As E3 2016 draws to a close we take the time to review the best
products of the show. Video game fans agree that E3 2016 is one of the best shows in E3 history. Each day there was a new
megaton surprise. The event floor was packed with amazing new games, exciting new hardware and tons of cool gadgets. With
so many strong contenders this year it was extremely difficult for us to choose just one winner from each category. Here is
our review of E3 2016. These games and products are the best of the best, and at the end of this article you will
find out who really won E3 2016.
Best Game By Platform: Consoles
Editor's Note: To
be considered for an award a game must have a playable demo, extensive gameplay footage, or a demo that is played by a presenter
during a private demo or an on stage event. Teaser trailers do not qualify.
In a year when virtual reality gaming literally dominated
the show floor at E3 2016 one product in particular stood out above the rest. PlayStation VR (PSVR) is truly an amazing product
for several reasons. While other more expensive VR PC gaming headsets have garnered much of the attention from the press and
the gaming community, PSVR presents a more affordable option for the average consumer. Simply put, PSVR is console gaming
VR gaming done right and at a consumer friendly level. It's easy to use, intuitive, and set up will be a breeze. Most importantly
it will have a large roster of games available at launch, and more to follow in the coming months and years. We're certain
PSVR will be a big seller this holiday season. With over 40 million PS4 owners in the world PSVR already has a massive potential
consumer base. Things are certinaly looking bright for the future of console gaming VR.
Best Retro Gaming Product:
8Bitdo Retro Receiver NES Bluetooth Controller
Adapter
8Bitdo is a small company with a very unusual name. They came
out of nowhere last year and won the best retro gaming product of the show. This year they return to the number one spot again
with an incredible new bluetooth Nintendo 64 controller. This amazing product was the biggest surprise of the show. Retro
gaming has become a booming cottage industry. The growth of this industry sub market has spurred a major increase in the development
of new and innovative retro gaming products. The 8bitdo N64 controller is a quality product built by a team of experts who
really know their stuff. Their previous NES and SNES styled bluetooth controllers have been a huge hit with retro gaming fans
everywhere. The company has also recently released a product called the Retro Receiver, which allows gamers to use modern
bluetooth controllers on their classic NES hardware. Let's hope they have a similar adapter in development for the N64 to
go with this amazing new controller. It's truly a solid product and a must have for any serious N64 fan.
Best Gaming Hardware:
Microsoft Xbox One S
The Xbox One S is such a drastic revision of the original Xbox
One hardware that it almost feels like a stealth re-launch of the product. This beautifully designed system is 40% smaller
than the previous console. It also features an internal power supply which eliminates the annoying power brick found on other
consoles. It comes with a new controller that is both lighter and slimmer than the original Xbox One controller. It also has
textured grips, increased range and a new bluetooth capablilities. Gamers will also be delighted to hear that the internal
hard drive on the Xbox One S is a full 2 terabytes. The system supports 4K video with full HDR (high dynamic range) video
capabilities. This means your games and videos will look better than ever. There is even a rumored bump in hardware power.
The system no longer supports the Kinect camera, so therefore the resources that were dedicated to that device can now be
used for other, more important functions. The Xbox One S is certain to be a big hit when it launches in August. We're also
certain it will be a hot item this Holiday Season.
Best of Show: Runner Up:
Once again Microsoft showed they are seriously committed to the
gaming industry. The company made a massive investment in the console end of their business by announcing not one, but two
new video game consoles. The Xbox One S, which launches in August, and the new Xbox One: Project Scorpio, which will arrive
in late 2017. Project Scorpio will be an upgrade to the current Xbox One console. It will also be the most powerful gaming
console ever made. However, despite launching this impressive new system, Microsoft isn't leaving anyone behind. All new and
old Xbox One games will work with every Xbox console. No one gets left out of the fun. Microsoft has literally made a billion
dollar investment in the future of the Xbox One brand.
The company also made great strides into the PC market. Microsoft
announced that all of it's major titles will be available on both Xbox One and PC. Gamers on both platforms will be able to
compete and play together in one massive online gaming community. This is a very bold move on the part of Microsoft. They
have just created the largest gaming ecosystem for both gamers and developers. It provides tremendous incentive for developers
to produce games for this combined platform. While fanboys may squawk and say that Microsoft is releasing all their exclusives
on PC, and therefore diminishing the Xbox One, nothing could be further from the truth. This attitude does not accurately
reflect the gaming market, and the reasons why consumers choose PC or console platforms. Simply put, PC gamers are PC gamers
and console gamers are console gamers. As we have already stated, Microsoft is making a massive investment in the future of
the Xbox One brand. However, by combining forces with the PC market, the company has now created a huge gaming eco system
that leaves their competition out in the cold.
Best of Show: Best of E3 2016
Nintendo
Before the start of E3 2016 there was a lot of talk about how
Nintendo would only have "one game" to present at the E3 expo. The company actually showed off several new titles
during their E3 video presentation, for both the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS. However, during the actual conference, Nintendo
did only have one playable game on the show floor. Their entire booth was dedicated to just one title, the Legend of Zelda:
Breath of the Wild. With just one game Nintendo stole the show. Fans lined up for over three hours in some of the largest
lines we have ever seen at the E3 expo. Not since the launch of the Nintendo Wii have we seen this much attention given to
one product. The title itself absolutely dominated both social media and press attention. During the show and after it has
been the most talked about game on the internet. Since the close of E3 2016 the new Zelda title has won literally dozens of
Game of the Show awards. To put it bluntly, Nintendo's actions at E3 were the biggest "boss move" we have ever seen
at the show. They arrived confident and left victorious. The humble little company from Kyoto, Japan has once again stolen
the show.
BONUS: Best Freebie
This year we partnered with the folks at Retro-Bit to distribute our new Lucky 7 collectible
arcade token to fans at the show. The turnout was amazing! We were able to distribute over 1000 tokens in just three days!
The Arcade Token give-away gets bigger and better with each passing
year! These tokens are a celebration of video game culture and they are made exclusively for the E3 Expo. People always tell us this is a great way to promote our site, however we do it just because we like making people
happy. We graciously thank you all for making this give away such a tremendous success!