Square Enix E3 2015 conference live report
We're done. Lots of new RPGs, and a (brief) look at Deus Ex and Hitman.
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Strike another one off the list - Square Enix is done, and it used its E3 platform to show its heavy emphasis on RPGs as well as handful of its western properties. There were times when it felt like we were watching a show from an older, drier time at E3, but the quality of what was on show just about won out.
Watch live video from SquareEnixPresents on www.twitch.tvOur live coverage of this event has finished.
Hello hello, sorry for rocking in slightly late - have just come in from the Nintendo's slightly underwhelming digital event.
matthewhaycock: I missed the Nintendo conference. Was it that bad?
Disappointing, yeah. In fairness to Nintendo it's rocking out a lot more first party games this year than either Sony or Microsoft, but there's nothing there to appeal to anyone beyond hardcore.
We'll see Hitman, Deus Ex and hopefully some Final Fantasy (although I think it's optimistic to expect the 7 remake just yet).
I think we may have seen all we're going to see of Lara in yesterday's Microsoft conference.
X201: Only two more conferences to go and we can declare the first dub-step free E3 in years.
I think Square may just be about to ruin that party.
Five minutes behind schedule, but we're up and running.
Phil Rogers on-stage.
And he looks absolutely terrified at the prospect of heading up a conference.
The fear in his eyes has subsided though, and he's into a groove as he outlines what's ahead for Square across the next year.
houldendub: He probably has to get 9 million views to make this conference viable.
Ding ding ding.
Just Cause 3, which we'll have a full preview of tomorrow morning.
It's by a new team at Avalanche - the Just Cause 2 team is making Mad Max.
Someone pointed out to me earlier that E3 shows are theatre now - not the dry presentations they used to be, now that they have global audiences.
Right now, this feels like an E3 conference from that older way of doing things.
Let's game now though. Roland Lesterlin, the game designer of Just Cause 3, is up on stage.
It's got a release date, which not that many people seem excited by.
I feel bad for being negative about the Nintendo conference after the first few minutes of this.
I think this kind of prolonged marketing fluff is best left outside of a show. It's just dull and patronising.
I mean, most E3 conferences are dull and patronising, but at least they have a sense of spectacle.
Ooooh wait nice cars! I take it all back.
Wait, I missed the fact the villain's called Di Rebello. That's beautiful!
The mild applause is hilarious.
Yosuke Saito up now - and he's showing an all-new game.
This chap has worked across Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, IIRC.
It's a Platinum Games joint!
They're everywhere this year.
Saito did Nier, I've just been reminded, and Yoshida, character designer of FF12, is onboard.
*And* it's got the same director as Nier. That's quite the rollcall of talent.
It's a new Nier!
Wow.
That's about as leftfield as you can get. It's on PS4 for now.
BRING IT. This is what E3 conferences should be about. A man in a freaky mask.
This could be our Konami 2010 moment. Please keep this up Square Enix!
Just magical.
So Platinum is confirming it's not an action game, like its previous work.
They've got previous in other genres, of course, with the likes of Okami under their belt when a lot of the team worked as Clover.
Rayza: Is it just me or does this whole thing have a really weird atmosphere
It's quite starchy, with occasional outbursts of wtf. I approve.
Elsewhere Platinum has been confirmed to be working on StarFox Zero.
What *aren't* they making.
Tomb Raider does make an appearance. Here's hoping for a look at some proper gameplay and not some fluff about mo-cap or anything.
Oh balls.
Nemesis: E3 gives me this weird fascination with watching the presenter's hands. I dunno why.
I always get freaked out about hand gestures. They become more pronounced in big shows like this, as the presenters are made very conscious of them.
Nemesis: E3 gives me this weird fascination with watching the presenter's hands. I dunno why.
Like, the Battlefront developer yesterday didn't move her hands enough. Some people move them too much. Someone like Andrew Wilson gets it just right. Forceful, meaningful swipes of those well manicured fists.
This is some good, quite naturalised hand gesture action from Horton. Strong. Others could learn a lot from it.
Square Enix Montreal's head of studio, Patrick Nooooooo.
And some quite expressive hand gestures. Big sweeps, occasional pinches. Another strong showing.
I'll hand it to Square, they've got these gestures down pat. Pun not intended and now I want to shoot myself.
Er, make that a Lara Croft game on mobile. I was dazzled by his hands.
Lara Croft Go which - if Hitman Go is anything to go by - is worth looking forward to.
Montage me-do right now. Life is Strange, Dragon Quest Heroes and Heavensward.
Now for something a little more racy, Kingdom Hearts 3.
But wait! It's the CG trailer for the Final Fantasy 7 remake again.
Is this intentional, or the mother of all boo boos?
Will we see any gameplay?
No, of course not.
Well, in the meantime the old version will be out on PS4 this winter.
Noooow it's Kingdom Hearts 3. You can tell because of the manchildren have started screaming in the audience.
No, wait. It's not.
Master o the trolls, Square Enix everyone. It's another mobile game, but the looks of it.
They really are phenomenal at the old bait and switch. Well done all.
Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key, which has already been announced in Japan, and it's coming to America.
They will likely call a press conference in Europe soon to announce further details and then just guff in our faces.
Anyway, this is definitely Kingdom Hearts 3!
No, no it's not. It's two enthusiastic men in chairs.
This is Kingdom Hearts, right?
No, no it's not.
It's Roy. He's in the audience.
This is Kingdom Hearts 3?
It is! And mighty fine it looks too. Full of colour and character and verve.
"Thank you" screams a man in the audience as it comes to a close.
He's still screaming, while those sat next to him shuffle their seats away.
World of Final Fantasy!
This got unfairly forgotten yesterday in all the noise around Final Fantasy 7. I think it looks great!
And this is the same trailer we saw yesterday. I hope Square didn't pay too much to put this show on.
Hiroki Chiba, the game's director, on stage to talk abut the game. He's not moving his hands at all, just using them to grimly hold on to the lectern.
Lunastra78: I sense a severe lack of hand gestures
He's doing it all with his eyes.
Not much there beyond what we already learnt yesterday.
Now it's the Hitman reboot.
Coming first in a small trial this December that slowly opens out.
So kind of Early Access. Maybe. Perhaps.
Or constantly evolving, to put it kindly - the game seems to have special timed events.
It sounds like it's open world, and almost MMO-like.
Some gameplay would help explain it to us better. Come on, give us a gander.
You're excited to start talking about it, we're excited to see it.
If this is just the trailer from yesterday....
Funnily enough Agent 47 looks a lot more like Timothy Olyphant now.
This is at least proper look at gameplay. Of sorts.
This looks like a smart new direction for the Hitman series.
Only Deus Ex left, I think.
Ah, Star Ocean first.
It's quite amazing that it's 2015 and we're seeing a new Star Ocean on-stage at E3. Mental, but very welcome.
Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness. Wow.
That's quite a mouthful. It's not quite Infinite Undiscovery, my personal favourite mental Square Enix RPG name.
blarty: Someone's gone a bit 'Work Experience week' with the transitions.
They were super trippy.
Nemesis: Only one collar up; like a dog with funny ears
I think it's some form of communication. Two up is a cry for help.
Rob_Nomad: i don't understand why i always see "lasagnA" everytime, it's "lasagnE" (plural) :D
New facts, I did not know this so the last hour hasn't been a complete waste of time. Thanks!
Star Ocean is coming out the end of this year in Japan, next year elsewhere.
Now we have Deus Ex, right?
I'm fascinated to see how they're going to troll us with this one.
The French really have a special way with their hands.
Those gestures scream 'no-one dicks with my collar'.
Everyone in the office seems to think this is on the Dong engine. Or the Dung one. Pretty sure it's Dawn, but now hoping it's not.
Mary was another podium grabber, for those keeping score.
This isn't gameplay. Yet. It's a CG trailer.
Is this gameplay? It's so frustrating seeing it all cut up amidst all this fluff.
From the little snippets in there it is looking impressive.
2016 release, PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Early 2016 release, too.
Square president Matsuda on-stage now to wrap up.
Of course no-one's messed with his collar, yet he still feels the need to grasp the podium.
ONE MORE THING.
SHENMUE 3!
jiveguy: Please be Pele Fantasy, please be Pele Fantasy
\o/
An all-new RPG project, from a newly formed studio called Tokyo RPG factory.
Dedicated to creating Japanese RPGs.
Please tell me Matsuno's back!
This is an all-new series. Not a Final Fantasy. Not a Dragon Quest. It's Project Setsuna.
And it's out next year globally. That's all we're getting on it for now, it seems.
Well, 2016 is going to be great.
Kostabi: It's got to be hard speaking a second language while this nervous. Actually feel sorry for the guy.
You're right, he's doing a great job.
In a nice touch, Square Enix is bringing everyone on stage to finish.
It was stilted, but there was some grand stuff there - a new Nier developed by Platinum, no less, a (sort of) look at Deus Ex and Hitman and an all-new project.
They all know what to do with their hands now.
It's all climaxed in one big show of hands. Amazing stuff.
Patriotic Final Fantasy music plays while the president delivers one final rousing message. This is really sweet!
We're not done yet. The PC Gaming Show is at 1am tonight.
(After that we are so, so done)
Hopefully see you there!