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Who “Won” E3 2019?

Who “Won” E3 2019?

Now that E3 2019 has come and gone. People might wonder which companies performed the best and worst this year. While it isn’t a contest, sometimes it feels like there can be clear winners and losers at the event. They might also wonder if it could be the last E3. Is the event outdated? This year was no different. So, who “won” E3 2019? Will it continue in its current form? When it comes to whether or not we could still see an E3, it is uncertain. It feels like the media briefings, things that could be accomplished with Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play-style videos. As for the winner, it came very close to being a tie. It seems like Nintendo might have won, with Square Enix coming in at a very close second. (Though, props to Microsoft for having Keanu Reeves and revealing a localization of Phantasy Star Online 2 .)

Think about what people looked forward to during E3 2019. Was it the actual events on the show floor? No. It was much sparser this year. Companies like Activision, Microsoft, and Sony abandoned ship. The media briefings ahead of the events were what pulled people in. These video segments could easily be done at any time. Having prerecorded segments would be cheaper than holding a presser in an auditorium with rented space, getting security, and arranging to have a showing with an audience. Even if they did have a showing with all of those things, holding at a time other than E3 would be more cost effective. It would also help change the idea of who won, though people who like to “keep track” could still judge such screenings as they happen.

But on to the showings. Square Enix had some really good stuff this year. There were long awaited titles. We saw surprised. Updates on games were announced. Final Fantasy VII Remake looked fantastic, especially since it really explained the battle system, reintroduced everyone’s favorite brawler, Tifa, and pinned down exactly how long it would be. Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day had some incredible CGs and has basically every voice actor you want in a video game. (Nolan North, Troy Baker, and Laura Bailey are great.) We even found out two more SaGa games are coming westward: Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions . That is insane, considering how neglected the series has been outside of Japan. Most importantly, Final Fantasy VIII is coming to modern platforms as Final Fantasy VIII Remastered . That’s practically a miracle, since there were rumors about the source code being lost.

But, even though all those things were very super good, the Square Enix E3 2019 press conference faltered a lot too. Did we really need to be reminded that games like Life is Strange 2 and Final Fantasy XIV Online: Shadowbringers exist? Outriders is new and all, but it seemed like an odd fit for a press conference focused on mostly Japanese RPGs. I can’t wait to play Dragon Quest Builders 2 , but a demo announcement wasn’t terribly striking. When the presser was good, it was very, very good. But when it was bad, it left you wondering why we were spending so much time on Dying Light 2 right now.

In comparison, Nintendo’s E3 2019 did exactly what we want and expect every year. All rapid-fire game announcements, all the time. There are no delays. There were no stopgaps. If a game we already knew about was discussed, it wasn’t to remind us it existed. It was to tell us something new or give us a release date. Even its shadowdrop was better than Square Enix’s. The Last Remnant remaster again, only this time on the Switch, or Collection of Mana , a compilation that has two classic games and one that is being released worldwide in multiple languages for the first time.

Square Enix had some really good stuff this year. There were long awaited titles. We saw surprised. Updates on games were announced. Final Fantasy VII Remake looked fantastic, especially since it really explained the battle system, reintroduced everyone’s favorite brawler, Tifa, and pinned down exactly how long it would be. Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day had some incredible CGs and has basically every voice actor you want in a video game. (Nolan North, Troy Baker, and Laura Bailey are great.) We even found out two more SaGa games are coming westward: Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions . That is insane, considering how neglected the series has been outside of Japan. Most importantly, Final Fantasy VIII is coming to modern platforms as Final Fantasy VIII Remastered . That’s practically a miracle, since there were rumors about the source code being lost.

Who “Won” E3 2019?

But anyways, the announcements. Every single thing Nintendo had was gold. Do you like Dragon Quest? The Switch version has a release date, has even more new features, and loads of the main characters will be a DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Banjo and Kazooie in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ? Sure! Hey, I bet you’d like a The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild announcement. Trials of Mana , that never before released outside of Japan Mana game that’s in Collection of Mana , is getting a remake! No More Heroes 3 is in development! Alien Isolation and The Witcher 3 are getting ports. Not to mention, Animal Crossing: New Horizons will arrive on International Day of Happiness: March 20, 2020. Hell, there were release dates aplenty.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens with future E3s. Maybe we’re on the verge of general conferences with no conventions around them. Perhaps we’ll see more places turning to brief videos throughout the year. This might even be one of the final times where we wonder who “won” an E3 and how it happened. In the meantime, we can take solace in knowing that Nintendo probably “won” this one, with Square Enix close behind.

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