Month: June 2021

Just a head’s up that there will be no show for next weekend. We’ll see you back on Saturday the 10th.

Thinking back on this episode, I mentioned why we weren’t talking about Activision and all the money they are giving to ol’ Bobby. I’d said it was because it always happens, each year, without fail. Doesn’t matter how much they made or how many they laid off, Bobby gotta eat.

So, after saying why we wouldn’t talk about that, I go on to do the exact same thing but with E3. It’s sort of the same cycle. Year after year, the same complaints and praises roll around. The companies those are directed at may change, but it’s the same thing. And then, after it’s all over, the same discussion always takes place about the need or needlessness of E3.

So, we’ve had it a bit of both ways. Last year there was no E3 and it felt strange. This year was a sort of digital E3 kind of thing and it also felt a bit strange. I can’t really tell what I like better. Sporadic E3 where over the course of some months we get a presentation here and there or the buffet E3 where it all happens over the course of a few days.

Either way, I think these companies are going to make their own decisions. They’ve had it both ways as well, and I’d suspect the future will show us exactly what they prefer of the two.

In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,867 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

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We’re a week out from E3 at this point and we barely break the bubble of discussion on it. I’m saving a lot of articles I had for this episode and bringing them over for the next episode just to discuss more of E3.

Especially the analytics of it. All the analysis of everything that happened after it was over. Some of these are the most interesting to read and they make cases for and against the whole thing. I used to boil this stuff down in my head and would always come to the core of it – and that’s money, usually. Profitability. And, indeed, that’s still there, but it doesn’t seem to take an “E3” to get us there.

We speak a bit on Microsoft and their performance for E3 – winners all around, I think. As much as I’ve railed in years past (and this year as well, before Microsoft last Sunday) about too much talk and not enough show – Microsoft listened. I was more than impressed by not what they had to offer (some of it was great), but how they offered it. It felt a bit like Sony in some years previous, although it lacked a few “wow” factors. Still, I can’t really knock that since it was just game after game after game with very little talk in between.

Do more of this.

In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,860 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

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Happy E3! This past week had new reveals as did this past weekend, and we’ve got more as of today’s posting here and more to come in the days ahead. So there’s still plenty of time to recover and redeem the fact that Ubisoft dropped the ball on Splinter Cell, yet again.

It’s unlikely, however, to redeem itself on presentation. But this horse has been beaten beyond death at this point. I’ll just give my usual summation: Less talky talky and more showy showy.

But I don’t know how much that even matters anymore. E3 isn’t like what it used to be in the sense that you would watch it live because you might miss out on something cool. Now, within minutes of a presentation the highlights are ready for you in YouTube form for whatever it was you missed. And it cuts out all the talky talky.

Anyway, E3 is here and regardless of no Splinter Cell, I’m still enjoying it (thanks Devolver). And we’ll be back next week to talk about what we see today and the days to come.

In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,854 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

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