The Electronic Entertainment Expo or E3 has come and gone once again, leaving with it a long list of announcements involving new video game hardware and games.
One of the first games shown off was “Battlefield 1,” a new entry to the “Battlefield” franchise by DICE Studios and Electronic Arts. The game differs from other titles in the series, ditching the modern military hardware of drones and red dot sights, opting instead for the technology of World War I.
Players will run through trenches, drive tanks and wage war on major set piece moments from the infamous Great War. “Battlefield 1” looks like a decent change of pace from the usual futuristic shooter, and will launch on PC and consoles on October 21st.
Microsoft launched a new initiative, known as Xbox Play Anywhere, where consumers who own both a Windows 10 machine and an Xbox One will be able to access their saved games regardless of platform. One game they showed off using this feature was “Gears of War 4,” in which a player can simply quit the game on Xbox One and resume their progress on PC.
As well as showing off new features and games, Xbox revealed two new revisions to their hardware. Rumors had begun early this year that Microsoft was working on an newer hardware revision of the Xbox One, and these rumors were made true upon the announcement of Project Scorpio.
Project Scorpio will feature new internal hardware much like a more modern PC to enhance performance and graphical capability. While Project Scorpio is still a year away, the Xbox One S was also announced. The update is a 40% slimmer model of the current hardware and will launch in August.
Sony had a smaller stage presence this year, focusing more on the games and their new virtual reality headset rather than big announcements. Their conference showed off a new Spider Man game being developed by the team behind the “Ratchet and Clank” series, a new entry in the “God of War” series and a new game known as “Death Stranding” by “Metal Gear Solid” creator, Hideo Kojima.
Nintendo’s E3 presence was drastically lower than previous years, showing only a handful of games during their live coverage. Their two largest showings at E3 were “Pokemon Sun and Moon” and “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” showcased something new for “Zelda” fans: a completely open-world experience, featuring elements of survival games such as hunger and crafting. While previous entries in the series have featured open environments, “Breath of the Wild” is rumored to have a world map that’s larger than Bethesda’s own open-world game, “The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim”
While Nintendo is working on new hardware, the project known currently as “NX” was not available on the show floor.
