With E3 only a few weeks off, the number of rumors and expectations fans are going to have are going to only grow as we get closer. So, with that, the Daily Reaction crew have taken upon themselves to temper the rising tide before people spoil the biggest gaming event of the year for themselves.
Dan: This is one of those things that I think is futile in its very nature, not only because people are going to get their hopes up due to false information rampantly spreading, but also because this is the time to get excited. This is the time of year for nearly all gamers around the world to all focus on one week, when the industry finally unveils what it has been up to, and there are sure to be some major players this year. This is all the more true now that we are seeing the end of the PlayStation 3’s era, and we are seeing a current gen focus on development that isn’t being held back by dated hardware.
On top of this, we have some amazing titles that have already been announced, and hopefully will be making a showing again this year. Activision’s Call of Duty franchise for example has systematically made an appearance during E3, and I believe it has been stated to be playable at the show, so we will see Black Ops 3. The next Doom title has also been confirmed, as well as a handful of other amazing titles, so it really does feel like we are going to have a great show already.
And, now that I have talked about why we should be hyped, it’s time to mix in the realities of the industry and why we need to focus on facts and filter out byproducts of the rumor mill. Black Ops 3 and the next Doom title have been confirmed, but if we look online it is easy to find lists of games that are being labeled as “confirmed” when they simply aren’t. We can also find a cross listing of rumored titles next to confirmed ones, which is only differentiated by something that overly hyped fans can easily miss or incorrectly remember and cause a spread of inaccurate information. So, expecting everyone you know to be precise about what they read is a handful, and is something that can cause even your most trusted source to be led astray.
The biggest issues as of late regarding false hopes has really been perpetuated by leaks, and E3 has had more than a few over the years. The last last two that have been sparking up are Destiny’s leaked DLC plans and the Gears of War remaster. Both of which are having rumors being spun around their presence at the show, but neither of which have even been actually revealed or announced. So as we sit and await E3 to finally get here so we can all sit and wait for more amazing games to release, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves and pin all our hopes on everything we read from unofficial sources. Just remember, this is the internet and the hype is real, even though The Last Guardian might not be at this point.
Chandler: There’s nothing like building the expectations of having Italian food for your birthday dinner to ruin an excellent Greek meal, or some other similar metaphor. I personally like to use food. It’s relatable. Expectations are the bane of any good thing. The subject largely ties into hype for games making them seem less than stellar upon release, but here, we’re talking about games and things that haven’t even been shown off yet. We’re talking about the hype and expectations leading up to E3 potentially ruining the experience if not everything gets announced, or if that one title you were expecting doesn’t get shown.
There was a recent leak about the Rockstar team behind Red Dead Redemption hiring for another open-world game. Does this mean we should expect Red Dead Redemption 2 at E3? Should we be disappointed if it doesn’t show? Should we continue to hold out hope for it year after year (after year)? If I could coin a term for this, I would call it The Last Guardian Syndrome. Games like Agent and The Last Guardian are expected to make a surprise appearance at the show every year, and every year those holding out hope for these titles come away disappointed. I’m not saying it’s not okay to wish for these announcements, but let’s give a little attention where it’s deserved.
There are tons of other developers out there who have worked hard on a reveal or showing of their games at E3. The problem is that when one of these games is announced or shown, some people can’t help but think “well, it wasn’t The Last Guardian,” and only want to move on to the next announcement in hopes that this might be when we finally see the reemergence of Project Trico. Hold on a second! Let’s go back and take a look at whatever was just shown. Let’s give some attention to what actually is being developed, rather than let the hard work of these developers be completely overshadowed by pipe dreams.
Like that Greek birthday meal I mentioned, would I prefer Italian? Yes, Italian is my favorite kind of food. But am I going to let my love and desire for Italian food get in the way of me enjoying a delicious gyro? Absolutely not. This is where we need to learn a little bit of self control. It’s okay to wish for things, and have certain expectations of what we may see at E3, but we shouldn’t let it ruin our experience if those wishes and expectations are not met. You can bet that I’ll be right there beside you wishing for the Italian, but if E3 delivers Greek, let’s enjoy that to the fullest. We might even forget about the Italian for a little bit, and maybe — just maybe — we’ll finally get what we’ve been wishing for when we least expect it.
What are you expecting at this years E3? Can you temper your expectations if you don’t get what you are wishing for? Let us know in the comments below, we’re expecting your emails at DailyReaction@PlayStationLifeStyle.net and temper your expectations of us on Twitter @Foolsjoker and @Finchstrife.
