There’s always that moment during E3 that drags. That moment in which you’re rolling your eyes, sighing, waiting for the next big thing to come. The following games or accessories bring up those sort of moments during this gaming “holiday.”
EA Sports
(Madden NFL 16, EA)
Remember last E3 when EA spoke to Pele, a legendary football player, for what seemed like 5-10 minutes? Sure, it would be great as a separate featurette for an upcoming FIFA game, but having gamers listen to someone who probably hasn’t picked up a game controller in his life, is extremely irrelevant. And these sports games are something that most gamers probably don’t care about. Sure, talk about FIFA, Madden, and the rest of your sports lineup, but make it short and sweet. We know it’s very profitable for EA, but you don’t have to waste 10-20 minutes of your conference on it. It’s a sports game. We know what we’re getting. Talk about the new features and leave the stage, so we can get more time focused on Mass Effect: Andromeda and the new Star Wars games, for example. Take a page from Sony’s book on their coverage of the MLB The Show series; it’s short and sweet.
Just Dance Live Performances
(Just Dance 4, Ubisoft)
Once again, great. We know it’s profitable for Ubisoft, but we don’t need a terrible live performance from someone who has no idea how to sing on stage. Show off the track list in a new trailer, have some dancers on stage showcasing what’s going to be in the game, and breeze past it. Heck, have a few Assassins and Rabbids join the fun on stage to make it hilarious.
Platform “Entertainment”
Recently, Sony and Microsoft have done well to not focus on exclusive movies and television shows during their E3 conferences. Still, it’s irritating to go through as the systems are known for gaming. Otherwise, you might as well get an Apple TV or an Amazon Fire system. I don’t care about Powers, Netflix functionality, or any exclusive deals unless the shows are related to a game series that is being adapted for live action. Plus, I don’t want to hear about any gimmick regarding voice operated controls for entertainment purposes. We’ve had enough of that.
No Man’s Sky
(No Man’s Sky, Hello Games)
We’ve seen enough. After two separate moments on stage at E3, as well as time at other events, it is time to let No Man’s Sky slide and just release in August. We know what this game has to offer, and now Hello Games and Sony should let us explore this gigantic game on our own. Perhaps we could have a new trailer, just for it to be represented, and it would be nice to get a full explanation as to what mechanics the game offers. Just, not a stage demo.
Call of Duty
(Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Activision)
We know how the game is played. We know how the campaigns are structured. Heck, we know that people typically play more of the multiplayer than the single player content. We don’t need to see a long stage demo of the next Call of Duty, especially when the next installment, Infinite Warfare, is the least receptive game in the series so far with 2,858,889 dislikes on YouTube for the game’s reveal trailer. The series is oldhat, and the E3 conferences should be the showcase of what’s fresh and innovative.
Bonus: PlayStation VR’s Lackluster Lineup So Far
(PlayStation VR, Sony Interactive Entertainment)
I don’t know about you, but I’m already sick of VR. The possibilities are there, but with the announcements that Sony had during Gamescom, I was severely disappointed. For VR, I would like deeper games with expansive worlds, combat systems, and a grand storyline which uses your voice for interaction. I haven’t seen that yet. Just smaller scale projects with gimmicks, first person ride-a-thons, and a music game called Rez Infinite that has irritating music. To get me interested in VR again, I need to be wowed, but right now, I am not convinced that it will take off. Just look at PlayStation Move, Wonderbook, and PlayStation’s 3D initiative. They all failed. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me three times…
