STACK #129 Jul 2016

GAMES

FEATURE

visit www.stack.net.au

A Show To End All Shows? Was E3 2015 good? You bet. We had boots on the ground in Los Angeles to cover it and tell you why it was the best show in years.

The rumours leading up to E3 suggested that publishers would be all about content, content, content; and it needed to be. Big generation-defining releases for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have been lacking since the consoles launched in 2013, so anticipation (and demand) for quality new-gen titles was at fever pitch. Much of that was satiated, with Bethesda breaking with tradition and holding its own event at the home of the Oscars, The Dolby Theatre, on the Sunday prior to E3. The publisher revealed a roster of big-hitters including one of the most anticipated games of the show, Fallout 4 . The traditional Monday press conference day followed, and rolled out a succession of announcements that literally sent members of the audience into an uncontrollable frenzy – widespread tears of joy were shed when the Final Fantasy VII remake was revealed (watch the YouTube videos). If Microsoft and Sony were playing a competitive soccer match, after a well-contested 90 minutes with many game-

I t's customary for attendees of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, held annually in Los Angeles, to conduct a post mortem once the doors have closed on another year of showcasing the video games and related tech we can expect to be playing over the next twelve months and beyond. Journalists, retailers and industry analysts dissect the highs and lows of the show that, in recent times, has failed to deliver on pre-event promises. This year, however, was different. Aside from the most ardent pessimists, there would be few who wouldn’t agree that it was one of the best in recent memory. Its location in the show business capital of the world increases the focus and interest on E3, with Hollywood luminaries as keen as the most fervent gamer to peruse the latest advancements in technology and creativity in the video game industry. According to the Electronic Software Association (ESA), in 2015, over 52,000 visitors from 109 countries visited the show to watch and play 1,600 products from

300 exhibitors. Social media played its part with 7.5 million likes on Instagram, over 1 million videos posted to YouTube, and 6.3 million Tweets reported.

JULY 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

062