Now that it’s all said and done, it’s time to get cynical. It’s time to break down everything that happened and take a deeper look at specific incidences in depth. (NOTE: I currently own a Xbox 360, and a Nintendo Wii, )
Microsoft Logo
Let’s start with Microsoft. I think looking across several of the larger yet some smaller forums and blog sites, most gamers feel that Microsoft takes the cake (even though it is a lie!). I feel as though Microsoft had the broadest yet most engaging press conference of the three. They truly had something to show for everyone. The hardcore had Gears 2, Fable 2, and Fallout 3 but the biggest amazement came at the end with the announcement of Final Fantasy 13 coming to the Xbox 360 at launch (NOTE: As of right now, Final Fantasy 13 will only appear Xbox 360 in North America and Europe, it will only be available in Japan on the Playstation 3). That was a huge blow to Sony for sure, much like Grand Theft Auto was two years ago.
For the casual gamer a huge new wave of games our coming out, spanning between actual games as well as arcade and the new Primetime titles. The so called actual games I am referring to include Lips, Rockband 2, Guitar Hero, Scene It, Lips, and You’re In the Movies. Arcade titles include more of the old updated classics from the Atari 2600 like Galaga, and the new semi-hardcore puzzle favorite Portal. I have to say, the Primetime titles that will be coming out when the new fall update is launched look amazing. Finally a true party experience on Xbox Live mixes with the classic TV game shows like 1 vs 100 and others.
Michael Pachter
When it comes to the fall update there is lots of criticism out there, but I have to agree with Wedbush-Morgans Analyst Michael Pachter on this. I think Microsoft combined successful concepts of their competitors, one upped them, and then placed the new innovations into the fall update. The new avatars like Pachter says are with out a doubt a hybrid between Nintendo’s Mii’s and Sony’s still unreleased Home. The new user interface comes from the PC-Mac divide though. Pachter describes the new interface very “Apple” looking. The biggest win for Microsoft in terms of the fall update Pachter describes is the new partnership with Netflix. In this last Sunday’s appearance on Game Trailers.com’s Bonus Round, Pachter predicts a minimum increase of 1 million new subscribers to the Netflix thanks to this new partnership.
I was a little dissatisfied with Microsoft’s information on other bigger titles like Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which I am personally looking forward to.
Overall though, great performance by Microsoft.
Sony Logo.
Now, I don’t own a PS3, nor was I able to catch the press conference live, but I did see some of it. And just a side note, before E3 started I was looking forward to Sony probably the most. Like many people across the web, I am obsessed with Little Big Planet, and I am one of the crazy people out there who can justify purchasing a $400 console for one game, that is if I could afford it. Damn college tuition.
I think when compared to Microsoft, Sony had a decent 1st party showing, but the games were mixed. 1st Party games shipping soon include Little Big Planet, Resistance 2, and Killzone 2. Other 1st Party titles that were announced as being in development and teased with a short trailer included God of War 3, and MAG.
I thought their use of Little Big Planet instead of a keynote was genius and a great way to demo the game. And some of the games like MAG sound good, but I don’t think the technology is there yet to provide a stable, reliable game without lag. So I’m skeptical on that.
The other news shown within the last couple of years is the loss of exclusives and poor sales on multi-platform games, demonstrated by GTA IV and now Final Fantasy.
Overall I think it was another quiet year for Sony, I expected them to finally plant their feet down and begin cranking out good quality games. Sony just kept pushing the idea from last generation, counting on the fact that their world wide 180 million PS2 owners will go to PS3, but if they didn’t get the memo, that’s not happening, at least in N. America and Europe.
Overall performance, fair.
Wii Logo
Now I own a Wii, and I can’t say what a big disappointment this year was.
I think Nintendo gets major kudos as described by Michael Pachter and Newsweek’s N’gai Croal for getting third parties to fully utilize platform peripherals but that is about it. They showed Animal Crossing, Shaun White, Wii Sports Resort, Wii Music and that was about it. Everything else just a game logo/announcement, or Reggie saying “they’re hard at work”. Look, not to be rude or anything because Nintendo core games are fun, but you announce those kinda games at the trade show and have something to show people. That move was extremely naive. Wii Music does looked entertaining to me, but looks to get old really fast.
Overall performance, poor.
All the major sites out there, Kotaku, Joystiq, Gametrailers were all looking forward to Nintendo, since very little information was released, but guess what, nothing “major” was shown at E3. Big let down, no new major announcements.
THE TALLIES
Microsoft: Well Done
Sony: Fair
Nintendo: Poor
Until next time,
GenuisTim, OUT!
I’ll have to get the link from Penny Arcade’s comic that they put up a few days ago that I thought summed up the three conferences pretty well.
As for Sony, something I felt that they did that I didn’t like all that much was this feeling that they were almost pleading throughout their press conference. Instead of conveying the message that they wanted, that of a console with a long lifespan and a steady stream of strong titles instead of spurts of AAA games (something I could fault MS with), Sony seemed to almost be saying “Just hang on a little longer, we swear it’ll get better”.
Whether that’s the feeling everyone else got from that conference is probably up for debate but it feels like Sony is constantly talking about things that are just over the horizon without giving many tangibles.
Comment by mendicantbias — July 21, 2008 @ 7:57 PM