It’s once again that time of year, when the unrelenting video game hype machine meets the unpredictable nature of live presentations. Yes, it’s E3 time, and it’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be a different type of awesome, though, as this year’s show’s an all-digital event (6/12-6/15) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
On paper, the Electronic Entertainment Expo shouldn’t be radically different than any other convention. Like CES, from which it was birthed, E3 is all about hot products and the media’s hot takes regarding those products. That said, E3’s hype carries a wildness that few conventions can match. It’s only at E3 that you can see upcoming video games that will carry the industry into the future, C-list celebrities going bonkers, and A-list celebs reading scripted lines with Ben Stein’s passion. E3’s a big ol’ mess, and media and gamers love it, warts and all.
Since its 1995 debut, E3 has featured a ridiculous number of shocking, surprising, and outright baffling moments, ranging from unexpected hardware announcements to presenters wonderfully crashing and burning on a world stage. Those spectacles, and other moments, endure as some of the greatest moments in the show’s history.
Our countdown of the most memorable moments at E3 features horrible hosts, shocking product announcements, and a high-ranking company man who made one of the most impressive introductions to date. Without a truly memorable moment, well, it just isn’t E3.
Don’t forget to chime in with unforgettable moments of your own in the comment section below, and check out our dedicated E3 page.
1. Sega Shocks the Gamingverse (1995)
To fully appreciate this moment, you must understand the gaming climate in 1995, the year E3 was first held. As the sun set on the 16-bit era that was dominated by the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, western gamers eagerly awaited the arrival of the 32-bit machines that were just catching on in Japan.
SEGA of America president Tom Kalinske announced in early 1995 that the company’s new console, the Sega Saturn, would hit stores in the fall, but when E3 rolled around, the wily boss admitted that he served us all and that the machine would be immediately available. SEGA stocked Babbage, Electronics Boutique, Toys “R” Us, and Software Etc. shelves with new, $399 Sega Saturn machines and a handful of games that nerds nationwide could purchase right away. But that wasn’t the only E3 console shocker.
2. Sony Ruins Sega’s Plans (1995)
Sega’s “in store now” Saturn ploy would’ve stolen the show, but Sony struck back with the price of its PlayStation: $299. When Sony announced that its upcoming home video game console would be a full $100 cheaper than the Sega Saturn, and be the home to Ridge Racer, Tekken, and Wipeout, it was game, set, match. Sony won E3 1995.
3. Reggie Fils-Aime’s Epic Intro (2004)
Nintendo is known as a squeaky clean, family-friendly company, so when Reggie Fils-Aime (the then-EVP of sales) came on stage and boldly stated that he was THE MAN, it was more than a bit unusual.
It’s not every day that a Nintendo representative takes the stage and states: “My name is Reggie. I’m about kicking ass, I’m about taking names, and we’re about making games.” In fact, it happened just once, at E3 2004, making it one of the most memorable show moments ever.
4. Jamie Kennedy Flops (2007)
Activision recruited comedian Jamie Kennedy to host its E3 2007 presentation, which resulted in one of the most embarrassing (yet memorable) moments in the show’s history. Kennedy seemed…out of it (to say the least), and proceeded to confuse the crowd with horrible interviews, ho-hum insults, and even worse jokes. But that wasn’t the most memorably bizarre moment in E3 history.
5. Konami’s Bonkers Press Conference (2010)
Oh, boy. Where to begin? Konami reigns supreme as the company that threw the most bizarre E3 presser in the show’s history. There was a dreadlocked producer whose comedic attempts absolutely tanked, a luchador scuffle, a pair of psycho eyes, a man who lost his head, and other oddities. Watch the video. Please.
6. AT&T Becomes the Butt of an Unintentional Joke (2011)
E3 2011 saw Sony release many details about what would be its upcoming PlayStation Vita portable gaming system—including the 3G provider. When Kaz Harai, Sony’s chairman and co-CEO, announced that the exclusive North American provider would be AT&T—the network that many smartphone users recognized as one that coughs and sputters when heavy data is in use—the journalists in attendance let loose laughs and sighs. They knew how the iPhone and other data-enabled handsets fared on AT&T, and what was in store for the PS Vita’s wireless connection.
7. Sony’s Xbox One Diss (2013)
To understand the significance of this moment, we must first look back to the weeks leading up to E3 2013. Microsoft had just unveiled its then-upcoming Xbox One console and revealed that the console would implement digital rights management (DRM), which would limit sharing and have an always-online requirement. Gamers revolted, and Microsoft and its Xbox One went into E3 as the biggest heel in the history of the video game industry. Meanwhile, industry experts and gamers speculated as to whether Sony would do the same.
Sony addressed the situation with a simple, but hilarious, 21-second video, and exited E3 as the video game industry’s savior. Microsoft would go onto to remove the DRM and always-online requirement shortly afterward.
8. Sony Causes Worldwide Fangasms (2015)
Sony’s 2015 press conference will be remembered for one thing, and one thing only: its fanboy-centric reveals. The presentation nearly broke the internet by revealing that Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Last Guardian, and Shenmue III—long-awaited titles that many gamers never thought would see the light of day—were on the way. They were all released, with Final Fantasy VII Remake somehow surpassing expectations.
9. Keanu’s in the Game, Keanu’s on the Stage (2019)
Cyberpunk 2077Cyberpunk 2077 had one of the worst launches in video game history, but the build up to its release was awesome. The high point? E3 2019, when developer CD Projekt Red revealed that Keanu Reeves, the Bram Stoker’s Dracula star, would appear in-game as Johnny Silverhand, a rock-and-roll terrorist. Even better, Reeves took the stage to add even more hype to an already hype reveal by telling everyone watching that they’re breathtaking.
