E3 Report: The Next Generation

Correspondent (Tech)

In the run up to this year’s E3, there were murmurings that E3 was out-dated, unnecessary and wrong for the industry. There are few who will stand by those sentiments now. After an amazing first few days from the show sent ripples across the internet, E3 has truly made a compelling case for it’s own existence; playing host to 4 knockout conferences that the games industry will likely be talking about for some time yet.

Consensus is hard to come by from the gaming press, but few seem to disagree that Sony put it’s very best foot forward with the PS4. Announcing that the system would have no DRM, no online requirement and would be £80 cheaper than it’s competitor, the Xbox One, Sony courted the largest standing ovation at the show in what was a clear move to undercut Microsoft’s restricting console. Sony’s conference signalled that the company wasn’t going to fill the blueprint proposed by Microsoft; one of publisher control, restriction and Kinect and came as a large surprise, given many expected sony to follow Microsoft’s lead.

Instead, Sony championed the rights of the consumer, providing a console that could be played wherever and whenever. Though time will tell if this move was truly genuine, the simple promise to uphold the tenets of this generation was enough to lead many to propose that Microsoft’s console is dead on arrival, especially given the astounding price difference.

Microsoft’s own show presented a fantastic line-up of games, but it’s PR manoeuvres have been an utter disaster from the start – with Xbox president Don Mattrick simply telling those with unreliable internet connections to simply “Stick with the 360”, forgoing the One. Microsoft has given the ultimate impression of arrogance, forgetting and disowning an entire audience of gamers in search of a more casual market with the One’s relentless focus on multimedia; caring not for those that have supported it’s rise within the gaming industry.

Nintendo meanwhile decided to throw away the rulebook, opting for it’s own live stream instead of the expected press conference. The Nintendo Direct stream has been an overall successful tactic for the company, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for it’s ailing Wii U home console. Nintendo’s E3 appearance did little to assail fears that the console is a flop. Launching new Mario properties, the company only did what many expected, with very little in the way of those coveted E3 surprises, ensuring that Nintendo was lost amongst the cacophony of shouts from Microsoft and Sony.

Time will tell if Microsoft’s hubris will pay off for the company, but things are not looking good if social media and online news organisations are anything to go by. As always though, things are truly never as simple as they appear and Microsoft’s puzzling new strategy and decisions may not matter in the face of the average consumer wanting their COD fix.

Image Courtesy:Flickr (Sergey Galyonkin)

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Miles McCormack

Editor (Technology)

Miles McCormack is the Editor for Technology at the Global Panorama, but don’t let that fool you; his interests extend to cinema, politics, art and rugby. Miles is a recent graduate from Cardiff University and is now working as a Freelance Journalist for a number of different outlets, working primarily from his home in Cirencester, England. As Editor for Tech he tries to remain impartial, but you’ll probably find him in queue for the latest Apple gadget anyway.