There are essentially three tiers of announcements that we can think about going into E3 press conferences. There are the confirmed games: games like Fallout 76, Super Smash Bros. and Assassin's Creed Odyssey. These games get teasers before E3 even starts and anchor their respective press conferences. Then there are the heavily rumored titles: games like Cyberpunk 2077 or something like Halo 6. No, these aren't confirmed, but they're expected nonetheless, usually with plenty of evidence and rumors to suggest their appearance. And then there are those hail mary titles, those "wouldn't it be incredible if they showed us" games. These usually don't happen, but sometimes they do.

Every now and then, it's wise to stop and recognize the good things in life. And right now, it doesn't get much better than the video game industry. After dozens of Slack conversations about all the exciting titles and hardware coming out this year, a handful of Engadget editors got together to formally celebrate the year in gaming so far. Plus, we gazed into the future and offered suggestions on ways to make 2017 even better. So sit back, clear your mind and join us in an appreciation of everything good the video game industry has to offer in 2017.