11 Classic E3 Moments - Article
by Craig S , posted on 01 June 2012 / 12,213 Views
With E3 2012 just a matter of days away we thought we'd relive some of the most iconic moments of E3 past, be they major announcements or the origins of classic memes.
Here are 11 classic E3 moments:
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge Racer
The who, when and where - Kazuo Hirai, E3 2006, during Sony's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - as far as the gaming community is concerned, Sony's E3 2006 keynote is probably the most infamous and cringe-worthy E3 press conference in the event's history. Once you've been exposed to the Riiiiiiidge Racer meme it's hard to say the name of the franchise in your head without mimicking Kaz's pronunciation.
Well BAM, there it is!
The who, when and where - Kudo Tsunoda, E3 2009, during Microsoft's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - not a company that likes to be outdone by its rivals, Microsoft did their level best in 2009 to outdo Sony and Nintendo's best efforts to secure the most embarrassing keynote in E3 history when they unveiled what was then Project Natal, which, as any Kinect owner knows all too well, sometimes struggles to track certain movements, as Tsunoda found out when he attempted to show everyone the bottom of his avatar's shoe.
Ravi Drums
The who, when and where - DJ Ravi, E3 2008, Nintendo's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - for Sony it was 2006, for Microsoft it's 2009 and, seemingly, every year since. For Nintendo, though, it was 2008, and it's summed up best by the Ravi's performance on the drums as part of the Wii Music demonstration and the multitude of .gifs it spawned.
Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360
The who, when and where - Yoichi Wada, E3 2008, Microsoft's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - when it comes to 'Megaton' announcements at E3 this is the one to beat. Square Enix's Yoichi Wada took to the stage to announce that Final Fantasy XIII would be releasing on the Xbox 360. This was a huge coup for Microsoft, at a time when the 'console war' was really hotting up between the PS3 and Xbox 360, and was a mightily impressive way for Microsoft to close the show.
Twilight Princess Reveal
The who, when and where - Shigeru Miyamoto, E3 2004, Nintendo's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - The sight of Miyamoto wielding Link's trusty sword and shield not enough for you? Well how about the reception to both the announcement and Miyamoto's appearance - 'wild' doesn't quite do it justice.
Final Fantasy XIV: Sony's Revenge... or Not
The who, when and where - E3 2009, Sony's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - Microsoft's Final Fantasy XIII coup in 2008 was a huge shock at the time. In 2009 it seemed that Sony had gone one better and secured Final Fantasy XIV exclusivity. The crowd's reaction summed it all up nicely. The surprise of the announcement itself, of the date and console exclusivity, the cheers when the words 'Final Fantasy XIV' appear at the end and then... 'Online? What the hell'.
Drunk Hosting
The who, when and where - Jamie Kennedy, E3 2007, Activision's press conference.
Why it's on the list - equal parts cringe-worthy and hilarious, Jamie Kennedy's seemingly-drunken/stoned hosting of Activision's press conference in 2007 couldn't not be on a list like this. It's well worth watching again, even if you've seen it before.
Kojima Shoulder Tap
The who, when and where - Hideo Kojima, E3 2009, Microsoft's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - Kojima almost gave Sony fanboys the world over a heart attack in 2009 when he appeared on stage at the end of Microsoft's press conference. In 2008 Microsoft had managed to secure Final Fantasy XIII, could the pin-up PlayStation 3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4, or perhaps even its sequel end up going multiplatform next? Nope, and it wasn't quite the bombshell that the Final Fantasy announcement was in 2008, but it caused a stir at the time.
Gabe Eats Crow
The who, when and where - Gabe Newell, E3 2010, Sony's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - a very nervous-looking Gabe Newell surprised us all when he made an appearance on the platform during Sony's keynote to announce that both Portal 2 and Steam would be coming to the PlayStation 3. The announcements themselves weren't too surprising, but Gabe's humbling appearance on stage certainly was in light of a number of outspoken comments he'd made about what he saw as the deficiencies of the platform. The conclusion of the trailer, with GLaDOS saying: "I think we can but our differences behind us. For science. You monster", was also a neat touch.
Giant Enemy Crab
The who, when and where - E3 2006, during Sony's keynote press conference.
Why it's on the list - Sony's 2006 E3 press conference was so epically bad it deserves two spots on our list. This one is for the Giant Enemy Crab of Genji: Days of the Blade, a game apparently based on the actual history of Japan (giant enemy crabs and all).
Konami 2010
The who, when and where - everyone, E3 2010, Konami's press conference.
Why it's on the list - Car crash E3 at its finest. The entirety of Konami's 2010 E3 press conference was awful, cringe worthy and embarrassing. But at the same time it was hilarious and awesome, thanks in large part to the good humour of Tak 'One Mirrion Twoops' Fuji, and Naoki 'very, very exercise' Maeda. Here are the highlights.
Honourable mentions: Skittles, the 'Reggienator', and Cammie Dunaway in general.
