RIP IN PEPPERONI, E3.
I’m gonna miss the “Giant Enemy Crab”, whatever it is
Ah yes, it’s June. The time where people actually look forward to having their eyes blasted with actual advertisements. Aka Gaming news season.
Even though events such as Summer Games Fest (thank you Geoff) try to sloppily replace that event, none of those are going to be as remarkable as E3. Why?
…Because of no cringe.
Yeah, that may sound ridiculous because cringe is meant to be bad, but even cringier is how those in charge of the gaming industry try to take themselves seriously nowadays and pretend everything is perfect.
We get these huge livestreams with a fuck ton of WORLD PREMIERES!!!!1! and a gigantic amount of CGI trailers of games that will never amount to being all that because of the “LET’S PRAISE CRUNCHING BECAUSE OF IMPATIENCE!” mindset (looking at you Pokémon fans who are mad that there’s no game this year despite how much Scarlet and Violet was RIGHTFULLY CRITICIZED for being one heck of a mess) but none of the dumb fun that made all these companies more… Approachable, perhaps?
I like Geoff Keighley a lot, trust me, and I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE GAME AWARDS, a very much needed initiative in this industry, which was born in 2014 to replace the utter celebrity chaos that was the Spike TV Video Game Awards with the excuse of “Spike forced us to put celebrities who want nothing to do with this everywhere because mainstream audience doesn’t care about gaming” only for TGA themselves to now fill the whole show with celebrities from start to finish.
But perhaps the whole “we gotta be serious” attitude is what now keeps Nintendo away from these shows after Reggie left. The fact that those now in charge of these companies either want gaming to become too serious and edgy (within politically correct) when, let’s be real, there’s nothing serious about Super Mario, which goes along with the fact Geoff pushes that “let’s be serious about this” narrative in a way too excessive way.
Hey, cringe united them all.
Maybe I’m alone in this and that’s really why I see so many people who are hating on Summer Games Fest somehow not wanting E3 back.
Either way let’s go on this time travel machine and look back at all the iconic moments of more than 2 decades of E3!
THE 15 MOST ICONIC YEARS (TO ME LMAO)
1 - 1995 - The desperation of rivalry right at the beginning
Remember when console warring was enforced not by delusional fans but from actual men in suits? Ah, good times, good times.
SEGA had done quite the slam dunk in the first half of that decade with the iconic “SEGA does what Nintendon’t” campaign for Genesis (or Mega Drive if you’re an European peasant like me. Or those that spam singers with “Come to Brazil” in South America. Or anyone who isn’t from the old US of A.) which meant they surely knew what they were doing!
Oh boy they were quite the dumpster fire when Sony entered the competition.
The SEGA Saturn had released in Japan merely half a year prior, in 1994 with, well, moderate success, it was selling well and surely they could keep Sony away if this was done well.
And they would surely do it well, no?
No?
COME MAY 1995 AND THE SEGA CEO TOM KALINSKE RUINS EVERYTHING BY ANNOUNCING THE CONSOLE WAS OUT RIGHT IN THAT MOMENT. WITH NO ONE READY.
Console was already planned for September? Fuck that, YOLO!
No wonder it flopped so hard.
It sure wasn’t helped by the console costing 399 bucks which somehow is more expensive than consoles from even 7 years ago (imagine paying 399 for a Saturn in 1995 and discovering a Switch which was capable of way more in 2017 costs less lmao).
All Sony needed to do was just have Sony Interactive Entertainment President Steve Race go into the mic, say “$299” and walk out. What a troop, that was the most iconic burn in gaming history.
…Too bad Sony would fall victim to it as well just 11 years later BUT ENOUGH FORESHADOWING.
Nintendo was pretty much forgettable, deciding to focus more on fighting counterfeit and piracy than pleasing fans with new games which HEY, IS VERY ON PAR WITH NOWADAYS!
Nintendo, please. You’re not an anti-piracy non-profit foundation. You’re a gaming company. PLEASE FOCUS ON ACTUALLY PUTTING SOMETHING OUT. METROID PRIME 4 HAS BEEN ROTTING FOR 5 YEARS WITH NOTHING TO BE SHOWN ABOUT IT.
Pretty sure more people care about seeing the new “Samus is going on a trip in her favorite ship ZOOMING THROUGH THE SKY, LITTLE METROID-” adventure than those care about pirating it. Grow up lmao.
Oh right where was I-
2 - 1998 - SEGA reveals Dreamcast aka the end of their legacy. Nintendo reveals what would be my favorite game.
Such an iconic console, a great one. But goodwill towards the brand was forever tarnished and it was ruined by SEGA Saturn just 3 years prior.
Nintendo finally showed The Legend of Zelda 64, now renamed “The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time” which I won’t talk shit about because that’s my favorite game ever.
3 - 1999 - The year of console reveals
Also Sega revealed Dreamcast was coming on 9/9/99 because haha alliteration.
And Sony unfolded PS2. So there’s that I guess. Nothing too big, just the highest selling console in history. No big deal.
And Nintendo announced Codename Dolphin. Later would be renamed GameCube.
Probs because that lunchbox thing doesn’t look that much like a dolphin.
4 - 2002 - IT’S PRIME TIME
I loved when Nintendo showing Samus saying It’s Metroid Prime time and Metroid Primed everywhere.
Now speaking seriously, let’s be real, that was the biggest moment of the whole E3: The reveal of Metroid Prime.
Well Activision also had Doom 3 which was nice too.
5 - 2004 - OF COURSE I HAD TO PUT THIS THANKS TO NINTENDO
I won’t explain it further.
6 - 2006 - $599
Just try not to laugh or groan. Really. $599 means PS5 is somehow cheaper than a PS3 was for a couple years.
And the Giant Enemy Crab, iconic <3
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER will always make me laugh.
7 - 2008 - Somehow they thought Wii Music would be good to look at.
Ah yes, I sure love to leave my ears bleeding <3
8 - 2010 - I love Zelda but what the fuck
Why did they think a demo of motion controls in Zelda live on stage was a good idea with all that interference. Why. And out of all years for me to begin following conferences at E3 on the internet.
9 - 2012 - So that’s why the Wii U failed.
This is so bad I can’t.
10 - 2013 - PS4 absolutely demolishing competition. What else.
This moment defined a whole console gen. If only they were as smart nowadays and didn’t do what they mocked Microsoft for doing back in 2013.
11 - 2013 - Nintendo announces friendship ended with live presentations. Now Nintendo Directs are their best friends.
Everyone clowned on them. Now look at summer gaming presentations nowadays. They were ahead of the time.
12 - 2014 - Zelda, what else?
Also generation defining moment. Not that gen. The following one. Zelda Wii U wouldn’t release until 2017 and not being Wii U exclusive anymore. The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild released on both Wii U and Switch. This was the moment I realized I really wanted 2015 to come quick.
…Only for it to be delayed to 2016. And then 2017. But at least I can finally say I play it!
13 - 2016 - Is everything Zelda? It’s always ever been
Wii U flopped. Hard. With NX (later Switch) reveal looming over, the only thing they had for E3 (other than Pokémon Sun and Moon which wouldn’t be a good focus for E3 tbh, and Pokémon GO which they thought wouldn’t be the phenomenon it ended up being) was Zelda. But somehow they made it work. And it was iconic. It was also a brief return to live presentations in some way, as it was being done live in the Nintendo booth. With Iwata’s passing, they were trying to figure out how to approach Nintendo Directs and they weren’t going with one for E3. Honestly for the best as it allowed for Switch era Directs to become really, really good.
14 - 2017 - The year of dreams
All big 3 SLAYED big time that year. Sony showed us Spider-Man for PS4, which was a really amazing looking game (and still is).
Microsoft saved themselves with Xbox One X which recovered the brand’s reputation.
Nintendo announced friggin Metroid Prime 4 (PLEASE SHOW IT TO US THIS YEAR NINTENDO)
15 - 2019 - That “One last thing” in the Nintendo Direct. Sorry for the bias.
Last one because it was essentially the last E3 before it was killed by the pandemic. It still tried to come back in 2021 but didn’t feel the same.
Proof of how the writing was sadly on the wall was Sony shockingly revealing they were skipping it altogether for the first time ever.
Microsoft slayed with Keanu Reeves being BREATHTAKING (remember?) on stage after a truly iconic Cyberpunk 2077 trailer (too bad the game on release was SO BROKEN) but the company that truly stole the show was Nintendo with their direct.
From the reveal of Banjo & Kazooie as well as The Hero from Dragon Quest for Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC to the SHOCKING reveal that a sequel to Breath of the Wild was in development (would later be Tears of the Kingdom, released in 2023 and despite the dividing opinions I REALLY FUCKING LOVE IT AND WAS MY GOTY <3), Nintendo knocked it out of the park.
Fun fact: On the version presented to journalists beforehand (just so they can have news ready, this is normal) the trailer of the Zelda sequel wasn’t there at all. It really was shocking because Nintendo kept it secret from EVERYONE. It hadn’t been leaked at all. That was so awesome.
Well, this was quite the trip through nostalgia field. RIP E3 and your cringe, I’ll miss you both. <3
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For paid subscribers I’ll be launching paid articles only at the end of this month, stay tuned!
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As for free articles, next thursday stay tuned for the next article, a review of the past of videogame marketing and how chaotic it was!
This was a great first article! I'm impressed by the scope and your graphic design skills are incredible, 10/10