It’s officially game over at E3 2018, which means it’s time for us to take stock of the achievements unlocked by the exhibitors at this year’s event. So let’s dive right into it.
Microsoft Has Created A New Studio and Bought Four Others
For a while now Microsoft has been hamstrung by the low number of marquee exclusive games offered on the XBox. They’ve now taken some big steps towards ameliorating that situation.
The Redmond-based company announced at E3 that it is setting up five new studios internally in an effort to create more exclusive titles for the XBox One. Four of those studios will be acquired. The fifth is one, called The Initiative, it’s setting up itself. The studio will be helmed by Darrell Gallagher, who was previously head honcho at Crystal Dynamics, the operation responsible for the Tomb Raider games.
Fortnite Made A Controversial Arrival onto The Nintendo Switch
Here’s the good news: Fornite is now available on the Nintendo Switch. I’m more of a PUBG kinda guy myself but I’m sure that the news has made a lot of people happy.
Here’s what people aren’t happy about. Sony has decided not to allow cross-playing Fornite between the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4. That means no purchases or progress points can be shared among the two devices. You have to create a different account to starting playing the game on the Switch. The players are pissed and continue to express their displeasure with apoplectic Tweets and forum posts.
Is Netflix Getting into Gaming? Not Really, But Sort Of
Yes this one is a little confusing. Netflix and Telltale Games are coming together to bring Minecraft: Story Mode to the video streaming platform. Telltale describes the game as a “playable television show based on your favorite game, where YOU are the star.”
It’s clear from that description that Minecraft: Story Mode isn’t a game game. Netflix has also said that it’s going to appear on the platform in an adapted format. So calm down – this isn’t Netflix’s entrance into the world of gaming.
Stranger Things, Now in A Game
Now we go the other way around. There’s also content going from Netflix to Telltale Games, namely the Stranger Things series. The video game studio is developing a game based on Stranger Things which will launch on computers as well as consoles.
This isn’t the first time Telltale has ported a TV show into the video game world. In 2014 the company created a game based on Game of Thrones. Development on Season 2 of the game stalled last year, but now they have the Stranger Things adaptation to look forward to.
Ubisoft’s New AI Tech Could Help People with Schizophrenia
This is one of the cooler pieces of information to come out of E3 this year. It all starts with Ubisoft’s attempt to improve its facial animation technology using artificial intelligence. They’ve been pretty successful doing so, creating software that can create lip animations in any language at a much lower cost than before.
One of the unintended applications of this technology is in the medical field. TechRadar reports that Ubisoft have been contacted by professionals in the mental health space to use the AI software in the treatment of schizophrenia. There have already been attempts to use virtual avatars to help people who experience hallucinations and anxiety. Ubisoft’s technology could make these avatars more realistic and the treatment more effective as a result.
Nintendo Reveals More on Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee
We’ve known for a while that the next big thing Nintendo has planned for Pokemon are the Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee titles. They came out with a few more details at E3 2018.
Based on the gameplay videos and trailers it looks like the new titles will combine aspects of Pokemon Go with the more classic Pokemon game mechanics. The games will return to the Kanto region, which those who have played the first generation of games will remember as being the geographical centrepiece. Both Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee will launch in November this year.
Prateek Jose is a writer and engineering undergrad from India with an unhealthy obsession for obscure historical trivia. Conversations about absurdist fiction and the technological singularity make his day. He’s already uploading parts of his brain to servers by writing for websites such as this one.
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As fantastic news from E3 as it may be, this is not it. What kicks off this whole endeavor is Ubisoft’s effort to use AI to improve its face animation techniques. They’ve had some success with it, developing software that can do lip animations in any language for a fraction of the previous cost.
Hmm, some of these are quite interesting.
E3 2018 scored special people