Microsoft Loses E3 to Sony!

Microsoft and Sony did their thing yesterday. During their press conferences, stuff was announced, surprise reveals were aplenty, release “dates” were given, consoles where shown; after all that’s said and done, E3 has a clear victor (and it wasn’t Ubisoft this time)!

I’m not going to go into everything that was said or shown. Though the games that were announced will get their place on our site, we’ll talk about E3 in more detail via our podcast later tonight. No, today I want to hit on the highlights that lead to Sony’s victory over Microsoft. 

To be fair, I have to commend MS for focusing on games this time around. The first title that was actually shown was Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Here we got to see gameplay footage that was sped up to showcase the open world elements and new stealth mechanics. Things like dynamic weather changes, wildlife, and adaptive enemies help to give a more realistic experience then what’s normally found in a MGS title. On top of that the graphics were top notch. Not a system seller (it isn’t an exclusive) but it does utilize the Kinect in some fashion.

Another title we saw had to do with Roman soldiers in an all-out battle akin to American soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy! This new Crytek title, called Ryse: Son of Rome, deals with Roman warfare on a grand scale; gamers can command large groups of soldiers via the Kinect. Be able to guard against raining arrows 300 style was pretty cool. I was a bit concerned about the fact that every other attack from the main character involved a floating button prompt though. That many QTE-like elements could bring down an otherwise awesome looking title.

ryse-son-of-rome-screen

We also got to see more of Remedy’s new title, Quantum Break. This title will integrate a TV drama (yes, there will be live action parts) and gameplay into one immersive experience. How you play the game will impact the show, while the show informs how you play the game…at least that’s what MS said. Sounds similar to what Defiance is doing, just all within one title. The cutsence hinted at time manipulation, some sort of secret group or agency, and maybe even a supernatural element. Unfortunately, there was no gameplay so I can’t say whether these things are actual game mechanics.

Battlefield 4 and Forza Motorsport 5 were shown as well. Though their inclusion wasn’t shocking per say, what was shown was great. Battlefield was running at 60 fps and featured some amazing graphics. Forza 5 looked just as good; though it was running using the game’s engine, I couldn’t tell if it was actual gameplay being shown.

There were some surprises that I didn’t expect to see, namely Killer Instinct, Halo 5 (called Halo Xbox One for now) and Dead Rising 3. Dead Rising 3 looked though what got me excited was the gameplay itself. The number of zombies onscreen that actually look different from one another was staggering. The destructible environments were a plus as well; seeing the zombies crash through a fence in real time was epic!

dead-rising-3-screen

Killer Instinct did get some love even if it only was shown so we could see how Microsoft had implemented Twitch recording. As for Halo 5, all we got was a teaser. To be honest, that’s really all was needed as it’s sure to be a bigger seller for MS.

halo-xbox-one-reveal-screen

There were other things announced for the system (we got to see awesome gameplay footage of Titanfall) but the biggest news had to do with the system’s price. The Xbox One will cost $499. For me, that’s a bit pricey…especially if you consider the mandatory check-ins online and the confusing used game model.

Next up was Sony and there is really no need to wait till the end to say this – Sony hit Microsoft hard last night. The first blow came from the PS4’s price; their system will run gamers $399…100 bucks cheaper than the Xbox One. If that was a gut shot, then the uppercut came later on when Jack Tretton got back on stage. He told the world that “We’re equally focused on delivering what gamers want most, without imposing restrictions or devaluing their PS4 purchases”. You don’t need to be connected online to play (nor do you have to check in every 24hrs) and you can trade ALL of the PS4’s games.

ps4-system

This news alone is the main reason why I plan on personally getting a PS4 for my family. I like the idea of own the content that I buy way more than being able to play a fancy exclusive title. That said, Sony did have some nice titles to show. Of course, inFAMOUS: Second Son and KillZone Shadow Fall were there. Kingdom Hearts 3 announced as an exclusive was a big win for Sony though. Heck, the last true KH game was on the PS2 (I don’t count the smaller titles, though they were good). We didn’t get to see any gameplay footage of The Order: 1886, but the setting seemed cool. It featured a steampunk like world in England…and what looked like werewolves. They also showed off a lot of cool looking indie games and promised even more when the system launches later this year!

Adding to this were some non-exclusives like the new Mad Max game, Assassin’s Creed: BlackFlag, Bungie’s Destiny, Final Fantasy Versus XIII (finally) and more. The only thing that seemed to bother fans was the fact that PlayStation Plus will cost $50 a year to play online. Which makes sense; in order to improve the online structure and continue to offer free games, discounts, and more Sony was going to need to charge people. Doesn’t bother me as it’s the subscription holds great value when compared to what’s being offered from Microsoft.

kingdom-hearts-3-screen

This year’s E3 wasn’t all about the games, at least not in the general sense. This E3 was about consumer rights. Yes, we saw great games from just about everyone. And yes, the price of the consoles matters. But the big questions all had to do with what it meant to own a game going forward. I’m happy with Sony’s stance on the subject and hope that MS reconsiders their policy before the system launched in November. As it stands, I won’t be buying an Xbox One…though I really want to play Dead Rising 3!

Update: Kingdom Hearts 3 is also going to Xbox One it seems!

© United Front Gaming. All rights reserved. Site design by: 801red