For as far back as I can remember, one of the things I looked forward to every year was the Electronic Entertainment Expo. From reading about all of the cool games coming to the Nintendo 64 and Gamecube in Nintendo Power to seeing the conference evolve into live-streamed events, the one absolute was that every spring, there were going to be a bunch of exciting announcements.
Even though the actual event has seemed on its last legs for the past several years - the Covid-19 pandemic having cancelled two of the past three, and in an era where publishers and collectives have embraced their own showcases, unbound from location or time - there are still multiple events over the span of a few weeks.
What was a bit of a sobering realization for me was that this year was that there wasn’t a lot that clicked with me. I will admit that I wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders - the two games I’m most looking forward to, Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil 4 Remake, were both shown off the day I had a surgical procedure, and my recovery likely marred my enjoyment of subsequent events - and while I rationally understand that you can't cater to everyone, I nonetheless felt somewhat disappointed by what was on display this year, and not even for want of anything in particular.
That’s not to say that the various conferences were entirely bereft of things that I have some interest in - Routine looks wild, How to Say Goodbye will be great, Redfall seems fun, Forza Motorsport is visually incredible, Skate Story is right up my alley, Time Flies has an extremely cute and meaningful concept, and I’m definitely curious about Starfield - but compared to previous years, seven games to look forward to isn’t a lot.
I actually think the happiest I was about an announcement this year were the plans to remaster Persona 3 Portable, and even that is largely because it preserves a hugely important title - not only in a franchise that, back when it originally released in 2009, had only a fraction of a fraction of the popularity that it does now, but for video games as a medium.
A low amount of interest in many of the titles displayed this year might appear indicative of a loss of passion for this wonderful art form. Despite having streamed only five times a month on average thus far this year, I don’t believe that’s true, or necessarily want that to be the case. Street Fighter 6 in particular I am exceptionally looking forward to, and will doubtless stream many, many sessions of myself completely scrubbing out.
But there is some distance between now and then, and I’ve build an extensive backlog of titles to enjoy in the meantime. As disappointing as I found the conference this year, there are more events throughout the year, and perhaps next year’s showcase will be more exciting. Games will keep releasing. The future is just ahead.
What are you looking forward to from this year’s showcase events? Let me know! You can always find me on Twitch.