E3 2014 shows no new innovation, no killer apps.

[Vapor]

As I watched E3 yesterday, my circle of friends and texted each other all day long in excitement for what has actually been a great E3 in regards to it focusing on games and less on motion-tech and "future" tech. While MSFT, EA and Sony's conferences focused on games and the games that fans have been wanting to see, I couldn't help but give some criticism toward the entire industry for the lack of any real new ground-breaking IP.

In the past E3s, dating back to I don't know...2005/2006, there were some really great announcements that just shocked everyone and really got people pumped for the next-generation of games.

For example, this onstage demo of Gears of War shocked everyone:


Halo 3 announcement:


Can't forget the first gameplay demo of COD4:



While it's clearly subjective whether each E3 has been better than the previous or that we're actually getting bigger better games than the past, I can't help but feel some emptiness this next-generation. The switch between Xbox and Xbox 360 was huge, there were some killer apps that people knew were coming...everyone knew there would be a next-gen Halo with Halo 3, then the new Gears of War, then Call of Duty 2 and COD4 coming to next-gen...it was a huge time in gaming. Now though, it seems that new ideas are frowned upon.

The Order just feels like a re-skinned Gears of War in my opinion, it's nothing new, the gameplay is very similar to Gears, it's third person, it's cover-based, it's slowish/tactical...and it looks pretty, just like Gears did. Next we have the next COD game...graphical re-haul, but the concept is still the same. Then we have Halo, a long time brand in video gaming, is getting a face lift for a 10 year old game, and is re-launching all of the numerical Halos 1-4 on next-gen Xbox One, with all multiplayer modes for each respective title intact. That's great if you're a Halo fan, I mean, I'm pumped for having Halo CE finally playable across Xbox Live, but should it have taken that long?

More over, why is it that gamers' voices are just now being heard? For a long time, Halo fans were wanting that Halo core experience that they didn't get with Halo 3, or Reach, or Halo 4. So now we're finally getting the games we wanted?

Rainbow Six Siege looks great, but it's a reboot of the franchise. Everything seems to either be a re-boot of the franchise, or it's a re-boot of an older game, i.e., lets re-release the older games in the library.

The other thing that bothered me about this E3 was the conceptual footage. Developers used this E3 to pitch their concepts and ideas to the press and fans...I'm sorry but that should be left for behind doors business, not to show us gaming fans your concept. We want to see a demo, something tangible, not just some sketches on paper and then somehow we're suppose to trust your word and wait around for another year or two before seeing an actual working game?

When you look back at the Gears of War announcement, Epic Games didn't show storyboards and concepts, they showed very early footage of the game so that we as gamers could get a real taste of what's to come.

I feel confident that in the next three to five years we will finally see true next-gen gaming, but I feel that it's taking developers far too long. I'm not sure if it's publishers not willing to back new ideas/IP or if the developers haven't had enough time with the next-gen hardware, but to try to convince gamers to buy next-gen systems just to play old re-hashed games is pretty lame.

 

[Viktor]

I'm pretty pumped about Bloodborne and what will become of Let it Die. On the MS side, Quantum Break looks great unfortunately nothing shown at this time.

 

[menace-uk-]

Yep, this gen so far has been hugely disappointing. Usually I am a new console owner within a month, but this gen, I am still sitting here with no real reason to jump in. While I do want to play some of the released software and stuff coming. There is no game that I feel I must buy one of the consoles for. I was hoping E3 would change that, but nope.

Oh well, at least we are finally getting a sequel to one of last gens most underrated games, Mirrors Edge.

 

[The Wolf King]

Videogamer said this was the E3 to forget because most of the games aren't out till next year(at least).


The big problem now is the internet. Games get leaked so often now that so much stuff gets ruined.

 

[Vapor]

Videogamer said this was the E3 to forget because most of the games aren't out till next year(at least).


The big problem now is the internet. Games get leaked so often now that so much stuff gets ruined.

The leaking thing is interesting. Leaks, controlled or not, can generate a lot of buzz for a game, in a positive or negative way. I like seeing leaks because I'm hungry for information, but at the same time, whether the leak is controlled or not, the developer should have backups for when things leak so that when it comes time to announce, there's something new and fresh that hasn't been seen yet.

 

[Mr. Titan]

I mostly agree. While watching the press conferences I was waiting for the announcement of the next big Uncharted, Halo, Gears, Mass Effect, etc level killer app, and it never came.

Instead what we mostly got were remakes, sequels, more sequels, and some announcements about 'exclusive' beta access or levels that Microsoft and Sony bought.

Both conferences were solid and it was nice to see a focus on games, but it would be nice to see more of a focus on new IPs rather than remakes and sequels that could be played on any platform including last gen and PC.

I mean if you think about it, at the MS press conference for example, they showed:
Halo 7
Forza 7
Fable 4 or 5
Crackdown 3
Call of Duty ~11
Assassins Creed 7
Dance Central 3 or 4

And I'm sure there are even more I can't think of right now.

And after initially liking it, the more I see of Sunset Overdrive, the less I care about the game. With the exception of Destiny and possibly Evolve, that leaves me with nothing to really be excited about this holiday season or next year save for sequels, iterations, and remakes of the same games I've been playing for 10 years now. I'm sure they will be solid, but none of them will impress or excite me the way a new franchise or story would.

 

[Mr. Titan]

Videogamer said this was the E3 to forget because most of the games aren't out till next year(at least).


The big problem now is the internet. Games get leaked so often now that so much stuff gets ruined.

Did the leaks really ruin that much? Sure, everything from that Microsoft leak essentially turned out to be true, but was any of that surprising? It was very predictable. I could have put together a list nearly as accurate 6 months ago even with no insider knowledge.

Same goes for the Sony conference more or less.

 

[wshowers]

This E3 has been ho-hum for me. Not that Sony, MS etc. didn't have good shows, but the genres I like to play, RPGs and standalone single player games have be woefully under represented this year. The only games shown this year that I've got to have day one has been Dragon Age: Inqusition and the Witcher 3.

 

[Vapor]

I mostly agree. While watching the press conferences I was waiting for the announcement of the next big Uncharted, Halo, Gears, Mass Effect, etc level killer app, and it never came.

Instead what we mostly got were remakes, sequels, more sequels, and some announcements about 'exclusive' beta access or levels that Microsoft and Sony bought.

Both conferences were solid and it was nice to see a focus on games, but it would be nice to see more of a focus on new IPs rather than remakes and sequels that could be played on any platform including last gen and PC.

I mean if you think about it, at the MS press conference for example, they showed:
Halo 7
Forza 7
Fable 4 or 5
Crackdown 3
Call of Duty ~11
Assassins Creed 7
Dance Central 3 or 4

And I'm sure there are even more I can't think of right now.

And after initially liking it, the more I see of Sunset Overdrive, the less I care about the game. With the exception of Destiny and possibly Evolve, that leaves me with nothing to really be excited about this holiday season or next year save for sequels, iterations, and remakes of the same games I've been playing for 10 years now. I'm sure they will be solid, but none of them will impress or excite me the way a new franchise or story would.

The more I think about it, having Halo Combat Evolved multiplayer on Xbox Live is practically a new game in itself. When I think back about the pain in the ass it was to bring people together to LAN/system link Xboxes, and TVs, etc, just to play Halo CE multiplayer, it was fun, but an annoyance at the same time. Halo 2 opened up the entire world to Halo multiplayer, it was amazing and it's the one game I have logged-in the most hours playing out of any console game or PC game.

If there were not other announcements and it was just the Halo MC collection, I'd still be a happy gamer. However, if the Halo MC collection wasn't announced, or lets say, they just said it was going to be Halo CE through 4's single player campaigns all on one disk with no multiplayer, I would have been pissed.

 

[Z A C K]

Yeah so far E3 hasn't been up to the level of greatness I was hoping for, but it's still been a good show with some nice footage.

 

[Adam]

Im mostly in agreement. There are a ton, literally, A TON of great games coming. MS has more coming this year to play. Sony and MS both showed really good stuff. But there wasnt anything that wowed me. I cant wait to play most of what was shown. But most of the big announcements were CG trailers which makes it difficult to get excited.

 

[Kassen]

Damn, ya be trollin'! This E3 has been a bast for me so far!

 

[Mr. Titan]

The more I think about it, having Halo Combat Evolved multiplayer on Xbox Live is practically a new game in itself. When I think back about the pain in the ass it was to bring people together to LAN/system link Xboxes, and TVs, etc, just to play Halo CE multiplayer, it was fun, but an annoyance at the same time. Halo 2 opened up the entire world to Halo multiplayer, it was amazing and it's the one game I have logged-in the most hours playing out of any console game or PC game.

If there were not other announcements and it was just the Halo MC collection, I'd still be a happy gamer. However, if the Halo MC collection wasn't announced, or lets say, they just said it was going to be Halo CE through 4's single player campaigns all on one disk with no multiplayer, I would have been pissed.

Are you sure we will be able to play Halo CE multiplayer in it's original form? My interpretation was that we will get the Halo: CE maps, but not the actual multiplayer gameplay. They will only be remaking Halo 2's multiplayer.

I hope I'm wrong, but that's the way I interpreted it.

Edit: Wow, I did a little more research and you were correct. I am excited now. Wonder if they will include Halo PC maps? Some of those were classics.

 

[Kerosene31]

Most of those games did not come out for a long time after though. I don't know the Sony games as well, but on 360 there was jack squat to play for some time. Dead Rising was the first "big" game, and that didn't come out until almost a year after launch.

I think people get over-hyped for E3. We'll see a lot more in 2015.

 

[Vapor]

Are you sure we will be able to play Halo CE multiplayer in it's original form? My interpretation was that we will get the Halo: CE maps, but not the actual multiplayer gameplay. They will only be remaking Halo 2's multiplayer.

I hope I'm wrong, but that's the way I interpreted it.

Edit: Wow, I did a little more research and you were correct. I am excited now. Wonder if they will include Halo PC maps? Some of those were classics.

Bravo confirmed on Twitter that Halo CE original multiplayer will be in Halo MC collection. As for the Halo PC maps, I thought I saw somewhere that they too will be in the collection, but I'm not sure.

 

[Mr. Titan]

Most of those games did not come out for a long time after though. I don't know the Sony games as well, but on 360 there was jack squat to play for some time. Dead Rising was the first "big" game, and that didn't come out until almost a year after launch.

I think people get over-hyped for E3. We'll see a lot more in 2015.

At e3 2006 (the first E3 after the launch of the last generation) we saw original games like Gears of War 1, Mass Effect 1, Uncharted 1, Bioshock 1, Assassins Creed 1, and Modern Warfare 1, which would go on to become major franchises.

We didn't see any new franchises on par with those except for possibly Destiny and The Order.

3 of those new 2006 franchises were Xbox exclusive original 'killer apps'. This time around, I didn't see any new original 'killer app' franchises on par with either of those.

 

[D-V-ANT]

Funny... some innovation was shown last year and the masses complained until MS removed it. Well, this is what happens. Now the companies are going to play it safe. People can't reject innovation on one hand, and expect it with another.

 

[Kerosene31]

At e3 2006 (the first E3 after the launch of the last generation) we saw original games like Gears of War 1, Mass Effect 1, Uncharted 1, Bioshock 1, Assassins Creed 1, and Modern Warfare 1, which would go on to become major franchises.

That was a tease though as other than Gears, none of those games came out until 2007, most after E3 2007. Companies don't center around E3 anymore. They can just show games anytime. No point in showing games that won't be done until 2nd half 2015.

I don't see why we need "hype" for things that are still a long way from launch.

 

[Mr. Titan]

That was a tease though as other than Gears, none of those games came out until 2007, most after E3 2007. Companies don't center around E3 anymore. They can just show games anytime. No point in showing games that won't be done until 2nd half 2015.

I don't see why we need "hype" for things that are still a long way from launch.

Gears of War came out in 2006 and Bioshock came out summer of 2007.

But even if the rest were just teases, at least we were shown some new, original, genre defining IP to be excited about. This E3 we weren't.

We were shown a lot of very good sequels and remakes, but nothing new that is even close to being on the level of those other games I mentioned prior.

 

[Mr. Titan]

Funny... some innovation was shown last year and the masses complained until MS removed it. Well, this is what happens. Now the companies are going to play it safe. People can't reject innovation on one hand, and expect it with another.

I'd hardly call clunky motion control, inconsistent voice recognition, and invasive DRM 'innovation'.

The innovation people are talking about in this thread is innovation in gameplay, story, mechanics, online play, and even graphics, a la Mass Effect, Assassins Creed, Gears of War, Modern Warfare, etc.

 

[Dno69]

The leaking thing is interesting. Leaks, controlled or not, can generate a lot of buzz for a game, in a positive or negative way. I like seeing leaks because I'm hungry for information, but at the same time, whether the leak is controlled or not, the developer should have backups for when things leak so that when it comes time to announce, there's something new and fresh that hasn't been seen yet.

It's the same feeling I get with new movies. When we were younger, before the Internet (showing my age here) movie ads would come out and you would get excited or not. Now we know when a script is being shopped around and what actors are up for the role. It ruins the mystery of it all.

 

[D-V-ANT]

I'd hardly call clunky motion control, inconsistent voice recognition, and invasive DRM 'innovation'.

The innovation people are talking about in this thread is innovation in gameplay, story, mechanics, online play, and even graphics, a la Mass Effect, Assassins Creed, Gears of War, Modern Warfare, etc.

Meh. My initial reply was based on the thread title and not the content. On that... No Mans Sky screams innovative and ambitious if you ask me. Of course it has to deliver on what it says it can do, but it's certainly never been done in an fps before.

 

[de3d1]

The biggest problem for me compared to other E3s is they didn't demo anything huge, just alot of talk and trailers, which is worse

unless i see your game running onstage live with a controller I don't believe anything shown or said, just hype. Even from bigtime developers. So basically the entire show was just talk.

 

[Kerosene31]

Gears of War came out in 2006 and Bioshock came out summer of 2007.

But even if the rest were just teases, at least we were shown some new, original, genre defining IP to be excited about. This E3 we weren't.

We were shown a lot of very good sequels and remakes, but nothing new that is even close to being on the level of those other games I mentioned prior.

That's also just the unfortunate reality of the industry today. More sequels, less IPs. The indies are the ones innovating, while the big publishers are just churning out sequels (notice how they get away from numbering them now, Crackdown is just Crackdown).

 

[starseeker]

I think there are innovation, but mainly from Indies. I just watched No man's sky, & its awesome.

 

[Mcmasters]

Funny... some innovation was shown last year and the masses complained until MS removed it. Well, this is what happens. Now the companies are going to play it safe. People can't reject innovation on one hand, and expect it with another.

This is EXACTLY what I was going to say. And just as I predicted, it would start sooner than later. You can only innovate so much within a game but now that the companies have decided to play it safe because of all the whining and moaning over other innovative features that added more, and gamers unwilling to have an open mind, we're stuck with the same chit we've had for decades. Ah well....

At least I can still purchase my XBO with kinect and enjoy the absolute myriad of features not only within the games, but also within my entertainment. I'm half tempted to purchase my XBO this weekend, truth of it. I was more than pleased with what was shown at this E3.

 

[Mcmasters]

I find it funny too how some are stating that they should have shown trailers to a few games that haven't been announced, even if they were CGi. If that would've happened, Sony and MS would be accused of showing CGi trailers instead of actual gameplay. I feel sorry for both companies when it comes to gamers. I bet both of them talk bad about gamers behind closed doors.

 

[Rover]

New doesn't always mean better. Uncharted 4 and MGS 5 are the killer apps for me and games of the show so far.

 

[menace-uk-]

Funny... some innovation was shown last year and the masses complained until MS removed it. Well, this is what happens. Now the companies are going to play it safe. People can't reject innovation on one hand, and expect it with another.

care to elaborate on this innovation ? There was no innovation. It was simply old ideas on new hardware. Old Ideas I might add that people have moaned about for decades.

Meh. My initial reply was based on the thread title and not the content. On that... No Mans Sky screams innovative and ambitious if you ask me. Of course it has to deliver on what it says it can do, but it's certainly never been done in an fps before.

Again, I would not call No mans Sky innovative. It is not doing anything new. It is simply taking ideas to a new level. Procedural content has been done. Space exploration has been. Survival has been done. Perm-a-death has been done. Space combat has been...etc

Not trying to take anything away from the game, cause I think it looks awesome, and it most certainly is ambitious.but...Innovation, true innovation seems to be an almost impossible thing nowadays.

 

[starseeker]

New doesn't always mean better. Uncharted 4 and MGS 5 are the killer apps for me and games of the show so far.

I am sure they will be good games, but games of the show? One is a cut-scene trailer, another a tech demo....interesting, what ever happen to a little thing call gameplay? Whatever float your boat I guess.