The Tuesday 10s - E3 Moments

In less than a week and after a year's absence, E3 returns with E3 2021. This is traditionally the gaming megaevent where the biggest players in gaming converge to reveal the latest cornucopia of software and sometimes even hardware that will make waves in the following year and beyond. E3 2021 is quite different this year compared to previous events--being all digital for one, and also lacking one of its biggest players, PlayStation, which won't be attending this year in any capacity. Still, E3 is essentially "Gaming Christmas" for many, and with this installment of The Tuesday 10s, I wanted to mention some of SPC's most favorite, memorable moments that have happened in E3's illustrious past--both high highs and low lows. 

"Everyone is Here!"

We're going to start with the most recent memorable moment of E3 and go back in time from here with Nintendo's E3 2018 showcase. Now, if you weren't a fan of Super Smash Bros., then this showcase was quite a bit of torture for you, as it took up a significant portion of the presentation. However, for everyone else, Masahiro Sakurai revealed something truly spectacular for the latest game in the Super Smash Bros. series. Not only was almost every stage returning from past Smash Bros. games, but every single playable character ever featured within a Smash Bros. title would return for the game. It was a hype-worthy announcement for Smash fans that really put the "Ultimate" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle Reveal

After having leaked early, as is typical of many Ubisoft projects in all honesty, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was prematurely mocked and made fun of. The idea of the game seemed ridiculous to many, offering nothing that many Nintendo fans and gamers like wanted. However, when the game was officially revealed at Ubisoft's E3 2017 presentation, the game got an immediate 180 in opinion. Not only did game development guru Shigeru Miyamoto appear on stage with Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot in an impressive display, but Mr. Miyamoto would talk about the game as well to further hype potential players. This worked considerably, and it made for an incredibly heartwarming moment when the game's creative director Davide Soliani couldn't contain himself and started to cry at the overwhelming positive response to the game he helped make and a gaming hero in Miyamoto speaking about the game as well. In such an oftentimes cynical and downright trashy at times industry, it was a breath of fresh air to see a lovely moment like this at E3.

The PlayStation Trinity 

Sony's E3 2015 was the stuff of legends--nay, the stuff of dreams. Three long awaited games were finally announced in one stellar showing of a conference. Final Fantasy VII Remake was one of these, offering an official announcement after a tech demo tease several years and E3s prior. Then, there was The Last Guardian, though smaller in stature by comparison, exited its perceived vaporware territory and saw an updated trailer and more. Finally, the next installment of Yu Suzuki's Shenmue series, Shenmue III, received an announcement and subsequent trailer as well. While the quality of this trio of games varied at the end of the day, it was without question an awesome sight to see during Sony's E3 2015 showing.

PlayStation's Used Games Tutorial

After Xbox pretty much crapped the bed with its reveal of the Xbox One at E3 2013, the waters were red with the sight of blood, and PlayStation was ready to pounce. The fear of used games no longer being an actual thing after Xbox's event sent chills down the spines of many gamers, so the question of whether Sony's PlayStation would follow suit with its PS4 hung in the air. However, that question was definitively answered with echoes that reverberate throughout the gaming world during PlayStation's E3 2013 event. One simple, short, and sweet video would reveal the answer that used games were here to stay on Sony's console, and that answer ended in an exclamation point that delighted gamers all around the world. 

Nintendo 3DS Reveal

We'll see another debut of a Nintendo handheld later in our journey through E3s past, but first let's take a look at what is currently the last dedicated handheld Nintendo has made: the Nintendo 3DS. The system debuted at E3 2010, offering the promise of glasses-free 3D--nowadays a throwaway gimmick of sorts, but then was a cool innovation (and to be fair, it did make many games on the system much more appealing and immersive), as well as new games in classic Nintendo series such as the return of Pit in a starring role with Kid Icarus: Uprising, the Nintendo 3DS seemed poised to make waves right out of the gate. Sure, soon after we'd get the price announcement of $250 and a lackluster launch lineup that would result in the 3DS stumbling early on, requiring a quick price drop and some ambassador games to early adopters. Still, it's all too easy to forget about that since the handheld now ended up with one of the best libraries of any portable. Your mileage will vary, of course, on that, though!

Konami's Bizarre but Awesome 2010 Conference

Awkwardness is just natural when you're doing a live show, but Konami took it to almost uncomfortable levels at times with its 2010 conference at E3. There was Tak Fujii's utterings of "one million troops", his unenthusiastic "wow", and "extreeeeeeeme"-ness. There were luchadores slapping one another, a stare that could kill involving two developers of Silent Hill: Downpour, and stage demos that were painful to watch at best. All in all, you have one of the most unforgettable and humorous (for all the wrong reasons) press conferences in E3 history. Needless to say, Konami took a different tact and approach with its future E3 showcases.

Sony's E3 2006 Misfire 

A "misfire" is a kind way of putting Sony's E3 2006, one that would spawn countless (read: endless) memes and jokes from its presentation. This was at a time when Sony and PlayStation were at its cockiest, resulting in some much needed hubris. Sony ultimately got just that with a showcase haunted by the cries of "RIIIIIIIIDGE RACER", "giant enemy crabs", and a price reveal for the PlayStation 3 that practically handed Nintendo and Microsoft the generation. While Konami's 2010 press conference was more comical and bizarre than anything, Sony's was almost painful to witness. You'd have hot takes soon after on how Sony killed their brand, but fortunately, the PS3 rebounded through some aggressive moves, and nowadays the PlayStation brand is as strong as it ever was--maybe even more so. 

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Reveal

Say what you will about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess today--I personally adore the game, but others aren't too hot on it--but the announcement and reveal of the game was no doubt incredible. After The Wind Waker's more colorful and cartoony style, the promise of a more "mature" Zelda game sent many Nintendo fans into an absolute frenzy with a trailer for Twilight Princess that echoed with a stirring symphony and choir vocals. Then, by the end of the trailer, Shigeru Miyamoto took the stage, waving the Master Sword and Hylian Shield in his usual charming and cool way. This marked the end of a rather impressive showing for Nintendo, after having conceded marketshare to both Sony and the then-new player in the market, Microsoft. It showed that Nintendo was down but ultimately nowhere near out.

Nintendo DS Reveal

From the same E3 2004 press conference that introduced the world to both The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Reggie Fils-Amie, the world also saw the debut of one of gaming's most successful platforms of all time and the most successful handheld of all time: the Nintendo DS. Featuring two screens, a bottom touch screen, local and more excitingly Wi-Fi communication for free online play, the astonishment that was a new premiere Metroid game that was revealed along with the system, and much more, the Nintendo DS was like Reggie at the show--ready to kick ass, take names, and was all about playing games. And as the sales and impressive run of the system shows, the rest--as they say--is history.

"$299."

We end our trip through memorable E3 moments with the very first E3 and the moment that made PlayStation an immediate important player in the gaming industry. It was E3 1995, and SEGA was riding high on not its announcement of its Saturn gaming console. Not just that, but the company had announced that the system was having a surprise launch immediately after its show. Priced at $399, SEGA was feeling great about itself. Well, that was until this new, young, fresh face in the gaming scene, Sony saw its first opportunity to witness blood in the water and the company surely struck hard. At the time, SCEA's president was Steve Race, and he promptly took to the stage during E3 to talk about this then-unknown quantity called the PlayStation. All he had to utter was one thing, "$299", and then he promptly left the stage no sooner than he had taken it. Applause then shook the room, followed by a death knell to any sign of the SEGA Saturn's success. A new player jettisoned into the gaming arena with a bold and ultimately successful play, which changed the gaming landscape forever. 

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What E3 moments are your favorites and most memorable to you? And if you have a topic you'd like to see featured on a future installment of The Tuesday 10s, let the SPC community know in the comments section below as well!

Top Ten Most Memorable E3 Moments

E3 2013 officially kicks off one week from today. It is setting up to be one of the most important yet, as we have two new consoles trying to beat the other in hype, and another console that is trying to prove itself as anything but irrelevant. We at SuperPhillip Central thought today would be a perfect day to look back on what we consider to be the most memorable E3 moments-- or at least what moments are our favorites. Will your favorite moments make it on this list?

10) Don't believe SEGA Saturnday's lies (1995)

1995 was an important year for gaming. It was the very first official E3 presentation, and the big contenders in the industry took it seriously. For the longest time, SEGA was claiming that their new system, the SEGA Saturn, was going to release on a special day called SEGA Saturnday, which just meant it would release on Saturday, September 2, 1995. However, this date was a ruse, and in a surprise announcement, SEGA announced at their press conference that the Saturn was already shipped to four specific retailers in North America.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad thing, as not only did the retailers who did not get Saturn systems early feel absolutely betrayed by SEGA (KB Toys went as far as not selling the Saturn and actively promoting its rivals because of this), but it helped a certain company arrive in the game industry with a huge advantage. For more on this, check out #2 on this list.

9) Final Fantasy XIII heads to Xbox 360 (2008)

Speaking of betrayals, PlayStation fans felt betrayed after Square Enix announced at Microsoft's press conference that Final Fantasy XIII was coming to the Xbox 360. Message boards and comment sections everywhere turned into an embarrassing display of fanboyism, immaturity, and meltdowns. If only PlayStation 3 owners knew of the quality of Final Fantasy XIII before their reactions, perhaps the loss of exclusivity wouldn't have bothered them so much. It's funny to think of the outcry in retrospect, as Final Fantasy XIII turned out to be one of the lesser mainline entries in the franchise, especially for Xbox 360 owners who had to deal with worse performance and a game split up across three discs. Still, the moment at Microsoft's press conference was certainly a memorable one.

8) Jamie Kennedy falls flat (2007)

The Electronic Entertainment Expo was greatly downsized for the 2007 edition, and it was a much weaker show because of it. However, not all was bad. Well, actually Activision's 2007 press conference was legitimately bad, but it was basically as intriguing as watching a car accident. "Comedian" (and we must use quotations, mind you) Jamie Kennedy was the host of the press conference, and to say he was out of it would be an understatement. Throwing around unfunny non sequiturs, taunting the gaming public with cliche insults, and just being generally awkward were all tricks in Kennedy's repertoire that day.

Such gems including Kennedy asking "Should I do this interview as Ozzy Osbourne" followed by the quick quip of "Aren't you doing that already?" contributed more to the art of comedy than Kennedy's own drunken and/or stoned antics. Truly hilarious and awkward, and for all of the wrong reasons.

7) Konami's press conference (2010)

Speaking of things that are awkward and act like train wrecks, Konami's unforgettable and now infamous 2010 press conference was all kinds of weird. Where do we even begin? It was a greatest hits of awkward moments like "extreeeeeme", "you will be sucked", "one million troops... wow", "love you guys", "not funny", a Silent Hill developer that stands too close to his coworker, some kind of wresting slap fest, a silly dance game that made it demonstrators look silly, and-- aw, hell, words do not do this press conference service. It must be seen to be believed. Praise Sir Tak Fujii!

6) Killzone 2 reveal (2005)

At Sony's 2005 E3 press conference, a certain trailer for a certain game got an immense amount of buzz. It was a trailer for Killzone 2, what many in the industry wanted to call a Halo-killer. (Let's face it. People get hard-ons when they can call something a Halo-killer, despite how good or bad it is.) Regardless, the incredibly impressive trailer hyped up not only existing PlayStation 3 owners, but also a good portion of the gaming world in general. There are STILL arguments to this day on whether or not the Killzone 2 reveal trailer was real-time or CG, which Sony is known to do for their trailers occasionally. That said, we haven't been floored by graphics in a long time as much as we were with Killzone 2.

5) Reggie revealed (2004)

"My name is Reggie. I'm about kicking ass, I'm about taking names, and we're about making games." That little speech started a rallying cry that Nintendo fans could support. It was one that had a vulnerable and weakened Nintendo (especially after E3 2003) coming back strong with a backbone, despite having to go up against both Sony and Microsoft and currently losing to them both. Yes, Reggie Fils-Aime has become nothing but a marketing and public relations face for Nintendo of America with little real power, but at the time during E3 2004, he was a god among Nintendo fans.

4) Super Smash Bros. Brawl reveal (2006)

Nintendo's 2006 E3 presentation came and went without a word of this next game reveal. Instead, Super Smash Bros. Brawl was shown in a closed room at the end of one of the show's nights. When the gaming world caught wind of a new Smash Bros., one with new characters like Metaknight, Pit, and Wario, and impressive new graphics, the hype was unbearable for many. It certainly was that way for us at SuperPhillip Central (we've only gone on to call Brawl one of our favorite video games of all time on multiple occasions). The creme dela creme, however, was the arrival of an unexpected character-- Solid Snake. Showtime! Super Smash Bros. Brawl's reveal was one of those game reveals that will always stick with us, and to see why, here's the full trailer.

3) Sony's 2006 abomination (2006)

One of the most infamous press conferences, and not really because it was so bad, but knowing that this conference was the starting point for a once dominant video game console manufacturer to have to play catch-up for an entire generation, was Sony's 2006 E3 showing. From the incredibly large money investment of five hundred and ninety-nine US dollars to all the lackluster games sporting real-time weapon change, attacking crab weak points for massive damage, and RIIIIIIIDGE RACER, the show is something that Sony is still recovering from. That is how devastating the showing was, proving that a bad E3 showing really can be detrimental to the success of a platform. (Though it's obviously not the only thing that went wrong with the PS3.)

2) The beginning of the PlayStation brand's rise to power (1995)

We move from Sony's worst E3 showing to one of their most successful. Continuing the story from moment #10, the SEGA Saturn's reveal was botched in many ways, from developer outcry to a lack of games at launch. The most important of which is the price tag, which was $399 USD. Sony took this information and proceeded to go directly for SEGA's jugular. Olaf Olafsson (as great a name as Phillip Phillips), then president of Sony Electronic Publishing, went on stage, supposedly to talk about game developers being successful storytellers. Instead, he interrupted himself midway through his speech, called up another Sony employee, Steve Race. Again, Mr. Race was supposedly going to talk more about the PlayStation, but instead simply came up to the stage and said, "$299," and proceeded to walk off the stage with an applause worthy of an Oscar winner. This was the beginning of the rise of the PlayStation brand in the gaming industry, and one hell of an introductory showing.

1) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess reveal (2004)

We at SuperPhillip Central are big supporters of the industry, and all three of the big three. We have a particular soft spot for Nintendo, as all of us on staff grew up on Nintendo. Not only is the debut trailer for what would later be known as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the subsequent reaction something that gave us absolute goosebumps all over, but when Shigeru Miyamoto came out with a replica of the Master Sword and Hylian Shield, we screamed like the man-children we are. These moments are what E3 is all about, and Nintendo is usually one of the best at giving gamers a good show (2008 and 2012, not withstanding). It is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess reveal that even for those who don't care for Nintendo or Zelda can appreciate the genuine excitement and enthusiasm of the moment. This is why we have ranked it as our number one moment. That, and because we're whores for the Zelda franchise.

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Those are our personal favorite moments from E3's historic past. Which moments do you remember the most? Post your comments below, and discuss your thoughts with other readers. Just think, there's only one week to go until we are bombarded with more video game news and titles than we can shake a booth babe at! Stay tuned later on in the week when we list the worst E3 moments, much like we did last year.