The Complete Legacy of E3

[@TheJacobG]

I think a lesson learned could be this: Generally, people like the idea of E3 more that E3 itself.

[@WickstarRunner]

Indeed, the problem was that the fans thought (think) it was comic con when it was an industry/networking event.

[@sucky-kun4369]

​@@WickstarRunner⁰

[@sucky-kun4369]

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[@TehPwnographer]

Great to see you channeling your inner Gaming Historian, Jirard! I am all about this kind of content, thanks for the deep dive, I’m sure this was tons of work and it shows!

[@kjwhite24]

Jirard rules!

[@JaydevRaol]

Agree!

[@marioq8395]

I snuck into E3 IN 2000. I remember they had the Metal Gear Solid 2 trailer running on loop at the Sony booth. People were literally sitting in the middle of the aisle just to watch it over and over again,

[@WhyYouWahYoo]

Man… from the outside in E3 was just gaming Christmas. Just tune in around June for cool announcements and hype, and go on with your life. I had no idea there was this much history behind it. I just thought the pandemic killed it, but there was so much more to it than that. Cool video!

[@samwill7259]

With livestreaming the writing was on the wall With the invention of the Nintendo Direct the writing was on the wall in blood Now the writing is on a gravestone.

[@ashharkausar413]

This comment goes hard.

[@V8chump]

I just remember watching every e3 on g4 as a kid, sh*t was magical. It was like a yearly party with all your favorite people that had a name in the industry

[@ChaseMC215]

Wow, 2 things that ended up dying... E3 & G4.

[@Brianycus]

As a historian, watching this video made me appreciate the level of history behind E3 as a convention. As a gamer, man E3 really brought the best out of what the gaming market was like back then. Wish I was older to experience it back in its prime.

[@terryjackson-chubick2506]

It's a bit sad to see E3 leave. There's a certain tangibility when announced at E3 and honestly the yearly conference was always something to look forward to. I'd love to see more retrospective videos like this though.

[@DarkSamus288]

My biggest E3 memory was watching Nintendo's press conference in 2006 and being blown away by the introduction of the Wii. That entire showcase is incredibly nostalgic to me.

[@DanGamingFan2406]

If E3's are truly done for, then I'm really going to miss them especially since I never never got the chance to go to one. But with the big three companies all having their own online presentations now, and many others following suit, is there a point in keeping it around anymore?

[@ianeons9278]

Nice seeing yas again

[@dstinnettmusic]

I think part of the problem is that people saw it as an event to go to. E3 was best as a trade show for media and industry personnel. Having to have this floor show that was accessible to everyone made it…not what E3 was about and not really something developers and console manufacturers even wanted to be responsible for or have to pay for.

[@brayoungful]

E3's primary point for me was to concentrate announcements in a single short period of time that I could consume at my own pace and know that I didn't miss anything, as well as a target date to look forward to and anticipate lots of gaming news. The way it is now, Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo and other developers shadow drop trailers on their KZbin channels... who reading this knows that Nintendo dropped some new games on their channel today? I'm not 13 years old, anymore, and I don't have the time to scroll through every game company's KZbin pages daily, so I miss a lot of stuff that I wouldn't if it were in a big E3 conference. Sure, Nintendo has Directs, and Sony has State of Play, but these aren't regular, and they're announced with such short notice that it leaves nothing to look forward to. We have no guarantee (and some precedent) that companies will show anything in the early summer. I'm looking forward to a lot of games this year, but will there be a big Nintendo or Sony show in May? June? September? November? Nobody knows, and it forces you to kill your hype and anticipation and just become apathetic. If I don't check gaming news for three days, I could miss the Direct announcement and video entirely, and all the surprise will be ruined by everyone talking about everything shown off in the video I missed. The world will change and move on, but I don't think that the void left by E3, and the lack of a big announcement party for the whole industry, is a fun or happy change.

[@batofdestiny]

@@brayoungful Well said!

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

​@@brayoungful Ever since they left though we have been getting more showcases featuring indie and AA games. AAA games already get millions pumped into their advertising, if you miss them then there is just something off with you. Having these smaller showcases allows for a much better diversity of projects to get attention.

[@AbeyantHero]

I missed almost all of this history, but it makes me all the more appreciative for compilations of cool game stories. Hope team Completionist keeps rocking it

[@dennisl9176]

My favorite memory of e3 is definitely from the early 2010s, eagerly scouring KZbin and Reddit for the latest news and footage from E3. I still remember at how blown away everyone was from seeing Last of Us footage for the first time.

[@gordondaniels9308]

This must have been a ton of work for you and your team, but thank you for it. This is a wonderful look back at the ups and downs of what had been a yearly excitement for gamers of a certain age.

[@Garrth415]

I hear a Pat of Loading and Phil The Phucker Daddario reading quotes, this pleases me

[@ANDRESLOPEZ_24]

It was nice meeting you at E3 back in 2017 ♥️ also nice of you using Gran Turismo 4 music in the intro

[@dsimpson530]

Fun fact, at e3 2011 when Nintendo debuted the Wii-U. I was at the show opening (right outside the show floor doors), I ran immediately to the Nintendo booth as soon as they opened the show floor, and got into the Wii-U line. I was told by Nintendo rep's that we too late and the cutoff was right before a few people ahead of me. This was during the time when it was trade only. Literally less than 5 mins after the floor opened. When I heard the public was allowed and many had issues with giant delays to play demos, It reminded me of that experience.

[@memeelfman324]

You know E3 was not an event it’s was a friend, a brother to the gaming industry Without it we wouldn’t be so excited for video game announcements

[@EmeraldReaper]

It's probably gone for good tbh, but the spirit of E3 will live on. So long E3, You will be missed

[@meranus]

I almost got to go to E3 once. A good friend's dad worked for one of the larger news companies and got tickets to things like six flags or major sports games. One year he was going to get tickets for E3 and my brother and I were invited to go along. Sadly this was the year the E3 started downsizing and slashed the number of attendees, so we were not able to go.

[@TokyoOlympics2020]

No mention of G4TV live hosting it on TV? That was the best. Felt like nerd culture had arrived, with KP and OM losing their voices from talking all day

[@hurgcat]

peak 2006 vibes

[@gunpeiyaboi5280]

I really dig this format Jirard, can't wait to see more Complete Legacy videos o7

[@FrankBeingFrank]

This was an amazing piece… you should definitely do more legacy/history videos documentary style… this was on par with the works on the gaming historians channel and as I’m sure you know that’s the highest of compliments when it comes to this genre/subject mixed with a documentary/history/legacy style video!!

[@jinkim0513]

Here's hoping this becomes an actual series. I really enjoyed this historical look at the games industry! You should do the complete history of Ensemble next!!!

[@TheCreepypro]

an excellent video by Jirard and his crew

[@junaidhashim3106]

I got all my kids’ laundry done, dishes done, and was planning to get some quality gaming time in after I put them to bed and after wifey fell asleep watching Succession. But now, that will have to wait 40+ minutes because you released this video.

[@gunfiendaki87]

Great video, whoever wrote “mixed bag” in the script though, that’s some early 2000’s magazine review term, gave me some nostalgia.

[@JohnsCarnivorousPlants]

I absolutely love this kind of presentation. Everyone on the team did a stellar job on this one, this feels like a more modern "Icons" from the old school tech tv days!

[@hayatojin2886]

This is such a good video! Deserves so much more views!. E3 was nerd Christmas, i remember getting excited every year for it, watching Gametrailers website back in the day for coverage etc. Kids these days have no idea how amazing E3 used to be.

[@smashbrolink]

Well done on this one, man! It's sad to see E3 go, but with everything involved in them, from expenses to culture to drama, it was a format that just simply started to show its age sooner rather than later. I think Nintendo saw the downhill slope it was on earlier than most, in hindsight, which resulted in their switch to Directs.

[@CI254]

Even when E3 itself has been gone, I always refer to that June hype window of presentations as E3.

[@davidtheriault1421]

My favorite E3 moment was probably the announcement trailer for Twisted Metal PS3. I screamed and teared up due to excitement. I also love when G4 covered it back in the day

[@BryanPhilippi]

As much as I like having new announcements year-round, I much preferred having a packed few days full of announcements and previews of the latest and greatest! It really was the thing I looked forward to the most each year. Happened to be around my birthday too, so even better ;p I really do hope we might one day go back to something like that, hoping Summer Game Fest becomes a digital version of it.

[@Whopper744]

My favorite moment was probably that Twilight Princess reveal. The music, the crowd, the Miyamoto, etc. I sadly never made it to e3, but thankful that Ubisoft sent me to Gamescom in 2019 to experience something similar. It was seemed like a dream to go to growing up in the 90’s and 2000’s.

[@kennethwehrs8924]

Excellent work Jirard and the whole TVGN crew! I very much enjoyed this new direction for the channel. To be a "completionist" can also include other topics than simply completing games. There is a whole world of content within the industry that can be "completed". Looking forward to more games and more new things!

[@aidenwade3891]

My favorite e3 moment was meeting you in 2019! That was my first and so far only time going, so getting a chance to snag a photo with my favorite gaming KZbinr really made the already special experience all the more memorable.

[@TheInfectiousCadaver]

i always found it easier to let g4 do the coverage at the time when they were decent.

[@DestinyTrioInc]

Dude, more of this. It was SO WELL DONE.

[@GundamGokuTV]

E3 is quite literally why I went to Journalism School. Watching it on G4 those memories of being sunburnt after going to the lake and coming home to catch E3 on G4. That can't be replaced.

[@Keshin4539]

I love that this feels like a Ground Floor level explanation of what E3 was/is. This has so many quotes and thoughts/feelings of E3 as a whole. The Gaming Historian is a good example of overall and concise examples, yet I love the feeling of being there this gives you. Basically, the difference between a documentary and reading an amazing book about the event. I shall let you decide which applies to each. (Ranting on the bottom to come, so ignore if you like) E3 has always been just another way to see games and hear news about the latest gaming tech n such. I think people hold WAY too much to it, just because it was literally the first of its kind. We just need companies (and people) to realize we can build better, but the cutthroat nature of the industry today (which has only gotten worse) leaves that idea of unity and fun trolling (watch the vid if you're unsure of what I mean) can only come back when they realize only good can come from light competition and excited banter.

[@TimberCreates]

I had always dreamed of one day going to E3 but guess it wasn’t meant to be. Still have some good memories of watching the live streams though :)

[@massimodalessandro108]

Seeing the different kinds of videos you guys can put out is super refreshing abd interesting! Loved the way this one was handled and I hope it will perform well too!

[@AniMason-Animation]

Grant Krikhope quote read by Grant himself😂. I love that

[@AniMason-Animation]

Kirkhope

[@richieosborn2639]

I miss E3 as much as you do. Hopefully, a new gaming showcase convention rises from it’s ashes as a new, improved, and all digital version!

[@L33PL4Y]

I don't remember which year, but somewhere between 2005 and 2008 was the first time it was believed that E3 was dead and would be no more. I'm surprised you didn't talk about that at all.

[@juankaos20]

Great video Jared, I had been following e3 steps since I was a kid on the 90s and E3 will still remain in our hearts for a long long time, thanks for documenting this on this video is really great and a great point of memory for the future when we the kids from the 90s grow more older!

[@JustTommyBoy]

I know that this kind of video isn't what you're known for, and that doing something like this probably takes significantly more research than a typical Completionist video, but I would LOVE to see more of this from you Jirard. Even if just once a month on a separate channel

[@johncarolina4950]

I was born in 89, and grew up subscribing to EGM, GamePro and Next Gen magazine. The idea of going to E3 was a dream for my childhood mind. Sucks that the culture turned for good before we were all able to go.

[@Kormitt]

Great video! Another chapter of our childhoods coming to a close, but it's definitely not where this story will end.

[@thattagen]

I love that you got Grant Kirkhope to read his own quote. The wii and 3ds reveals were some of my favorite E3 moments. There was so much mystery surrounding the "Revolution" that I hung on to every little detail.

[@bananabike279]

Such a fascinating story! I had no idea E3 had such humble beginnings but also faced many problems throughout the years... You make an excellent historian, please do more types of these videos!

[@worldpopcoin]

I (Michael) went to E3 in 2008 and it was a barren wasteland. You could play any game, it was small, went to some private rooms and you saw people like Cliffy B but it was mostly press. It was after the booth babes but before the tried to go back to the bigger crowds.

[@Wsouther]

The Death's Door music while talking about the past few years of E3 is very apt.

[@thecynicalone6391]

The Electronic Entertainment Expo has been around for most of my life...its a real shame I never got to visit one.

[@PSN_MrDeath91]

This is why you’re the greatest. Please keep going with the big production and nostalgia

[@amydevonshire4652]

That moon over the castle in the background at the beginning was awesome

[@FATE522]

It would be really cool to have deep dives with the consoles of gaming now that E3 was beautifully tributed to from the team of The Completionist. Your love for gaming really shows.

[@oofta.gaming]

Great work as always Jirard!

[@xReflamed]

I love how you could watch E3 at home. Not living in the US, you're always missing out on events like this. But I did really enjoy watching the announcement online. What I do miss is that with E3, I'd also watch what other developers are doing. I'm currently only watching Nintendo's Directs and I'm pretty out of the loop what the other consoles are doing.

[@jimpowell889]

This is awesome. Please do videos like this every once in a while. I follow a couple channels that do game history and I really enjoy it. Love the normal content and this type of content adds to it.

[@midimaggie]

i'll never forget e3 2016, my last days of high school, and nintendo deciding to throw caution to the wind and appearing at e3 with a single game that stole the show. truly one of the expo's last hurrahs. great video, completion man

[@zachcarmichael699]

Internet streaming killed it. No reason for companies to pay venue and travel costs when they can just have their own presentations online.

[@DavidHilton80]

Really well done Jirard. As an older gamer I was able to see the history of E3 through magazines and eventually the web and live streams. I think once live streaming became a more common practice, it was obvious that E3 wasn’t long for this world…I think Coronavirus just sped up the process.

[@RaReVapory]

Great video. E3 was amazing as a kid the announcements where what gave the fanboys the fuel we needed to get threw the year and the shots the big companies would take at each other made it all a magic place

[@KaiweraGaming]

Great video again, Jirard! I love to see you making videos on more of the gaming industry as a whole.

[@smashpro1]

Of course there are E3 moments that will always live on in my memories: the Twilight Princess reveal, Smash Ultimate's "everyone is here", but my favorite was probably in 2013, with Microsoft digging the Xbox One's grave, and then Sony twisting the knife and dropping the mic.

[@francisduarte8120]

17:40 Does Starfox Adventures and the pkmn games on the gamecube sound like games that are stuck in an antique console? It’s been 20 years for most of them 🥲

[@SL4PSH0CK]

Was worried this would happen, seeing COVID, I bet companies were gauging those moments with how convenient it would be to stream the event at your liking

[@No1Amo]

E3 will always be my Nr1 mythical go-to gaming event. I’ve attended Tokyo Game Show before, but never managed to attended E3. Growing up, E3 have always stood out to me with its marketing campaigns, attracting the public with promises of future gaming - being one of the first of its kind. A great memory of mine was actually the Nintendo E3 Digital Event 2014, when Reggie was fighting Iwata 😂

[@definer0]

Grant Kirkhope reading his own quote, what a legend

[@jimmyjames_58]

Man, do I miss E3. For me, it was an event. I would take time off of work to be able to see my favorite presentations live. Make sure every in the house knew to leave me alone. Order food. Oh it was so fun.

[@CrossOutBryce]

As someone who started following E3 in 2009, i had no idea about the masive downscaling in 2006-2008. It was always huge as far back as I can remember

[@zidarose]

Always wanted to go once I started my career as a gaming journalist, but never found the time. Still, love learning more about the history of things like this.

[@paulwitrock8411]

Love the format of these types of videos! Hope to see more of them!

[@TheKayasto]

E3 will live fondly in my heart. I got to grow up in a very weird transitional period for media. I was subscribed to Nintendo Power from 6th grade (2006) all the way till it ended. I got to read E3 coverage in Nintendo Power and always looked forward to that month's issue! I got to watch E3 coverage on G4! I even recorded some of it onto VHS because I knew I wouldn't be home for it and my parents didnt want to use up some of their Tivo memory on it lmfao. The internet was already pretty big by then, but I didn't quite have regular access at the time. so g4 and nintendo power were the way to go for me. every now and again I'd pick up a game informer or PC mag if they had E3 coverage in the same month's issues. I'd take the mags to school and me and my friends would all take turns reading about our favorite parts and discussing what games we were most hyped for at lunch. Good times.

[@revenile]

In some way. I feel that e3 no longer being needed is actually the ultimate compliment for it. If we think about it, e3 was made to show the games and get the audience, something the other tech shows didn't do because they didn't take games seriously. I'd say e3 did exactly what it set out to do, as just 23-ish years later the audience is so big and people take gaming seriously now as a medium that e3 itself is actually too small for it. They succeeded, and unfortunately for them that means they aren't needed anymore, but the ESA should take some pride in that, because really, while many miss e3 (I do to some extent), it did help gaming become what it is today, and while there are many issues in the industry today, which can be debated about ad nauseum, I might not be as big as it is today without e3. So hats off to ya e3, if you are dead for good, you have my respect for what you did for the industry.

[@dragonquest858]

And with this video I have completed my mission I started 10 months ago of watching every single video on this channel. ❤ What a ride. Keep em coming. Ps. I miss the spoilers section.

[@BlakeTheNerd]

It was a great meeting you at E3 2017. Those were truly my favorite moments, meeting the people in the industry I was friends with or looked up to. And meeting new faces on the floor or even at the VIP are of Bandai Namco’s booth 😊

[@LombaxOttsel]

Watching E3 every summer was really something I always looked forward to. I remember being on a cruise ship during E3 2013 when Kingdom Hearts 3 got announced and losing my shit. I always wanted to go. Nowadays, I’ve attended Game Developers Conference two times as I am entering the industry, but that has given me the fulfillment I wanted attending E3 to have

[@gamblerizzo7468]

I just cracked my knuckles irl. So ready for this. Loving all the new content and the hard work from everyone in the office ❤

[@metalagent47]

Loving this new 'Completionist Arc' The 'Complete Historical Archivalist"

[@anthonycousineau5205]

I dreamed to showcase one my own game on a E3 floor one day. It was a dream I have when I studied in video game design. A year back I got my dream job and start working in the gaming industry. But now I feel like this dream will never come true. Let's hope E3 and game showcase will evolve and comeback to a in person showcase in the future.

[@Novagats]

I absolutely love what you’ve been doing to preserve gaming history as of late. This is a great overview of a staple of gaming culture.

[@mateogarciaguerra9536]

This video was simply terrific. Am I the only one who is going crazy for that shirt? THE DDR ARROWS LOOK SICK!

[@ilanf2]

My biggest highlight I can remember about E3 was Nintendo's press conferecne where they announce the very first time the launch games for the Wii. That conference won them extremely hard that year.

[@Ezim]

I think what I'm going to miss most are those big press conference moments. Stuff like the PS4 price announcement or Keanu Reeves appearing on stage. I don't blame the publishers or exhibitors to be honest. It's way easier to create a reveal slate to be shared directly to consumers than it is having to manage how much of a mess E3 had become.

[@Matt-kw6nx]

There were many great moments. But even though I wasn't there in person, my favorite moment has to be the announcement of the Final Fantasy VII Remake. After so many years of them saying NO I had completely given up hope. Than that trailer hit an seeing soooo many people feeling the same way i felt was triumphant

[@JLunaarS]

Yo - excellent video. Clear and concise. There are plenty of "greatest/cringiest E3 moments" videos out there. Really happy to see you tackle a subject like this with the class it deserves. CRISPY!

[@Nevarez23]

Based on past nostalgia, it's sad to see it go. But besides that, it outlived its relevancy and usefulness.

[@pmgmsd]

Well done. I appreciate that it came across as a very impartial look at the history, not favoring any one perspective.

[@meganpayette5996]

I love how the reason we have E3 in the first place all boils down to "I'll start my own electronic trade show with game consoles and software!" or something like that.

[@Eshkebuk]

This was far more interesting than I thought it would be. Very well done, what a treat. Thank you

[@CalvinCrack]

I got to go in 2018 and it was a highly memorable fun experience. But the lines were out of control. You had to pick and choose a few things you’d wait for, and other than that it was mostly about walking around looking at stuff and taking pictures. Glad I got to go before it ended though, as it was always a dream of mine!

[@geminimaxxim]

What an excellent mini-doc. And shoutouts to Grant for reading his own quote lmao

[@moka8601]

Well now that E3 has been officialy cancelled this video will be permanently Accurate

[@homerman76]

I think there will always be a need for E3, even if major companies don't participate through premiers. It's much like Comic Con where it is a good way for gamers to gather, meet each other, meet their idols, and just share their passion in general.

[@trapez77]

Even though I was always disappointed, e3 was my favorite time of the year

[@Leron...]

Great video. Really enjoyed that you went the extra mile to get some of the quote narration recorded by the actual person who said the quote!

[@jeremymares8806]

Ears really pricked up during Part 5 when Yakuza 4's For Faith came on! Beautiful documentary :)

[@Marc_Araujo]

Quake III: Arena/Team Arena still endures as one of the greatest arena shooters of all-time. I remember the first time playing it, not being convinced that a multiplayer-only game would be good, and boy was I wrong...I still miss GameSpy.

[@KaeMcSpadden]

It was always so fun and exciting to see what games are going to come out.