Home Can an E3 press conference surprise us?

Can an E3 press conference surprise us?

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Xbox E3 2014 181

It’s hard for any press conference to really surprise us anymore. With tons of leaks, the glory of the internet showing us all the trailers and videos in advance and other modern developments, E3 is slowly losing its announcement appeal. Microsoft is determined to bring it back – but can they?

In that same Inner Circle podcast which Geoff told you about regarding how the Xbox One is getting better, Xbox marketing executive Aaron Greenberg teased Microsoft’s E3 plans, calling it the “Super Bowl of gaming”.

Expect a lot of surprises. Expect us to talk a lot about games. And if you’re an Xbox owner, I think you’re going to leave really, really, really happy in the investment you made. And if you’re undecided, we hope that you will look at what we deliver on games and want to buy an Xbox.
We have some ideas to do some things different at E3 this year that we haven’t done before. I think we’re going to take a little bit of a different approach to E3 this year. But I feel really good about it. It’s been really exciting.

Last year, Microsoft’s press conference was generally perceived by those watching at home as “not that interesting” even though at least they chucked out all the TV-centric nonsense and focused on the games. For those in the actual hall, it was a ton of fun. No, not just because there were flashing wrist bands, but also because of the energy in the building and the excitement and cheering to see games revealed that we didn’t even know were coming. E3 press conferences are way more interesting than their Gamescom equivalents; it’s all about showmanship in LA whereas Gamescom is about the nitty gritty details.

While I’m excited for E3 and what Microsoft (as well as the other big press conferences) has in store for us on gauntlet day, I’m not sure that it will be a day of surprises. It’s not just the leaks – Microsoft would have to completely change its approach to press conferences to really surprise us. I mean, what can they do? Put Phil Spencer on the stage in an indie shirt with a blazer to tell us that we’re going to like what we see, and then show some cool trailers for games that excite us. It’s cool and a rite of passage for those in the gaming industry, but it’s not really surprising. What would be surprising is if they actually let the journalists have coffee in the morning – maybe even provided it for us. Now that would be a shocker.

Last Updated: February 24, 2015

53 Comments

  1. SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

    February 24, 2015 at 13:02

    I guess it’d be surprising if I got to go? Hint hint. Hint. Hint. Hint.

    If you hadn’t noticed, that was generally a hint for someone to TAKE ME WITH YOU. 😛

    Reply

    • Victor "Vicky" Moolman

      February 24, 2015 at 13:31

      Get in line, ya filthy animal….your number would be #23553. You get to stand next to Hammersteyn XD

      Reply

      • SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

        February 24, 2015 at 13:42

        Okay. Okay. Okay. That’s REALLY low on the list. But what if I told you that I can cook really really well? That’s got to get AT LEAST in front of Hammersteyn. And the Admiral. AT LEAST.

        Reply

        • Victor "Vicky" Moolman

          February 24, 2015 at 15:56

          Due to reasons, I really don’t know them, the Admiral is stuck at #99999. I have a sneaky suspicion that Gavin had a hand in it. Since you can cook you may be moved to #23551.

          Reply

      • HvR

        February 24, 2015 at 13:51

        Whose number 7 on the list?

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief

          February 24, 2015 at 13:58

          Oh you

          Reply

        • Victor "Vicky" Moolman

          February 24, 2015 at 15:58

          Last time I checked it was Jim -_- He stole some tickets and did some illegal trading. We are planning payback soon. . .

          Reply

  2. Jonah Cash

    February 24, 2015 at 13:04

    The Xbone slim confirmed!!! Hell yeah I am first in line for one of those!!

    Reply

    • WitWolfy

      February 24, 2015 at 13:08

      I’d buy that, I seriously think one of the reasons the Xbox isnt selling as great as it should is because of its ugly console design.

      Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        February 24, 2015 at 13:12

        That and the start of its life cycle was a complete and utter shambles!! For 6 months long they shot themselves in the foot every time they opened up their mouths!! And their worst sin with the Bone: They turned their backs on us the loyal gamers and made us feel unwelcome!! That is why I bought a PS4…

        Reply

        • Pieter Kruger

          February 24, 2015 at 13:59

          And now you’re sorry that you did I know but all is not lost, one of these days there will be an exclusive that’s worth it, stay strong! ????

          Reply

          • FoxOneZA

            February 24, 2015 at 14:21

            You should see the graphics in Uncharted 4 :p

          • Jonah Cash

            February 24, 2015 at 14:32

            Hahaha!! Nope, will wait for the slim version thank you!! And my PS4 would have to break for me to even get close to feeling sorry for getting it!! I love it as much as I loved my PS2 if not more…

          • Pieter Kruger

            February 24, 2015 at 14:48

            Ah yes, some people do love the Indies…! Haha, just kidding…

          • Jonah Cash

            February 24, 2015 at 17:14

            I am actually enjoying quite a few indies, and if it wasn’t for the PS+ once that I could play for free I would never have even tried one!! I have even bought a few now…. So yeah I now play indies as well…

        • WitWolfy

          February 24, 2015 at 14:39

          Yeah that too… But, I’m talking about after the whole aftermath know as the E3 Xbox ONE conference…

          Reply

      • umfezo

        February 24, 2015 at 13:29

        I swear I’m the only one who really likes that design… It’s like they said fuck it. MAKE IT A BOX! And put grates and air vents and shit all over it. Then give a huge power brick for no real reason because FUCK YOU AND YOUR LIMITED SPACE YOU LITTLE GIRL! Then bundle it with a giant webcam and put more grates and shit on that because YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ACTUALLY WANT YOU FUCKING OESTROGEN BALL!

        It was all very bold. I like that.

        Reply

        • WitWolfy

          February 24, 2015 at 14:10

          I really believe thats how the meeting went in the boardroom when they presented it the first time.

          Reply

        • Pieter Kruger

          February 24, 2015 at 14:13

          I LOVE IT!!

          Reply

      • Darren Peach

        February 24, 2015 at 13:39

        I liked the design. It was a beta-max machine.

        Reply

      • Pieter Kruger

        February 24, 2015 at 14:08

        It’s bad ass! Loving it, nice retro almost look to it!

        Reply

  3. WitWolfy

    February 24, 2015 at 13:07

    They better bring USHER back! And he better be dancing with a Xbox remote and singing into it like a mic!

    Reply

    • JustAnotherGamer

      February 24, 2015 at 13:18

      Bring back Usher and Bieber

      Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      February 24, 2015 at 13:44

      Sony’s got Snoop Dog to counter now (but he’s actually a big fan of the green, not the blue!!)????

      Reply

      • WitWolfy

        February 24, 2015 at 14:08

        We better introduce him to Heisenberg then! QUICK!

        Reply

  4. Pieter Kruger

    February 24, 2015 at 13:09

    Well peeesfawr will have morpheus and Xbox….THE ONE!

    Reply

    • Jonah Cash

      February 24, 2015 at 13:13

      I can see Neo running around the XBone for 30 minutes… Would be a surprise…

      Reply

      • JustAnotherGamer

        February 24, 2015 at 13:16

        the xbone isnt the one, its one of those dancing people in Matrix 2.

        Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 24, 2015 at 13:14

      • Blood Emperor Trevor

        February 24, 2015 at 13:16

        Told you VR is a gimmick.

        Reply

        • Pieter Kruger

          February 24, 2015 at 13:18

          Sony is betting big time on morpheus, it’s gonna be the new tv,tv,tv,tv,tv,tv,tv at E3!

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            February 24, 2015 at 13:19

            I dunno, why would they step in a hole Ms dug?

          • Pieter Kruger

            February 24, 2015 at 13:23

            Well last E3 Sony was much more tv than MS already remember? This year morpheus is going to get stuffed down the ponies throats and they’ll be like all “whoa” “yeahhh” “cool” and then all vomit at the same time! ????.

          • Hammersteyn

            February 24, 2015 at 13:24

            So basically a Saturday night for me.

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            February 24, 2015 at 13:24

            Can we call it the Sony Pony Vomit Comet? 😀

  5. JustAnotherGamer

    February 24, 2015 at 13:12

    lol

    Reply

  6. RinceThis

    February 24, 2015 at 13:16

    LULZ at tags!

    Reply

  7. Pieter Kruger

    February 24, 2015 at 13:16

    From the same interview: “We’re still really just starting to showcase the power and the graphic fidelity of the platform” I really hope the whole DirectX 12 hype bombs! ????

    Reply

  8. RinceThis

    February 24, 2015 at 13:16

    Already E3 time? Flip!

    Reply

  9. Hammersteyn

    February 24, 2015 at 13:18

    The Cloud, Cross play, 180, jackets, TV, Sports, Windows 10,Deal with it,Halo, Gears, Water cooler, etc.

    Reply

  10. ReaperOfSquirrels

    February 24, 2015 at 13:24

    They’ll try surprise us and then pull a 180 and tell us everything a month before E3.

    Reply

  11. Admiral Chief

    February 24, 2015 at 13:27

    DX12, Win10, CROSSPLATFORM PLAY, KAASKRULLE

    Reply

    • Victor "Vicky" Moolman

      February 24, 2015 at 13:29

      Can I have some of the Kaaskrulle now? or do I have to wait until E3…

      Reply

  12. Darren Peach

    February 24, 2015 at 13:30

    Dear John er I mean Xbox…

    I was sorry to have to part with you last night, I know we barely spent any time together. I felt bad that I spent more time with my PS4 than I did with you. I looked at you longingly from time to time but you just sat there gathering dust. I know you deserved better but I am not the man I once was. I used to be able to afford relationships with a Playstation a Xbox and my PC. I was a three timer. Over the years as I grew older and more mature I realised that I was wasting money on the PC. It was with a heavy heart that I decided to let you go. You deserved better than me. I know the new gamer in your life with treat you better than I ever could. I wish you all the happiness in the world.

    Love Darren.

    Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      February 24, 2015 at 13:46

      You have a PS3 as well? Most peeesfawr owners are spending more time on those apparently! ????

      Reply

      • Darren Peach

        February 24, 2015 at 13:48

        Nope, Sold my PS3 and my 360 for cash. Needed the cash from my PS3 to go towards my PS4 and when I sold my 360 I was broke.

        Reply

  13. Loftus

    February 24, 2015 at 13:34

    Tomb Raider is better than UC4 (coz we say so), voice controled coffee masjine machine, HALO something, Windows shoes and handbags with blue tooth

    Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      February 24, 2015 at 14:14

      Haha and Sony be like “morpheus morpheus morpheus” and “indie indie indie” ROFL!

      Reply

  14. Brady miaau

    February 24, 2015 at 13:39

    It is a difficult thing for the companies. They need to have a wow factor at the conference, even if they do not have a wow factor in reality. Puts a lot of pressure on, that may divert from actual R&D by the dev teams.

    That said, it is known when they need these wow factor things an I am damn sure they have Project Leads and Managers that know the score and what they need to put on the table. Then it is just a matter of delivery against the fixed time-frame, not always an easy thing to do. Priority over what can and what cannot be done must be decided upon and people must STICK to that.

    BUT that feeling when they deliver something with a true WOW factor must be amazing.

    Reply

  15. Mark Treloar

    February 24, 2015 at 13:40

    Valve showcases their Steam Box running glNext with exclusive to the Steam Box: HL3

    Reply

  16. HvR

    February 24, 2015 at 13:49

    Well we got a HAI of a surprise last year

    Reply

  17. Pieter Kruger

    February 24, 2015 at 14:12

    Again……

    Reply

    • WitWolfy

      February 24, 2015 at 14:45

      Best advertising EVER!!! Their faces say it ALL!

      Reply

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