E3 has played host to plenty of iconic announcements; it’s where we first got details about consoles like the Nintendo DS and the PS3. It’s also had its fair share of stumbles and awkwardness. As such, we’ve rounded up the most memorable E3 moments.
1. Reggie Introduces Himself to the World
Reggie Fils-Aimé served as the chief operating officer of Nintendo of America from 2006 to 2019. He hosted many E3 conferences for Nintendo, with delightful charm and passion. His first was in 2004, where he introduced the Nintendo DS to the world—and we all know the smash hit that hardware became.
While Reggie had many iconic lines over the years (“my body is ready,” he said, stepping upon the Wii Fit board), perhaps none are more memorable than his opening words in 2004: “My name is Reggie, I’m about kicking ass, I’m about taking names, and we’re about making games.”
2. Nathan Drake Refuses to Move
Uncharted 4 is one of the best PS4 exclusives. But when developer Naughty Dog decided to demo the game during E3 2015, it wasn’t all rosy. The footage started well, showing our intrepid explorers Nate and Sully as they open a door onto a market. Except, when it came time for Nate to move, he didn’t.
It turned out to be a controller mishap. Naughty Dog restarted the demo, and anticipation built. It came time for Nate to follow Sully… and he did! The crowd exploded in applause.
Now the moment lives forever as an achievement in the game. Stand still for 30 seconds in the same spot and you’ll earn the Stage Fright trophy.
3. Sony Reveals the Cost of the PS3
Sony had absolutely dominated the console market with the PS2. It’s one of the best-selling consoles of all time. Understandably, news of its successor was hotly anticipated at E3 2006. But when Sony chairman Kaz Hirai took to the stage, no-one was ready for his announcement that the PS3 would cost $599.
Consider that the more expensive model of the PS5 costs $499, which launched 15 years after the PS3, and you might understand why the room fell silent back in 2006. It was especially shocking because Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was retailing at $299 and $399 for the Core and Pro models, respectively.
4. Kinect’s Awkward First Demonstration
Kinect is a motion sensor device that was first shown at E3 2009 for the Xbox 360, with the code name Project Natal. Many lofty claims were made about the Kinect, but the most memorable comes from during Microsoft’s stage show, where the presenter was demonstrating the Kinect’s motion tracking.
“You ever wonder what the bottom of an avatar’s shoe looks like?” he asked, raising his foot. “Wabam! There it is!” Except his on-screen avatar seemed like it was possessed by a demon, to much amusement from the crowd.
5. Gabe Newell Appears on the Sony Stage
Gabe Newell, president of Valve, once called the PS3 “a waste of time”. Which is why it was so surprising to see him walk on Sony’s stage during E3 2010 to announce that Portal 2 was coming to the PS3, along with Steam features such as cloud saves and automatic updates.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Sony for their gracious hospitality,” said Newell. “And for everyone at Sony for not repeatedly punching me in the face.”
6. Shigeru Miyamoto Makes Someone Cry
At E3 2017, Nintendo veteran Shigeru Miyamoto made someone in the crowd cry. That someone was Davide Soliani. Miyamoto was on the Ubisoft stage to talk about Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, a collaboration between the two studios, and creative director Soliani was so overwhelmed with happiness that his hero was discussing his game that he shed tears.
7. PS4 Supports Used Games
In hindsight, it might not seem a big deal that, at E3 2013, Sony announced that you could lend your disc-based games to your friends and that you wouldn’t need to be connected online to play them either. Isn’t that standard?
But the constant rounds of applause you can hear from the audience show that this was significant. That’s because Microsoft had previously announced the incredibly anti-consumer move that the Xbox One would use DRM to tie games to a console. It’s no surprise the company later backtracked after Sony’s knock-out blow.
8. Keanu Reeves Hypes Cyberpunk 2077
While it’s an understatement to say that Cyberpunk 2077 had a rocky release, the pre-release hype was immense. It’s encapsulated perfectly by Keanu Reeves’ arrival on the E3 2019 stage, to thunderous applause.
Many celebrities have not gone down well at E3. Keanu Reeves is that perfect Venn diagram crossover of fame, internet meme, and charm. He had the audience in the palm of his hand.
9. A Live Wii Music Performance
The Nintendo Wii is a wonderful console and incredibly innovative (unlike the failure of the Wii U). It’s fair to say it changed the state of gaming. But the Wii was also divisive because some saw it as Nintendo turning “casual” and not appealing to the “hardcore” gamers.
That concern is probably best summed up in Nintendo’s 2008 E3 presentation, in which Miyamoto led a stilted and embarrassing musical performance on Wii Music, complete with awkward Wiimote instrument playing and the crowd’s stunned silence.
10. Mr. Caffeine’s Jokes Fall Flat
Ubisoft has never been afraid to get its weird on, and that’s perfectly demonstrated during the company’s 2011 E3 presentation. It was led by the self-named Mr. Caffeine, whose quirky behavior led to much internet amusement.
Whether it was his mispronunciation of “Tom Clancy”, or his interpretation of what going back in time would sound like, Mr. Caffeine went down in E3 history books as one of the most unintentionally funny presenters.
Is E3 Gone for Good?
E3 has struggled to stay relevant. Many developers and publishers opt to produce their own events, ensuring the eyes remain firmly on their news. In 2022, E3 announced the conference wouldn’t take place, not even digitally. Perhaps the final nail in the coffin for the event? Whatever the case, we can look back fondly on these glorious gaming moments.
