The doors of the Los Angeles Convention Centre have shut, the video-screens and demo pods have been removed and the booth-babes are no doubt flaunting their wares at a Yachting expo or something; after a full three days of announcements, surprises and (in the case of Konami’s press conference) toe-curling embarrassment, E3 2010 has been and gone.

In this weeks D+BATE, the D+PAD team pick over the remains of the show, and ponders…..

‘How will E3 2010 be remembered?’

Read on for our thoughts, and let us know what you think below.

Simeon Paskell: “I think that E3 2010 might be forgotten pretty quickly, as despite the unquestionable quality that was on display, it lacked many (or indeed any!) moments that made me go ‘Wow!’. For the big three – Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft – it was mainly about consolidating their positions and re-emphasising their respective business plans to illustrate how solid each of their platforms are.

Though this is to be expected so far into this generation’s life-span – especially bearing in mind that the usual console release cycle seem to have pedalled out of sight – it raises some interesting questions about gaming, and where it will go next. Obviously, motion controls are still very much in fad, and Sony’s and Nintendo’s dabblings with 3D mark an evolution in terms of how game visuals are delivered, but in terms of actual game design, innovation was pretty thin on the ground. Even the supposedly revolutionary Kinect couldn’t muster anything more exciting than a selection of fairly blatant Wii knock-offs.

Maybe it’s unfair to expect E3 to shatter our expectations each and every year, but as an event, we have come to expect glimpses of the future, things that make us, as gamers, fantasise about the experiences that lie around the corner and how they’ll change the gaming landscape forever, This year, it just didn’t happen. Sure, we all can’t wait to get our hands on the 3DS, bark orders at our Xbox’s and try the next generation of waggle with Move, but there was nothing on show this to suggest that these aren’t just baby steps, not giant leaps. I’m hopeful that next year – when Move and Kinect have time to mature and the potential of the 3DS has been explored a little more, there will be more likelihood of games surfacing that mark real revolutions in design.

This year – though the show as a whole was solid – it was really only Ubisoft’s Child of Eden that set my head spinning. Much of the rest – from the triple-A FPSs to racing titles – largely showed genres inching forward and adding polish. While this is still a good thing, it’s not going to knock my – or, I expect – many other gamers socks off. Or am I just getting old and cynical?”

Chris Morell: “Gamers are a cynical bunch anyway, so when Microsoft is seen dedicating over half a conference to the casual market, during an event sporting a lack of new IP’s overall, criticism will undoubtedly and quite rightfully follow.

The name of the game this year was disappointment, despite the few welcome gameplay videos for the likes of Metal Gear Solid Rising and Gears of War 3. Where Microsoft’s Natal excited, Kinect floundered, largely down to the complete lack of interesting titles on offer. If anything, E3 2010 will be remembered as the year that Nintendo hit a home run, as the reveal of the 3DS impressed journalists present almost as much as the games themselves; Donkey Kong, Metroid, Kirby and Zelda have all promised to make a triumphant return to your living room, and most of them offered playable demos on the show-floor to back up this claim.

For me, the relevance of E3 was more about what wasn’t shown – still no word on Devil May Cry 5 or a new DOA and the complete lack of footage for The Last Guardian and Arkham Asylum 2 was simply bemusing – with almost zero core announcements for Kinect serving to limit its appeal much more than Microsoft had hoped. True, the likes of Platinum Games’ Vanquish and Ubi’s Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood were present and looking pretty slick but I, like Simeon, found myself underwhelmed due to the lack of major announcements and fresh ideas on offer.

Thankfully, E3 is rarely remembered in its entirety, but rather for its many surprises and gaffes (who could forget the hilarity of Jamie Kennedy dying on stage in 2007?), so with any luck Sony and Microsoft will be able to come back next year to a clean slate and present something truly special to masses. I expect both Move and Kinect to do well this Christmas – with Your Shape: Fitness Evolved serving to slim us down following the usual holiday binge – but until we see some real games for the current audience their longevities are in question. For now, Nintendo can hold its head up high for a job well done, even if Miyamoto’s showing of Skyward Sword didn’t quite go to plan.”

Emmet Purcell: “Like every E3, this year’s event will be remembered by the press conferences of the big three gaming giants. Actually scratch that, I can barely remember a thing from Sony’s show, so let’s just stick to Nintendo and Microsoft.

I’ll always remember E3 as the year Microsoft killed gamer expectations of Project Natal. With a new name and a new audience to court, Kinect is a worrying sign for me as a core gamer. A year after Molyneux’s Milo demo had forums in rapture over the potential of controller-free gaming, we got an hour of Wii copycat titles, Dance Central excluded. In previous years we’ve always known Ninty would disappoint at E3, but we could always rely on a great MS show. This year MS went so overboard in trying to attract the Wii audience, I actually felt embarrassed for the company. And if an Xbox 360 + Kinect costs close to $400, then they’ve wasted everyone’s time – themselves included.

Nintendo on the other hand, surprised a lot of people – I wonder just how they keep some of these releases under lock a key so well, especially compared to Sony, whose numerous leaks killed any surprises during their event. I think Nintendo learnt from New Super Mario Bros Wii that they can now create games which appeal to casual audiences, then crank up the difficulty and nostalgia for core gamers. My only complaint would be the lack of any fresh IPs but that would be a little nit-picky, this was the show Ninty fans had clamoured for the last few years, with even Kid Icarus and Pilotwings showing up.

To keep it simple, E3 2010 will most likely be remembered for Nintendo’s surprises and well-received 3DS reveal, and Microsoft’s sudden change of tone regarding their audience.”

Zoheir Beig: “I think I’d echo the majority of opinions here in saying that the new hardware presented at E3, both for the first time in the case of Nintendo’s 3DS and – in the case of Kinect and Move – with one eye on imminent retail release, will take time to bed down; it’ll be perhaps a full year, until the next E3 in fact, before their success and potential can really be assessed.

The overriding feeling for me, one I heartily embrace, is that these hardware revisions haven’t meant the start of another wave of brand-new consoles (following past cycles it would’ve been quite predictable to have expected a new Microsoft Xbox, for example, at the E3 just gone). If Kinect and Move can extend the lifespan of this current generation for another good few years then very few people will complain.

But if I had to choose one highlight it would have to be Nintendo’s 3DS reveal. And the corresponding list of games, particularly those first-party titles (Kirby! Pilotwings! etc etc). And Child Of Eden of course. Is it just me though, or were there very few genuinely brand-new titles announced? Still, exciting times.”

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