Well E3 is wrapping up its third day and after spending way too much time watching a bunch of live videos streamed in dubious quality, I thought I’d give my view of the different press conferences, announcements, news, and the like.
Before I start, I do want to say that this is the most invested I’ve ever been for E3. In the past, I was content to watch the videos at my leisure in the weeks after the event. I was fine with the various internet gaming personalities I follow let me know what was good, bad, and ugly. But, for some reason, that was not the case this year.
Let’s get to it.
Microsoft
I try my hardest to not be a console fanboy. I recognize there are very good games on all systems and that capability-wise each system has strengths and weaknesses. Having said that, Microsoft has absolutely zero nostalgic value for me. I grew up on Nintendo consoles and was a rabid PS1 fan, so those companies already have a strong standing with me. Xbox however, never really clicked with me, so Microsoft needed to work pretty hard to impress me.
They didn’t.
Some of the games they showed really did excite me, but not enough to convince me to buy a 360. Plus all the crap with Kinect really just baffles me. I understand the whole ‘casual’ market approach and some of the Kinetic capabilities are impressive, but I don’t understand how controller-less game play is going to work for a majority of games.
Let’s get to the games. For each announcement, I’ll give the Pre-E3 Stake Hype Level, then my Post-E3 Level, as well as a few notes on what I thought.
Call of Duty Black Ops
Pre-E3 – Ambivalent
Post-E3 – Positive
- The trailer looked great and gave me a favorable view of the game. However, not being an FPS fan means I won’t be buying this.
Metal Gear Solid Rising
Pre-E3 – Only vaguely aware of it being a thing
Post-E3 – Very Impressed
- At the start of the announcement, I think my impression of MGS Rising was verging on negative. Even through the start of the trailer, I was skeptical. Then, they started to show how the player can control the angle to swing the sword and cut up the enemies in all sorts of different ways. That was incredible and really made me want to play it.
Gears of War 3
Pre-E3 – Ambivalent
Post-E3 – Mildly Positive
- I played through a majority of the first Gears while hanging out with a bunch of friends one weekend. It was a very enjoyable, good looking game. Not really memorable, but good destruction and mayhem fun. This looks more of that.
Fable 3
Pre-E3 – Negative
Post-E3 – More Negative
- This looks like crap. Did anyone really play the first two? Maybe I’m missing out on the gaming experience of a lifetime, or maybe this is just a mediocre franchise. This announcement really needed to wow me, but instead failed miserably.
Codename Kingdoms
- Uh, What? Am I missing something here? What the hell is this?
Halo Reach
Pre-E3 – Negative
Post-E3 – Excited, then sort of let down
- I was firmly in the ‘Need to let Halo Die’ camp prior to E3. I believed that ODST and Wars were the death knells of the once great franchise. Then I watched the gameplay footage of the beach combat and got all sorts of hyped. This is a game I would love to watch someone with mad shooter skills play (instead of play myself, which would just result in giving me a headache). But, then it went into some sort of space combat sequence. Wait. Space combat? I know I should be all excited that they are trying something new, but it just didn’t sit right with me. Doesn’t the Halo universe have, I don’t know, pilots for that sort of thing? Apparently human military operations in the future fail unless a Spartan is involved with every single aspect. Everyone else in the military is simply cannon fodder to keep the enemy busy until a Spartan rolls in.
Kinect Homepage
Pre-E3 – Negative
Post-E3 – Very mildly positive
- This is about the only thing from Kinect that I like. The ability to tell the Xbox what to do is pretty darn nifty. I did think it was odd that in order to select a menu item with your hand you have to hold it over the onscreen button for what seemed a fraction of a second long to be intuitive.
ESPN exclusively on Xbox 360
Pre-E3 – No clue this was going to happen
Post-E3 – Extremely positive
- This was a dang good idea, brilliant marketing. I can see this really taking off.
Kinectimals
Pre-E3 – No idea this exists
Post-E3 – Trying to forget that it exists
- Skittles needs to be shot by a group of poachers.
Some Kinect Sports Pack that I’m too Lazy to Find the Name of
Pre-E3 – Had a feeling that they would do something to copy Wii Sports
Post-E3 – Ugh
- Do you remember the Nintendo Power Pad? Remember running in place on that crappy plastic tarp? Yeah, nearly two decades of technological advancement and millions of dollars in investment later and you get the same thing. This time you just don’t have to use a tarp, but you still look like an idiot.
Every other Title with Kinect in the Name
Pre-E3 – Didn’t care
Post-E3 – Still don’t care
- I guess there is a market for this crap. Obviously, the Wii has sold a metric buttload of consoles based on a similar assortment of plastic junk. I just don’t get it I guess. Plus why do all motion control games look like shit? I guess, the big bosses think that the game is for a casual audience, so why put the effort in to give it great graphics. Whatever the reason, its bullshit.
Dance Central (see above)
Star Wars
Pre-E3 – Surprise announcement
Post-E3 – Very skeptical
- See, this is one of those games that I want something in my hand. I want to hold something the general shape of a lightsaber, not just swing around clenched fists. I have a strong feeling this is going to suck balls. Plus, graphically it looks like a Wii game (which I don’t have a problem with . . . on the Wii, but if it is going to be on an HD system, it better at least look good, even if it plays like shit).
Forza
Pre-E3 – Ambivalent
Post-E3 – Negative
- I guess my big issue is that if I’m using my hands to control the steering wheel with Kinect, how do I brake or accelerate? I NEED ME SOME BUTTONS.
Xbox 360 Slim
Pre-E3 – Suspected it was coming
Post-E3 – Ambivalent, I guess
- This is a fantastic marketing ploy, it will increase 360 sales, but it isn’t convincing me to become a 360 owner. I think my viewpoint would be a bit different if I had just been given a free one, just like each member of the audience. That just served to piss me off. People whose job it is to play videogames and many of whom have access to nearly every console they desire at their place of work shouldn’t get the damn thing for free. Microsoft was catering to the wrong audience, had they devised a way to give a bunch away for free to the general public, now that would have built a bunch of support.
All in all, the Microsoft Media Event was kind of underwhelming. It’s sad that the most exciting thing about a gaming expo is the unveiling of a partnership with ESPN and that a bunch of dudes who already have Xbox 360s just got free new ones.
Lame.
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