Friday, May 12, 2006
E3 Oh Six
Show's over, the booth babes are clothing themselves, and ridiculously large statues of uninteresting videogame characters are being torn down. It wasn't quite the mind-blowing tri-system funsplosion that everyone was anticipating, but it was certainly a solid year. As I said in my last post, surprises were few and far between, but we did see some interesting evolutions of solid ideas.
Mercenaries 2 was basically exactly what I was expecting, which is more a relief than anything else. It's the same openeded awesomeness, with a new type of environment to explore (Venezuela, which is infinitely more interesting than North Korea), co-op, and visuals which already looked damn good considering they've only had their dev kits for a couple of months. The original engine was probably my favorite outside of Halo, but they've built the new one from the ground up so I'm expecting some ridiculous possibilities (a highlight of the demo was the destruction of an entire oil rig with completely dynamic physics).
As Tom mentioned, Bioshock was stunning. While almost every new shooter as the show uses Havok and the Unreal 3 engine, the art design, lighting and general gameplay approach really separate it from the pack. The Darkness is also looking really good; shooting out lights and hiding in the shadows gives you some very cool abilities like summon little Darklings to do your dirty work and black holes to suck in everything in a room (people, lamps, pool tables). The TVs you find in the environments show actual live-action video, and they seem to have some interesting plans in store for them if you feel like taking a break to watch.
I also managed to get a gameplay demonstration of the new Turok, which was much more impressive than screenshots have implied. The dinosaurs looked great, with a terrifyingly fast pack of raptors attacking your squadmates and you, and an enormous T-Rex that was lured into eating the enemies. The main character is indeed named Joseph Turok, but he's still native American and apparently the story will explain why he looks like a white guy. Or something. Anyhow, it's looking great, and with ninty people working on it it has no reason not to be fantastic.
I'm also happy to say that almost every 360 game I was looking forward to and played was quite good. Shadowrun was a complete embarassment, but Dead Rising and Saint's Row both seem like a good seventy hours of cringe-inducing violent fun. I put a pie on a zombie's face and then shot said pie and face off with a shotgun in the former, and parked a car on a guy and then destroyed the pair with a rocket launcher in the latter. Chromehounds felt solid, and finally doesn't look like a Dreamcast game. Table Tennis is Fight Night for pacifists, and Ninty-Nine Nights is Dynasty Warriors made by people with an imagination.
I never managed to make Jaffe's game materialize, but I assume he's hard at work as we speak making sure I still feel justified in owning a PSP a year from now. I expected the PSP to have a gangbuster show, but without a new Loco Roco demo or a reasonable environment to sample Every Extend Extra or Lumines 2 in, there wasn't much worth spending time with. To be fair, the DS had quite the uncreative show, but if they're going to spend their money on sequels as least it's Yoshi's Island and not Socom.
Then there are the games I was psyched to play coming into the show, but thought better of once I was here. I'm sure God of War 2 and Guitar Hero 2 will be the tits when they hit, but they're not the types of games I need to be sampling in advance.
Alright, the media center is closing in ten minutes, and I think I'll end this now instead of rush it. More soon!
Mercenaries 2 was basically exactly what I was expecting, which is more a relief than anything else. It's the same openeded awesomeness, with a new type of environment to explore (Venezuela, which is infinitely more interesting than North Korea), co-op, and visuals which already looked damn good considering they've only had their dev kits for a couple of months. The original engine was probably my favorite outside of Halo, but they've built the new one from the ground up so I'm expecting some ridiculous possibilities (a highlight of the demo was the destruction of an entire oil rig with completely dynamic physics).
As Tom mentioned, Bioshock was stunning. While almost every new shooter as the show uses Havok and the Unreal 3 engine, the art design, lighting and general gameplay approach really separate it from the pack. The Darkness is also looking really good; shooting out lights and hiding in the shadows gives you some very cool abilities like summon little Darklings to do your dirty work and black holes to suck in everything in a room (people, lamps, pool tables). The TVs you find in the environments show actual live-action video, and they seem to have some interesting plans in store for them if you feel like taking a break to watch.
I also managed to get a gameplay demonstration of the new Turok, which was much more impressive than screenshots have implied. The dinosaurs looked great, with a terrifyingly fast pack of raptors attacking your squadmates and you, and an enormous T-Rex that was lured into eating the enemies. The main character is indeed named Joseph Turok, but he's still native American and apparently the story will explain why he looks like a white guy. Or something. Anyhow, it's looking great, and with ninty people working on it it has no reason not to be fantastic.
I'm also happy to say that almost every 360 game I was looking forward to and played was quite good. Shadowrun was a complete embarassment, but Dead Rising and Saint's Row both seem like a good seventy hours of cringe-inducing violent fun. I put a pie on a zombie's face and then shot said pie and face off with a shotgun in the former, and parked a car on a guy and then destroyed the pair with a rocket launcher in the latter. Chromehounds felt solid, and finally doesn't look like a Dreamcast game. Table Tennis is Fight Night for pacifists, and Ninty-Nine Nights is Dynasty Warriors made by people with an imagination.
I never managed to make Jaffe's game materialize, but I assume he's hard at work as we speak making sure I still feel justified in owning a PSP a year from now. I expected the PSP to have a gangbuster show, but without a new Loco Roco demo or a reasonable environment to sample Every Extend Extra or Lumines 2 in, there wasn't much worth spending time with. To be fair, the DS had quite the uncreative show, but if they're going to spend their money on sequels as least it's Yoshi's Island and not Socom.
Then there are the games I was psyched to play coming into the show, but thought better of once I was here. I'm sure God of War 2 and Guitar Hero 2 will be the tits when they hit, but they're not the types of games I need to be sampling in advance.
Alright, the media center is closing in ten minutes, and I think I'll end this now instead of rush it. More soon!
Wii for Guy Game!
First of all, if anyone has the chance to play The Guy Game with Al, I recommend you jump in post haste. Honestly, I had more fun playing The Guy Game for way too long last night (two hours? Three?) than any game I've played on the show floor. It just goes to show that, in matters of multiplayer, the experience you create with your friend is far more important than the actual game itself. Of course, The Guy Game, in addition to gratuitous nudity (after you unlock it), has some legitimately great mini games as well. This isn't about The Guy Game, though, so I'll segue seamlessly into Wii coverage. The games shown were flawed, early titles, but it they can make the experience enjoyable, they should have a market for anyone who just wants to have a little fun. For those who want more than just small doses of entertainment, look no farther than the Xbox 360 already on the market.
When all is said and done, the X360 had the best game of the show. This isn't really a surprise since it's been out for a year already. You can't really expect unfinished Wii/PS3 hardware to compete with a system already on the market, but the fact (yes, objective fact) that MS was able to crush the already established Nintendo DS and PSP is a testament to just how far MS has come.
Right now, the three best games I have seen so far are all coming out for the Xbox, and at least two of them are exclusive (in other words, going to PCs but not the PS3 or Wii). As Nick already mentioned, Mass Effect looked quite nice. It's the second best looking game I've seen so far, with great technology but even better art design, and looks to expand what BioWare already started with KoTOR. Nick already brought up the more robust conversation system so I won't bore you with that, but I will reaffirm that this is one to watch out for. And for those that think KotOR is nothing more than black and white, good vs evil choices, Mass Effect won't give you the same impression. The developer there told us they were going beyond simple "should I kick the dog or not situations," though I did ask if that specific choice could be included in the finished product.
The other two show stealers are Army of Two by EA which I mentioned yesterday and BioShock. Nick and I just saw some behind the scenes footage of this title and were both blown away. First of all, to avoid the suspense, this is the best looking title at the show. Like everything else it is using the Unreal 3.0 engine, but the art style pushes it far beyond anything else. Plus the water effects are the best I've seen in a game, though the scene on the ocean from Army of Two does come pretty close. BioShock is a first person action title with RPG elements (such as leveling up and character interaction you control) and a heavy horror cloud hanging overhead. You are some dude with a gun in this underwater habitation. Something went wrong - just like every crazy idea - and you have to figure out what went wrong and how to deal with it. Should be fantastic.
Other than those games, I am very tired. Very. I checked out most of the NDS lineup and, while it is fun, there isn't anything amazing. It's mostly just sequels to games we've already played. Chibi DS is really cute and Mario Basketball is surprisingly good, but nothing really jumps out. I'm sure the NDS lineup will be solid again this year, but I'd like to see a little more innovation for a system dubbed "Developers System." Of course, I am an immediate hypocrite when I talk about the new Kirby title. It isn't a sequel to Kirby Canvas Curse at all, but a new, traditional Kirby game. Hey, if you're going to make a sequel, at least make sure you build off the correct game.
And now I must stop. After two and a half days, Nick and I finally got an appointment with Pandemic. We're off to see a video (presumably) of the new Mercenaries title. Follow this space to see if the top three games of the show is expanded to four.
When all is said and done, the X360 had the best game of the show. This isn't really a surprise since it's been out for a year already. You can't really expect unfinished Wii/PS3 hardware to compete with a system already on the market, but the fact (yes, objective fact) that MS was able to crush the already established Nintendo DS and PSP is a testament to just how far MS has come.
Right now, the three best games I have seen so far are all coming out for the Xbox, and at least two of them are exclusive (in other words, going to PCs but not the PS3 or Wii). As Nick already mentioned, Mass Effect looked quite nice. It's the second best looking game I've seen so far, with great technology but even better art design, and looks to expand what BioWare already started with KoTOR. Nick already brought up the more robust conversation system so I won't bore you with that, but I will reaffirm that this is one to watch out for. And for those that think KotOR is nothing more than black and white, good vs evil choices, Mass Effect won't give you the same impression. The developer there told us they were going beyond simple "should I kick the dog or not situations," though I did ask if that specific choice could be included in the finished product.
The other two show stealers are Army of Two by EA which I mentioned yesterday and BioShock. Nick and I just saw some behind the scenes footage of this title and were both blown away. First of all, to avoid the suspense, this is the best looking title at the show. Like everything else it is using the Unreal 3.0 engine, but the art style pushes it far beyond anything else. Plus the water effects are the best I've seen in a game, though the scene on the ocean from Army of Two does come pretty close. BioShock is a first person action title with RPG elements (such as leveling up and character interaction you control) and a heavy horror cloud hanging overhead. You are some dude with a gun in this underwater habitation. Something went wrong - just like every crazy idea - and you have to figure out what went wrong and how to deal with it. Should be fantastic.
Other than those games, I am very tired. Very. I checked out most of the NDS lineup and, while it is fun, there isn't anything amazing. It's mostly just sequels to games we've already played. Chibi DS is really cute and Mario Basketball is surprisingly good, but nothing really jumps out. I'm sure the NDS lineup will be solid again this year, but I'd like to see a little more innovation for a system dubbed "Developers System." Of course, I am an immediate hypocrite when I talk about the new Kirby title. It isn't a sequel to Kirby Canvas Curse at all, but a new, traditional Kirby game. Hey, if you're going to make a sequel, at least make sure you build off the correct game.
And now I must stop. After two and a half days, Nick and I finally got an appointment with Pandemic. We're off to see a video (presumably) of the new Mercenaries title. Follow this space to see if the top three games of the show is expanded to four.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Not playing The Guy Game
It's been a good show. Almost no surprises, but it's worked out well considering - Nintendo has created something brilliant that will fundamentally change the gaming industry forever, and Microsoft has established themselves as being completely relevant without Bungie holding their hand. Sony seems to have spent the last year deciding to stick with the Dual Shock, and forgot to make any games to play it with. Resistance, Warhawk, and Heavenly Sword were all quite good and are probably all must-buys, but definitely not system sellers. While neither Sony nor Nintendo really had any surprises, I'm dying for almost all of the Wii games and could easily live without ever playing the PS3 ones I just mentioned again. Mercenaries 2 might change my mind today (if it is indeed PS3 exclusive), but otherwise I don't have a definitive reason to buy a PS3 at launch. I'll certainly have a pre-order down in case something comes up between now and launch (and I hope it does, I would LOVE to see a game that justified $600), but I'm not holding my breath.
We got some hands-on multiplayer Gears of War time, and it should probably fill the gap nicely between this fall and next year's Halo 3 release. The single player looks quite good too, but the multiplayer is a lot more interesting than I would have guessed. Very team-based, very tactical, and very skillful. Ridiculously violent and dark, of course, but at least it all works contextually. It's also probably the best-looking game of the show along with Army of Two which Tom mentioned. I prefer the art design in Gears, but the character models in AoT are insane.
Viva Pinata looked gorgeous too, and is shaping up to be something I can see myself putting a lot of time into. It doesn't seem to have the longevity and expert options of Animal Crossing, but building the ultimate garden seems llike a blast.
Too Human was a bit underwhelming; since the camera is handled automatically and the combat can be very ranged, it stays pulled out quite far a lot of the time, which pushes in an unfortunately sense of detachment. The art direction and gameplay are definitely impressive, but they need to work on pulling the player in more if they're going to leave the camera in the hands of the designers.
Crackdown is fantastic in concept, and solid in execution. The controls and character gravity need a bit of work, but the chaos you can cause is unrivaled. Achivements for juggling bodies and complete online co-op make it a day one purchase, I just hope they tweak the feel.
Mass Effect rounds out the Microsoft first-party stuff, and certainly showed potential in the short demo we were shown. There were some brilliant ideas at work, like having your conversation options be short and simple in choice, but play out more fully if you actually pick them; you choose "give it to me now", your character says "If you don't hand it over to me this instant I'll insert my laser gun inside your most prized orifice". Well, I made that one up, but you get the idea. The combat didn't look as interesting, a combination of gunplay and not-quite-real-time squad control, but they have plenty of time to make it work. I have high hopes for the game, but what I've seen so far wasn't anything more than I expected.
I've felt a bit overwhemled this year even though it's been a much more focused show for us, so writing has been tough (I'm also a slow, impatient typer). I'll have a much more thorough round-up after things are all wrapped up, I just wanted to chime in with some thoughts. I'm off once more to wander aimlessly around the PSP booth, hoping Jaffe's game magically materializes if I wish hard enough.
We got some hands-on multiplayer Gears of War time, and it should probably fill the gap nicely between this fall and next year's Halo 3 release. The single player looks quite good too, but the multiplayer is a lot more interesting than I would have guessed. Very team-based, very tactical, and very skillful. Ridiculously violent and dark, of course, but at least it all works contextually. It's also probably the best-looking game of the show along with Army of Two which Tom mentioned. I prefer the art design in Gears, but the character models in AoT are insane.
Viva Pinata looked gorgeous too, and is shaping up to be something I can see myself putting a lot of time into. It doesn't seem to have the longevity and expert options of Animal Crossing, but building the ultimate garden seems llike a blast.
Too Human was a bit underwhelming; since the camera is handled automatically and the combat can be very ranged, it stays pulled out quite far a lot of the time, which pushes in an unfortunately sense of detachment. The art direction and gameplay are definitely impressive, but they need to work on pulling the player in more if they're going to leave the camera in the hands of the designers.
Crackdown is fantastic in concept, and solid in execution. The controls and character gravity need a bit of work, but the chaos you can cause is unrivaled. Achivements for juggling bodies and complete online co-op make it a day one purchase, I just hope they tweak the feel.
Mass Effect rounds out the Microsoft first-party stuff, and certainly showed potential in the short demo we were shown. There were some brilliant ideas at work, like having your conversation options be short and simple in choice, but play out more fully if you actually pick them; you choose "give it to me now", your character says "If you don't hand it over to me this instant I'll insert my laser gun inside your most prized orifice". Well, I made that one up, but you get the idea. The combat didn't look as interesting, a combination of gunplay and not-quite-real-time squad control, but they have plenty of time to make it work. I have high hopes for the game, but what I've seen so far wasn't anything more than I expected.
I've felt a bit overwhemled this year even though it's been a much more focused show for us, so writing has been tough (I'm also a slow, impatient typer). I'll have a much more thorough round-up after things are all wrapped up, I just wanted to chime in with some thoughts. I'm off once more to wander aimlessly around the PSP booth, hoping Jaffe's game magically materializes if I wish hard enough.
Wii!
After all the secrets and hype, after all the hoops they made us jump through, I finally got to play the Wii last night. To answer the question I posed in my post from yesterday, Nintendo is able to get away with some questionable treatment of the media because they make the best games around. The Wii truly is a revolution in gaming. It is just about everything Nintendo has been promising. Aside from conservative, hardcore gamers who are so accustomed to current games they could not possibly move on to something different (think how reluctant computer first person shooter players are to try Halo), I cannot think of a single demographic that will not embrace this system. And, no, Michael J. Fox is not a demographic I am willing to recognize.
I started my write-up just talking about the various games I got to play yesterday and how controls actually work, but it just felt so boring compared to the actual experience. This is unlike anything else out there. Revolution may have been a bad name for the system, but this truly is a revolution in gaming. I cannot imagine a scenario in which Sony, MS and whoever else decides to enter the video game competition, do not rip-off this idea. It does not work as well for every genre, and no game there was flawless, but the potential for the Wii is unfathomable.
Take Wii Sports, for instance, Have you ever had one of those game naysayers make fun of a sports title? "Why don't you just go outside and play football?" they may sarcastically ask. Well, this will certain change that image. I played Nick in a match and, other than being indoors and having stray tennis balls automatically returned to us, it actually feels like real tennis. We even moved our legs around even though the motion sensing controller was clearly in our arms. The graphics may be N64 quality, but the immersiveness was so strong that it didn't even feel like we were playing a game. The controller jerks back when you make contact, you can feel less pressure when hitting a backhand, and any time you miss the ball it is clearly your fault. You'll hit even inaccurately if you swing too early or late (like real tennis!). Video sports are no longer for the lazy; they are just for people with acrophobia.
Wario Ware was probably the most entertaining game there, though. Anyone who has played one of the previous entries in the series is probably giddy thinking about what the Wii will offer. It's even better than I thought. You have to hold the Wiimote to your hips to do the hula, you have to put the controller on your head to do squats, and you have to pump your arms to win a race. It feels so natural and it is so ridiculously fun. Either this or Wii: Sports has to be packed in with the system.
Other than that, the games were kind of what you'd expect except with all new controls. Mario can spin if you shake the Wiimote, you can parry sword attack in Red Steel by shaking the nunchuck, speed up your airplane by pushing the controller towards the screen and even whip a horse if you're feeling nasty. Everything was incredibly easy to pick up and play with and, most importantly, quite fun as well. Elebits, for instance, is just an elaborate game of hide and seek. Think bashful Pikmin mixed with Half Life 2. You go through a house with a gravity gun and interact with every object you see. Grab onto the fridge and move it from the wall: there's some Elebits hiding there! Pick up the fridge and shake it around and watch even more spill out. It seems kind of like a tech demo (I'm not sure how you turn hide and go seek into a full game) but it was incredibly cute and fun as well. Good job Konami.
In summation, I will definitely be buying a Wii come launch. I want to show my mom this thing, someone who only plays PC games because consoles scare her. I want to show it to my sister, who thinks games are for kids. I want Bethany to be able to play me in tennis in the comfort of our homes. I want everyone to get their hands on it for five minutes. Playing truly is believing.
One more quick note - I love the Wii but my game of the show, at least thus far, has to go to a different source completely. Electronic Arts showed a closed-door demo of their new franchise Army of Two and I was blown away. It's not a slow-paced, snooze fest like other army games either. It's a strategic, though action oriented shooter with a partner. You can play with a buddy or have the computer controller your merciless teammate. The AI is the best I've seen so far. He'll complain, get pissed if you make a mistake, or even yell at you if you "accidentally" hurt him. It looks absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I'm glad I stopped boycotting EA. With this, Spore and Madden Wii coming out I will have to start buying some EA games. I didn't even mention Project Grey or Superman. Keep it up EA. For the love of God, keep it up.
I started my write-up just talking about the various games I got to play yesterday and how controls actually work, but it just felt so boring compared to the actual experience. This is unlike anything else out there. Revolution may have been a bad name for the system, but this truly is a revolution in gaming. I cannot imagine a scenario in which Sony, MS and whoever else decides to enter the video game competition, do not rip-off this idea. It does not work as well for every genre, and no game there was flawless, but the potential for the Wii is unfathomable.
Take Wii Sports, for instance, Have you ever had one of those game naysayers make fun of a sports title? "Why don't you just go outside and play football?" they may sarcastically ask. Well, this will certain change that image. I played Nick in a match and, other than being indoors and having stray tennis balls automatically returned to us, it actually feels like real tennis. We even moved our legs around even though the motion sensing controller was clearly in our arms. The graphics may be N64 quality, but the immersiveness was so strong that it didn't even feel like we were playing a game. The controller jerks back when you make contact, you can feel less pressure when hitting a backhand, and any time you miss the ball it is clearly your fault. You'll hit even inaccurately if you swing too early or late (like real tennis!). Video sports are no longer for the lazy; they are just for people with acrophobia.
Wario Ware was probably the most entertaining game there, though. Anyone who has played one of the previous entries in the series is probably giddy thinking about what the Wii will offer. It's even better than I thought. You have to hold the Wiimote to your hips to do the hula, you have to put the controller on your head to do squats, and you have to pump your arms to win a race. It feels so natural and it is so ridiculously fun. Either this or Wii: Sports has to be packed in with the system.
Other than that, the games were kind of what you'd expect except with all new controls. Mario can spin if you shake the Wiimote, you can parry sword attack in Red Steel by shaking the nunchuck, speed up your airplane by pushing the controller towards the screen and even whip a horse if you're feeling nasty. Everything was incredibly easy to pick up and play with and, most importantly, quite fun as well. Elebits, for instance, is just an elaborate game of hide and seek. Think bashful Pikmin mixed with Half Life 2. You go through a house with a gravity gun and interact with every object you see. Grab onto the fridge and move it from the wall: there's some Elebits hiding there! Pick up the fridge and shake it around and watch even more spill out. It seems kind of like a tech demo (I'm not sure how you turn hide and go seek into a full game) but it was incredibly cute and fun as well. Good job Konami.
In summation, I will definitely be buying a Wii come launch. I want to show my mom this thing, someone who only plays PC games because consoles scare her. I want to show it to my sister, who thinks games are for kids. I want Bethany to be able to play me in tennis in the comfort of our homes. I want everyone to get their hands on it for five minutes. Playing truly is believing.
One more quick note - I love the Wii but my game of the show, at least thus far, has to go to a different source completely. Electronic Arts showed a closed-door demo of their new franchise Army of Two and I was blown away. It's not a slow-paced, snooze fest like other army games either. It's a strategic, though action oriented shooter with a partner. You can play with a buddy or have the computer controller your merciless teammate. The AI is the best I've seen so far. He'll complain, get pissed if you make a mistake, or even yell at you if you "accidentally" hurt him. It looks absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I'm glad I stopped boycotting EA. With this, Spore and Madden Wii coming out I will have to start buying some EA games. I didn't even mention Project Grey or Superman. Keep it up EA. For the love of God, keep it up.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
How could you do this to me Nintendo?
Nintendo did it again. Two years ago they showed their crazy, dual-screened portable at their conference, made every anxious to see why Nintendo would make a system with a touch screen, and then they banished it behind a four hour wait when the show floor actually opened. Last year, they announced that Zelda would be playable. Once again, you had to wait at least four hours just to catch a glimpse of it in person. Surely, I stupidly thought, Nintendo won't stick their Wii behind closed doors this year, right? They preached "Playing = Believing" at their conference after all. Why would they hide it where only the most patient of gamers will be able to "believe?"
I have to admit that I am quite furious about this ill-treatment of the very people who are sent to inform those who cannot attend. I have been excited for the Wii since they showed off the wacky controller. I was weary, yes, and still am, but I wanted to play it. I needed to play it to understand. Seeing actual humans play around in Zelda and Wii Sports yesterday was unbelievably enjoyable (no hyperbola), but I still don't quite get it. Is it really that easy? Is it really that fun? No clue. Nintendo may make the best games in the universe but they treat people like crap. Granted, any company who made Mario and Pikmin is, in fact, at least a little holier than thou, but must they taunt and tease us every year?
Nick suggested we wait in line to play the Wii since we are pretty much booked for the rest of the week, but I put my foot down. It's ridiculous to give in to Nintendo's horrible attitude. So we picked up our pride and walked twenty feet to Sony's booth. PS3s everywhere! No lines. No appointments. Just games. Isn't that supposed to be Nintendo's thing? So Nick and I raced to Warhawk. What else? It's the only game that takes advantage of the Dual Shock (without the rumble...) 3's fancy "new" control mechanics. I actually got their first so the plane was mine. I had, of course, read some impressions from people who have already played it at Sony's press event. I was told that it was initially hard to control. I was told even the Sony Rep who demonstrated the control at the conference was struggling. That may or may not be true, but there was not even a second of learning curve present.
You turn by tilting the controller left and right, something we've all been doing already for years. You hold back to soar into the clouds or down to skim the ocean. It's quite intuitive. After Nick told me what button did what, I was barrel rolling and dog fighting with no problems. Not only is it easy, it's incredibly fun. We're talking giddy-inducing levels of fun. Nick asked if he could play and I flatly replied "no." I didn't want to give up the controller. I wanted to try a nose dive / barrel roll combination. I wanted to loop around a mountain, hover at it's peak, rain down some missiles, and then race back down to Earth. I just wanted to touch the controller a little while longer.
If you're wondering, the controller itself feels like a lighter version of the Dual Shock 2. There are triggers now but they just feel like larger buttons. Certainly not worse than the R/L2 buttons on the PS2, but not as good as the Xbox Controller S scheme or the incomparable X360 controller. Still, it may not look different, but it still feels quite solid. I'm interested to see how developers utilize the motion sensor. You wont' see anything as sophisticated as Red Steel, but if it's used to compliment standard gameplay like in Warhawk, it could make games even more fun.
Sadly, the thrill of Warhawk does not quite earn the coveted honor of being the best game I played within the first 3 hours of my time at E3. That goes to Gitaroo Man Lives for the PSP. It's only a remake of the PS2 original thus far (new songs are on the way) but it still plays incredible. The analog nub works perfectly. Just another game I'll add to the list of titles I need to buy when I finally get a PSP. Oh, and I tried out Lemmings as well. I had fun, but the twenty little guys I sent to their deaths certainly didn't.
One complain that isn't related to Nintendo: no one knows anything at E3. Nick and I asked three separate Sony reps, including a media representative, if and where David Jaffe's (of War of the Monsters fame) new PSP title. One soft-minded woman was happy that she had heard of the man... but knew nothing about his title. No one else could tell us anything. Shouldn't Sony reps know these things? Every booth has the same type of ignorant people - both to their own games and the industry as a whole - and it's making me crazy. Do you damn job! You can see that I'm doing mine. I'm not afraid to keep insulting you dummy heads until you get it right, either.
BTW - Nick and I have a four hour appointment in Nintendo's booth after the show. We should be able to check out Wii there. This does not excuse the difficulty of a playable system for all members of the media.
I have to admit that I am quite furious about this ill-treatment of the very people who are sent to inform those who cannot attend. I have been excited for the Wii since they showed off the wacky controller. I was weary, yes, and still am, but I wanted to play it. I needed to play it to understand. Seeing actual humans play around in Zelda and Wii Sports yesterday was unbelievably enjoyable (no hyperbola), but I still don't quite get it. Is it really that easy? Is it really that fun? No clue. Nintendo may make the best games in the universe but they treat people like crap. Granted, any company who made Mario and Pikmin is, in fact, at least a little holier than thou, but must they taunt and tease us every year?
Nick suggested we wait in line to play the Wii since we are pretty much booked for the rest of the week, but I put my foot down. It's ridiculous to give in to Nintendo's horrible attitude. So we picked up our pride and walked twenty feet to Sony's booth. PS3s everywhere! No lines. No appointments. Just games. Isn't that supposed to be Nintendo's thing? So Nick and I raced to Warhawk. What else? It's the only game that takes advantage of the Dual Shock (without the rumble...) 3's fancy "new" control mechanics. I actually got their first so the plane was mine. I had, of course, read some impressions from people who have already played it at Sony's press event. I was told that it was initially hard to control. I was told even the Sony Rep who demonstrated the control at the conference was struggling. That may or may not be true, but there was not even a second of learning curve present.
You turn by tilting the controller left and right, something we've all been doing already for years. You hold back to soar into the clouds or down to skim the ocean. It's quite intuitive. After Nick told me what button did what, I was barrel rolling and dog fighting with no problems. Not only is it easy, it's incredibly fun. We're talking giddy-inducing levels of fun. Nick asked if he could play and I flatly replied "no." I didn't want to give up the controller. I wanted to try a nose dive / barrel roll combination. I wanted to loop around a mountain, hover at it's peak, rain down some missiles, and then race back down to Earth. I just wanted to touch the controller a little while longer.
If you're wondering, the controller itself feels like a lighter version of the Dual Shock 2. There are triggers now but they just feel like larger buttons. Certainly not worse than the R/L2 buttons on the PS2, but not as good as the Xbox Controller S scheme or the incomparable X360 controller. Still, it may not look different, but it still feels quite solid. I'm interested to see how developers utilize the motion sensor. You wont' see anything as sophisticated as Red Steel, but if it's used to compliment standard gameplay like in Warhawk, it could make games even more fun.
Sadly, the thrill of Warhawk does not quite earn the coveted honor of being the best game I played within the first 3 hours of my time at E3. That goes to Gitaroo Man Lives for the PSP. It's only a remake of the PS2 original thus far (new songs are on the way) but it still plays incredible. The analog nub works perfectly. Just another game I'll add to the list of titles I need to buy when I finally get a PSP. Oh, and I tried out Lemmings as well. I had fun, but the twenty little guys I sent to their deaths certainly didn't.
One complain that isn't related to Nintendo: no one knows anything at E3. Nick and I asked three separate Sony reps, including a media representative, if and where David Jaffe's (of War of the Monsters fame) new PSP title. One soft-minded woman was happy that she had heard of the man... but knew nothing about his title. No one else could tell us anything. Shouldn't Sony reps know these things? Every booth has the same type of ignorant people - both to their own games and the industry as a whole - and it's making me crazy. Do you damn job! You can see that I'm doing mine. I'm not afraid to keep insulting you dummy heads until you get it right, either.
BTW - Nick and I have a four hour appointment in Nintendo's booth after the show. We should be able to check out Wii there. This does not excuse the difficulty of a playable system for all members of the media.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
"But I'm using my whole ass"
So let me get this straight: Sony actually thought it would be a good idea to implement motion technology in the PS3 controller, but waited until the 11th hour to do it. Now not only is the technology itself done in the laziest of manners, but there aren't even any games that use it. Does this seem like a good idea to anyone? We all know Sony doesn't have an ounce of hardware innovation in any of their PlayStation divisions, why are they even trying to compete with Nintendo? Any company who feels like making a slightly different type of game, one that hasn't been done over and over again in the last twenty years, will be making it for the Wii anyway. So now Sony is offering an over-priced system with very few interesting games and no hardware innovations to save it... and they actually still expect people to care. Good luck guys. I'd rather buy a Wii and X360 than just a PS3, though.
Moving on to companies that seem to actually know what they're doing. Nick and I were lucky enough to go to both Nintendo and Microsoft's press conferences today. Even more ridiculous: we sat in the 3rd row at Nintendo's event. To give you some perspective, all the EGM writers were about three rows behind us. Crazy, huh? I don't normally like watching previews of games. I like to play them, not be shown a movie that only teases me. But watching Nintendo show off the Wii games for the very first time was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had in gaming. Even though I didn't get to play it, just seeing something so unique for the first time just felt unreal. For the first time since I was a kid I was just bursting with excitement. I know Nintendo carefully orchestrated the presentation, but everyone just looked like they were having a blast playing these games.
The whole thing started off with Shigs, dressed as a fancy conductor, walking on the stage to raucous applause. He then took the Wiimote from his pocket and begin to conduct a virtual orchestra. It may sound lame, but it looked really fun. This led into a montage of all the games we've been hearing about the past few months. I'm sure you've heard of most of them - Excite Truck controlling the race by tiling he controller, Wario Ware with all its wacky mini games, and Red Steel finally offering something new in FPS. But when they showed Mario... man. I am a huge Mario whore. I would still say Mario is my favorite franchise around. I wish Nintendo would release a new Mario game every summer. I have no idea why they've waited so long to release a new platform title, but the next year should be amazing. We've got New Super Mario Bros. Coming out in less than a week, Super Mario Galaxy coming out within a few months of the Wii launch, a new sequel to Yoshi's Island on the DS. How sweet is that? Even cooler is Super Paper Mario for the Gamecube. They didn't even show this at the show, but there's a 2D Mario platformer set in the Paper Mario universe. I don't particularly like the games, but any jumping is good jumping.
In other words, I can't friggin' wait for this thing. No release date or price, but I will jump on this thing from day one. So good.
Microsoft's conference was just as cool. They didn't show anything particularly new, but I want everything they showed. But we all know about Halo 3 and Bill Gates being the most boring man in the world. What you don't know is that Nick and I got to go to a fancy MS party afterwards. They rented out the ground floor of a hotel, loaded it with X360s and HD TVs, and let journalists loose. Free food of the high quality variety and an open bar too. No clue why they thought we deserved this, but Nick and I jumped in. They even had a chocolate fountain. I totally stuck a strawberry in it too. Ate it right up.
I'm going to cut this short now. Nick and I need to leave in 7 hours. We get to check out all of MS's first party lineup tomorrow and get to try out the Wii for the first time. Can't wait!
By the way, four new Mario platforming title in only a year and no new sports games? Is this heaven?
Moving on to companies that seem to actually know what they're doing. Nick and I were lucky enough to go to both Nintendo and Microsoft's press conferences today. Even more ridiculous: we sat in the 3rd row at Nintendo's event. To give you some perspective, all the EGM writers were about three rows behind us. Crazy, huh? I don't normally like watching previews of games. I like to play them, not be shown a movie that only teases me. But watching Nintendo show off the Wii games for the very first time was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had in gaming. Even though I didn't get to play it, just seeing something so unique for the first time just felt unreal. For the first time since I was a kid I was just bursting with excitement. I know Nintendo carefully orchestrated the presentation, but everyone just looked like they were having a blast playing these games.
The whole thing started off with Shigs, dressed as a fancy conductor, walking on the stage to raucous applause. He then took the Wiimote from his pocket and begin to conduct a virtual orchestra. It may sound lame, but it looked really fun. This led into a montage of all the games we've been hearing about the past few months. I'm sure you've heard of most of them - Excite Truck controlling the race by tiling he controller, Wario Ware with all its wacky mini games, and Red Steel finally offering something new in FPS. But when they showed Mario... man. I am a huge Mario whore. I would still say Mario is my favorite franchise around. I wish Nintendo would release a new Mario game every summer. I have no idea why they've waited so long to release a new platform title, but the next year should be amazing. We've got New Super Mario Bros. Coming out in less than a week, Super Mario Galaxy coming out within a few months of the Wii launch, a new sequel to Yoshi's Island on the DS. How sweet is that? Even cooler is Super Paper Mario for the Gamecube. They didn't even show this at the show, but there's a 2D Mario platformer set in the Paper Mario universe. I don't particularly like the games, but any jumping is good jumping.
In other words, I can't friggin' wait for this thing. No release date or price, but I will jump on this thing from day one. So good.
Microsoft's conference was just as cool. They didn't show anything particularly new, but I want everything they showed. But we all know about Halo 3 and Bill Gates being the most boring man in the world. What you don't know is that Nick and I got to go to a fancy MS party afterwards. They rented out the ground floor of a hotel, loaded it with X360s and HD TVs, and let journalists loose. Free food of the high quality variety and an open bar too. No clue why they thought we deserved this, but Nick and I jumped in. They even had a chocolate fountain. I totally stuck a strawberry in it too. Ate it right up.
I'm going to cut this short now. Nick and I need to leave in 7 hours. We get to check out all of MS's first party lineup tomorrow and get to try out the Wii for the first time. Can't wait!
By the way, four new Mario platforming title in only a year and no new sports games? Is this heaven?
Monday, May 08, 2006
The fourth dimension is quite a letdown
Evening, folks. Tom and I have been enjoying LA quite a bit, and despite Sony's best attempts to sour the experince we're still having a good time. Assuming you've heard that their conference was an absolute abortion. The pre-show reception was great - lots of mediocre free food, a literal pile of hundreds of candy bars to choose from, lots of random gaming journalists and quasi-celebrities for me to geek out over (got a great picture with Atsushi Iniba, and paparazzied Kojima and his red bowling shoes [which I'll post later]), boring PSP demos to download (Ratchet was fine, but it's tough to get excited about), Morgan Webb picking her teeth for a good two minutes, and Brendan.
The conference itself, not so good. Not that they showed anything particularly awful, it was just astoundingly underwhelming with almost no surprises. They didn't even show Jaffe's PSP game for hells sake. In short, as I'm sure you've seen elsewhere by now if you care, the PS3 hits November 17th with two SKUs - one with a 60gig hard drive for $600, and one with a 20gig and no HDMI/wifi/sd card support for $500. Not overpriced, but certainly expensive. There's also some tilt functionality so you can play Warhawk by waving your controller around like an idiot, but as an afterthought it's not especially exciting (and cost us the rumble feature - lame). Without a killer app, and considering the 360 will be hitting it's stride right around the launch, there's actually a chance I won't buy one right away. I would have never guessed I'd be saying that when I woke up this morning.
Resistance looks like fun, in a Call of Duty 2 meets Black meets aliens kind of way, but it's not Halo or Ratchet, so what's the point? Warhawk did look fantastic, but it looked fantastic last year. Even Naughty Dog's new game which I've been pioneering the existence and important of for quite a while was just a boring gun game in a jungle. Far Cry meets Prince of Persia meets Nick not giving a damn, from what I could gather. Without any sort of art style either, just pure realism. In fact, now that I think about it almost none of the games had any sort of significant visual style of their own, outside of MAYBE Heavenly Sword. Just blah realism, which wasn't very realistic for the most part. While Nintendo is looking to change gaming and Microsoft is looking to better it, Sony seems content with completely resting on their laurels and assuming standards won't change in the next five years. Ugh. It's really quite disappointing, especially since they were FAR AND ABOVE the best publisher of the last generation.
In short, there was nothing to get excited about. Nothing. After the presentation they had several of the games playable in the room, and I chose to not make Tom and Dan wait five more minutes for me than play a Playstation 3. And that is SHOCKING. It's bed time for us now, but I'll have a lot more to say tomorrow night after having seen all three conferences. Bad times though so far. Where's Fumito Ueda when you need him?
The conference itself, not so good. Not that they showed anything particularly awful, it was just astoundingly underwhelming with almost no surprises. They didn't even show Jaffe's PSP game for hells sake. In short, as I'm sure you've seen elsewhere by now if you care, the PS3 hits November 17th with two SKUs - one with a 60gig hard drive for $600, and one with a 20gig and no HDMI/wifi/sd card support for $500. Not overpriced, but certainly expensive. There's also some tilt functionality so you can play Warhawk by waving your controller around like an idiot, but as an afterthought it's not especially exciting (and cost us the rumble feature - lame). Without a killer app, and considering the 360 will be hitting it's stride right around the launch, there's actually a chance I won't buy one right away. I would have never guessed I'd be saying that when I woke up this morning.
Resistance looks like fun, in a Call of Duty 2 meets Black meets aliens kind of way, but it's not Halo or Ratchet, so what's the point? Warhawk did look fantastic, but it looked fantastic last year. Even Naughty Dog's new game which I've been pioneering the existence and important of for quite a while was just a boring gun game in a jungle. Far Cry meets Prince of Persia meets Nick not giving a damn, from what I could gather. Without any sort of art style either, just pure realism. In fact, now that I think about it almost none of the games had any sort of significant visual style of their own, outside of MAYBE Heavenly Sword. Just blah realism, which wasn't very realistic for the most part. While Nintendo is looking to change gaming and Microsoft is looking to better it, Sony seems content with completely resting on their laurels and assuming standards won't change in the next five years. Ugh. It's really quite disappointing, especially since they were FAR AND ABOVE the best publisher of the last generation.
In short, there was nothing to get excited about. Nothing. After the presentation they had several of the games playable in the room, and I chose to not make Tom and Dan wait five more minutes for me than play a Playstation 3. And that is SHOCKING. It's bed time for us now, but I'll have a lot more to say tomorrow night after having seen all three conferences. Bad times though so far. Where's Fumito Ueda when you need him?
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