Farewell to E3: A Look Back at Iconic Game Reveals and the Shift from Physical to Digital
Dec 24, 2023
Mike Sampson and Mr. Amazing
As the sun sets on the E3 Gaming Expo, we can't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for the days of electrifying game reveals and the palpable buzz of industry rivalry. We're taking you on a retrospective journey, reliving Sony's epic game-sharing moment, and feeling the ground shake once more as God of War was unveiled to the world. The times are a-changin', with the digital age ushering in a new way to experience such announcements, but the legacy of E3 and its cultural impact on the gaming community is something we'll always cherish. Share your memories with us as we say farewell to this gaming giant, and look back on the excitement and camaraderie that once brought us together.
Remember the magic of midnight game releases, where the air crackled with anticipation? We sure do! Join us as we reminisce about lining up with fellow enthusiasts for the latest Madden or Dragon Ball release, and debate the perks and potential collectible value of owning a physical copy in an increasingly digital world. As we wrap up the year, we're grateful for the memories and invite you to reflect on how the gaming landscape continues to evolve. Here's to another year of connecting and growing together in this incredible gaming community.
As the sun sets on the E3 Gaming Expo, we can't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for the days of electrifying game reveals and the palpable buzz of industry rivalry. We're taking you on a retrospective journey, reliving Sony's epic game-sharing moment, and feeling the ground shake once more as God of War was unveiled to the world. The times are a-changin', with the digital age ushering in a new way to experience such announcements, but the legacy of E3 and its cultural impact on the gaming community is something we'll always cherish. Share your memories with us as we say farewell to this gaming giant, and look back on the excitement and camaraderie that once brought us together.
Remember the magic of midnight game releases, where the air crackled with anticipation? We sure do! Join us as we reminisce about lining up with fellow enthusiasts for the latest Madden or Dragon Ball release, and debate the perks and potential collectible value of owning a physical copy in an increasingly digital world. As we wrap up the year, we're grateful for the memories and invite you to reflect on how the gaming landscape continues to evolve. Here's to another year of connecting and growing together in this incredible gaming community.
Speaker 1:
Let's do this. Welcome everybody to another episode of the Game of Traffic show. I'm your host, mike Sansom, children of my co-hosts Simply amazing. How about you doing today? Everybody get up for Mr Amazing. Today's Game of Traffic show, we're going to talk about one topic show, which is today, right now, and Mr Amazing. Our one topic for today is E3 is dead. Firstly, it's been going on for rumors for the past couple years, best thing after the best thing, when the pandemic hit, and I think they only had one show. They had, but it was digital. Since then, e3 has not made a comeback.
Speaker 2:
And they did it for years, unfortunately won't be coming back. Kurds are officially closed. Man, they sang this last song, but they sang it years ago and just been hanging around.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so, mr Amazing. I mean, it's been more than two decades 25 years, yes of E3. And we also explained this. We also not explained it, but we also stated in previous podcast that E3 is actually the Super Bowl of gaming.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. So just to give you know, as Mike just explained, just to give a small little background, is E3, what's E3? It literally is three E's. It's for Electronic Entertainment Expo. It's when you have all studios, game designers, all your big brands come into one big conference. They show and tell, show you the games coming, show you trailers, show you new innovations and they show you first game leaks. And this been a big thing since 1995. Always have at the same spot in Los Angeles. But things took a turn for the worst. The whole world did in 2020. But E3 was already going through some stuff prior to that, but the COVID pandemic pretty much helped shut the door on this man. So, mike, man, I'll get back to you.
Speaker 1:
Brother, carry it on my friend, I don't know what else to say about this I mean the pandemic. I mean, let me see I tried to say because my thing is like when the pandemic hit, it really made it officially end, I think, studios were still coming, but slowly. Nintendo was the first one who stopped coming, I think Microsoft side. Why should I come? They got a big office, big office. We can hold this ourselves. They hold the show themselves.
Speaker 1:
And now, Sony is like the last one was hanging on, so they also do now. The state of play. So, the pandemic has hit and Nintendo always started their own thing.
Speaker 2:
So, like you said, really Nintendo was the catalyst Because in 2011, Nintendo started the direct where they could give you information about Nintendo stuff coming in. Let you know, hey, Nintendo is going to you know anything that's unrelated. So Nintendo was the first one to start doing that in 2011. But Sony was the real catalyst because, once they left in 2018, all the other major studios started doing this. So we can do our own thing, like the Sony state of play. Like you just said, Nintendo rec and Microsoft's. That's not enough.
Speaker 1:
There is to stay in the studio. Yeah, they don't have anything else.
Speaker 2:
So you know there's all the big doors to do it. So then now you're left with really a lot of third party stuff there and it's so and big. You know, end game, the gaming development games you know studios to their there too.
Speaker 1:
But Microsoft bought most of the half the studio. Yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 2:
And then like that's not going to hold a three day expo by itself without having a big studios. This is just not. I mean you, could you get a place of cool games, Like you know? Let's say you have Capcom, then you'll play some cool games, but you're not going to be able to sustain that kind of level that they had prior, all the years prior to that.
Speaker 1:
I think the hype is just so. It's just a big hype where people come together and gather, try to do each other the big conversation where, after every three, who won E3? Yeah, nintendo, yeah, play station yeah, they were, they were giving you a G4.
Speaker 2:
So all those shows are talking about this. They want to eat a battle. And then it was a luxury. I mean shots of my cousin. This is a show. He got lucky. One year he was able to go out there for that. My coworker too. He went out there three years, three times, he told me. So he's been out there and that's something I always want to do. It sucks. I'll never be able to do it. So how could it be to get a traffic at the E3? Damn, you know us doing our take stand, I don't know. Kind of cool too, but we're no longer going to see this. But let's go down a little bit of down memory lane, michael, if you know mommy acts, and do you have a favorite E3 moment?
Speaker 1:
I hate to sign like a son, like a Sony fanboy. Yeah, it's when Sony said this is how you share a game.
Speaker 2:
Oh, okay, okay, okay. Every time you should tell.
Speaker 1:
Michaels, I mean Microsoft. Yeah, yeah another big moment. I was saying when the rock came a stage and in the do was it the Xbox 360.
Speaker 2:
In my bed next. That's about 2005.
Speaker 1:
Then you got like what else? Oh my, I miss more negative when John mattress the screwed Xbox for many years With the TV sports talk and always be online, which we always online, unfortunately. You do a single-player game, you online. It's on damn some damn reason Reason, but we won't go into that. But that was. That was very comical, funny to watch and Fortsheets screwed Xbox over agree, agree, I'm gonna go.
Speaker 2:
You know could continue what you're saying.
Speaker 1:
Also, when was Sony being a juice God of War? That?
Speaker 2:
was dope. That was people went crazy, they go crazy. I don't hear that was, though the. That was that probably talk about the God of War for the PS4.
Speaker 1:
You know God, you go.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's that so it had to be roughly about, yeah, that was like I was losing my muscle.
Speaker 1:
Oh.
Speaker 2:
Row in us for that one. But I'm gonna go in a specific year for me, man, we're here and it's gonna be your 2005, because that's what you have all of me. Your systems made big announcement that year. That's the year Microsoft announced Xbox 360. For years After the release of the Xbox, they boost Xbox debut.
Speaker 2:
And then you had Sony reveal PS3 and they showed us kill zone 2. To go with that, gran Turismo made her get solid. Final fantasy 7 and Microsoft was no shabby either, because they were able to show you love the game. The game is through. Behind it, we're gonna show us gives of war, perfect, dark and project Gotham racing 3. The tunnel was. The tunnel was right there too, because the tunnel was like yo, don't need us behind. We're gonna show you guys the revolution, as they called at the time. They, each other, huh, yeah, I think it was the we, yeah, we, let's go revolution, though, but it wasn't much showed. But then you know that's just the big students, they. You get down to specifics. Konami was like yo, we got another man again to show you guys. So 2005 to me is probably gonna be on a legendary E3's. Be honest with you.
Speaker 1:
But what's easy when Sony said, yo, when you build a PS3 last year, see, you need a second job.
Speaker 2:
I think that right that year, I think it was 2005. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was excited. You're probably right. Yeah, that was the year that people just like okay, because that's the year Microsoft, you know, went on to be one of the premier systems. I feel like that. 360.
Speaker 1:
I always got my mr Mays in that place in three still I was sold them by a couple million.
Speaker 2:
I know which Number wise it was, but but mindset mindset generation Was the ish. Yeah, exactly, and it's not only that. What I loved about 360 was actually, we know, outside the gaze and everything Was the interface. I think that the one of the best interface and just in all gaming, I think their interface is what challenge other consoles to make their interface better.
Speaker 1:
I only do an interface with that.
Speaker 2:
It constantly changing it did, but it allowed us of their avatars. It allowed us to do so much avatars. Yeah, I think that's what cool.
Speaker 1:
I missed the avatar. I don't know why. Don't you know put it back.
Speaker 2:
They should. I think that was cool because it was you as unique and like I had my character playing basketball. How to wear my kind of outfit that we wear? I want to change, yeah cuz you're from my ski and see choice.
Speaker 1:
Chaser, you all white like, not all white like you know white people, but white like white, like the powder white.
Speaker 2:
I was going through some stuff. He's sort of repowder. He wanted to be him. He's got this.
Speaker 1:
What is he? I don't know. I Could fit alien planet, I don't know.
Speaker 2:
Oh, but yeah, yo, but I'm as treatment. It's a bittersweet end because I would like to have seen them end a better note. And I also think the E3 was like family orientated, where you can take your boys, your family, whatever.
Speaker 1:
Remember the first to name out individuals go there.
Speaker 2:
Yeah see a gaming trade show exactly, but then over the years it became a thing like yo E3s in town look at tickets. Like you said, to begin a show, it was a Super Bowl of gaming, but we have fulfilled some of that gap.
Speaker 1:
I can't say nothing filled, nothing's filled it. Well, I mean by that it came close. Yeah, I mean to cut your, for me personally, with a place to experience. Yeah who's that? For a couple years in a row. I always got started for that, but I see why. So I don't have it because know why could these gay take two freaking long to make that's?
Speaker 2:
hard to make announcements.
Speaker 1:
You know, yeah 2032.
Speaker 2:
Right now. No, but like what I mean by we're kind of for the guy. I'm not saying it's nothing near the E3, but it kind of has the same thing kind of topic. What I would say is the game award show. I mean it's not the same thing, but it's Game base. You talk about games. You see feet, new games being featured, it's all. The platforms are on there again. I mean it's closest. It's the closest thing to what could be III will be the game awards. That comes now.
Speaker 1:
We just passed in December what no one's saying who won. Who won the game award?
Speaker 2:
No well, they talk about who won the what, what. It's more. It's not a console better, but like Studio battles now. No, this studio had the game. They know this is. It is more about that. That's all about studios now. They're like that was about systems, but not about studios in production. It's about the games.
Speaker 1:
About the games.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 1:
I mean, jeff Keeley, lose, you had a summer game. I don't know they still gonna have that though. E3 is not there no more. But it'd be good if Sony and Microsoft will have a nice showcase every year Even there's a lot of accessories, stuff like that and get to get get people from the gaming community. Just try. Some of the games are coming up. Even the third parties come there and show the stuff off, or the second parties have exclusive contracts to come there and show the stuff off and have, after that the game was played, the games.
Speaker 2:
So you saw kind of faithful that. So do you think an E3 type of an event can be read, done on a smaller scale again?
Speaker 1:
on this one they have packs. Oh yeah, it's true too. It's not the same scale, as we'll say, or E3. No, absolutely not.
Speaker 2:
No say, that's like the college balls.
Speaker 1:
So it's, it's hard, I mean it's kind of sad. Can you really do miss that Decisive it of that June, that first week in June, that assignment Can't wait.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I'm not being that. Work on the low like, oh God, watch the week, yeah, you gotta check it out.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I was like, okay, playstation memo, how many rumors place it was have a conference.
Speaker 2:
What is?
Speaker 1:
September what.
Speaker 2:
Nothing came in God nothing.
Speaker 1:
Well, there is a rumor that having another showcase in September Okay, no, no, it's the pushback October.
Speaker 2:
Then I haven't it. That part sucks.
Speaker 1:
I think that's part of the showcase, but Nothing to brag about, okay, okay.
Speaker 2:
I think it's good to have all your competitors in one room and let them square it off that way instead of they. Would it make you to the narrative in school to have a third-party control and I guess you guys tough questions.
Speaker 1:
I mean it gets an environment where, like you said, they don't control environment and you get the question. I can say question and you get hands on yeah, you know and fans get to ask questions, if possible, or the gaming media get to ask questions.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean, I think that would be good, a good concept. I mean the friend in the bait why not? Let's do it? Let's do it again. I'm hopeful. It might not be called a three-minute revamp. It maybe we see another five years from now, we see something different. We don't know.
Speaker 1:
In the pressure. Remember when the patient for came out, a Microsoft came out with the pricing for the system. Yeah, yeah, I think that how big that was. With Sony came a hundred dollars cheaper.
Speaker 2:
You know, you know, you know, to me would have been the best.
Speaker 1:
Say good does with the 10 of them, because they really had a little jazz at each other.
Speaker 2:
The commercials. We imagine a three-seed this. That would be so cool. I'm tired, right there in the background like hey, we're still around a little bit a little bit. Yeah, that thing, that would be cool, cuz they were really going at it down a bit.
Speaker 1:
So cool E3's a little then you get a tent, they get the PlayStation coming in a story coming in like a crash with a crash Come on.
Speaker 2:
Mario, you're all doing that time. That would have been some fun times bad.
Speaker 1:
Also when Kevin Butler, who was to be a big arm he was active played in some of the commercials very popular. He came on stage and people love that. Yeah, yeah, you played.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I remember that you played as a solely president.
Speaker 1:
People love that. People love that stuff.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, let's go beat this. It's sad at you. Three went away. I'm good, I never been to one, but I watched it religiously. I'm gonna miss it. Actually, I wish you something. I could still been around. It's like almost missing.
Speaker 1:
Well, I Would pair to midnight releases where I go online. Wait for the game.
Speaker 2:
I've done it before. I did it with you one time.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
I've done it myself with the Street Fighter. I've done it when, madden, I Even did it. I was in with you and I went to um, what's that record store in time square.
Speaker 1:
That was me.
Speaker 2:
That was you virgin? Was it called up virgin records virgin records. I did it there. I was with you. I think I was a bike I was with I don't know what game it was.
Speaker 1:
Madden. Actually I still remember going yeah, I think I did it for Dragon Ball last, the last day, the Dragon Ball fight. It's the last game I did, a midnight release that took. I took I think Adrian took one time from in that release I forgot what game was Call it. No, cold dude is a good one, the biggest ones that it mattered.
Speaker 2:
I think, madden, madden 2k, 2k with big yeah, so so cool man, I love those because, during that time, when you get a midnight release, you should get a little gifts to remember, for you know being for preserving and also and also.
Speaker 1:
The thing is, you know, when you Was, when you first get the first week for that first comfort serve, but the first day released you get nice little. Game company yeah that's cool, not to give you crappy perks now.
Speaker 2:
Oh, you can your gun your gun colors purple. Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:
Mm-hmm, you know say last. I think last key perk I've seen the game was I've personally. For me, with Dragon Ball 5, we got a Vegeta character and a Goku character for free. That's cool, yeah, so you know you stand. So, yeah, so on day one, Bring back the midnight release.
Speaker 2:
You don't need that.
Speaker 1:
No, we're not everybody's digital digital, a meet people and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:
So it's kind of cool. You know, I think your body, that's people not into hard copies anymore, like that.
Speaker 1:
I think because the games, basically the games, don't don't, the full game doesn't come under this.
Speaker 2:
That's why.
Speaker 1:
I think the tennis switch will hold bear a value, games a whole very valid, because basically the whole game Basically on this on the cartridge, on like, unlike this. I think it's not. The gamers sort of actually Say I want the whole game on the disc. Yeah, yeah, let's see after a year later. But see if I say the game of the year dishes or like that, keep with the whole game on the game game edition.
Speaker 2:
I know why not. I mean, I put the game, I put the most expensive one in the game.
Speaker 1:
The game of the year edition comes out a year later. The full game should be on there, I agree. And basically what people say the game go go, stuff to BS. It's the game to go go because that is like 10,000 updates. Yep, I patch works, I agree. So game gonna go. No big freaking deal, that's true.
Speaker 2:
So you know you three gonna be miss mad and hopefully you know people go that memory lane can drive comments about their favorite times. You know, let us know what you guys think. Yes, every your favorite E3's.
Speaker 1:
Hi, buddy, this is a one topic show. Hope I enjoy it. Like I said, like it ascribe, we really appreciate it. This is an end of the new year. Hopefully you know. Say keep listening and we'll keep on getting better. Thank you.
Speaker 2:
We out happy new year yeah oh, we're gonna show for them.
Speaker 1:
We're like to show something for that, mr. Oh, that's mr Mays always started off the new year.