Since its conception in 1995, E3 has served as the world’s most-awaited gaming expo. When that time of the year came around, both major and small developers and publishers would flock over to the Los Angeles Convention Center to showcase their recent releases and tease upcoming titles. Through the years, E3 has been the site of some of the biggest teases and moments in video game history, including the hyping of Cyberpunk 2077 by none other than Keanu Reeves.
With 2023’s E3 Conference officially being canceled, fans of the expo lie in wait as this might spell the end for the hype of in-person conventions. However, before all fans lose hope, they may want to try looking back at some of the most historic E3 Conferences ever to grace the industry.
10 2010: The One With Konami
When “Konami” and “E3” are put together, chances are gamers would immediately know exactly the year talked about and, much to the infamy of said event, have a particular moment ingrained in their heads. Of all the years in E3’s slate, it was perhaps E3 2010 that became host to one of the most bizarre conferences of all time. While Konami did present some engaging titles such as Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and even Metal Gear Solid: Rising, it’s the way Tak Fujii and his fellow presenters that made an indelible mark in E3 – or perhaps the entirety of video game presentation – history.
The Konami games were presented with various gimmicks that made it seem more variety show than a formal conference. It came to a point where wrestlers were suddenly on stage, and a magician started doing tricks. This bizarre moment may be infamous for being low-budget, seemingly rushed, and rather improper given the context of the event. However, this presentation could be reinterpreted as one way people can see video games as art.
9 2017: Devolver Digital Goes Wild
With the spotlight on Nintendo after the release of the Nintendo Switch just months after the event proper, the 2017 E3 Conference became host to many historic game announcements. These include would-be notable titles such as Destiny 2, Ni no Kuni 2, Monster Hunter: World, Fortnite, and even Assassin’s Creed Origins. Unfortunately, this was also the height of the negative press about loot boxes and predatory anti-consumer practices. This made the Devolver Digital equal parts appropriate and bizarre.
Aside from featuring their slate of games such as Absolver, Ruiner, and The Swords of Ditto, what made Devolver Digital a show stealer in the conference was its surreal digital presentation. Taking the form of a satirical take on an anti-consumerist version of “E3,” the critical reception and sheer surprise of viewers made Devolver Digital “skits” quite a welcome sight for each E3 Conference since then.
8 2013: The Xbox One Shade
It had been almost half a decade since the release of PS3 and Xbox 360, which meant it was high time for new contenders to join the market. However, Microsoft coming up with an initial Xbox One that forced players to pay fees to lend games created a backlash so intense that Sony decided to spoof it as a part of their 2013 E3 Conference presentation.
At its core, the highlight of Sony’s 2013 presentation go beyond reveals such as the critically acclaimed The Last Of Us. Instead, it was a short stint between Sony execs showing how to lend PS4 games to friends – by simply passing them, free of charge.
7 2015: The Xbox One Redemption, Sony Year Of Dreams
The 2015 E3 Expo made history in how it encapsulated how publishers prioritize different aspects of their contributions to the gaming industry. On the one hand was Microsoft, with the announcement of its backward compatibility with the underwhelming Xbox One had the company a step closer to full redemption. With this compatibility, many Xbox 360 titles can now be played on the Xbox One – for free!
On the other side of this spectrum is Sony, this time coming with three game reveals poised at the time to rock the current gaming atmosphere with their promises of quality on top of stunning worlds. These included The Last Guardian, which was last heard from in E3 2009. Afterward, Shenmue 3 was finally teased about being in development, which by then was a historical event for franchise fans who have since waited for the sequel of 2001’s Shenmue 2. Lastly, Square Enix finally reveals Final Fantasy 7 Remake, accompanied by jaw-dropping graphics poised to meet the company’s decades-long vision of creating a game with the same action as Advent Children.
6 2006: Snake Goes To Smash Bros., Sony Flops The PS3
Whereas most E3 events had players eagerly awaiting the newest gadgets and games, it’s not all the time that two rivaling companies generate quite the opposite reactions. It was in E3 2006 that gamers bore witness to climactic highs and catastrophic lows that cemented precisely why these events are important – it helped gamers make more informed decisions about the industry's situation based on how giants presented themselves.
For instance, Nintendo generated one of the highlights of the year thanks to its grand reveal of Solid Snake finally joining the Super Smash Bros. Brawl roster. This was quite the fan-made request, which Hideo Kojima asked Nintendo to allow especially since Solid Snake is nowhere near their IPs. Meanwhile, the PS3 made for an underwhelming performance by Sony, something that would prove evident in the initial sales of the platform.
5 2003: Meet Half-Life 2, Halo 2
Gaming at the start of the 21st Century had two “modern” titles poised to change the gaming landscape. First was 1998’s Half-Life​​​​​​, which skyrocketed Valve into gaming stardom with unique physics alongside an eerie horror-extraterrestrial experience. Opposite this entry was Halo: Combat Evolved, Bungie and Microsoft’s sci-fi FPS that jumpstarted the fame surrounding the Xbox 360. Since their releases, fans have been eager to see what lies in store for both Gordon Freeman and the Master Chief in their respective games, all of which came to life in the historic 2003 E3 Conference reveal.
Slated for a PC, PS2, and Mac release back then, Valve revealed gameplay footage of Half-Life 2 that showcased impressive graphical fidelity and a smooth playthrough demonstration. Not to mention, the introduction of the Gravity Gun and how it can lead to potentially-crazy antics showed just how creative games could get right at the beginning of the 21st Century. Meanwhile, Halo 2 upping the ante in both graphics and multiplayer options had the game remain one of the most appreciated reveals in an E3 Conference.
4 2000: Metal Gear Solid 2 Steals The Show
Since the start of the first E3, gaming’s biggest companies and publishers have all had their execs and some high-profile presenter hype their respective new releases in the hopes of garnering fan interest. Hideo Kojima switched things up at the 2000 E3 Expo, where he met the start of a new century with an equally game-changing performance. Compared to most other teams present, Kojima and Konami presented Metal Gear Solid 2 with almost no voiceover.
Instead, they showed an almost 10-minute Metal Gear Solid 2 trailer that combined both cinematic storytelling and gameplay footage, giving viewers more or less a “short film” that encapsulated what kind of storytelling Kojima wanted to share through his beloved series. While E3 2000 also revealed Pokemon Gold and Silver as well as Persona 2, it’s Metal Gear Solid 2 that stole the show by enthralling fans with the cinematic political-thriller direction that Kojima had always dreamt of showcasing.
3 2004: The Reggie Reveal
Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former President and COO of Nintendo, became an icon in 2004. When he came up to the stage and said, “I’m about kicking ass, I’m about taking names, and we’re about making games,” he created an image of a video game company president who understands exactly what gamers want.
The Reggie Reveal was quite the spectacle in the 2004 E3 Conference, especially when stereotypical execs took the stage for other companies in years prior. Reggie’s confidence and charisma, especially when presenting the portable gaming revolution via the Nintendo DS reveal and the tease for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, told the video game scene that gamers need presenters to be just as excited for the products they’re showcasing as the audience. Since then, various companies upped the ante by trying to add their own “spin” to their presentations, but Reggie continues to step up his game.
2 2019: The End Of An Era
While the “last” official E3 event came in the form of the E3 2021 Conference, its digital-only nature made the presentations seem stale. And with both E3 2020 and E3 2022 canceled, it’s the 2019 E3 Conference that marked the end of an era. This conference held the stage for some rather epic moments and announcements, such as the unveiling of Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the PS4 and Activision teasing a remake of critically-acclaimed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Not to mention, some presentations earned a spot in the memory of gamers through sheer appeal. For instance, Keanu Reeves hyped the release of Cyberpunk 2077, where he’s also part of the main cast. Likewise, the casual yet energetic delivery of Ghostwire: Protocol creative director Ikumi Nakamura was quite the highlight.
1 1995: The 299 Moment
Players may remember the '90s as gaming in its adolescence; the industry was changing rapidly throughout the decade. However, one of the most shocking moments that represented this was the 1995 E3 Expo, which saw Sony dethrone gaming giant Sega in the console scene, courtesy of the PlayStation and its eventual slate of games.
It was in E3 1995 that Sega announced that the newest Sega Saturn would retail for USD 399, which left fans eager to learn what Sony would offer. As such, when Sony presenter and exec Steve Race walked up to the stage and simply said “299,” fans knew it was already over for Sega. It’s usually these unpredictable moments that launch the start of a new era.