The press conferences of E3 2018 have taken place and the fair is slowly coming to an end. Time to reflect and pick the presentation highlights. What were the biggest games and the best moments of E3?
The last few days have been like Christmas for gamers. At E3 2018, countless games were announced during the fair itself or at the press conferences, which developers are currently working on.
Did you miss the press conferences or the announced games? We briefly summarize the individual presentations and the highlights of the press conferences for you.
EA – “Show us games, not players”
How did the presentation go? Electronic Arts had some highlights this year, such as BioWare’s Anthem and Battlefield V. The platformer Unravel 2 and the indie game Sea of Solitude were particularly well received online. In addition, the often-requested content for Clone Wars for Star Wars: Battlefront 2 was briefly introduced.
What were the highlight games?
- See the new trailer for Anthem here
- Battlefield V comes with its own battle royale mode
- FIFA 19 has the license for the Champions League
How did the presentation go down with the audience? Players were puzzled when the new Star Wars game from Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, was announced in a brief aside without any visual material.
The mood shifted when EA introduced the next installment of the Madden football game and brought pro Madden player Young Kiv and NFL player Juju Smith-Schuster on stage. Then followed a 15-minute segment on the mobile game Command and Conquer: Rivals, which completely sank the ship. The Reddit community criticized that people wanted to see games, not players. Thus, the Madden and C&C segments missed their target with the audience.
Xbox – 50 titles, many for the first time, few exclusives
How did the presentation go? Microsoft packed a particularly full package this year and announced a whopping 50 games, including 15 world premieres, during the Xbox press conference. They also stated that they are already working on the next Xbox consoles and intend to significantly expand their portfolio through studio acquisitions.
They showed a trailer for Halo Infinite, but as it turned out later, it was meant to showcase the new engine. The visuals had nothing to do with the game itself.
What were the highlight games from Microsoft?
- See the trailer for Halo: Infinite
- There was a new trailer for Fallout 76
- The first gameplay footage of Cyberpunk 2077, which we have embedded for you below
How did the presentation go down with the audience? The Reddit community particularly appreciated the multitude of games presented and the execution of the presentation. Given the few exclusive titles, it was suggested that the presentation provided little reason to purchase the Xbox One. A special highlight awaited at the end of the event with the trailer for Cyberpunk 2077, the new game from The Witcher studio CD Projekt.
Bethesda – Yes, we are bringing Skyrim to every platform
How did the presentation go? Bethesda’s presentation this year was quite lively: Andrew W.K. entertained the audience musically, and several titles were announced that players have been waiting for years. There was also a lot to see about Fallout 76 – again with a humorous, confident presentation by Game Director and Executive Producer of Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard.
What were the highlight games from Bethesda?
- See the trailer for DOOM Eternal here
- There were teasers for Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI
- The mobile game The Elder Scrolls: Blades was announced
- and Fallout 76, which had already been seen earlier at Microsoft
How did the presentation go down with the audience? Some viewers from the Reddit community found the presentation quite embarrassing until Todd Howard came on stage and introduced the real blockbusters. Especially the humor was well received, such as the video for Skyrim: Very Special Edition for Amazon’s Alexa, which at least exists in the USA. Overall, the community describes the press conference as “solid”.
Square Enix
How did the presentation go? The biggest problem with Square Enix’s press conference was that many of the games had already been shown in previous presentations. Games that fans were particularly excited about, such as the Avengers Project or new information about the Final Fantasy VII remake, were omitted.
What were the highlight games from Square Enix?
- Coop events between Monster Hunter World and Final Fantasy XIV
- Trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Trailer for Just Cause 4
How did the presentation go down with the audience? The audience on Reddit generally received Square Enix’s presentation less well. The company was accused of simply not being adequately prepared for such a large event. Other users speculated that no showable games were ready.
Ubisoft
How did the presentation go? This year at Ubisoft it was all about “more of the same.” Instead of announcing a plethora of new IPs, there was a lot of love for the already existing franchises at the French company’s press conference. The conference had an artistic, colorful, and varied slant: It was more of a “show” what was presented.
What were the multiplayer highlights from Ubisoft?
- A new trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2
- New material for Skull & Bones shows ship battles
- Gameplay for The Division 2 was also shown
How did the presentation go down with the audience? On Reddit, it was particularly appreciated that Ubisoft did not neglect their already established games and continued to provide updates for titles like Rainbow Six Siege, For Honor, and The Division. Additionally, in this year’s announcements, the integration into the program was regarded positively by players. The presentation of Just Dance 2019, for example, worked wonderfully as a show opener.
PC Gamer
How did the presentation go? At the PC Gaming Show of the gaming site “PC Gamer” in 2018, the games that would otherwise go short at the fair were presented. The result was a colorful, chaotic mix of titles that unfortunately interested very few viewers from start to finish.
What were the highlights?
- A new trailer for Mavericks: Proving Grounds
- A new trailer for Star Citizen with a teaser for Alpha 3.2
- A trailer for the 2D battle royale Rapture Rejects
How did the presentation go down with the audience? Some viewers on Reddit expected more from the presentation and were left bored, while others loved the variety of titles presented and celebrated the presentation. The fact that the conference lasted about two hours was also criticized.
Despite its length, the presentation did have some small highlights that could excite their fans.
Sony
How did the presentation go? Sony took a more reserved approach at the PlayStation presentation this year and focused on fewer innovations, which were instead presented in detail. The conference struggled periodically with technical problems: sound dropouts, strange cues from the direction, or a complete crash of the transmission on the streaming platform Twitch.
However, the audience got to see exciting trailers for The Last of Us Part 2 and the upcoming Destiny 2 expansion Forsaken.
What were the highlights?
- Gameplay trailer for The Last of Us Part II
- A longer look at Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding
- Showcase demo for Spider-Man
How did the presentation go down with the audience? Sony’s presentation at E3 2018 divides the community on Reddit. Some are disappointed that there was so little to see about the games and instead much was discussed about the titles. Other viewers defend this approach by stating that Sony did exactly what they had announced in the weeks leading up to the event. They showcased fewer games but focused specifically on them.
Nintendo
How did the presentation go? It seemed that Nintendo was fully focused on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch this year. The company dedicated 30 minutes of its presentation to the upcoming fighting game, where numerous Nintendo characters compete against each other.
What were the highlights?
- Fortnite: Battle Royale for Nintendo Switch
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with many new fighters
- Trailer for Fire Emblem: Three Houses
How did the presentation go down with the audience? Many viewers on Reddit found Nintendo’s presentation boring or one-sided. The heavy focus on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was received unfavorably. Additionally, Pikachu and Co. were too briefly addressed for some viewers: Pokémon Let’s Go was only discussed in-depth in the following days during Nintendo’s Treehouse broadcasts.
