E3 2013 is just around the corner, and with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One already announced, much of this year's conference will likely be focused on next-gen gaming. In the meantime, join us as we reflect on the biggest E3 announcements from this generation.
Next-Gen Consoles Revealed
2005 marked the first year E3 was televised to the masses, and Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all stepped up to the plate with reveals of their next-gen consoles. The unveiling of the PlayStation 3 was accompanied by some incredible trailers for games like Motorstorm and Killzone 2, which turned out to be "target render" footage – i.e. pre-rendered video of what they wanted the games to look like (but never quite achieved).
Meanwhile, Microsoft showed off its new next-gen IP Alan Wake behind closed doors, though the game would take another five years of development before releasing to generally positive reviews. In hindsight, the Revolution's debut may have been the most interesting announcement, as Nintendo didn't reveal the soon-to-be-renamed console's controller, or make any mention of motion-based gaming. Those revelations would be saved for 2005's Tokyo Game Show.
GTA IV Goes Multiplatform
E3 2006 was a big show for Microsoft, with announcements for
Xbox 360 exclusives like Halo 3, Fable II, and Gears of War. However, Microsoft's
biggest reveal came when Peter Moore announced that the 360 version of GTA IV
would be releasing on the same day as the PS3 version, and that the company had
snatched up exclusive rights for all of the game's DLC. After Sony had
previously enjoyed timed exclusivity for GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas, the
role reversal came as quite a shock for 360 and PS3 owners alike.
The Price of Next-Gen Gaming
Not all E3 announcements are happy ones. In 2006, Sony
announced during its press conference that the PlayStation 3 would cost a
whopping $599. This put the expensive console at $200 above the Xbox 360's
initial $399 price tag, and more than twice the Wii's modest cost of $249. Unsurprisingly,
the reaction from gamers was decidedly negative – and we wonder why companies
no longer include price announcements during their press conferences.