All Fans Get at E3 2017 Are These Stupid T-Shirts
2017 marks a special year for E3, as it's the first time the general public is allowed access to the prestigious video game conference.
As any convention attendee could tell you, one of the biggest draws of events like this is the merch available at the show's shop. From Blizzcon to PAX to Star Wars Celebration to Gung-Ho Fest, merch booths lines frequently are the longest at these fan-focused conventions. Fittingly, the folks at E3 tried to get in on the merch action and... well, this is apparently the best they could come up with.
"I came all the way to E3, and all I got was this stupid T-shirt." #E32017 pic.twitter.com/pKSPLPrlu9
Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Multiplayer Class System Is Just What It Needed
Star Wars Battlefront 2 feels like its 2015 predecessor took a hard look at itself and discovered what it wanted to be: a fun, strategic shooter. I was excited for the first game, but ultimately disillusioned by the characterless shooter hiding behind a Star Wars skin. It was accessible, sure, and sometimes even fun, but I dropped it after two weeks. After just a little time with Battlefront 2’s multiplayer, I know this game has the potential to keep my attention all thanks to a major change: classes.
The original Battlefront’s loose loadout system was seemingly inviting in its flexibility, but ultimately left me a little disappointed. The new class system still offers player customization, but also has some much needed structure. Each of the four classes (Assault Trooper, Heavy Trooper, Officer, and Specialist) have three equippable abilities that vary based on the player’s collection of Star Cards similar to the original. This time, however, Star Cards allow for more strategy as each class is outfitted with a standard set of abilities (like the Specialist’s trip mine and scanner) that make each class more defined outside of their weaponry and mobility. I would have liked to have seen more of the Star Cards, but the standard loadout fit to each class felt just fine too.
Sea of Thieves: All Gameplay, News, Trailers
Rare first announced the Xbox One and PC game Sea of Thieves at Microsoft’s E3 2015 press conference. If all goes according to plan, the game will launch sometime in 2017.
What we’ve seen of the game so far looks intriguing, but many gamers are still wondering what the hell Sea of Thieves actually is. To answer that question, let’s take a look at all the information Microsoft and Rare have released so far.
We first learned about Sea of Thieves during Microsoft’s E3 press conference in June 2015, when Rare showed a video of a first-person online pirate game. It appeared to be a colorful MMO-like game that put you and other players in a tropical world and had you do things like fight skeletons and engage in ship battles.
Microsoft’s New Console Will Reportedly Be Called “Xbox Scorpio”
Microsoft's new console will seemingly be called Xbox Scorpio.
A Best Buy Canada newsletter includes an image (below) that appears to confirm the console name.
Microsoft's mid-generation Xbox One upgrade has been known by the working title "Project Scorpio" since its first tease last year.
Aside from its final name, the other major point of interest is Scorpio's price. YouTube's Geoff Keighley has now suggested that Scorpio will retail at $499:
Wonder Woman Stays No. 1 While The Mummy Disappoints
It was more good news for Wonder Woman and Warner Bros. this weekend as the film held onto the top spot at the North American box office in its second weekend in release.
The DC movie earned an estimated $57.2 million, bringing its current domestic total to $205 million. (The worldwide total for the Patty Jenkins-directed film now stands at $435.2 million.)
Wonder Woman also managed to drop just 45% from its record-breaking opening weekend ($103.3 million), which is far less than the steep drops suffered by Batman v Superman (69%), Suicide Squad (67%), and Man of Steel (65%).
Why FIFA 18 on Switch Doesn’t Have The Journey
The Nintendo Switch version of FIFA 18 won't include The Journey because it uses a custom-built engine rather than Frostbite.
When asked by Eurogamer why the Switch version doesn't have the aforementioned story mode—which is featured in the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions—producer Andrei Lazaresco replied, "The Journey is powered by Frostbite. When we looked at the platform and its unique features, we made the choice of custom-building the game."
With regard to why the Switch version isn't powered by Frostbite, Lazaresco said, "It's not that you can't get Frostbite on it. It's just that we felt this custom-built engine would build the better experience."
Star Wars Battlefront 2 Will Have Microtransactions
While Electronic Arts will release DLC for Star Wars Battlefront II free of charge, the game will also feature microtransactions.
Battlefront II design director Niklas Fegraeus confirmed the game will include microtransactions in an interview with GameSpot. You'll be able to progress and unlock content using earned in-game currency, but "if you want to accelerate that, if you can't play for a week, you can purchase that," Fegraeus explained.
"The important thing is everything can be earned
. If you're someone who spends time on the game, we love you, do your thing, do what you want to do. If you don't have the time, you can spend money and we love you as well. It's your choice," he added.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Gameplay Trailer Revealed
Square Enix has debuted a new Kingdom Hearts III trailer, following its premiere at the Los Angeles performance of the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour.
The new trailer offers a look at the sequel's take on the Hercules-inspired level, which has been glimpsed in previous trailers and screenshots. The trailer also features the return of Maleficent, Pete, and Hades, the former two of which are searching for a box, which may connect back to how Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue ties into Kingdom Hearts 3.
A Way Out May Be the Gutsiest Game of E3
2005’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is one of my favorite games ever, in large part because of its unique and completely separate two-player co-op mode, which forced you and a friend to work together as stealthy spies as you infiltrated, espionaged, and choked out bad guys. I’d always hoped that Ubisoft would spin that mode out into its own fully fleshed-out game, but alas it never happened.
A dozen years later, A Way Out looks set to run with Chaos Theory co-op’s groundbreaking -- and gutsy -- idea. Rather than spy story, however, A Way Out is a prison-escape action-adventure set in the 1970s that requires two players, either via split-screen couch co-op or online play. It’s being helmed by Joseph Fares, the Swedish film director who made his name in the gaming world with 2013’s fantastic and emotional Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, which could be played solo but forced you to control both brothers at once. So yes, you cannot play A Way Out by yourself.