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The 5 most memorable moments of E3 2018

The world’s leading video games convention made plenty of headlines again.
The world’s leading video games convention made plenty of headlines again. The world’s leading video games convention made plenty of headlines again.

The consoles have been powered down and the doors of the convention centre have closed to the more than 69,000 attendees – E3 2018 is now consigned to the history books.

From Call Of Duty to Fifa 19 and The Last Of Us Part II, some of the industry’s biggest names were on show during the three-day trade show.

Here’s a look at some of the show’s biggest moments.

1. Cyberpunk 2077 revealed at Xbox

Ahead of E3 there had been lots of rumours about CD Project Red – the studio behind the critically acclaimed The Witcher series – and its next game.

Talk of a game based on the classic tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020 had caught the imagination, but as Xbox boss Phil Spencer started giving his closing remarks it seemed as if it wasn’t to be this year.

But then the Xbox stage appeared to be hacked – thoughts for a moment turned to a possible new Watch Dogs game – before it suddenly appeared in front of us. Night City, the setting of Cyberpunk 2077.

The first trailer showed a dystopian future world full of gangsters, neon and opportunity.

2. Andrew W.K. opens Bethesda’s showcase

Bethesda has a reputation for being big, bold and loud when it comes its E3 event, and in 2018 it decided to push that even further when showing gameplay from Rage 2 for the first time.

To provide a live soundtrack to the footage for those in the crowd was singer Andrew WK, whose wild rock performance was the perfect accompaniment for the frenetic post-apocalyptic shooter.

As a way of grabbing the attention at the start of a video game reveal, it also worked a treat.

Check out the opening few minutes of the video above and you’ll get the idea.

3. Sony goes immersive for The Last Of Us Part 2

Anticipation for Sony’s E3 announcements was understandably high – triple AAA adventures Ghost Of Tsushima and The Last Of Us Part 2 were both expected to be part of the announcements.

What unfolded at the event was much more unexpected however, as PlayStation opted for an immersive theatre approach, making attendees stand in a replica of the church that appears at the beginning of The Last Of Us trailer.

As a way of immersing viewers in the room into a game’s universe it was a potent few moments, until the waves of cameras and smartphones appeared above heads, blocking the view for anyone not at the very front of the room.

4. Fortnite on the Switch

For all that is happening in the world of gaming, few titles are grabbing more headlines or expanding its fanbase in the way that Fortnite is.

The now infamous Walmart Canada leak earlier this year suggested the battle royale game would make the jump to the Nintendo Switch this year, and at E3 the Japanese gaming giant confirmed the news.

What followed was a rush of downloads – two million people downloaded the game on the Switch in its first 24 hours of availability.

But there was also some controversy as Sony were criticised for not supporting cross-play capabilities between the PS4 and Nintendo Switch – meaning gamers on PS4 currently aren’t able to carry their progress between the two platforms, something which is possible between the Xbox and Switch systems.

5. Ubisoft’s Just Dance flashmob

Another way to grab the attention when you’re opening a press conference is to use a fancy dress flashmob.

That’s exactly what Ubisoft did to reveal Just Dance 2019 – with a vibrant marching band led by a panda dancing their way to the stage to confirm the upcoming game.

There was no gameplay shown – but that’s arguably beside the point when it comes to Just Dance – instead, everyone just had a good time.