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GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT
THOUGHTS ON E3 2015: ALEX CROFT INTERVIEW E3 is where you’ll see the hottest games and hardware for the first time. We asked Exertis Commercial Director Alex Croft, a seasoned E3 veteran, to tell us what the crowds were most excited about at E3 2015.
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WAS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT E3 THIS YEAR? 2015 was one of the strongest E3s for a long, long time. Previous shows have often had a hardware or blockbuster title focus, but I think it was a good mix this year. There was real focus on stuff that the gaming public will be genuinely excited about, and it all felt more within the consumer’s reach. This year there were a variety of titles, which looked really strong, were shown and then followed by the announcement that they’d be released in time for Christmas this year. So, high quality games that are very close to being finished. That’s a new thing this year that hasn’t been so common in the past.
WHAT HAD AUDIENCES BUZZING? It was huge news about the Xbox backwards compatibility, and it makes the Xbox One more tempting now for those yet to upgrade. There were some interesting, quirky indie titles such as Cuphead, with its 1920s cartoon styling, and Beyond Eyes where you play a blind hero.
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WHICH VENDORS HAD THE STRONGEST SHOW? It was strong all round. Microsoft had a great mix of hardware and gaming content, including a live demo of the HoloLens, which was just phenomenal. We also saw some outstanding footage of Rise of the Tomb Raider, which revealed itself to be a lot deeper in terms of what you could do, and actually included raiding tombs…!
ANY TRENDS TO WATCH? Virtual reality was strong this year, with HoloLens and Oculus Rift showing how they’re going to be part of not just gaming’s future but tech life in general. The other exciting trend was the PC/Console convergence. On Fallout 4 for example, the Xbox One will support PC mode. So people are going to be hungry for more content and the ability to personalise their game Worlds. That’s big!
Obviously the AAA titles were the biggest stories, with Fallout 4, Final Fantasy VII, Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Forza Motorsport 6 and Star Wars Battlefront all looking fantastic.
Harlow: 01278 822 822 | Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | www.exertis.co.uk