot more thunder and hype by announcing all the rest of the first-party and third-party games for both systems (mostly 3Ds here) at the direct. They lacked impact and felt less important because Nintendo practically swept them under the rug.
"...but I do roll my eyes at nonsense PR-speak and bullpoop phrases — whoever used them — like 'delivering a unique, connected experience like you've never seen before', or whatever the heck they were saying. That's not how normal human beings speak, and I may be a member of press that's supposedly the target of that dialogue, but I grow tired of it." Amen. Just say what you have to say and then show the games.
Personally, I think the Reggie Iwata fight was the best thing about E3.
I think the guys from the site covered most of my views anyway.
Basically, they didn't go all fanboy and proclaim Nintendo had somehow just pulled off the next resurrection of Christ.
It had a good show and a great "Digital Event" for the most part. There could have been more BIG games (and in more than just naming them as going to happen at some point).
The competition, both companies, showed off a LOT of BIG SYSTEM SELLING games (each roughly three times as many as Nintendo) and I think that speaks for itself and everything that alludes to.
@SuperKMx you say they showed off 41 indie titles? I don't remember having the time to count them. Did they really give screen time to each of those games? But more than that, in your rebuttal you list some non-shooter games, sure, but you're conveniently not listing the biggest games MS showed: Halo, COD, Sunset Overdrive, The Division & Crackdown. All shooters.
But beyond that, my saying they showed off shooter after shooter was a minor point in my initial post. My entire point is that MS' mostly pandered to the smallest common denominator with ultra-violent, typical games. You didn't even discuss that, you only saw a minor flaw you wanted to see. Sorry but the person lacking the ability to see facts, is you.
@FalconPunch I said "Sony had a handful of interesting games like No Man's Sky & Entwined" so you can include LBP3 in that. I didn't say "only No Man's Sky & Entwined" were interesting.
But personally from what was shown LBP3 looked really boring. It was awkward watching the developers themselves struggle to play the game. I've not played any LBP games before though but I'm sure playing the various levels created by the masses is fun & I know LBP3 will be easier to play when it is finished.
Why do you guys forget to put commas right before the last item when making a list? It's a huge grammar mistake. It is supposed to be "Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft," not "Nintendo, Sony and Microsft."
@MetalK9 Says the guy that was streaming across the other side of the world. You can't expect much when you're a huge Pacific Ocean away from the event.
@WiiLovePeace I'm not going to get into slinging mud with you, since it's quite clear there's little point, given that you instanly invalidated all of your arguments by kicking off your initial comment with "what a load of crock of an article" simply because three people didn't 100% agree with your quite clearly massively biased view.
Vita is only dead if you got it for Western AAA type games. If you got it for japanese games and/or indies, then the Vita is having a great year. Tons of localizations this year. I'm particularly excited for Shinovi Versus, Danganronpa 2, and Minecraft.
@WiiLovePeace I actually have liked what I've played of LittleBigPlanet so far. If the library wasn't so thin, I would pick up a PS4 to play it.
@WiiLovePeace: Wow your not a Nintendo fanboy much are you? Maybe you should change your name to WiiLoveNintendo, it would make much more sense.
Great article guys. I would love to see more like these.
I thought all 3 were great for different reasons. Here's my thoughts
Nintendo — Did great and they restored alot of faith to its consumers with this E3. I almost had that old Nintendo fell again when I heard some of their announcements it seems to me they are starting to remember what made them great to begin with.
Sony — Was alright it wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. I am looking forward to Destiny and Batman and The Order but those are ones I wanted before E3. Really the way Sonys sales have been with the PS4 they really didn't have to do too much like Nintendo and MS had to get back into the race.
Microsoft — It seems to me that once they got rid of Mattrick they were able to focus on what brought them to the dance with Sony and Nintendo. It not a surprise that for one thing the Kinectless Xbox One is selling better then the original one. They showed off alot of games instead of apps for the Xbox One like last years E3.
I honestly think with MS and Nintendo stepping up their game like they did we are going to have a good race this gen. But then again these races don't mean that much to me I just play what I like no matter what console they are on.
@Kirk what big system selling games? all those shooter ones? god knows how many we will get of those, it's a pity to see them going in that direction (mostly microsoft) instead on focusing on gameplay and fun (unlike sony and nintendo)
GameFAQS has a poll going on right now asking who "won" E3. Much to my surprise, Nintendo is in the lead with 54% of the vote. With Sony and Microsoft well behind. I completely agree that Nintendo knocked it out of the park, but I'm surprised the GameFAQS community felt that way (as I find them to be typically very PS/XB centric). Makes me happy to see Nintendo love.
MGS 5, Arkham Knight, AC Unity, GTA V, Last of Us and Far Cry 4 were big hitters for me.
I'm a bit bummed about the Little Big Planet Announcement. LBP was the tipping point in my buying a PS3, and I'm sad to say I won't be able to enjoy the latest title in the series due to the fact that I have no plans to buy a PS4. That said, I'm missing one great title for the PS4 and gaining a dozen or more awesome awesome awesome games for the Wii-U. So many greats from Yoshi, Capt Toad, Mario Maker, Splatoon, new HD Zelda, etc... Sorry MS and Sony, the rest of your "dude-bro" FPS bloodfests don't interest me.
@jpfan1989
So far the only thing we have to go on is a quote from Kojima: MGS 5 will be out 'when a lot of PS4s are in homes.' Don't know what he considers 'a lot' but I think at this point PS4 is likely ahead of or close to surpassing where PS3 was when MGS 4 came out so, I'm hoping 2015, but there's no official date.
I like how everyone keeps saying "the gamers won E3" but if Nintendo's showing was as average as Sony & Microsoft's then there would be nothing but clickbait doom articles for another year
@StarDust4Ever im sure its coming to the ps3 because I heard something about being able to share levels from the ps4 version to the ps3 version
@8bitforever
Freedom Wars isn't even getting an English dub, and they still haven't confirmed it's even getting a physical release. Probably end up being Japanese voices only, PSN download only. Unacceptable. I mean, this is the ONE exclusive coming to Vita. The ONLY one. And they couldn't be bothered to throw in the English language for the English speaking western world? And no physical release, that's almost a deal breaker for me. I'm not interested in Disney Infinity, so literally the only games coming to Vita is a Japanese dub Freedom Wars download and a port of Natural Doctrine, which ALSO is probably going to be Japanese voices only. And... that's about it. Oh, Tales of Hearts R some time in the future, when, no one knows. Sony announced ZERO new games for Vita this E3. So yeah, as a day one Vita owner I'm more than a little ticked off about that.
As for the Wii U, you're right it does all come down to taste, but when you look at the current lineup, all of which are exclusives except for maybe 2 games...
Pushmo World
Wii Sports Club
Shovel Knight
Hyrule Warriors
Bayonetta 1
Bayonetta 2
Sonic Boom
Watch Dogs
Captain Toad
Super Smash Bros
Amiibo (Smash and Mario Kart)
Call of Duty Advanced Warfare (not announced yet but it's coming)
Mario Party 10
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Yoshi's Wooly World
Kirby Rainbow Curse
Mario Maker
Star Fox
Project Guard / Project Giant Robot
Devil's Third
Mario vs DK
Zelda
Splatoon
I just find it baffling that you say "for someone who doesn't like Smash Bros, I didn't really find any interesting games". My goodness, you don't like any of those games coming? Do you hate video games or something? I'm not judging I'm just saying.
@6ch6ris6
That's the game that had the ridiculously stupid trailer, where they tried to make it all dramatic when it showed nothing but murdering people.
@JaxonH First of all, Freedom Wars is in English and there have been several trailers to confirm that. Second. Even if it is only PSN at least I know my purchases are secure with Sony. If your WiiU or 3DS breaks then your are SOL! Nintendo cannot even be bothered to make an actual account system after how many years? I do agree that Sony didn't show much but after I have seen lots of news showing games so I am happy about that. As far as your list, only Shovel Knight and Hyrule Warriors interest me. Again, this is my choice and I don't hate games. I have been playing for over 30 years, my first system was years before Nintendo came along. There are more games coming out. I am looking forward to Lego Batman 3, La Mulana, The Walking Dead Season 2, The Wolf Among Us, Galak Z just to name a few. I still haven't finished the God of War collection, Final Fantasy X HD, and the Sly Cooper Collection. There are awesome games on Vita as well as 3DS, I just hate the Vita is dead crap as it is a fantastic system and doesn't deserve the hate it gets.
so many assumptions here as to what all gamers want, how all sony games are violent, how much more righteous nintendo lovers are, and such.
i haven't been interested in the WiiU but now see it as a purchase next year as that is when the games are coming out. i love my 3ds xl despite it being shown little love during E3. enuff is coming out that wasn't part of E3 for me to remain optimistic. i will enjoy gaming on it, the Wii and our PS3.
the only company i truly don't care for is microsoft. it's a personal thing. but i don't think people who like it are offensive, for pete's sake. it's a big world and there is room for all the systems.
@8bitforever
Do you have a source that Freedom Wars is in English? Cause from what I'm reading, it's English subtitles only. I would love to be proven wrong, so if you have a source please share it and alleviate my concerns (well, at least one of them anyways)
I don't care about the account thing on Wii U. On Wii U I can buy my full retail releases on physical disc, unlike Freedom Wars which won't have that luxury. "Safety" is not a concern. The concern is having full retail releases on disc/cartridge so they don't eat up that precious $100 32gb of space in the Vita.
@8bitforever I don't know who you are, but I constantly see and hate your comments on posts. All that you complain about is how the eShop and Wii U are terrible. "The eShop doesn't have cross-buy. The eShop doesn't have an account system. There's no future for the Wii U. Nintendo is shoving the same games in our faces."
I am absolutely sick of it. Don't come to a website dedicated to Nintendo fans, because I am sure that there will always be someone who just wants to punch you in the face. Nintendo has great games, and they are always trying to tie over new and old generations. Take note that Nintendo EAD is making 90% of all the good games on TWO systems, so don't expect each and every one of them to be something special. They try their best to keep the fans happy and that is exactly what they are doing.
You don't have to see Mario's five-o-clock shadow in full 10000p at 9001FPS in order to be the best system. They have HD, and it's difficult to even tell 720p and 1080p apart unless you have eagle eyes. To me, the PS4 and XBone are trying to be PCs, whilst the Vita tries to be a portable console... making it a device trying to be something that tries to be a PC... so why not get a PC?
Sony gets with new IPs made by companies that they own. There are no memories when playing new IPs besides comparing them to similar titles. Sure, there are few exceptions such as Uncharted and Little Big Planet, but there isn't much that you would miss if moved to a PC. Of course, new IPs are meant to try something new and different, and some exceed extremely well such as the Last of Us, Heavy Rain, and Ni No Kuni. They are unique experiences, but not unique enough that there will be never be any games like it. Looking to collect them all? Go with Pokemon. Looking for a game where it's all about the story? Telltale Games releases every game for the PC. Want to survive in a world where horror lies around every corner? DayZ offers zombie goodness, and Don't Starve is perfect.
Although the popular examples are usually released on the PC, I could think of why the PC would continue to be superior. The PC versions usually introduce mods and universal controller support. Consoles don't have the flexibility that PCs or Macs. Now why am I blathering about the PC and not the Nintendo devices? The PC has just about the same audience of that of the PS4 and XBone, but has so many benefits that there shouldn't be many reasons why others choose consoles. However, that is why Nintendo is different.
As mentioned before, Nintendo is definitely something different. Most of their exclusives come from their selves. Sure, you have big companies such as Capcom, Sega, and Atlus, but they are puny when compared to the massive truck load of games that Nintendo provides. They try to be different from the rest by adding in elements that are not common in video games. They love experimenting with different ideas. NSMB, DKC, and Kirby are three different types of Nintendo 2D Platformers that hold massive differences and game-play styles. The scenes feel fresh and unique to each franchise, so you would never feel like the next Donkey Kong Country would feel anything like the new New Super Mario Bros.
One may say that Nintendo is working toward a childish audience, but that isn't true. The method in which they have layed out their E3 2014 presentation surely represented that they were well-aware of what the community wants, and they want to deliver what the players want once they figure out how everything will work. We want EarthBound, so they gave us EarthBound. We wanted a new Star Fox, and they gave us a new Star Fox. We wanted F-Zero U, and they responded saying that they are trying to figure out how to top their Gamecube release without being total crud. We wanted Majora's Mask 3D, and I am sure that they'll deliver it to us once we have a break of LoZ for some time.
This means that Nintendo wants to make the community happy, and this means not to get the community out-of-control. The account system isn't perfect for Sony, and I could obviously see flaws where users may abuse the account system by having multiple copies of games on multiple devices. As for cross-buy, Nintendo is probably waiting until the next generation where the community wouldn't whine when they "accidentally" bought both the Wii U and the 3DS versions of a Virtual Console game. That is also probably why they are holding off on SNES, GBA, and DS Virtual Console games for the 3DS.
Video games are about having fun, or at least that is what the original message was until Sega decided to have a war with Nintendo... and then Sony decided to join in thinking that they could wipe the floor with the stuff that they previously collaborated with Nintendo. If you're the type of gamer that only has fun with serious titles that have to have a good story or at least some hardcore action, then the PC is your best friend.
However, if you ever so please to simply look at Nintendo titles a bit more and ignore what the majority tends to discuss, then you might see doors to new adventures. If you hear bad things about the game, then you are going to hate the game more than if you hear good things about the game. If everyone talked about how much Game & Wario makes use of the Gamepad and how cool the games are, then most others who read those reviews might have enjoyed it better.
You may reply to me disregarding anything that I am saying and take it as an offense, but I want you to understand that Nintendo isn't a company full of idiots. They don't want to copy the big-name companies, but rather come up with their own strategies. Please be mindful in Nintendo's decisions, and think about why they are doing what they doing before posting your hate. Thank you very much for taking ten seconds of your time reading the first and last sentences of this comment, and good day!
@k8sMum It's good to see you again! I hope you are well.
Yeah, nothing of interest from Microsoft. Gears of War is about the only series of interest to me in the XBox realm, and only because of its solid mechanics did I play the first two so much.
Nothing noteworthy from Sony, either, having now read that part. It's not my intent to bash either side; I just haven't seen anything to give me reason to "upgrade" from my 360 and roommates' PS3.
I still don't care one bit about Splatoon, though I'm hopeful that many will have fun with this new IP... so I guess I do care, in that sense. I'm just not planning on buying it.
http://i.imgur.com/p1ykL6b.jpg
Nintendo won the show but here's what caught my attention.
MS:
Halo 5
Halo MC Collection
Fable Legends
Project Spark
Ori and the Blind Forest
Below (hope this is multiplat eventually)
Sony:
Defense Grid 2
Little Big Planet 3
Abzu
No Mans Sky
Uncharted 4
Gunship X (Vita)
Multiplatform:
Batman Arkham Knight (incredible.)
Inside (from creator of Limbo)
Mirror's Edge 2
Lara Croft Temple of Osiris (Guardian was great, looking forward to this one.)
Evolve =interesting concept but will never get it.
Rise of the Tomb Raider Rises: Rise (uhg..Idk, I miss old TR Legend series.)
Destiny (it's hard not to be attracted to it, but the online turns me off.)
MGS V PP (so dark and grisly though, idk.)
Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time (awesome!), Cup Head, Bro Force (Idk, maybe.), Counter Spy (Idk, maybe.),Tengami, Cubemen 2, Nihilumbra (maybe.),Teslagrad, Two Brothers (maybe.), Wooden Sen Sey, A.N.N.E., Earthlock, Chariot, Affordable Space, Shovel Knight, Stealth inc. 2, Shantae games. Some other indies I can't recall right now.
Nintendo:
Pushmo World
Smash Bros Wii U
Yoshi's Wooly World
Capt. Toad
Legend of Zelda Wii U
Hyrule Warriors
Xenoblade Chronicles X (story will blow probably, imo.)
Mario Maker
Splatoon (maybe, if there is offline as well as online.)
Mario V DK
Star Fox and Projects
(2D and 3D Metroid were mentioned favorably so that's nice.)
Codename STEAM
Theatrhythm Curtain Call
FF Explorers
@Ferkner
i guess you have to know some background of metal gear to fully appreciate the greatness of that trailer. besides that: big boss puts the ashes of his dead soldiers on his freaking face!!!
@Obito_Tennyson
So if you don't like Nintendos online account system you're not allowed on here to talk about it? Are you only allowed to say nice things on this independent website? Utterly ludicrous.
The one thing I walked away with from each conference is that while Nintendo showed games that will only ever be found on Nintendo consoles, Microsoft and Sony basically showed a few games like that (although a percentage will see a PC release) and a lot of games that will be released on just about anything the code runs on.
I can only comment on Ninetndo's E3 presentation as it was the only one I watched. The reason for this was Sony's presentation was a traditional conference that was held at 2am BST and I have no interest in MS anymore. Nintendo's second E3 direct was more polished than last years and because it was a 45min video I could watch this on you tube when I got home from work (5pm finish) and to be honest I have no love for the traditional E3 presentation.
The treehouse format worked very well, but by day three I think they were struggling a bit as they had covered all the upcoming game content.
I can eventually see Sony & MS adopting this approach as from reading various websites it seems Nintendo approach to E3 went down very well.
Games that have interested me for the rest of this year and looking to buy are:
Nintendo
Bayonetta 1 & 2
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
Hyrule Warriors or Smash Bros
Sony
The Last Of Us
Infamous Second Son
Plant Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare
Next year though promises to be a good but expensive year as there will be Zelda, Yoshi, Xenoblade Chronicles X (I don't expect it to be released this year), The Order 1866, Witcher 3, Starwars Battlefront and Dragon Age.
@ScorpionMG
Oh, games like GTA V, Halo: Master Chief Collection, Halo 5: Guardians, Uncharted 4, No Mans Sky, Alien: Isolation, Evolve, The Crew, The Order: 1886, Mass Effect 4, Far Cry 4, Fifa 15, Call of Duty Advance Warfare, Battlefield Hardline, Sunset Overdrive, The Division, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Star Wars Battlefront, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Rainbow Six Siege, Assassin's Creed Unity, Destiny, Batman Arkham Knight, Metal Gear Solid 5, The Witcher 3...
All either bonafide system sellers or highly anticipated.
@Obito_Tennyson Wow, I actually did read the whole thing by the way. My hate comes from being ripped off by Nintendo. My 3DS broke (an accident) and I had about $100 worth of digital purchases. I got a new one and called Nintendo and they said tuff luck. I tried to speak to a manager but nothing. Utter crap. I have yet to buy anything digital from them since. I am honestly blown away that so many of you here think the account thing isn't a big deal, you will when something like this happens to you. By the way Somy didn't join in the fun. Nintendo forces their hand when they back stabbed them in the back by going to Phillips for their SNES CD drive instead of Sony. Sony went I to CES ready to show their new CD add on and looked like fools. Go google it, it is a good read. I don't hate Nintendo. I just hate the direction they are going now. I have owned Nintendo consoles exclusively since the SNES days. I only went to Sony after I got screwed. I watched E3 this year hoping to see a reason to invest in Nintendo but didn't see anything. Again, my personal opinion. I do like the games Sony showed better for my taste. I wish Nintendo luck but they have to do something. Most newer games are excluding last gen and this will continue leaving Nintendo with nothing but their games. Don't get me wrong, Nintendo makes the best games! They are utterly the best developer out there but that won't sustain them long term. The 3DS was and is great but is also reaching its end of life. Hopefully their next handheld will be amazing and that will help too but the WiiU will survive maybe 2014 but after that there just isn't reason to believe that system can attract sales enough to be profitable. Heck, maybe Nintendo will just keep supporting it anyhow but that may mean that the system never gets the attention of anyone outside of Nintendo fans. No hate here, just someone who is hoping for real change that would lead me back to the Big N.
@6ch6ris6 It just came across as utterly ridiculous. Games are supposed to be fin, and that trailer made the game look anything but. It made the game look pretentious and something I would never bother trying.
@8bitforever End of life cycle? It's just over three years old.
@Ferkner True, but the 3DS is vastly underpowered and I believe it will be replaced sooner than later. By 2015, the level of games and their detail and complexity is going to increase by a huge margin. Pokemon will continue to hold up the 3DS but I don't see it lasting the normal 5 years plus that previous models have. There are now smartphones and tablets that put even more pressure on the handheld market. I could be completely wrong though since I have no idea of Nintendo's future plans, it is just my prediction.
@Philip_J_Reed
aw, thanks for noticing, phil! went thru a bit of a rough patch but am coming out the other side now.
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