I'm only going to grade the "big 3".
Microsoft (8/10): Halo's SP demo didn't impress me, the new BTB mode might be what Destiny should have been all along in my opinion and that's a big deal. Recore being shown only in CG form was a mistake, especially with it due in the spring. I hope that Armature and Inafune make a great game, but for now it reminds me of Knack. The Backwards Compatability announcement was received very well. I know that it means a lot to me, having a ton of games and DLC on my 360 eventually playable on my X1. It doesn't matter for some, but it's certainly better than PSnow. The new controller isn't a huge announcement in my book, they should have shown the new dashboard and how sleek and quick it is in place of that controller trailer. Don't get me wrong, I want the controller for competitive Halo, but devoting that time to it was silly. Fallout mods is sweet, but that will eventually happen on PS4 also. EA access expanding is cool, but it's whatever, this program is a boon that I don't think Microsoft shouts about enough. Forza 6 looks like cars going vroom, it doesn't get me going. It looks pretty, and the additions are long overdue, but it's coming this fall. The Indie section seemed like a bigger deal to me than at Sony's and the fact that Cuphead and Ashen are now console exclusives is good for their platform. The new game preview program is something I assumed Sony would have a year before them, so to see it now without a peep from Sony surprises me a ton. The Division, Siege and Dark Souls are just filler in my mind being on both platforms. Gigantic has a nice art style, but I'll reserve judgement until I can play it. Tomb Raider looks like a sequel to the last one all right. Just like Uncharted, I can appreciate the game for what it does and how pretty it is, but I'm just not their audience. The fact that it is coming this fall is good for them with Uncharted in the spring...super bad for them that they're launching on Fallout day. The Rare collection is a phenomenal value per dollar, and has some great games included, but now news on a return of Banjo or Conker makes me sad. Sea of Thieves could be cool, there isn't enough info for me to judge it. Pirate MMO sea battle are totally win though. Fable needs to stop. I want Lionhead to grow a pair and make something new. Legends looks nice, but seems like such a waste of resources. The Hololens demo was a whoa moment for me, but I'm not falling for it fully because the lies that were Kinect demos. Besides, how much is one of those damn things going to cost? A zillion dollars minimum. Gears remaster is nice, but I didn't ask for it. Gears 4 looked cool, and damned pretty considering The Coalition has only owned the franchise for about a year. I'm impressed they had a demo that big so soon, especially when their last game only ever had a CG trailer. The rest was third party games that just don't count as big showings in my book, just like with Sony.
Sony (8/10): I think Sony's conference started strong, even though I personally don't think TLG looks like it was worth waiting for with baited breath...a little Uncharted mixed with Shadow of the Colossus's art style :/ Horizon was the huge standout for me, this game looks beautiful and gigantic, put it in my veins now! Street Fighter V sure is a fighting game...I don't know what to say about it because I am bad at them and don't play them. No Mans Sky needs to stop being shown until they have a date, the game could be amazing but I reserve judgement until it is a real game (real game as in out) (also, planet sized planets!). Dreams looks like it could be interesting, but a waste of four years for Mm to invest in what will surely be a huge commercial flop. I was disappointed there wasn't a building the list section; my Vita cries. The two Final Fantasy announcements are cool for them, and the VII remake was probably the biggest oh eff my b moment of any e3 ever. But assuming that both of those are just timed exclusives takes some steam out of them for me. I game share multiplats with a good friend on my X1 and will wait for that release of VII. The Shenmue announcement fell flat for me because of the nature of Sony asking fans to give $2M for them to approve a game getting made is kind of a shitty announcement in my book. It's cool that it is now being made and all, but they should have just said they were co developing from the start. The indie section also seemed flat compared to last year and that was super disappointing. The biggest issue I had with their conference was leaning too much on third parties like Microsoft did during the 360 era. I don't support third party exclusive content like what is being done with Destiny, it is a shit policy in my book and I don't even play it. Project Morpheus doesn't get a date or a price, waiting for the Oculus? I don't care, they have a year until their claimed release frame and they need to show this thing if they want it to be anything other than Move 2.0. Disney Infinity dude was so fake excited it killed my entire soul. So everything else was just third party games getting shown iirc, and that just doesn't rustle my jimmies. Uncharted looks like Uncharted, I played halfway through each of the PS3 releases and was severely underwhelmed...I finished the Vita game because I was able to play at work when it was released and had the time. Uncharted just doesn't do it for me, it is incredibly impressive graphically and I appreciate the technology behind it, but playing it just isn't something I feel is I need to do.
Nintendo (2/10): This to me was Nintendo letting the universe know that even they've given up on trying to make the Wii U a thing. Star Fox fell flat for me, it looks boring and graphically far inferior to pretty much everything at this point. SMTxFE's trailer didn't belong anywhere near a western focused conference in the form it was, they didn't win anyone over that wasn't already buying it. The over dependence on Mario is becoming more apparent as their other franchises fail to click commercially and it showed here with so few standouts shown. They only get points from me because I might want to play XBCX and Yoshi's Wooly World looks awesome. Next e3 better have a HUGE NX presence or I seriously fear for the long term viability of Nintendo long term.
Ultimately, as long as you're not a Wii U owner, we all win!
nly cared about X and SMTxFE which we already knew.2/10 for their effort of being there
