The Winners And Losers Of E3 2017

Another E3 has come and gone, and as the dust settles we have decided to sit down and reflect on last week’s events. Much like every year, there were many surprises, disappointments, and games that just flat out blew us away. Here are our winners and losers of E3 2017:

Winners

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco arguably stole the show this year with the best game at E3: Dragon Ball FighterZ. The new 2D fighter earned several Game of the Show awards from media outlets, and there was a buzz around the Bandai Namco booth for the entire length of the show. Bandai Namco also had a few more excellent titles in their line-up this year, including the much-anticipated sequels to the Ni No Kuni and Project CARS franchises, as well as the chance to experience Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown in VR.

Microsoft

While last years Xbox press conference was very much about hardware, this year was all about the games. After revealing the Xbox One X at the top of the show, the press conference consisted of game trailers back-to-back in rapid-fire succession. Over 40 games were mentioned, with over half of those titles being exclusives. The future is looking bright for gaming on Microsoft platforms

Losers

The Attendees

Opening E3 to the public predictably turned out to be a huge mistake. Injecting another 20% attendance without changing or expanding the show’s floor plan in any way felt like 68,400 sardines in a can. Attendees pushed through the doors at the opening hours like a scene out of World War Z, and most lines for games, especially at the Nintendo booth, were full for the day within the first five minutes of the day. No matter if you were a public attendee, media, or industry, all in all it wasn’t an ideal situation for any party involved.

Indie Developers

For up-and-coming Indie developers it can be hard to get your game the attention it deserves for your game to gain traction and become the next big thing. E3 has always been that platform to catapult Indie games into the spotlight, but this year because of the massive crowds discouraging media attendees from wasting time on lines, some Indies fell by the wayside. In a conversation one Indie developer mentioned that while having the public playing their game is good, they already had that exposure at venues like PAX, and were hoping to garner more attention from the media this time around.

Final Fantasy Fans

While fans of the Final Fantasy series have been twiddling their thumbs waiting on the next big announcement regarding the Final Fantasy VII remake, I’m sure the last thing they wanted to hear about was Monsters of the Deep. A VR fishing game with Final Fantasy XV characters is a pretty odd concept, and FF fans around the world were left scratching their heads during the Sony press conference.

Neutral

Playstation

Playstation’s press conference featured many excellent titles such as Spider-Man, Days Gone, God of War, and Detroit: Become Human, but don’t expect to play most of their titles in 2017. Of course E3 is all about showcasing upcoming games, but it all just feels like a big tease when most games do not even have a release window at the end of their trailers. Playstation has a stellar line up, but we’ll just have to wait to get our hands on them.

Bethesda

It really feels like every E3 since 2011 has had some sort of Skyrim announcement, and here we are yet again in 2017, with yet another Elder Scrolls V incarnation revealed. With the announcement of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, Bethesda may be relying a little too heavily on the fan’s love for a game almost 6 years old, and it’s time to move on.

That being said, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus looks to be more action-packed and absurd than the first, and was definitely the highlight of the showcase. The announcement of The Evil Within 2 is also welcoming news to fans of horror games, as Sebastian Castellanos is back once again to face off against a whole new wave of evil.

What are your winners and losers of E3 this year? What games blew your mind? What games are you most looking forward to playing? Let us know in the comments below, or hit us up on our Facebook or Twitter page! Make sure to check back in the next few days for hands-on previews with several of E3 2017’s most promising games.