We decided to go a bit old school to talk about E3 and our thoughts of the major presentations. Gaming print publications would usually have a roundtable discussion with their editors and we missed that. So here we go, SCN’s E3 Roundtable!
Ryan: Let’s get this out of the way, who do you think “won” E3 2014?
Sean: Let’s see, I just have to give it to Sony because they got to announce some badass games and MAKE them sound exclusive, even though they aren’t, and that’s usually an indication of developer happiness and satisfaction.
Rex: I’m torn between Nintendo and Microsoft, it was great to see Microsoft do such a dramatic turnaround from the way they performed last year but they turned it around by actually giving their customers what they want and outside of Sunset Overdrive and Phantom Dust, they didn’t blow my mind the way Nintendo did with Mario Maker and Zelda.
Sean: Quick comment about Mario Maker, we now have an official level maker for world 1-1! I’m excited!
Rex: Indeed, I’m glad to see Nintendo finally taking on little big planet in a way that they’re actually going to give a marketing push unlike how they handled Wario Ware DIY. I look forward to playing new Mario levels by Chris-chan eventually
Jesus: Really feel that Nintendo took it. They kept the game previews and releases constant. Not only did they reiterate the fact that there are games coming, but they updated the crowds as to where they were with the games. It was also a conference where you could tell they were having fun with doing what they do. Sony, in the business perspective, really knocked it out by pushing stats and showing how much of a difference the PS4 has made for them.
Ryan: I agree with Jesus, I think Nintendo really hit it out of the park. They gave people what they want with very little fluff. We have a lot to look forward to for Nintendo. ALSO, they partnered up with the former Dead or Alive guy for a very nonfamily-friendly game, which is good.
Sean: what’s your favorite “no gameplay whatsoever” trailer so far?
Ryan: I’m a big Mirror’s Edge fan and I’m still pretty unsure if the new game is a prequel or a reboot. I am damn sure that the trailer I saw was pre-rendered and doesn’t represent the game a hundred percent. I am pretty hyped for it though. The Star Wars Battlefront was pretty, but it was nothing more than a teaser. All-in-all, most showed some semblance of game footage, so I’m happy for that.
Rex: My life, my love, my leather goes to Dead Island 2. I’m really cautiously optimistic about it given that it’s by the guys that did Spec Ops: The Line and I kind of feel like they should be working on something else but who knows, maybe they’ll get super subversive with it and it’ll be a worthy follow-up not to Dead Island, but to Spec Ops.
Jesus: I don’t know if it counts, because i think it was gameplay from the first Magicka, but that commercial for Magicka 2 cracked me up. I really miss when videogame commercials were able to make me laugh.
Sean: I’m a huge Uncharted fan and I can’t believe I watched the rewind theater several times for the Uncharted 4 trailer. It’s literally just Nathan waking up, shuffling out of the water, and then pan to skeletons. Oh, and voice over, because the voice acting is one of the pillars of that franchise. I guess it makes it more special in that case, because we all know how an Uncharted game plays, why not go the subtle approach.
Ryan: Speaking of not subtle, I’m pretty sure Nathan’s gonna die.
Sean: Yeah but he could die and then it’d be “jungle drug oh noes”
Jesus: My uncle works at Sony and he said he is.
Rex: HAHAHAHA
Sean: I know too because my uncle is dating a guy who works at Sony
Rex: My uncle is Sony. What surprised you guys this year? Like really knocked your socks off, even if it was something like a leaked game that didn’t wind up making an appearance or something along those lines?
Sean: Finally getting to see the Batmobile drive and demolish Gotham infrastructure before turning into Metal Arms: Glitch in the System part 2. I had no idea that’s what the new game mode was going to look like. I mean, the Batmobile freaking STRAFES. Like, what kind of boss fight will there be where the Batmobile has to lock on and strafe in a circle while firing rockets? GOTY 2015.
Ryan: I have to say that the new Rainbow Six surprised me. I REALLY hope what we saw was real gameplay. The destructible environments were just so pretty. And, OH GOD, breaching from the top? I almost lost it. I just hope they actually finish it and not turn it to another Rainbow Six: Patriots. I’m also surprised to hear that they are working on a new Star Fox. I just hope whatever new idea it is doesn’t veer away from the original gameplay. The last time they had a new Star Fox idea, it was Star Fox Adventures.
Jesus: Probably the Rainbow 6 trailer. I was a huge Vegas 2 fan and watching that game play….man, it was totally boner time! On the other side of the spectrum, I was really sad that the rumor of Battletoads, Pokken, and Star Tropics weren’t present. Also, the future of Conker, I really wish he hadn’t made that appearance.
Rex: I was surprised by Star Fox Wii U being developed in house by a team led by Miyamoto, especially since it’s been heavily rumored that Platinum was going to be handling it for a while now and Star Fox hasn’t been the pillar franchise it used to be for a very long time
Jesus: It seems that a couple of years ago, there were many more companies doing press conferences, one of the most notable being Square Enix. With the option of being illogical, what company would you have seen do a press conference and what games would you have like to have seen them show off?
Rex: I would’ve loved to see Devolver (Shadow Warrior, Hotline Miami, Serious Sam) do some sort of thing because they’ve got some exciting stuff coming out this year and it’d be neat to see a smaller publisher try and replicate a big conference like Ubisoft’s with a much tinier budget
Sean: That’s a good one. I would have liked to see a press conference from Sega. And i know I’m probably jumping onto Rex’s dream here, but it’d be great to see some poor comedic talent have to fake gamer enthusiasm for a new Sonic game with horribly written jokes.
Jesus: As a mainstream company, Square Enix was definitely missing. Of course, I’d like to see FFXV, KH3, and hope for a new Just Cause.
Ryan: Hah, Square Enix actually. I don’t care much for their Japanese games much anymore and I know they announced Rise of the Tomb Raider. By the way, that’s a dumb name. Wasn’t Rise of the Tomb Raider the last game? How she started raiding tombs? I wanted them to announce a new Deus Ex. I heard rumors that they are working on a new one. I want them to confirm and show some assets from the game.
Rex: I was going to say Sega, but they only had Sonic Boom and that Alien version of Amnesia to show off this year
Sean: it’s Tomb Raider, the soufflé trilogy. First she was baked, now she has to rise. Ahhhhhhh
Rex: Hahahaha
Jesus: There’s something I know that we could all agree on if Sega was there….a new Sonic Racing Transformed!
Sean: The fact Sega only had two games would’ve been perfect! Jay Mohr with 45 minutes of Sanic material…beautiful
Rex: Oh gawd, or Jaime Kennedy
Ryan: Oh man… okay next question. Similar to Jesus’ question, what game were you SO SURE would be at E3 this year, but didn’t show?
Sean: I swore they’d have some sort of Frontline stuff.
Rex: After last year’s debacle with that Star Tropics leak in which I got overly excited about it, I tried to go in with no expectations. I did expect Pokken, but that didn’t happen so I guess that’s my answer.
Jesus: Pokken as well, if that’s an actual game, but I can see why it was held back due to Smash this year.
Ryan: Yeah, Nintendo would be competing with itself if they release Pokken and Smash too close to one another.
Sean: Okay, next question: What game do you hate yourself for wanting to play after what you saw? For myself, I never thought I’d be excited to play an Assassin’s Creed game, but they finally changed the color of the guy’s cloak and that multiplayer coop stuff looks to be a good time.
Rex: Not a game per say but I do really want an Xbone now and it makes me feel a little awkward because I’ve talked so much smack about Microsoft in recent years and suddenly they have exclusives I’m interested in
Ryan: Whatever that Ubisoft fitness game is called. Was it Shape Up? I’m actually more embarrassed at myself for liking that pop cover of “Eye of the Tiger” after making fun of all the damned pop covers of existing songs. I’m also going to say Hyrule Warriors. I know that gameslooks FREAKING cool, but it’s a Warriors game. Played them once…played them all. I’ll still keep playing them though, no matter what flavor, Dynasty, Samurai, Orochi, Gundam… and now Hyrule.
Jesus: Ubisoft’s Shape Up. I didn’t think I was going to be excited to want to play a “fitness game”. It felt like it’ll actually work and will provide a better game atmosphere. The loud noises and color graphics really make it feel like a game show.
Rex: What do you guys think next year’s E3 will be like? It seems like it’s a game only the big boys bother to go all out for these days.
Jesus: With Oculus Rift, Morpheus, and MS’s rumored VR headgear, its going to be all about that. We already saw Morpheus and OR is not far behind.
Ryan: I want next year to be the year of VR. We’ve waited long enough. We’ve seen enough prototypes. I want to see some firm projects for both Morpheus and the Oculus Rift. Hell, I want to see what Microsoft will do to throw in their hat in the VR game. Maybe they’ll show up with that crazy holodeck thing they had last year where the game exists outside your screen.
Sean: I think next years e3 will be a bit smaller because it won’t be “next gen” anymore. It’ll be about the peripherals they can add to keep the wonder going…so I agree it will be the year of VR, just like that one year where everything was “3D!!!”
Jesus: What were the themes or trends of this year’s E3?
Sean: I don’t quite know, but MGS5 got KNIVES.
Rex: MGS has crying dudes too
Ryan: VIOLENCE! Haha… seriously though… from AC: Unity, Project Beast and the new MK: X… so much violence. I love it.
Rex: I wish crying dudes was this year’s teens but it seems like brown and bloom is out and games not taking themselves too seriously is in.
Sean: Fun is the theme
Rex: And then we have Metal Gear, which was always kind of weird and never took itself seriously turning into something completely different.
Sean: Evolve, Nintendo, Sunset Overdrive. All just for the sake of fun
Jesus: I personally saw this the year of the co-op. Everything was “team-up with your friends”. While I love co-op games, I enjoy immersing myself into a single player game every once in a while. Well, that should about do it, any final comments?
Sean: What does the internet think about Far Cry 4 guy? Is he too “self-aware” crazy?
Jesus: I like him!
Rex: I have mixed feels, we’ll see what happens.
Ryan: I don’t have an opinion about him yet… but GOOD GOD the Himalayas look fantastic.
Rex: It’s going to be a pretty game but I don’t trust Ubi’s writers to not be pretentious.
Sean: Mountains is a theme. Far Cry 4 and Zelda.
Ryan: I expected more. We’re at the second year after the launch of the new consoles. We should be seeing what each console is capable of. This year, it feels like Nintendo had the best showing. Maybe the other guys will have a good showing next year.
Jesus: This will about do it for the roundtable. Thanks for reading and sticking with us!
