So today begins E3 proper as the other two major press conferences, which are Nintendo and Sony, should be starting in a few minutes. After Microsoft drawing first blood with a bang, the big N and Sony better step up their game to make a good impression at E3. The liveblog will be all in text, but video will be up as soon as it shows up on various sites. Too bad the G4 I'm running is on West Coast time so the press conferences are actually airing later than the live (lucky East Coast peeps) showing. After these conferences, the show truly begins as I will clips of E3 posts throughout the week.
Note: Refresh this post at will to keep updated on this or read other's opinions at the major gaming sites if you're tired of me already.
9:05 am - Cammie Dumway starts us off... Where's Reggie?
9:08 am - New Super Mario Bros. Wii!!!!!
9:10 am - This looks like the Zelda Four Swords Adventures, but with Mario now = Neat!!!
9:13 am - New Super Mario Bros. Wii out this holiday... Buying!!!!
9:14 am - Oh Wii Fit... That was such a mistake lol. Oh its Wii Fit Plus!!!
9:16 am - Hmmmm... I wonder how Nintendo is selling Wii Fit Plus (Disc only and bundle with Balance Board if u skipped the first game = Oh Cammie just said of all this).
9:17 am - Reggie time!!!!
9:19 am - Reintroducing the Wii Motion Plus...
9:21 am - Motion Plus commercial - I'm getting tired of these already. Never mind, this is all for Wii Sports Resort, coming out next month.
9:24 am - A skydiving Mii Parade on Wii Sports Resort??
9:26 am - Archery being demoed with Motion Plus (Was it like this with Zelda TP?)
9:27 am - Oh Reggie and your smack talk!!!
9:29 am - 3 point contest on Wii Sports Resort being shown now. Lol Reggie wins.
9:30 am - Wii Sports Resort out on July 26th. Reggie also announcing other games with Motion Plus support (Tiger, Grand Slam Tennis, Virtua Tennis 2009, Red Steel 2).
9:33 am - Reggie talking RPGs now... Squenix showing more FF Crystal Bearers and finally Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days out on September for DS (cue the Utada theme song!!!)
9:35 am - Mario & Luigi IV: Bowser's Inside Story now being shown for DS (out this fall).
9:37 am - Golden Sun DS!!!! Finally...
9:39 am - Women's Murder Club announced... Whatever.
9:41 am - C.O.P.: The Recruit being shown - Another new DS game.
9:42 am - More DS games for the ladies...
9:43 am - DSi montage... Yay let's brag more about its success. (Sales numbers!!!)
9:46 am - Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again with a level editor and sharing... out this Monday on DSiWare (Finally something good again).
9:48 am - Flip Note Studio, Wario Ware D.I.Y. also coming to DSi this summer.
9:49 am - Sharing DSi photos on Facebook = Lol!!!!
9:50 am - Zelda: Spirit Tracks playable at the show floor (No new trailer??)
9:51 am - Iwata time!!! Bring the goods!!!
9:58 am - Wii Vitality Sensor?? Some pulse monitor thingy... I don't know Iwata.
10:03 am - Super Mario Galaxy 2!!!!! OMFG!!!! Game of the Forever!!!!
10:05 am - Wow this conference is not over yet... The Conduit being shown (The Wii's "Halo" out later this month). Resident Evil Darkside Chronciles also being shown.
10:07 am - Dead Space Extraction also being shown too. These three headline Nintendo's "hardcore" third-party efforts... Oh the sound is getting a little fuzzy.
10:09 am - Team Ninja on my Wii??
10:11 am - Holy **** a Team Ninja Metroid game called Metroid: Other M (out next year). Wow Nintendo, I didn't expect this.
10:12 am - Conference over... Wow Nintendo definitely surprised me today with their hardcore efforts. Where's Miyamoto?
10:20 am - Oh... Sony presser will be in 40 minutes. A new blog post will be up by then and we'll do this again.
Note: Due to various complaints, I will do liveblogging of Nintendo and Sony's press conferences tomorrow here on this blog instead of Twitter and FaceBook. I already issued an apology if you're offended of all that spam/cluttering I ensued there earlier today. I guess I got carried away being on game journalist mode posting random thought after random thought of what I saw during the event. Maybe the E3 hype was too much for me to handle today.
Anyway...
E3, aka the Electronic Entertainment Expo, has jumped off in a big way with Microsoft's Press Conference which happened this morning somewhere at Los Angeles. Since they were the first of the big three conferences (Nintendo and Sony's are tomorrow), they had to throw down the gauntlet and indeed they did. I came away really impressed of what Microsoft shown during their 2 hour briefing.
The briefing started off with The Beatles: Rock Band as Harmonix performed a full song and also announced DLC after the game's release with full albums and exclusive songs for Xbox Live. Lots of support are from the record company and even The Beatles themselves as Ringo and Sir John McCartney came out to an arousing applause. Even though I don't have Rock Band 2 anymore, Beatles looks very promising with its own art style and slightly different looking notecharts. Plus, it is cool to finally have Beatles songs on your Rock Band collection along with support for multiple singers according to the demo shown at the briefing. The Beatles: Rock Band will be released on September 9, 2009.
After Tony Hawk briefly talked about his new game, Tony Hawk Ride, along with showing off the skateboard controller and a trailer about fellow skaters loving it, the fireworks truly began with a demonstration of Modern Warfare 2, aka the sequel to Call to Duty 4: Modern Warfare by Infinity Ward. They first showed that infamous trailer that first aired during the NBA playoffs followed by a demo of the snow level by the developers themselves. I have been claiming that Modern Warfare 2 will be indeed the first-person shooter to beat this holiday season and I'm still keeping that claim true because it looks awesome having it all. My favorite moment of this demonstration is obviously the snowmobile parts as the player is firing at enemies gangster style with a pistol while driving. I regretfully passed on the first game for Mass Effect back in 2007, but now I'm actually looking forward for this being my shooter for the year. Also, Infinity Ward announced two exclusive map packs for Xbox Live since Modern Warfare has been a major success for the platform.
Next up is Final Fantasy XIII in which it was announced for 360 at last year's E3. Some Square-Enix folks came up to the stage and demonstrated a section of the trial version that was for the PS3, but running on 360 now. Surprisingly, it actually looks identical to the PS3 version and this brief demo has all out English voice overs. At least, Squenix announced a release window for the game which is next Spring.
Then Microsoft started rolling up the exclusives that began with a sequel to arguably my favorite 360 game. Crackdown 2 is indeed a reality as Ruffian Games is developing instead of Real Time Worlds since they moved on to APB (All Points Bulletin). Crackdown is a favorite among the hardcore crowd and for me actually being an awesome game besides having the Halo 3 Beta attached to it. If there is one game for me to come back to 360, Crackdown 2 would be it.
Left 4 Dead 2 came out as a surprise to me even though it was rumored to show up at this briefing. I thought it was too soon for a Left 4 Dead sequel considering the first game just came out last fall, but now the sequel is here and it is at a different setting, New Orleans, with a new cast of characters to go zombie hunting with. This is indeed 360/PC exclusive for a Fall 09 release.
Splinter Cell Conviction makes a return from the dead with an impressive showing at the press conference. Considering how Double Agent is somewhat of a refresh of previous SC games, Conviction looks to innovate the stealth action genre again with Sam Fisher on a mission for vengenace for the death of his daughter. This game is also coming out this fall.
Forza Motorsport 3 was a no brainer to be at the show, which it will be released this October. This racing game sequel will indeed be feature-heavy with the awesome car customization to the new video editor. Also, cockpit view is finally in as well as car damage being pushed to its limits as the Gran Turismo franchise still doesn't have it (Maybe GT5 will have it after all?). Turn 10 claims Forza 3 will be the racing game of the generation and so far if Sony doesn't show GT5 tomorrow, it sure looks that way for Forza 3.
And now the Halo section of the press conference begins with a demonstration of Halo 3 ODST, the single player expansion for Halo 3 out this September. Bungie is still making this one as a slightly different HUD is shown since you're playing as an ODST soldier. Also making a return to this game is the Halo 1 pistol complete with the scope (A lol moment for me out of the demonstration). The new silenced weapons make the experience somewhat different to previous games, but it is still Halo at its core.
Surprisingly making the rumors true, another Halo game was announced, which is called Halo: Reach. This is just a teaser as the game is based on the Fall of Reach novel. Don't expect this game till next fall, but a multiplayer beta will be out with Halo 3 ODST.
Also returning from the dead is Alan Wake by Remedy, the folks that brought you the first two Max Payne games. This survival horror/action game has been a long time coming, but finally it exists and actually an early contender for game of the show. The atmosphere and suspense looks intense as well as the gunplay with crazy slowmo stuff. Alan Wake is expected to come out next Spring.
Microsoft decides to break from the games to show off what's next in Xbox Live features. Among those new features, they will add last.fm to the dashboard, managaing your Netflix queue on 360 (finally), buy retail games from XBL Marketplace (not shown at the press conference), and instant 1080p HD video streaming. All of this will be out this fall. Even with all of that stuff on your 360 console, they decided to go extra crazy announcing support for FaceBook and Twitter (Lol!!!!)
The Guild's Felicia Day (also a cutie among the nerd community) came out to demo Facebook and Twitter on 360, which is crazy. As if Twitter and Facebook are crazy enough on our computers, being on 360 is just pushing it.
Back to the games, confirming more rumors and fueling the fanboy wars to new levels, Hideo Kojima comes out to announce Metal Gear Solid: Rising on 360 (exclusivity still unknown yet) starring everyone's favorite badass cyber-ninja Raiden (not Solid Snake). About time MGS appears on 360 whether or not it is MGS4, but at least Kojima is showing support for the 360 now.
Don Mattrick comes out after all those blockbuster game announcements to announce their vision for the future of gaming. Project Natal is the codename for their new direction for motion controllers (okay it is the rumored motion camera). Microsoft believes in no controllers for their ambitious direction as your whole body is the controller engaging in various activities. Various mini-games like painting and evading balls are shown during the demo headed by former EA Chicago mastermind Kudo Tsunoda. This demonstration video below is a glimpse of what to expect from Project Natal (Minority Report vibes indeed) which launches next year. Microsoft's attempt of the combating the Wii's success with motion controls has lots of potential and perhaps take over since it does way more than the Wii could do.
Perhaps the most ambitious game out of Project Natal is Milo, headed by Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios (Fable II). This guy is so full of ambition claiming that this whole motion-driven direction is a breakthrough of computer technology. Oh we'll see about that Peter if it lives up to its potential, but this is pretty special stuff indeed.
That's it for Microsoft Press Conference at this year's E3. I must say that Microsoft came out swinging having blockbuster game after blockbuster game (Some of them worthy exclusives), push the all-in-one entertainment console to new heights with instant 1080p HD support along with using Facebook and Twitter on your 360, and announce a new beginning for video games as a whole with Project Natal using the whole body as the controller. There was no filler moments as John Schappert (spelling?) promised no numbers or pie charts at the briefing (Yay!!) even though I wished Xbox Live Arcade had more time than just Epic's Shadow Complex being demoed (Its a Metroidvania style shooter that headlines this year's Summer of Arcade lineup... Also Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will start it up as well). The absence of Rare at the conference raised some questions as well whether or not they were ready to announce something new, so that was a little disappointing. Let's just say that Microsoft now has the tools to take over the console wars with a stacked game lineup and Project Natal. We'll see what Nintendo and Sony will do to counter Microsoft's amazing press conference (one of the better ones in years I think) tomorrow.
Don't forget I'll be liveblogging those conferences here tomorrow instead of spamming on Twitter and Facebook (Once again, I'm sorry).
With my E3 2009 Preview posts out of the way with all those predictions, let's start the clip rundown since they are starting to surface.
We'll start with a repost of this Mass Effect 2 teaser from last night's GameTrailers TV in which the full trailer will be next week during the show. If u read my review of the first game, I actually did like it a lot considering RPGs are not my thing, but this "western RPG" by BioWare did live up to the hype and the pedigree the company has done in the past. Looks like ME2 will continue the adventures of Shepard (did he really die?) and will be the "Empire Strikes Back" of the promised trilogy?
DJ Hero is indeed happening and the first official trailer above shows off the graphics and no gameplay (tons of that will happen at the show). Hearing the mix with "Hollaback Girl" seems crazy, but this game will indeed make or break by the setlist and seeing songs by Black Eyed Peas ("Boom Boom Pow"), Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, and Eminem, maybe it won't be bad after all that I might buy this thing in the end. We'll see if I really want to buy it, but I do want to at least try it out someday.
Perhaps the craziest trailer I seen so far before the show even starts is for Sega and Platinum Games' new game Bayonetta. This is definitely living up towards being a female "Devil May Cry" since Kamiya is the main man behind this game (He did the first DMC if u don't know). With this trailer, it looks like Kamiya will silence those critics that think this genre cannot be improved on because this game just looks absolutely insane with all the over the top business happening and it is all in 60 frames per second, which is sick. I enjoyed the DMC games (well 3 and 4), but Bayonetta is shaping up to blow away any competition it has (Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, Ninja Blade, DMC5) and I might as well buy this too.
Namco's big game at the show is obviously Tekken 6 aka Bloodline Rebellion and even though I haven't played this game in a month, the console version is showing promise and usually Namco delivers on the console version being more feature-heavy than the arcade version. Of course, there is the mandatory online play these days in the genre and now introduced in this trailer is the return of Tekken Force mode. Looks like Tekken Force can be played co-op, but no word about online yet by Namco themselves. Sure, this mode is just another measly addition to the overall package, but the fighting still matters, and I think it will be still good despite the long wait to come to consoles.
That's it for now... More will be added throughout the weekend and during showtime.
E3 is next week as bombs will be dropped regarding big games for the next year. Then again, if all these announcements of new games are already happening now with today's announcements of some Sega racing game which is Mario Kart but with Sega mascots like Sonic and such, Def Jam Rapstar, a rap karaoke game by EA, and the Pre-E3 special on GameTrailers TV tonight with new footage of Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and more. I already shared my thoughts about Nintendo and Microsoft with what they may bring to the show next week, but now it is finally Sony's turn and perhaps their conference has at least a clear indication of what should be shown at this event.
Final Fantasy XIII - I'm not sure if Square-Enix is showing up to E3 because of the swine flu, but expect a big showing for FFXIII especially with the billboards already showing up at Downtown LA featuring the main characters. The footage above is from the Japanese Trial Version that was released with Advent Children Complete, but Squenix have said that they won't bring this demo with the US release of Blu-Ray Advent Children next month. Then again, making the demo downloadable on PSN is not out of the question as I think they are considering it for the US audience that wanted to play this that don't want to import. Hopefully new areas will be shown next week beyond the demo and a more clearer release window since it is still next year worldwide. Will it be playable at the show floor? Who knows, I just hope it is not an extended trailer of the same old stuff with a couple more seconds of new stuff added in. Honestly, I'm not really a Final Fantasy fan as the only one I played through all of is FFX, but I'm willing to give the franchise another chance with XIII since the demo blew me away when I first saw it in action (That battle music is also epic stuff).
Project Trico - This seems inevitable at this rate that Project Trico will be shown next week at the show. While some considers this the PS3's saving grace, of course it is not that blockbuster that everyone will buy. It will just be another appreciated title by the hardcore like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, but who knows if others will buy it. If this is actually shown, expect it to be the overall game of the show since the gaming press loves everything the Ico team does since the previous two are such special games.
Heavy Rain - This PS3 exclusive will also have a big showing at E3 since it is another critical darling among the hardcore crowd. If u don't know about Heavy Rain, this game is context sensitive (quick-time event) driven with tons of moral choices that will make a difference in the story and the characters. The developers have said that it is still a long way off (like next year), but expect Sony will go crazy with this at their press conference.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - This is a big week for Uncharted 2 as new footage will be shown on GameTrailers TV tonight as mentioned earlier and the multiplayer beta begins next week on PSN if you're a Qore subscriber and bought inFAMOUS at its launch. I have mentioned on Twitter to various game journalists about wanting to see some new levels other than the ones already seen for both single and multiplayer. The first Uncharted was my first PS3 game and I actually did love it for what it is, which is an awesome exclusive. I have high hopes for the sequel continuing the adventures of Nathan Drake in various spots of the world, but there are some skeptics that believe that Naughty Dog adding in co-op and versus multiplayer may affect the work on the single player. However from what I seen so far, they have been delivering on that end with the epic setpieces, the gunplay, and the charm that is Drake himself feeling like a true character. I'm betting on a co-op demonstration of this game will happen at the press conference.
(As I'm typing this, the PSN Store finally updated for this week).
God of War III - Of course, Sony's big gun is God of War III and I am hopeful it makes a big impact at the show with an awesome trailer, gameplay demonstration at the press conference, and a playable demo at the show floor. The first two games were that damn good and I also have high hopes for this third one to end the trilogy with a bang (especially if you have seen the ending for God of War II). This one is also out next year and will be worth the wait.
Gran Turismo 5 finally coming after all? - GT5 Prologue has been out for a while (well last year) as Polyphony Digital have been spending lots of time on the real GT5 being the real deal for racing simulations. I just hope my man Kaz finally announces something related to GT5 next week because this will be another must-have for the PS3 whether you love the franchise or not (I might as well get a wheel for this as well).
Kojima's next game? - With Metal Gear Solid 4 out and now part of the greatest hits lineup out next month at 30 bucks (finally I can buy and play this masterpiece), who knows what's next for Kojima, but with all those teasers after teasers (since he loves to tease), is his next game another Metal Gear title being a prequel of sorts, or will it be something completely different (like Zone of the Enders 3 or whatever). All signs and clues are leading towards a MGS5 or a prequel (or MGS4 Existence for both PS3 and 360).
The rest of Sony's 1st party lineup - While some may claim that Sony has the best first party lineup of the big three (I can somewhat agree with them), I have faith that they will deliver the goods this upcoming year with Uncharted 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: Crack in Time, MAG (Who knows if that game will deliver, hopefully a multiplayer beta gets announced for PSN), the continuing support of the SingStar franchise, and maybe some new IPs and sequels to to other franchises (Jak, Sly Cooper, Heavenly Sword, etc.). Also, what's next for LittleBigPlanet? Will Media Molecule show off new levels and other goods for their remarkable game? Who knows, but it better be good for me to play that game again.
What about PSN and Home? - Playstation Network continues to evolve with firmware update after firmware update, but will there be a major one next week aka 2.8 that promises the goods like in-game voice chat and full PS2 backwards compability? On the downloadable front, I'm just happy they are continuing to deliver on more risky original titles like Fat Princess and the new Pikeljunk Shooter, so I'm hopeful of more original games being announced for PSN and maybe the rumored Starhawk will happen too (I don't have Warhawk). Of course, I want more classics on this service, but it is okay letting XBLA getting the goods on those. Home is also evolving to its full potential even though some would say it already failed on its promise. With things like a playable Buzz space, on-disc features, and other giveaways, maybe Home will be cool after all. Lastly, PSN better fix their online connection issues even though I fixed my fortunately because it is getting frustrating for some users out there.
Okay, that's it for the PS3 other than the inevitable price drop has to happen now and maybe the Slimline SKU is true after all.
As for PSP, Sony is promising a second coming for the handheld, but I'm skeptical about it because they are just releasing more of the same titles that consoles have and better on them like Tekken 6, Rock Band Unplugged, Soul Calibur, and more. Maybe more games being available both at retail and as download like Patapon 2 might be the solution with the PSP to compete again with the DS. Perhaps other exclusives like Final Fantasy Dissidia and Monster Hunter will give PSP another push, but I don't see it happening.
That's it for Sony and yes I'm ready for E3 and bombs to be dropped!!
So E3 is next week at Downtown LA as it hopes to recapture the same magic it used to have before by opening the doors to the public (sort of). I already shared my thoughts on what Nintendo might bring to the table this year, so now its Microsoft's turn (Sony's later this week).
As expected, Microsoft will draw first blood again this year by being the first press conference out of the big three, which is on Monday. They promised to show titles that will come out both this fall and the next year from both first and third parties (Out of the three, most of the conference will be a third party showcase). So, might as well started with what Microsoft may or may not show next week.
Modern Warfare 2 - I expect a big showing for Infinity Ward's next FPS at their conference just like the first one two years ago. Call of Duty 4 is still the most played shooter on Xbox Live and it is a no brainer for the IW guys to show off one of the new levels in their new blockbuster. Plus, that trailer above is an example of how a game trailer (whether it looks good or not) should be done with all those epic setpieces that the player will experience. Honestly, I skipped on Modern Warfare 1, and for now, I'm not skipping on Modern Warfare 2. Considering the success of the first game on Xbox Live, I won't be surprised if another exclusive multiplayer beta gets announced before the game's release on November 10.
Tony Hawk Ride - Also, expect the new Tony Hawk game to make a big splash at E3 next week with the Birdman himself Tony Hawk showing off the new skateboard controller and gameplay at the press conference. If you already know, Tony Hawk Ride only uses the new skateboard controller that actually looks like a skateboard without the wheels and trucks. Plus, if GameStop is right, expect this game to be expensive at around 120 bucks. Of course, I'm still skeptical on how Tony's return to the gaming world may fare out with Skate 2 around, but this desperate idea for motion controls is something me and others would consider trying.
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony - This was just announced today by Rockstar themselves, which is the second downloadable exclusive episode for Grand Theft Auto IV. Once again, Rockstar is willing to push the envelope like they always have done in the past, especially the title alone grabbing people's attention. Just like Lost & Damned, this DLC is 20 bucks or 1600 Microsoft Points, but Rockstar is smart enough to bundle the two episodes together for 40 bucks as a retail standalone disc not requiring GTA IV to play them. For their press conference, I expect the debut trailer for this to be shown and it should be interesting what Rockstar will pull off this time.
What's next for the "Plastic Instrument" genre? - I also expect something Rock Band and Guitar Hero related at Microsoft's press conference as well since the downloadable content has been a major success for the companies involved. Of course Activision has their milking of plastic instruments to go crazy about with DJ Hero, Band Hero, and Guitar Hero V and I expect a DJ Hero demonstration to be shown at the conference since it is the most interesting of the three games they have coming soon. Hopefully DJ Hero will bring something different to the genre, but I don't see that happening. As for Harmonix, they have said they're not doing Rock Band 3 this year, which is good, but I predict a big showing for Rock Band Beatles at the show and especially Sir Paul McCartney making an appearance to talk about the upcoming game. I have claimed on Twitter and elsewhere that I am pretty much done with this genre, but we'll see if this E3 will bring me back (I hope not honestly).
Other things in MS's 3rd party showcase - There are many big 3rd party games that Microsoft would show off in their press conference even though the ones above should the ones that may spark the most interest. Of course, there's Splinter Cell Conviction, Assassins Creed 2, Madden 10, Brutal Legend, BioShock 2 (confirmed for November?), Lost Planet 2, Dante's Inferno, Fallout: New Vegas, whatever is next for Valve (Half-Life 2 Episode 3?) and more. Actually the most curiosity out of Microsoft's third party support is what the Japanese third parties will bring to the table for their system. Will Kojima finally fess up and announce a special edition of Metal Gear Solid 4 after being teased for the longest time? How much of an impact will Final Fantasy XIII have on both systems? - Is MS willing to moneyhat their way for an US exclusive demo (the same one that is out at Japan, but on PS3 only)? What is Capcom's other secret game besides Tatsunoko vs. Capcom on Wii? Hopefully things will be answered next week.
Mass Effect 2 - Oh yeah, there's this sequel to a critically acclaimed RPG and this teaser just seen on GameTrailers TV is some crazy stuff. Sure, it looks the same as the first game, but if u have been attention since its official announcement, things are starting to get nutty in the world where Shepard and company have to deal now.
Okay, enough with the big third party stuff as we should focus on Microsoft's first party offerings now, since they're still the weakest of the big three companies, and their other online services.
Halo 3 ODST - This Halo 3 expansion is still coming out this fall and while it will appeal to Halo fans, it won't be the 360 shooter of the year. We'll see how Bungie will try to spice up the gameplay a bit in this one as no gameplay footage has not been revealed yet. Hopefully its playable in some form at the show, but I think only a new trailer will be the only thing Bungie will show next week.
Forza 3 - This has been teased for a while as well as Turn 10 has been declining that it exists. They might as well confirm its existence at the show and show off any new features that hopefully will beat the competition (if Sony shows off Gran Turismo 5).
Alan Wake - Will this E3 be the coming out party for Remedy's long awaited action thriller? It seems likely that it may be.
What's next for Rare? - After Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, who knows what Rare is doing now other than updating the avatar thing on the NXE. It seems likely that Perfect Dark will be officially announced for Xbox Live Arcade after all those leaks. Then again, their big game is still somewhat of a secret as I'm betting on a new Jet Force Gemini game or the heavily requested Killer Instinct 3 (ULTRA COMBO!!!).
The Gears 2 downloadable movement and what's next for Epic? - Epic continues to support Gears of War 2 with more downloadable maps for multiplayer and a recently announced single-player expansion. So expect Cliff to show off some of that at the show and maybe his new game too since that has been a hot rumor heading towards next week.
MS continuing their casual division? - Last year, Microsoft tried to go after the casual market dominated by the Wii, but failed with disappointments of Lips, You're Into the Movies, and Scene It Box Office Smash. It will be interesting to see whether or not Microsoft will continue their efforts towards getting more of the casual market with things like Xbox Live Primetime, and the heavily rumored motion controller.
Xbox Live Arcade - XBLA continues to be the #1 downloadable game service out of the three with the quantity and quality of games being a mix mash of old and new games (Even though PSN is still getting better and better). I expect them to continue their trend even though we are seeing bigger games in terms of size (They might as well get rid of the size limit) with more original games and others from established franchises. In terms of established franchises, expect MS to brag about Marvel vs. Capcom 2, TMNT Turtles in Time remake, the new Behemoth game, Tecmo Bowl, and perhaps new classics getting the remake treatment that we don't know yet. Expect one of those crazy montages like they always have done next week.
Another dashboard update? - Even though the New Xbox Experience is a success for Microsoft, hopefully they will fix some things and add more features to their dashboard. With Netflix support at their grasp and working well for them, I could see Microsoft trying to get a deal with a social phenomenon like FaceBook or Twitter to be used on the 360. That would be interesting if they managed to pull that off.
Games for Windows? - Who knows if Microsoft will show some PC games at their press conference, but maybe they will with Valve's new stuff, Crytek's new game, and others. It will probably be just another random montage of the same old stuff. UPDATE - Expect MS to show Zune Marketplace on Xbox Live since they confirmed the existence of the Zune HD.
The big question... Will they jumpstart the next generation or rehash the 360 again? - It is probably still too early for the next generation of consoles to start, but considering that the 360 launched in the fall of 2005, will they announce the new Xbox or put out a rehashed 360 with the biggest hard drive, HDMI out of the gate, WiFi enabled, the rumored motion controller, and hopefully fixes all those red ring of death issues? I'm leaning on the latter likely to happen because they need a new SKU even though there are too many SKUs already. Maybe a price drop will happen as well to make it the cheapest console out on the market too.
Okay, this is getting long, but there are so many surprises Microsoft can pull off here other than the suggestions I listed above. They are actually the only ones out of the big three that can pull something crazy out of their hands considering we don't have a firm answer on what in the world they are officially showing from themselves. I still expect half of the conference to be a third party showcase since they're still the lead platform for most of these games and the other half to be on first party, hardware, and online related stuff. We'll see if Microsoft will make me buy their console again even though I have already given up on that system due to their numerous hardware failures.
So next week is E3, aka Disneyland for the video game industry aka where megaton announcements are amazing as well. Of course, there are so many rumors and speculation regarding what the big three will bring and which big game will make the biggest impression among the gaming press, the gamers themselves, and the industry in general. The press conferences are always the big deal of the show of which company will please their fans the most as well as opening the doors somewhat to the public again in hopes of recapturing what E3 used to be earlier this decade being a spectacle rather than just another event. This could be an interesting E3 since normally we would be at the end of another console generation and perhaps Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo will maybe startup the next generation. Then again, we are still in a recession and that will play a role whether or not these companies are willing to give up on this current generation in order to be ahead of the game. Despite that, this generation I think still has another good year or two left before technology passes by for gaming to be pushed to new levels and we have to spend money on new expensive consoles again.
I'll start with Nintendo for this post as Microsoft and Sony will be later in the week.
Nintendo has been continuing to display their dominance of the industry currently with the Wii, which continues to sell like crazy every month, and the DS, in which the latest iteration, the DSi, is already a success for the land of Mario. While some critics may believe that Nintendo may lose their dominance in the coming months, its not stopping them from releasing great games for both casual and hardcore audiences. This could be arguably the best year of the Wii so far with awesome game after awesome game from MadWorld, ExciteBots, Punch-Out!!, EA Sports Active, and Boom Blox Bash Party compared to previous years even though Nintendo has pretty much released something from their major franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Metroid (They recently announced the Metroid Prime Trilogy bundle with all three Prime games in one package for 50 bucks for an August release, pictured above). Even all the success Nintendo has, hardcore fans seem never pleased with their new casual direction and not caring about the hardcore, but lately there has a good balance between that with the games I listed above. This E3 for them will be interesting how they handle the divide between casual and hardcore gaming such as whether or not someone like Reggie or Iwata will continue to brag about their success as their console is still a mainstream attraction here in America or they will actually bring the heat announcing new games that both audiences will care about.
On the Wii side... This is what I expect to see from Nintendo and hope it will happen.
Miyamoto's new game - The last two years saw Miyamoto, aka the man who made Mario and Zelda, reveal Wii Fit and Wii Music respectively. While Wii Fit still sells like crazy (We'll see how EA Sports Active, the Wii Fit killer, will fare against that), Wii Music turned out to be a disappointment, and indeed it was as it wasn't that good of a game. Will Miyamoto reveal another new game in the casual Wii... franchise or maybe go back to the faithful announcing a new Zelda game... which seems to be the major rumor among the world of Nintendo heading towards E3.
MotionPlus demonstration - The Wii MotionPlus peripheral is coming out next month and I expect it to make a big showing as some titles will show off the advantage of having the N64 Expansion Pak-like boost for more accurate motion. Wii Sports Resort will obviously be shown and hopefully new mini-games will be shown that weren't revealed last year. Also, Red Steel 2 will make its debut with Motion Plus support even though the first game was very terrible. Hopefully, more unannounced games by either Nintendo or third parties will be shown to take advantage of MotionPlus (This thing is 20 bucks when it comes out next month or July, but will be bundled with Wii Sports Resort).
What's next for WiiWare and Virtual Console? - Nintendo's downloadable services will continue to be behind Sony and Microsoft's offerings, but Nintendo themselves need to step up with WiiWare. Almost every week is nothing but shovelware that no one does not want to buy as Nintendo needs big games to make WiiWare compete with Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. What I mean by big games is Nintendo putting out more first-party games to the service and games that involve their endless catalog of franchises. How sick would it be to see New Super Mario Bros. 2 or a new 2D Metroid on something like WiiWare along with a DS version of these titles? Of course, I don't see Nintendo giving a damn about WiiWare, but if WiiWare wants to hang with the other two, big and reputable games better start to show up (Mega Man 9, the upcoming Contra Rebirth and Final Fantasy IV: After Years are good starts). As for Virtual Console, it seems nearly all of Nintendo's games from the past are out on Virtual Console, but there's still some left like Yoshi's Island. I am hopeful that more third parties will release more of their games on VC like Square-Enix, which they are with the Final Fantasy franchise, and others from Western third parties like EA. I'm also curious how Virtual Console Arcade will turn out if more games are coming out being arcade incarnations of those games.
Wii HD? - Will Nintendo re-release the Wii with actual 720p support? I don't see this happening, but if it does, hopefully the Wii that is out now gets a price drop while this new Wii stays at 250 bucks. This will of course divide the audience tenfold, but there are people out there that are willing to upgrade. Speaking of new Wiis, where are the new colors?
More Nintendo franchises getting the Wii treatment? - We already saw the big guns on the Wii already with Twlight Princess, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros. Brawl, and Mario Kart. What's left for them to put out? There's actually plenty and if Punch-Out!! can get the awesome remake/reimagining treatment, why not some other Nintendo games like Star Fox, Pilotwings, Kirby, F-Zero, and so on.
Other games that might make an appearance...
The Conduit (aka the FPS that will be the "Halo" for the Wii and also out next month)
Sin & Punishment 2
More New Play Control games (Metroid Prime Trilogy for example)
The usual third-party offerings by EA, Activision, Ubisoft, and more
More Square-Enix goodness like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronciles stuff (Kingdom Hearts on the Wii? - Still a perfect fit for that system, maybe a compilation of KH1 Final Mix, Re: Chain of Memories, and KH2 Final Mix).
As for the DS...
DSi only games finally shown? - There will be likely some games announced by Nintendo and maybe other companies that will be DSi only.
Zelda: Spirit Tracks keeping the Zelda name alive? - With the GDC reveal, the new Zelda DS game, Spirit Tracks got a mixed reception among fans, so hopefully new footage will be revealed along with the game being playable at the show floor.
Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver confirmed for US release - With the continuing success of Diamond, Pearl, and now Platinum, Nintendo has no choice but confirm the Gold & Silver remakes for release here in the States. Hopefully it would be day and date with the Japanese versions, but I don't see it happening.
DSiWare suffering the same fate as WiiWare? - I could totally see this happening as Nintendo has been ignoring WiiWare for others to release shovelware and the same thing could be said for DSiWare as well. I hope it doesn't happen as there's more potential for this than WiiWare with the stylus and touch controls to good games to come out.
The Game Boy Virtual Console actually happening? - This seems inevitable at this point with the DSi out as a Game Boy Virtual Console should happen for old Game Boy games (and even GBA games since the DSi doesn't have the GBA slot) like Super Mario Land, Link's Awakening, Metroid II: The Return of Samus, and Pokemon Red & Blue.
Hopefully these games are there...
New Super Mario Bros. 2 - (Please?)
New 2D Metroid or Super Metroid DS (Pretty please?)
New Kirby DS
The Layton sequels getting US releases
New Elite Beat Agents game
New Ace Attorney game (There's already one, I forgot what it is called)
Final Fantasy V DS (Eventually I guess since III and IV are already out on DS)
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days getting an official US release date (out in Japan next week)
Okay, that's it for Nintendo for this preview of E3 2008. Expect the same thing like this for Microsoft and Sony later this week as the show quickly approaches.
I should of blogged about this like on Monday (oh well), but last Sunday was another Street Fighter IV Ranbat tournament at Arcade Infinity. Unfortunately, I didn't enter this one due to other plans, but that didn't stop me from showing up at least and hanging out with the usual AI suspects. Despite not entering, it was still an enjoyable time chatting it up with SoCal's best players like Gootecks, aka still the SoCal SF4 ambassador, Mike Ross, who still claims that he stopped Marvel, but I don't know about that, and others like Shoo about Tatsunoko vs. Capcom getting a second chance even though that will last a week or two, Luka because he still gets HYPE even for a different fighting game that I never seen that had a side tournament, so on. I swear they always move stuff around like SF4 and King of Fighters XII every time I come there. Despite the stacked competition of SoCal's best, it was AI regular Jack aka ComboJack aka Jack the Ripper winning the whole Ranbat with his Sagat beating Edma's Akuma. It is Jack's first AI Ranbat win I think and u can tell from the whole tournament that he was hungry to win it all (Well, Mike Ross told me Jack is determined to win it just based on momentum and it is his time to be among SoCal's elite class of SF4 players).
Anyway, enjoy the other videos below of Edma's sick Akuma in action, Gootecks getting hype (his pre-game Lebron-like ritual is not shown of him clapping his hands loudly and then mashing the buttons Marvel style), Fuson's Guile still being the best Guile in SoCal I think, and more. Also, don't mind the commentary from Sanchez and some chick that I think will be in the upcoming Ladies of SF4 tournament at AI next month (Other than someone's Filipino card being questioned in one of the clips).
