Gamers logo

Behind The Spectacle of E3: The Promises That We're Still Waiting For

The news that E3 2017 would be open to the public was an incredible move by the venue, and should drive up the excitement level from fans.

By Matthew BaileyPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
Like

Last year I was able to travel to #E3, and as a lover of games it was everything that it was made out to be. Filled with legions of similar-minded gamers, bloggers and insiders; E3 felt like walking into the Parthenon in Ancient Rome, or Valhalla surrounded by the legendary Norse gods. It's a sensation that is hard to explain, as it's really something that every gamer hopes to experience at least once in their lifetime.

Aside from the countless testing stations, expansive set designs, crowded walkways and seizure inducing plethora of lights and sounds that would make even the most focused person turn their head to take it all in - E3 is known for being one of the largest platforms for game studios to announce or introduce what they have planned for games in the following year.

With how major of an event E3 has always been, the news that E3 2017 would be open to the public was an incredible move by the venue, and should drive up the excitement level even further, as countless other gamers can now experience first hand some of the upcoming games and witness the massively scaled venues to promote developers. Yet with all the excitement E3 is where every gamer's hopes, dreams and disappointments are created.

Studios and developers like to make promises, but don't always follow through.

We've all said things that we can't back up; whether it's against the bully on the playground in elementary (or primary for my European friends), or to a hiring manager at the big job interview. Perhaps it's a white lie or a blatant one - regardless, we've all been there, so why should game developers be any different?

E3 2016 was filled with some pretty lofty promises from the biggest developers, and even though they may have had the best intentions there were a few that fell short. Everything from the biggest and best new consoles to backlogged games that seemed trapped in development hell, these promises filled gamers around the world with hopes and dreams but also wound up disappointing many when the ball was dropped and things changed.

E3 2016 [Credit: Sony Press Conference]

When Sony took over the Shrine Auditorium to deliver their 60 minute presentation to showcase a lineup of games that were expected to show just how 'transformative' Sony was. The show was certainly flashy and delivered several beautiful peeks at some promising games. Some of the promising games have arrived on time, some pushed back and others haven't been heard from since. Even though #Sony was able to deliver on big games with Horizon Zero Dawn and Resident Evil 7 we're still sadly waiting on games like:

  • God of War
  • Days Gone
  • The Last Guardian
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • Final Fantasy VR

Now that's not to say that Sony wasn't successful in delivering a stellar offering of games and updates since E3 2016, but it goes to the point that promises aren't always kept - especially in the gaming world.

E3 2016 [Credit: Xbox Press Conference]

One of the biggest promises that was made came from the Microsoft presentation. Hideki Kamiya, Creative Director for Platinum Games, came on stage to present a preview of Scalebound. This was to be #Microsoft's biggest 2017 release, and could have been one of the best games on the Xbox system. The game looked beautiful, and we eagerly anticipated the release of the game that was announced two years prior. Sadly though, Scalebound won't be 2017's biggest hit as it will never be released and was cancelled on January 9, 2017.

Even though Scalebound fell into the trash, Microsoft did deliver on promises like Dead Rising 4, We happy Few, Battlefield 1 & ReCore so it just goes to prove that even with the promises each studio has made, they do meet the expectations.

What's coming in 2017?

We don't really know quite yet, but we can speculate that Microsoft will come out strong with their upcoming console Project Scorpio and a few upcoming games like Forza 7, Sea of Thieves (which was very popular at E32016), Tomb Raider or Halo something.

While Sony hopefully follows through and delivers on some of the games that never happened from last year like God of War, Detroit: Become Human while also bringing new content like Last of Us 2, Death Stranding and Days Gone.

Whatever happens this year, we all know that E3 is a place of promises, and sometimes the studios follow through while other times they don't.

new releases
Like

About the Creator

Matthew Bailey

Husband. Father. Gamer. Cinema Lover. Mix it all together, and there I am. I love all things pop-culture and coffee; but coffee is the best.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.