E3 2013 was a battleground. As Nintendo's Wii U waited silently in the wings, Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PS4 struggled violently for players' attention, While the majority of press outlets and preorder sales indicate that Sony won a decisive victory with their impressive press conference, the war is far from over. Let's take a look at the top five most important stories of the event.
Sony Exec Jack Tretton Bashes Microsoft
For months, pressure has been mounting on Microsoft to explain its new used game policies. Days prior to E3, the company released a guide to the Xbox One's rulebook, but the effort backfired as press criticized the document's unclear language and consumers became even more confused. Everyone knew that Sony could easily leverage this weak point, despite rumors that the creators of Playstation would follow suit, and that's exactly what they did.
"Playstation 4 won't impose any new restrictions on the use of used games," Sony CEO Jack Tretton revealed to the crowd as an inspired roar of relief emanated in the conference hall. It's rare to evoke such genuine emotion in a press conference, and this moment perhaps defined the company's victory in the hearts and minds of players.
Playstation Plus Now Required for Online Play
Almost immediately following the tremendous response to Sony's used games announcement, Sony cleverly snuck in the reveal that Playstation Plus will now be required for online multiplayer, bucking a generation-long trend. Tretton explains that Plus subscriptions on the PS3 or Vita will carry over to the PS4. The service will continue to provide discounted games, cloud saves, automatic game updates, early access to beta programs, an instant game collection, and multiplayer for a little less than $5 per month. If the exec had announced this piece of new prior to his pledge to support used games, the sentiment coming out of the conference may have changed drastically.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Announced
No one believed that it was actually coming, but Square Enix finally announced Kingdom Hearts 3 after 7 years of inactivity on the console front. Although only a snippet of gameplay was shown, it was enough to get long-time fans excited for the coming generation of consoles. Tetsuya Nomura, the creative director of the project, also showed off another upcoming game from his studio during the show: Final Fantasy XV.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII Isn't Dead, Is Now XV
Formerly known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, this action-focused sequel has been most dormant since its announcement in 2006. While series purists may detest the new direction Final Fantasy has taken, Nomura's take on the franchise looks to reinvigorate a struggling brand. No release date was announced.
Xbox One Price at $499.99, the PS4 at $399.99
As if Sony didn't take enough shots at the Xbox One with its used game support, the $100 price advantage over Microsoft's console was the real kicker. While MS still has a shot to announce subsidies which can drastically reduce the price of the console in return for a contractual agreement, the company has given no indication yet that it will follow such a route.
What were your favorite moments of E3 2013? Sound off in the comments below.
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