Apparently Elden Ring, Halo Infinite, Battlefield 2042, and Starfield being shown at E3 2021 isn’t good enough.
Reactionary gamers have been airing out their thoughts on the internet about E3 2021 – a yearly expo where the world’s best developers showcase what games they’ve been quietly working on. Many are hailing this year’s iteration of E3 as the “worst ever”, but why?
The main trigger to this colossal amount of critique was Take-Two Interactive and Capcom’s conference day. Take-Two Interactive is the parent company for Rockstar and 2k, and has brought you games such as Grand Theft Auto and Borderlands.
Prior to the beginning of E3, the internet was abuzz with speculation of GTA VI being announced. However, these rumours were eventually shut down by Geoff Keighley, stating they would not be showing any games at E3.
Instead, they used their timeslot to discuss inclusivity and diversity in gaming, inviting guest speakers from organisations such as Games for Change, Gay Gaming Professionals, and Girls Make Games to discuss issues concerning sexuality, gender, and race in the gaming industry.
However, Keighley’s attempt at managing expectations was not as effective as he may have hoped. Although his comments concerning the content of their presentations were widely reported on by multiple publications, many gamers felt blindsided by the lack of game announcements, taking to all manners of social media to express their distaste for the involvement of politics in video games.
I did try to tell you guys.
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) June 14, 2021
Much of the criticisms targeted directly at Take-Two Interactive straight-up refused to acknowledge these systemic issues in gaming. I guess it really would suck to be geared up and brimming with excitement for the future of your favourite franchises, then have to sit through an hour-long discussion about difficult issues.
If only someone warned you. Oh, wait they did tell you. They explicitly stated they would not be revealing any footage, but you decided to sit through the discussion and complain about it on the internet.
Take two interactive conference was bullshit and pointless.
byu/AllGTAgamesaregreat inrockstar
This disconnect between the community’s expectations and the content of their conference spurred on a tremendous amount of chatter describing how this is the worst E3 ever.
The individuals behind these opinions seemingly forgot previous presentations that showcased Battlefield 2042, Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5 and a whole new roster of indie games from Devolver Digital. We haven’t even seen what Nintendo has in store for us, either.
But hey, would it really be E3 season without a Twitter feed full of complaints?
https://twitter.com/its_menieb/status/1404557537006006282
The fact is that no matter what E3 pulls out, there will always be a vocal group of video game fans airing out their dirty laundry. According to them, every E3 is worse than the last, every new game is shittier than what they played in 2002, and every time a game gets “political”, the very gates of hell should be thrust wide open for the developers of said game.
Gaming has a problem with negativity that goes far beyond conferences, but for now, let’s try to focus on the amazing-looking games that have been announced so far at E3 2021. Of which there are many.
Check out what else is in store at E3 2021 with our guide right here.
