The Electronic Entertainment Expo Extravaganza is over! (For us, it's more of an E4?)
We're finally back home (after several delayed flights) but that doesn't mean the work has stopped.
Though not a great show, there were still memorable and awesome things we saw and experienced.
Check out our video below for our much debated top five moments from E3, and then read on for more details on why we chose those specific moments.
Then tell us what you want to see next year, or your own favorite parts of E3, or if you're feeling particularly peeved, why we're wrong about the best moments of the show ... because we know everyone loves a good argument.
1. PlayStation TV
Certainly a surprise from Sony - in fact Sony was full of surprises, but more on that later - we didn't see the PlayStation TV coming to American or European shores anytime soon. We also didn't expect to be wowed by the small piece of hardware.
PlayStation TV is essentially a streaming media set-top box, similar in size and capability to Roku 3, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, and priced to match at $100/ €99 (about £58, AU$105). The difference is, when PlayStation TV arrives this fall, it will also offer access to a vast swath of high-pedigree games from Sony's extensive library of PS4, PS3, PS2, PS1,PS Vita and PSP games.
There's essentially a lot of potential in this little black box, and we're looking forward to really testing it out when it officially arrives on the scene. For now, we've detailed a few more details about the PlayStation TV in the video below.
2. Playable Alienware Alpha Steam Machine (finally)
We've been hearing about those Steam Boxes for quite some time now, and so far we've played with a Steam OS and Steam Controller - both of which weren't the final builds. We saw the prototype Alienware Machine during CES and couldn't play with it. Then we heard about 13 (now 15 including two Asus Machines) boxes but still have yet to see working "PC consoles."
Until this E3 2014. Again, not a final build, but we have a set of finalized specs and were able to actually play games on the dang box.
Still relatively unfinished, the Alienware Alpha still ran smooth enough to be impressive. It's a small, simple machine that is meant for the audience who doesn't want the fuss of a PC but wants the extensive collection of PC games. All in all, we're just glad we were finally able to play on the Alienware Alpha - or any Steam Machine in general, and we look forward to hearing more about the Alienware's pièce de résistance and of course, the rest of the living room boxes.
3. Nintendo's major announcements
Easily the shortest presentation by the "big five names" of E3, Nintendo's Digital Event was largely underwhelming, but still held our attention enough to make it on the list.
The announcement of The Legend of Zelda for Wii U definitely was a crowd pleaser not only because it's a new title in the franchise, but also because of the game's touted open world and non-linear capabilities. Though, just how open world, non-linear and how well it actually works remains to be seen since the game will see a vague 2015 release.
The second announcement was more of a quick little tease: Star Fox. Currently still in development, project leader Shigeru Miyamoto said at a Nintendo Treehouse event that it should be ready in about one year. This means Star Fox will likely be getting the limelight this time next year.
4. Yeah, Sony again
As we mentioned before, Sony's press conference was full of surprises this year - which is why we've decided to include it on this list. To clarify, each conference definitely had its own merits but the majority shown at EA, Ubisoft and Microsoft were already announced beforehand last year, or revealed leading up to the Expo (Far Cry 4, Assassin's Creed: Unity, The Division, etc.).
To be really fair, Microsoft did announce the Halo: The Master Chief Collection and some other titles - but besides the triple A, were they really that memorable? (Aside from one great teaser which we'll mention below).
Sony, simply put, had a lot of new content both on the software and hardware front. Namely, the arrival of the PlayStation TV. It's something we've been wondering about for awhile, and now we finally get to see what it's like. Paired with the upcoming beta for PlayStation Now, Sony ended on a pretty high note.
Games-wise, there was the unforeseen Little Big Planet 3 - complete with new characters which should be a refreshing update on the LBP 1 and 2. We finally saw more about Bloodborne, the previously leaked Project Beast - and it looks pretty interesting. And then there's Grim Fandango, the classic adventure game from Double Fine. That was definitely a surprise and created quite a ruckus in the crowd.
Sony also practically stole the white console news from Xbox - we were expecting to hear about a new white Xbox One from Microsoft for awhile now, but nope, Sony instead came out with its white PS4 bundled with Destiny.
5. E3, you tease
Lastly, the tease. Here's where ALL the press conferences shined; we saw at least one new triple A tidbit from the big five and couldn't decide on which one was the most exciting. Microsoft showed off Rise of the Tomb Raider, Sony finally revealed the name for Nathan Drake's last adventure as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, EA teased Mass Effect 4 and Ubisoft had a whole bit on a brand new Rainbow Six: Siege. Whew. And that wasn't even half of what we played and loved during E3.
This year wasn't as huge or hectic as last year's next-gen console drops. Instead, it's been a nice change of pace, with the lack of major hardware - but we'll take what we can get. With all the triple-A teases this year, we're already looking forward to what E3 2015 will bring.
In the meantime, check out what our friends at PC Gamer and GamesRadar thought the best games of E3 2014 were below.
