For 3 days in June, the Los Angeles Convention Center was packed with more than 68,400 gaming fans for the yearly E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). As the definitive event of the video gaming industry, E3 is where the biggest announcements are made for the coming year. These announcements, which can make or break a company, are always packed with new video game reveals, introductions to the latest hardware, and more. Let’s take a look at what the three big video game companies (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo) announced this year and what’s to come for fans of video games in the next few months.Sony
Sony continued to promote its high-end model of the PlayStation, the PS4 Pro, at this year’s E3. Focusing on core PlayStation franchises such as God of War and Shadow of the Colossus, as well as the upcoming tie-in video game to the new Spider-Man film, Sony’s message was clear and simple: If you want great-looking games in high resolution, the PS4 Pro is the way to go. Also worth noting is the upcoming lineup for the PlayStation VR platform. Heading to this platform over the next year will be popular games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as well as an installment in the always popular Final Fantasy series. These two titles will surely bring some attention to the up-and-coming VR platform.
Microsoft
One of the most hyped announcements before E3 was the inevitable news that like Sony before it, Microsoft would be joining the high-resolution video gaming race with its newest system, the Xbox One X. Marketing itself as the “world’s most powerful [gaming] console,” the system’s key feature is its access to a large library of games that can be played in 4K, in addition to a whole slate of impressive technical gaming features. At $499, it is surely an investment that only the most hardcore gamers will make. Microsoft also focused a great deal on the eternally popular Minecraft, announcing massive updates to the game as well as the new ability to play it across multiple platforms (PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and more). And for those who end up buying the Xbox One X, don’t worry: You’ll finally be able to play the game in glorious 4K with the upcoming Super Duper Graphics Pack.
Nintendo
In typical Nintendo fashion, the company did the exact opposite of what Sony and Microsoft did this year. Eschewing the race to have the most souped-up video game console on the market, Nintendo instead decided to focus its efforts on providing fans with a number of quality games over the next year. Super Mario Odyssey, part of its stalwart Super Mario franchise, makes its debut on the new Nintendo Switch platform in October 2017. In addition, the Switch will be getting a stellar lineup of other titles, such as Metroid Prime 4 and a Pokémon role-playing game, and now offers Splatoon 2. These titles, along with the other games announced at E3, will be sure to keep the already fast-selling Nintendo Switch console a bestseller over the 2017 holiday season and into 2018.
The Best of the Rest
Titles such as Kingdom Hearts III and Star Wars Battlefront II, which are the video gaming industry equivalents of summer blockbuster movies, also got a big-time showing at E3. The popular online shooter game, Destiny 2, got a full-length trailer that wowed audiences. If you’re a fan of any kind of video gaming, it is a great time to be alive. E3 2017 brought quality games to the masses and helped further cement video gaming as one of the dominant industries of our generation.
