Then, I watched the media presentation. Then I read Jaysun's article (as quite a few of you have, as well) Jaysun has some very valid points. But, overall, I disagree with his views on E3, so far. I'll take it system by system.
MICROSOFT
Okay. Really? This is where Jaysun and I are in total agreement. The Kinect heavy presentation was a bit of a letdown. With horrible acting. That's right, acting. Because this is all marketing, and instead of having people up there who might actually enjoy playing some of this stuff, they got people who would appeal to that game's target audience. I am not impressed. Halo 4? Meh. Halo: CE Anniversary Edition? Meh. GoW3? Meh. Here's the thing ... I'm not a fan of shooters. I could care less. Maybe some people are hyped, and more power to you. The trailers are very cinematic. The one thing that excited me? TV on my Xbox! So, I don't have cable. I have Hulu and Netflix. Primarily used through the Xbox (The PS3 has issues buffering ALL THE TIME on our internet for some reason). I catch a few games on ESPN for Xbox. Now, I may get to watch shows not currently on either of those services? SIGN ME UP! Also, apparently, not even mentioned in the presentation, Microsoft is adding cloud based storage for Gamertags and Saved Games. Awesome! The death of "Recover Gamertag"? I'm all for it. Talk about stuff like that, Microsoft. Instead of pimping Kinect Star Wars. *shudder*
SONY
Vita? I'm down with it. Especially since one of my favorite franchises of all time is getting a new life because of it. (Heh ... vita ... new life ... heh) ODDWORLD is BACK, BABY! Specifically, Stranger's Wrath, one of my all time favs! So excited. Beyond that? Well, I'll probably get a WiFi Vita. AT&T for the 3G? And, to be honest, 3G? Why not partner with someone for 4G? Someone who has ... um ... good reception? Anyway. To me, Sony underwhelmed. No real shockers for games. No announcements on long-awaited games. (Final Fantasty XIII Vs., anyone?) The Vita is a really solid portable ... but so was the PSP. What happened? There is something intangible that Sony just hasn't had in the past with handhelds. Maybe the Vita will change that. I'll still prefer my 3DS over it, even so.
NINTENDO
WiiU. Silly name, awesome concept. Here lies the major crux of my disagreement with Jaysun. His complaint is that they are talking about it way too early, with no tangibles to deal with. To an extent, I see his point. But, I'm okay with that. How many first party games by Nintendo are buggy? Very, very few. You know why? They test the hell out of their games. Alas, this does cause delays, or at the very least, announcements well ahead of when they should be. Yes, we are probably looking at a Spring/Summer 2012 release for the WiiU. (My reasoning for this is twofold -- firstly, early adopters will be able to build up hype for the system so that holiday sales will be ridiculous, and there are a plethora of games coming out Q2/Q3 that the WiiU will probably want to get in on.) But, in order for developers to have a good foothold on getting great games out for the WiiU in time for launch, I'm sure developer units are getting sent out soon, if they already haven't been. And for those developers on the fence ... think of the possibilities! This announcement was about innovation. Nintendo has been at the forefront of gaming technology. Now, you have an entirely new way of playing. Again. Motion controls were so popular, both Sony and Microsoft got in on the action, after the Wii, which has not had the best lineup of third-party games, has sold a quadrillion units or so. You now have people who have never owned a video game console (or quit playing video games after the "grew up) have a Wii in their house. With the WiiU ... those hardcore gamers who sold their Wiis long ago may be enticed to come back. And the promo video definitely appeals to the casual gamer that made the Wii so popular. But, third-party support will be how this console lives or dies. We know that Darksiders 2 is supposed to be a launch title. Batman: Arkham City is coming to it. Assassin's Creed. Wooo! Sounds good! But I have a prediction. I'm throwing it out here, for you guys. Remember, you saw it here first! (If it's true. If not, just forget this ever happened.) Mass Effect 3 will be coming to the Wii U. And, I'd hazard a guess that ME 1&2 might too.
Anyway, I've gushed over Nintendo enough. But, that's how excited I got. And we've still got more E3 to go. Expect a wrap-up from the whole gang, soon.
Until then, see ya next Punday Night!
ARGH! Oddworld, I forgot completely. There was just so much. But MAss Effect? That's a mighty bold prediction sir.
ReplyDeleteOh right.
U suk on ballzzz dood! TerriBle. fuks you!