E3 is to the gaming industry what the super bowl is to football. Each hardware juggernaut strives to bring their A-game in the hope of outshining the competition. This year proved no different as Sony and Microsoft delivered in a big way. The following is a comparison as to which company came out on top in two categories; games and features. Nintendo was left out of this comparison due to Sony and Microsoft being similar in terms of hardware specs, games and features.
Games
The last quarter of 2015 and leading into 2016 is truly shaping up to be an exciting time for gamers. Both Sony and Microsoft have certainly delivered in terms of game reveals and exclusive content. Who came out on top in this category? Let’s find out…
Microsoft had a strong showing at E3. In terms of exclusive games, Microsoft has always relied on the company’s flagship franchise, Halo, to compete with Sony’s many long standing and well received franchises. This year was a little different as we got to see some great gameplay from Microsoft’s timed exclusive Rise of the Tomb Raider. The gameplay showcased Lara Croft in a snowy mountain area as she once again made her death defying leaps and escaped death in near impossible situations. Rise of the Tomb Raider looked great but keep in mind it is only a "timed" exclusive, which means the game will definitely be making its way onto the PS4 in the future.
Gears of War will now be making its next gen debut by releasing two titles. First, we have Gears of War Ultimate Edition which is a remaster of the original title in full 1080p and 60fps. The second is the hotly anticipated Gears of War 4. The gameplay demo took place at night which made it harder to see the graphical details but the game certainly set an eerie tone as characters within the demo were being stalked by menacing creatures.
Recore was a surprise exclusive for Microsoft. It’s in development by the same designer who brought us Dead Rising and Mega Man and who is also collaborating with the team that brought us Metroid. It’s futuristic sci fi trailer definitely got many excited and eager for more details.
And, of course, we have Halo 5: Guardians. Microsoft showed off some sumptuous gameplay footage which looked great and hit all the right keynotes for fans of the franchise.
Sony did not disappoint this year. With its announcement of a remake of Final Fantasy VII, fans of the series rejoiced as this game has been requested by gamers for quite some time. It is nice to see that this greatly anticipated title is finally coming to light.
The Last Guardian, which was thought to have seen the cutting room floor, made a welcoming comeback as new impressive gameplay was shown at E3. This game has been in development for what feels like forever. Team Ico has breathed new life into the project which has invigorated and excited fans who had almost lost hope on this exclusive title. This game stands out from all others as its art style and concept are unique. It depicts a young boy and his bond between a giant dog bird creature. Let’s hope the game is worth the wait.
The announcement of Shenmue 3 also gave gamers a reason to rejoice as it has been on many people’s radar for years. Expensive development costs have since stood in the way but with such a demand for the title, crowdfunding on Kickstarter has since reinvigorated the game and Sony has agreed to join in to help bring this franchise back to life.
Developer Guerilla Games excited us with the announcement of PS4 exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn. The game looks fantastic and its premise, which includes a tribes woman named Aloy who defends herself against large machine like creatures in a post apocalyptic setting, looks quite promising and ambitious. It will be exciting to see more details as they emerge.
Uncharted 4 is one of Sony’s most anticipated titles and it did not fail to disappoint. The gameplay demo shown at E3 did a great job to make fans of the series salivate with anticipation for what our favourite wise cracking explorer Nathan Drake will be up to next. Graphics look beautiful and gameplay looks as epic as ever. With the original Uncharted games getting the remaster treatment it will be great to have all titles showcased on one current gen platform.
Winner: Sony
Features
There’s no question that Microsoft had an ace up its sleeve with the reveal of backwards compatibility. This not only gives a reason for Xbox 360 owners to now go out and buy an Xbox One with no fear of abandoning their last gen games by building a bridge between last gen and current gen, but also giving Microsoft the edge over Sony in this department. There’s no question that PlayStation Now is an interesting program but not allowing gamers to natively play their last gen games on their current gen consoles definitely gives Microsoft the edge in this category. Coincide this with Microsoft’s new elite controller reveal which allows for more precision in games, particularly first person shooters and interchangeable thumbsticks and d-pad which allows for custom modification for players. We definitely have ourselves a clear winner in the features department.
Winner: Microsoft
Both companies had a great showing at this year’s E3. Sony and Microsoft seem to be hitting their stride in terms of content which is great news for the industry and gamers alike. It will be exciting to see what other reveals these two juggernauts have in store for us. With more information surely to be be divulged at Gamescom in a couple months, one thing is definitely certain, it’s a great time to be a gamer.
Who do you think had a better showing at E3? Let us know in the comments below.