It's the question that launched a thousand arguments, and it comes around every year. With E3 2016 now one for the history books, we've got the inevitable question to try and answer, and this year is unusual. We've been asking the E3 question for the last few years now, and for the first time in a while we've got a more definitive answer than normal as it looks like Microsoft edged out the competition this time around.

Where last year, the gamers won E3, and the same before that--though admittedly, it could readily be said that Bethesda took the title last year--this year had a much clearer victor in Microsoft. Not only did it absolutely kill the event by bringing out two new consoles in the upcoming Xbox One S and the slightly more upcoming Project Scorpio, it also brought out a very nice slate of games. There were console exclusives like Dead Rising 4 and State of Decay 2, as well as some more universal games like Final Fantasy XV.

That's a great slate in and of itself, but this year it seemed like the competitors weren't bringing their A-game to the big show by and large. Sony brought some exciting new games, many of which were console exclusives, but word of a new console was noticeably absent. Given Microsoft's presence, that sort of hamstrung its big competitor and left Sony on less-than-stable footing. Sony did however have a great display of VR, and this gave it some advantage against Microsoft, but two consoles to none is quite a lead.

Nintendo, meanwhile, proved why it's third by default in the ongoing console wars, not even offering a show aside from its Treehouse live segment. A handful of announcements--though one was the big Legend of Zelda game--marked the event, and pickings were slim at best. Bethesda--potentially last year's winner with Fallout 4 and a host of others--didn't turn in anywhere near so spectacular a show, and left its audience at least somewhat disappointed against last year.

So while most everybody had a little something good to talk about, and that's a positive benefit for the gamers, Microsoft seemed to have a lot more to bring out this time around. Maybe Microsoft's asserting itself in preparation of the next generation of console gaming, which may be on hand sooner than anyone might expect. Either way, good news for most any platform--with the possible exception of Nintendo--and for Microsoft fans especially.