Top 10 Cringiest E3 Moments
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VOICE OVER: Daniel Paradis
WRITTEN BY: Ty Richardson
Script written by Ty Richardson
The cringe doesn't get much worse than this. Here's what not to do in front of a live audience and millions at home. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Cringiest E3 Moments!
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
The cringe doesn't get much worse than this. Here's what not to do in front of a live audience and millions at home. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Cringiest E3 Moments!
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
Top 10 Cringiest E3 Moments
Tis the season of malfunctioning demos and awkward presentations… Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Cringiest E3 Moments!
For this list, we’re taking look at some of the weirdest moments across E3 history. Prepare yourselves for some aggressive marketing, weird situations, and embarrassing performances.
Sony - E3 2015
We understand that demos tend to go haywire. After all, you’re showing us an unfinished game. So, hiccups are bound to happen. Unfortunately, Naughty Dog was put on the list for one of the most embarrassing moments we’ve seen in a demo. As soon as the demo for “Uncharted 4” started, things went south. After a brief cutscene ended, audiences sat through thirty seconds of Nate doing nothing before being shown a title card. Seems like Naughty Dog can take a joke, though, as “Uncharted 4” rewards you with a trophy for recreating this blooper. Good on you, guys!
Microsoft - E3 2017
Now that the “Forza Motorsport” series is annualized, its presence at E3 is getting a little unnecessary. Last year’s E3 presentation showed that the proof is in the pudding. What was supposed to be promotion time for “Forza Motorsport 7” quickly devolved into a bloated ad for a Porsche. Apparently, through our passion for “Forza”, we, the gamers, made this happen and supposedly made history! Whoa, a car is having its worldwide premiere at an Xbox briefing! Guys, we just want to know about the newest games coming out. The car might be nice to look at, but that’s not what E3 is about.
Microsoft - E3 2010 & 2011
If the lack of innovation behind the Kinect didn’t drive you away, then this presentation certainly did. At the time these briefings occurred, Microsoft was trying everything to drive Kinect sales, and if that meant showing off kid-friendly titles, they would do so. At E3 2010, we were given a grueling demo of “Kinectimals”, which managed to make two minutes feel like two hours of pure awkwardness. Then, we had the cringiest Kinect performance at E3 2011 with “Kinect Disneyland Adventures”. Both briefings felt extremely scripted and uninformed on how kids play video games. The cringe is very real.
Nintendo - E3 2008
Ah, yes, of all the Nintendo conference blunders, this is the one most commonly referenced. E3 2008 was a mixed bag for Nintendo. With the heavy focus on casual gaming, most fans felt like they were left in the cold. However, one moment that left everyone sour was the infamous “Wii Music” demonstration. Viewers were subjected to an awkward drum performance by DJ Ravi Drums, followed by an off-key ensemble of Nintendo execs playing the “Super Mario Bros” theme song. We may have been sinking into our chairs to hide from the embarrassment, but at least they looked like they were having a good time. Or...so we hope.
Electronic Arts - E3 2016
This is about as pandery as Electronic Arts have ever been at E3. Not only did they stream “Battlefield 1” like an eSport, but they brought on celebrities like Wiz Khalifa, Terry Crews, Zac Efron and more to play the game alongside popular YouTubers. Gotta get those clicks, am I right? Well, they probably could have had Zac Efron and Jamie Foxx look like they wanted to be there. Instead, they looked incredibly confused as to why they were doing this. This could be explained by the fact that the building reportedly smelled like weed. Well, that’s what happens when you invite Snoop Dogg.
Sony - E3 2006
This was just silly! If you haven’t seen this, this might be well worth your time. To show off a bit of the PlayStation 3’s power, developer Game Republic presented a demo for “Genji: Days of the Blade”, which, according to them, is based off Japanese history. It seemed somewhat legit...until the giant enemy crab showed up. At the point, this presentation had become an embarrassment. However, there was one thing we learned about playing video games that's helped us since this happened:
Ubisoft - E3 2011
Whether it is from trying to generate memes and seem or cool or forcing us to sit through a musical performance, you can guarantee Ubisoft is going to do something awkward at E3. However, we will never forget the infamous Mr. Caffeine. What was supposed to be a celebration of Ubisoft’s twenty-fifth anniversary quickly became a stand-up routine of uncomfortable silence. Amidst the “doodly doodly doops”, there were cheap shots at the Nintendo Wii, mispronunciations of Tom Clancy’s name, and something about poop on toothpaste - needless to say, his jokes were met with a deafening silence. Ubisoft made a meme, but it wasn’t the one they were wanting.
Electronic Arts - E3 2017
Nothing sucks more than when you’re hired to be a presenter and your client changes the script on you several times. That’s exactly what happened with YouTuber Jesse Wellens at EA Plays 2017. According to Wellens in a follow-up video, there was a mix-up with regards to when the cameras would cut to him, and the teleprompter failed to display his script, causing him to fumble his words and improvise his part. Wellens admits to not even looking at the script but claims he did okay during dress rehearsal. Wellens wasn’t the only one caught in the flames, though. EA received backlash from gamers for hiring someone whose work has nothing to do with video games whatsoever. Hopefully, they’ve learned by now.
Activision - E3 2007
Out of all the presenters on this list, this was the most unprofessional. Activision hired comedian Jamie Kennedy to act as emcee for their E3 2007 conference. Unbeknownst to them, Kennedy had gotten wicked drunk before the show. Many of his jokes were aimed at the audience, the developers, and gamers in general. You can tell the developers that walked onstage were done with his nonsense, including Tony Hawk. This conference was so awful that you can’t even find footage of the entire thing! You’ll only find montages and clips of Kennedy’s terrible behavior. We just hope we won’t get some angry tweets from him for this video…
Before we reveal our cringiest pick, here are a few Dishonorable Mentions…
The “Rock Revolution” Failure
Konami - E3 2008
“Battlefield 4” Presentation
Microsoft - E3 2013
“Skyward Sword” Bugs & Glitches
Nintendo - E3 2010
Konami - E3 2010
What an absolute trainwreck… Konami’s 2010 conference has gone down as the worst conference in E3 history. Almost every announcement was awkward, trailers failed to play, stunts on stage were unnecessary, and there were large portions of complete silence. Why were there luchadors smacking each other around? Why should we clap for “Ninety-Nine Nights II”? What’s with the heavily scripted bits? Oh, and don’t worry, they aren’t making a new “Dance Dance Revolution” game. What you’re seeing is a NEW dancing game called “Dance Masters”! There’s no way a conference will ever be as bad as this was.
Tis the season of malfunctioning demos and awkward presentations… Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Cringiest E3 Moments!
For this list, we’re taking look at some of the weirdest moments across E3 history. Prepare yourselves for some aggressive marketing, weird situations, and embarrassing performances.
#10: Nathan Drake Gets Stage Fright
Sony - E3 2015
We understand that demos tend to go haywire. After all, you’re showing us an unfinished game. So, hiccups are bound to happen. Unfortunately, Naughty Dog was put on the list for one of the most embarrassing moments we’ve seen in a demo. As soon as the demo for “Uncharted 4” started, things went south. After a brief cutscene ended, audiences sat through thirty seconds of Nate doing nothing before being shown a title card. Seems like Naughty Dog can take a joke, though, as “Uncharted 4” rewards you with a trophy for recreating this blooper. Good on you, guys!
#9: Xbox REALLY Loves Porsche
Microsoft - E3 2017
Now that the “Forza Motorsport” series is annualized, its presence at E3 is getting a little unnecessary. Last year’s E3 presentation showed that the proof is in the pudding. What was supposed to be promotion time for “Forza Motorsport 7” quickly devolved into a bloated ad for a Porsche. Apparently, through our passion for “Forza”, we, the gamers, made this happen and supposedly made history! Whoa, a car is having its worldwide premiere at an Xbox briefing! Guys, we just want to know about the newest games coming out. The car might be nice to look at, but that’s not what E3 is about.
#8: Kinect Child Actors
Microsoft - E3 2010 & 2011
If the lack of innovation behind the Kinect didn’t drive you away, then this presentation certainly did. At the time these briefings occurred, Microsoft was trying everything to drive Kinect sales, and if that meant showing off kid-friendly titles, they would do so. At E3 2010, we were given a grueling demo of “Kinectimals”, which managed to make two minutes feel like two hours of pure awkwardness. Then, we had the cringiest Kinect performance at E3 2011 with “Kinect Disneyland Adventures”. Both briefings felt extremely scripted and uninformed on how kids play video games. The cringe is very real.
#7: The Wii Music Performance
Nintendo - E3 2008
Ah, yes, of all the Nintendo conference blunders, this is the one most commonly referenced. E3 2008 was a mixed bag for Nintendo. With the heavy focus on casual gaming, most fans felt like they were left in the cold. However, one moment that left everyone sour was the infamous “Wii Music” demonstration. Viewers were subjected to an awkward drum performance by DJ Ravi Drums, followed by an off-key ensemble of Nintendo execs playing the “Super Mario Bros” theme song. We may have been sinking into our chairs to hide from the embarrassment, but at least they looked like they were having a good time. Or...so we hope.
#6: Celebrity “Battlefield 1” Tournament
Electronic Arts - E3 2016
This is about as pandery as Electronic Arts have ever been at E3. Not only did they stream “Battlefield 1” like an eSport, but they brought on celebrities like Wiz Khalifa, Terry Crews, Zac Efron and more to play the game alongside popular YouTubers. Gotta get those clicks, am I right? Well, they probably could have had Zac Efron and Jamie Foxx look like they wanted to be there. Instead, they looked incredibly confused as to why they were doing this. This could be explained by the fact that the building reportedly smelled like weed. Well, that’s what happens when you invite Snoop Dogg.
#5: “Genji: Days of the Blade” & The Historically Accurate Giant Enemy Crab
Sony - E3 2006
This was just silly! If you haven’t seen this, this might be well worth your time. To show off a bit of the PlayStation 3’s power, developer Game Republic presented a demo for “Genji: Days of the Blade”, which, according to them, is based off Japanese history. It seemed somewhat legit...until the giant enemy crab showed up. At the point, this presentation had become an embarrassment. However, there was one thing we learned about playing video games that's helped us since this happened:
#4: Mr. Caffeine
Ubisoft - E3 2011
Whether it is from trying to generate memes and seem or cool or forcing us to sit through a musical performance, you can guarantee Ubisoft is going to do something awkward at E3. However, we will never forget the infamous Mr. Caffeine. What was supposed to be a celebration of Ubisoft’s twenty-fifth anniversary quickly became a stand-up routine of uncomfortable silence. Amidst the “doodly doodly doops”, there were cheap shots at the Nintendo Wii, mispronunciations of Tom Clancy’s name, and something about poop on toothpaste - needless to say, his jokes were met with a deafening silence. Ubisoft made a meme, but it wasn’t the one they were wanting.
#3: Jesse Wellens Introducing “Need for Speed: Payback”
Electronic Arts - E3 2017
Nothing sucks more than when you’re hired to be a presenter and your client changes the script on you several times. That’s exactly what happened with YouTuber Jesse Wellens at EA Plays 2017. According to Wellens in a follow-up video, there was a mix-up with regards to when the cameras would cut to him, and the teleprompter failed to display his script, causing him to fumble his words and improvise his part. Wellens admits to not even looking at the script but claims he did okay during dress rehearsal. Wellens wasn’t the only one caught in the flames, though. EA received backlash from gamers for hiring someone whose work has nothing to do with video games whatsoever. Hopefully, they’ve learned by now.
#2: Jamie Kennedy
Activision - E3 2007
Out of all the presenters on this list, this was the most unprofessional. Activision hired comedian Jamie Kennedy to act as emcee for their E3 2007 conference. Unbeknownst to them, Kennedy had gotten wicked drunk before the show. Many of his jokes were aimed at the audience, the developers, and gamers in general. You can tell the developers that walked onstage were done with his nonsense, including Tony Hawk. This conference was so awful that you can’t even find footage of the entire thing! You’ll only find montages and clips of Kennedy’s terrible behavior. We just hope we won’t get some angry tweets from him for this video…
Before we reveal our cringiest pick, here are a few Dishonorable Mentions…
The “Rock Revolution” Failure
Konami - E3 2008
“Battlefield 4” Presentation
Microsoft - E3 2013
“Skyward Sword” Bugs & Glitches
Nintendo - E3 2010
#1: The ENTIRE Conference!
Konami - E3 2010
What an absolute trainwreck… Konami’s 2010 conference has gone down as the worst conference in E3 history. Almost every announcement was awkward, trailers failed to play, stunts on stage were unnecessary, and there were large portions of complete silence. Why were there luchadors smacking each other around? Why should we clap for “Ninety-Nine Nights II”? What’s with the heavily scripted bits? Oh, and don’t worry, they aren’t making a new “Dance Dance Revolution” game. What you’re seeing is a NEW dancing game called “Dance Masters”! There’s no way a conference will ever be as bad as this was.
