We're all in agreement that Sony's E3 2015 press conference was the company's best, at least in recent years, right? The golden trifecta of The Last Guardian, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Shenmue III absolutely brought the house down, and it's a feat that we're not sure the Japanese giant will ever be able to top. Interestingly, however, it seems that there was a fourth announcement being planned that would've somehow made the presser even more exciting.
In an interview with Game Informer, Adam Boyes, who once headed up Sony's third party relations team, was asked about what it was like leading up to the conference behind the scenes.
"Yeah, it was pretty amazing, because [Final Fantasy VII Remake] was happening, the Shenmue stuff was happening... And then, behind the scenes, we were also working on the Crash Bandicoot stuff, but it wasn't done yet, so what we were hoping was that, from a third party perspective -- because there was also The Last Guardian which was to be announced -- so the goal was to have all four of those. But I still think with those three, it was amazing."
So there you have it: Sony's E3 2015 megaton trio could've been a quartet with Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, had it been ready in time. Ultimately it was announced a year later and received a very positive response, but just imagine how excited an audience that had already seen three unbelievable announcements would've been to then be treated to the return of one of the PSone's most beloved characters.
It's always interesting to hear these behind the scenes stories, especially from people as well connected as Boyes. Would this extra announcement have blown your mind? Spin down to the comments below.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 57
This would've been absolutely crazy!
I can't even fathom what it would have been like if this happened. Back then, there weren't even any Crash rumours. It would have dropped out of nowhere.
Amazing.
A Crash announcement at that time would indeed have been mind-blowing, but I'm glad they left it off. In hindsight though, I wish they would have also left off FFVII, because we STILL are no closer to that being released. Oh well, maybe next generation, as I think FFVII will ultimately become this generation's The Last Guardian.
Hard to believe, even stuff I didn't care about got me hyped during that show looking forward to see what the next year holds at this year's show
@Turismo4GT FF7 was a probably to soon but it's not Sony's glfault we've not got any closer to it
Lol,and out of all those games Shenmue 3 still isnt out. It would be hilarious if it still doesnt come out this year.
@RedMan33 while I agree it's not Sony's fault we're no closer to release of this game, it was their stage and their choice to promote it. I believe Sony brass was excited by what they saw and jumped at the chance to really push the PS4 platform as 'The Best Place to Play'. Nothing wrong with that.
That said, I think FFVII, along with other games that have proved to have been announced too early, has influenced Sony to revise its reveal and release strategy a bit.
A Crash announcement would have been an amazing cherry on top, but not being announced doesn’t diminish just how epic that presser was. I’m curious to see what’s in store at E3 in two months. I honestly have no expectations.
There's something to be said for knowing when to release information about a forthcoming release. I trust Sony's judgement more than others, but then I'm looking at what we currently know about Final Fantasy VII Remake and Shenmue III and I'm raising an eyebrow at this particular story.
Keeping quiet about Crash didn't harm the release in the slightest; in fact, given how much of a runaway success it became last year, I think a longer pre-release hype period might've damaged sales.
@Neolit E3 2016, I believe.
I actually got out of my chair and cheered during that press conference when they announced Final Fantasy VII. It was like 3am, I was in my dressing gown, I had a G&T in my hand, and I jumped out of my chair and cheered.
Shame 2 of those 3 still haven't come out and all...
I'm still holding out hope that we'll see FFVII before this generation is done, despite the recent news from SquareEnix. Hey, I'd be happy even if it turns out to be a cross-generational title. I imagine a FFVII release, along with other highly anticipated games, would be an excellent way to cap off what has been an epic ride on the PS4.
@johncalmc I've written about it a few times but I basically did the same thing. I jumped onto my chair like an ape with my hands on my head and I shouted "NO! NO!" in disbelief.
It's a shame Square Enix has completely totally and utterly f****d it, but at least we have the memories.
It’s easy to have a legendary conference announcing games that may never see the light of day.
Might as well have announced Half Life 3 and Star Craft MMO while they were at it. 😉
I don't get the criticism about the games not being out. The point is that they were impossible prior to that presser, and then they became a reality.
@get2sammyb I think it's more appropriate to say that they, except for The Last Guardian, became a virtual reality
In my opinion something becomes a reality when we can get our hands on it, otherwise it's just a wishful thinking.
@hulkie even though Shenmue is very highly anticipated, at this point I think it could get utterly decimated if it gets dated anywhere near Red Dead/COD, etc. Just goes to show that this year is so packed that potentially genre-redefining games like that are thought of as almost second-tier.
@ShogunRok Yeah, like I loved it at the time. It was only like four minutes after the conference that I started to question it, and whether I even wanted a Final Fantasy VII remake at all. It just felt like a super special moment. The reality, of course, is that Square Enix fumbled the whole thing since then, but it was a great moment.
@get2sammyb IKR, like the games didn't come out immediately so it sucked. That's the point of a conference. Talk future. Microsoft has spent dedicated time showing off numerous games that have been since cancelled, and Nintendo had a piece of clipart last year that said "Metroid Prime 4" that was apparently the most exciting thing that has ever happened, but Sony show off loads of games for the future and it sucked because they weren't out by the time the conference ended. OK.
@get2sammyb
Not a reality until they actually hit shelves. SquareEnix is SquareEnix so who the hell knows when FF VII will actually be done? Maybe 2025 to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the ridiculously over the top response to its announcement.
@get2sammyb
It’s a product of our times. People expect instant gratification or they’ll discount whatever it is. I’m just happy to know that these games are being made and will play them. When they come out. Eventually.
I was a bit weary eyed and ready for sleep when it was broadcast live and I proper lost it with those 3 big announcements, it was too much, I nearly teared up during the FF7 'trailer'. Yet 3 yrs later and it feels like, for me, that the legacy of that 'legendary' presser is of annoyance as we are still waiting on 2 of them, although to be fair relatively little fault can be put on Sony for that. Didn't we also first see HZD announced?
I'm still waiting for Agent.
@lacerz same here!
and two of those games still aren't out yet..lol
so what good does such a press conference do?
@toffeecrit
Yeah, I believe this press conference was Horizon: Zero Dawn's debut. It was the best game Sony had at its presser and the one that deserved the most praise. But, nostalgia got the best of people.
That would've been mind blowing, for sure.
@johncalmc
And MS has been (rightly) taken over the coals for what happened with Scalebound and Crackdown 3 and there are plenty here who whine and complain on end about Nintendo. All companies get called on their bs. What's going on with the FF VII remake and Shenmue is ridiculous. The Last of Us Part II and Spider-Man were shown off early too but criticism has been held to a minimum because Naughty Dog and Insomniac can be trusted to get those games out in a fairly timely manner. It's possible both will have been revealed and on the market before we see one of FF VII or Shenmue 3. And it's possible it will be a year or more before we see one of those. Gamers have a right to be critical.
3 years later and we dont have Shenmue 3, and not even a remaster of the originals.
3 years later and we dont have FFVII which is episodic anyway, and maybe maybe we will get KH3, long time in the works.
You should stick to first/second party games to hype your E3s Sony
Funny enough, Shenmue 3, the last guardian and ff7 (sorta) are internationally rather niche titles. For that to cause such hype speaks volumes for Japanese games.
Don't think ea, Activision or ubi could ever wow an audience like that.
E3 2018 will be owned by Cyberpunk 2077 and whatever greatness the Japanese studios conjure.
Gamers a weird.
You don’t see Marvel make a movie in secret & announce its coming 3 months before, why should games be different?
E3 is a trade show. It’s about the future.
PSX is for the fans.
Honestly I’d much rather know what might be coming in the next 2-3 years then be in the dark.
@Neolit FFVII Remake's life was in Square's hands and they f****d it up!
People are assuming that they know the games aren't going to be out for years. Besides, if Square Enix announce most things you need to leave 5-10 years to get it. Thats the rule.
@Turismo4GT agree, look at the last few years it's usually been 2 years (or less) from reveal to release, think the only one that'll go past that from Sony's own studios is Days Gone
@Gamer83 Spiderman was revealed in 2016 and will release in 2018, like God Of War. Horizon had the same reveal 2015-2017 don't think they've jumped the gun recently
@Fight_Teza_Fight same here
@RedMan33
Which is why I said criticism has been minimal for those games because they'll get released in a reasonable time frame. In regards to FF VII and Shenmue 3 people aren't mocking and being critical just to be a-holes, they're doing it because it is absolutely ridiculous how long things are taking to materialize. Nothing wrong with that. Hell it seems like development on FF VII may have started over and since this is SquareEnix you're looking at probably PS5 before there's even consideration of seeing the game on the market. Naughty Dog re-did a vast majority of Uncharted 4 but still managed to get it out at the 2 1/2 year mark for PS4. When you have an early announcement followed by little to no news along with a company known for not getting things done in a timely fashion, you're going to get the situation we currently have. That's SE's fault, not gamers who point it out.
Sony's fault for showing them off but not there fault that development has slowed on FF7 & Shenmue 3 there being made by 3rd party's so the fault lies with Square and the devs doing Shenmue
That would have been amazing.its still cool.that would have been the fantastic four .syphon and crash bandicoot.best ps1 games ever.word up son
@get2sammyb #18 funny considering how FFXV is constantly criticized for its development history (and being FFXV, of course). You see, FFXV and Shenmue III are not “reality”, they haven’t been released yet; for all we know they might as well end up in development hell for 10 years or even cancelled.
Let’s not forget that was the case with The Last Guardian, it took a really long time to be released before the first announcements 10 or so years ago.
Of course everyone was excited when they were revealed, including me: I’m not a fan of any of those series but as a gaming fan I was really happy because I thought those games would never ever exist, especially Shenmue III.
This, though, doesn’t mean you can just go out and announce Half-Life 3, set the world on fire, and then come back a couple of years later saying “oh, by the way, HL3 has been canned”.
It’s not like we’ve had THAT much info about Shenmue and FFVII, and some isn’t even encouraging, starting with the facial animations in S3 (or lack thereof, should I say) and the first major overhaul FFVII has undergone. Not saying they’ll be bad, the point is these things don’t give me confidence they’re anywhere near completion 3 years later, though I’ll happily eat my words if any of the two gets a release date at E3. I’m looking forward to see how they’re shaping as much as you do (maybe a bit less, I’ll give it to you that your passion for PS is greater than mine).
@johncalmc C’mon, don’ be silly, your post really sounds whiny.
Yes, I screamed and shouted in disbelief when I saw the MP4 teaser, because that was also a game I never thought I’d play, but let’s wait and see before jumping to conclusions. It may or may not be fully revealed and/or dated at this E3 for all we know, though if we’re in this situation in 2 years’ time you will be able to draw that comparison. You just can’t right now.
Edit: Zelda BOTW would’ve been a better example, as that is already out but it did took almost 3 years from the first reveal to the actual release, though it probably was ready in 2016 but they decided to delay it in order to make it a Switch launch game.
@clvr I still don't really see your point to be honest. Final Fantasy VII got a gameplay demo at the subsequent PSX, but Square Enix decided to can all the progress like they usually do; Shenmue III was a Kickstarter and it was made very clear it was a Kickstarter. Development didn't start until after the funding was complete.
They were both a big deal because, like I said earlier, they seemed impossible. The same is true of Half-Life 3, and it'd get a similarly strong reception for that reason.
And yet people complain about said games not been out yet, missing the whole point about announcement reveals at E3.
@Neolit Activision is not the issue here... also dude, Activison Blizzard please
I could do this all day!
@naruball Mom’s Spaghetti .
Honestly, I thought Sony E3 2015 was overrated. It’s cool those games got announced but... I don’t know, I just didn’t really feel it.
Easy to say in hindsight because we're still waiting for some of the games to be released!!
@adf86 So what is the point then? Yeah, I get the whole "future of gaming" thing, but is it really unreasonable to feel uneasy when there's been very little substantial info about the two unreleased games? Not everything announced at E3 gets fully completed, and sometimes they will but look vastly different from what was promised. I doubt that these games would be left unfinished (primarily because the reaction would be nuclear), but I don't blame anyone for not having confidence about their development. Shenmue III was a Kickstarter, and recently that method of game development has been shown to be....unstable, for lack of a better word. Square's incompetence and inconsistency is such a meme now, I'm surprised if anyone thinks anyone there can tie their shoes. And with FF7R's development essentially starting over, that gameplay demo may not represent the final product in any way.
It's not wrong to get excited for these games, but it's difficult to call this conference "legendary" if two of the trifecta are having rough development. Shenmue III is due this year, so there will likely be some more info we can sink our teeth into soon. If not, I don't think the complainers would be wrong.
I'll point out that I don't think it's Sony's fault either. I don't think they guessed that these titles would hit any major snags when they were announced.
@get2sammyb you said: “I don’t get the criticism for not being out”
I said: “FFXV: I don’t think I need to remind you how it and its development saga became the butt of innumerable jokes in here.”
You said: “they were impossible before the E3, now they’re reality.”
I said: “they were indeed impossible before, but they still aren’t reality and won’t until they’re on the shelf, because development hell and cancellation might happen, especially when one is a Kickstarter and the other is a SE game.”
I’m not saying we shouldn’t have been excited at the time (quite the opposite actually), but you can’t deny the fact they’re still not out impacts their reveals in hindsight.
I mean, many of us expected them to be a long way off, but certainly none of us thought “yay I’m so happy I’ll be able to play this sometime in the future, maybe in 10 years’ time”. It’s just not like it works, if a game gets announced people expect to be able to play it in a couple of years. Three years would still be somewhat good, but as I said before, none of the two seems like it’s going to deploy this year (though I’ll be happy to be proven wrong at the next E3).
I know I was upset at the continuous delays Zelda has undergone since the initial E3 reveal.
Also, pretty much what @DerMeister said, he put it really well.
@clvr Final Fantasy XV took ten years to come out; this press conference was less than three years ago. We'll talk in 2025.
@DerMeister But the conference wasn't about how the games will turn out, it was about the impact it had at that moment in time. That's why it was regarded as Legendary but others think it isn't as special anymore because Shemue 3 and FFVII aren't out yet. That's my point.
@get2sammyb ok, go on and keep ignoring my point then.
@adf86 I can get down with that. I'll admit that even though I had no emotional connection to any of the games, it was a great moment to see the announcements. It's hard to discount the sentiment that it has lost some sheen though. A special moment like that would go to waste if we never see the games. I think that's where some of the bitterness and critique comes from. But like I said before, it's unlikely the games would be completely canned.
I also think that it's because this conference is almost three years old, yet there's still barely anything about the projects. While I think it's kinda unrealistic to expect every game announced at E3 to be on shelves within a two year timeframe, by that time we usually have something concrete on the game, even fully playable demos. But it still feels like an early development cycle with these two. It's kinda worrying even without the luster of E3'15.
By the way, apologies for replying so late, I've had cooking classes for most of today.
2016 was their best E3, bar none. Not even close.
@Turismo4GT Yeah they could announce FF7 in 2019. 😆
@DerMeister No need to apologise. I get the reason why some would feel disgruntled but like I always said E3 for me is all about gaming's longterm future.
Square Enix should be banned from announcing anything at e3 (or any big gaming event) until the game us ready to be pressed on a disk. They take forever and then some.....Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced in 2013!! I'll be middle aged by the time the FF7 remake has its title screen developed.
@clvr
Dude, the article was about the EVENT. Not the results of the event. It was EPIC at the time. The Holy Trinity of games, whether you like them or not, getting confirmation of their existence? Awesome!
It's a lot better than what's happening on other consoles, from what I hear.
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