E3 stands for Electronic Entertainment Expo. It happens each year at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year was an interesting one, considering a fleet of new gaming consoles came out for both Microsoft and Sony since the last E3. Instead of any boredom hitting the crowds and making them fall asleep, a lot of excitement was had. This has also been the year of manifesting virtual reality, making it look realistic again.
Of all three major gaming icons, Microsoft went first, then came Sony, who wooed the crowds, and finally Nintendo, who showed more than a pulse! Microsoft announced the Master Chief edition of all the Halo games, as well as a mention of Halo 5; both of which made the crowds go wild. In between stages of calm and quiet came more roar-inducing titles such as racing game sequel Forza Horizon 2 was announced, and punk rock adventure Sunset Overdrive. Also from the makers of Halo: Combat Evolved, Bungie, get ready for Destiny, a game set in a universe where mankind is on the precipice of extinction.
While Microsoft was more about the games, Sony had more than just new titles to announce. Its new super small streaming TV and gaming console, PS TV, is officially for sale in the U.S. after being launched in Japan a couple years ago without much enthusiasm. Game wise, Sony had some awesome announcements to make, including Little Big Planet 3, horror adventure Bloodborne from the Dark Souls creator, and an indie sci-fi adventure No Man’s Sky.
Nintendo stepped up to the plate, and basically announced every new game, or new game sequel title that Nintendo fans have been craving for years. A new brand, called Splatoon, is a family-friendly online shooter that involves paintballs. Everyone seems super happy about The Legend Of Zelda, Star fox, Mario Party 10, and Super Smash Bros.
Many sources point to either Sony or Nintendo for winning the E3 prize of “best in show”. Sony had more to offer than Microsoft when it came to hardware and software. However, some think the two were “setting the stage” for the big finale, Nintendo’s press conference. Nintendo needed an ego boost after its slow launch of the Wii U. I think it got it at E3.