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0 What was traditionally known as “E3 Season” is upon us. Summer Game Fest Opening Night beams to our screens on Thursday June 8th and gamers around the world are excited to see what juicy announcements are shown during the showcase.
Having been quiet for 2 years, PlayStation precluded this event with their own showcase at the end of May. While I personally thought it was a fairly strong showing, many online bemoaned its lack of big reveals as the show failed to live up to the over-hyped expectations being bandied around the internet.
All eyes are now on Microsoft as they host their Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday June 11th. There is a lot of discontent among Xbox players who feel they have been let down and left with handfuls of false promises. Many believe this is make or break for the team in green.
What to expect
In a break from tradition where the Xbox Showcase always led proceedings followed up by PlayStation, Sony going first this time around can be read into in a few different ways. Did they go first in a confident move knowing they still have ammunition in their back pocket should they need it? Or is this a play to get out in front of a strong Xbox showing that they know is inbound? Time will tell.
Summer Game Fest creator and host Geoff Keighley has already shared some small bits of info on what will be shown during Thursdays livestream. Both Xbox and PlayStation are also listed as partners for the event so expect to see something from each.
It’ll be a whirlwind few days of all things gaming with showcases from Ubisoft, Capcom and my personal favourite – Devolver Digital. Xbox also has a much anticipated Starfield Direct straight after their main show on Sunday. I wouldn’t put it past Sony to also bookend the Summer Games fest with a Spiderman 2 centric State Of Play to lead into its release. Heck they could possibly have another Showcase entirely. Again time will tell.
No doubt there will be some big reveals to create buzz and hype but it is always best to temper expectations. It’s better to be left surprised rather than to be left disappointed.
Players Should Unite
Instead of fanning the flames of the so-called Console War, players should shy away from tribalism and hope for strong competition in the industry. As a PlayStation player myself I am rooting for Xbox to come out swinging with a heavy-hitting event. “But why?” I hear you ask.
We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that these are companies who are vying for a slice of our bank balance. This is a marketing game of chess where neither side will want a checkmate and revenue is the language they understand. Each side of this battle shares a symbiotic relationship, so one side being strong drives the other side forward to improve. A strong Xbox keeps PlayStation on its toes and visa-versa.
As Kevin Butler reminded us (see video below) way back at E3 2010, that if you have an awesome girlfriend and somebody else gets an awesome girlfriend – everyone wins!
These are exciting times ahead with anticipation and buzz for what’s on the horizon for gaming. Our world is full of enough negativity and bad news so I implore all gamers to lower their flags of allegiance, be kind and respectful to each other, grab the popcorn and celebrate games as one united community.
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