The History of E3: A trip down memory lane

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ITSMILNER
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PostThe History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by ITSMILNER » Wed May 25, 2011 6:33 pm

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The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E3, is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). It is used by many video game developers to show off their upcoming games and game-related hardware.

E3 is widely considered to be the ultimate expo in the video game industry and major video game critics routinely document the event and sometimes even provide a series of E3 awards. Video game companies generally spend more on their presentations for E3 than any other convention. Major video game critics often have a "best of E3" award session (similar to end-of-year award sessions), and only E3 consistently features such awards.

E3 began life in 1995 and after reaching a record attendance of nearly 70,000 people in 2005 and 60,000 in 2006, E3 was transformed into invitation-only in 2007 and 2008. A separate conference called the Entertainment for All Expo was held those years to accommodate the public demand for a major, annual video game event. However, it did not replicate E3's success and was abandoned.


Below we shall take a look at every E3 event from 1995 up until 2010, I'll update the OP every day or so until we cover all the events in preperation for the 2011 showcase

I'll spoiler each one to save space but i'll include brief Info on the event and what happened and also include Videos where possible


1995

The first E3 featured the start of Sony's entrance into the video game industry with its PlayStation. Sega's Saturn was ready to try and take advantage of the year head start it would have over Nintendo, who had announced its Ultra 64 system (later renamed Nintendo 64) would be released in the summer of '96. Nintendo used the event to unveil its Virtual Boy system, which turned out to be a commercial failure. Some of the games that were showed and garnered attention were Battle Arena Toshinden, Ridge Racer, Panzer Dragoon, Virtua Fighter, and D. Several game videos were shown for both the PlayStation and Saturn.

SNK also showed and announced the release of the Neo-Geo CD. Though it was only the first year for E3, the show proved to be the premier event for gaming in the US.







1996

The event continued to grow and become a common place for the unveiling of new products. In 1996, Nintendo's press conference unveiled the Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 in the U.S. Capcom previewed the first game of their survival horror franchise Resident Evil, as well as their first 3D fighting game for PlayStation, Star Gladiator. Namco showed its PlayStation version of Tekken 2. Naughty Dog showed its first PlayStation offering, Crash Bandicoot and Sega showed its next mascot with NiGHTS into Dreams... for the Saturn (also debuting its analog controller). Eidos showed off its multiplatform star in Tomb Raider. The Unreal Engine was shown for the first time by Epic MegaGames, but no actual Unreal gameplay. StarCraft also had its debut in a very early build of the game. Square showed its first PlayStation offering with Tobal No. 1 (a fighting game to everyone's surprise) and showed video of the most anticipated role playing game of the time, Final Fantasy VII. The event ran from May 16 through May 18 in Los Angeles, California






1997

In 1997, E3 was held in Atlanta, Georgia, where some of what would become the most popular first-person shooter games are unveiled, such as Half-Life and Unreal. Other first person shooters included SiN, Daikatana, Prey, Quake II and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. In addition, the stealth action game Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation was unveiled as well as Panzer Dragoon Saga for the Saturn




1998

In 1998, Half-Life made an appearance at E3, in its final development stage. Duke Nukem Forever was shown for the first time. A Prey trailer was also shown. Monolith Productions exhibited two new first person shooters, Blood II: The Chosen and Shogo: Mobile Armor Division. The final version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was also presented. The event was again held in Atlanta, Georgia



1999

1999 saw the dawn of a new generation of consoles. The Dreamcast, the first sixth generation era console, was featured. The event from here on ran usually in Los Angeles, California.




2000

In 2000, the PlayStation 2 and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty were featured, as was the Xbox early dev and Halo: Combat Evolved when it was still a 3rd person PC game. The Dreamcast showcased its second gen games including Marvel vs Capcom 2. Nintendo was still backing the N64 and some rumors of the Game Boy Advance had started.




2001

In 2001, the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox, two new systems, were featured. They would both be released later in the year.

Microsoft held its press conference unveiling their first season of games for the Xbox. Some notable mentions include: Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Enclave, Jet Set Radio Future, Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding, Mad Dash, Project Gotham Racing, Project Ego, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Dead or Alive 3, GunValkyrie and the heavily anticipated Halo: Combat Evolved.

Nintendo also made its first American unveiling of the GameCube in this event. Some notable games included Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin, Wave Race: Blue Storm, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Cel Damage, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Super Monkey Ball, and Star Fox Adventures. Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, unveiled at an earlier Spaceworld was almost absent from E3 2001.

This year was also the last E3 appearance of the Sega Dreamcast. Some games included Sonic Adventure 2, Ooga Booga, and Bomberman Online. It was held in Los Angeles.





2002

Despite the loss of Sega as a platform holder, the 2002 E3 continued the trend of bigger and bigger shows. Along with unveiling Xbox Live, Microsoft hosted numerous games like Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Dead to Rights, Unreal Championship, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Ninja Gaiden, and the never to be released B.C.

Nintendo GameCube games previewed on this show included Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Star Fox Adventures, Timesplitters 2, Resident Evil Zero, Wario World, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, Aggressive Inline, Phantasy Star Online, and 1080° Avalanche. They also unveiled the first major wireless controller, the Wavebird, with Super Mario Sunshine being played with it. Nintendo also supported the Game Boy Advance with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland, Doom II, Reign of Fire, and Super Monkey Ball Jr.. They also showed how you could connect with the Nintendo GameCube for special content, as demonstrated in a co-op mode for The Wind Waker.

PlayStation 2 games featured included Colin McRae Rally 3, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Red Dead Revolver, The Getaway and Kingdom Hearts.

PC game makers also made an appearance, revealing Doom 3 for the first time. Age of Mythology and Warcraft III were also previewed.





2003

In, 2003, Half-Life 2 was unveiled, a Halo 2 single player demo using an experimental lighting engine (which was not used in the final game) was shown and the PlayStation Portable was first mentioned. During this E3, exhibitors emphasized the rise of the MMORPG genre. The Sims 2 was also unveiled





2004

The last year to focus primarily on the sixth generation of consoles was 2004. A Halo 2 12 person capture the flag multiplayer demo was shown taking place on Zanzibar. The PSP and Nintendo DS were featured. The first trailer for the second sixth generation Zelda game, later named The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was shown. F.E.A.R. was unveiled, a teaser trailer being released shortly after. Unreal Engine 3 was demonstrated for the first time. Sony also announced that the PlayStation 3 would make an appearance at the next E3






FURTHER READING
http://www.gwn.com/articles/article.php/id/921/title/A_Brief_History_of_E3.html

Last edited by ITSMILNER on Sun May 21, 2017 10:04 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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NickSCFC

PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by NickSCFC » Wed May 25, 2011 6:40 pm

Past Nintendo console unveilings






Last edited by NickSCFC on Wed May 25, 2011 6:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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gamerforever
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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by gamerforever » Wed May 25, 2011 6:42 pm

NickSCFC wrote:Past Nintendo console unveilings



Videotape? :lol:

Shame there was no mass internet then. I remember seeing a few pictures in the trade magazine MCV, which was free for the place I was working at weekends. Funnily enough I picked up my first copy of CVG from the newsagents next door during that time.

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Gemini73

PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by Gemini73 » Wed May 25, 2011 7:48 pm

Well that certainly got the old nostalgia juices flowing.

The amount of money spent on conferences then compared to now is almost frightening.


That Gamecube unveiling is embarrassing. :lol:

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by gamerforever » Wed May 25, 2011 8:05 pm

Magius wrote:Well that certainly got the old nostalgia juices flowing.

The amount of money spent on conferences then compared to now is almost frightening.


That Gamecube unveiling is embarrassing. :lol:


I distinctly remember downloading the launch Gamecube trailer (the one with link, ganon and pokemans) and it taking over an hour to download in low res over dialup! :lol:

The slowness of it all kept the anticipation to new highs.

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NickSCFC

PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by NickSCFC » Wed May 25, 2011 11:28 pm

I usually get bored of on stage demos, particularly when they drag on. No other demo has got me more hyped for a game than this did...



Damn I miss Halo 2 :(

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Somebody Else's Problem
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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by Somebody Else's Problem » Wed May 25, 2011 11:42 pm

Wasn't the Gamecube unveiling at Spaceworld 2000, not E3?

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane
by gamerforever » Thu May 26, 2011 7:59 am

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:Wasn't the Gamecube unveiling at Spaceworld 2000, not E3?


Yeah, going by the number of Japanese people on show that seems very likely. I must have missed that as I do not recollect that unveiling at all. Mind you it was probably because of the lack of broadband at the time and being on games forums!

There is something special about the way Nintendo unveil their consoles isn't there? Will Iwata carry the Cafe in his jacket? I actually hope Nintendo call it 'Cafe' as it kind of sounds cool.

I had a dream that Nintendo's controller was effectively a touchscreen tablet with two detachable controllers! :shock:

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by ITSMILNER » Thu May 26, 2011 8:30 pm

Updated up to E3 2000

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by gamerforever » Thu May 26, 2011 8:45 pm

magicmilner wrote:Updated up to E3 2000


Thanks! :wub:

I wish I could go back to 1995! :cry:

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by Somebody Else's Problem » Thu May 26, 2011 8:48 pm

Excellent work, milner.

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ITSMILNER
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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by ITSMILNER » Thu May 26, 2011 8:49 pm

gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:Updated up to E3 2000


Thanks! :wub:

I wish I could go back to 1995! :cry:


Looking back upon those past E3 events makes me wish I could go through those eras all over again :(

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NickSCFC

PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by NickSCFC » Thu May 26, 2011 8:51 pm

Thread needs poll :)

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by ITSMILNER » Thu May 26, 2011 8:52 pm

Thanks guys :wub:

What type of Poll you thinking Nick? Best E3 event?

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by gamerforever » Thu May 26, 2011 8:54 pm

magicmilner wrote:
gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:Updated up to E3 2000


Thanks! :wub:

I wish I could go back to 1995! :cry:


Looking back upon those past E3 events makes me wish I could go through those eras all over again :(


I know, but I am glad I experienced a lot of those magical moments at the time like super mario 64 and zelda, but theres also lots I missed out on like the first few months of the playstation as i got a saturn! :fp:

The class of 1996 to 2001 is when gaming was at its peak and most exciting. After that it just died, albeit very slowly. :cry:

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NickSCFC

PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by NickSCFC » Thu May 26, 2011 8:54 pm

magicmilner wrote:Thanks guys :wub:

What type of Poll you thinking Nick? Best E3 event?


Yeah just a list of years, watched the vids, think I'd be tied between 1996 and 2004.

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by gamerforever » Thu May 26, 2011 8:55 pm

gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:
gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:Updated up to E3 2000


Thanks! :wub:

I wish I could go back to 1995! :cry:


Looking back upon those past E3 events makes me wish I could go through those eras all over again :(


I know, but I am glad I experienced a lot of those magical moments at the time like super mario 64 and zelda oot, but theres also lots I missed out on like the first few months of the playstation as i got a saturn! :fp:

The class of 1996 to 2001 is when gaming was at its peak and most exciting. After that it just died, albeit very slowly. :cry:

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NickSCFC

PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by NickSCFC » Thu May 26, 2011 8:57 pm

gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:
gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:Updated up to E3 2000


Thanks! :wub:

I wish I could go back to 1995! :cry:


Looking back upon those past E3 events makes me wish I could go through those eras all over again :(


I know, but I am glad I experienced a lot of those magical moments at the time like super mario 64 and zelda, but theres also lots I missed out on like the first few months of the playstation as i got a saturn! :fp:

The class of 1996 to 2001 is when gaming was at its peak and most exciting. After that it just died, albeit very slowly. :cry:


I think for innovation yes, but the introduction of Xbox Live was the biggest paradigm shift ever, possibly bigger than 3D in 1995.

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Somebody Else's Problem
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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by Somebody Else's Problem » Thu May 26, 2011 9:00 pm

NickSCFC wrote:
gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:
gamerforever wrote:
magicmilner wrote:Updated up to E3 2000


Thanks! :wub:

I wish I could go back to 1995! :cry:


Looking back upon those past E3 events makes me wish I could go through those eras all over again :(


I know, but I am glad I experienced a lot of those magical moments at the time like super mario 64 and zelda, but theres also lots I missed out on like the first few months of the playstation as i got a saturn! :fp:

The class of 1996 to 2001 is when gaming was at its peak and most exciting. After that it just died, albeit very slowly. :cry:


I think for innovation yes, but the introduction of Xbox Live was the biggest paradigm shift ever, possibly bigger than 3D in 1995.


I wouldn't say it was quite that big. 3D fundamentally changed the way games were played. Online just gave us another way to play multiplayer without all the bother of actually having friends.

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PostRe: The History of E3: A trip down memory lane UPDATED 26/05
by gamerforever » Thu May 26, 2011 9:02 pm

gooseberry fool I quoted instead of edited.

At Nick - yes xbox live was an innovation, but sega got in first. Online gaming for me has been negative as it has stolen resources from the single player to the multiplayer. Some games online like fifa are good, but i really do not understand the love for cod online, for example. 3D was much bigger than online gaming btw, it brought a level of excitement not seen.

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