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Tons of new games were announced, teased and released at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. What has Microsoft, Sony and co been up to?
This week in tech news, we rounded up all of the best highlights, announcements and releases from the early 2018 E3 press conferences. The main E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) is set to begin on 12 June in Los Angeles, but a host of big companies decided to kick things off a little early this year. These included Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Bethesda, Sony and Ubisoft.
As far as games go, there’s a tsunami of non-stop entertainment on the way. We took a look at some of the biggest announcements.
Everybody in the gaming industry knows that the Xbox One platform has been struggling when it comes to delivering exclusive games. In order to fix this problem, Microsoft has splashed the cash and acquired a bunch of game studios to churn out a couple more. These include Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, Compulsion Labs and PlayGround Games. They’ve even opened a new studio called The Initiative.
If Microsoft has any hopes of competing against the likes of Sony or Nintendo, moves like this are absolutely necessary. Xbox fans want new, exciting games. At E3, Microsoft delivered the goods in abundance. No less than eighteen forthcoming titles were announced.
Whether these games will in fact be exclusive to Xbox – or find their way over to PlayStation a few months later as well – remains to be seen.
Die hard gamers already know about these titles and have been anticipating their release for some time. Anybody who knows about these games won’t be surprised to hear that things got a little bit gruesome at the E3 keynote.
Death Stranding, starring Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, promises to be weirder than anything we’ve ever seen before. The Last Of Us Part II, as well as the surprise announcement of a Resident Evil 2 remake, delivered buckets of blood and guts in zombie-infested worlds. In Ghost of Tsushima, set in feudal Japan, players control a Samurai defending against the terrifying Mongol Empire.
It’s not all hack and slash, though. Sony has developed a knack for telling beautiful, character-driven stories. Though the above mentioned titles all promise to terrify and disgust, they’re definitely going to pull at a couple of heartstrings too.
Kids also have a lot to look forward to, with the release of the action-packed new Spider-Man game, as well as the third instalment of Disney’s Kingdom Hearts.
And finally, among a host of other games, Ubisoft teased the next instalment of the Assassins Creed franchise – ODYSSEY – set in ancient Greece. Players will assume the role of Spartan warriors in a massive open-world adventure.
With Nintendo, Devolver Digital and others all making announcements of their own as well – one thing is for certain; gamers have a ton of fun to look forward to in the next year or two.
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Microsoft / Xbox Addresses Concerns
Microsoft’s Xbox One, and even the much-lauded Xbox One X, has been overwhelmed by the competitors these last few years. Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Switch consoles are dominating the market right now. Microsoft had to address these concerns at E3 2018.
Everybody in the gaming industry knows that the Xbox One platform has been struggling when it comes to delivering exclusive games. In order to fix this problem, Microsoft has splashed the cash and acquired a bunch of game studios to churn out a couple more. These include Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, Compulsion Labs and PlayGround Games. They’ve even opened a new studio called The Initiative.
If Microsoft has any hopes of competing against the likes of Sony or Nintendo, moves like this are absolutely necessary. Xbox fans want new, exciting games. At E3, Microsoft delivered the goods in abundance. No less than eighteen forthcoming titles were announced.
Whether these games will in fact be exclusive to Xbox – or find their way over to PlayStation a few months later as well – remains to be seen.
Bethesda Shifts Into High Gear
Game publisher Bethesda is probably best known as the company behind the mammoth Elder Scrolls hit. The most widely known, played and loved instalment of the series is no doubt Skyrim. This was released back in 2011. Announced at E3 2018, fans of the series can finally look forward to the next episode of the saga. For many people, this was one of the biggest announcements so far. Elder Scrolls fans will also be getting a game on mobile, titled The Elder Scrolls Blades. Bethesda has promised console-quality graphics with a uniquely mobile experience. Bethesda has also gained some acclaim for rebooting old titles from the early 80s, such as Doom and Wolfenstein. These reboots have done really well. At E3, sequels to both of these titles were also announced to be in the works. Another hugely successful franchise in the stable – Fallout – will also be getting the next instalment any day now. Titled Fallout 76, the game is set in a hellish, post-apocalyptic version of Earth. It wasn’t all sequels and reboots, though. Bethesda also announced their first truly original work in 25 years – a sci-fi game called Starfield. They’ve given their fans a lot to get excited about.
Sony – Quality Over Quantity
Where Microsoft and Xbox decided to blow everybody away with a tidal wave of game releases, Sony, quite confidently, took a different approach. This year, Sony decided to dedicate its focus to four huge games. These were the sequel to The Last Of Us, Insominiac’s new Spider-Man effort, the long-time-coming Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima.
Die hard gamers already know about these titles and have been anticipating their release for some time. Anybody who knows about these games won’t be surprised to hear that things got a little bit gruesome at the E3 keynote.
Death Stranding, starring Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, promises to be weirder than anything we’ve ever seen before. The Last Of Us Part II, as well as the surprise announcement of a Resident Evil 2 remake, delivered buckets of blood and guts in zombie-infested worlds. In Ghost of Tsushima, set in feudal Japan, players control a Samurai defending against the terrifying Mongol Empire.
It’s not all hack and slash, though. Sony has developed a knack for telling beautiful, character-driven stories. Though the above mentioned titles all promise to terrify and disgust, they’re definitely going to pull at a couple of heartstrings too.
Kids also have a lot to look forward to, with the release of the action-packed new Spider-Man game, as well as the third instalment of Disney’s Kingdom Hearts.
More At E3 - Square Enix, EA And Ubisoft
Nobody ever knows quite what to expect from either of these big companies. While they release many great titles – some of them very predictable – they also tend to make a couple of baffling choices from time to time. Square Enix, famed for their Final Fantasy franchise, have a number of really great titles on their publishing roster. These include a number of franchises developed by Eidos, such as Tomb Raider, Hit Man, Deus Ex and Thief. At E3, the company revealed the latest Lara Croft instalment – Shadow of the Tomb Raider – to much applause. Also announced was the aforementioned Kingdom Hearts III – featuring characters from well-loved Disney films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean and Frozen. Electronic Arts announced two big titles in the much anticipated WWII title, Battlefield V, as well as the new franchise, Anthem. As it is every year, we also got the first glimpse at the latest FIFA football game – FIFA 19. This time, players will also be able to partake in the famed Champions League.
And finally, among a host of other games, Ubisoft teased the next instalment of the Assassins Creed franchise – ODYSSEY – set in ancient Greece. Players will assume the role of Spartan warriors in a massive open-world adventure.
With Nintendo, Devolver Digital and others all making announcements of their own as well – one thing is for certain; gamers have a ton of fun to look forward to in the next year or two.