E3 for gamers is like the ultimate game exhibition. It is the place where we get to know a little bit more about that one game that we’re going crazy about. And it usually lives up to the hype even if developers show but a little bit of a game’s new features. From the developers point of view, it’s a totally different playing field. For them, it’s a chance to show the investors and other members of the company that their interests are well placed. By garnering hype and attention for their games, they can prove to their investors that there is scope for profit in the future of a particular product. On the other hand, for console manufacturers, it’s an opportunity to get more people to buy their products. In such an aggressive environment, you have to really do something special to come out on top. And that is exactly what Ubisoft have managed to achieve this year, which is why for me they’ve won the event, and the hearts of many.
It was just yesterday that Ubisoft were the next EA. Take an old franchise, and grind it beyond death – that was the formula. Well, it still is. Assassins Creed, Splinter Cell, Far Cry are all receiving new additions this year. The difference is, unlike EA, they’re not just there for the heck of meeting the annual sales targets. All of these games look fantastic, and all of them might eventually end up becoming Triple-A-multi-million sellers. But most importantly, all of these seem like they will make great games.
Assassins Creed 3, takes a break from Ezio and Altair, and put us in the shoes of an all new protagonist, who is right in the middle of the events of the American revolution. Everything, from the locales, to the type of enemies, to the weapons and fighting style has been rethought very carefully in order to give that perfect balance between familiarity with the rest of the series, and making something unique.
Far Cry 3, while expected to simply eradicate the shortcomings of its predecessors, does much more, and looks to redefine the way we look at characters in a video-game. Vaas already is a popular name among the E3 attendees, and if the other characters can match the tenacity of the main antagonist, then the experience might be unparalleled.
Splinter Cell Blacklist, although not looking anything out of the ordinary, attempts to incorporate the stealth elements of previous games, and the action elements of its predecessor. Although Chaos theory might always remain to be the best Splinter Cell game of all time, it doesn’t hurt to have a good addition to the series.
Which brings us to quite possibly the most exciting showing at E3; one which motivated me to write this article – Watch Dogs. Nobody expected it. Nobody believed that Ubisoft would be showing anything beyond the normal iterative fare. But they shocked us, and how!! Having powers is one thing, but being able to control an entire city is another, and the trailer on show does perfect justice to what the game might be. The potential is there, in spades, just the execution needs to be good, and we have a classic in the making!
Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all had decent showings at this years E3. As always, the focus was mainly on them, since they have all the motivation to beat each other by showing off the best of the best. But Ubisoft clearly won this years event. The effort on display is commendable; they’re trying to reinvent themselves, and if companies like EA and Activision can take notice and try and do things differently, then the future of gaming might still be bright.
