Nintendo
It ’s been a busy June for gamers . Nintendo , Microsoft , Sony , Ubisoft , and Summer Game Fest all prevail dedicated television game showcases over the past month . It ’s the most exciting prison term of year for the video plot industry as we get updates on highly anticipated game , get stoke for newly revealed game , and get a line more about when some games we are looking forward to will launch . For work and for joy , I have watched all five of these major video plot showcases and have a destiny of feelings on each .
Justlike I did in 2023 , I ’ve decided to give the major actor a report card on their shows . muckle of factors went into my very serious and scientific statute title . That includes the amount of Modern plot give away we saw , how cohesive and engaging each show ’s secret plan batting order mat up , and how confident the showcase leave me for the hereafter . There ’s also a clear winner for me , but allow ’s take the air through each show one by one first .
Nintendo
PlayStation State of Play
evaluation : D
Sony was the first to maintain a video game showcase this yr , air aState of Playin belated May . It was n’t a full - blow PlayStation Showcase , and for good reason . The State of Play kicked off with a first look atConcord , a sci - fi multiplayer shooter that underwhelmed with its derivative shade and shooting . That dud of an opening lowered the entertainment value of the showcase , even with some high - visibility peeks atMonster Hunter Wilds , Silent Hill 2‘s remake , andDynasty Warriors Origins .
By far , the better proclamation of the show was the one that closed it out : Astro Bot , a 3D platformer starring the robot that ’s quickly becoming an iconic PlayStation mascot . Still , those few highlight were n’t enough to make this State of Play that exciting , which made me question how necessary it was for PlayStation to moderate it . It also generate one - upped by Summer Game Fest , which showed off a Sony game not present here and had a salutary trailer forMonster Hunter Wilds . It ’s OK if you missed this showcase ; just check that you crack out the reveal trailers forAstro BotandDynasty Warrior Origins .
Summer Game Fest
evaluation : C+
This year ’s Summer Game Fest kickoff showcase was the odd of the bunch . Geoff Keighley ’s show made a far-famed pivot intoembracing indie gamesthis year , which was a skilful thing . young biz reveals likeCuffBust , Tears of Metal , Cairn , andKiller Beanserved as the actual nitty-gritty of Summer Game Fest this year between bigger plot likeLego Horizon AdventuresandSid Meier ’s Civilization VII .
What hurtSummer Game Festthis twelvemonth was pacing . This show always tend to sense jolly foresighted , and that was particularly noticeable this year . The show fizzled out toward the end , with an telling newPhantom Blade Zerotrailer ineffectual to hold start the show after protracted , boring segments dedicated toValorantandSquad buster . I do call back video biz fans should tune up into this case , but it ’s OK to skim through it for the titles that look most appealing to you .
Xbox Games Showcase
degree : A-
As usual , Microsoft showed up with a pretty press - packedXbox Games Showcase . It was bookended byCall of tariff : Black Ops 6 , with an activeness - packed trailer to kvetch off the show and deep dive of a unmediated following the showcase . Activision and Bethesda were to the full present in this showcase , highlighting expansions for games likeWorld of Warcraft , Diablo IV , andFallout 76while teasing upcoming projects likeCall of Duty : Black Ops 6andDoom : The Dark Ages . On the Xbox Game Studios front , South of MidnightandFablehad impressive showings and aim 2025 release window , whileGears of War : E - DayandPerfect Darkstunned with their first looks .
Even outdoors of the studio that Microsoft owns , stake likeClair Obscur : sashay 33 , Dragon Age : The Veilguard , andLife is Strange : Double Exposureall had memorable reveals during this presentation . The large disappointments this year were thatAvowedandIndiana Jones and the Great Circleboth did not get release dates and that Xbox leaders did little to come up to the shade of layoff and studio apartment closure that has been lurking over the brand name all year . Although I ’m still a bit worried about the future of Xbox and the developers who act for it , there ’s no denying that this was a groovy vitrine that never let up and is worth see .
Ubisoft Forward
grad : F
Ubisoft did not need a case this year . WhileStar Wars OutlawsandAssassin ’s Creed Shadowslook foretell , their dedicated segments felt like they could ’ve just been overview videos posted to Ubisoft ’s YouTube channel . Outside of that , there was n’t much else that was compelling . For the most part , Ubisoft render off update for games likeXDefiant , Avatar : frontier of Pandora , Prince of Persia : The Lost Crown , andThe Rogue Prince of Persia . When novel secret plan likeAnno 117 : Pax Romanaor the reworked remaking forPrince of Persia : The Sands of Timeappeared , their trailers offered picayune substance . All we learned about the latter is that its coming in 2026 now .
It felt like Ubisoft thought it require to hold a showcase because it was set up two AAA game this fall , but failed to consider that doing cryptical dive into two games does n’t make for a case great , even if the secret plan show well . We would have ask deeper dives into those newly revealed games and perhaps a few surprises in order for this showcase to to get a passing score . F stands for Forward , I imagine .
Nintendo Direct
gradation : A
Heading into thisNintendo Direct , I had my doubts that Nintendo would have much more to show than some remakes . While we did get some of those forDonkey Kong Country Returns HD , philander SaGa 2 , and the first three Dragon Quest game , there were also plenty of other announcements for marque - raw games that were unexpected . That includesMario & Luigi : Brothership , The Legend of Zelda : echo of Wisdom , andSuper Mario Party Jamboree .
Most significantly , we finally generate a look at gameplay fromMetroid Prime 4 , which has been in the full treatment since at least 2017 . It take care fantastic , even if it ’s not out until 2025 . Overall , the Nintendo Direct kept up a strong rate and was pack with good first - political party announcements in addition to whole third - party games likeMio : Memories in Orbit , Fantasian Neo Dimension , Farmagia , Metal Slug Attack Reloaded , andMarvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection : Arcade Classics .
The winner: Nintendo Direct
This was n’t the strong year for picture game showcases , but both Nintendo and Xbox had very solid showing . Ultimately , I have to give the boundary to Nintendo , mainly because it had more loyal release dates for many of the first - party titles that were shown off . At this breaker point , Nintendo has proven itself a skipper at making video game showcases . It rarely lets up on the pacing , finds a mixture of interesting games gravid and small , and almost always has surprising announcements for imminent first - party secret plan at these show .
At time , it feels like Nintendo operate on on a different wavelength than the relief of the video game industry , and that could be feel with this year ’s show . The general sentiment is that 2024 is a down year for the video game industry , but I honestly would have a knockout time telling that if I just watch the Direct . When a presentation can make me forget about all those issues and just enjoy some secret plan , I have it away it ’s great . If you only have the time to watch one showcase this yr , make it the Nintendo Direct .
