E3(the Electronic Entertainment Expo) has been a monumental event that gamers from around the world have looked forward to every year. But due to a lack of interest from console manufacturers and AAA publishers, E3 might not ever return as an in-person tradition, marking the end of an era in the gaming industry.
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With E3 having taken place for 25 consecutive years from 1995 to 2019, fans have witnessed some of the greatest Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft announcements and moments to come from the hallowed event. From new game reveals to on-stage surprises, it was always a special occasion to be there in person and be one of the first to play upcoming new games.
10Miyamoto Makes “Ubisoft Man” Cry (2017)
During E3 2017, aMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battlereveal kicked off Ubisoft’s press conference. During an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, the production crew turned its attention to a man shedding tears of joy in attendance. This became a viral moment online with the trending hashtag “#DontCryUbisoftMan”.
The “Ubisoft Man” happens to be the game’s creative director Davide Soliani. After E3, he was interviewed multiple times, where he expressed his love for Nintendo games and how much it was an honor to work alongside Nintendo and the Super Mario IP. His time with Mario is far from over, as he also directed the Mario + Rabbids sequel: Sparks of Hope in 2022.
9Peter Moore Reveals Tattoo of Halo 2 Release Date (2004)
Corporate Vice President of Xbox Peter Moore turned heads at E3 2004 when he showed his right bicep that read “NOVEMBER 9” followed by the Halo 2 logo. The alleged story when talking with Halo 2 developer Bungie, was that they were convinced that was the legit release date if “I tattooed that on my arm.”
Moore also revealed Grand Theft Auto 4 for Xbox 360 in the same manner for E3 2006’s conferences, this time with his left bicep. To this day, Moore refuses to show off his arms and whether his tattoos were real will remain an indefinite mystery.
8Final Fantasy VII Remake Silences Doubters (2015)
Back in E3 2005, fans in attendance were able to watch aPS3 tech demowhich many assumed would lead to a potential remake of Final Fantasy VII. Nothing had come of that reel for ten years, until Square Enix was able to deliver on the reveal of Final Fantasy VII Remake at E3 2015.
Square Enix was only able to show a two-minute CGI trailer at the event. While Final Fantasy Fans still had to wait a while for the remake until 2020, their wishes have been answered to bring Cloud Strife’s adventure to newer and more-capable hardware.
7Keanu Crashes Cyberpunk (2019)
John Wick star Keanu Reeves blew minds at the Xbox press conference in 2019 when it was revealed he was going to lend his acting to the highly anticipated open-world game Cyberpunk 2077. Reeves' likeness was shown at the end of the trailer, followed by a surprise appearance on stage.
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Many gamers see this as a major step for Hollywood actors crossing over into the gaming industry. As triple-A games gradually became more profitable than blockbuster movies, more stars have become open to the idea of acting in video games, with David Arquette co-starring in The Quarry and Nicolas Cage agreeing to his own adventure in Death by Daylight.
6Kevin Butler Brings Life To Playstation (2010)
From 2009 to 2011, actor Jerry Lambert would portray fictitious PlayStation employee Kevin Butler, assuming various “VP” positions and appearing in many PlayStation 3 commercials under the “It Only Does Everything” campaign. At E3 2010, Butler appeared on-stage to treat the attendees to a comedic and inspirational speech.
Many fans saw it as a very refreshing parody of the typical speech given by an executive or director. Gabe Newell also played a part in the act, christening him the “VP of Sharpening Things” later on in the Sony Press conference. Butler’s presence certainly gave Sony a shot in the arm at E3 and in the gaming market while the PS3 had a rough start.
5Solid Snake Steals The Show (2000)
The presentation forMetal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Libertyhelped bring on a new breed of trailer. The cinematic trailer features no narrator, nearly ten minutes of gameplay, and an orchestral medley that left us feeling like we were watching a short story. Needless to say, director Hideo Kojima has been no stranger to quality.
While Sons of Liberty offered top-notch graphics, effects, and gameplay at the time, the trailer was nothing short of effective in promoting the upcoming game the following year. The work on this trailer urged other developers to up their games for presentations for next year and beyond.
4Reggie Introduces Himself (2004)
“My name is Reggie. I’m about kicking ass, I’m about taking names, and we’re about making games.” Those were the first 17 words spoken to the public by Nintendo’s new Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Reggie Fils-Aimé. He was hired after a successful stint as the Executive Vice President of VH1 where he managed to increase the network’s ratings by 30 percent by focusing more on younger viewers.
Needless to say, Reggie’s first public appearance set the tone for Nintendo for the years to come, making him a staple figurehead for Nintendo at every E3 until 2019 and one of the most influential people in the gaming industry.
3Link Leads A “Megaton” Announcement (2004)
At that same presentation as Reggie’s debut, the last announcement Nintendo made was a return to form for the Legend of Zelda series after what fans believed was a shift away from the classic formula after The Wind Waker. This action-packed teaser featured monster battles, dungeons, and horseback similar to the experiences found in Ocarina Of Time.
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The trailer concluded with Miyamoto arriving with the Master Sword and Hylian Shield, further explaining the upcoming Zelda game that would later be known with theTwilight Princesssubtitle. While the actual game still offered a slightly different experience from what the video showed, it was still one of the first “break the internet” moments of E3’s history.
2Sony Makes A Brief Statement (1995)
In 1995, the inaugural E3 in Chicago was very significant for two companies in particular: Sony and Sega. Feeling threatened by the upcoming PlayStation, Sega of Japan made a big move of desperation by breaking the Sega Saturn’s original release date in America and declaring the system already available in stores to get a head-start on Sony.
Despite Sega’s efforts, PlayStation executive Steve Race only need to say one statement to convince gamers to join the Sony bandwagon: “Two-ninety-nine”, alluding to the PS1’s $299 price tag, being $100 less than the already-released Saturn. This was the start of great swings in momentum for both companies, with Sony in particular leading the home console market for the next two generations.
1All Three Manufacturers Unveil Their Shiny New Toys (2005)
E3 2005 served as a window into a fantastic future for gaming. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony all revealed new home consoles at this very event. TheXbox 360would release later that fall while the PS3 and Wii (FKA the Codename Revolution) would be released the following year.
In hindsight, this was arguably the best generation of game systems, and despite launch period setbacks, each console would go on to sell at least 85 million units sold, a tremendous boost for at least two of the three console makers.
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