E3 2012 Analysed: Another Bland Year, With Few Surprises

[News Portal]

This year's E3 is now wrapping up, and as we pick through the tidal wave of information for the best bits to bring to you, James Pinnell remains thoroughly unimpressed by this year's very phoned-in showing from the big players.

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[Disco LT]

Microsoft and Sony need to start moving past the 360 and the PS3 sooner rather than later.

Yes please, it seems as though the PS3 and Xbox 360 have been available since forever >.<

Edit: Fixed broken tags

[Fenryrbr]

I get the sneaking suspicion that they could be releasing the next gen consoles for Christmas. Though this is purely based on how all the awesome games (e.g. Last of Us, Watch Dogs, Starwars 1313) were shown on PC. They want to keep mum on the new consoles until the last minute, so sales don't die for 6 months while people wait for them.

Edit: Considering Last of Us is a Playstation only release I could be wrong about them showing it on PC.

[Joshsux]

I was completely unimpressed by all of it, 1 or 2 games made me go cool, But apart from that... Meh, May as well not host an E3 event if it's going to have boring "surprises"

GTA 5? New 360? New PS3? Anything else by rockstar? What's up with all that stupid voice **** 360 yapped on about for ages? I have a remote, I ain't going to be using some inaccurate voice module to search stuff when I can just do it the normal way...

The only thing I got excited for was, 360 having ESPN / Sports, South Park game, And that Watch Dogs.

[James Pinnell]

I get the sneaking suspicion that they could be releasing the next gen consoles for Christmas. Though this is purely based on how all the awesome games (e.g. Last of Us, Watch Dogs, Starwars 1313) were shown on PC. They want to keep mum on the new consoles until the last minute, so sales don't die for 6 months while people wait for them.

Edit: Considering Last of Us is a Playstation only release I could be wrong about them showing it on PC.

I know that Ubisoft has confirmed Watch Dogs for all current gen platforms.

[Fenryrbr]

I get the sneaking suspicion that they could be releasing the next gen consoles for Christmas. Though this is purely based on how all the awesome games (e.g. Last of Us, Watch Dogs, Starwars 1313) were shown on PC. They want to keep mum on the new consoles until the last minute, so sales don't die for 6 months while people wait for them.

Edit: Considering Last of Us is a Playstation only release I could be wrong about them showing it on PC.

I know that Ubisoft has confirmed Watch Dogs for all current gen platforms.

We all know that game devs never go back on what they say

[Mekon]

What are your thoughts on this year's E3?

Primarily that gaming journalists are a jaded bunch, with a misguided notion that the tails should really be wagging the dog.

I always look forward to E3 season, as there is a flood of screenshots, videos and information about upcoming titles. I've yet to be disappointed - I don't expect big surprises (and certainly didn't expect any announcements of new consoles).

Standouts of this year's E3 for me:

Beyond: Two Souls
The Last of Us
Watch Dogs

Runners-up:

God of War: Ascension
Dishonored
Simcity

Other items of interest:

Skylander's Giants (what can I say, my 9 year-old loves the original)
Guardians of Middle-Earth (bah, DOTA... but yay, Middle Earth)
LEGO Lord of the Rings (ok, I'm rather Tolkien-obsessed)
The Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan (see above)
South Park: The Stick of Truth RPG
Little Big Planet Vita (it's fun, btw)
Unfinished Swan (looks... different)
Pikmin 3 (this might actually get me considering buying my first ever Nintendo console)
Rayman Legends
LEGO Batman 2
Soul Sacrifice Vita (I'm developing a taste for weird Japanese fantasy titles)
Sony Wonderbook (I suspect my son will be all over this)
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (still waiting )

[Bronze_D]

you'd be jaded too if you had to stand and watch each of the big shots incredibly boring unveil one by one.

[Deegee]

Awesome write up. Absolutely correct and very well written.

Lots of interesting things but nothing huge. Im looking forward to The Last of Us and Sony Smash Bros! =D

[James Pinnell]

What are your thoughts on this year's E3?

Primarily that gaming journalists are a jaded bunch, with a misguided notion that the tails should really be wagging the dog.

To be fair, I am a little bit cynical - you cant write about games for years without developing a little chip on your shoulder. But at the same time, being able to be critical is the main strength of a journo, since you can look past the fanfare for the real meat on the bones.

As I wrote, my main concern is the gradual stripping down of the "games" portion of E3 and the strange curve towards the "media" part. Large swatches of all the conferences were dedicated to talking garbage about "media partnerships" and **** like Nike talking about Nike for 15 minutes.

Since all of the games bar a few had been announced before E3, there wasn't much left to say, so there was heaps of filler. Re-announcements of sequels. Renaming internal divisions. Usher playing Dance Central.

It's easy for people to say that we are the problem, since we're all grizzled and jaded, but at the same time sitting through these things has become excruciating when all we are getting tired of hearing about God of War 5 and Halo 4.

Frankly, I'd rather hear about new IP, new technologies and the future (gaming) direction of all of these major players.

Awesome write up. Absolutely correct and very well written.

Lots of interesting things but nothing huge. Im looking forward to The Last of Us and Sony Smash Bros! =D

Thanks for the kudos

[Joshsux]

Just realised, The ESPN on XBOX LIVE isn't even available in Australia... So this new one 2.0 won't be either... So there was only 2 good things to get out of E3 this year.... **** XBOX and there pathetic regional ****.

[exe3]

One of the big issues is that all the games are revealed in other events (like Game Informer) these days rather than E3. I use E3 more to get more info and videos on already announced games, gone are the days of surprise reveal after surprise reveal of games that will change the industry.

[tacitus42]

Yeah about the only thing this year I really enjoyed was the trailers.
It does happen every year though, so maybe this year just didn't have so much steam.
So odd though that Microsoft had Kanye west or whatever playing. I've seen a few odd names show up at e3 and always wondered if the gamer demographic can really be cross-referenced with the pop-music demographic all that well.
Eh.

[Lokyi]

Planetside 2 and Arma3.

That's all I need.

[Village idiot]

I get the sneaking suspicion that they could be releasing the next gen consoles for Christmas. Though this is purely based on how all the awesome games (e.g. Last of Us, Watch Dogs, Starwars 1313) were shown on PC. They want to keep mum on the new consoles until the last minute, so sales don't die for 6 months while people wait for them.

Edit: Considering Last of Us is a Playstation only release I could be wrong about them showing it on PC.

Reckon that it won't happen. That would be a bad business decision not to at least announce it by now, so a bunch of kids can start nagging parents for the next new thing that is due at Christmas.

They are less likely to sell as many units if they announce something like this a month out before Christmas, not giving parents any time to save for such a purchase. Not to mean it wouldn't sell... It just wouldn't sell as much.

My bet. No next gen for Xmas.