3) Bethesda
Instead of returning to the place where Oscar history is made, Bethesda decided to take its E3 2016 show on the road. The result was a large scale affair that took place inside of two hangar-like buildings located a twenty to thirty minute Lyft ride outside of downtown LA. But, while it was a bit of a trek to get to, the movie studio’s location worked perfectly for what the company had to show off.
We were told to arrive by 5:45pm and ended up getting there just before then, after checking into our hotel and relaxing for just a few minutes after the mess that was EA’s presser. And, by then, there were already two large lines — one for those who hoped to get in via standby — and a much longer one for those of us who’d pre-confirmed and had our barcodes to prove it. In fact, the longer of the two lines was so big that it stretched for more than a block and then turned to head down another one.
However, while the wait was long and the line was boring, good organization led to us being able to get in and secure our two confirmed seats without much hassle. Sure, we waited an hour or more, but it was what it was and that’s just part of E3. The expo’s name is simply synonymous with the term “long line.”
Although it likely looked big on TV and via the Internet, the LA Hangar’s seating arrangement wasn’t all that epic in person. It felt quaint, but that made for a more intimate experience, and the fact that candy corn and bottled water were placed in each cupholder was a nice touch.
As someone who used to watch X-Play from time to time, it was nice to see Adam and Morgan reunited again, and it was a relief to discover that no cheesy skits or jokes were planned. After all, those were the worst parts of X-Play, and the main reason as to why I didn’t always enjoy watching it.
That said, Adam and Morgan were just responsible for the pre-show, and did a good job with that before exiting the stage and waiting to livestream later on. Once the show began, it was all business and all Bethesda, who opted to start with a multiplayer Quake game that was met with mixed reactions. Those of us who hoped for a full reboot cheered when the logo first appeared, then tempered our applause when it was revealed that the game would be a PC-exclusive, online-only shooter.
That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with multiplayer-only games. They’re just not exactly my genre of choice, and I know I’m not alone in that respect.
The rest of the show was solid, but unspectacular. Bethesda presented with class and respect for its audience, but didn’t show off enough in the way of new titles or surprises and left me feeling a bit ho-hum overall. That said, I’m very excited about the idea of a Fallout 4 expansion set in an amusement park, and seeing how great Skyrim‘s remaster looks blew me away.
It was the after party that really cemented Bethesda’s memorability, though, because after its merely decent press conference ended, we were all ushered outside to a neighbouring hangar, where food (gigantic turkey legs befitting the world of Skyrim) and drinks awaited us.
Granted, the real draw of the first part of this after party weren’t the noted free food and drinks. Instead, it was the opportunity to demo certain games from Bethesda’s E3 line-up, including Bethesda VR and the company’s new card game. We lined up, but weren’t able to go hands-on as the lineups were simply too large. This was mostly to do with how people from the first twenty to thirty rows were able to exit the show a lot faster than those of us up in the bleachers.
I know Shaan waited quite some time for a VR slot to open up, but was eventually told that there’d be no way he’d get to test it out because there were simply too many others in front of him. And he rushed to that station as soon as he possibly could.
Though we weren’t able to go hands-on because of the crowds, plus our particular seating arrangement, we still had a great time at Bethesda’s after party. It was nice to catch up with old friends, relax after a long day and, most of all, see Blink 182 take the stage.
Just days before the event was to take place, it was leaked that the once incredibly popular punk rockers would begin their comeback tour at Bethesda’s event, forcing the company into a full reveal. At least, that’s how I read the situation. Either way, it was an appreciated gesture as I grew up listening to them and had a hell of a lot of fun seeing them in person.