Top 10 Things We Learned At E3 2016

4. Exclusives are still relevant

For years people have campaigned both for and against consoles having exclusive titles and usually one side can see off the other with an equivalent title.

With the exception of Nintendo, whose exclusive titles are simply fantastic and include the likes of Mario, Pikmin, Pokémon and Zelda, Sony and Microsoft have always seemed to try to ensure that each of their massively powerful consoles has an exclusive in each area.

Uncharted vs Tomb Raider, DriveClub vs Forza, Killzone vs Gears of War and so on.

However I’ve noticed recently that fans have backed down on some of their arguments, especially after some even switched sides this generation, meaning they finally saw the argument from both sides. This was an odd feeling; online comments sections were finally quiet. I didn’t like it. It was like the calm before the storm.

Then suddenly, at their press conference Microsoft released a volley of exclusives: Forza Horizon 3, Gears of War 4, Halo Wars 2, Scalebound, Dead Rising 4, ReCore, Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2. All exclusive to Xbox One. Wow, PlayStation 4 owners were gob-smacked, as was everyone else! What a line-up!

That was, until Sony showed their hand: God of War, Death Stranding, Days Hone, Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot and The Last Guardian for starters and then Batman: Arkham VR, Star Wars Battlefront: X-Wing Mission and Star Trek: Bridge Crew along with the release date for their VR headset.

What an amazing few hours; the console wars are back on with a vengeance and that can only be a good thing for us gamers!

3. Live streaming is great for gamers

This year’s conferences were streamlined examples of how live-streaming is a crucial development for the industry. Companies were able to convey themselves directly to the consumer, rather than via the medium of the media, which gave them equal opportunity to impress us as it has, in the past, to die by their own sword (as I mentioned in point #10 of this list) but now that companies have gotten the hang of live-streaming, things this year were silky smooth. There were no delayed starts, no broken demonstrations and fewer awkward pauses than we’ve had before.

This shows how the industry is continuing to grow. Indie studios who work with the promoters can now have their work shown off around the world in an instant, achieving the same level of excitement and wonderment that it would previously have taken dozens of online articles and months of magazine features to reach. It also sparks instant discussion online as, rather than having to wait for the news to break online or in print, passionate gamers can get to work chatting with each other as-it-happens, which again is perfect for developers.

The display from Sony, for example, using a traditional theatre setting to open with got people talking before they’d even shown any footage. I think for the moment we may have reached the pinnacle of these live-streamings, before we are inevitably invited to “Join us in VR” for 360° presentations, so let’s enjoy them while they last!