Gamers are still talking about the developments that came out of E3 2013, which recently took place in Los Angeles. While teasing the world with a vast and diverse roster of upcoming titles, the annual event provided a detailed sneak peek into the two newest legs of next generation gaming. To no surprise, the biggest highlights involved the industry’s big three console creators.
Redemption for Xbox One
For Microsoft, E3 2013 was all about redemption. The company’s initial unveiling of the Xbox One was met with a mixed reaction that leaned more towards lukewarm due to some rather controversial policies and not enough focus on what video game fanatics really care about — gameplay. According to a Tech Feit article, Microsoft treated spectators to a library of visually impressive footage from a list of new titles that include Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain, Dead Rising 3, and the arcade favorite Killer Instinct, which is slated to be a console exclusive.
Microsoft revealed that the Xbox One will be available at the price of $499 some time in the fall of 2013. While no exact release date has been specified, the tech giant is confident that the system will be on the shelves in time for the holiday season.
PS4 Steals the Show
The Xbox One will have fierce competition right off the bat in the form of the Playstation 4. As PS3 Hax reports, Sony’s next generation console hogged the spotlight thanks to the unveiling of highly anticipated titles such as Kill Zone Shadow Fall, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Final Fantasy XV. The entertainment giant also said that it will not place restrictions on buying and selling used games for the system. Instead, the company is leaving it to the discretion of the publisher, who has final say over whether or not their used titles can be sold.
Sony’s biggest competitive edge over Microsoft may lie in the price department. At E3, it was revealed that the PS4 will launch at $399, a whole one hundred dollars cheaper than the rival Xbox One. The firm also announced a new cloud service that will stream games to the PS4, PS3 and Vita from the internet in 2014.
Nintendo Holds Its Own
While the PS4 and Xbox One garnered much of the attention post-expo, Nintendo had a pretty impressive showing at E3 as well. One of several outlets to cover the Nintendo takeways, The Telegraph highlighted an all-star lineup of upcoming games that includes titles such as Assassin’s Creed IV, Batman Arkham Origins, and Sonic: Lost World, which will be a Nintendo exclusive. The veteran console maker showcased several titles from partnerships with notable publishers such as Activision, Disney, and Square Enix.
Nintendo delivered a strong presentation that has a lot to offer owners of both the Wii U and 3DS — eventually. Unfortunately for gamers, many of the titles won’t be released until 2014, including favorites such as the new Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8. It will be interesting to see how this impacts Nintendo game sales during the upcoming holiday season.
Although the previous event is still fresh on the brain, it’s hard not to look forward to E3 2014. By then, each of the big three will have more next generation savvy under their belts and should therefore be prepared to treat their fans to even better cutting edge gaming experiences.
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