If you’re a fan of digital entertainment, last week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) probably dominated your attention. Over the three days of the show (and the days leading up to it), E3 exploded with an overwhelming amount of new information in the electronic entertainment space: video games, virtual reality, augmented reality, all the latest in interactive media. The breadth of announcements is far too deep to fully explore in a single article, so let’s focus on the big stories that came out of this year’s E3.
Most of the big names in the video game industry were present at the show, from the big 3 console manufacturers, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, to third party publishers like EA, Square Enix, Bethesda, and Ubisoft.
Microsoft
Microsoft showcased a great number of titles coming to the Xbox One, including Halo 5, a brand new title called ReCore from the creators of Megaman and Metroid Prime, Forza Motorsport 6, Dark Souls 3, and Gears of War 4.
Xbox 360 backwards compatibility coming to the Xbox One
In a sudden and surprising change of heart, Microsoft revealed the ability to play your old Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One. A free update will be coming to the console this Winter that will support more than 100 Xbox 360 games running on the Xbox One through backwards compatibility.
Theoretically, any old Xbox 360 game should work on the Xbox One following this update, as long as the game’s original publisher opts-in to the functionality. All you will need after that is the game’s original disc or have it purchased digitally through Xbox Live. The Xbox One will then download an updated package of the game to run on the system.
All Xbox One features, including Twitch streaming, Game DVR, and screenshot functionality remains intact for Xbox 360 games.
Xbox Preview members can currently test out the backwards compatibility with a brief list of titles, including the original Mass Effect. Digital Foundry has an excellent technical piece picking apart the process Microsoft uses to achieve this outstanding and surprising new feature.
Previously, out of the big 3 home consoles, Nintendo’s Wii U was the only current generation video game system to natively play your old games, as it supported the play of standard Wii games and controllers. Sony opted to bring PlayStation 3 games to the PlayStation 4 via their PlayStation Now streaming service, which requires you to pay a fee to play a few select games on their service.
Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller
Microsoft introduced a brand new Xbox One controller targeted at competitive gamers. The Elite Wireless Controller is a highly customizable gamepad, featuring swappable magnetic parts to create the controller configuration of your choice. You will be able to swap out various steel joysticks, including longer analog sticks to allow for greater precision.
An Xbox One app will allow you to reprogram the controller’s button, and you will be able to swap between 2 pre-set button configurations on the fly via a switch on the center of the controller.
The Elite controller has four additional “paddle” triggers on the back of the controller that give you access to extra functionality without having to move your thumbs away from the analog sticks, ideal for competitive shooters.
A physical “hair trigger” option shortens the throw on the trigger buttons to allow for faster input.
The Elite Wireless Controller will retail for $150 dollars and comes with a carrying case to store the modular controller components and the controller itself.
Watch this brief demonstration video to get a look into how the controller was designed and examples of its application.
Rare Replay
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the legendary game developer studio Rare, Microsoft is releasing a historical collection of 30 games from Rare for $30 on August 4.
Rare Replay includes many Rare titles from numerous eras in the studio’s video game history, including games from the arcade, NES, Nintendo 64, Xbox, and Xbox 360. You’ll find classic titles like Battletoads, RC Pro AM, Killer Instinct Gold, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Blast Corps, Jet Force Gemini, and Viva Piñata.
Sony
While Sony’s conference had impressive showings of new titles such as the neo-prehistoric robot hunting game Horizon: Zero Dawn, Media Molecule’s not-quite-a-game but still creative Dreams, and the ever-present and super ambitious No Man’s Sky, this year will be remember for the presence of a trifecta of “impossible” and unexpected games.
The Last Guardian
A game from the legendary Team Ico, The Last Guardian was meant to be the next in line as a spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed games Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. This game about a boy and his flying “dog,” was originally presented as a PlayStation 3 title at E3 2009, with a planned release in 2011. Unfortunately, development troubles lead to the title’s absence at subsequent press events.
The game’s director, Fumito Ueda, soon left the company, and murmurs of the game’s cancellation percolated online for many years. Many E3s and Tokyo Game Shows would come and go, with fans hoping for The Last Guardian to reemerge from the depths of development hell, but every year they were met with disappointment. Sony continued to shoot down rumors of the game’s cancellation, but they remained mum on the project otherwise.
Finally, 6 years after its original debut, The Last Guardian returned at this year’s E3, this time as a tile for the PlayStation 4. The game has been in development since 2007, and it looks like it will finally be coming out in the near future. Much to fans’ relief, Ueda has returned to work on the game as a freelancer.
The Shenmue 3 Kickstarter
In a very odd move, Sony took time out of their E3 presentation to promote a Kickstarter campaign. However, once the title of the project was revealed, it all made sense. Sony was promoting the crowdfunding campaign for Shenmue 3.
Shenmue was an epic open-world action adventure game released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. Directed by visionary designer Yu Suzuki, the title was very ambitious, with a budget of $70 million, making it the most expensive game to produce at the time.
In 2002, a sequel was released for the Xbox, and, yet, the game’s story remained unfinished. Fans would wait patiently for a third title in the series, and they would be kept waiting for 13 years.
Finally, Shenmue 3 is coming to the PlayStation 4 and PC, as a result of the Kickstarter’s immediate success. The Kickstarter’s original goal was $2 million dollars, which was easily met within a few hours (after Kickstarter’s website went down due to the immense traffic that the project attracted). The project has raised more than $3.5 million dollars at the time of this writing, with 25 days left to go.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake
Now this is a story for the ages. For over a decade, 1997’s Final Fantasy VII has been heralded as one of the “greatest games of all time,” much to the chagrin of fans that favor any of the other thirteen-or-so titles in the series.
FF7, as the fans call it, is a legendary game that’s responsible for introducing a whole generation of gamers to Japanese RPGs. It was so big, that company behind the game, Square Enix, would often revisit the world of FF7 in a number of ways, including the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, a series of mixed media sequels and prequels in the form of games, novels, anime, and even a feature-length CG movie. While the fan reception of the Compilation was “mixed,” to say the least, the series remained popular, to the point that fans craved even more.
At E3 2005, Square Enix showed off a PlayStation 3 graphics demo that showcased the systems graphical capabilities with an upgraded real-time rendering of the introduction sequence to Final Fantasy VII. Once fans caught a glimpse of this technical demonstration, they would never stop clamoring for a full remake of the 1997 classic.
For years, the FF7 remake remained a simple fable. Many thought such an undertaking to be literally impossible, with Square Enix themselves saying they didn’t have anywhere near the resources to tackle such a grand project. Despite that, rumors would build, year after year, as Square Enix focused on remaking and porting other titles in the series, such as Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV.
Then last December at Sony’s PlayStation Experience (PSX) keynote, the fantastic dream was shattered. Final Fantasy producer Shinji Hashimoto took the stage to present a video to the hundreds of rabid PlayStation fans in live attendance and millions more watching online. To thunderous excitement, the words “Final Fantasy VII” appeared on stage. However, the screams of joy would suddenly melt into cries of agony once they realized that this was no the FF7 remake they wanted. Instead, it was simply a PS4 port of the PC version, which originally released on Windows in 1998 and later re-released on Steam in 2013. The Internet erupted in collective outrage, calling Square Enix’s PSX presence a cruel joke, damaging the relationship with their fans. Many were finally ready to admit defeat. They came to terms that a Final Fantasy VII remake was just that: a fantasy.
And, yet, the journey did not end there. Rumors began to swirl the day leading up to this year’s E3. Multiple news outlets began to report the veracity of the FF7 remake. “No, really this time!” was essentially the tone of every article. At this point, fans, jaded by their previous experience with PSX, could only giggle and guffaw at the idea. Then, on Monday Night, during Sony’s Pre-E3 press conference, PlayStation executive Adam Boyes lead into a revelatory announcement with the words, “By popular demand, we have a very special treat for everyone…”
A special video trailer began to play, displaying scenes of a strange, but familiar setting. The narrator speaks in a gruff voice, detailing the fans’ struggle with remarkable accuracy. “Someday we would see them again.” The names of key players in the development of Final Fantasy VII flash on screen. “At last the promise has been made.” The logo of Final Fantasy VII fades into view, followed by one single word: “REMAKE.”
And with that, the dream has been revived. Final Fantasy VII is being remade, and it’s coming first to PlayStation 4. This masterful trailer has more than 9 million views on YouTube, and it continues to gain traction.
Square Enix has a massive undertaking, and it seems and impossible task to live up to the Herculean expectations of long-time Final Fantasy fans, but we can take some solace in trailer’s words of advice: “The reunion at hand may be joy, it may bring fear, but let us embrace whatever it brings, for they are coming back.”
Again, what a story. I just hope it has a happy ending.
Nintendo
Nintendo’s E3 festivities actually began prior to even the pre-E3 conferences with the Nintendo World Championships, a revival of the 1990 video game competition of the same name. Players from across the United States qualified to participate in the event by proving their video game playing abilities at select Best Buy around the nation. Nintendo also invited a few popular speed runners and YouTube stars to compete in the show. The games played at the event ranged from classics like the original Legend of Zelda and Balloon Fight to Splatoon, a game that was less than a month old. Competitors also played a few unreleased games, including Super Mario Maker and the then unannounced Blast Ball, which would turn out to be a secret Metroid spin-off game at Nintendo’s E3 Digital Event in the following days.
EarthBound Beginnings
But it wasn’t all fun and games at the Nintendo World Championships, at least in the business sense. Even before Nintendo’s actual E3 press event, they briefly used the stage of the friendly video game competition to announce EarthBound Beginnings coming to the Wii U virtual console.
EarthBound Beginnings is actually a game from 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Known as Mother 1 in Japan, this game was actually the precursor to the cult classic Earthbound (known as Mother 2 in Japan). Mother 1 was never released in America, despite a fully translated version of the game leaking online many years ago. And now, 26 years later, the game is finally seeing an official North American release on the Wii U.
Unfortunately, Nintendo remained silent about the possibility of Mother 3, a third entry in the Earthbound/Mother series that was also never released in the U.S. It’s only a matter of time until Mother 3 joins the likes of The Last Guardian and Shenmue 3, a game which fans will wait eons before they get their wish.
Star Fox Zero
Speaking of games that fans have been waiting ages for, Star Fox has finally made its return, this time in a brand new game for the Wii U called Star Fox Zero, which is yet another retelling of the original Star Fox for the Super Nintendo. This will actually be the third time Nintendo had revisited this story, as they did the same thing with Star Fox 64 for the Nintendo 64. They’re even reusing ideas from the unreleased Star Fox 2. But, hey, whatever gets use a new Star Fox game should be acceptable by any means.
Most notable is that Star Fox Zero is a collaboration between Nintendo and Platinum Games, the studio behind critically acclaimed action games like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. If anyone has the pedigree to make an excellent fast-paced action game, it has to be Platinum Games.
Amiibos, Amiibos Everywhere and for Everything
Those darn Amiibos just won’t go away. Nintendo announced even more plans for their extremely lucrative Amiibo toyline. Nintendo is actually teaming up with toys-to-life competitor Activision to create Nintendo-themed Skylander figures to work with Skylanders Super Chargers. “Turbo Charged Donkey Kong” and “Hammer Slam Browser” will be coming to the new Skylanders game on Nintendo platforms. Interestingly, the figures will be equipped with a physical switch on their bases to switch them from Skylanders functionality to regular Amiibo mode, allowing you to use them in other Amiibo titles as well, such as Super Smash Bross. and Mario Party 10.
The famed Animal Crossing series is also getting Amiibo support in the form of two new games: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for the 3DS and Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival for the Wii U. Happy Home Designer will be using special Amiibo cards rather than figures. In addition to these cards Amiibo Festival, Animal Crossing’s take on a virtual board game, will also support a collection of Animal Crossing Amiibo figures.
Super Mario Maker
Mario Maker was originally unveiled for the Wii U at last year’s E3, and this year the game has been renamed to “Super Mario Maker.” Even though the name has changed, it’s still the same incredible concept: a tool kit to create your own Super Mario Bros levels.
At this year’s show, Nintendo showed off just to what extent you can make levels, and it’s more impressive than I could have imagined. They even used a few of their in-house created levels in the final rounds of the Nintendo World Championships.
Not only will you be able to make levels based on four different styles of Mario games (Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros.), but each style of Mario will play differently, as Mario’s abilities will change with each game. For instance, in the original Super Mario Bros., Mario could only kick turtle shells. In Super Mario Bros. 3, he could hold and throw them horizontally, and in Super Mario World he could throw them vertically. All these abilities are retained in their respective styles in Super Mario Maker.
Super Mario Maker will also feature extensive sharing features, as you can upload your created levels to an online database and share them with other players. The database measures the difficulty of your level by the number of players who have successfully completed it. Don’t worry. You won’t likely be running into any impossible-to-beat levels online, as the creator must be able to complete their own level before uploading it online.
Oh, right, and Amiibos play a role in Super Mario Maker as well. In addition to having its own 8-bit Mario Amiibo, you’ll be able to unlock costumes for Mario by scanning in your Amiibos. For instance, placing a Wii Fit Trainer Amiibo on your Wii U Gamepad will grant Mario a “mystery mushroom” which will dress him up as an 8-bit version of the Wii Fit Trainer.
Super Mario Maker is easily my most anticipated game of 2015. I cannot wait to see what kind of crazy, hardcore, and creative levels creators will be sharing online. And even if you’re not too keen on making your own levels, you’ll have and endless supply of content by playing the creations of others. This is the type of game that potentially has infinite replay value.
Super Mario Maker will be releasing on September 11 this year.
And that was just a portion of announcements from the big 3 console companies at E3 this year. There was plenty more at the show, including Fallout 4, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, Just Cause 3, and about a million VR tech demos. I couldn’t possibly cover it all in a single article, so I look forward to when we see a few of these exciting titles hit the shelves later this year and into 2016.
By Alfredo Dizon, eParisExtra