E3 Wrap Up

Click the jump for my impressions of E3 and what the "big three" had to offer.

Microsoft

Focusing primarily on the Kinect, the official name for project Natal, Microsoft announced the new hardware along with 15 software titles coming to the platform. First impressions say the Kinect is less interesting for gamers like me, with most titles targeted towards a more casual demographic. The titles that appeared lacked any sort of depth I typically look for in games, which was disappointing. There were some exceptions to this, as Harmonix’s new IP Dance Central seemed promising. The user interface appeared very easy to understand, as flashcards displayed the type of dance move you were required to execute and your motions are captured on Kinect. It could be a reason to get off my couch. In addition, many games incorporated a feature where the Kinect would take pictures of you in action, like a theme park ride. These can be sent to your friends online, bringing a community aspect to the device. Other examples of the tech in action included the current OS for the Xbox being much more interactive with controller free navigation and voice recognition. They also announced sequels to a number of titles we were already aware of, i.e. Halo Reach, GOW 3, Fable 3, etc. Microsoft finished with the new Xbox 360, which comes with a 250 GB hard drive and Wireless N packed in. All of the press who attended was lucky enough to receive one free!

Nintendo

Had a very impressive showing at the press conference this year, primarily because they focused on what is the most important part of gaming… games! They announced the release of every piece of software people have been pining over for the past three years as well as a new piece of hardware, the 3DS. Some of the games included Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, Kirby, and even Kid Icarus! The biggest surprise was the new Kirby, which is a departure from the traditional franchise. Kirby has always been about consuming your opponents and integrating them into your combat mechanics. This new iteration utilizes a very interesting artistic style and gameplay mechanic involving a piece of yarn, which interacts with environments and enemies. It also appears to be a co-op experience, which should be a perfect fit. The highlight of the show for many was the release of the new 3DS, as even the skeptics were impressed at how well the 3D worked. The smartest move by Nintendo was adding the capability of the 3D being adjustable via a slider bar. Since not everyone’s eyes are the same, it makes the 3D accessible to everyone. Other upgrades in the 3DS include an analog stick, a larger screen, a 3D camera and more processing power. Along with the hardware, Nintendo announced a plethora of software titles and movies, specifically for the 3DS.

Sony

Many will disagree with me, but I thought this press conference was exciting. It was rather long with all the content Sony covered, but it was all official announcements and no statistics. They started with 3D, announcing that 41 titles will support it by the end of 2011. I do not feel like spending a couple thousand dollars to wear glasses in the living room, so we will skip over that part. Then the Playstation Move was featured, as well as games supported and designed for the Move. This excites me because I am more interested in games that are triple-‘A’ titles, not necessarily Wii ports. For example, in Little Big Planet 2, the Move could be very useful in designing levels. In addition, Sony plans to bring the optional Move support to games like Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, Killzone 3 and Socom 4, all triple-‘A’ shooters. There are also some rail-shooters included, like Time Crisis, Deadspace: Extraction and The Shoot. Next, Sony announced a wealth of PSN exclusive content for various third party titles, as well as the announcement of the Playstation Plus program. The Playstation Plus is the PSN paid subscription and I will probably talk about it further as details arise. Sony also announced some new game titles like Portal 2, Twisted Metal, Heroes on the Move, and Sorcery. Finally, I have to mention Kevin Butler - VP of all things Playstation came out and gave a riveting monologue. It was a way for Sony to appease the fans and introduce a new ad campaign for the PSP. I happen to be most excited about my PS3 in 2011, right now.

Game I am most excited for - Red Faction: Armageddon


The story is centered on Darius, the grandson of RF: Guerilla’s two protagonists, who is some how involved in releasing an alien menace from deep within Mars. The game will be returning to its roots, primarily taking place underground, but not loosing any of the things that made the game great. Destruction is still prevalent in the game world and the weapons seem to continue to complement that. The Magnet Gun is something to be excited for, as you attach two different nodes to two different objects and the first object accelerates towards the second object, SMASH! In addition, the Nano-forge returns to become a tool of creation as well as destruction, allowing users to rebuild their rubble. That function, if used strategically, will allow the user create cover in combat situations and even funnel enemies into corridors. Most importantly, the hammer will also be making a return. I really cannot wait to see if THQ/Volition can make this a game of the year contender for 2011. Check out the stage demo below.




Note: all images courtesy of Google Image search and video courtesy of Gamespot in collaberation with YouTube