E3 2010 - Opinions

 

So all the conferences are over with I think. At least all the major ones. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have stepped up to the bench and tried to tickle our fancies in order to win the quite prestigious title of “Biggest Balls In LA”. Who won this year? Well to be honest I think my hearts went back to Nintendo. A little bit. They’ve managed to present some new tech that didn’t instantly appeal to the casual market. “Here’s our new console guys” they said, “and this is for you Liam”. Metal Gear Solid 3D, Resident Evil 3D… to be perfectly honest I was impressed. Especially by the actual handheld. The 3-D is actually incredibly impressive. Still, early days and it was only a video. Anyway, I’m now gonna go in great detail about every major conference because I’m a nerd.

Microsoft

 

In general, the Microsoft conference was very poor. Kinect (Project natal) was focused upon far too much, with Microsoft pushing towards a casual market and completely alienating it’s hardcore fanbase in the process. We don’t care about Kinectimals or whatever the it’s called guys. Yea, it might be good for our kids or nephews or… oh wait they have Wii’s. Yea. They don’t care either. Really. Sorry.

The conference picked up a bit when the real games started coming through. Gears of War 3 Co-Op is looking good, as it the campaign of Halo Reach. Fable 3 is… Fable 3 (still) and the Xbox is getting COD exclusive DLC… still. So… nothing new really. Crytek’s new game looks promising of course, but apart from that the Xbox has a rather underwhelming line up of same old, same olds.

Of course, the Xbox slim was the highlight of the show. A new console which looks to me like an Alienware laptop had sex with Bill Gates… and produced something beautiful. It looks to be a top notch piece of kit. They’ve even sorted out the red ring. It’s only been five years guys. Will I be buying one? No, but as it’s the same price as the current models it certainly is tempting.

 

Nintendo

A new E3, a new DS. It’s became a bit of a tiresome tradition to be perfectly honest with you, but at least this year they did things a little differently. No casual shit heaps, just pure hardcore nuggets of wonderment (no one dare steal that. Ever). The lineup is… well it’s already got more potential for classics than the Wii currently has with four years under it’s tiny casual belt. Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Starfox 64, Zelda 64… Remember when the DS was announced and all the hype surrounding hardcore games was at it’s peak? Well Nintendo are finally delivering. It’s probably not acceptable, but I’m going to forgive them. Purely for the graphics on the damn thing. Way to step up your game Nintendo! Seriously. Well done.

Other highlights included the announcement of Zelda: Skyward Sword (about time) and Epic Mickey (looking good). However, I can’t say 'I’m so sure about Goldeneye Wii. Seems a bit of a stupid idea if you ask me. A “reimaging” of a classic? Come on, surely Pierce Brosnon would have popped his head into a recording studio if you paid him a little bit more than you paid Mr. Craig? No? Fair enough.

Sony

OK so Sony started off poorly as well, to be perfectly honest. Move? Don’t care. Heroes on the Move? Oh come on Sony… you can do a little better than that can’t you? 3D, blah blah blah, yea we get it you make 3D Bravias. No we won’t buy them. Ah right here we go. Games.

Killzone 3 is looking smooth, Grand Turismo is looking gorgeous… is that it for exclusives? Oh Ok fair enough. Playstation Plus seems like a fair deal. For the same price as Xbox Live you get free games and other cool content? Automatic downloads of demos, themes, wallpapers… yea that’s pretty cool. Not for me but hey it’s there I suppose.

Now Sony’s third party aspects really impressed me today. First of all the amount of exclusives EA are offering is just… lovely. Yea, that’s a good word for it. Lovely. Dead Space 2 will come with Dead Space Extraction. For free. With move support. Sorted! Medal of Honour will come with a HD remake of Medal of Honour Frontline. Bargain! Sony have secured the Assassins Creed 2 multiplayer Beta. Bravo! However can you top that. Oh, Portal 2 is coming to Ps3 and will be their best version. Oh Gabe you cheeky, chubby bitch. I love you. Whatever they paid you I’ll give you double.

Still doesn’t change the fact you have barely any exclusives though Sony. Tut tut.

As I said, overall E3 was a bit disappointing. Still, it’s always nice to have some fresh news eh?

E3 2010: 15th –17th June

With E3 only weeks away, I should probably start getting ready to drool over everything that’s about to happen. It’s a dead cert that this is going to be a very interesting year, albeit a year of the sequels. Although it’s going to be amazing watching as this years blockbusters , such as inFamous 2 and LittleBigPlanet 2, are finally revealed but I can’t help but feel there’s not going to be many original IP’s present at this years expo.

I mean, there’s the obvious Bulletstorm but what else? Will Bungie be unveiling their new Activision project? Probably not, especially with Halo Reach being present.

Still, Assassins Creed 3 is all they need to reveal and I’ll be very very very happy indeed.

Winners and Failers

THE FAILERS: E3 Line Up Leaked.

Oh look, it’s all of the announcements from E3 on a piece of paper. I BETTER NOT POST THIS ON TWITTER! 8D

Although it’s validity is… well it’s obviously faked but it’s interesting to think that some of these could be real. inFamous 2 would be a nice surprise, as would “James Bond Game for XBLA” (Dare I say Goldeneye? It has been confirmed to exist, after all.)

However, it’s obvious that a lot of these are going to be there anyway. Gears of War 3, Guitar Hero 6 and Dead Space 2 because they’ve all be announced  and it’s obvious that this is a fake because it has the Call of Duty MMO on it. I mean seriously. Someone's just collected all of the rumours from the past six months and dumped them on a piece of paper. Amateurs. If this was a proper fake it would have Mario 128 and Duke Nukem Forever on it.

THE WINNERS: Halo 2 Is Still Online

This is my equivalent of a feel good story. Basically, these fourteen gamers have kept themselves permanently connected to the Halo 2 servers in an effort to keep the game alive, even though Microsoft closed the service two weeks ago.

"A small group of dedicated Halo 2 players kept their Xbox's on so that they could enjoy the game for a while longer. (As long as we don't turn off our Xbox's, or lose connection, we can stay online.)"

"Our Xbox's have been on for nearly 13 days straight. Each day the amount of people decreased, at a rapid rate."

"A lot of us became really good friends, and it's almost like we're family now,"

"We will keep playing until we are all forcibly removed. It could be by Microsoft, Bungie, our Xbox's overheating, or just lagging out. Not for competition, not for a prize, but for the love, and memory of Halo 2."

Isn’t that nice? I think it’s great when people are dedicated like this.

It’s just a shame they aren’t addicted to a decent game, really.

E3 Day 2

So firstly, I've just started playing Animal Crossing on the Wii, but that's not important.

Another day, another E3. The Nintendo conference.... well did bugger all really but I'll cover it in a sentence.

More casual, more shiny old stuff.

Ok so further opinion? The new Metroid looks sweet as (It looks to be a lot like the originals and the damn near perfect Metroid Fusion), I can't wait for the new Mario RPG (LOVED Partners in Time) and I did get a laugh out of the DS port for the Wii (New Super Mario Bros on a Wii!)

I would like to say a lot about Sony's conference as well but... well there's nothing really new. Ok so the new Rockstar exclusive makes me drool but everything else was just... already known. While the Microsoft conference made everyone wee in excitement and surprise, the Sony conference was like greeting and old friend who then gave you a birthday present and a lovely big hug. Great things but, expected!

Although THAT Drakes Fortune trailer......

E3 Day One: All Your Base Are Belong To Xbox

I have no idea what to say. If you didn't watch the Xbox conference than... well shame on you. Yesterday I said that Nintendo's conference a few years back was the best keynote conference ever. I lied, because today Xbox just waltzed right over it. 

Get knowledgeable!!!! Click here < ---------

Ok read it all? Good man. I have a feeling that even if you're the most hardcore Playstation fanboy something there got you excited.

So lets get all the motion stuff out the way first. Yes, I did sex wee a little when I saw it. Only problem is I'm slightly skeptical about it at the present moment, but I have a feeling that it's going to come through and be incredible. Still, puts the Wii in perspective a bit huh? 

But now lets get the chunky stuff. Left 4 Dead 2 (Where did that come from?), Crackdown 2 (Yes please), Twitter, Facebook, and Last FM on the dashboard and of course.... *sighs* Metal...... Metal Gear Solid....

God Sony have a lot to live up to tomorrow. 

E3 Is Upon Us

So E309 begins tomorrow and no doubt there will be a literal flood of quality games revealed and demoed as well as some shiny new tech for us all to get excited about. You know, same as every year.

However theres one E3 that I'll always have fond memories for. It was the year that Reggie held up that strange new handheld with two screens, and behind him was Super Mario 64 on a handheld. Honestly, my mind = blown.

Then the Nintendo Revolution was held in air and it was revealed that.... well not a lot really but there it was! And how would it be revolutionary? What did it do?? Hang on a virtual console? The new Legend of Zelda? 

It was all perfect. I'd never been more excited in my life. The fanboy within me wept with happiness at what it had just learnt... Classic times. Then of course both of the things came out and they were pretty shit, but oh well!

Bring on next week!