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E3 depressions, err IMPRESSIONS
One of my 2 readers has requested my impressions about E3. I actually wasn't going to give them since I'm feeling very cynical about this years event, but I always listen to my readers so I came up with a few things to talk about.
They should have called this years E3 mE2 (Me Too), since it seems like everybody is doing something that somebody else has done. Copying of ideas is a staple in formula driven businesses like movies and games, but it seems the big 3 are reveling in it this year. When part of your surprise announcements could be paraphrased "Look what somebody else had success with, so we are going to do it too" it's time to hang it up.
Just keep in mind my mindset if I seem a little harsh as I go over the high points of the key note addresses. I'm going in order or least interest to most interest, so we'll start with Nintendo and end with Microsoft. Each section is basically organized in the order it was covered in their keynote address.
It's very long so I'm going to bury the bulk of it behind the cut.
They should have called this years E3 mE2 (Me Too), since it seems like everybody is doing something that somebody else has done. Copying of ideas is a staple in formula driven businesses like movies and games, but it seems the big 3 are reveling in it this year. When part of your surprise announcements could be paraphrased "Look what somebody else had success with, so we are going to do it too" it's time to hang it up.
Just keep in mind my mindset if I seem a little harsh as I go over the high points of the key note addresses. I'm going in order or least interest to most interest, so we'll start with Nintendo and end with Microsoft. Each section is basically organized in the order it was covered in their keynote address.
It's very long so I'm going to bury the bulk of it behind the cut.
Nintendo:
Shaun White Snowboarding. I'll admit I'm a fan of the flying tomato, have been since he ws primarily a skateboarder, so I was excited when I heard this game was coming. However, I was excited for the 360 version. Knowing that the new WiiTilt will be used as a control in this game may have swung me over. I'd need to buy a Wii first, and I'm not sure if it's worth it for just that one game when it's also coming out on a system I already have, and everybody knows Achievements > No Achievements.
IMHO, Nintendo went on and on about stuff nobody cares about. Yakity, yak, yak. Put or shut up Nintendo, your already on shaky ground with me. I don't want to hear your philosophical ramblings on the paradigm shifts of gaming.
Oi! FINALLY! I (along with Sharon) have been saying since they announced the WiiMote that it needed to be used as a light saber (LEGO Star Wars does not count) and they are just now getting around to it. But for crying in the mud, why in the hell does it have to be Clone Wars. Do they not know that Force Unleashed is right here and is a better game/story/everything? Ugh! Color me disappointed.
Another Raving Rabbids? I slogged through the first for achievements on the 360, don't know if I could do another. Oho! What's this? The WiiTilt again? Hmmm, now my interest is sufficiently piqued. This could be what the mini-game market needs.
A stripped down Spore on DS. Yawn! PC version please and thank you.
A new Pokemon. Is anyone really surprised? I mean come on, the great golden goose of Nintendo lays another egg.
Here's a BIG surprise. All about family values, sell to the kiddies Nintendo is putting GTA:China Town on the DS. I've never played a single GTA, and probably won't play this one either, but it may be a sign of things to come and maybe my DS Lite will get some use soon.
Enhanced motion sensing through a Motion Plus (?) add-on. I don't have a Wii so I have no idea if this is needed or not, but improving something is usually a good idea. Charging out the wazoo for it, not so much.
Finally they trot out WiiMusic. I'm not sold on this yet, but it looks like a winner to me. It may be time to get a Wii after all.
Sony:
Hey, here's little Little Big Planet. Again. Where the hell is it? This is one of the games that may get me to buy one of Sony's George Foreman grills if they'd ever just release the damn thing.
Gran Turismo TV? Didn't we already see this feature on PGR a couple of years ago at the launch of the 360? Where is my realistic physics and car damage? How about a good AI? Nope, we got a TV feature.
Home? Call me when it's not vaporware. Also tell me how trophies aren't an exact copy of achievements?
The PSP has a few interesting games coming out, too bad most of them are sequels. I especially like that they are bringing LocoRoco back for a second time, though. Quirky games FTW!
Hmmm a price drop, 80Gig PS3 going down to $399. No real surprise here with the recently announced price drops on the 360. Who is copying who here? It doesn't matter, the gamers win either way.
Finally, God Of War 3 is officially announced. Yummy. Another game that may get me to buy a PS3.
Microsoft:
Fallout 3 looks promising. The Oblivion engine never looked so good.
Resident Evil 5 = more of the same. Not that this is a bad thing. Still I'm giving it a pass.
Molyneaux hyping Fable 2 some more. I don't even listen to him anymore. The game comes out soon, we'll see what's what then. Until then, let's all remember how much he overpromises and underdelivers everything.
Gears of War 2 coming soon and it looks promising. I haven't played the first one and don't play online at all so I have nothing really to add except that it's VERY pretty.
Avatars = Mii - originality Booo MS. I'm keeping my Weighted Companion Cube GamerPic, just so you know MS.
8 person chat comes to the 360 via Live Party. Yeah, umm that's good and all but where was this 2 years ago?
New XBLA stuff announced: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 (come on people, enough with the ridiculously long game titles) , Galaga Legions, and Portal: Still Alive. I'm stoked about the Portal sequel and I don't even know anything about it. I loved Portal and can't wait for this one.
Viva Pinata adds card to the mix ala Pokemon? Booo! Just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean it has to be like every other freakin' kids show out there. No thank you, Rare. I'm crying inside. Never again will a Sparrowmint grace my screen.
Guitar Hero:World Tour. I don't know how I feel about this one. I can't buy everything they put out in this genre, money and floor space are at a premium already. They will have Metallica DLC at launch. Activision says "Hey, it worked last year for the game we copied let's copy that aspect too."
Rock Band 2. This one already has my money. Great set list, DLC is compatible both directions and with sturdier instruments. I'll be picking this one up along with the Limited Edition drum set by Ion (if it actually comes out)
Squeenix spits out a few more RPG's I'm interested in. Infinite Undiscovery coming in October and something called Last Remnant that I hadn't heard until now.
Finally the big announcement. It may have surprised some, but I've been saying this was going to happen for at least a year. Final Fantasy 13 is coming to the 360. Sony loses one more HUGE exclusive. Understandably there are a lot of FF purists crying out saying it should stay Sony exclusive, but I say they should shut the fuck up and be thankful it's only going multi-platform. The last time this happened with the FF series they left Nintendo, the company that put them on the map, to go Sony exclusive. If you were a true FF purist you would still be boo-hooing about it leaving Nintendo, now go home and cry to your mommies, hypocrites. How would you weepy, pathetic little fanboys feel if they pulled the same deal again and went 360 exclusive? There goes a reason for me to get a PS3. If we could just get Metal Gear over here I'd be set. I love GT, but Forza isclone close enough for
me if that's the only game I'm really jonesing for on the PS3.
So there we have it. E3: the good, the bad, and the (mostly) mediocre.
Shaun White Snowboarding. I'll admit I'm a fan of the flying tomato, have been since he ws primarily a skateboarder, so I was excited when I heard this game was coming. However, I was excited for the 360 version. Knowing that the new WiiTilt will be used as a control in this game may have swung me over. I'd need to buy a Wii first, and I'm not sure if it's worth it for just that one game when it's also coming out on a system I already have, and everybody knows Achievements > No Achievements.
IMHO, Nintendo went on and on about stuff nobody cares about. Yakity, yak, yak. Put or shut up Nintendo, your already on shaky ground with me. I don't want to hear your philosophical ramblings on the paradigm shifts of gaming.
Oi! FINALLY! I (along with Sharon) have been saying since they announced the WiiMote that it needed to be used as a light saber (LEGO Star Wars does not count) and they are just now getting around to it. But for crying in the mud, why in the hell does it have to be Clone Wars. Do they not know that Force Unleashed is right here and is a better game/story/everything? Ugh! Color me disappointed.
Another Raving Rabbids? I slogged through the first for achievements on the 360, don't know if I could do another. Oho! What's this? The WiiTilt again? Hmmm, now my interest is sufficiently piqued. This could be what the mini-game market needs.
A stripped down Spore on DS. Yawn! PC version please and thank you.
A new Pokemon. Is anyone really surprised? I mean come on, the great golden goose of Nintendo lays another egg.
Here's a BIG surprise. All about family values, sell to the kiddies Nintendo is putting GTA:China Town on the DS. I've never played a single GTA, and probably won't play this one either, but it may be a sign of things to come and maybe my DS Lite will get some use soon.
Enhanced motion sensing through a Motion Plus (?) add-on. I don't have a Wii so I have no idea if this is needed or not, but improving something is usually a good idea. Charging out the wazoo for it, not so much.
Finally they trot out WiiMusic. I'm not sold on this yet, but it looks like a winner to me. It may be time to get a Wii after all.
Sony:
Hey, here's little Little Big Planet. Again. Where the hell is it? This is one of the games that may get me to buy one of Sony's George Foreman grills if they'd ever just release the damn thing.
Gran Turismo TV? Didn't we already see this feature on PGR a couple of years ago at the launch of the 360? Where is my realistic physics and car damage? How about a good AI? Nope, we got a TV feature.
Home? Call me when it's not vaporware. Also tell me how trophies aren't an exact copy of achievements?
The PSP has a few interesting games coming out, too bad most of them are sequels. I especially like that they are bringing LocoRoco back for a second time, though. Quirky games FTW!
Hmmm a price drop, 80Gig PS3 going down to $399. No real surprise here with the recently announced price drops on the 360. Who is copying who here? It doesn't matter, the gamers win either way.
Finally, God Of War 3 is officially announced. Yummy. Another game that may get me to buy a PS3.
Microsoft:
Fallout 3 looks promising. The Oblivion engine never looked so good.
Resident Evil 5 = more of the same. Not that this is a bad thing. Still I'm giving it a pass.
Molyneaux hyping Fable 2 some more. I don't even listen to him anymore. The game comes out soon, we'll see what's what then. Until then, let's all remember how much he overpromises and underdelivers everything.
Gears of War 2 coming soon and it looks promising. I haven't played the first one and don't play online at all so I have nothing really to add except that it's VERY pretty.
Avatars = Mii - originality Booo MS. I'm keeping my Weighted Companion Cube GamerPic, just so you know MS.
8 person chat comes to the 360 via Live Party. Yeah, umm that's good and all but where was this 2 years ago?
New XBLA stuff announced: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 (come on people, enough with the ridiculously long game titles) , Galaga Legions, and Portal: Still Alive. I'm stoked about the Portal sequel and I don't even know anything about it. I loved Portal and can't wait for this one.
Viva Pinata adds card to the mix ala Pokemon? Booo! Just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean it has to be like every other freakin' kids show out there. No thank you, Rare. I'm crying inside. Never again will a Sparrowmint grace my screen.
Guitar Hero:World Tour. I don't know how I feel about this one. I can't buy everything they put out in this genre, money and floor space are at a premium already. They will have Metallica DLC at launch. Activision says "Hey, it worked last year for the game we copied let's copy that aspect too."
Rock Band 2. This one already has my money. Great set list, DLC is compatible both directions and with sturdier instruments. I'll be picking this one up along with the Limited Edition drum set by Ion (if it actually comes out)
Squeenix spits out a few more RPG's I'm interested in. Infinite Undiscovery coming in October and something called Last Remnant that I hadn't heard until now.
Finally the big announcement. It may have surprised some, but I've been saying this was going to happen for at least a year. Final Fantasy 13 is coming to the 360. Sony loses one more HUGE exclusive. Understandably there are a lot of FF purists crying out saying it should stay Sony exclusive, but I say they should shut the fuck up and be thankful it's only going multi-platform. The last time this happened with the FF series they left Nintendo, the company that put them on the map, to go Sony exclusive. If you were a true FF purist you would still be boo-hooing about it leaving Nintendo, now go home and cry to your mommies, hypocrites. How would you weepy, pathetic little fanboys feel if they pulled the same deal again and went 360 exclusive? There goes a reason for me to get a PS3. If we could just get Metal Gear over here I'd be set. I love GT, but Forza is
So there we have it. E3: the good, the bad, and the (mostly) mediocre.
Brilliant!
I have this perspective when I look at the Wii...
it's for non serious gamers (minus smash bros)...and it's a good way to get your girlfriend to play videogames.
Their motion sensor add on is supposedly adding a "perfect 1:1 ratio" between the users movement and what's displayed on the screen.
If this add on makes it 1:1, what kind of ratio are Wii-ers playing on now?
Everyone seems to be pulling this 2nd life business (sony the most in-depth with Home) but the avatar system shares a close resemblance. I like the direction all of this is headed... and Killzone might actually be good this time around.
MS pwned at E3. Why they pulled the new Bungie game we may never know. MS cited it was to fit a 90 minute time frame...give me a break.
All in all, E3 was better when it was grandiose.
They need to stop this intimate 3,000 press only bs.