Geek Girl Report: Sony Rules, Nintendo Scores Big, and Microsoft Still Sucks – The Top 5 Moments of E3 2013

As most of you know, video games are my life at the moment. And last week was the biggest week of the year for video games: the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3 for short. This is the week for game companies to bring out their A-game, or fall flat on their faces in the case of Microsoft, and show off all their latest goodies, games and gear. And believe me, there were plenty of goodies to be had at this year’s show. Here are my Top 5 moments from this year’s E3.

Microsoft Continues To Dig Themselves Into A Deeper Hole

Anyone who reads the Geek Girl Report on a regular basis already knows my feelings towards Microsoft’s new XBox One console. Well rest assured; their appearance at E3 did not change my opinion of them in the least. As a matter of fact, they actually made things worse. Although they did hold true to their promise of delivering games at E3, including a brand new game from Halo developer Bungie, it still doesn’t change the fact that the Xbox One is a garbage system, and one that will cost $500 no less! Not even the announcement of a new Halo game or other titles like Forza Motor Sports 5 or the return of the Killer Instinct franchise can redeem them, at least not in my eyes.

Sony slaps Microsoft in the face

While Microsoft didn’t do itself any favors with it’s showing at E3, Sony wasted no time capitalizing on their competitor mistakes. They made it quite clear they were aiming for the folks who were…how should we say, disillusioned by the Xbox One. After finally revealing the Playstation 4 to the public, (which looks pretty rad, by the way…) Sony then pointed out that the Playstation 4 would be able to play used games, via a snarky video that was clearly picking on Microsoft’s nixing of used games. They also added that the PS4 would not require you to log onto the internet every single day, again taking another shot at Microsoft. But the best part is that the PS4 is a full $100 cheaper than the Xbox One, which is the perfect icing on this Xbox-bashing cake.

Nintendo Once Again Appeals To The Fanboys

Despite not having a major press conference like they had in years past, Nintendo’s presence was still strongly felt at E3 this year. After all, E3 really is about the games, not just the new consoles. And Nintendo delivered on the games by doing what they always do: playing up to their fans. This year, Nintendo brought on a new Super Mario game for the Wii U, a new Donkey Kong game, and the ultimate in Nintendo fan service, the new Super Smash Bros game. I am very much looking forward to this game, not just because it’s one of my favorite games of all time, but because of a certain blue bomber making an appearance in the game…

The Return of Square Enix

Speaking of games, another one of my favorite developers, Square Enix, made the blockbuster announcement of not one, but two long-awaited titles. First, they announced the latest entry into the beloved Final Fantasy franchise: Final Fantasy XV, which looks absolutely breathtaking. Then, they made even more fans happy by announcing the next long-awaited entry to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Kingdom Hearts 3. This is another one of my personal favorite franchises, and I was thrilled to finally see the third installment become a reality and not just another rumor. It’s really all the reason I need to get my hands on the PS4.

EA Releases a “Warfare” Game I Actually Want To Play

This was by far one of the biggest surprises of the show. What looked like a trailer for yet another overplayed World War 2 first-person shooter turned out to be anything but. As it turns out, it was a cleverly designed trailer for a console version of a poplar mobile game Plants vs. Zombies. They even titled it “Garden Warfare,” an obvious put off of the “Modern Warfare” franchise of gritty, “realistic” shooters. While I don’t normally care for EA because of their greedy policies and general lack of consideration to gamers (no wonder they’re getting along with Microsoft so well these days…) I will give them props for pulling this one over on us.