The last day of E3 was filled with updates and presentations concerning upcoming technology. These, along with the releases of the eighth generation consoles, new installments of popular titles, the releases of long awaited trailers, interactive demos and displays, detailed press conferences, and the release of groundbreaking news from all of the big names, made E3 2013 nothing short of extremely eventful. So, what have we learned?
Microsoft’s Xbox One will be released this November for $499. There are restrictions on offline gaming, game sharing, game selling, and used games. The 360 received a face lift, and is still available for those who don’t wish to surrender to the tight restrictions on offline gaming presented by the Xbox One. SmartGlass was revived somewhat, as Microsoft is planning to implement it more frequently in a wider variety of games. A new feature called Upload Studio will allow gamers to more easily capture moments within gameplay.
Sony’s PS4 will be released for $399 by the end of this year. Sony was very clear in their announcing that they will not have the same restrictions Microsoft has for their eighth generation console — subtle marketing strategies all around.
Nintendo decided to forego their usual, grand presentation to focus on smaller presentations. New releases, installments, and features were showcased, and the Nintendo booth allowed attendees to get a taste of some of the new games that will be offered later this year. While the Wii U has already been released, Nintendo assures that there is much more coming for the Wii U as well as the 3DS.
Apple’s iOS update and OS X Mavericks made appearances. The iOS promises a sleeker, less cluttered feel. Settings and controls are available at all times in a toolbar that can be accessed by and upward swipe from the bottom of the screen. iTunes Radio will join par with Spotify. A new Macbook Air has also been released.
AMD announced the release of two FX-9000 processors sometime in July — the prices have yet to be released. The 9590 is an 8 core CPU which AMD claims to be the first ever 5GHz processor; the 9370 operates at 4.7GHz. Both processors are unlocked for easy overclocking. AMD set up a demonstration at their booth to showcase the 9590 running a game connected to five separate screens, maintaining a total resolution of 9600 x 1080.