Tom Clancy’s The Division
For many gamers the price of the entertainment is key. This makes the announcement of the PS4’s pleasantly low launch price all the more brilliant. Analysts were making the call of a $500 price mark for both the PS4 and the Xbox One purely based on the price of components and in comparison to previous generation launches. Thankfully they were way off the mark as Sony triumphantly announced the launch price of the PS4 to be $399/£350/€399 which is a surprisingly lower price range than Microsoft’s lofty price tag of $499/£429/€499. The reveal of this void in prices caused much discussion at E3 and has surely pleased many PS4 fans around the world including Sony themselves as this lower price point puts them immediately ahead in terms of favourability and makes them the first choice for budget gamers such as students or younger gamers.
This was the news many gamers wanted to hear. With the recent change in management at Star Wars HQ (With Disney now owning pretty much everything) and the recent cancellation of many LucasArts games it was almost certain that this highly desired game would never see the light of day. Then came the news that DICE (Battlefield) and Visceral Games (Dead Space) would be working on several non-movie related Star Wars games causing everyone’s hopes to reignite. Now we have final clarification that this game will happen at long last! It’s described as DICE’s own take on the game with some classic elements left in for fans, the short E3 trailer shows a Hoth scene with a crashing snow speeder and an AT-AT foot. Whilst we didn’t get to see any gameplay footage etc. it’s safe to think that this game is going to be a big title due to launch on the PC, Xbox One and PS4, especially with FPS wizards DICE at the helm. The short and sweet trailer for Star Wars Battlefront can be viewed below.
Nintendo games never really cease to be fun; many people certainly have fond memories of nights in huddled around a tense game of Mario Kart on the N64 so new titles filled with familiar faces from Nintendo’s corner are always a welcome sight. The new Smash Bros. release was definitely one of the expected titles especially considering that nearly every Nintendo console has had one except the Wii U however what was a surprise was that the portable console the 3DS would also be getting a version of the new Super Smash Bros. game. This means that you’ll be able to take the fight wherever you want and that you can battle with your friend community on your 3DS as well as viewing the game in the devices interesting glasses-free 3D viewing. Heavy hitting AAA titles have be quite absent from both news Nintendo consoles so maybe E3 and the plethora of new titles will breathe some much needed new life into the rather unloved consoles.
Arguably the highlight of E3 was Sony’s clear cut clarification on its stance regarding used games. In the build up to E3 both next gen consoles threw gamers into a sea of confusion regarding the rules and regulations surrounding used games, Microsoft messed up and rambled about fees and always online whilst Sony actually just kept quiet. As it happens Sony was waiting for E3 to drop the welcome bombshell that they would be imposing no regulations on the used game market, which they displayed in a brilliantly comical slide, which can only be taken as a jovial dig at Xbox. For many this’ll certainly conclude which console to choose, especially considering the remaining confusion around Microsoft’s restrictions and the always-online nature of their console.
What were your highlights of E3 and which next gen console do you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to check back later in the week were we’ll go over the worst aspects of E3 2013!