Key highlights of E3 trade show

Image courtesy of Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Competition rages for games market

The vicious competition between Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One was the defining theme of the show. While this console war is only just beginning, the first battle might have been won by PlayStation 4, according to IGN Entertainment, a leading online media and services company with a focus on gaming technology. The company states that early data for console pre-orders from major online retailers in the US, show consumers pre-ordered approximately three PlayStation 4 units for every two Xbox One consoles during the period between Monday 10 June to Wednesday 12 June.

The gaming industry came alive at this year's show and all the excitement and anticipation was sufficiently satisfied. This was the first time that new consoles were released during the same time from competing manufacturers. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were completely revealed after months of speculation and this was the key highlight of the convention.

After E3, Microsoft also announced one of the biggest turnarounds in gaming history. It confirmed that an internet connection is no longer required to play offline games and the console will support the used game market, to be in line and compete directly with Sony's PlayStation 4. This nullified many of the perceived differentiators between the two consoles, although Microsoft's Xbox One boasts arguably a more impressive stable of exclusive games.

The PlayStation 4 is retailing for $100 less than the Xbox One and this price might be the game-changer in this battler. The motion sensing input devices on both consoles could prove to be another decisive differentiator. It should be noted that the Xbox One will include the revolutionary Kinect 2 sensor, whereas the PlayStation 4's eye, will need to be purchased separately, which may reduce the perceived value offering on the PlayStation 4.

South African launch dates

PlayStation 4 is set to be released in South Africa at the end of this year while Xbox One will only hit our shores in 2014. The consoles retail around $399 and $499, approximately R5500 and R6999, depending on the exchange rate at the time of their release. Since there will not be competing launch dates, PlayStation 4 is assured to be a top-seller this festive season.

The long wait for the next generation of consoles coupled with the decline in PlayStation 2, has slightly slowed down the growth of the South Africa gaming market, which finished just over R1.65 billion at the end of 2012, compared to R1.7 billion at the end of 2011. The new consoles and new games released at this year's E3 will spur renewed growth in the market.

New games

This year's convention saw a significant number of new games being released. Nintendo, another gaming heavyweight, opted out of a traditional press conference this year and instead focused on presenting new gaming titles. In fact, it showed the lay of the land for the Wii U and the 3DS coming this year, with releases such as Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, a new Super Smash Bros, Pikmin 3 and a new Donkey Kong.

Furthermore, PC gaming took another step forward with eye-catching graphics, slick hardware and inventive new titles revealed.

Apart from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the most exciting aspect was the amount of games shown. Gamers can look forward to some massive new titles, which were released at the show. This year's convention set the stage for exciting developments in the gaming industry.