Congratulations Nintendo, you kind of won E3! Of course, E3 isn't really a competition, it's a chance for publishers to show off their upcoming plans and projects to us, the fans. Though it wasn't a physical event this year, Microsoft, Bethesda, Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo and more all turned up with teasers, trailers, and updates on franchises we know and love.
However, if E3 was a competition, it would be safe to say that Nintendo won. And we're not just talking about the size of the reveals or the number of games shown, we're talking about cold hard facts. Nintendo's showcase had the highest peak viewers of any of the conferences. But Microsoft's E3 showcase of 2021 had the biggest audience for Xbox games ever, so they undoubtedly performed well too.
One of the most surprising, but intriguing reveals of the Xbox and Bethesda showcase was the new multiplayer vampire hunting game, Redfall. Here is the trailer...
According to Stream Hatchet, the top five conferences were in this order:
- Nintendo: 3.1 million
- Xbox & Bethesda: 2.3 million
- Ubisoft: 1.4 million
- Square Enix: 1.3 million
- Devolver Digital: 1.1 million
These results were calculated over both Twitch and YouTube Gaming livestreams. It's not a shock that Nintendo and Xbox hit these huge numbers of viewers - they're two of the biggest developers and publishers in the world after all, but it's a nice moment of community and excitement we have each year.
Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox tweeted out his thanks to Microsoft's fans and Xbox lovers on June 17, saying it was the largest the publisher had ever had. "Thank you for a great week, our most viewed E3 ever. We haven't felt players and the team sharing so much energy and excitement since the 360 era. We're inspired by the community's belief in Xbox and we will continue to innovate with players at the center of everything we do."
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But perhaps these celebrations are a little hollow as Microsoft and Nintendo's biggest competitor, PlayStation, didn't turn up. PlayStation hasn't been at an E3 in years now as it continues to forge its own paths and showcases when it deems appropriate. Rumour has it that we're going to be hearing more from Sony and its developers soon, but we're still waiting to hear when we'll see the next State of Play.
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo / ESA / XboxTopics: News
