July 19, 2008
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E3 is over after a short three days but there was a lot of things revealed and announced for the upcoming holiday season and the early 2009 season. It’s all about the games that are coming out and currently in development. Here’s a list of some of my favorite demos and presentations I got to see.
Prince of Persia (Ubisoft)
This will be the first Prince of Persia game for the new generation of consoles and the look and style of the game is stunning. The art direction is incredible. The game was demoed at the Ubisoft press conference and the level that was shown included a battle, a couple of deaths, and exploration of one of the many areas in the game. It was one of the most talked about games of the week.
Street Fighter IV (Capcom)
Street Fighter is probably the most recognizable fighting game in history (next to Mortal Kombat) and the new generation version of the game will excite not only hardcore gaming fans but the nostalgic video game fan as well. I actually got to play some of the new Street Fighter IV. I played as Chun Li, one of my favorites, against another guy playing as Ryu. The animation and cel-shaded characters look great, even though it is 2D; it’s 2D for the new generation of consoles. Oh yeah, I did win a round in my match.
NBA 2K9 (2K Sports)
The NBA 2K series has been the winning basketball game for the last few years and it looks like that trend is going to continue. In the demo I saw, there didn’t seem to be any major changes, but why fix something that isn’t broke? The folks at EA Sports, 2K Sports main competition, announced Dynamic DNA for its NBA Live series which is a big step for the franchise. We’re not sure if NBA 2K9 will offer anything that big.
Tomb Raider: Underworld (Eidos)
The folks at Eidos invited me to check out the new Tomb Raider title and of course I obliged. I was showed two levels one of them was a purely underwater. Lara Croft has some scuba gear that lets her stay underwater for quite a long time plus some cool underwater weapons that shred incoming sharks. The other level consisted of a puzzle where some of Lara’s new moves were showcased and also gave an idea of what kind of puzzles will be featured and the type creatures you will face.
Borderlands (2K Games)
Even though I’m tired of a lot of the first person shooting games that are out there, Borderlands looks like it’ll be one I have to get. The game takes place on some forbidden planet and is like a mix between Halo and the Mad Max films. The designers of the game say that there are currently over 650,000 weapons that are playable in the game – they only planned 500,000 but may get up to one million. This could be another hit for 2K Games.
Till next year….
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July 17, 2008
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In my last post, I mentioned how scaled back the show was and how much smaller the crowd was making it easier to play the games on display. But as always, it's hard to get a chance to play the most anticipated games. Here's a small list of games that I've tried to wait in line to play, but there's just too many people in front of me. I have other things going on around the event and I can't wait araound all day.
Little Big Planet (Sony)
I first heard about Little Big Planet sometime last year and I wasn't too impressed. The main function of the game lets the player basically create their own game. They get to customize their character, build their own levels, and then play through them. My thinking at the time, "Why would I want to pay $60 for I game that I have to make? It should already be made!!!" But as time went on and more information was released, footage was showcased, and mechanics were introduced, it looks like a lot of fun. Watching other people play it, building their characters and creating levels, it has a tongue-in-cheek style to it, giving you creative ways to build. The graphics are so amazing it's comparable to a Pixar movie like Finding Nemo or The Incredibles. Too bad I never got to touch the controller.
Rock Band 2 (Harmonix)
Rock Band 2 doesn't look TOO much different than its predecessor. It's still same as far as the game play for singing, guitar, bass, and drums. The new thing that attracted everybody to the game was the new songs that are playable. Ranging from Foo Fighters to Bob Dylan, people have been rocking out all three days. You would think that since there are four instruments and two kiosks featuring the game that I would have a chance to play it. But alas, it never happened.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (EA Games)
I'm not a big PC gamer or real-time strategy game fan, but Red Alert 3 looked great. I wanted to try it out, but of course it was crowded all three days of E3. I don't know much about the game except that it has something to do with a war between the Soviet Union and the Allied Forces which ends up being World War III. I can't tell you how cool the graphics looked on this one.
Fable 2 (Microsoft)
The role-playing game is a highly anticipated sequel to the original Fable on the original Xbox. There's a ton of new addtions to the game, like the ability to create both male and female characters and have chidren. The game is supposed to be very in-depth, letting the player control his own story and destiny. At least I'll be able to play it in October when it comes out.
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July 16, 2008
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Compared to E3 events over the years, this year’s event is scaled back immensely and is a lot more intimate. The media, developers and publishers get a lot of cozy one-on-one time to talk about the games. It also makes the lines shorter to the games you want to play on the showcase floor. Here’s just a few of the games I played today:
Dark Void (Capcom)
This new title was developed by Airtight Games, the same folks who created the excellent Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge for the original Xbox. In Dark Void, you play as Will, a pilot in the 1930’s who flies into the Bermuda Triangle and gets transported into another world full of some enemy alien race. Will finds a group of folks who also came through the Triangle as well that are fighting against the aliens, trying to get back home. So he joins forces with them and the battle begins. The game is a mix of 3rd person shooter and flying. The game has a pretty cool cover system which even allows you to hide under rocks when scaling a mountain. The weaponry was decent, and the look and environment of the level I played was great. I’m a sucker for story driven games, so this will be one I look forward to when it drops in 2009.
Project Origin (Warner Bros. Interactive)
Project Origin is actually the official sequel to F.E.A.R., the horror first-person shooter that was released in 2005. Developed by Monolith, the game begins almost at the same as the last one ended. The game plays like F.E.A.R. as far as controls and options but one of the biggest additions to the game was the control of Mech Warrior-type robots. The things are vicious, ripping enemies to shreds with its machine guns and blowing up other robots with missiles and rocket launchers. Looks like another great game.
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift (Sony)
The original Motorstorm was a launch title for the Playstation 3. Although the game was spectacular looking, there were some complaints that it just wasn’t enough as there were only eight tracks to race on. Pacific Rift will have 16 tracks, mostly in a lush, tropical jungle. I raced a couple of times with a motorcycle and a racing truck and the feel of the original game is still there. There’s more water this time around and it'll slow you down if you get caught up in it. The environment looks as good as the previous but with a little more variety, which is a welcomed addition. I’m definitely looking forward to this one.
Madden 09 (EA Sports)
This year the Madden Football video game franchise is celebrating its 20th anniversary and they’re doing a pretty good job of it so far. The fields and stadiums look amazing as ever and the animation on the field is probably the best the game has ever seen. The commentary this time around is handled by Tom Hammond and Chris Collinsworth, but John Madden does give a nice intro to each game. The interface is slick and easy to navigate, and it seems like the game got a bit harder. I was getting beat down by the Packers as I played with the Broncos. Maybe it was just the team I chose.
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. (Ubisoft)
The Tom Clancy property is Ubisoft’s biggest franchise so it’s a good thing that most of the titles they release under it are quality games. The flying game, H.A.W.X., is looking pretty good so far. It takes a moment or two to get used to the flying controls, but once you get it down you’ll be dodging missiles and taking down enemies in no time. One of the unique things about H.A.W.X is the use of Geo Eye for its environments. Geo Eye is the world’s highest resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite. Yes, it’s better than Google Earth. I was flying over Rio de Janiero in Brazil taking out the bad guys and it was breath taking. Based off that demo, it looks like another winner for Tom Clancy.
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July 16, 2008
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Capcom, the video game company behind franchises like Resident Evil and Street Fighter, have just announced a another movie deal last night. They held a press conference announcing that their game, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, is being adapted for the silver screen.
Famed producer, Avi Arad (the man behind the Marvel movies), was on hand to share why he thought the story of Lost Planet would make a good film and that he would be partnering with Warner Bros. to release it sometime in 2011.
David Hayter, the voice of Snake in the the Metal Gear Solid video games, was also in attendance and will be working on the screenplay. Hayter is known for his writing work for the X-Men movies and just finished writing the upcoming Watchmen film.
Capcom will still be turning out more films, including a fourth Resident Evil film, a revamped Street Fighter film, and feature film based on the game, Onimusha.
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July 16, 2008
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After free lunch and drinks outside the Shrine Auditorium, Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America welcomed the media to the Sony briefing. Tretton began by taking a look back at Sony’s 13 year legacy in gaming touching on the accomplishments of the original Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation Portable, Playstation 3 and the Playstation Network.
Afterwards, Ted Price, president of Insomniac Games, presented a live game play demo of the highly anticipated Resistance 2 that featured a 1950’s army soldier fighting a 300-foot alien monster. Very impressive.
Tretton returned and talked about the successes of the Sony consoles with help from the Sack Boy character of Little Big Planet, the game where players get to customize their characters and build their own levels. Tretton announced that Sony will start shipping consoles to Latin America and that PS3’s Greatest Hits Collection will cost $29.99 and feature Motorstorm, Resistance: Fall of Man, Warhawk, among others. Tretton also announced that the PS2 is down to $129 and even though Microsoft has abandoned the original Xbox and Nintendo is no longer dealing with Gamecube, the PS2 will have 129 games coming to it in 2008.
Tretton and his crew were also hyping up the Playstation Network with new games like Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty and Gran Turismo TV through GT5: Prologue. But the biggest announcement was the network providing movies for rent and download. Sony scored deals with Paramount, MGM, Disney, Fox and of course Sony Pictures to offer their movies and TV shows online. Other announcements include deals with Google to offer instant video upload to YouTube, the upcoming ability to get news through Playstation Network and the long-awaited and hyped Playstation Home Interface is still being worked on and will be “worth the wait.”
Lauded comic book artist, Jim Lee, came out next doing one handed push-ups in reference to Jack Palance doing one-handed push-ups during the Oscars in 1992. Lee talked about the upcoming game he’s been working on, DC Universe Online, a massive multi-player online game, where you can create your own superhero and fight against or with DC characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Joker, and others. Other games that were announced were the anticipated God of War 3, Infamous, Buzz Quiz TV, and MAG (Massive Action Game), a military game that will allow 256 players on the screen at the same time.
The presentation was good, but there really weren’t any blockbuster announcements. Sony is now obviously trying to battle with Microsoft in terms of offering downloadable movies and TV shows, but Microsoft still has the upper hand in that corner. Still, with the games Sony is offering this year across all their platforms, PS2, PSP, and PS3, business is good.
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July 15, 2008
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Today is the first official day of E3 2008 and Nintendo kicked it off with their media briefing at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. After a montage of people “smiling”, Cammie Dunaway, executive vice president of Nintendo, U.S., took the stage to introduce Shaun White Snowboarding from Ubisoft. The Olympic gold medalist, White, was on hand to introduce his game, which is exclusive to the Nintendo Wii and uses the balance board. Looks like a another winner.
Satoru Iwata, president and CEO on Nintendo Japan, came on stage next and gave a rundown of the success of the Nintendo DS, which is the best-selling video game platform at moment, and the Nintendo Wii, which has sold more than 700,000 consoles in the last three months. He also introduced a video of Animal Crossing: City Folk, a new game for the Nintendo Wii that features WiiSpeak, a microphone which allows you to communicate with friends online.
President and CEO of Nintendo America, Reggie Fils-Aime’, took the stage next to talk about new games like Star Wars: Clone Wars, based on the animated series, Call of Duty: World at War, and Rayman: Raving Rabids.
Dunaway returned to the stage to discuss Nintendo’s demographics which pretty much included everyone on the planet and announced new games for the Nintendo DS like Spore: Creatures, a spinoff of the EA PC game, Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades which comes with its own attachable guitar controller, and Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars, the first GTA title on a Nintendo system. Dunaway also talked about projects that would include using a DS to get flight as well as gate and baggage claim information while at different airports in the U.S. She also shared the work Nintendo is doing to allow DS users at baseball stadiums to get baseball scores and highlights through their DS, which is now active at Safeco Field in Seattle. There will also be Cooking Navi for DS, a sort of digital cookbook which has been a huge hit in Japan.
The Nintendo crew then introduced the Wii Motion Plus, an attachable app for the WiiMote that helps the controller track movements more precisely. The new device will come in handy for the new games WiiSports: Resorts and Wii Music. WiiSports: Resorts is sort of a supplement to WiiSports, not really a sequel, and features games like jet skiing, Frisbee throwing with a dog, and sword fighting. WiiMusic is Nintendo’s answer to all the music games, but without the additional controllers (plastic guitars and drums). Instead you use to the WiiMote to play over 50 different instruments including drums, guitar, saxophone, piano and a host of others. You can record your original tunes, play note matching games, and get three other people to form your own band.
It was a pretty good presentation for Nintendo, who is sticking with the casual, family games for the next year. It seems that Nintendo has found their comfort zone and has no problems pushing through with what’s working.
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July 14, 2008
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Microsoft held its annual Xbox 360 press conference this morning at the Los Angeles Convention Center to kick off E3. I arrived about 30 minutes after the conference already started because of a late flight but apprently I didn't miss too much.
Already announced games like Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Fallout 3, and Resident Evil 5 were all quickly showcased.So I really didn't miss too much stuff since most of the info has been out there for quite some time.
I walk in when Don Mattrick, Senior Vice President of some Xbox 360 department is on stage bragging on the what the Xbox 360 has been doing. Of course they've sold more consoles than the PS3 and Mattrickboldly announces that the Xbox 360 WILL outsell the PS3 this generartion. He didn't mention the Nintendo Wii because the Wii has already surpassed 360 console sales. However, Mattrick is quick to mention that games on the Xbox 360 are outselling the Wii and PS3 combined.
Mattrick also made a big announcement in regards to a partnership with NBC/Universal. NBC-owned TV shows like The Office, Heroes, Battlestar Galatica, Monk and others will be available for download via Xbox Live. Universal films like the Bourne Supremacy, 12 Monkeys, Chronicles of Riddick and others will also be available on Xbox Live. MGM films will also be available for download.
John Schappert, head of Xbox Live services and software took the stage next and announced an entire overhaul of Xbox Live taking place this fall. The dashboard will not only get an entire new look, but every member will be able to create avatars, you know, those cool little characters you get make that look like you in games like The Sims and Second Life? There will also be a community channel where you and 7 other friends can connect, chat, play games, share photos and in a deal with Netflix, even watch movies together! The Netflix deal allows Xbox Live members with a Netflix subscription to access the Netflix library on Xbox Live. Yes, you can download all those movies, watch them, and invite your friends to watch them with you.
Games for Xbox Live that were announced included Uno Rush, Galaga Legion, Portal: Still Alive, Geometry Wars 2, and a South Park game. They also announced a sequel to last year's movie trivia game, Scene It? called Box Office Smash and a new movie game called You're in The Movies which comes with a camera. You record silly movements like swatting wasps or dancing to music and the game incoporates them into a silly b-movie. Looks fun.
The fellas behind the music games Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour came out and pumped their games. Nothing new was announced except that Rock Band 2 will have AC/DC and Bob Dylan songs which is a first, and that songs from the original Rock Band will be transferrable to the new game. Oh yeah, Guns N Roses are also adding a song from the long-awaited album, Chinese Democracy. Guitar Hero: World Tour will be compatible with a new wireless drum set with cymbals and a new guitar. R.E.M. will also make available three songs from their upcoming album for download and Metallica will offer its entire new album for download for Guitar Hero: World Tour.
Not to be outdone, Microsoft announced a new game called LIPS. It's a karaoke game where you can plug in your iPod or Zune into your Xbox 360 and lip sync to your own music. British recording artist Duffy then trotted out and performed her song, "Mercy", which will also be featured in the game.
Finally Square Enix prez Yoicha Wada came out and let us know that games like Last Remnant, Star Ocean and Infinite Undiscovery are set for Xbox 360 in the next year, which we already knew. After his talk and a little bit of footage about these games, he walks of stage. Don Mattrick returned basically wrapping up the conference, but was interrupted by Wada to show footage from the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIII.
That was about it... nothing too spectacular, but the revamping of Xbox Live ought to be fun this fall.
Stay tuned for more from E3...
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July 13, 2008
08:21 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
Hey folks,
I'm heading to Los Angeles this week for E3 2008, yes the annual gigantic video game expo where publishers and developers announce and share their latest games.
Huge games like Gear of War 2, Rock Band 2, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Resident Evil 5 and a host of others will all be on display for previews. Yours truly will be there all week playing the new games, getting the info on the latest technologies, and learning the market strategy for this billion dollar industry.
Stay tuned to this blog....
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