It’s been five years since the last official E3, and Xbox now has the honor of having held what many are calling an “E3-caliber showcase” this past weekend. It was a nonstop stream of game trailers and big announcements that actually felt like it could rival Nintendo’s peerless Directs, and quite possibly put PlayStation in the awkward position of contending with why its own State of Plays haven’t really taken off in the same way. The head-to-head among gaming’s biggest companies is just one of the feelings that disappeared with the cancellation of E3 all those years ago, but it’s one that’s starting to return, thankfully.
In its heyday, E3 was gaming event, not just of the summer but of the year. It was a week where all the biggest game companies would show off new trailers, share big announcements, and invite press to preview upcoming games so they could then share their impressions with readers. Cut to 2024 and E3 is no more.
But this past weekend there emerged a semi-centralized orbit of events comprising Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase, Ubisoft Forward, and IGN Live. It was preceded by a PlayStation Showcase, and at some point later this month there will be a Nintendo Direct. But for the most part it was a weekend where some of the largest game companies showed off new trailers, shared big announcements, and invited press to preview upcoming games, of which we’re writing up our impressions now to share with you all.
E3 is dead, for sure, but i.
