E3 2013 and the Next-Gen War

Let me start off by saying that I am more excited for this Electronic Entertainment Expo than any year prior. My reasoning? There are two new consoles coming out and E3 is the place for the developers of both the games and the consoles to garner enough hype to cause people to purchase them at the end of the year. With that said, let’s get started.

The Press Conferences

Each year E3 hosts a few press conferences for the major competitors. These would be, for 2013: Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo. For this section I’m just going to focus on the three that need to really make a grand showing here.

Microsoft

With the press conference last month Microsoft revealed the Xbox One. Most people had complaints about the lack of games they showed off and some people even had issues with the little footage they did show. Personally I was none too impressed with the showing. If they hope to reach the core gamers in the next-gen war then they’re going to have to pull out all the stops at E3. According to Larry Hyrb, this is exactly what they’re going to do. It’s going to be nothing but games and that’s the way it should be. I just hope they show all 15 of the exclusives they promised were in development. Maybe it will give me a reason to choose the Xbox One in the next-gen instead of sticking with Sony, like I have since the PlayStation One.

Nintendo

With the Wii U having been out for nearly seven months, at this point Nintendo is really going to need to step up its game. I don’t know a single person who has purchased the system. To me it looks like more of an add-on or peripheral than an actual system. Aside from finally giving Nintendo an HD console it hasn’t done much to reach the next-gen audience. With very few engaging titles Nintendo is going to have to prove at E3 that they’re in it to win it. Yeah I said it. They are in serious need of some new IP that doesn’t suck. They may have quite a lineup of old IP that has been maintaining them for so long but there are only so many numbers you can put after a Mario game. I want to see them show me a reason to pick up the Wii U. I never picked up the Wii, why should I grab the Wii U with the Xbox One and PS4 on the horizon? Give me something jaw-droppingly next-gen and maybe you’ll be my choice. 

Sony

I put Sony last because they’re my bread and butter. I wasn’t expecting as many changes as they showcased in their press conference in February. With the added integration of the  share button, the touch-pad, redesigned controller and making a system with the help of game developers to avoid the difficulty that some companies had with the processor in the PS3, the PS4 is looking to be what I will upgrade to. I may be a little biased when it comes to judging Sony, because I have a soft spot for them and don’t like any exclusive games for the Xbox 360(save for Fable), but I really do think the PS4 is going to kick off the next-gen in a spectacular fashion. The biggest thing I want to see is what it actually looks like. They’ve had nearly four months to get the look of the system figured out, and I want to see it. Other than that I think if they show us more exclusive games and some awesome gameplay footage of the ones they’ve already announced, then they will once again steal my heart.

As a side note, I would also like to know the pricing of both systems and the hard drive space the PS4 has.

The Rest of the Show

After the press conferences are done there are two and a half days worth of new things to be informed on. From live demos to brand new IP, I want to see it all. Let me take a closer look at Thief, InFamous Second Son, DriveClub, Quantum Break and many more of the titles already announced. I also want to learn about some cool new indie titles for the next-gen. I also want to see some Elder Scrolls Online PvP action. I’ve seen some regular footage and it looks sweet but I want to see some walls crumble and some Argonian deaths. I would also like to see some more Unreal Engine 4 demos, preferably in-game and not just tech demos.

Let The War Begin

E3 will be the place where the war for the living room really, truly, begins. If Microsoft delivers on its promise to bring games and Sony responds with more games and Nintendo gives me something to consider giving the Wii U a closer look, then this is going to be one epic E3. I’m excited for the potential of this year’s show and I don’t doubt that it will live up to it and then some. Let my favorite time of the year begin. Too bad I have to wait eight days for it all to start.