Now that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony conferences are gone we can really look at their take on E3 2010 and, as gamers, rejoice about the months to come since all 3 have shown the audience great things to look forward.
Luckily for us European all 3 conferences were set at good times with Microsoft and Sony in the evening and Nintendo in the afternoon. (EA was in the evening too even if a bit late while Ubisoft and Activision ones were at late night for us in the EU).
I think that all in all they all showed something interesting for their user bases and with a good range of games and styles.
Microsoft (6):
MS's conference was probably the less "exciting" because we already knew about the exclusives Halo Reach, due in a few months, Gears Of War 3 and Fable III and the "usual" sport games were also quite predictable.
All these games are certainly highly anticipated by the respective franchise lovers and will fulfill the expectations however none of these did show something particularly "spectacular" as far as innovations are concerned and I wonder how the 4-players campaign in GOW3 will be handled: just like in GOW2 or with a new system (similar to Lost Planet 3, maybe?).
They were all bigger and better version of their predecessor so will certainly be enjoyable and enjoyed by many!
On the other hand we only saw a title for the new Crytek exclusive Kingdoms but nothing more and just a filmed presentation of Fable 3 too (again, seemed more of the same, so to speak).
As far as Kinect is concerned I think that they showed what what mostly expected: a peripheral for "alternative" gaming: sport, family games and dance.
Perhaps they spent too much time showing it but to be honest this was Kinect's E3 and they certainly have bet on it so it's just natural it was the center of the stage.
As for its appeal, I think that what they're trying to do it widening the XBOX360 experience to the whole family.
You have a X360 at home and you want to buy Kinect for your wife and kids and so on. At least, that's what I perceive as being their target audience for what they have shown.
It's hard to think they are actually targeting casual gamers with a 299$ console + 150$ peripheral vs Wii, it makes much more sense to "widen" the X360 usage to the whole family.
That said however the Star Wars Kinect game wasn't very impressive... although it was the only one that was trying to be a "real game" and perhaps there's more to it that was shown.
We also should not forget they presented the new X360 although the built-in wi-fi and larger HD aren't exactly WOW innovation factor and... is it slimmer?
More aggressive but not really "new" apart from the re-styling.
On the other hand it's always fun how they like to call Kojima on the stage to present someone else to present a Metal Gear on X360... he he.
By the way the new Metal Gear rising really looks cool and interesting, a game to look forward too, for both X360 and PS3 fans!
Nintendo (8):
It seems that people are really excited about the big N conference, I can just say: they finally showed an interesting line-up for gamers!
And tens of pretty girl with a 3DS attached to their belts :P.
They did mentioned NintenDogs(+cats) but then rather focused on the more interesting stuff: Zelda shown on stage, Disney's Epic Mickey, Metroid, GoldenEye, Donkey Kong and Kirby's Epic Yarn. A good lineup with different games for different tastes and definitely something that can be called "real games".
After all, no need to focus on Balance boards or something like that, those are things that you sell through TV ads rather than through E3 but show Zelda and you've won the conference hands off: at least that's what seems to have happened for the majority of journalists.
I'm not a Zelda fan so I can't really understand all the excitement about this new chapter however the game seemed pretty nice and with interesting mechanics.
I don't think everyone can really expect big graphic/gameplay/effects leaps or improvements as long as there is no hardware advancement that allows for them.
Disney's Epic Mouse really looked interesting. They presented it as a carefully thought-out and interesting game, a real game for everyone to enjoy with its own peculiarities and mechanics: certainly something to look forward for Wii owners.
The Mario sports game on the other hand it's more of the same Wii-casual-stuff, a Wii-sport with Mario etc. etc. but Nintendo must have Mario on stage every year, that's it.
3DS was also unveiled and it will certainly be an interesting one to check out although I wonder about retro-compatibility as this has only 1 touchable screen (I'm not sure I didn't pay attention or it wasn't mentioned).
The last note is about myself since while I haven't got any Nintendo console yet after they showed Kirby's Epic Yarn I just have to buy the Wii... Yeah, that's the good of being a gamer girl, you can revel in such cuteness with no second-thoughts!
Anyway apart from the super-cute graphic the new Kirby also featured a very interesting style and the nice 2D platform mechanic that is always be fun so I'm certainly looking forward to it.
Sony (8):
To me Sony's conference was the most anticipated and also interesting if a bit difficult to follow for "buffering" problems.
I also have to say though that their very dark stage and a bit too serious mood didn't convey the same gay atmosphere of the MS and Nintendo conferences; next year, just opt for something less dark and a bit more sparkling, after all it's about games and fun!
I'd say they wanted to convey a more serious approach and show facts but the conference could have been a bit more "brilliant" even though I didn't really find it so boring and anyway Tretton's way of speaking isn't more important than the news and games shown.
Sony has really shown an impressive line-up of games and not just exclusive and the take on Move it's what I was hoping/expecting: something perhaps not as "innovative" as Kinect but probably more versatile as far as games are concerned and more easily adaptable for more "hardcore" games.
They showed great exclusives: SOCOM 4 (with and without move support), Killzone 3, Little Big Planet 2, Infamous 2, Twisted Metal, Motorstorm Apocalypse, GT5 (for real, finally), echochrome 2 together with Move compliant Sorcery, Heroes on the Move etc.
Not many were demonstrated on stage, true, but most were available at the conference for live play.
And anyhow all were shown with in-game footage which is important.
The support for PSP bit sounded a tad "forced" so to speak, like telling we don't have a PSP2 to show because PSP is enough already however they almost exclusively featured PSP3000 rather than the GO which probably means it wasn't a giant success and certainly didn't replace the more classic PSP models.
Truth be told anyway the PSP does have a great collection of games and the most important (first party) PS3 exclusive have almost always a portable counterpart: GOW, Motorstor, LBP, Ratchet and Clank, Modnation Racers.
And perhaps now that 3DS is out they'll take a look at its 3D screen and make a 3D-PSP2!
The coca-cola partnership also did not spark any interest for me, it's junk food in my notes so it's not something that interests me the slightest but I guess that business-wise it's something for them that deserves stage-promotion.
On the other hand the Kevin Butler moment was quite fun and Gabe Newell on stage a BIG surprise, it would be really nice to know what he really thinks after all the bad-mouthing about the PS3 however I'm also certainly looking forward to Portal 2 on the Ps3.
PSN+? Don't know, I want to check out the details but if it's not something that really has impact on the gaming experience (like X360 own servers) it's still interesting but not so exciting.
Still, it sounded like a good deal so for people that are a lot into gaming may certainly be worth it!
On the 3D side if there is a someone that can make 3D gaming a reality it definitely is SONY and they certainly are working to make it come true.
Not using the glasses would be awesome but that's probably not something that can happen in the very near future although there are those working on the technology already (and nope, it's not the same having it work on a DS screen than on a large TV).
Missing: The Last Guardian, The Agent (but them Rockstar hadn't shown anything at all).
CONCLUSIONS:
In the end I think we can safely say that SONY had the most impressive lineup as far as games quality, variety and technology (3D etc.) are concerned so apart from the conference itself that maybe wasn't particularly "brilliant" the truth is PS3 owners will only be spoilt for choice in the forthcoming months.
Their take on the Move device also seemed to please gamers since they showed it as a device even for real games and not just casual ones.
Nintendo raised the bar mostly because they actually focused on the real games this year and presented some very nice novelties (Kirby and Disney's Epic mouse) and actually responded to their core gamers requests.
They also presented 3DS which is certainly an interesting piece of news.
Microsoft seemed to "fail" expectations because they spent much of the conference on Kinect (not to mention the infamous poncho presentation) but actually also did show the next iterations of their exclusive and most important franchises (Halo, Gears of War, Fable and a new exclusive from Crytek) and a re-styled and more aggressive X360 finally with wi-fi and a large HD, so apart from the crazy dances etc. it wasn't so bad.
By the way and whatever you side, just enjoy gaming, there's something for everyone!
Ivy
Luckily for us European all 3 conferences were set at good times with Microsoft and Sony in the evening and Nintendo in the afternoon. (EA was in the evening too even if a bit late while Ubisoft and Activision ones were at late night for us in the EU).
I think that all in all they all showed something interesting for their user bases and with a good range of games and styles.
Microsoft (6):
MS's conference was probably the less "exciting" because we already knew about the exclusives Halo Reach, due in a few months, Gears Of War 3 and Fable III and the "usual" sport games were also quite predictable.
All these games are certainly highly anticipated by the respective franchise lovers and will fulfill the expectations however none of these did show something particularly "spectacular" as far as innovations are concerned and I wonder how the 4-players campaign in GOW3 will be handled: just like in GOW2 or with a new system (similar to Lost Planet 3, maybe?).
They were all bigger and better version of their predecessor so will certainly be enjoyable and enjoyed by many!
On the other hand we only saw a title for the new Crytek exclusive Kingdoms but nothing more and just a filmed presentation of Fable 3 too (again, seemed more of the same, so to speak).
As far as Kinect is concerned I think that they showed what what mostly expected: a peripheral for "alternative" gaming: sport, family games and dance.
Perhaps they spent too much time showing it but to be honest this was Kinect's E3 and they certainly have bet on it so it's just natural it was the center of the stage.
As for its appeal, I think that what they're trying to do it widening the XBOX360 experience to the whole family.
You have a X360 at home and you want to buy Kinect for your wife and kids and so on. At least, that's what I perceive as being their target audience for what they have shown.
It's hard to think they are actually targeting casual gamers with a 299$ console + 150$ peripheral vs Wii, it makes much more sense to "widen" the X360 usage to the whole family.
That said however the Star Wars Kinect game wasn't very impressive... although it was the only one that was trying to be a "real game" and perhaps there's more to it that was shown.
We also should not forget they presented the new X360 although the built-in wi-fi and larger HD aren't exactly WOW innovation factor and... is it slimmer?
More aggressive but not really "new" apart from the re-styling.
On the other hand it's always fun how they like to call Kojima on the stage to present someone else to present a Metal Gear on X360... he he.
By the way the new Metal Gear rising really looks cool and interesting, a game to look forward too, for both X360 and PS3 fans!
Nintendo (8):
It seems that people are really excited about the big N conference, I can just say: they finally showed an interesting line-up for gamers!
And tens of pretty girl with a 3DS attached to their belts :P.
They did mentioned NintenDogs(+cats) but then rather focused on the more interesting stuff: Zelda shown on stage, Disney's Epic Mickey, Metroid, GoldenEye, Donkey Kong and Kirby's Epic Yarn. A good lineup with different games for different tastes and definitely something that can be called "real games".
After all, no need to focus on Balance boards or something like that, those are things that you sell through TV ads rather than through E3 but show Zelda and you've won the conference hands off: at least that's what seems to have happened for the majority of journalists.
I'm not a Zelda fan so I can't really understand all the excitement about this new chapter however the game seemed pretty nice and with interesting mechanics.
I don't think everyone can really expect big graphic/gameplay/effects leaps or improvements as long as there is no hardware advancement that allows for them.
Disney's Epic Mouse really looked interesting. They presented it as a carefully thought-out and interesting game, a real game for everyone to enjoy with its own peculiarities and mechanics: certainly something to look forward for Wii owners.
The Mario sports game on the other hand it's more of the same Wii-casual-stuff, a Wii-sport with Mario etc. etc. but Nintendo must have Mario on stage every year, that's it.
3DS was also unveiled and it will certainly be an interesting one to check out although I wonder about retro-compatibility as this has only 1 touchable screen (I'm not sure I didn't pay attention or it wasn't mentioned).
The last note is about myself since while I haven't got any Nintendo console yet after they showed Kirby's Epic Yarn I just have to buy the Wii... Yeah, that's the good of being a gamer girl, you can revel in such cuteness with no second-thoughts!
Anyway apart from the super-cute graphic the new Kirby also featured a very interesting style and the nice 2D platform mechanic that is always be fun so I'm certainly looking forward to it.
Sony (8):
To me Sony's conference was the most anticipated and also interesting if a bit difficult to follow for "buffering" problems.
I also have to say though that their very dark stage and a bit too serious mood didn't convey the same gay atmosphere of the MS and Nintendo conferences; next year, just opt for something less dark and a bit more sparkling, after all it's about games and fun!
I'd say they wanted to convey a more serious approach and show facts but the conference could have been a bit more "brilliant" even though I didn't really find it so boring and anyway Tretton's way of speaking isn't more important than the news and games shown.
Sony has really shown an impressive line-up of games and not just exclusive and the take on Move it's what I was hoping/expecting: something perhaps not as "innovative" as Kinect but probably more versatile as far as games are concerned and more easily adaptable for more "hardcore" games.
They showed great exclusives: SOCOM 4 (with and without move support), Killzone 3, Little Big Planet 2, Infamous 2, Twisted Metal, Motorstorm Apocalypse, GT5 (for real, finally), echochrome 2 together with Move compliant Sorcery, Heroes on the Move etc.
Not many were demonstrated on stage, true, but most were available at the conference for live play.
And anyhow all were shown with in-game footage which is important.
The support for PSP bit sounded a tad "forced" so to speak, like telling we don't have a PSP2 to show because PSP is enough already however they almost exclusively featured PSP3000 rather than the GO which probably means it wasn't a giant success and certainly didn't replace the more classic PSP models.
Truth be told anyway the PSP does have a great collection of games and the most important (first party) PS3 exclusive have almost always a portable counterpart: GOW, Motorstor, LBP, Ratchet and Clank, Modnation Racers.
And perhaps now that 3DS is out they'll take a look at its 3D screen and make a 3D-PSP2!
The coca-cola partnership also did not spark any interest for me, it's junk food in my notes so it's not something that interests me the slightest but I guess that business-wise it's something for them that deserves stage-promotion.
On the other hand the Kevin Butler moment was quite fun and Gabe Newell on stage a BIG surprise, it would be really nice to know what he really thinks after all the bad-mouthing about the PS3 however I'm also certainly looking forward to Portal 2 on the Ps3.
PSN+? Don't know, I want to check out the details but if it's not something that really has impact on the gaming experience (like X360 own servers) it's still interesting but not so exciting.
Still, it sounded like a good deal so for people that are a lot into gaming may certainly be worth it!
On the 3D side if there is a someone that can make 3D gaming a reality it definitely is SONY and they certainly are working to make it come true.
Not using the glasses would be awesome but that's probably not something that can happen in the very near future although there are those working on the technology already (and nope, it's not the same having it work on a DS screen than on a large TV).
Missing: The Last Guardian, The Agent (but them Rockstar hadn't shown anything at all).
CONCLUSIONS:
In the end I think we can safely say that SONY had the most impressive lineup as far as games quality, variety and technology (3D etc.) are concerned so apart from the conference itself that maybe wasn't particularly "brilliant" the truth is PS3 owners will only be spoilt for choice in the forthcoming months.
Their take on the Move device also seemed to please gamers since they showed it as a device even for real games and not just casual ones.
Nintendo raised the bar mostly because they actually focused on the real games this year and presented some very nice novelties (Kirby and Disney's Epic mouse) and actually responded to their core gamers requests.
They also presented 3DS which is certainly an interesting piece of news.
Microsoft seemed to "fail" expectations because they spent much of the conference on Kinect (not to mention the infamous poncho presentation) but actually also did show the next iterations of their exclusive and most important franchises (Halo, Gears of War, Fable and a new exclusive from Crytek) and a re-styled and more aggressive X360 finally with wi-fi and a large HD, so apart from the crazy dances etc. it wasn't so bad.
By the way and whatever you side, just enjoy gaming, there's something for everyone!
Ivy
