Today is the day where the biggest trade show of the computer game industry, E3, gets in full swing- games will be on the show floor for the media, developers and consumers to try out, drool over or rip to shreds.
This means the popular tradition of the consol developers holding Press Conferences has already happened. These keynotes are really the Giants lifting up their legs and pissing to mark their territory but in a more professional manner. Thus, it is vital for them to impress unless they want an everlasting scar of shame.
I am quite disappointed to say that no such embarrassment happened this year. So, with the posturing over, who made it on top?
Microsoft kicked it off on Monday where they announced the dashboard is getting a complete makeover and adding more downloadable contents as well as a custom avatar system. “Where else could you get an avatar creation system but on Xbox Live?" commented the speaker as though expecting cookies to fly at him and a standing auvation. The answer to his ryetorical question is the Wii, where the Mii’s have been residing for almost two years now. More on demand TV will also be available, increasing the already impressive library of shows and a new motion-sensing microphone will certainly add a new (if horrifying) twist on karaoke games.
The shock announcement for Microsoft was certainly jaw dropping. The hugely popular series Final Fantay is no longer a Sony exclusive, and will go multiplatform in 2010. Is this a punch in the gut for Sony? Yes it is. How it will effect them remains to be seen.
Nintendo was next onstage, but it was all so underwhelming. Mario and Zelda had, indeed, taken a break this year but other loved franchises such as Pikmin and Kid Icarus were also unseen (and no licensed character having a new game from Nintendo is a shocking concept!). Animal Crossing was announced and sparked some interest but overall there was a great lack of anything new and exciting. More accessories were shown to be used with Wii Music but, for a consol which is supposed to be simple, how many pieces of plastic does one need lying around the house? There was also a brief mention of GTA for the DS and a lot of stats to endure.
Immediately following Nintendo was Sony who showed no scars from the Final Fantasy fiasco. Quickly they announced the phasing out of the 40 GB model to replace it with the 80 GB for $399. Sony also will offer video and movies from an impressive ensemble of companies ranging from Disney to Lionsgate to Sony Pictures. Sony displayed a whole set of new game trailers such as God of War 3, Ratchet and Clank future: Quest for Booty , a whole list of Super Hero games and MAG. LittleBigPlanet, a game focused on user content and is set to be a best seller, was used instead of the conventional slideshow to display stats and figures showcasing the success of the PS3 hardware and just how well the game is coming along.
Overall, Sony made a fearless effort introducing new content for the PS3 and outperformed Microsoft and Nintendo in terms of the Press Conference. E3 is by no means over and ‘winning’ means little, losing it means much more. What I can say is this: if you were on the fence about which consol you wanted to buy the decision is going to get a lot tougher from now on.