PlayStation at E3: 1996

If 1995 was about demonstrating the hardware, 1996 was all about getting that hardware into as many homes as possible and Sony Computer Entertainment announced a huge price drop to the PlayStation system that was the big talking point of the show.
On the game front, we were introduced to Crash Bandicoot, who would go on to become a PlayStation mascot and Lara Croft, whose appearance in Tomb Raider was the first step towards becoming a cultural icon.

Psygnosis announced sequels to WipEout and Destruction Derby, Namco brought the second instalments of Ridge Racer and Tekken, and a company then known as Squaresoft offered a glimpse of Final Fantasy VII.
We were entering the age of the videogame blockbuster, where crowds erupt for a 30 second clip of FMV footage and press conferences are as spectacular as they are informative. E3 1996 was a huge show; so huge, in fact, that the following year the organisers decided to move to a bigger venue in Atlanta.