With the curtains officially closed on E3, we decided to compile a list of our top 5 best moments in E3 history. However, selecting just five moments out of hundreds (perhaps thousands) was much more difficult than anticipated. Nevertheless, we found five awesome moments deserving of such an honor. Without further ado, let's take one last look at the Electronic Entertainment Expo's greatest moments.
The 5 Greatest Moments In E3 History
4. Nintendo Press Conference – E3 2004
The former president and COO of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, took the stage and uttered these words:
“My name is Reggie. I'm about kicking ass. I'm about taking names. And we're about making games!” After that legendary moment, we were treated to the following reveals:
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
- Resident Evil 4
- Super Mario 64 DS (Known as Super Mario 64 x4
- Metroid Prime Hunters
- Killer 7
- TLoZ: Twilight Princess (Though not called TP at the time)
And so much more. Overall, the show itself had a few lulls due to the more business nature of E3 back then. However, this also made the shows better. It made us, the viewer, feel like we were in on it with the company. It was if we knew everything going on. Nowadays, we just hear the word experience, explore new worlds, and other back-of-the-box quotes to try and excite. Something about the old E3 shows just felt more real and less of an attempt to relate with the audience.
5. Halo 2 E3 Demo – 2003
After the success of Halo Combat Evolved pushed Xbox consoles out store shelves, Bungie felt more pressure to create a better sequel. While Halo 2 received criticism at the time for its inclusion of the Arbiter, most fans agree the game was a masterpiece. And one way to show how it really improved was through its own E3 demo from 2003.
Aside from improved graphics, cinematics, voice cast and more, Halo 2 improved the gameplay on all levels. From new weapons like the Battle Rifle, to new mechanics like Dual Wielding, Halo 2 changed the game. Additionally, marine teammates now drove vehicles for you, allowing you to try out the new Gauss Warthog. Overall, Halo 2 convinced you it was worth purchasing in 9 minutes.
Many love to give credit to DOOM for what it did to the FPS genre. However, we still feel Halo deserves its fair share of praise too.
3. The Sony Playstation Conference – E3 2013
Xbox became the laughing stock of the gaming world on June 10th, 2013, after an egregious Xbox One Showcase at E3. Nobody will forget the constant muttering of the word TV and Sports, all while few games receive any time on the screen. Throw in a few technical hiccups, and a $500 price tag with a forced kinect accessory, and things get worse. In fact, we could write a novel on how bad the Xbox showcase is.
Instead, Sony stole the show by the end of the day, announcing a $400 price tag for the PS4. Additionally, players were told they'd be able to share physical games, which at the time Xbox was threatening to take away. Overall, the PS4 offered the same experience for a cheaper price, which made it more appealing to casual gamers. Unless you loved Halo or Gears of War, there wasn't enough incentive to pick up an Xbox One at the time.
However, the game lineup at the 2013 Press Conference wasn't the strongest, outside of The Last of Us, Gran Turismo 6, and a couple of other titles. Nevertheless, it still appealed to most gamers who just need a platform for the next GTA, Sports game, or Multiplayer Shooter. Regardless, we still owe it to Playstation back then from saving us from forced kinect cameras and non-shareable games.
2. $299 – E3 1995
When Sega announced a $399 USD price tag for the Sega Saturn, Sony had everything they needed to take over the industry. Later that day, Sony Executive Steve Race took to the podium, simply saying: “$299”.
Beyond that, the show itself was fairly boring. Most of it consisted of slide shows discussing the life cycle of a game. However, they did move on to show some gameplay of a few fighting games, sports titles, and a few more. Once the Playstation launched, its sleek design, comfortable controller, and impressive game library did all the convincing it needed to make Sony some serious dough.
Overall, the Playstation quickly took over the market, leading the way for Sony to capture the world with the Playstation 2.
1. Konami Press Conference – E3 2010
You though this list meant best as in top quality? You thought wrong my friend. Clearly you don't know about 1 million troops (wow).
Overall, this show is a blast to watch. From eccentric presenters, to cringe reveals, this showcase has everything you need to make you feel better about yourself. Nevertheless, Konami is still a solid video game developer. However, this show just felt like we saw the worst of what they had. Hopefully they learned the message and stick to just working on games now.
That wraps it up for our best E3 moments. Overall, we're going to miss E3, and all the wonderful games we got to see through it. However, as time passes, we must move on and accept nothing lasts forever. We certainly hope that one day video press conferences will be this fun and exciting again.
For more gaming news, visit ClutchPoints.
Follow Us
Subscribe