Is E3 Still Relevant?

Having fiercely opined early in the year that Sony’s absence from this years E3 would actually benifit the former industry only event, its kind of strange that without the manufactured conflict between industries holy trinity, that things would be quite so “bleuh!”. Reducing Sony’s visibility should have allowed other developers/publishers to showcase their products, without the looming shadow of one of the predatory corporations, ready to inflict its customery monotony and glacial paced conferences. Perhaps even allow Xbox to captilise on their burgeon popularity. To really stick it to their absent competitor with a jesting swagger. But really the only significant demonstration on display was the fundamental insignificance of E3 as a legitimate pervayor of quality.

E3 has always been densely frenetic event. Deftly attuned to the embellished marketing campaigns and hyperbole that makes the entire sordid affair such an absurd spectacle. You probably have your own treasured moments from past expos. Perhaps recall announcements that really got you shaking with anticipation and your wallet (remember those?) sighing with indignation. But when was the last time you could honestly say that about E3, especially this year? Its a bloated expository show, relying on the artifice of deception, gross exaggerated truths and false promises. When representives stride onto the stage, waving awkwardly like a contestant on a game show, detailing the inherent and explicit monetization as if it were a good thing, with all the gusto of a supermarket employee announcing a 25% reduction on hummus, you really do start to question why this fecal squilch returns every year?

You’ve got mobile games. Epic store exclusivity. Portable games. Just Dance 2020 released on the Wii. App games. Shenmue creators not giving refunds to their own crowd funded backers. Todd Howard. That “Yeeeeaaaahhhh” guy. Games for your phone (I don’t know how many more times I can emphasise that point?). Cats and dogs, living together, mass hysteria! The exhibition itself, with all of its multitude of attendants, could be condensed into much more succinct, user friendly experience. Providing a more fluid presentation, with an environment that promotes intrigue into a games detail by not saturating fans with dubious embellishments. I think this event also highlights the disparity between the faux optimism of the press and the vocal gaming community who aren’t exactly timid to express their disapproval. Mind you, when does anyone possess even the slightest notion of restraint on Twitter?

Frankly when highlights include Keanu Reeves existence and a rather boisterous announcer displaying a genuine affection for her job, you do have to start questioning the validity of a supposed apotheosis of the trade industry.

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What do you guys think? Do you still enjoy E3? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

Why E3 Would Benefit Without Sony, Microsoft And Nintendo.

We are fast approaching that superlative time of year where ambition and innate speculation begin to herald the arrival the gaming’s most revered, often exultant media exhibition, E3. A place for studios to arbitrarily postulate half completed projects, with aggressive marketing and capricious advertising that gives consumers a distorted vision of what the game will actually be. Presided over by the smuggest, most insincere chief executives who drivel awkwardly, with meandering proclamations that give far too much insight into a companies laboured achievements rather than be informative and, heaven forbid, entertaining, that could quite reasonably be condensed into anecdotal respite between announcements. Sigh. It’s probably my age, my insatiable lust for cynicism, a combination of the two but to me E3 is a lot of bluster and hyperbole without much substance, unless you call theatrical trailers substance.

Much is being made of Sony’s absence from this year’s event, electing instead to explore new and familiar ways to engage with the community. Which essentially translates too “we’ve got nothing left to show until the PS5” . Perceived as an admission of Sony’s hubris, a need to find bigger shoes to accommodate their inflated feet and resting poor, fatigued laurel, I’m personally very happy about this. Don’t get me wrong I’m very much a purveyor of all things PlayStation, a Sony Pony if you will, but most of their previous conferences have been duller than my Nan’s kitchen curtains. They’ve announced some exceptional content at E3 in the past to be sure, but you still have to tolerate the pedantic waffling that pads out their shows. So does it really matter if Sony aren’t there? Better still, does it matter if any of the big guys aren’t?

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have long outgrown the platform. With the advent of social media and more importantly streaming they can now facilitate their own identity, separate from a 2 hour-long statistical dumps. Personally an E3 conference is just another incentive to check out each individuals separate announcements on their own sites, not grappling through hours of padding to discover the 5 minute segment that personally interests me. I also believe that E3 could benefit from the absence of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. With the omission of this trios bloated commercial presentations, primary attention could then be imparted to a wide range of independent developers.

E3 could proudly exhibit a varied representation of developers that may not have had the exposure otherwise. Become an institution less concerned with deceptive trailers and fallacious promises manifesting through the corporate hierarchy, and create an environment that engages consumer interest rather than manipulate them. Or maybe don’t invite EA!

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Do you still watch E3? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

Top 5 Games That Most Interested Me At E3.

Devil May Cry V.

Unlike many devil may cry purists, I don’t have a pathological hatred for the reboot. I think it was obnoxious, puritanical and rudely dismissive of its roots, but at least it struck a chord, even if conceptually it was a brown note. The combat was its strongest asset, beguiling you with its turbulent hack and slash, duel wielding pistols Ebony and Ivory as well as utilising Dante’s Nephilim abilities. Switching between blade ravaging slashes, rapid scythe sweeps and flattening demons with a powerful axe really allowed for more dynamic variation that was responsive, ambulant and deeply satisfying with almost choreographed fluidity. DmC may of had a redundant abbreviation, a belittling attitude towards the series fans and tried just a little too hard to refrain from everything that had come before in a misguided attempt to stand out, but at least it wasn’t as sterile and forgettable as Devil May Cry 2. Well until now that is, with Capcom banishing any hope of a direct successor and instead doing what they should have done originally and make Devil May Cry V.

Continuity be damned! We’ve got the substitute hero from Devil May Cry 4 and shoddy Dante impersonator “Nero” returning with a new look, new accomplice and new appendage? A detachable extremity no less, one that can be used as missile to surf on?! The lack of Dante is disturbing and the general Final Fantasy 15 vibe is a little too pervasive to me, but this seems like a progressive step in the right direction.

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The Last Of Us 2.

I’ll admit that I’m still a little sceptical about this sequel. I realise it’s NaughtyDog, yes I know I loved the first, but something about this just feels…. unnecessary. Ellie and Joel’s ambiguous dialogue at the end of the last game felt conclusive if not ultimately defined. I liked that, these two brave, complicated individuals sauntering off to pastures unknown. But here we are anyway, Ellie scouring dense woodlands where the general populace continue to be infected by malaise of fungal blemishes. Hostile scavengers foraging for basic amenities, perishables and forging implements of neck piercing persuasion. With Joel curiously absent?

The trailer does make for good watching though, with the intelligent AI that seems adaptive to whatever move or tangent you go off on being particularly impressive. Seeing Ellie flourish from awkward teenager into a women of assured badassary is another engaging incentive. I’m still not 100% sold on a sequel yet, but I’m getting there.

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Resident Evil 2

A remake of my favourite game in the Biohazard series? One ticket to Raccoons City please! There had been murmurings uttered surreptitiously for some time that alluded to it. Claims that stated it was in development. But to finally have visual confirmation of its existence gives much-needed veracity to the speculation. I’ve always been curious about what this particular entry in the series would be like on current gen consoles. How modernised controls would affect the traditionally stiff mobility of Leon and Claire, whether increased movement would neutralise some of the anxiety of surviving a Police Station teething with infected?

The great thing about it is that it doesn’t just look like a straight, copy and paste remake, but rather establishing its own versatile identity from utilities and concepts from its past. The Gameplay trailer certainly suggests that the game will adhere to the classic pervading ambiance that induced this constant imbued anxiety, that was only compounded by reduced spatial visibility and limited ammo.

If Resident Evil 2 can provoke the same nostalgic terror that crippled me to periodical 10 minute intervals of play and create something that also feels original, then this could be my new favourite Resi!

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Spider-Man.

Insomniacs Spider-Man doesn’t get me excited merely because it plays and feels like everything I’ve ever wanted in a Spider-Man game, no. It gets me excited because it’s like they plucked the conceit directly from my 10-year-old mind. The way the helicopter starts whooshing towards the ground. The pilots like “Ah, save me Spider-Man!”, and he’s like, swoosh, got ya. Then he’s like “oh no, all the prisoners are escaping”. So he’s like bosh, bash, doosh, and Electro’s like “Ha ha ha, I’m going to electrocute you”. And Spider-Mans like “I don’t think so Sparky!” before chasing him down, swinging and swooping, finally catching up with him. But then Spider-Man gets cornered by LOADS of recognisable villains and Spider-Man’s like “Oh spider poop!”. I can only imagine what my 10-year-old self would have said?!

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Death Stranding.

I’m fresh out of takes. Seriously, I got nothing?

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What game are you most excited to play? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers

Why I Both Love And Loath E3.

There’s something so animalistic about E3. Many of the presentations are performed like birds in some far-flung corner of the globe, rustling their plumage to attract a mate. Cavorting with its prospective mates with not so subtle inflections. If you could mute what was being said and replace it with a David Attenborough narration the whole spectacle would be infinitely more interesting. The only difference between these birds of paradise and the human parallel is that all this cordial gyrating is replaced by fallacious expressions, imbued with extensive automated vernaculars that make less sense than this sentence, gestural posturing with excessive hand movements, interlocked fingers and flourishes like a magician going “taa daa!”. Not to mention an exuberant audience applauding every single mundane feature purely out of courtesy, as if they need to take long cold showers afterwards. Because who doesn’t want to touch themselves in all their sensitive areas after watching an assortment of CG trailers? It’s a huge, commercialised endorsement for products, accessories, software and hardware, integrated into theatrical posturing as choreographed as any ballet. Perhaps I’m just getting old and this kind of emphatic performance, one in which rationalising inhibits your ability to enjoy it is just too much pantomime for my taste. Personally my biggest gripe has been the way the industry comprises all of its heavy artillery into one giant bazooka and just fires sporadically with a cacophony of noise and explosive nonsense, without ever really clarifying what they are demonstrating.
It’s certainly targeted at a very suggestible audience, generating hype rather than fact and is much more culturally viable for an American audience. It can be very shouty, very flamboyant and grandiose. Not that that’s a bad thing as such but it does leave much of what is shown open for interpretation. The games themselves aren’t finished so don’t accurately represent the performance stated by the makers. And that’s even if there is any game-play to demonstrate. I’ve never had a natural immunity to the oftentimes overwhelming influence of hype and E3 has a tendency to exacerbate this volatile emotion. It’s something I’ve had to condition myself against having been erroneously beguiled by inflated expectation, constructed by my own encouraged ambition and farcical presentation that belies the subverted mediocrity of the product. Exhibitions such as E3 revels in the duplicitous falsities of hype, the ruse that every game exhibited is the best. Its captivating advertisement, but one so fiendishly manipulative you simultaneously curse them for deceiving you and reprimand yourself for falling for it. Developers are granted a platform to showcase new concepts they’ve been working on, presiding across the stage like Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone, wielding propaganda with terrifying precision. And man do some of these presentations go on?!

Brevity is concept rarely utilised at these events, exemplified by the incessant discharge of information that goes on longer than a Sloths foreplay. You could cut 3/4 off the Sony press conference and still have your butt bored into atrophy. Then you have the inevitable inert contest between companies, adjudicated by the opinions of observers that must assign a definitive victor to the event. Comparing their prospective ideologies and moderate a “winner” based on technique, presentation and most importantly the approval of bias. Why? The only real winners should be us. “Oh Nintendo definitely won E3”. Yeah! Congratulations. What do they win? The respect and admiration of the gaming community and their peers? “Anything from the bottom shelf sir”.Oh, well I’ll have the goldfish then my fine fictitious carnival proprietor! Proclaiming a victor seems redundant, garnering all the prestige of a fat kid finishing a race at sports day. And yet in spite of its jumped up, “look how awesome I am!” exultation, it’s still a largely captivating event.

“Bowser: The Pimp.”

I love talking about games, I could discuss any number of gaming related utilities all day. I particularly enjoy other people expressing their own excitement for games. Just a brief stroll (scroll?) through Twitter reinforces my adoration for the subject and community that embraces it. Whether it’s people excited about the new Xbox, the new Spider-man game or the wealth of opportunity available for the Nintendo Switch. Just observing gamer’s optimism for whatever it may be feels my spirit with delight. Really it’s an enjoyable farce with all the depth of a puddle, yet it always has the potential to be energetic, kinetic and even fun. E3 is a commercialised institute for the exposure of lavishly augmented trailers. A demonstration of potential rather than actual quality. You don’t get an authentic indication of what the game you will eventually play within the next year will be like, not really. So the cynic in you is always fearing the worst as opposed to hoping for the best. Because that’s what the show is all about, exhibiting content that inspires. Sure it doesn’t always succeed, intentions can be dubious and innovations sceptical, but it’s always earnest if not honest. It’s the not knowing whether a game will be good or not that is kind of the attraction and that affixing a level of expectation, derived from what we’ve seen that ultimately defines the success or failure of game.

As much I loath E3’s procedural, gaudy sensibilities and conceited self service, without it gamer’s would have nothing to get excited about. We need the assurances of spectacles such as E3 to nurture and sustain a sense of hope, even if ultimately it fails. Because when expectations are met or even bettered you can look back on it’s discovery with joy and it’s presenter with affection.

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What games/hardware were you most excited about at this years E3? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

New Turtle Beach Headsets For E3

Turtle Beach have revelaed new gaming headsets for E3 that include Hearing Health Care devices that are specifically designed for people suffering with hearing loss. 

Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR), the leading-edge audio technology company and #1 in gaming audio, announced today a selection of new headsets for the latest gaming systems will be showcased at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles at Booth #1347 in the South Hall of the L.A. Convention Center from June 16-18, 2015.

The new lineup includes a variety of high-quality headsets that deliver the most immersive and competitive gaming experience, with a range of features and price points catering to gamers’ varied needs and budgets. E3 attendees will be among the first to check out the EAR FORCE® Stealth 420X – the Company’s third officially licensed 100% fully wireless gaming headset designed for Xbox One, the EAR FORCE PX24 multi-platform gaming headset that comes with Turtle Beach’s innovative EAR FORCE SuperAmp™ battery powered in-line amplifier, and the EAR FORCE Stealth 450 wireless PC gaming headset with premium features like Superhuman Hearing™ and DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound. The Company’s E3 lineup also includes new additions to its entry level EAR FORCE Recon series gaming headsets, each featuring a new lightweight and comfortable design and convenient in-line controls.

Additionally, Turtle Beach will be holding select demonstrations of its groundbreaking hearing healthcare device –HyperSound Clear™, which uses the Company’s patented directional audio technology to deliver rich, 3D sound to the targeted listener to improve sound clarity and speech intelligibility for individuals with hearing loss – for a crisp, clear home entertainment listening experience when watching TV, listening to music and playing video games.

“2015 continues our trajectory of leadership in gaming headsets,” said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “Late last year we pioneered the category for fully wireless Xbox One gaming headsets with the launch of the Stealth 500X, which continues to be one of this year’s best-sellers. We’ve now followed that up with our most pre-ordered wireless headset – the Elite 800X, and again with today’s announcement of the Stealth 420X as our third fully wireless Xbox One headset with a suite of high-quality features.”

Stark continued, “We’re also unveiling eight new high-quality gaming headsets with innovative features like the PX24’sSuperAmp that delivers powerful sound from any connected device and adds features like surround sound and our amazing Superhuman Hearing capability. And I can’t wait for people to experience HyperSound Clear, which we believe will change the way people with hearing loss and their family and friends enjoy the latest home entertainment when it launches later this year. Whether you have or know somebody with hearing loss or simply love to see the latest groundbreaking technology, there’s nothing else like it available and you have to hear it to believe it.”

Show attendees who stop by Turtle Beach Corporation’s E3 booth will be able to get a first look at the Company’s new 2015 winter lineup of gaming headsets, which includes:

• EAR FORCE Stealth 420X Wireless Xbox One Gaming Headset – The EAR FORCE Stealth 420X is Turtle Beach’s third 100% fully wireless officially licensed gaming headset designed for Xbox One. The Stealth 420X is completely wireless for both game and chat audio, meaning no wires to the controller or Xbox One, and features booming 50mm speakers and an updated headset design with perforated, synthetic leather-wrapped ear-cups for added comfort. The Stealth 420X includes an adjustable and removable high-sensitivity boom mic with Mic Monitoring and separate game and chat audio volume controls. Additionally, the Stealth 420X comes with four Turtle Beach audio presets and a rechargeable battery delivering up to 15 hours of use for those long Xbox One gaming sessions. The EAR FORCE Stealth 420X is planned to launch July 18, 2015.

• EAR FORCE PX24 Amplified Multiplatform Gaming Headset – Built on Turtle Beach’s best-selling X12and PX22 headset design, the EAR FORCE PX24 is a multiplatform gaming headset for PlayStation 4, Xbox One¹, PC, Mac and mobile/tablet devices, and features Turtle Beach’s all-new, innovative EAR FORCE SuperAmp battery powered in-line amplifier that delivers crisp highs and thundering lows to the PX24’s 50mm speakers. The SuperAmp also includes convenient fingertip controls allowing listeners to tune the headset to their preferred gaming platform, and provides audio enhancements like Superhuman Hearing, Variable Bass Boost, Turtle Beach Virtual Surround Sound and Variable Mic Monitoring. The PX24 also features an adjustable, high-sensitivity boom mic.

• EAR FORCE Stealth 450 Wireless Surround Sound PC Gaming Headset – A 100% fully wireless PC gaming headset with large 50mm speakers, the EAR FORCE Stealth 450 features DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound and custom DTS Surround Sound modes combined with four Turtle Beach audio presets to further immerse fans in their favourite games, movies and music. The Stealth 450 also includes Superhuman Hearing, which gives players the competitive advantage of hearing enemies before they come into view, as well as Variable Mic Monitoring, an adjustable high-sensitivity boom mic that can be removed when watching movies and listening to music, and a rechargeable battery delivering up to 15 hours of use.

• EAR FORCE Recon 60P Gaming Headset – An amplified digital stereo headset for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation®3, the EAR FORCE Recon 60P plugs directly into an available USB port to deliver amazing sound and Mic Monitoring, and features 40mm speakers and a brand new over-ear design for added comfort. The Recon 60P comes with an adjustable and removable high-sensitivity boom mic, plus convenient in-line Volume and Mic Mute controls, and is multiplatform compatible² for Xbox One¹, PC, Mac and mobile/tablet devices in addition to the PS4™ and PS3™.

• EAR FORCE Recon 50 / Recon 50X / Recon 50P Gaming Headsets – The EAR FORCE Recon 50series gaming headsets are multiplatform compatible for PC and Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and mobile/tablet devices, and feature a brand new, lightweight over-ear design with 40mm speakers built for great sound and extended comfort. The Recon 50/50X/50P comes with an adjustable and removable high-sensitivity boom mic and convenient in-line controls for Volume and Mic Muting. The Recon 50 also includes a PC-Y adapter³ for universal PC, Mac and mobile/tablet compatibility.

• EAR FORCE Recon 30X Chat Headset – Featuring an original, innovative slotted ear-cup design, Turtle Beach’s EAR FORCE Recon 30X is an officially licensed chat headset for Xbox One, and also works with PlayStation 4, PC, Mac and mobile/tablet devices. The Recon 30X comes with convenient in-line Volume and Mic Mute controls, and features a single 40mm over-ear speaker with a unique, slotted design enabling players to hear game audio with both ears for a much better audio experience.

In addition to its all-new lineup of gaming headsets, Turtle Beach Corporation will also be showing its ground-breaking HyperSound Clear hearing healthcare device. HyperSound technology is a fundamentally new approach to sound delivery that utilizes thin panels to generate an ultrasound beam that carries audio through the air. The panels direct sound in a narrow, controlled beam; much the way a flashlight directs a beam of light. When an individual enters the beam, they hear immersive 3D audio, similar to wearing a surround sound headset.HyperSound Clear speakers have been shown to improve sound clarity and speech intelligibility in individuals with hearing loss.

Very nice. Hopefully I’ll get time to actually review “The Elder Scrolls Online” soon, seeing as I wont actually be attending E3 (and trust me there is a lot to say!) . Not that I wanted to attend such a stupid, poo bum event in any instance!