E3 2018

[Ronnie]

7 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Dreams is never ever coming out is it?

I just want it released so a talented studio like Media Molecule can move on to another game. They could have had two out in all this time. Very worried it won't sell well enough to justify 5+ years of development.

[Choze]

Black Ops 3 for free (Plus users) is now up:

https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP0002-CUSA02624_00-BLACKOPS3GAME000

[Julius]

5 hours ago, Glen-i said:

@Dcubed just made me realise that none of their big 1st party games got release dates.

Well, apart from Spider Man, but we had a release date for that already.

 

5 hours ago, Ronnie said:

Please be excited for more trailers at E3 2019

I think it's them continuing what they did last year. The last four months of 2018 are nearly saturated from a gamer's perspective - way I see it, there's already a few games for every type of gamer coming this autumn/winter - and that's without having seen what Nintendo's bringing to the table this evening  I think the smart move is to continue what they've been doing up to this point. They waited on revealing God of War's release date until January, iirc, which was the smart move because Q1 2018 was already pretty full, and I think that they didn't want to pit one of their tentpole titles against another AAA title: they want all eyes on their biggest games (i.e. potential system sellers, which I think all of their deep dive games are) when they launch. Q1 2019 is already filling up nice and fast, and I don't think that they want to be part of the frenzy again this time around. The smarter move, I think, would be to wait out like they have been, and navigate the sea of release dates to find one suitable to their title. I don't think that all three of those other games will release next year, because there's really no reason for them to do that at this stage, but I do think that we could get at least one of them, maybe even two of them, in 2019. 

Plus, they reacted to the backlash of last year's E3 by starving PSX, so I wouldn't be surprised if those release dates have been saved until the end of the year - when they'll know what everyone else is doing - in a reaction to how the last PSX was received.

5 hours ago, Dcubed said:

Dreams is never ever coming out is it?

Really weird that they didn't put a release date on it yet, but that got me wondering: would a game like Dreams really stand to benefit much from a typical marketing campaign?

Because I don't think that it necessarily would: the game does fill something of a niche, and those who are interested in it have been paying attention this whole time. It also doesn't seem like your typical £60 RRP affair (my guess would be £20 - £35), nor does it really need a physical release (at least at launch), just considering the type of game that this is. I love physical copies of games, but I don't think that anyone will be clamouring for a physical copy over a digital copy, just given the type of game that this is. I think we'll see more at Gamescom in August, and potentially a bit more at PGW or PSX, but I do think that, of all of their games, this would be a great game - and the best suited - to shadow drop at PSX (beginning of December is looking pretty quiet if I recall, right?).

[MindFreak]

Just caugt up on Ubisoft and Sony. Ubisoft was entertaining, not near as fast-paced as Microsoft (which probably could just as well have been digital like Nintendo this year) but it had a good mix of games and some nice surpises. Assassin's Creed looks great.

Sony, on the other hand, was terrible. That studio-talk intro was boring with a very long demo of LoU II. Looks good but when picking out some gameplay for demo like that, please take something that has a bit more going on in it. The samurai game looked alright, Kingdom Hearts looks great - want to try that series! RE2 isn't for me but it's a nice reveal, and Control looks fine. However, Spider-man may force me to get a PS4 and sell it again after that game. It looks insanely good. 

@Happenstance Who was the guy in white? I thought it would be Sinister Six but the white man was odd.

Edit: Nevermind, stumbled upon him - Mister Negative. Makes sense. Now, who's the last guy? Doc Oc?

Edited June 12, 2018 by MindFreak

[bob]

I can't wait for Spider-Man. I very rarely get games on release, but this looks like one that might tempt me.

[Happenstance]

From the stuff shown at Sony's conference, I plan to get:

Spider-Man
Ghost of Tsushima
Control
Kingdom Hearts III (Maybe)
Death Stranding (Maybe but I'm less interested now)

[Ike]

9 hours ago, Glen-i said:

BTW, no FF7 remake.

Now the internet has a reason to be annoyed.

It's not really surprising since they threw out all the work that was done previously and started from scratch.

[Dcubed]

Here's my rankings list so far...

 

God tier: Devolver Digital

 

Great tier: Ubisoft

 

Good tier: Microsoft, Bethesda

 

WTF Horrible!! tier: Sony, PC Gaming Show

 

Sony's show did have some good demos and interesting announcements, but the show itself was utterly horrible.  I don't know what they were thinking with the format, but it was a complete disaster! An E3 show is more than just a list of game announcements, it's... well... a show! And any show that features a whole 30 mins of complete dead air is an absolute crime! Never mind how all of the games shown there just start to blur into one another with how similar they are... A problem that Sony has had for quite some time now.

 

I went into the PC Gaming Show, hoping for some more of that glorious cheese and cringe that made last year's show worth watching, but ended up being massively disappointed with how it turned into professional mediocrity.  So utterly boring that I actually fell asleep halfway through it!

 

Microsoft's show was pretty good all around really.  Good pacing, good announcements and some nice surprises.  Good vibes, but it did lack the creative magnifiers that make for really memorable E3 shows (like the New Cars from their last shows).  Overall a good show, but not the most memorable one.

 

Bethesda's show was also pretty solid.  The Skyrim Very Special Edition video was hilarious, the pacing was pretty great, there's a good variety of games shown, the presentation was well crafted with some fun swagger that wasn't really pretentious and the crowd's enthusiasm was pretty genuine.  Good stuff!  That being said, a lot of their announcements came without much gameplay, which is a shame, but it's hard to be disappointed with their output (the prospect of Doom Eternal in particular is pretty damn exciting!)

 

Ubisoft however managed to continue their recent trend of really well directed, paced and laid out shows and they had plenty of interesting games to show too.  Genuinely entertaining all throughout and some fantastic surprises too!

 

And then there's Devolver Digital.  I honestly didn't think there was any way that they could possibly live up to the absolutely glorious God Tier stunt they pulled off last year, but the madmen actually managed to put out a worthy follow up! And on top of that? Bloody hell! They're actually reviving Metal Wolf Chaos!? That's completely insane!! Absolute A-grade stuff all throughout!  

Edited June 12, 2018 by Dcubed

[Hero-of-Time]

31 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Sony's show did have some good demos and interesting announcements, but the show itself was utterly horrible.  I don't know what they were thinking with the format, but it was a complete disaster! 

I've been thinking about it most of the day and I still can't get over what a mess it was. Trying to move a crowd of people from one venue to the next was an insane thing to try and do. Wasn't this a problem a few years back when E3 was split into two places? I remember the press kicking off as they had to move from building to building in order to catch the next press conference. What made Sony think this was a good idea to try again? 

The lack of content didn't bother me because we knew exactly what we were getting into ( at least everyone who follows gaming news should have) before the thing even started but the format itself was a horrible idea. It makes you wonder just what has happened because they were on a roll with their events in recent years but both PSX in Dec and now this were truly terrible shows.

[Dcubed]

12 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I've been thinking about it most of the day and I still can't get over what a mess it was. Trying to move a crowd of people from one venue to the next was an insane thing to try and do. Wasn't this a problem a few years back when E3 was split into two places? I remember the press kicking off as they had to move from building to building in order to catch the next press conference. What made Sony think this was a good idea to try again? 

The lack of content didn't bother me because we knew exactly what we were getting into ( at least everyone who follows gaming news should have) before the thing even started but the format itself was a horrible idea. It makes you wonder just what has happened because they were on a roll with their events in recent years but both PSX in Dec and now this were truly terrible shows.

I do reckon that Sony is winding down their PS4 output as well.  The fact that they had not a single new unannounced first party game to show for PS4 speaks volumes.

 

I fully expect a PS5 reveal (and likely release) next year, just in time for Playstation's 25th anniversary.  And I expect Death Standing, TLOU 2 and Ghosts of Tsushima to be their big launch window titles for the PS5 too.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Dcubed

[Julius]

1 minute ago, Dcubed said:

I do reckon that Sony is winding down their PS4 output as well.  The fact that they had no new first party games to show for PS4 speaks volumes.

I fully expect a PS5 reveal (and likely release) next year, just in time for Playstation's 25th anniversary.  And I expect Death Standing to be their big launch window title for the PS5 too.

Before the show, I would have probably disagreed. 

Now I'm not too sure. The romanticist in me would really like the PS5 out for PS's 25th, but, on the other hand, I do think we could still be a couple of years off. One of their three remaining AAA titles that were shown last night releasing every six months could still stretch the lifespan of the console out well into 2020, all being told.

Then again, Xbox are now positioning themselves to be a very serious threat come the start of the next "generation", and announcing Project Scarlet (and hinting at the way in which it might change console gaming forever, in a more permanent and sustainable portable/home version of what the Switch has done) a bit over six months after the release of the One X has to be intimidating for PlayStation. They outpaced Xbox towards the end of the last generation, and blew them out of the water up to this point, but everything that Xbox has done recently - five new studios, backwards compatibility, pushing the boundaries of current console tech with the One X and shifting their focus this E3 to finally making a bigger push in the Eastern markets, with an emphasis on Japan, by paying a lot of money to show all of those games on their stage - surely must be making those Sony folks nervous. Maybe not right now, but certainly looking ahead. Xbox have been busy - far too busy - future-proofing and pondering the future of the industry, but now that they've finally figured out their next step, I think it's possible that we see their roles slowly flip. Heck, if we're going to take the lack of new first-party titles last night as proof that PlayStation are prepping for next gen (I'm not too sure I agree with that; I just think they had a number of excellent first-party titles release within too short a window), then their roles are already flipping.

I think it goes without saying that next 12 months are going to be an especially interesting time for the industry.  

[Dcubed]

18 minutes ago, Julius Caesar said:

Before the show, I would have probably disagreed. 

Now I'm not too sure. The romanticist in me would really like the PS5 out for PS's 25th, but, on the other hand, I do think we could still be a couple of years off. One of their three remaining AAA titles that were shown last night releasing every six months could still stretch the lifespan of the console out well into 2020, all being told.

Then again, Xbox are now positioning themselves to be a very serious threat come the start of the next "generation", and announcing Project Scarlet (and hinting at the way in which it might change console gaming forever, in a more permanent and sustainable portable/home version of what the Switch has done) a bit over six months after the release of the One X has to be intimidating for PlayStation. They outpaced Xbox towards the end of the last generation, and blew them out of the water up to this point, but everything that Xbox has done recently - five new studios, backwards compatibility, pushing the boundaries of current console tech with the One X and shifting their focus this E3 to finally making a bigger push in the Eastern markets, with an emphasis on Japan, by paying a lot of money to show all of those games on their stage - surely must be making those Sony folks nervous. Maybe not right now, but certainly looking ahead. Xbox have been busy - far too busy - future-proofing and pondering the future of the industry, but now that they've finally figured out their next step, I think it's possible that we see their roles slowly flip. Heck, if we're going to take the lack of new first-party titles last night as proof that PlayStation are prepping for next gen (I'm not too sure I agree with that; I just think they had a number of excellent first-party titles release within too short a window), then their roles are already flipping.

I think it goes without saying that next 12 months are going to be an especially interesting time for the industry.  

I agree.  Microsoft have positioned themselves really well going into next gen over the last couple of years and during this E3 conference too.  Sony have to be taking notice and I doubt that they'll want MS to get the jump on them.

 

Sony always beat MS when they get in first, but have struggled when playing catchup.

 

Not to mention that Bethesda have already announced a "next gen" game in the form of Starfield, so whatever "next gen" is, mustn't be too far off now.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Dcubed

[Glen-i]

I'm gonna go ahead and give my rankings for the conferences before Smash Hype clouds my judgment. Starting from worst.

EA - Lootbox out of 10.

Just like my reaction to any game with those demon boxes. I gave EA a wide berth. I don't care what they show, I know I won't enjoy it. So why bother?

Highlight of show: When Microsoft's show started.

PC Gaming Show - It's better, now it sucks out of 10.

I like myself a cringe worthy conference. It's the main reason I watch Ubisoft's conference. Unfortunately, PC Gaming Show kinda professional'd up. And the game's just couldn't carry it for me. Didn't watch the whole thing.

Highlight of show - Those two Taxi Cab Visual Novels have very nice artstyles and are intriguing.

Sony - I don't wanna go to Church out of 10 - It's quite amazing how much of a shambles that was. Sony announced stuff far too early last year and it certainly showed this year. It took 45 minutes to get to the third game shown. Last of Us 2 went waaaayyyy too long. It picked up a bit toward the end, but it wasn't gonna salvage that terrible start and the lack of new games.

Highlight of show - That brief moment when I thought "Witness murder from a Mouse's viewpoint" game was a thing.

Square Enix - Eh out of 10

Kingdom Hearts was already shown, everything else was pretty inconsequential.

Highlight of show - Watching the Stream Chat become an avalanche of people wondering where FF7 Remake is at the end of the show.

Bethesda - Decent out of 10

Bethesda isn't quite my kind of game company, but I have to say, they did a good job. Plus, that rock band was pointless but played quite a cool song. Which is always a plus.

Highlight of show - Someone shouted "Eff Nazis!" You have to smile at that.

Limited Run Games - Hilariously small budget out of 10.

It was pretty cringe, but hey, there's some GIF material there. Limited Run's conference was a nice way of discovering some cool Indie games you might have missed. They do good work and I wish them continued success. Plus they actually had a Car on stage!

Highlight of show - That Switch console animation broke me. Too funny!

Microsoft - Surprisingly Good out of 10

Microsoft normally end up near the bottom of my list, but they did well this time. Some nice stuff to see there. Nothing that truly astonishes me. But there's stuff I'm looking forward to. Thankfully, they're coming to PC, so don't have to worry about actually getting an XBox. Shame Microsoft didn't unveil their new car on stage though.

Highlight of show - I know it was shown in other places, but Kingdom Hearts 3 is looking really nice. Getting remarkably close to looking like a Pixar movie.

Ubisoft - Well done out of 10.

The only conference to elicit a "No way!" out of me. So Ubisoft has to be up high for that reason alone. Some cool games, some "What's the point of this?" cringe and awesome orchestral music from Grant Kirkhope. This conference was solid.

Highlight of show - Of course it's the "Suddenly, Star Fox cameo" moment. Pretty well played and it's bound to rocket the Switch version of Star Link to the top.

Devolver Digital - YES! out of 10

It wasn't quite as amazing as last year. But Devolver showed that last year wasn't just a fluke. Nina Struthers is totally the best host ever. There's only two games I'm interested in and yet I was thoroughly entertained. Plus it managed to end on a great cliffhanger that makes me want to see next year's conference right now. Seriously, Check a Look.

Highlight of show - Let's get a Dreamcast, paint over it and use it to rip on Nintendo and their Mini consoles. Great stuff!

Edited June 12, 2018 by Glen-i

[Choze]

The games at Sony's conference are absolutely dominating viewership wise. Huge boosts for Ghost of Tsushima and Death Stranding.

[Ronnie]

Looking forward to those two dominating in 2019 when they and Last of Us are shown off, yet again.

35 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Highlight of show - Someone shouted "Eff Nazis!" You have to smile at that.

I find the bloodthirsty crowd reacton whenever Nazis are mentioned in a video game a little weird. You'd think WW2 just finished instead of being over 70 years ago.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Ronnie

[Choze]

40 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

Looking forward to those two dominating in 2019 when they and Last of Us are shown off, yet again.

I find the bloodthirsty crowd reacton whenever Nazis are mentioned in a video game a little weird. You'd think WW2 just finished instead of being over 70 years ago.

Curious what MS have for 2018

[Glen-i]

42 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

I find the bloodthirsty crowd reacton whenever Nazis are mentioned in a video game a little weird. You'd think WW2 just finished instead of being over 70 years ago.

You probably shouldn't visit some states of America then.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Glen-i

[Dcubed]

Dual screen gaming lives boys!

[Fierce_LiNk]

There's something quite satisfying in just knowing that The Last of Us Part II is going to be awesome. Uncharted 4 was awesome, and this will be amazing. Loved the trailer, plus having Gustavo Santaolalla there was fantastic. The music in the first game is beautiful and is one of my favourite gaming soundtracks.

Ghost of Tsushima looks brilliant, too.  

All in all, for a quiet E3, there's quite a lot of games that I'll be getting in the future. Nioh 2, too. Where did that come from?!

[Julius]

[Hero-of-Time]

Some people over on Era have been keeping track of what have been the most popular Youtube videos during the course of E3. No surprise as to what is coming out on top.

I was surprised to see how high Halo was. Maybe the series isn't as dead as I thought?

[bob]

Some people over on Era have been keeping track of what have been the most popular Youtube videos during the course of E3. No surprise as to what is coming out on top.

I was surprised to see how high Halo was. Maybe the series isn't as dead as I thought?

I think it's quite clever to drop the '6' and just call it Infinite. Makes people think it might be a brand new game set in the Halo universe, which is why perhaps a lot of people were checking it out.

[Happenstance]

5 minutes ago, bob said:

1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Some people over on Era have been keeping track of what have been the most popular Youtube videos during the course of E3. No surprise as to what is coming out on top.

I was surprised to see how high Halo was. Maybe the series isn't as dead as I thought?

I think it's quite clever to drop the '6' and just call it Infinite. Makes people think it might be a brand new game set in the Halo universe, which is why perhaps a lot of people were checking it out.

It does make sense in that regard but it still seems weird to drop the numbering at the very end of your second trilogy.

[Kav]

Microsoft had the best show, Nintendo had the worst, even with Sony’s daft “intermission”.

Ghost of Tsushima was my game of show.

Sekiro and Spider-Man looked great too and I’m looking forward to hearing more about Cyberpunk 2077.

[Ronnie]

From best to worst for me:

1. Microsoft: Tons of games, lots of exclusives, big reveals, very few bits that dragged and a tease about next gen. Easily the best conference.

2. Ubisoft: Tons of games. Tons of variety, hitting every genre, something for everyone. Nice presentation flow to it.

3. Bethesda: Good showing even if they took 15 minutes to actually show gameplay. Disappointing how it was just logo reveals for Doom Eternal, Youngblood, Starfield and Elder Scrolls

4. Nintendo: They would have done well to rename this a Smash Bros Direct and set expectations going in. Terrible lack of reveals other than Smash and a couple of others. It would be 100% Nintendo to have a Direct in two weeks time and show off more stuff.

5. Sony: The same games we've been seeing for years now. We'll probably see most of them again next year too. I'm sure they'll be great, but as a conference, boring. The format was an utter disaster. One note in terms of genres as usual.

6. EA: Horrible conference format, it felt a mess. From the Respawn reveal to the C&C demo, just bad. Even Anthem their big game was poorly presented. The Madden champion on stage was utterly pointless.

7. Square Enix: This really didn't need a conference, though I appreciated their move to a Direct style format. I wish/think more of the above will be going that route in future. Sony especially.