E3 2015 vs E3 2016: Which was Better?

Now that the dust has settled on E3 2016, we can finally take a look back and see everything clearly, unhindered by all of the hype that built up over the week. E3 2016 was a great convention, full of big games, and other fun stuff to get into. However, many remember last year’s convention being something even more special. Of course, this has put some at odds, deciding on whether the huge announcements of this year override those from 12 months ago.

To settle the argument, we’re gonna compare each E3 by looking at a few key factors. When all is said and done, we’ll see which really reigns supreme as the absolute best show ever for gaming. 

Conferences

E3 2015 easily had the best conferences. That’s not to say that 2016 had horrible showings. But if we’re being completely honest with ourselves, this year’s press conferences were just last year’s with bonus features – sort of like buying the Blu-ray of a film you’ve already seen. Last year was filled with a seemingly endless stream of wow moments, and that just led to a mountain of memories that would never be forgotten.

Pele took to the EA stage, a friggin’ sports car was lowered from the ceiling during the Microsoft conference, and Sony brought out Final Fantasy VII and Shenmue III. It might have been the fact that this generation was still relatively new, but companies seemed to show bigger things during E3 2015. In 2016, aside from Microsoft revealing two new consoles and Sony once again remastering players’ dreams, the conferences were relatively dull. 

Tech

Now the tech department can go either way depending on what it is you prefer. E3 2016 was more about consoles. Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One S, a smaller and more powerful Xbox One capable of 4K streaming and HDR gameplay. They also turned around and officially announced Project Scorpio, confirming the rumors of a much more powerful, VR-ready, 4K gaming machine. Although Sony didn’t bring any new toys to E3 2016, they did confirm the PS4K the week before. Nintendo is another company that didn’t bring its new toys, but the NX is around the corner.

2015 was all about VR, with several stage shows committing a sizable amount of presence to the new technology. The Oculus, Vive, and PSVR were all in heavy attendance last year as they endeavored to usher in the future of gaming.

It’s not so easy to say who had the better showing because, again, it’s a matter of preference. If upgraded consoles alone aren’t what excites you, then last year’s E3 was for you. But, if you prefer newer consoles that will allow your games to be even bigger, than 2016 is where it’s at.

Games

Games are what E3s live and die by. You can have all the celebrities, all of the consoles, and all of the cool stage shows in the world, but they mean nothing if the games aren’t exciting and fans have nothing to look forward to. This happens to be an area where both E3 of 2015 and 2016 really showed up in a big way. Even with all of the repeat games this year, E3 2016 had a lot of heavy hitters to show off. Spider-Man, Dead Rising 4, Forza Horizon 2, Watch Dogs 2, Death Stranding, Crash Bandicoot Remastered, and a lot more crossed the stage and some were even playable, letting those in attendance know that the hype is real.

2015 was a combination of Xbox’s greatest lineup and Sony going on a nostalgia trip that helped it stand out. But there was one component of 2016 that just wasn’t around last year, and that’s Nintendo’s monstrous Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild booth. When all members of the “Big Three” bring something huge to the show, you know it’s gonna be great.

A lot of last year’s biggest games were there this year along with some brand new reasons to be excited, and that helped to give 2016 the edge. It’s difficult to look past the likes of NieR, Final Fantasy XV, Tekken 7, all of the exclusives, plus a bunch of new games. Even better was the fact that a lot of the games were playable, including some of the giants shown off for the first time last year. Those elements compounded to make a seriously enticing lineup for all types of players.

Which E3 Reigns Supreme?

While E3 2015 was definitely filled with a lot of nostalgia and arguably the best press conferences seen in a long time, 2016 brought along the games that made last year great and added in just enough to stand above. The fact that a large portion of last year’s offerings still haven’t released only helped to bolster the upcoming lineup, giving players a ton of games to look forward to. While Gears of War, Crackdown, The Last Guardian, Mass Effect, Scalebound, and more linger on the horizon, still building their hype from last year’s event, new games like Spider-Man, Forza Horizon 3, Watch Dogs 2, Steep, and Quake Champions will make the future even brighter.

Of course, depending on your taste, 2015 may have held everything that you could have ever wanted. If that’s the case, then it might have been a much better experience for you. It’s not up to us to decide what piqued your interest the most. So feel free to sound off in the comments to let us know if you agree with our choice. If not, let us and your fellow readers know why.