E3 2017: Day 1 Recap - Our Reaction to Nintendo Direct and Every Interview from the Show Floor

Miss any of our live event coverage? Get caught up on every interview and reaction stream.

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Day one of E3 2017 is in the books, and our editors didn’t stand by and watch it fade into our collective rearview. We were in the thick of goings-on from our booth in West Hall of the show floor, streaming seven hours of interviews and reactions. Our day began even earlier when we reacted to the announcements that came out of Nintendo’s Direct presentation, including a tease for Metroid Prime 4 and the soul-stealing cap that adorns Mario’s head in Super Mario Odyssey.

This article is your one-stop shop for every interview and reaction from Shacknews editorial director Asif Khan, editor-in-chief Steve Watts, social ambassador Raqib Huq, features editor David Craddock, intrepid intern Donovan Erskine, and contributing editor Ozzie Mejia. As a bonus, stick around for our Day 1 Post-Show Chattycast recorded live as the veritable tide of humanity ebbed out of the LA Convention Center.

Our Live Reactions to Super Mario Odyssey and the Nintendo Spotlight

“Give us another Metroid!” fans pled for years and years and years. “Okay!” Nintendo responded during this morning’s E3 Nintendo Direct presentation. Sure, the reveal of Metroid Prime 4 amounted to a glimpse of the game’s logo and the series’ familiar leitmotif, but for Metroid diehards, it was enough. That was only one standout in a jam-packed Direct that provided looks at Super Mario Odyssey, the promise of a Pokemon for Switch due sometime in 2018, reveals for Kirby and Yoshi titles, and—at long last—an announcement from Psyonix that Rocket League is coming to Switch later this year.

LawBreakers Interview With Cliff Bleszinski

Cliff Bleszinski is excited about the impending release of LawBreakers this August, and his enthusiasm proved infectious during this in-depth interview. Talk of the competitive shooter’s release date and betas are only the tip of the iceberg with Bleszinski, who never hesitates to share his thoughts on the games industry at large.

Project Cars 2 Interview With Andy Tudor

Project Cars 2 creative director Andy Tudor parked at our booth to tell us about some of the new features fans can expect from the game when it ships on September 22.

Dragon Ball Fighter Z and Ni No Kuni 2 Interview With Dmitryi Khlynin

Between a 2D DBZ fighter and a follow-up to the visually stunning Ni No Kuni, anime influences are strong with Bandai Namco. The publisher’s community specialist went Super Saiyan to tell fans about Dragon Ball Fighter Z and Ni No Kuni 2.

Forza Motorsport 7 Interview With Dan Greenawalt

If you needed a reminder of how Microsoft views its Forza Motorsport sim-racing franchise, it was the first game shown after Microsoft pulled the wraps off the Xbox One X at its press conference this past Sunday. Dan Greenawalt, the franchise’s creative director, gave insight into how Forza Motorsport 7’s development informed how Microsoft engineered the Xbox One X’s hardware, rather than the other way around.

Xbox One Games Interview With Aaron Greenberg

Keep an eye on Aaron Greenberg, head of Xbox Games Marketing, during this interview. Rare’s Sea of Thieves pirate-themed title is so popular among Microsoft’s developers that Greenberg came sporting an eye patch to our discussion about the Xbox One X’s tech specs and games coming to the souped-up console.

Resident Evil Vendetta Interview With Erin Cahill and Matt Mercer

You’ve got to hand it to Leon S. Kennedy and Rebecca Chambers. They’ve been battling Resident Evil’s zombie-virus outbreak since the late ‘90s and have managed to stay one step ahead of Tyrants, lickers, and the like. Matt Mercer and Erin Cahill, who voice Leon and Rebecca in the upcoming Resident Evil Vendetta CG movie due for release next Monday, talked to us about the duo’s latest adventure against the many strains of Capcom’s T-virus.

Xbox One X Interview With Microsoft's Albert Penello

You already know the high-level view of Microsoft’s Xbox One X console: $499, the most powerful console ever made to date, and a November 7 release date. Microsoft’s Albert Penello swung by to dig deeper into the process of building the X and what he sees in store for the future of the Xbox brand.

Tacoma Interview With Steve Gaynor and Chris Charla

ID@Xbox is doing a lot for indie game development, and a good deal of those efforts ae going toward promotion for Tacoma, the space-themed adventure game from The Fullbright Company. Steve Gaynor from Fullbright and ID@Xbox’s Chris Charla talked about what both Tacoma and Microsoft’s indie publishing wing have to offer.

Moss Interview With Danny Bulla and Tam Armstrong

Sony has sold over one million PlayStation VR systems to PS4 owners. To keep up momentum, the PlayStation manufacturer introduced several new PSVR properties during its press conference on Monday evening. Moss, an immersive experience starring a mouse name Quill who sets off on a wilderness adventure, was among the most intriguing and endearing of them. Design director Danny Bulla and studio director Tam Armstrong of Polyarc walked us through some of the game’s particulars.

Crackdown 3 Interview With Clint Bundrick

Alluded to and shown only briefly at past E3s, Crackdown 3 occupied a prominent spot in Microsoft’s press conference this year. More importantly, it’s available for hands-on demos at the publisher’s Xbox Showcase. In between collecting orbs, we talked with designer director Clint Bundrick to learn more about how the long-awaited sequel is shaping up.

The Crew 2 Interview With Creative Director Stephane Belev

Why confine yourself to racing on land when you can take to the sea and air as well? The Crew 2’s Stephane "Fergus" Belev, creative director, discussed what went into broadening the sequel’s scope and gameplay mechanics.

Life is Strange: Before The Storm Interview With Chris Floyd

A perennial favorite since its release, Life is Strange turned heads by giving players a realistic look at college life mixed with a butterfly effect mechanic that made them think twice before every move they made. Life is Strange: Before the Storm perform some time manipulation of its own, following a 16-year-old Chloe before the events of the first game. Developer Deck Nine Games’ Chris Floyd grabbed a seat on the Shack couch to talk about the characters and story of Before the Storm.

Day 1 Post Show Chattycast

Now that you’ve had a chance to digest the cornucopia of interview content we brought you on day one of E3 2017, put your feet up and join us as we share our impressions of the games we played and reflections on the interviews we conducted on the show floor.

 

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.

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