E3 has long since been established as the video game industry’s premier trade show, playing host to some of the most memorable reveals of the last two decades. In recent years, we have seen the event’s organizers make a concerted effort to modernize the show and now that is reflected in a change to its logo.
The new E3 logo takes its cues from modern design sensibilities; it uses a stark typeface and flat colors to produce a simple aesthetic that still retains something of its predecessor’s personality. Its yellow-and-red color scheme remains, but the three-dimensional lettering that was introduced back in the 1990s does not.
When E3 debuted in 1995, the video game industry was transitioning from the 2D era into the brave new world of three dimensions, thanks to hardware like the Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, and the Nintendo 64. As such, it made a lot of sense for 3D imagery to be used, reflecting what was cutting-edge in the world of interactive entertainment at that time.
The 3D revolution is old hat now and while 2D games have certainly had a resurgence, 3D environments are simply the norm. In a time when Nintendo can broadcast its own Direct live-streams as and when it sees fit to unveil new titles, E3 has to move with the times to stay relevant, and dragging its branding out of the 20th century is one component of a much broader effort.
There was a time when E3 was exclusively a press event, but due to various other competing trade shows, and the fact that many companies prefer to host their own showcases, this is no longer the case. E3 2017 marked the first time that the public could register for access to the show alongside industry insiders, heralding a change of tact that will see the expo compete more directly with the likes of PAX.
The new E3 logo is set to make its official debut when the 2018 edition of the event descends upon the Los Angeles Convention Center, according to Polygon. Next year’s show is scheduled to take place between June 12 and 14.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.