By: Max Cannon
E3 2018 had some surprising highs and lows. While some amazing looking games were shown off, there were certainly some head-scratching moments and reveals. Here are our winners of E3, both with the best press conference and with the best game!
Xbox impressed with a well-made, but traditional, press conference.Courtesy of Xbox
Best Press Conference: Xbox
Microsoft hit a home run with this year's E3 briefing by keeping things simple and showing gamers exactly what they wanted to see. Square Enix made a confusing video that was brief and light on announcements while PlayStation had such an oddly structured press conference that it was a struggle to stay awake between the awesome games they showed off and the dull gaps. But Xbox just showed off a ton of games (yay Forza Horizon 4 ) and that's exactly what we want to see during an E3 show.
Forza Horizon 4 - E3 2018 - Announcement Trailer
However, the moment that won me over with Xbox was their announcement that they had acquired or created 5 new studios dedicated to making first-party games. The Xbox One has lagged way behind the competition with their exclusive lineup, though there have been a few winners in there. These announcements didn't necessarily give you a reason to buy an Xbox One today but it did suggest that you would have many more compelling reasons to buy One -- or whatever their next console is -- in the future. And capping it off with the on-stage confirmation that a new Xbox was in development? Pure hype fuel.
A Gears game centered around a Funko Pop aesthetic was definitely a surprise.Courtesy of Xbox
Game of the Show: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
If you're not a fan of the Super Smash Bros series than you likely walked away from Nintendo's E3 Direct feeling disappointed, but us Smash fans got a look at what could be the best game of 2018! A detailed video, around 20 minutes long, game a deep look at the game and brought the surprising announcement that every Smash character from past entries is going to appear in the new game, really earning that Ultimate subtitle. So characters that seemed like they would never return, like Snake, Pichu, or Young Link, will get another chance in the spotlight and set a benchmark for any future entries into the franchise.
The Next Smash - Kidzworld Weekly News
That lengthy video isn't the only look at Smash that we got, Nintendo hosted an E3 Invitational tournament to bring some of the world's best players together to compete in the new game, both competitors that are skilled at the latest entry for the Wii U/3DS and those veterans still playing Melee. This got us a lot of gameplay footage to look through from some great fighters, on top of their input to give back to Nintendo so they could adjust that game in time for release. Though the date is still planned to hit 2018, it's just at the end with a December 7th launch. It may be far away but from what we saw at E3, it looks like it'll be worth the wait.
There's a character for everyone in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.Courtesy of Nintendo
Have Your Say!
What did you think of this year's E3? Which games were your favorites? Which press conference had you most excited? Share your comments below!
