Danielle Riendeau, Polygon:

It wouldn’t hurt the publishers to pay more mind to diversity when choosing people to speak at press events. And it would certainly help make E3 a slightly more welcoming place for the rest of the 75 percent or so of people that make up the population. White men are a minority in the world, and video games have an international audience.

My E3 2014 Genre/Gender Breakdown data is still in the works but this makes me think I should include ethnicity as well. View my current data here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GisRY6h100U

Nintendo did not apologize or ignore; they listened. Playful jabs at current conversations (eerily close to the last IGN NVC) and admittance of shortcomings was a nice touch to the digital event. That said, the 46-minute presentation left something to be desired. A blowout of late 2014 Smash Bros. content will not be enough to whet the appetites of naysayers.

Nintendo is wise to focus and build out the Mushroom Kingdom with Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, more Yoshi, and Amiibo. Even wiser to remind audiences where their gaming experiences started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsV4E0JUlsw

Keith Stuart, The Guardian:

Broadcast live over the internet to millions of viewers the world over, the message couldn’t be more clear: last year’s emphasis on the strength of the Xbox One as a multimedia and live TV platform was a mistake. This is a games machine that also does other stuff that no one here really wants to hear about.

At the end of a pummeling 90 minutes of game announcements and confirmations, Spencer took to the stage again and said, “thank you for making your voice heard, thank you for helping us shape the future of the new Xbox.” Basically, it’s what Microsoft has been saying for the last six months – we listened, we changed, now eat this.

The 2014 Microsoft sounded a lot like the 2013 Sony. I would have loved for Microsoft to double-down on their original DRM and Kinect strategy, offering up an entertainment ecosystem that could have set Xbox One outside of the HD Twins comparison. Alas, their indie games showcase offered up impressive tiny titles that could end up system sellers, and that says a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozo1EYAjkNM

Sony has an IP problem. Short of Little Big Planet 3 and Uncharted 4, none of the other titles seemed to grab. While the exclusive experiences are interesting, their application to existing and expected titles feels lackluster. The chunk of time dedicated to the Playstation ecosystem felt like a slow, redundant message from announcements past. Sony needed to display PS4’s ease of development with ready-to-go titles rather than a collection of non-surprises releasing in 2015.

In 2013, Sony promised potential. In 2014, they are having a hard time executing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvraGNfKVY

Austin Wintory, Grammy-nominated composer, on the AFM Videogame Agreement:

This contract created an untenable situation. Composers and musicians have continued to need to earn a living in this industry. Those musicians and composers therefore we’ve been forced to work without union sanction because the union has failed to signed any video game companies to work with them in almost two years.

After having successfully recorded the iOS game HORN with AFM musicians, I attempted to do the same with THE BANNER SAGA. The unusable contract forced me elsewhere, and I soon found the remarkable Dallas Wind Symphony. This collaboration happened as a direct result of the AFM’s unusable contract, and I am now being punished for simply doing my job under those circumstances.

I continue to be deeply moved by Wintory’s Journey OST. It’s a shame to see anyone punished for creating music, especially that as brilliant as Wintory’s.