Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    E3 2015

    Concept »

    The twenty-first annual Electronic Entertainment Expo took place June 16-18, 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California.

    OPINION: E3 2015 and why Microsoft “Won” (so far)

    Avatar image for ei8htbit
    ei8htbit

    107

    Forum Posts

    29

    Wiki Points

    2

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Edited By ei8htbit

    First of all, it should be said that my opinion literally means nothing - it’s just something I believe based on what I’ve gleaned from all of these fast-breaking announcements and conference extravaganzas so far. I just wanted to share those thoughts here because it’s exciting and I’m curious to see what others think.

    FULL DISCLOSURE: I own a PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, Gaming PC, Vita, and 3DS because I am a weak man who likes to punish himself, but also just to say that I don’t have any one particular horse in this race either. I will readily throw away my disposable income on any videogame or platform that remotely shows promise or intrigue or value. OK, with the housekeeping out of the way here are my thoughts:

    There is no such thing as “winning E3” and really, this year especially every gamer wins because there is another year lined up with awesome potential for great games on all platforms.

    But if I’m being totally honest, in my gut, Microsoft “Won” E3 this year.

    There, I said it. Before any rioting or trolling here’s why I came to that conclusion; They came to the show with more than just gestures or promises, they drove the final nail into the Xbox One Launch coffin. But more importantly they laid out a foundation for the future that leverages features only they can offer as a platform with meaningful benefits directly for gamers. Finally, they showed up to the table with a bunch of games and games only with an impressive stable of exclusive content that is actually releasing this year. In short, Microsoft comes out of this E3 offering more to their users than any of the other contenders.

    Make no mistake, Backwards Compatibility is huge. The ability to run your back catalogue of Xbox360 games, natively, for free, with existing game saves and achievements is a huge effing deal. It’s a commitment to their fans that goes beyond lip service and gives non-owners another reason to own Xbox One. Comparatively, Nintendo straight up charges their users per title for similar functionality and the PS4 relies on a streaming service that still requires a subscription from their consumers above and beyond their standard network plan. Sure, the entire catalogue hasn’t been verified and is case by case, but the same is true for Sony and Nintendo and they are still charging you for it on top of that - and have to rely on streaming quality to boot.

    HoloLens is real. More importantly it has practical applications for gaming that nothing else is offering in terms of AR, but more importantly, it works (at least based on impressions from live demos from the floor so far). Sony could answer with their own version, but given their focus on developing and investing in Morpheus why would they? Which means Microsoft is the only platform that will be offering an AR experience of this calibre to the market (not to entirely discount 3DS of course).

    In terms of Morpheus, Microsoft had an answer for VR as well. Partnering with Oculus Rift (arguably the anticipated market leader and most supported for the category) takes the pressure off having to take losses on hardware manufacturing and support while reaping the benefits of tapping into a separate user base and having direct access to that market. They also locked down Valve VR (the other major player in the market). Both of these moves show a commitment to VR without even having to rely on hardware limitations of the Xbox One itself, whereas at some point Project Morpheus has no choice but to come to terms with hardware that will be nearly three years old before it even comes to market. The other challenge Sony will have is charging several hundreds of dollars for a device that can only be used with a PS4 as opposed to the more flexible platforms afforded by Valve VR and Oculus combined with Xbox One. A lot of these details are still yet to unfold of course, but for the sake of E3 2015 this is where we stand.

    The Elite controller is another example of Microsoft showing that they are invested in the community of gamers by at least offering a niche hardcore option without trying to force it down their throats like they did at launch. They have changed and are proving it with actions like this, not just promises and words. It also helps them further reach the PC gaming market and stay connected to that market in a way that Sony and Nintendo just are not doing.

    Even bigger than all of these advancements is the already existing and very substantial PC Gaming market. Microsoft has finally leveraged the most popular OS worldwide and have laid out how it will be integrated with Xbox One and actually benefit gamers beyond just a better UI. They made smart decisions here bringing the benefits of PC gaming to their console with initiatives like free early access to help indie developers reach broader audiences and let gamers evaluate the development of games if not at least getting to experience games first on Xbox. I see cross-buy between Xbox and PC as another potential option that opens up for Microsoft to explore depending on how competitive they want to go with this. Also, PC streaming is another tangible benefit that Microsoft can offer via Windows 10 that neither Sony or Nintendo will be able to offer.

    I mean we haven’t even got to the exclusive games yet here. With at least 7 new exclusive titles launching by this fall, 6 of which are flagship 1st and 3rd party releases and another 7 brand new exclusive IP titles following next year there is real and concrete reasons to play on Xbox One without having to wait that long. Microsoft is just making the right kind of moves and isn’t just talking about them. While I think they didn’t have the option notto make these kind of moves given the ground they need to cover in the market, the exciting thing to me is that, holy shit, they are actually making these moves and then following up with new moves people didn’t even see coming from a company like the Microsoft of years’ past.

    Compare all of this to Sony coming out of their E3 showing. Sony had an amazing conference that was insanely memorable, if not for the wrong reasons. To be fair, Sony just had to show up to E3 this year, nothing more. They had (and earned) that luxury. Luckily, they did a lot more than just show up of course which is good for everyone else. But to me, dropping the mic on promises of a fashionably popular 20 year old remake with no release date (FFVII), an 8 year old game in development limbo (without the original director on board) and a tentative release date of 2016 (Last Guardian), and a crowd-funded sequel to a relatively obscure Dreamcast cult classic that isn’t even slated to release until December 2017 (Shen Mue 3) is the equivalent of a presidential candidate promising to lower taxes if you just clap and vote for them because right now this moment is really exciting.

    Sony’s E3 this year felt like it was really meant for E3 2016, it was more about the promise of future games rather than actually delivering a lot of exclusive content this year. I don’t mean to diminish the amazing looking No Man’s Sky which is a landmark new IP to be sure (that I will be buying just to experience something so ambitious), or even Until Dawn - but let’s be honest no one walked away from the Sony E3 presser thinking that Amplitude or Enter the Gungeon or even that Little Big Planet successor Dreaming thing was the reason to play PS4 this fall. I mean Sony didn’t even show Persona 5 - is that still coming out this year?

    The argument that the reason people opt in to PS4 is 3rd party preference starts to run thin when you stack up the value and options Microsoft is pumping into Xbox at this point in addition to 3rd party moves like how Fallout 4 PC mods is actually a thing on Xbox at launch compared to PS4.

    Sony, with PS4, is the market share leader and their E3 showing felt like they are starting to be comfortable with that. Just tell people what they want to hear and follow through when Sony feels like it. They’re not even fully funding Shenmue for fuck’s sake, they’re riding part of that on the backs of their fans and the fans are still going ape-shit about it. I’m more impressed by Sony’s ability to garner the perceived reaction of people who seem to be more excited about wanting to feel excited so hard they start to believe it. It worked at launch, it seems to have worked at this year’s show, but sooner or later don’t people need more than a promise don't they? Don't they? No? Ok I'll be quiet now..

    And then there is Nintendo. I love Nintendo to a fault, but damn this year’s E3 showing was depressing. I want to believe they are pouring their resources into finishing the new Zelda and figuring out how to solve NX, the problem is that’s all I took away from their showing and they won’t even be talking about that stuff until next year. Mario Maker is a must buy without question just to relive your own personal NWC, but it looks like if I want to turn on my Wii U between now and this holiday season the game being played will be Spaltoon only. I hold out hope for Starfox Zero and I respect that they showed it in a playable state. But uhh...that was kind of it from them this year for me. Maybe next year will be their triumphant return to the mantle of E3 winner..

    Anyway, that’s what I think for better or worse. Here’s hoping there’s more things to get excited about or even change my mind in the coming week. No matter what, despite some of the low points there has been a seemingly unending stream of high points and videogames and those who enjoy them win in the end.

    Avatar image for ry_ry
    Ry_Ry

    1929

    Forum Posts

    153

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I think Sony, MS & Nintendo each had strong showings. Each played to their fans and investors.

    The great thing is that no matter what hardware you bought you've got some great games headed your way.

    Avatar image for csl316
    csl316

    17001

    Forum Posts

    765

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 10

    Microsoft had good games and a cool conference.

    Avatar image for coaxmetal
    coaxmetal

    1835

    Forum Posts

    855

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #3  Edited By coaxmetal

    I kinda wishthat "alignment" system where it changes your name color based on which platform holder you support was still around. It would be interesting for this sorta post. Probably best it isn't there though.

    Plus the best thing from any of the pressconfs was the announcement of a Nier game by platinum, at the square one.

    Avatar image for theblue
    TheBlue

    1034

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Yeah, backwards compatibility is huge. As someone who only has a PS4 for this gen of consoles, I greatly lament that it's not backwards compatible.

    It seems like Nintendo's regular Directs sort of bit them in the ass on this one. I suppose people were expecting new things to be announced, but the majority of it was games they already featured in their Directs. It honestly felt like it was just another Direct, not an E3 presentation.

    I get really confused as to why so many people thought Persona 5 would be shown at Sony's conference. Being huge in Japan and a niche crowd over in the West, that stuff is always saved for TGS. Like, always.

    Avatar image for rickyyo
    rickyyo

    290

    Forum Posts

    74

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I pretty much choose my position on which console to back with the exclusives listings. I picked an Xbox One because of the potential for windows and PC gaming which I primarily do. I don't need 3rd party exclusives to look better since they already do on a PC. But, the one thing I forgot was that possibility that these exclusives on Xbox would transfer over to a Windows platform release. Phil Spencer kinda made an reference to the idea that this may be the future. Sony wins anytime they announce a new Ratchet and Clank game but that is about it for me on their side of the fence. All in all it was a really good show yet a bit disappointing but with some decent surprises.

    Avatar image for shiro2809
    shiro2809

    361

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #6  Edited By shiro2809

    I just don't see BC as being that big of a deal, honestly. It's great, sure, but people seem to be making it out as if it's the best thing ever. Isn't the WiiU fully backwards compatible with Wii games?

    I personally think Ubisoft and Sony had the strongest showings, in terms of things I'm interested in. Microsoft had that game by the people behind Metroid Prime though, that looked good!

    Avatar image for dussck
    Dussck

    1066

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    Backwards compatibility would've been great 3 years ago. I might have bought an Xbox One instead of a PS4 if it was there from the start. I've sold my Xbox 360 with 25 games or so for basically nothing.

    I think Microsoft had a decent conference, but nothing more than that. The only title that was kind of interesting was the Rare game. Re-Core was a pure CG trailer, that game could be a sidescroller releasing in 2018 for all we know.
    I think the exclusive lineup they've got for 2015 is really boring; Forza, Tomb Raider, Halo. Sure, good quality games, but I've already played those last gen. I rather have something a little different like The Tomorrow Children.

    Microsoft is working hard on having more diversity in their line-up though. They have their follow ups of '360 greatness': Gears 4, Crackdown, Forza 6, Fable. And some new interesting IP's: Scalebound, re-Core, Sea of Thieves.

    So I guess both systems have something to offer and new IP's and original ideas are being born again, which is great!

    Avatar image for lothars
    Lothars

    60

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    I think you are totally out to lunch, Microsoft had a good conference mainly for the backwards compatibility but most of the announcements looked pretty mediocre. The Elite controller looks fantastic but at a 150 dollars, it's barely going to sell. They have a okay exclusive lineup but Forza 6 looks good though I am worried they didn't learn from Forza 5 and the microtransactions. Gears 4 looks terrible and I say that as a gears fan. Hololens looked interesting but I think it will turn out like Kinect where the experiences were really bad. I just don't see it doing anything plus I take anything they say about Windows and gaming with a grain of salt because of how it turned out last time.

    I just don't see MS doing much better with what they showed.

    I really think the best two things from MS conference was Fallout Mods which is also coming to PS4 and Backwards compatibility which is cool just a couple years late.

    The biggest issue with Sony's conference is that they didn't have a whole lot of first party announcements for this year which is dissapointing but they seem to be relying on third party and it won't hurt them at all. They also announced two of the biggest announcements of the conference with ff7 remake and Shenmue 3. FF7 is going to be huge for them whenever it's out.

    Nintendo's Conference was terrible, it had very few things that I would say are good and alot of meh titles. I really think Sony looks to be in the best shape.

    We will see but Sony looks to be in the best shape by far and I don't see that changing at all. Microsoft has improved but they still are extremely lacking.

    Avatar image for ssully
    SSully

    5753

    Forum Posts

    315

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    I just don't see BC as being that big of a deal, honestly. It's great, sure, but people seem to be making it out as if it's the best thing ever. Isn't the WiiU fully backwards compatible with Wii games?

    I personally think Ubisoft and Sony had the strongest showings, in terms of things I'm interested in. Microsoft had that game by the people behind Metroid Prime though, that looked good!

    BC is the ultimate feature that everyone wants but people rarely use. When the new console's launch me and my friend were both bitching about how neither the One or PS4 were BC. We ended up talking about it a lot and realized that we actually utilized the BC feature of the PS3 maybe twice.

    Avatar image for deactivated-5a0917a2494ce
    deactivated-5a0917a2494ce

    1349

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 5

    User Lists: 4

    Backwards compatibility does not matter, it never has. It's a nice bullet point but it's not going to move the sales needle. The only way I, or other people would care is if the emulation was so good that the games ran a lot better. Right now, that isn't happening, the performance of the current crop of games is not good.

    Avatar image for sergio
    Sergio

    3663

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 13

    I own all the consoles and portables except the new 3DS. Honestly, I felt Microsoft had the weakest conference of the three.

    Backwards compatibility is not as important as some people seem to think. What consumer does this attract? If you never owned an Xbox 360, you likely owned the PS3. Backwards compatibility only brings you a few more exclusives, of which the ones that matter are getting rereleased anyway. If you already owned an Xbox 360, it only really matters if you have a backlog of games and don't have an extra HDMI port or space for both consoles.

    AR and VR right now make for great tech demos. Microsoft has peddled Kinect before where it looked impressive, but when it came to games, it didn't pan out as well. It's still a wait and see game here.

    A $150 controller. That isn't a mainstream product. (Also, I hate the ergo of the Xbox One controller, so if it's just a $150 version of that ergo, pass. I would have been more excited if they announced backwards compatibility with the Xbox 360 controller to use on Xbox One games.)

    I've heard Microsoft talk about their latest PC gaming initiative every few years. Until they actually prove it and maintain it for more than a couple of years, I won't be buying into it.

    Game exclusives are pretty much subjective. If you're a big Halo, Forza, or Gears fan, then Microsoft is the de facto winner for you. For me, I'll be waiting to see more from Gamescom to see if what they pitch has me excited about owning an Xbox One. Right now, I could have played Cuphead on Steam anyway.

    Avatar image for sammo21
    sammo21

    6040

    Forum Posts

    2237

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 18

    User Lists: 45

    BC would have been a big deal...1.5 years ago. If you're worried about bc in 2015 then maybe a current gen console isn't right for you. Consult a doctor before making the to current gen systems.

    BC isnt a big deal for most gamers...its a big deal for the moms of kids who still have 360s and no xbone. Had Microsoft launched with BC this would be a different story, but they didn't.

    Now, I'm not saying someone shouldn't be excited for BC or that no one is excited for it, but its no game changer.

    Also, holo lens isn't a marketable product for a VERY long time. Morpheus? 2016. Occulus Rift? 2016. Everything else? By 2016. Hololens won't be nearly as affordable as these other VR tech either.

    For me, Microsoft's conference was good...if you like CGI trailers and terrible Gears of War demos. Halo 5 looked good though.

    Avatar image for humanity
    Humanity

    21858

    Forum Posts

    5738

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 40

    User Lists: 16

    No one wins press conferences. It's a buzz-term used to attract site traffic.

    Avatar image for twolines
    TwoLines

    3406

    Forum Posts

    319

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 5

    I have 20 Xbox 360 games. I would play only 1 game from that pile using BC. So... meh. I really don't care.

    Avatar image for substance_d
    Substance_D

    370

    Forum Posts

    167

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #15  Edited By Substance_D

    I sort of agree. I'm interested in The Last Guardian, but couldn't care less about FF7 remake or Shenmue 3. However, Horizon: Zero Dawn looks a lot more interesting than the stuff Microsoft showed off...but their first party output is still weak compared to Microsoft. I'm sure Scalebound and the new Crackdown will be great but they delayed talking about those until Gamescom which makes me think those are late 2016 games if not later.

    Avatar image for aldo_q
    aldo_q

    152

    Forum Posts

    54

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    #16  Edited By aldo_q

    Personally I found all three console makers to have interesting showings. I was impressed with the BC announcement and wish Sony would do the same (but know they won't). I also think in the case of the 360 it might be a bigger deal then it normally would. As somebody who has a massive 360 back catalog I find this interesting. The main reason I stopped playing some games is that the 360 just got to slow and painful to operate compared to the new consoles.

    Having said all that, I moved from the 360 to the PS4 recently (and own all consoles before this generation, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Sega and some older stuff) and this is the first generation where I might not get all consoles. I'll probably get a Wii U for some exclusive games, but not sure I will still get an Xbox One now... Last generation I had the PS3 for it's exclusives and mainly used the 360, and if I see how much dust the PS3 collected due to that I am sure my Xbox One will have the same fate.

    I think more people are like me. On the one hand the BC is huge to get the 360 crowd moving to the One. But a lot, like me, probably already picked and it might just be to late... and with exclusives more and more being 'timed' or just DLC based there is less and less intensive to own all consoles.

    All 3 consoles to me look good however. It just seems gaming really got a boost again... I do wish the consoles would focus more on Indie games like Steam... Since I still think some of the most interesting games are only found on the PC.

    Avatar image for subwayd
    SubwayD

    927

    Forum Posts

    123

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 27

    Yeah. This about sums up my feelings on the big three this year, other than my own lack of interest in VR and AR.

    I planned on getting a PS4 at some point, but after the Sony show, it looks like there's still at least a year or two before the really big, unique games that interest me will hit the system.

    In the mean time, I'm rather excited for the Microsoft Gamescom show. That appears to be the place where they'll be talking more about their 2016 line up.

    Avatar image for dragon_puncher
    Dragon_Puncher

    692

    Forum Posts

    15

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 6

    Besides BC, Cuphead looking amazing and Sea of Pirates at least looking interesting, the Microsoft conference really didn't have a whole lot.

    Both Halo and the Gears demo was pretty unimpressive, the Elite controller is 150$ and Hololens is both years of and seem to have much more limited appliance to games than regular VR.

    The Microsoft partnership with Oculus is also complete fluff so far. Using a Xbox controller in VR instead of motion controllers sounds like a half experience. Overall the Microsoft conference wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly amazing.

    E3 is the biggest gaming event of the year and "winning it" is about creating hype and making a splash that causes headlines that get out to as many gamers as possible (also the ones not watching the confrences). Nobody was even close to Sony in that regard this year.

    Avatar image for civid
    civid

    872

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    About backwards compatability and your claim that, "Comparatively, Nintendo straight up charges their users per title for similar functionality"

    Yeah, so that just isn't true. The Wii U have had backwards compatability from Day 1. It's true you can download Wii titles on the eShop, but any and all Wii discs are compatible with the Wii U and ready to play on an emulated Wii. Christ the old Wii shop itself is available on the Wii U. I think MS's step towards being more consumer friendly is important, but I worry that its just a gesture of good will and nothing else. Will be exciting to see where the feature is at in a years time.

    Otherwise I agree with you, for me this was the E3 that made me want a Xbox One over a PS4. That doesn't mean I want any of them yet mind you.

    Avatar image for kubqo
    kubqo

    486

    Forum Posts

    867

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    If i ever came out of E3 wanted to buy a device, it was this year, and it is Xbox One.

    Avatar image for zidd
    zidd

    1940

    Forum Posts

    2905

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 24

    In terms of what you can play by the end of the year I think Microsoft had a great lineup. Sony had mostly games for 2016 and beyond,.

    Avatar image for pyrodactyl
    pyrodactyl

    4223

    Forum Posts

    4

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Microsoft had an interesting showing. Xbox, not so much. Gears, halo, same old shit I got tired of last generation. Everything else will come out on PC. I don't have a good PC or an Xbox one and Microsoft made a strong case for PC even at more than twice the price. VR, Xcom, fallout with all the mods and all the Microsoft games I actually want to play.

    Avatar image for zeushbien
    zeushbien

    821

    Forum Posts

    13

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    Microsoft has games coming out, I'll give them that. It's just that it's sequels to the same tired franchises they've had for years. Doesn't do anything for me, sorry.

    Avatar image for deactivated-582d227526464
    deactivated-582d227526464

    835

    Forum Posts

    1394

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 6

    As someone who doesn't like Halo, Gears, or Fable all that much, Microsoft didn't have much for me. I can recognize from an outside perspective that it was an impressive showing though. This year felt like Microsoft and Sony spent most of their press conferences preaching to their fans. For Mircosoft, it was western gaming fans and for Sony, it was the fans of eastern titles. While Microsoft has more 2015 titles, I doubt if you're a rabid Shemue 3 fan you care about Microsoft's exclusive lineup at all. I think the "winning" of E3 really just depends on what side of the fence you fall on.

    Hololens looks dope.

    Avatar image for nardak
    Nardak

    947

    Forum Posts

    29

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    Okay a few comments as to your points:

    Make no mistake, Backwards Compatibility is huge. The ability to run your back catalogue of Xbox360 games, natively, for free, with existing game saves and achievements is a huge effing deal. It’s a commitment to their fans that goes beyond lip service and gives non-owners another reason to own Xbox One. Comparatively, Nintendo straight up charges their users per title for similar functionality and the PS4 relies on a streaming service that still requires a subscription from their consumers above and beyond their standard network plan. Sure, the entire catalogue hasn’t been verified and is case by case, but the same is true for Sony and Nintendo and they are still charging you for it on top of that - and have to rely on streaming quality to boot.

    From what I have heard there will be about 100 games that will be backwards compatible by the end of this year. So it will be at least a couple of years until you can enjoy a bigger library of backwards compatible games on your Xbox One. Also there is a question of how well the xbox 360 games will actually run on Xbox One. The Mass Effect game that they showed runs at 10 fps in some places on the Xbox One (according to Digital Foundry article).

    HoloLens is real. More importantly it has practical applications for gaming that nothing else is offering in terms of AR, but more importantly, it works (at least based on impressions from live demos from the floor so far). Sony could answer with their own version, but given their focus on developing and investing in Morpheus why would they? Which means Microsoft is the only platform that will be offering an AR experience of this calibre to the market (not to entirely discount 3DS of course).

    Hololens while being a very cool technology is still not in a production stage. It could be at least 1 or 2 years until people will have a consumer version of Hololens in their hands. Also according to the rumours its price will be probably somewhere between 400 to 800 dollars. Games also have to support it in order for the Hololens to be actually useful.

    Finally I am not sure how one can come to the conclusion that Windows 10 will mean that Microsoft will finally support PC gamers. Microsoft didnt announce any PC specific games at their press conference (aside from an old Gears port). The reason why people will get Windows 10 is because it is the only platform which enables you to play PC games in general. Linux isnt really a viable alternative if you want to play games on your PC.

    Also I wouldnt call enabling early access on Xbox One a great thing since it will mean that incomplete games will be now available on Xbox One and you dont even have a choiche for refund if the game is bad.

    Avatar image for flameboy84
    flameboy84

    959

    Forum Posts

    53

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #26  Edited By flameboy84

    @ei8htbit You sir are bang on the money!

    I think they had the best showing out of the platform holders. As I wrote on twitter I'll decide if Sony "won" E3 2015 in 2018 when all their big hitters from the press conference are finally out. Although I guess there is a case to made for Sony winning E3 but Microsoft winning 2015; two very different things. People really need to look at this more what's happening in the here and now, arguably this is the second year in a row Microsoft have knocked it out of the park.

    I've always maintained I got the Xbox One because the launch line up was stronger and with the promise of the likes of Sunset Overdrive the first year was far more appealing. E3 just maintained that view for me. They have 7 great exclusives out in the second half of 2015!

    Rare Replay looks great, insane value they easily could have chunked these off by generation and sold each collection for the same price and people would still have been happy! The presentation looks top notch, there are ton of developer diaries on there, also love the NES Remix style challenges that are in. You'd like to think they will be closely following players achievements and see what games are getting beaten and may let that inform future game decisions. Whilst this collection is great for us older games (I remember Knightlore!) it's also introducing those franchises to whole new generation and it'll be interesting to see what resonates with people.

    Sea of Thieves on the other hand doesn't interest me at all and I'm fearful that this could be Rare's last chance saloon so to speak. They've likely been gagging to make new games and if this doesn't sell well then you gotta wonder what the future means for them, with all their past titles out there in a cheap collection.

    I'm looking forward to playing Gears of War for the first time. I've mostly sucked at the beta but I'm slowly getting better.

    Halo 5 looks great and is definitely spurring me on to finish off the rest of MCC (only for 4 and ODST left to play) in time for it's release. Warzone mode looks like my sort of fun. I'm all for this branching out into new game modes in shooters, that's why I liked Titanfall and it's AI trappings.

    Backwards compatibility is awesome and from the sounds of things by the time it properly launches there should be 100s of titles out there. With more and more coming out in batches of 100. Also Bethesda and Ubisoft seem to have set a fantastic precedent with Fallout 3 coming with Fallout 4 and both Rainbow Six Vegas games coming with Rainbow Six Siege. As someone who didn't own a 360 I'm pretty happy.

    It's also insane to think that whilst Microsoft did show off some new stuff for next year and perhaps beyond they also held back two huge 2016 releases in Quantum Break and Crackdown for Gamescom. Not to compare too much to Sony but that's clearly not the case with them.

    This isn't even mentioning third party titles; I've got Fallout 4 and Star Wars Battlefront preordered too! I've also missed out Hololens...for me the Minecraft demo didn't do much as I'm not a fan of that franchise. However the Halo thing that's been described by Jeff and Brad on the live shows has got me psyched.

    Avatar image for meptron
    meptron

    1343

    Forum Posts

    5654

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 3

    User Lists: 17

    #28  Edited By meptron

    Bethesda won E3

    Avatar image for nime
    Nime

    567

    Forum Posts

    386

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    As far as console exclusives go, Horizon was really the only thing in the whole show that interested me. Neither conference has changed my view that I still don't need either console yet.

    Avatar image for ajgorak
    ajgorak

    24

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @karkarov: You're absolutely right. About the losing E3 part. That doesn't exist. I disagree about Microsoft's exclusives, but that's such a subjective thing. I can't make you enjoy the games exclusive to Xbox.

    For me, the Sony conference showing The Last Guardian, Final Fantasy VII and Shenmue 3 meant that a large portion of their conference was just nothing to me, but it'd be stupid to suggest Sony lost E3 because I personally don't care about those remakes/sequels. They were legitimately big announcements which will make a lot of people happy, but I have no connection to those franchises. At the same time, I'm tentatively excited about getting my hands on Horizon, and I'll be picking up every Uncharted game they release. No Man's Sky and Firewatch are definitely on my list as well.

    While I think the Microsoft exclusives were stronger, and there were significantly more games I want to play showcased at Microsoft's conference, not everyone is going to think the same. People need to stop acting as if there's some objective metric by which to claim a victory.

    Avatar image for zlatko
    Zlatko

    131

    Forum Posts

    1

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #31  Edited By Zlatko

    I felt the exact opposite. It reaffirmed I made a good decision to sell my XB1.

    Gears 4 looked like a snooze. Gears 1 ultimate being on PC as well means I don't need it now. No new IP's for my game tastes, and the other IP's I do want to see more of were not there.

    Sony on the other hand just kept shelling out game after game after game, and more content for third parties I won't get on other platforms. Uncharted 4, Horizon, Last Guardian, Shenmue 3, Street Fighter 5, and the list goes on and on.

    Nintendo sucked the hardest imo. Aside from Smash DLC...yeah. Weak.

    Avatar image for bradbrains
    BradBrains

    2277

    Forum Posts

    583

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #32  Edited By BradBrains

    Felt much better about this e3 than last. I feel like we're really in the thick of this generation

    I still think backwards compatibility is more a bullet point than a feature most will use. You do t make much money off of backwards compatability.

    Also the elite controller Is way to expensive for most people to care about

    Avatar image for thepanzini
    ThePanzini

    1384

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Backwards Compatibility, Hololens, The Elite Controller and Win10 wins E3, so why do I need to buy X1?

    To me E3 is about selling the next year and beyond, MS seemed more interested in getting 360 owners to upgrade.

    Oct 23 AC, Oct 27 Halo, Nov 03 Need for Speed, Nov 06 COD, Nov 10 Fallout, Tomb Raider, Nov 17 Star Wars Battlefront, who's bright idea was that?

    Avatar image for fearmyflop
    FearMyFlop

    126

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    The more they fight to out-do each other the more we win.

    Avatar image for alexgbro
    AlexGBRO

    461

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    MS e3 conf was about getting x360 owners to get a xone, and thet had the right announcement (BC xbox 360 games, 349$ price, halo 5, etc.)

    On the VR side they were smart to announce that valve support but that is Win10 thing same goes for the rift and the AR device

    Your pc will power that Rift or the Vive not your Xbox one

    On the HoloLens side i think it was a nice showing but that divice work independently also it will expensive, remember google glass was expensive

    Avatar image for darkmoney52
    darkmoney52

    111

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I'm not too interested in backwards compatibility, I still have my 360 after all. Likewise for their over priced controller. Where I will agree with OP is on Microsoft's ability to actually offer content in the near future. The new Halo looks pretty good, and I'm sure Forza will be solid as always. You could counter that by saying Sony has some cool titles ready for the next couple years, but so does Microsoft. It just so happens that Microsoft doesn't need to rely on that.

    Overall it has nudged me towards buying an Xbone.

    Avatar image for notnert427
    notnert427

    2389

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 1

    #37  Edited By notnert427

    Good post, @ei8htbit. You made a bunch of good points in a non-fanboy/console war kind of way. I'm an Xbox guy, so it's nice to see the console finally getting some love (though some of the early criticisms were warranted). Backwards compatibility is huge. I'm not giving MS full credit on it until they actually deliver the titles this holiday and beyond, but this feature is potentially fantastic. There were a ton of great 360 games, many of which I missed. I haven't yet hit a spot with the Xbox One where I've felt bored in between major releases, but BC helps ensure that if that happens, I can catch up on the 360 backlog or replay some old classics, and that's awesome. Hololens (while probably years off and perhaps only semi-applicable to actual gaming) looked cool as shit, and they're seemingly well-positioned with AR/VR stuff however that all shakes out. Most importantly, they brought games that are actually coming out very soon. Forza 6, Halo 5, And Tomb Raider are three big-ass games to play THIS year. Checkmark there. Cool indie game? Check? Interesting new IP? Check. The crazy part is, MS didn't even show Scalebound or Crackdown when I'm sure they could have thrown together something for each and announced some nebulous release window to "win" E3 even more. Overall, MS had a great E3, which was refreshing because their PR is usually a shitshow.

    In terms of the PS4, I think your "political candidate promising to lower taxes" comment was spot-on. Much of Sony's E3 was hype for stuff that's way down the road, which is fine for what's essentially a marketing expo, but you can't play hype. The biggest news in terms of something hitting soon was Persona 5 getting a non-specified 2015 release date, but it isn't exactly confidence-inspiring for them not to have a date nailed down at this point in the year. Maybe they're just saving that for TGS, but it could also mean they're just hoping for 2015 right now. No Man's Sky looks awesome, but it's all but confirmed to be 2016 at the earliest at this point. Uncharted 4 also looks great, but again, 2016. Horizon seems cool, but again, 2016 at the earliest. I'm glad people are excited for the FF7 remake, but I feel like all the people bitching about remakes are the same ones who went apeshit over this one, so I'm confused. I'm not sure how much (if any) credit Sony should get for Shenmue III, given that it's being crowdfunded and way off in the future. And The Last Guardian? They're in Duke Nukem Forever territory. Two of Sony's biggest E3 reveals were basically "hey, you should help fund this kickstarter" and "this game still exists", and that's not great. Gran Turismo 7? Crickets, which means probably 2017, if not later. There appears to be little to no reason for anyone to buy a PS4 this year if you don't already have one.

    This time last year, everyone (including me) was saying that 2015 would be the PS4's year, but it looks like we're back to "just wait until next year!" territory again. (Bloodborne remains the only PS4 game I personally feel like I'm missing out on, but DSII: SotFS is presently scratching that itch.) It seems inevitable that there will come a day when the PS4 realizes its potential, but that day keeps being pushed back, and MS keeps making huge strides. "Greatness Awaits" is the most unintentionally fitting tagline for the PS4. I fully expected to own a PS4 by now, and the money to buy it is sitting here burning a hole in my pocket. The problem is, I'm still awaiting the greatness, and in the meantime, my Xbox One keeps getting more awesome. The bungled launch of the Xbox One was the best thing that could have happened to the Xbox One. I don't think backwards compatibility is even a feature they try for otherwise. If you back MS into a corner, apparently badass shit happens. Meanwhile, Sony seems perfectly content to just point to their overall sales of the PS4, so the pendulum is swinging back the other way.

    I must admit there's a part of me that enjoys seeing the shoe on the other foot a bit after a bunch of people piled on the "fuck Microsoft" bandwagon and stayed on it WAY too long, but I'm genuinely hoping the PS4 comes through soon so that MS doesn't get into a position where they can do exactly what Sony is doing right now (and given the opportunity, I fully believe they would). It sure looks like the Xbox One is poised to win another holiday, but that won't be a good thing if it simply allows MS to coast for 2016 and doesn't give Sony a kick in the ass. We're all better off when they're trying to outdo each other, as @fearmyflop mentioned. It's been MS who needed to do something special for a while, and they've kinda done that because they had to. It's looking like it's about to be Sony's turn to push the envelope, and here's hoping they do.

    Avatar image for nashvilleskyline
    Nashvilleskyline

    353

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I agree 100% to everything you said in your post.

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.