I found both Nintendo and Sonys conferences to be, for the most part, disappointing. While Nintendo started strong out the gate with a waggle catastrophe for the ages, the remainder of the show was uncharacteristically corn free. Reggies snaggle tooth was amusing, as was that completely tone deaf 3DS add. Bowser charring off Reggies screaming face was probably a few notes more unsettling than was intended. Overall C-
Sony's show was also for the most part kitsch free. I was really looking forward to an hour long glowing dildo minstrel-show disaster but not one of the presentations came off as over-the-top. The best Sony had to offer came at the very end when that horribly dated Twisted Metal clown was wheeled on stage for no reason, and Jaffe flapped his gums for 5 hours. Overall C
Microsofts show was a much better example of what I hoped every conference would put on the table. Nearly every segment offered something either desperately image conscious and/or awkward for the viewer. At one moment full on dude-bro and the next fabulously metro, I loved everything about the MS conference. The emphasis on GIF-generating spectacle over actual game footage was inspiring to watch. Overall A-
EA conference. The Sundance of videogame conferences? Couldn't tell you, but I can't remember even one act of misguided exhibitionism. Yawn. Overall D+
Finally the Ubisoft conference. If you missed any of E3s major conferences THIS IS THE ONE TO SEE. Watch Joel McHale enter the heart of darkness as New Age flim-flam and Corporate-Sponsored Anarchy makes everything you knew about game design more radical. Half-way through the conference McHale loses it and begins lashing out at the presenters with insults. The cherry on the sunday is the "remember Michael Jackson?!?!" closer. Overall A+