E3 2019: Tales from the Floor

If you're like most obsessed gamers, you've been following all the action from live-streamed conferences to press announcements and video promos of the hottest upcoming games. We headed down to the convention floor at E3 to check out what all the fuss was about, from game demos to all the swaggariffic promotions and opportunities not just to get into the games but to to put ourselves into the games personally! 

In the action with Fortnite

Gamers got to get into the action at the Fortnite booth with dance challenges, an inflatable jump obstacle, and more. Fortnite skin clad booth staffers like this camouflaged bush proved great inspiration for costume ideas. It’s never too early to start thinking about Halloween!

Cosplay with Borderlands 3

At the Borderlands 3 booth, attendees were treated to a professional cosplay makeover and got in on the action with a green screen photo shoot. Across the way, Mortal Kombat’s booth also featured a green screen photo opp as well as plenty of opportunities for game play.

Playing Dragon Ball Z

People lined up at the Dragon Ball Z booth to play the game in a simulated environment from the game.

Harvest Moon: A Fast-Paced Game for All Ages

Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, from Natsume, is a fast-paced, farm harvest meets Tetris game that is as cute as it is addictive. Available on PS 4 and Switch coming out in fall. 

Watch Dogs: Legion Motion Capture Characters

Video game designers don’t pull everything from their imaginations... Watch Dogs: Legion used motion capture with real life actors for the characters  from the resistance to create the game. These resistance fighters were really nice to chat with in person and were kind enough to pose for a photo!

Hanging out with Minecraft: Dungeons Developers (OMG!)

The long-awaited Minecraft: Dungeons trailer was released at E3 and Minecraft fans will not be disappointed with this new take on their favorite classic. Kidzworld sat down with the Minecraft: Dungeons development team -- David Nisshagen, executive producer; Måns Olson, game director; and Nathan rose, senior producer -- to chat about the new game mechanics and how they're taking playing Minecraft to a whole new level! The bad news: You'll have to wait a whole year for the game to be released in Spring 2020.

Be the Bee

It's not just the big-name developers that are turning gamers' heads. Big Ben Interactive is releasing a slew of new games, including a Bee Simulator which is much more exciting than it sounds! The simulator lets you fly from a bee's perspective to travel through New York's Central Park, collecting pollen and avoiding obstacles. It's educational, collaborative, and a lot of fun.

World Racing Where You Control the Weather

After a two-year break, Big Ben is also releasing the latest WRC, World Racing title -- WRC8. The wait is definitely worth it. WRC8 features races in 14 countries, enabling you to control not only which car you use, but the terrain, time of day, weather, and even your pit crew. While Forza is the racing game of choice of many motorheads, WRC8 gets a leg up as you follow simulated tracks that look and feel just like the real deal out in nature and even control the business of managing your racing team. Coming September 2019.

It's BurgerTime!

XSeed Games has a few new releases coming out in 2019 as well. The new BurgerTime Party! is an update on the classic console and 8-bit game from way back in your parents' day. While the game play is similar enough that you can pick up right where the arcade game leaves off, a new look makes it easier and more fun to follow the action as you assemble burgers while dodging food foes to conquer more than a hundred stages. Play with or against up to three other players, and even switch teams in the classic food fight to become the pickle or hot dog that stands in the way of Chef Peter Pepper completing his burger orders in time. Join the food fight Fall 2019, available to play on Nintendo Switch.

Fight Like a Rice Goddess

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is another long-awaited offering from XSeed games. It debuted as a promo at E3 in 2018 and is now ready for gamers to fall in love with the beautiful backgrounds and fantastic battles with unique foes. Players control Sakuna, who is a rice goddess marooned on an island with other mortals. The castaways must grow crops to level up and earn awards, then engage in epic battles for survival. It's easy to see why Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin has been nominated for several awards at E3 this year.

Star Wars Pinball Adventures

Finally, we toured Zen studios (and got a nifty, giant pair of comfy slippers as a gift) to explore their Star Wars Pinball game for the Nintendo Switch, coming out September 13, 2019, in plenty of time to make your holiday wish list. The game features 19 pinball tables all themed with various Star Wars adventures and locations. You can choose to fight for the light side or the dark side and select featured characters and locations to fully customize your experience -- and even play vertically like a standard pinball machine or horizontally. Gameplay takes place in various modes: Career mode, single player, league play, and galactic tournaments. There is also a cantina jukebox where you can unlock Star Wars themed tunes by earning achievements. While Star Wars has universal appeal, the real star of the game is the gameplay itself. Real-feel pinball action combines with the power of simulation to make this experience out of this world!

Have Your Say

It was amazing being part of the action. Be sure to check out all of our other E3 2019 announcements for more demos, predictions, and recaps! Which of these titles are you most excited for? Share your reactions by commenting below!