So, Sony Tried Something New for Fans
E3: a realm of technology, games, and hype moments, which was contrasted this year by the intimate setup of Sony’s press conference. This time around, Sony America’s CEO, Shawn Layden, expressed a desire to focus on a few PS4 exclusives in development. As such, he led the E3 crowd in an exodus across various stages built to blend with their games. While this offered quite the showcase for those in attendance, it didn’t translate well for spectators across the globe. The goal, it seems, was to be different.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Worldwide Studios’ Michael Denny stated that E3 2018’s presser was a direct response to previous showcases. What he deems “Shallow” required a different touch, and so he made the claim: “At PlayStation, we do like to do things different, push some boundaries here and there. This time, we did want it to have a focus on the big four exclusive titles and go in-depth more on those games.”
Sony’s themes during the event, apparently, were about environing attendees in the worlds of their games. The showcase presented everything developers wanted fans to see, in a manner they felt gave the best experience. “In the past, I think these press conferences can be a bit shallow, just going from one [game] to another then another,” said Denny. “And we were trying to give it more of a community with the themed element, particularly with The Last of Us 2 and then following into the themed areas.”
In the end, Sony brought a presentation without coating or lip service. As Denny states, “It was a different approach. It was about letting the games speak for themselves.” The move did demonstrate the company’s willingness to try new things; that being the case, it didn’t play out as well for those who weren’t in attendance. Perhaps, Sony will learn from the response and adapt accordingly. We won’t know until the next E3 2019, which could arrive before we know it.
SOURCE: GamesIndustry.biz