E3 2013: Conference report

E3 2013: Conference report

Photo: DR

If you usually don’t stay up to date with the latest video game news, you should know that every year, a major trade show dedicated to video games is held in Los Angeles: we’re talking about the E3.

Sony

The conference schedule means a good amount of coffee, ingenious ways to avoid falling asleep (use your imagination), tiredness that needs to be well managed, specially for the Europeans who had to wait until 3 am to (finally) see the Sony conference start. So, thanks, jet lag.

It’s a vigorous Jack Tretton who enthusiastically welcomed everyone in this small audience who was eager to find out more. Were we going to get to see the PS4? Which new games not yet presented will be visible? Will we already dig the grave of the dead on arrival PS Vita? Lots of questions with lots of answers given during 2 very busy hours.

First of all, the PS3 and the PS Vita. The first one will prepare for an energetic journey to the retirement home, together with games such as Gran Turismo 6, Rain, Beyond Two Souls and GTA V. As for the second one, it seems that purgatory is continuing to get better and better. A lot of remakes (such as the GOW Collection, FFX, FF X-2, The Walking Dead), and a few new titles that, except for Tearaway, raise more than a few eyebrows instead of real excitement.

But this was not the main purpose of this conference either, let’s just admit it. After the usual blah blah about how they’re going to get a lot of attention (just like Microsoft), it finally came the time to discover the look of the new PS4. Nothing had been leaked, and although we’re far from the competitor’s internet router design, we still have the same black-colored theme. At first glance, it vaguely resembles the PStwo (PS2 Slim), featuring a combination of matte and glossy plastic.

It is worth mentioning that the conference took place when it was 3 am in France. Fortunately for the brave who were still standing, there were plenty of beautiful things to discover.

After a quick overview of some of the games that were already presented (Killzone Shadow fall, Infamous Second Son, Drive Club, Knack), it was with The Order 1886 that the first hit of this conference took place. Of course, it is just a simple trailer, but it promises a very interesting foundation on what the completed game could be. In what looks like England in the Victorian era, we find a squad armed to the teeth ready to face an enemy of whom we will only see a silhouette, and whose shape is far from human. We can only wait until we know a little more to be truly enthusiastic about it.

It was then Square Enix who provided us with another reason to celebrate. Everything began when Tetsuya Nomura presented us what seems to be Final Fantasy Versus XIII, after which he specified that the game at issue would become Final Fantasy XV. It’s amazing how a new game can bring hope to a series that seemed to be needing a second wind. Excellent decision made by Sony, since they say that it will be available exclusively on PS3 and PS4. The Square Enix moment ended with the release of a video of the new Kingdom Hearts.

Ubi Soft also joined the party by offering two new gameplay phases of Watchdogs (last year’s E3 surprise game) and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. While the former has been raising the expectations more and more, the latter seems to be relying on the success of the series, which no longer needs to be proven.

Mad Max is certainly the game that surprised the most people. A desert wasteland, a modified car, a dead man, that’s all it takes to understand that the vibe of the movie will be present. A new open world (definitely a trend this year) that will be developed by Avalanche Studios, to whom we owe the Just Cause series. This is certainly good news for a team that is well versed in open worlds.

Sony has also reserved a special place for independent developers. Between the new SuperGiant Game (Bastion), Transistor (expected in 2014) and the presence of games such as Don’t Starve, Octo Dad or the remake of Oddworld (also available on Xbox One), Sony no longer wants to leave independents behind.

For the moment, Sony is certainly far from being the best when it comes to transitions, since it was the turn of Destiny, Bungie’s (Halo) new project, to be presented with a gameplay preview. Quite effective, both graphically and in terms of scenario, it shows two soldiers on a journey to explore a structure that seemed abandoned at first glance. A few well-placed gunfight sequences ensue so as to make you want to know more about it. Especially since the ambition of the project is there, aiming to promote both multiplayer and cooperative gameplay. It is scheduled for 2014.

Lastly, the most applauded revelation of the conference came from the fact that the PS4 will allow second hand gaming, resale and the possibility of lending games to a friend. It’s a bit sad. The other widely celebrated announcement came from the announced price: $400/€, which is $100/€ less than the Xbox One. A clearly aggressive offer in this regard, and one that will play a very important role, at least during the launch period. Moreover, the PS4 is scheduled for release this winter all over the world.

Sony seems to have taken a real edge over its competitors, even if it is not for the right reasons.

Published on 24 June 2013
Last update : 5 November 2020

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