GAMECHANGER | E3 2018: Post-hype analysis – Part I

THE (NOT AT ALL) TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF SAVEPOINT’S (EX-)FAT (LESS? MORE?) BELOVED GUY!

Wow. It’s been a while. Right during E3.

Amid the convoluted and confusing world of personal problems, a phoenix rises on the horizon. Its name is “even more problems to solve.” And, from the confusion this phoenix brought, emerges a very crazy guy who, as usual, returned to the site with a super personal analysis of the biggest games fair and blah blah blah.

This Gamechanger will be split into two parts. In the first, I will do a TOTALLY HYPE-CURED analysis of E3 for the Publishers: Devolver, Square Enix, Ubisoft, EA and Bethesda. In part two, we will tackle the industry’s major players: Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony.

Without further ado.

EA

wat.

That was the reaction I had. We know EA always has the same old stuff blah blah blah. It was a recovery presentation, almost an “my bad”. Little was REALLY new, besides Anthem gameplay, BioWare’s new game that looks like the child of Monster Hunter World and Destiny, which got me quite excited. But, overall, it was a rather weak presentation, perhaps disappointing. The high point was the constant hammering of “NO LOOTBOXES.” To my ears, it sounded like: “WE SCREWED UP, SORRY.”

BETHESDA

Wow. Simply wow. Despite the meh points of the presentation (Elder Scrolls card game? Pffffffffffff), we had some pretty impressive moments. A new DOOM, new Wolfenstein II DLCs… And, of course, Fallout 76.

I still don’t understand how Todd Howard doesn’t have a parallel career as a TED presenter or stand-up comedian, because this guy is the definition of a showman! He graced us with a very direct, light and good-humored presentation of Fallout 76. Besides that, he showed us the two projects coming after Fallout 76. The first is Starfield, clearly a Fallout/Elder Scrolls/FPRPG, but set in Space, and, of course, The Elder Scrolls 6.

What sold me on this presentation was precisely the way the content was presented. And when I say content, I am clearly ignoring the existence of two logos that appeared at the end of the presentation. I, who am not a big Fallout fan, felt tempted to get Fallout 76 (even after the cured hype).

However, the point to consider from this presentation is Todd’s line when presenting Starfield and TES6: Next generation. Yes. In Microsoft’s presentation (we’ll talk about it in part two) that hint had already been given, but it was only consolidated here, and the yellow light immediately turned on for the following presentations.

Would we be in the pre-generation-change phase?

UBISOFT

This is where I got part of the confirmation that if we are not in pre-change, we are in the change. Skull and Bones is runnable on our current gen, although I can imagine the PS4’s fans roaring while running this… But Beyond 2? Damn. That was where the click came and my wallet already started singing the old song: “Whatever the platform/You who like games/Get ready/The new generation surrounds/PC, Xbox or Play 4/It doesn’t matter/You who like games/The new generation already surrounds you♫”. Despite my fanboy moment with For Honor (Chinese faction? YEAH!!!!) and the secondhand embarrassment that is already more than characteristic of Ubisoft presentations, we got the new Assassin’s Creed and- “Wait. New Assassin’s?”, you interrupt me and ask, clearly remembering that at some point, someone at Ubi said the game would no longer be annual…

Yup. In Greece. With field battles now. Oh boy. Here we go.

SQUARE ENIX

The hype was higher than the Burj Khalifa at this “conference.” Do you know what it is to wait for new information on FFVII: Remake or Avengers and not receive even ONE PERCENT of what you expect? Yeah. I felt like that. Violated. Three slaps in the face and spat on. Kick in the butt. “See you later, you filthy pig.” At least we’ll have Ivalice in FFXIV!! New IPs? Yes. But all very conceptual, so it couldn’t even generate feelings.

Total disappointment.

DEVOLVER

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UAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAHAHUAUHUAH. Wait. Was that a presentation?