Given that Kinect has proven to be such a popular technology for Microsoft, it’s no surprise that it featured strongly in the Microsoft presentation – and it’s certainly good to see that the next year of Kinect games will involve more than minigame compilations. Shooters, serious sports games… should they play well 2011 and 2012 will be good years for ‘core’ Kinect owners.
The non-gaming applications coming to Xbox 360 look good too – YouTube, live TV and Virtual Disneyland for the kids are all nice-to-haves that further cement the 360 as an entertainment hub, rather than a ‘mere’ games console.
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| Is Kinect and a bunch of FPSers really enough for Microsoft? |
But otherwise? Well, the presentation didn’t inspire me to go out and grab an Xbox 360. The focus of the games is still far too narrow – it’s shooters, shooters and more shooters with a dash of casual in between, and when the next Halo game is a mere rework of the original Halo game, it doesn’t inspire me with confidence that Microsoft knows how to handle that franchise sans Bungie.
I get the impression that Microsoft tapped out its R & D budget for the next few years with Kinect. It’s great technology, but it’s not the kind that wows ‘core’ gamers. Throw in the fact that Nintendo and Sony both have seriously impressive new tech on show, and Microsoft appears to have ‘lost’ E3.
The most interesting thing out of the whole presentation is Minecraft with Kinect. That’s the only way you’ll be able to play that very good game in that very different way. It’d probably get tiring, and is probably more of a novelty than a killer Kinect application, but it’s the best selling point that Microsoft and Kinect could walk away with this year.
For casual gamers (who are probably not interested in E3, therefore rendering the presentations redundant), Microsoft looks like it’s going to have that market as its in the next year given Nintendo and Sony have turned their attentions elsewhere. And there are some good looking games for the casual gamers coming to the console, admittedly.
Sony, meanwhile, rocked it’s presentation. The sensation coming away was that Sony has bounced back from its hacking problems stronger than ever.
There’s the PlayStation TV, which, thanks to being able to literally split the screen, means local multiplayer is back, even for FPSers. There’s the Vita – an amazing piece of hardware that redefines how home consoles and portables should ‘talk.’ Being able to seamlessly pick up the Vita for an almost seamless PSN experience, 3G enabled and all, is a massive leg up that is going to see Nintendo struggle to convince people of the continued value of the 3DS.
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| The Vita blew my wildest expectations out of the water |
Then there’s the games. Sony continues to invest in having exclusives. Not just FPS exclusives (sorry, Microsoft, but not everyone cares for those), but a broad range of exclusives – RPGs, action games and yes, shooters. While Nintendo still holds the crown for the highest quality exclusives (after all, that is Nintendo’s heritage), the PlayStation consoles have an attractive enough set of exclusives to recommend people buy into.
For me, in terms of games, the biggest product on show was Dust 514, a game from the same team behind the very lucrative EVE Online role playing game.
EVE Online is, of course, the most hardcore of hardcore MMOs. It’s a time sink, it’s a money sink, and having that game on PS3 and Vita is going to be a very long-term investment for a large niche of people.
Throw in the other MMO exclusives, Magic the Gathering Tactics and Free Realms, and suddenly Sony’s managed a first for console gaming – bringing MMOs in a substantial way to the console environment. There’s been attempts in the past with the likes of Phantasy Star Online and Final Fantasy XI, but those were shots in the dark. These are real, and they look like they’re working.
After Sony’s presentation, tomorrow’s show with Project Café is going to have to be unbelievable for Nintendo to be able to upstage Sony.
– Matt S
We must have been watching two entirely different press briefings. I thought MS was way better. I was stunned at how much time SONY spent on the Vita and didn't show much of anything new for the PS3. Would have been nice to see a PS3 price drop. But the Vita price I thought was spot on.
Nintendo just has to show up tomorrow to beat Sony and MS. Nothing was really mind blowing. Show new hardware, show the best looking Mario game ever, and announce a price drop for the 3DS. Game. Set. Match. It doesn't take much my friend.
So far, Tomb Raider was the most stunning to me. I didn't expect it to look that good.
Are you kidding? Project Cafe is going to have to be unbelievable to beat Sonys conference? Wow. If you're not a Sony fanboy, then you're just stupid. Nintendo is announcing a new home console, that by the sound of the rumors, is going to be something quite unique and unlike anything else. That ALONE beats Sonys conference. Anytime a new home console gets announced, that's the biggest news. But then Nntendo also has things like Mario 3DS and Skyward Sword which will arguably be the most popular games at the show.
I can't predict the future, but I DEFINITELY wouldnt say that Nntendo is going to have a hard time beating Sony this year. Nintendo had the most excitement surrounding before the conference even began, and I doubt that will change tomorrow.
Are you kidding? Project Cafe is going to have to be unbelievable to beat Sonys conference? Wow. If you're not a Sony fanboy, then you're just stupid. Nintendo is announcing a new home console, that by the sound of the rumors, is going to be something quite unique and unlike anything else. That ALONE beats Sonys conference. Anytime a new home console gets announced, that's the biggest news. But then Nntendo also has things like Mario 3DS and Skyward Sword which will arguably be the most popular games at the show.
I can't predict the future, but I DEFINITELY wouldnt say that Nntendo is going to have a hard time beating Sony this year. Nintendo had the most excitement surrounding before the conference even began, and I doubt that will change tomorrow.
Tomb raider is pick of E3 day 1.
I like Sony as much as an enema, but they have got something great in that handheld. Whilst consoles have the lions share of the gaming world, deservedly, the little gem, especially graphics wise, the Vita looks very promising (especially at that price, the visuals were stunning). Whilst MS attempt to resell the Kinect, Sony have stolen a march, at least till tomorrow.
Also, I believe one line was 'nintendo have impressuve tech'. I dont think he's a fanboy (frankly, thats outdated this day and age). If you want people to take your argument seriously, be decent and dont attack the person.
Can we all agree that the gaming community need better names. Wii, Cafe and Vita are all awful.
Tomb raider is pick of E3 day 1.
I like Sony as much as an enema, but they have got something great in that handheld. Whilst consoles have the lions share of the gaming world, deservedly, the little gem, especially graphics wise, the Vita looks very promising (especially at that price, the visuals were stunning). Whilst MS attempt to resell the Kinect, Sony have stolen a march, at least till tomorrow.
Also, I believe one line was 'nintendo have impressuve tech'. I dont think he's a fanboy (frankly, thats outdated this day and age). If you want people to take your argument seriously, be decent and dont attack the person.
Can we all agree that the gaming community need better names. Wii, Cafe and Vita are all awful.
Hi Weener,
Random insults don't make your argument more legitimate. Calling me stupid or a fanboy achieves nothing, as I am neither. What it does encourage is for someone else to call you a Nintendo fanboy, and then an entire, pointless argument to begin.
The pre-E3 rumours about Cafe left me guarded. I never discounted Nintendo, but if its presentation doesn't show a clear way it's going to fix the 3DS, then Vita will be the better quality console. If Cafe isn't amazing, then Nintendo will be overshadowed by Sony.
Sony was very, very impressive. Fingers crossed Nintendo will be as well, because it was disappointing, not "funny", that Microsoft wasn't great this year.
Hi Weener,
Random insults don't make your argument more legitimate. Calling me stupid or a fanboy achieves nothing, as I am neither. What it does encourage is for someone else to call you a Nintendo fanboy, and then an entire, pointless argument to begin.
The pre-E3 rumours about Cafe left me guarded. I never discounted Nintendo, but if its presentation doesn't show a clear way it's going to fix the 3DS, then Vita will be the better quality console. If Cafe isn't amazing, then Nintendo will be overshadowed by Sony.
Sony was very, very impressive. Fingers crossed Nintendo will be as well, because it was disappointing, not "funny", that Microsoft wasn't great this year.
I agree that Tomb Raider was the most impressive game on show today (well, that and FFXIII-2).
That said, I'm not watching E3 for games I already more or less knew about. I'm keen on the surprises, and so far, so awesome this year 😀
I agree that Tomb Raider was the most impressive game on show today (well, that and FFXIII-2).
That said, I'm not watching E3 for games I already more or less knew about. I'm keen on the surprises, and so far, so awesome this year 😀
@ Weener – after owning both the Gamecube and the Wii, Ninty announcing a new home console is more of a worry than cause for excitement. Of the two conferences that we've seen so far, there was definitely far more of interest (and far more new of interest) from Sony than MS, and suggesting otherwise (unless you're hanging out for Sesame St (and with Tim Schafer behind it, I'm sure it'll be great, but I'm also confident that just like 'Just Dance', it's not designed for 'core' gamers ;)) or Disney) is pretty one-eyed.
For Ninty, though, I'm interested in their game design. While GamesAndBiz gives Ninty a rap for their high quality exclusives, I personally find their game design mired in the 1990s (retro is cool, don't get me wrong, but not _all_ the time) and their core dev teams have no experience with PS3/360 levels of animation, lighting or AI (something PS3/360 devs also struggled with early on this gen). After being burned on both hardware and software with the Gamecube and the Wii (in both cases, I found third parties content more compelling – take away the nostalgia factor and Mario and Link games are solid rather than the best-in-class experiences that gamers with rose-tinted glasses who grew up on the SNES see them as), and Ninty has a _lot_ of making up to do to get me back on side (as I'm not keen to get burned thrice!)
Note – the N64 _was_ a great machine and had great games.
@ Weener – after owning both the Gamecube and the Wii, Ninty announcing a new home console is more of a worry than cause for excitement. Of the two conferences that we've seen so far, there was definitely far more of interest (and far more new of interest) from Sony than MS, and suggesting otherwise (unless you're hanging out for Sesame St (and with Tim Schafer behind it, I'm sure it'll be great, but I'm also confident that just like 'Just Dance', it's not designed for 'core' gamers ;)) or Disney) is pretty one-eyed.
For Ninty, though, I'm interested in their game design. While GamesAndBiz gives Ninty a rap for their high quality exclusives, I personally find their game design mired in the 1990s (retro is cool, don't get me wrong, but not _all_ the time) and their core dev teams have no experience with PS3/360 levels of animation, lighting or AI (something PS3/360 devs also struggled with early on this gen). After being burned on both hardware and software with the Gamecube and the Wii (in both cases, I found third parties content more compelling – take away the nostalgia factor and Mario and Link games are solid rather than the best-in-class experiences that gamers with rose-tinted glasses who grew up on the SNES see them as), and Ninty has a _lot_ of making up to do to get me back on side (as I'm not keen to get burned thrice!)
Note – the N64 _was_ a great machine and had great games.
Tomb Raider looked awesome, and I will admit I enjoyed the FF XIII-2 trailer as well – I actually enjoyed that game more than a lot of people did.
I have yet to see the Microsoft presentation, I'm hoping to do so tonight or over my lunch break at work today. I think it's too soon to judge anything on Nintendo's yet, but I can understand the sort of underlying sense that they really need to hit it out of the park. Nintendo really wowed with their new hardware last year – the talk of the show last year was the 3DS and not the Kinect or Move and they have an outstanding chance at doing it again this year if they manage their conference properly.
@Branden – I thought the Vita presentation was really solid, and I can't say I blame Sony for going heavy on it given how well 3DS fared after last year's conference. And Sony has to be excited that they were able to drop a price – something Nintendo kept fans waiting on forever with the 3DS – that was competitive.
I thought the weakest part of Sony's presentation were the somewhat gimmicky Move demos. In the games it may play out and add value, but the Bioshock and NBA 2k12 'Move' discussions didn't do much for me, and I have a Move set.
@Weeener – Anyone who follows @Games knows he reviews content across all systems and quite fairly. Being impressed with a particular presentation does not make someone a fanboy. It just means something or several things in the Sony presentation resonated with him, and I've read quite a few sites who felt that Sony was better served than Microsoft – I've also read the opposite. Not having seen Microsoft's yet, I can't compare but I was personally pretty pleased with the Sony presentation.
Tomb Raider looked awesome, and I will admit I enjoyed the FF XIII-2 trailer as well – I actually enjoyed that game more than a lot of people did.
I have yet to see the Microsoft presentation, I'm hoping to do so tonight or over my lunch break at work today. I think it's too soon to judge anything on Nintendo's yet, but I can understand the sort of underlying sense that they really need to hit it out of the park. Nintendo really wowed with their new hardware last year – the talk of the show last year was the 3DS and not the Kinect or Move and they have an outstanding chance at doing it again this year if they manage their conference properly.
@Branden – I thought the Vita presentation was really solid, and I can't say I blame Sony for going heavy on it given how well 3DS fared after last year's conference. And Sony has to be excited that they were able to drop a price – something Nintendo kept fans waiting on forever with the 3DS – that was competitive.
I thought the weakest part of Sony's presentation were the somewhat gimmicky Move demos. In the games it may play out and add value, but the Bioshock and NBA 2k12 'Move' discussions didn't do much for me, and I have a Move set.
@Weeener – Anyone who follows @Games knows he reviews content across all systems and quite fairly. Being impressed with a particular presentation does not make someone a fanboy. It just means something or several things in the Sony presentation resonated with him, and I've read quite a few sites who felt that Sony was better served than Microsoft – I've also read the opposite. Not having seen Microsoft's yet, I can't compare but I was personally pretty pleased with the Sony presentation.
Sony conference was as bad as Microsoft… where are the new games for 2012 ?? Please enlight me because all we saw was what we already knew… Uc3 , Resistance 3 and nothing more… Starhawk sure kinda sucks… Twisted Metal sure kinda sucks… all the new announcements were LAME… those games that no one cares… i rather play XBLA exclusive or Kinect ffs.
Nintendo will win E3 but just saying Wii 2 Name and thats it.
Sony conference was as bad as Microsoft… where are the new games for 2012 ?? Please enlight me because all we saw was what we already knew… Uc3 , Resistance 3 and nothing more… Starhawk sure kinda sucks… Twisted Metal sure kinda sucks… all the new announcements were LAME… those games that no one cares… i rather play XBLA exclusive or Kinect ffs.
Nintendo will win E3 but just saying Wii 2 Name and thats it.
@Anon I agree that it would have been nice to see more console titles that were exclusive and for that matter, surprises or big reveals. On that front, I don't think Sony did spectacularly, nor did Microsoft for that matter. That said, Sony's Vita reveal was pretty big. It'll be interesting to see if Nintendo can break the streak of limited game reveals and if they anchor most of their conference around their new hardware as well.
That said, I enjoyed watching UC & resistance 3 demos. Can't make a blanket statement such as 'no one cares' – because frankly there will be titles on all 3 platforms that appeal to some people but not others.
@Anon I agree that it would have been nice to see more console titles that were exclusive and for that matter, surprises or big reveals. On that front, I don't think Sony did spectacularly, nor did Microsoft for that matter. That said, Sony's Vita reveal was pretty big. It'll be interesting to see if Nintendo can break the streak of limited game reveals and if they anchor most of their conference around their new hardware as well.
That said, I enjoyed watching UC & resistance 3 demos. Can't make a blanket statement such as 'no one cares' – because frankly there will be titles on all 3 platforms that appeal to some people but not others.
@ Anonymous – not sure if you ever played Warhawk, but it's one of the better online shooters out there, and has a cult following to this day. Making a broad statement about it's sequel like "Starhawk sure kinda sucks" just makes you sound like an uninformed fanboy.
Further – we did learn about Dust 514 and Ruin (and some Move stuff, and a bunch of games for the Vita).
@ Anonymous – not sure if you ever played Warhawk, but it's one of the better online shooters out there, and has a cult following to this day. Making a broad statement about it's sequel like "Starhawk sure kinda sucks" just makes you sound like an uninformed fanboy.
Further – we did learn about Dust 514 and Ruin (and some Move stuff, and a bunch of games for the Vita).
I thought Dust was pretty interesting-looking. I'll admit Ruin sort of underwhelmed me. It sort of reminded me of Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony, which was an okay game, but not great imo
I thought Dust was pretty interesting-looking. I'll admit Ruin sort of underwhelmed me. It sort of reminded me of Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony, which was an okay game, but not great imo
E3 has never been about the game reveals for me – Game reveals happen every other day. That's not exciting, and besides – does anyone honeslty think Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo are going to go an entire year without releasing games worth playing?
It's the hardware and services annoucements that interest me, and the only handheld console that I've been more excited for was the GBA way back when.
E3 has never been about the game reveals for me – Game reveals happen every other day. That's not exciting, and besides – does anyone honeslty think Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo are going to go an entire year without releasing games worth playing?
It's the hardware and services annoucements that interest me, and the only handheld console that I've been more excited for was the GBA way back when.
Hey Axe. Like your style on Warhawk.
Id disagree with some sentiments though, Mario was the best platformer around and broke new grounds in 3D whilst Zelda is one of the best storylines in a RPG. Gamecube was rubbish and Wii never lived up to its potential, but I think cautious optimism must surround the new hardware. The most promising thing about it and something it holds above its predecessors, is that the developers seem to be responding very positively to the new hardware. Cant wait to play Arkham city, and it will be surreal to do so on a nintendo.
Hey Axe. Like your style on Warhawk.
Id disagree with some sentiments though, Mario was the best platformer around and broke new grounds in 3D whilst Zelda is one of the best storylines in a RPG. Gamecube was rubbish and Wii never lived up to its potential, but I think cautious optimism must surround the new hardware. The most promising thing about it and something it holds above its predecessors, is that the developers seem to be responding very positively to the new hardware. Cant wait to play Arkham city, and it will be surreal to do so on a nintendo.
Hey Owen – deffo agree that SMG was a good game, but it only broke new ground if you'd never played R&C on PS2 – which had a better camera (SMG really suffered from only having one stick for its camera – at one stage my little Mario got itself in an 'endless loop' where if I pushed forward he just ran around and around and around, lol) and larger planets. I also thought SMG was too 'jerky' in its gameplay, flitting between different power-ups and suits and not paying attention to the core rhythm-based platforming gameplay. It was still good, don't get me wrong, and I very much enjoyed it, but when you break it down, feature-for-feature, Insomniac's work on R&C (note that Insomniac are third parties here – I'm not being pro-Sony, but pro-Insomniac, and I think them going multiplatform is awesome, as other peeps will get to experience their magic :)) was better, years before SMG launched. And all the dialogue was in text boxes, which you couldn't skip through quickly! I could go on, but I don't want to go overly harsh on the game, it had some inspired levels, and was a lot of fun :).
As for Zelda, I'm not sure what's wrong with me genetically but I've tried and failed, twice, to finish Z:OOT. Just bored me to tears. It's not retro issues either – I played and enjoyed Medievil and MoH:Frontline not long after that, not to mention Sonic 1 and 2 and a bunch of other games from the Sega Mega Collection. It's not a pace thing either – I dig RPGs and action-adventure, but Zelda just bored me. TP and SS may have better stories, but the 'story' to Z:OOT (which I've been told by my Ninty mates is the best) was pretty basic.
On the by, MP:Corruption was awesome – while I think most of EAD's (current – historically they were great) work is solid but over-rated, Retro studios is a world-class studio, and produces absolutely awesome games. Best thing Ninty's done in the last decade (and a little bit ;)) is get Retro on board.
But I do agree cautious optimism is warranted for the new hardware, and at the very least, it'll mean Ninty-only gamers (I don't understand folk who only religiously stick to one console unless they don't game much and would never use another, but I know they're out there ;)) will get a look at a whole lot of awesome games and gameplay experiences that, to date, they've missed out on, _and_ it'll expose EAD to a whole lot more competition, which'll keep them honest and likely force them to get up to speed with the rest of the industry :).
Hey Owen – deffo agree that SMG was a good game, but it only broke new ground if you'd never played R&C on PS2 – which had a better camera (SMG really suffered from only having one stick for its camera – at one stage my little Mario got itself in an 'endless loop' where if I pushed forward he just ran around and around and around, lol) and larger planets. I also thought SMG was too 'jerky' in its gameplay, flitting between different power-ups and suits and not paying attention to the core rhythm-based platforming gameplay. It was still good, don't get me wrong, and I very much enjoyed it, but when you break it down, feature-for-feature, Insomniac's work on R&C (note that Insomniac are third parties here – I'm not being pro-Sony, but pro-Insomniac, and I think them going multiplatform is awesome, as other peeps will get to experience their magic :)) was better, years before SMG launched. And all the dialogue was in text boxes, which you couldn't skip through quickly! I could go on, but I don't want to go overly harsh on the game, it had some inspired levels, and was a lot of fun :).
As for Zelda, I'm not sure what's wrong with me genetically but I've tried and failed, twice, to finish Z:OOT. Just bored me to tears. It's not retro issues either – I played and enjoyed Medievil and MoH:Frontline not long after that, not to mention Sonic 1 and 2 and a bunch of other games from the Sega Mega Collection. It's not a pace thing either – I dig RPGs and action-adventure, but Zelda just bored me. TP and SS may have better stories, but the 'story' to Z:OOT (which I've been told by my Ninty mates is the best) was pretty basic.
On the by, MP:Corruption was awesome – while I think most of EAD's (current – historically they were great) work is solid but over-rated, Retro studios is a world-class studio, and produces absolutely awesome games. Best thing Ninty's done in the last decade (and a little bit ;)) is get Retro on board.
But I do agree cautious optimism is warranted for the new hardware, and at the very least, it'll mean Ninty-only gamers (I don't understand folk who only religiously stick to one console unless they don't game much and would never use another, but I know they're out there ;)) will get a look at a whole lot of awesome games and gameplay experiences that, to date, they've missed out on, _and_ it'll expose EAD to a whole lot more competition, which'll keep them honest and likely force them to get up to speed with the rest of the industry :).
Hey Axe
That Mario loop got a great mental image going.
I disagree with the logic of breaking down any game to piece by piece. It is the overall thing that makes it a professional product and doing one, or even a few features fantastically does not excuse one, or more, fail. Games like SMG that get everything to a admirable level, with no massive weaknesses, take a great deal more effort. You are correct though, R&C did do the camera slightly better but I disagree on other aspects. Overall picture for mine is SMG (allthough it makes me sick to support a blockbuster….)
SMG by modern standards was a little jerky, but I did not find it so distracting – certaintly didnt prevent me finishing the game – and I really enjoyed the suits and powerups. The bee costume levels were of particular fun.
Its sad that you didn't enjoy the Zelda storyline, but at least you gave it a go. It is not for everyone. I won't try to convince you otherwise, but I respectfully disagree. I can completely understand a lack of faith in the franchise without it!
Retro on board is a great thing.
(You seem very informed and a good gamer. If you want to disagree with me further (although you will lose in the end, they all do), join the forums!)
Hey Axe
That Mario loop got a great mental image going.
I disagree with the logic of breaking down any game to piece by piece. It is the overall thing that makes it a professional product and doing one, or even a few features fantastically does not excuse one, or more, fail. Games like SMG that get everything to a admirable level, with no massive weaknesses, take a great deal more effort. You are correct though, R&C did do the camera slightly better but I disagree on other aspects. Overall picture for mine is SMG (allthough it makes me sick to support a blockbuster….)
SMG by modern standards was a little jerky, but I did not find it so distracting – certaintly didnt prevent me finishing the game – and I really enjoyed the suits and powerups. The bee costume levels were of particular fun.
Its sad that you didn't enjoy the Zelda storyline, but at least you gave it a go. It is not for everyone. I won't try to convince you otherwise, but I respectfully disagree. I can completely understand a lack of faith in the franchise without it!
Retro on board is a great thing.
(You seem very informed and a good gamer. If you want to disagree with me further (although you will lose in the end, they all do), join the forums!)