Did (not) E3 2024 provide hope for a beleaguered games industry? | Opinion
I really enjoyed the spring/summer games showcases we've just watched.
Even the PlayStation one, which was notably lacking in big names, had something to offer. In the past Sony would have done some 'jazz hands' and stuck on a trailer for a game that is early in development (or, harking back to the days of the Final Fantasy VII Remake reveal, isn't in development yet). And maybe it should have done that. Instead, it showcased a handful of games that are due out in the next few months. And one of those games, dear reader, was Astro Bot, which I suspect will be a game of the year contender. It may not have been the most exciting of showcases, but at least all of it was coming soon.
Xbox's showcase proved to be the headline act, and it had a bit of everything. There were games coming out soon, games for 2025, games for further out. There was real gameplay, there was some jazz hands, there was Fable. It was a superb show front-to-back. And what's more, Microsoft made a very public commitment to Game Pass, silencing those who were suggesting – including myself – that the company might scale back its subscription efforts. Now it just needs to deliver on all that promise.
Nintendo was the surprise package. With the Switch in its twilight years, expectations were muted for the firm's June Direct, so the reveal of new Mario, Zelda and Metroid games sent the fanbase ablaze (and Nintendo didn't even need to show more of that Pokémon Legends game that was announced back in February). Many of those games are out imminently, and although Nintendo's main development teams are probably beavering away on the next console, it's clear that the current Switch isn't about to just fade away.
Personally, I loved the big titles on display. I've got at least ten AAA games on my wishlist that weren't there in May. And there were some fantastic looking games on show. I've rewatched that Doom trailer a bunch of times. And a new Zelda where you actually play as Zelda? Wonderful. Where do I sign up?
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