Editorials
E3: The Calm Before The Storm
June 11, 2013, Author: Neil Hughes
Gamers across the world will be tuning into E3 this week for a glimpse of what the next generation of gaming has to offer. Before we all get over-excited and carried away by hype, however, maybe we should all take a deep breath and remember to ‘keep it real’.
The recent releases of Bioshock Infinite and The Last Of Us could actually go against this week’s announcements because our expectations are now at an all-time high. We expect next-generation game consoles to show us games that are at least twice as good as The Last Of Us and this is simply not going to happen until developers have had some time with the code, so let’s all exercise a little patience before getting all judgemental and declaring that everything is shit.
Sure, there are a few obstacles to overcome. I believe both Microsoft and Sony will need to stop trying to control both content and prices now we are in the age of customer power, because the old business model of squeezing early adopters for every last penny in their wallet before cutting prices over time to keep sales looking healthy just won’t cut it any more.
Our lifestyles have drastically changed over the years and we now get our gaming fix by snatching a quick ten minutes here and there on a mobile device. Our leisure time is rapidly being eroded by the vast amount of technology in our lives, so actually sitting down and playing a console game for five hours is on the decline, which could be a problem.
By the time you have somehow lost a few hours on You Tube, checked Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, your emails and your favourite websites, there isn’t too much time to commit to playing a 50-hour game, which could be a big issue for the next generation of consoles because our world is now a very different place.
The moral of the story is…
However, this week is all about games and we desperately want a glimpse of tomorrow’s world. The pressure will be on both the PS4 and the Xbox One to impress us all. I sense that we might all be left with yet more unanswered questions and feeling frustrated at the lack of in-game footage, but whatever the slick presentations and style-over-content videos will try and tell you, essentially it’s still too early to judge anything.
The launch titles for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 were predictable and far from great. The harsh truth is that innovation, creativity and design take time to evolve; so we all need to be a little patient and not jump on any bandwagon. Most importantly, we must avoid feeding the internet trolls who report every little piece of rumour or speculation as fact and wait for angry punters to bite.
Whatever happens this week, there will be two shiny new consoles for you to choose from this Christmas, with which you will be able to play your favourite games and much more. So enough of this bitching; it’s time to get saving, and selecting our console of choice to prepare for the next generation of gaming.
