It’s that time of the year again. Starting on June 2, 2009 the largest gaming convention in the world will begin. After a lackluster 2008 year, planners and sponsors of this year’s E3 seek to “revitalize” the glory that has been the Electronics Entertainment Expo. Here at MVC Gaming thread, we embrace the convention and will give constant updates during the events for easy access to all the info. Not to mention live updates for those who can’t access the video.
Come here for all your updates, conference times, and new things to happen at this E3. The conference will go on from June 2-4 at the LA Convention Center.
This thread will be constantly updated when convention is ongoing and will be stickied the week before it takes place. Then it will be unstickied a week after the convention is over. All E3 2009 discussion and news should be concentrated in this thread. However, for large amounts of news or controversial discussion about some of the things that happens, separate threads can be created.
Conferences
Microsoft- Monday, June 1, 2009 at 1:30PM EST
Nintendo- Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at 12:00PM EST
Sony- Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at 2:00PM EST
Electronic Arts- Monday, June 1, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. EST
Atlus
Class of Heroes (PSP)
Droplitz (PC, PS3, X360)
Knights in the Nightmare (DS)
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (DS)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (PSP)
Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament (PSP)
Capcom
Bionic Commando (PC)
Dark Void (PC, PS3, X360)
Dead Rising 2 (PC, PS3, X360)
Fate/Unlimited Codes (PSP)
Lost Planet 2 (PC, PS3, X360)
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (PS3, X360)
Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace (DS)
Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker (DS)
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP)
Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil (Wii)
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)
Spyborgs (Wii)
Street Fighter IV (PC)
Street Fighter IV (MadCatz Fight Pad Bundle) (PC)
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars (Wii)
City Interactive
I Love Beauty: Hollywood Makeover (DS)
Logic Machines (DS)
Redneck Chicken Riot (Wii)
Sushi Academy (DS)
CompuExpert
Rise of Flight (PC)
Crave Entertainment
Monster Mayhem: Build and Battle (DS, Wii)
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection (PS3, X360)
Deck 13
Strain (tba)
Disney Interactive Studios
Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show (PSP)
Spectrobes: Origins (Wii)
Split/Second (PS3, X360)
Toy Story Mania (Wii)
Wizards of Waverly Place (DS)
DreamCatcher Interactive
Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders (DS)
Arcania (PC, X360)
Prank Your Neighbor (DS)
Spellforce Faith in Destiny (PC)
The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft (Wii)
The Legend of Kay (DS)
Yoga (Wii)
Electronic Arts
Army of Two: The 40th Day (PS3, PSP, X360)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PS3, X360)
Brütal Legend (PS3, X360)
Dante’s Inferno (PS3, PSP, X360)
Dragon Age: Origins (PC, X360, PS3)
Grand Slam Tennis (Wii)
Madden NFL 10 (PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
Mass Effect 2 (PC, X360)
NCAA Football 10 (PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
NHL 10 (PC, PS3, X360) NEW
Need for Speed Nitro (Wii)
Need for Speed Shift (PC, PS3, X360)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii MotionPlus Bundle) (Wii)
JoWood Productions
Painkiller: Resurrection (PC)
Just Flight
757 Captain (PC)
Air Hauler (PC)
Traffic X (PC)
Warbirds of WWII (PC)
World Airports 3: North America (PC)
K2 Network Incorporated
OurWorld (PC)
Taikodom (PC)
Victory: The Age of Racing (PC)
Ignition Entertainment
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
Nostalgia (DS)
The King of Fighters XII (PS3, X360)
KOEI
Monster Racers (DS)
Warriors Orochi 2 (PSP)
Konami
Kojima Productions Project [untitled] (tba)
MTV Games
The Beatles: Rock Band (PS3, Wii, X360)
Majesco
A Boy and His Blob (Wii)
Flip’s Twisted World (Wii)
Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2010 (Wii)
Jillian Michaels' Pocket Trainer 2010 (DS)
My Hero: Astronaut (DS)
Our House: Party (Wii)
Pizza Boy (Wii)
Namco Bandai
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (PSP)
No Publisher Announced
City Life DS (DS)
Scrabble Interactive: 2009 Edition (DS, Wii)
So Blonde (DS, Wii)
Paradox Interactive
East India Company (PC)
Hearts of Iron III (PC)
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim (PC)
Mount & Blade: Warband (PC)
Perfect World
Ether Saga Online (PC)
Perfect World (PC)
Realtime Worlds
APB (PC, X360)
SEGA
Aliens vs. Predator (PC, PS3, X360)
Alpha Protocol (PC, PS3, X360)
Bayonetta (PS3, X360)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS, Wii)
Planet 51 (DS, PS3, Wii, X360)
The Conduit (Wii)
The Conduit (Limited Edition) (Wii)
Vancouver 2010: The Official Videogame of the Winter Olympic Games (PC, PS3, X360)
Sony Computer Entertainment
Fat Princess (PS3)
God of War III (PS3)
Heavy Rain (PS3)
Infamous (PS3)
Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (PS2, PSP)
MAG (PS3)
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge (PS2, PSP)
Pain! Sore Spots (PS3)
PixelJunk 1-4 (PS3)
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe (PSP)
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 (PSP)
Singstar: Queen (PS2, PS3)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
White Knight Chronicles (PS3)
Sony Online Entertainment
DC Universe Online (PC, PS3)
Free Realms (PC)
Kung Fu Hustle (PC)
Legends of Norrath (PC)
PoxNora (PC)
The Agency (PC, PS3)
SouthPeak Games
Fast Food Panic (DS, Wii)
My Baby 2 (DS)
Section 8 (PC, X360)
Sled Shred (Wii)
THQ
All Star Cheer Squad 2 (Wii)
Cars: Race-O-Rama (tba)
Darksiders (PS3, X360)
MX vs. ATV Reflex (DS, PS3, PSP, X360)
Marvel Super Hero Squad (DS, PS2, PSP, Wii)
Red Faction: Guerrilla (PC, PS3, X360)
SpongeBob’s Truth or Square (DS, PSP, Wii, X360)
UFC 2009 Undisputed (PS3, X360)
Teyon
101 Minigolf World (DS)
Ball Fighter (DS)
Forsaken Patrol (PC, PS3, X360)
Hubert the Teddy Bear: Holiday Island (PC, Wii)
My Fitness (PC)
Robot Rescue (DS)
Warner Bros. Interactive
LEGO Rock Band (DS, PS3, X360)
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest (tba)
Xseed Games
JU-ON: The Grudge (Wii)
Predictions
*Predictions will only be made for the big 3. They will be in 4 parts: high chance, moderate chance, low chance, and outrageous. Basically separating things out into what has the best chance of being at the show and what has a glimmer of hope. Others are opened to submit predictions as well. Just give me a PM with your submissions.*
Microsoft’s E3 Conference
High Chance
- MS will once again take a good amount of time to detail their success with Xbox Live. They will announce more solid downloadable games, services, etc. Some form of new feature will be announced as well.
- MS will unveil key games in it’s lineup from third parties. Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect 2, Lost Planet 2, and others along those lines.
- Like last year, MS will unveil more of its games to hit the “casual” front. More than likely a Lips sequel. Expect new franchises as well.
- MS will finally show something about Alan Wake.
- MS will unveil key first party games for the later half of the year such as Halo: ODST. Forza 3 will be announced. Expect a couple of surprises. Expect an announcement from Rare
Moderate Chance
- MS uses this time to unveil numerous 3rd party exclusives coming at the later part of this year with the return of some “heavy” Japanese support akin to last year with Squeenix.
- MS announces new additions in a multitude of games they will be publishing that were big additions in the first part of the 360’s life cycle.
- Rare announces another Perfect Dark and Banjo Kazooie.
- Lionhead Studios gets a block to show off what they are currently working on. Fable 2 announced for the PC.
- Aside from Halo: ODST, another Halo “spinoff” game is announced. Not a sequel to any of the others.
Low Chance
- MS announces they are lowering the price of Xbox Live and subscribers will get their money back in MS points.
- MS announces yet another dashboard change with an avatar system that expands into something similar to “Home”.
- MS announces another SKU setup. Arcade is discontinued, Pro goes down to $250, Elite down to $350, and a new $500 SKU with a blu-ray drive and huge HDD.
- MS not only shows off big 3rd party games, but makes an announcement of one key 3rd party game going exclusive to 360 for a period of time (holiday season).
- MS announces something similar to New Play Control Games. Old Xbox games will be revamped with spectacular new graphics and upgraded online systems with achievements for budget prices. Also may be downloaded if they choose to do so.
- MS announces a motion sensing controller that will come bundled in with a “Wii Sports” clone.
- MS drops a huge bomb and a trailer of Halo 4 goes on the screen at the end of the conference. Screams and yells around the world along with massive partying and hi-fiving sends the world into a spiral towards the sun.
Outrageous
- MS announces a handheld to release this year.
- MS will drop the price of the 360 to $100 for the Arcade and similar drops for the other prices.
- MS announces they’ve cured the RROD while the 360 demonstrating this Red Rings behind them.
- MS announces the Xbox 3 with things only your imagination could think of.
Nintendo’s E3 Conference
High Chance
- Nintendo begins by bragging about how awesome the Wii and DS and its software is doing. The usual for a company in first place. However, bragging and charts will be significantly down this year compared to the previous.
- A main but not central focus will be on WiiWare and DSiWare as they look to counter the problem that is iPhone. Many new WiiWare and DSiWare games will be announced with a lot of those being first party.
- On stage demos will be done for a sleuth of important 3rd party games for the rest of the year. Wii Sports Resort will be a central theme of the show. A large on stage demonstration of Wii Sports Resort will happen.
- Wii Motion Plus will be central in displaying key and important games from 3rd parties. Red Steel 2 should make quite a large showing. Expect this to be a time to announce many other games that use the feature. Nintendo will also showcase a sleuth of its own games that use WM . Maybe one big game with 1-2 minor ones.
- Nintendo will spend a small portion displaying some new DS games from them while a large portion showing off what is already announced. Zelda: Spirit Tracks will make a pretty good showing.
- Nintendo will make one or 2 huge announcements concering their later releases. Pikmin 3 should be one of those. Other one will probably be Retro Studio’s next project.
Moderate Chance
- Nintendo will announce Wiis will now start to carry Wii Motion Plus’s in them.
- Nintendo expands its online sectors in DS and Wii into something more akin to social networking. Reason will once again be the iPhone problem.
- Nintendo announces more games they will be reviving under the New Play Control setup. 3rd parties will be invited as well and a few will be showed off. Will be more akin to the Metroid Prime Trilogy were they are graphically enhanced as well.
- Nintendo announces a new Kid Icarus game on the Wii. Will feature a teenage Icarus like in Smash Brothers. Heavily story driven.
- Along with showing off and announcing things like a new Retro Studios game and Pikmin 3 Nintendo will take time to show off all the other upcoming projects they are working on. Will feature some from the October Conference and some new ones as well.
- Will have a couple of huge announcements concerning some third party support. Possibly RE5 Wii Edition.
- Right before the end of the conference they drop a bomb. Either Super Mario Galaxy 2, Zelda Wii, or potentially both. Both will release in 2010.
Low Chance
- Nintendo announces a price cut effective immediately around the world. For Americans it’ll drop to a more competitive with 360 $200.
- Nintendo announces that they will move forward and enhance the Wii. A true HD capable Wii with more processing power and memory will hit the shelves. Upgrades for older Wiis will be made available however very expensive. Coax people to get the new one. Will not be a new console but will feel like it.
- New Kid Icarus game announced but loses the kid part. Will be called Icarus and be Nintendo’s God of War. Developed by Factor 5.
- Nintendo announces exclusive deal with Sega. Mario and Sonic platformer coming along with new Sonic games that will be co-developed by Nintendo.
- Nintendo confirms Modern Warfare 2 will hit the Wii as well and will feature extensive online features with graphics above anything seen on the Wii.
- Nintendo drops a bomb. Pikmin 3, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Zelda Wii all showcased, demoed, and set for a 2009 release. The world cries enjoy, floods the world, and shuts up global warming nuts.
Outrageous
- Nintendo announces they are ditching motion sensing and releasing a normal controller. Releases a new console that is a PS3 clone with a blu-ray player and a HD Zelda game.
- Nintendo announces a partnership with Apple. Apple gets heavily back into games on their Mac with the now support of Nintendo franchises. Windows set for imminent doom.
Sony’s E3 Conference
High Chance
- Sony, like last year, skips the financial babble (because it’s not good like last year) and goes straight into showing off their games.
- Unlike the competition, most of their games have already been announced for PS3. Shows off MAG, God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Uncharted 2, etc.
- Will make announcements though in established PS3 series.
- PSP will be a main focus of the show. Will show off a sleuth of announced and new PSP games. Expect another Ratchet and God of War game. Killzone as well.
- A new rendition of the PSP will be shown off. A radical change but not a new PSP. Will try to shrug off DS changes like it was nothing with a built in camera of its own. Large focus on downloadable games on it as well.
- Main presentation for Sony will be of the new PSP. For the PS3, Gran Turismo 5 will make a huge impact. Will be Sony’s big game for the end of the year.
- There will be a few surprises. Team ICO’s game will be shown off more extensively. Probably one more big surprise however it’ll be more of just a teaser rather than a big showing.
Moderate Chance
- Like last year Sony will spend a lot of time showing off what they have already announced. But also like last year they will surprise by announcing even more new stuff.
- New PSP announced. Now a spinoff but a real PSP 2. Ditches UMD and pisses off retailers. Graphics unheard of on a handheld.
- PSP gets its own version of GT5. Has connectivity to the PS3 version.
- PS3 gets a pricedrop. 80 gig to $300 and 160 gig to $400. Effective immediately.
- Makes a large focus on competing with the content in XLive. Announces tons of new downloadable games, services, and further expansions of Home.
- Goes full blast into the “casual” market with more Singstars, games using the Eye Toy, and party games.
- Drops a few big surprises such as Resistance 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2. LBP 2 will be compatible with the PSP LBP.
- MGS5 announced as PS3 exclusive.
Low Chance
- Will make a few big 3rd party exclusivity announcements. Some big JRPGs and shooters coming exclusively.
-God of War 3 pushed forward and releasing in 2009.
- The Getaway PS3 is back on trail and well into production. Will be a main PS3 title in 2010.
- PSP will not get a new version or a successor.
- PS2 makes a surprise large showing with tons of new games and many exclusives. Get all the juice out of it possible with that $100 pricetag.
- Sony shocks all the fans by announcing God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5, and Uncharted 2 will all release this holiday season.
Outrageous
- Sony throws in the towel. PS3 discontinued, PSP discontinued, and says fuck this.
- Brings Wada on stage, announces FF13 is once again a PS3 exclusive, and then sledgehammers a 360.
- Announces God of War Kart Racing. Now all the fun of God of War can be experience in karts as you race around levels in the game.
- Buys out Bungie and the Halo series, announced Halo 4 for PS3 only, and releasing later this year. Drops Killzone franchise into the furnace accordingly. Killzone isn’t a Halo-killer but Halo is definitely a killzone-killer... literally.
- Ditches Blu-Ray and announces cheap PS3.
June 1, 2009 -
(12:19:37 PM): That’s it, music is playing.
(12:18:36 PM): Mattrick is wrapping up now. Ok and we’re done, Mattrick wishes everyone a wonderful E3.
(12:18:28 PM): I just really want to play Crackdown 2 right now.
(12:16:50 PM): Molyneux says it’s been a dream of his for 20 years. This is being shown behind closed doors at E3 and Milo will be up and running. Molyneux says this is a landmark in computer entertainment. Mattrick agrees that it was amazing.
(12:16:20 PM): The demoer drew something on a piece of paper and showed it to the Natal sensor. And Milo recognized the picture and took hold of it, recieving a virtual piece of paper in the game world.
(12:15:20 PM): Milo makes a throwing motion at the screen, requests you put on the imaginary goggles. You can play with the water in the pond Milo is standing over.
(12:14:21 PM): Talking about schoolwork, about the possibility of fishing. Milo approaches a dock, he trips a little on a rock. Requires the demoer to put on goggles. Milo insists on this.
(12:13:42 PM): Showing a demo of the boy on a tree swing, with the virtual boy, Milo, recognizing the person talking to him. Milo responds emotionally to topics of conversation.
(12:12:52 PM): Saying Natal will change the landscape of gaming. Showing a video of Lionhead studios. Creating a virtual boy.
(12:11:48 PM): Peter Molyneux coming out onstage, billed as a master. Molyneux called the Natal revolutionary. He’s talking about how the controller has been the biggest barrier for gaming.
(12:10:51 PM): Then the outline of the picture is laid over the base picture, and the paper is pulled back eventually, leaving the image of the picture on the base. Can move freely around in 3D space while using this, apparently. Dev kits are arriving at partners today. Mattrick is back out on stage.
(12:09:24 PM): Can overlay stencil paper on the paintings. Shows a siloutette of the player. Can say cheese to snap a photo.
(12:09:04 PM): This painting looks like somebody spilled cafeteria food on the floor.
(12:07:32 PM): Making motions to toss paint at the canvas. Launching splots of paint at the canvas. Selecting colors through voice commands. Can launch buckets or just streams of paint.
(12:06:37 PM): If you kick or move with more velocity, you knock the objects harder. That was single-player, but there’ll be multiplayer games as well eventually. Now showing off Paint Party. Has a translucent avatar in front of a large canvas.
(12:05:52 PM): Kicking and punching these spheres at more bricks. Saying it’s also an athletic activity. Tsunoda just made fun of waggle control.
(12:04:51 PM): Shows a translucent avatar staring at bricks at the end of a hall. Balls slam into bricks and break them, they rebound back, and you just move your body to get the avatar to hit the balls back.
(12:04:04 PM): Avatar in the dashboard will mimic your full body movements. Can browse the dashboard by swinging your hand. Navigate any menu without a required controller. Showing a demo called Ricochet.
(12:03:22 PM): Saying the system will give you control over your character with your voice and your body movements. Xbox will isntantly recognize who you are with facial recognition tech. And sign you in.
(12:02:46 PM): Kudo Tsunoda is the creative director for Project Natal. He’s on stage now. And he’s wearing sunglasses.
(12:02:25 PM): Mattrick is still very happy.
(12:01:51 PM): He says 'what Microsoft is doing isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about no wheel at all.'
(12:00:55 PM): Wants to make the input device invisible. Speilberg says he was approached two months ago with this and flipped out.
(12:00:14 PM): Speilberg wants interactive entertainment to be approachable. Saying the vast majority of people are too intimidated to pick up a controller. Says 60 percent of households do not own a console.
(11:59:46 AM): Introducing Stephen Speilberg who’s apparently partnered up for this. He’s on stage now with Mattrick.
(11:58:01 AM): Rectangular peripheral is what it seems to be that sits low in front of your TV. It’s project Natal. 'The only experience you need is life experience', says Mattrick. Sensor in Natal tracks 3D movement. It will work with every 360 sold so far. And every one to be sold.
(11:56:57 AM): Friends online with video chat, selecting clothes for each other to wear for going out to parties. Playing 1 vs 100. System will feature voice recognition. Can say 'play movie' to get a movie to start.
(11:56:00 AM): Full body motion capture is what this offers. Saying you can scan objects and import them into games? Kid scans in a skateboard by holding it up, then can play a skateboard game without the skateboard.
(11:55:25 AM): Person on couch driving with no wheel peripheral, car steering wheel on screen following suit. Others on couch serving as a pit crew and fixing tires. These aren’t real games
(11:55:02 AM): He wants to make the player the controller? Showing a video. Saying no controller is required. Guy walks into a room with a TV. A character onscreen is talking directly to him. Shows a fighting sequence with person dodging, onscreen character following suit.
(11:53:44 AM): People ask Mattrick if he can add a motion controller to Xbox 360. He says 'Of course we can.' But he sees problems with what’s out there. So what is Microsoft doing?
(11:51:47 AM): Clouds shifting, shots of Raiden. Raiden is Back, pronounces the trailer. Completely new Metal Gear experience. 'You can look forward to many great things.' Mattrick says that the Microsoft platform is now complete. And Kojima goes off stage. Mattrick is very happy.
(11:51:10 AM): The next major release will be called Metal Gear Solid Rising and development is currently underway for Xbox 360. He didn’t say anything about solid snake. Showing a trailer.
(11:50:39 AM): He’s saying it’s great to be standing on the Xbox 360 stage. Metal Gear Solid franchise is coming to Xbox 360.
(11:49:48 AM): He looks happy. He thinks microsoft is missing one crucial piece of the puzzle. OMG. Kojima on stage.
(11:49:21 AM): Schappert talking again, going over what was just shown. Saying they’re not done yet. Don Mattcik out on stage, Senior VP of Xbox
(11:48:28 AM): Looks like you can view other people’s Twitter posts, and you can post from Twitter right from your Xbox. Updates instantly. Twitter and Facebook will be coming to Xbox Live this fall.
(11:47:34 AM): Facebook Connect is on there as well, which lets you posts screens and texts in real time. Will work for the new Tiger Woods PGA Tour. In addition to Facebook, Twitter will also be available through XBL.
(11:46:30 AM): Can view photos from yourself and your friends off your Xbox. Can view them in slide show mode. In fullscreen on Xbox. Can also browse status updates on your Xbox.
(11:45:35 AM): Season 3 of the guild is coming this fall... Showing off Facebook on Xbox 360. Same kind of windowed browser as the rest of the Xbox interface. Can use friend linker, that shows XBL and FB friends in the same list.
(11:44:19 AM): Announcing Live Party so that your avatars will sit around a virtual TV and watch it. Looks like a lame version of Mystery Science Theatre. Announcing a partnership with Facebook. Felicia Day on stage from The Guild.
(11:42:54 AM): Today Microsoft is relaunching video service with full 1080p with Zune video. Also, every movie and TV show will be accessible instantly. Doubling number of countries video store is available in. Will launch this fall. No need to download or anything. Will just play.
(11:41:49 AM): Can watch live TV on sky including test cricket and premiere league football. No additional hardware or anything required for...cricket.
(11:41:07 AM): You will be able to add movies to your cue without having to access your PC. All you do on a movie is hit play to watch it. Formed a partnership with Sky TV to bring stuff to UK and Ireland this fall.
(11:40:31 AM): Looks like you’ll have a specific channel in Live with access to lots of music, and will be available to gold members later this year for no additional charge. Now talking about Netflix on XBL.
(11:39:40 AM): saying there’ll be some kind of innovation coming to Xbox Live. Music is coming to Xbox Live, with partnership to Last.fm. Lukewarm applause.
(11:38:50 AM): Enters a house and the house is then rammed by a bulldozer. House is slowly falling off a cliff with Alan inside, then the demo ends. Alan Wake will be released in spring 2010. Schappert on stage again.
(11:38:18 AM): Alan uses flare gun to do a slow motion shot that eradicates enemies. Lights and carries another flare that appears to be quite powerful, fending off enemies.
(11:36:51 AM): Game does shift into slow motioin though it’s not clear if it’s player triggered. Flashlight still appearing to do damage. Lots of enemies now, game seems fairly combat intensive. Enemies disintegrate into light. Alan starts up a generator to power a lift, which turns a light on and scares off the humanoid enemies. Taking a lift across a chasm. In top left of screen are a red and blue bar surrounding the minimap.
(11:36:01 AM): As hr runs down a hill trees are falllin the surrounding forest, whispers and screams. He’s now out in the middle of the forst. It’s mostly dark aside from his light. Some kind of enmey approaches. Axe wielding foe.
(11:35:01 AM): Alan’s got a shotgun, running around in 3rd person perspective with a flashlight as well. Minimap in top left corner with an objective marker. Some sort of spectral presence. It’s tossing objects in the environment at Alan, incrluding cars. His flashlight may be doing damage to the invisible presence.
(11:33:53 AM): Alan Wake is giving voice over, saying his work is actually coming to life in this town. 'Previously on Alan Wake.' Shows an approach to a small town, his wife goes missing. Now they go into the new stuff. Alan is going to meet someone named Rusty about a manuscript.
(11:32:53 AM): Sam Lake from Remedy. Lake going to introduce a writer. Showing in-game footage from Alan Wake. There’s going to be an in-game demo.
(11:32:29 AM): When you buy ODST you get an i Alan Wake is giving voice over, saying his work is actually coming to life in this town.nvite to the Reach multiplayer beta. I think they said Earth 359 in the Reach video. Also I think Falls 2010 means sometime in 2010 not Fall.
(11:31:31 AM): Showing the surface of a planet rotating around. Explosions scarring the surface as people scream over radio chatter. Halo Reach announced. Fall 2010. from Bungie and MGS
(11:30:52 AM): Another team at Bungie is working on something. Showing a video now. 'From the beginnning, you know the end'
(11:30:25 AM): Powering up a terminal at one end of a bridge that blows the structure to pieces as squadmates scream. Firefight will be a brand new cooperative game mode. September 22 it will be in stores.
(11:29:41 AM): Shifts to gameplay with Dutch, carrying around what appears to be a laser. It knocks out Covenant ships incoming.
(11:29:00 AM): The storyline will then flash back to Dutch, and will continue on in this way to uncover the 'mysteries' of the area. Demo shifts to Dutch setting a remote detonator as the base comes under attack.
(11:28:20 AM): Now moving into an open section, shifted to low-light mode, picked up a remote detonator. There’s a large chunk of glowing wreckage in the background. The detonator is from Dutch, another ODST.
(11:27:20 AM): ODST’s get special gear like a low-light vision mode for the visor. Fighting Grunts. Showing off a pistol with a soom abilitiy. Looks like spike grenades are in the UI.
(11:26:15 AM): There’s a mssive epxlosion and your pod gets knocked. Title comes up that says 'The Rookie'. Set in city of New Mombassa weeks before the start of Halo 3. You play as the Rookie, an ODST reparated from his game. Says you should stay alert for unexpected help. Creeping around an underground facility.
(11:25:30 AM): ODSTs in a drop ship. Shifts to first person perspective. You’re in a drop pod going down with others through the clouds. Megerge at bottom with a few structures in the way, visuals are really impressive here.
(11:25:00 AM): Tells people to stop by the Microsoft booth at the show. Joe Staten from Bungie for ODST. Showing in-game demo.
(11:24:21 AM): Lots of neat edits, one car slammed into a wall and debris flew all over the place. Car lifted off the track.
(11:23:09 AM): New features, like creating and uploading high definition video. Showing off examples of what editors can create using the video editor. Well there are a number of cars racing around doing fancy stunts and such with a music overlay.
(11:22:11 AM): Showing a video of talking about how nice the car creator is. There have been 4 million views of Forza community videos.
(11:21:15 AM): One button driving to make it easy for beginners to play. Forza’s new features online allow for more connectivity, talking about car customization.
(11:20:06 AM): using the Red Audi in the game. Flipping between third and first person views. Can move your head around when in 1st person. The side rear view mirrors on the car work, let you see behind you. An all new graphics engine, 60 frames per second. 400 cars from 50 manufacturers.
(11:19:03 AM): Dan Greenawalk, game director to take the stage. Ok a door on the stage just opened up and Dan walked out with smoke all over and what looks to be a brand new sports car behind him. An Audi. Saying Forza 3 will be the definitive racing game of this generation. Has the game up and running.
(11:18:29 AM): In October they’ll be shipping Forza Motorsport 3. Showing a trailer, doesn’t appear to be in-game footage of cars racing around.
(11:17:40 AM): Seems very violent, dark, and action-heavy. Will release this fall exclusively on Xbox 360. Shappert talking again, talking about Turn 10 studios and racing games.
(11:16:51 AM): Demo had him jump directly into a populated room. Shot a few guys them hopped out a window and shimmied along the ledge. Jumped back in and put a gun to a gentleman’s head asking about his daugther. But then a team jumps in. Of well geared up fellows, and the demo ends.
(11:15:29 AM): Shot down a chandelier to create darkness, then dropped to the ground. Doing some really fancy gun work, can take cover behind walls. He has an EMP grenade to disable light fixtures. Will actually show cut scenes along the walls along with objectives. Looks under doors with busted pieces of mirror.
(11:14:26 AM): One of Sam’s new abilities is to mark and execute. Sets a red dot over enemies before an encounter and can rapidly kill him. Multiple routes of entry to each battle zone, Fisher is infiltrating a large mansion. Crawling upside down along a ceiling in a large room.
(11:13:59 AM): Saying one of the objectives in Conviction is immersion, so the story will be projected on the walls of the environment, like level objectives. Fisher wearing street clothes with a shoulder bag.
(11:12:59 AM): Starts off with someone getting slammed into a toilet. Fisher just disarmed his rather violently. In-game info is flashing up on the walls of the bathroom. Fisher walking the guy around the bathroom by the neck, slams his head into the mirror.
(11:12:18 AM): Maxime Beland and Anlexandre Parizeau onstage from Ubisoft. They’re going to play a Splinter Cell demo.
(11:11:19 AM): Not in-game footage, showing fisher at Washington Monument. At Lincoln Memorial, breaking through the glass of a skyscraper. Looks to be extremely action heavy is this cinematic footage is any indication.
(11:10:44 AM): Another trailer playing, man playing a piano. It’s Sam Fisher, splinter cell conviction.
(11:09:46 AM): Now sownig a trailer with zombies running around, high level of gore. There are chainswaws in the game, decapitation. Left 4 dead 2 on Nov 17. Xbox 360 / PC is what I saw on there.
(11:09:26 AM): And that’s it, trailer is done, seems to still have super abilities by throwing environmental objects.
(11:07:58 AM): Another trailer starting up. Saying the City is infected and that you are the cure. Power suited soldiers chasing after enemies. holy crap. Crackdown 2 confirmed.
(11:06:54 AM): Shows people riding around in sports cars through environments that looks like the Roadrunner might speeed aorund in. Doing tricks in them with avatars driving the cars. Free to download, Free to play. Can buy cars, upgrades, and more, and can share any racetrack with friends regardless of whether or nto they’ve purchased it. Will show up this winter on Xbox Live.
(11:06:03 AM): It’s coming to XBLA this summer, it’ll be at Microsoft’s booth at E3 along with Gears Dark Corners content. Now moving on to the next game, called Joy Ride from BigPark. Cartoonish style trailer. It’s an 'avatar adventure.'
(11:05:11 AM): Can aqcuire diffrerent tools and abilities to get aroudn the map, such as a hookshot and triple jump. Fighting mechs and humanoid enemies. Large boss battles, approx 10 hours of gameplay, and lots of items to find hidden around the world.
(11:04:08 AM): It’s a UE3 powered game inspired by Castlevania / Metroid. Shows a 2D platforming perspective, it takes place in a large underground complex. You get an overworld map in the style of Castlevania symphony of the Night.
(11:02:51 AM): Schappert takling again, saying every single game and demo and experience will be available only on Xbox 360. Donald Mustard and Cliff Blezinski from Epic coming onstage. They’re announcing Shadow Complex, an XBLA game. Uh oh his mic is having trouble.
(11:02:51 AM): Schappert takling again, saying every single game and demo and experience will be available only on Xbox 360.
(11:01:24 AM): Lighting tosses a red ball in the air and he appears behind her in battle. Will then partake in the fight. Normally you would not be able to use him that early in the game, he appeared much larger than other other characters covered in spiky black armor. Targeting a spring 2010 release.
(11:00:26 AM): Lightning is fighing the large scorpion robot from the demo. Sazh is also in the fight. Talking about how the game has four active time gauges to power up attacks. Conjuring the Odin summon.
(10:59:40 AM): It’s part of the demo desquence we saw on PS3. English voices are in. Framerate appears to be staying steady.
(10:59:01 AM): Giving a brief history of Final Fantasy, tracing FF from when it first started 20 years ago. Last year he says he shocked the world with the FFXIII to Xbox 360 announcement. Today they’re premiering the game running on Xbox 360.
(10:58:02 AM): Toriyama, director of FFXIII and Yoshinori Kitase, producer on FFXIII now on stage. Speaking in Japanese through a translator.
(10:57:38 AM): Infinity Ward and Activision will release 2 MW2 map packs first on XBL. Toriyama, director of FFXIII and Yoshinori Kitase, producer on FFXIII now on stage.
(10:57:02 AM): Taking flying jumps off cliffs, fighting others that are chasing you on snowmobiles. And the demo ends, the guys walk offstage
(10:56:22 AM): Snowmobiles are charging your position, character shoots them in transit and they go careerning off. Now moving up onto a mountain slope, more snowmovbiles, which you jump on and start driving. You can shoot one handed with a pistol while driving.
(10:54:34 AM): Plant bombs at a fueling station, which then blows up. Blizzard has lifted and there’s a firefight going on around an airfield.
(10:53:29 AM): Moving through metal houseing wiping out enemies one by one, one got knifed. MacTavish is giving you orders over a headset. Being somewhat stealthy in this section. Seems to be a fairly open environment, there doesn’t seem to be a set path. A bunch of enemies are incoming on your character’s position.
(10:52:27 AM): You’re armed with these two climbing picks, jump off a ledge and almost fall, but you’re pulled up by the captain. The demo then skips forward. You’ve got a large weapon with a radar readout that looks like the one in Aliens attached to it. Blizzard conditions are obscuring your view. Still a checkpoint system.
(10:51:38 AM): so do you, looks like they’re actually controlling how you climb. Jets scream overhead, Mactavish almost loses his grip. Visuals here are very sharp, impviement over original MW it seems.
(10:50:33 AM): Objective is to follow Captain McTavish. snowy mountain. Mission is called cliffhanger. You’re shimmying along a ledge over a deadly crevice alongside McTavish. He starts climbing up the side of the hill with climbing gear.
(10:49:56 AM): Lots of applause following this showing, as if this game was popular. Jason West and Vince Zampella on stage. Oh man, Modern Warfare demo incoming.
(10:48:40 AM): The one about the single-player campaign, scenes in Rio, talking about the villain Makarov. The Rio environment is supposed to be more open than in Call of Duty games past. Then at the end there’s the dramatic air extraction frmo an exploding castle.
(10:48:03 AM): Another trailer playing, it’s Modern Warfare 2. This is the trailer that was already shown off.
(10:47:27 AM): Game will respond to what you do. Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing at an incredibly high volume. Activision has these on the show floor at E3 so we’ll see more there.
(10:45:49 AM): Wait. In the video somebody just jumped off a starcase and then the staircase exploded. Showing people actually playing the game, board set on a carpet and can be moved around, grabbed, and tilt back and forth.
(10:44:33 AM): No wheels on it, but it’s got an accelerometer, it can sense if you put your foot alongside it to push you along. Tony Hawk says he’s really excited about the design, saying it’ll allow players of all levels to embarrass themselves on skateboards. About to show off a video of pro skaters checking out the game.
(10:43:44 AM): Saying it’s all about showing not telling. Which means not charts and graphs! 10 World premiere games that have never been seen? Crap this is going to be a lot of work. Schappert going to show off a new revoluitonary experience. Tony Hawk coming out on stage. Carrying a skateboard, naturally, presumably talk about Tony Hawk Ride. Oh it’s the skateboard controller he’s holding.
(10:42:14 AM): He’s talking more about how awesome The Beatles game is. Saying the videogame industry has done well in this uncertain economic climate, because people want to have fun.
(10:41:08 AM): And peace and love and they’re out! Well that was exciting. John Schappert onstage now, corporate VP for Xbox.
(10:40:13 AM): They’re bumping into each other and goofing around. The consensus between them is that they love the game. “The game is good, the graphics are very good, and we look great” said Ringo. “Who’d ever though we’d wind up as androids?" said McCartney.
(10:39:48 AM): Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr just came onstage. McCartney’s got a mic.
(10:38:25 AM): Toffler is talking again, talking about thanking people for making the game possible. Thanking partners at Apple Corps. Talking about two individuals in particular, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison. They’re on stage now waving.
(10:37:34 AM): The game will also have DLC, including full albums, including Abbey Road in its entirety shortly after launch. All you need is love will be downloable only through Xbox Live. Proceeds from purchases donated to Doctors Without Borders.
(10:34:27 AM): Saying he’s been reworking all the songs in the game specifically for the title. It will feature studio chat from The Beatles. Revealing 10 songs in the game. I saw her standing there. I want to hold your hand. I feel fine. Day tripper. (Really nice in-game character models of the beatles) Taxman. I am the Walrus. Back in the USSR. (Beatles in game wearing crazy costumes). Octopus’s Garden. Here Comes the Sun. (Lots of varying places to play, from large stadiums to what appear to be fantasy settings.). Get Back. Coming 09 09 09.
(10:32:33 AM): And they just got a unison bonus. Bass groove! And they’re still playing the game, not much happening other than that. Video screens on the sides of the stage playing montages of Beatles imagery. And they’re done! Applause from the audience, it seems genuine. Giles MArtin onstage, music supervisior and creative producer.
(10:31:18 AM): They’re starting to play the game, with a Beatles custom bass drum. Playing Day Tripper. Three scrolling gutars at the bottom, lyrics at the top, star rating and multipliers onscreen.
(10:30:47 AM): A band coming out onto stage. Toffler talking about how The Beatles didn’t only initiate a musical revolution, but a tech revolution in the music industry. Harmonix house band is on stage.
(10:29:30 AM): And it ends with the title of The Beatles Rock Band. Alex Regopolis on stage now and Van Toffler from MTV. That was the opening cinematic from the game.
(10:28:36 AM): The video appears to be going through all the phases of the Beatles' career, now witha crazy looking phschadelic montage. There’s a giant blue elephant walking around as the Beatles sing about the Eggman and the Walrus.
(10:28:10 AM): Still playing the cartoon, very stylized, but this doesn’t seem like the reason to start the conference 5 minutes early.
(10:27:23 AM): Trailer is playing on the screens, reference to The Beatles. And there’s a cartoon of them playing It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night.
(10:26:43 AM): Lights just went down, something is going to begin. They just welcomed us to the briefing!
(10:25:54 AM): Another announcement, telling people to turn off their cel phones under penalty of being talked to about marketing numbers.
(10:25:08 AM): More dance music is playing, a remix of name of the game. Nobody is dancing.
(10:23:11 AM): I would like to point out it smells just fine in here, much to everyone’s surprise.
(10:20:35 AM): An announcement just said the briefing will start in 5 minutes.
(10:19:25 AM): Wait, now it’s just back to a green screen.
(10:18:41 AM): Another video segment queueing up. A screen before it plays says it may be inappropriate for children.
10:17 a.m. Another ad is coming up, this time for 1 vs 100. It’s just a still of the title screen with a few scrolling quotes from media. Now it’s Chris Cashman, 1 vs 100 host. Tonight at 7:30 there’ll be an event on Live. Saying it’s a social experience where you can have a chance to win prizes. That’s 7:30 PM pacific. That was a vid. Said it was episode 1 of the beta.
10:15 a.m. Back to green screens. This thing is supposed to start in 10 minutes but there are still plenty of people filling in seats, lots of movement around the area.
10:14 a.m. Now something is showing on the screens, a Lips ad with Coldplay behind it. It appears to be marketing the game to the 30something crowd of hipsters who get very emotional when it comes to performing well in videogame singing titles.
10:13 a.m. It is really disheartening, looking across the open laptop screens of fellow press, to see how many are using Twitter. Follow us @IGNCom!
10:12 a.m.A few of the things expected for this conference are something Halo-related and hopefully something about Alan Wake. Oh my goodness, the air conditioning just came on and it is glorious.
10:10 a.m. Jeremy Dunham, editorial manager here at IGN, leaned over and informed me a few fellow editors here tried to recreate the internet famous meme photos of surprise / disappoinment. They failed. We have yet to see anyone famous walking around, but word buzzing around the press waiting for the conference is that Paul McCartney is going to show up onstage. Why that would require an extra five minutes is anyone’s guess.
10:07 a.m. We should also note we were barred from using the bathroom while waiting outside to get into the auditorium here. So if this liveblog goes down, it’s for very urgent and necessary reasons. Please let me know if this is unusable nonsense.
10:06 a.m. Microsoft has a large stage set up here at the Galen Center on the USC campus. Three big screens currently runnning greenish screensavers, with three television setups on the actual stage. And green day is playing over the speakers right now, which isn’t really getting anyone excited. Microsoft asked people who registered what their favorite types of music was during the signup process. So presumably that’s where they’re pulling these tracks from. In what seems to be typical microsoft fashion the stage is lit with lots of bright greens. It seems like a robot might break through the wall at any minute and start breakdancing.
10:04 a.m.And... we’re here, sitting in front of the stage with the rest of the gaming press. I think everyone’s wondering why the conference is supposed to start 5 minutes early.
We’re hoping for an appearance by keyboard cat.
EA Press Conference
(3:15:58 PM): The show is ending now. Big applause and that’s a wrap for the EA Press Conference for E3 2009.
(3:13:52 PM): Very cool looking acrobatic lightsaber fight. Sith leader battling the Jedi leader who skillfully dodges a lightsaber throw in slow motion. The Jedi loses the fight and falls to the Sith leader. Sith’s voice “Your republic shall fall." Trailer ends.
(3:13:00 PM): Working with the Sith. Ship crashes through the front of the building the sith just broke into. Shows dozens and dozens of Sith battling against Jedi.
(3:12:09 PM): Shows a ship heading to Coruscant. Sith walking up and quickly killing three guards. Boba Fett-style female shown.
(3:11:17 PM): They’re bringing story elements to the MMO genre. They’re now revealing the first cinematic trailer for the Old Republic.
(3:09:53 PM): First ever, fully voiced MMO. Every character in the world will have its own voice. Gameplay will differ depending on the type of player you choose.
(3:08:53 PM): Ray from Bioware is one of the Jedi, Darrell Rodriguez, President of LucasArts is the other. Star Wars: The Old Republic logo is on the screen. Set thousands of years before Darth Vader.
(3:07:52 PM): Jedi Knights and Sith Lords are now walking on stage. Group of about 25 of them. Raising their lightsabers to salute two Jedis walking down the center aisle in the middle of the audience.
(3:07:05 PM): Usual open world gameplay. Shows cops chasing a huge gang of thugs. Lots of players shown gathering in the downtown of the city. Video ends. Star Wars music is playing now. Black screen.
(3:06:09 PM): Looks a lot like Saints Row 2 in terms of visuals.
(3:05:04 PM): 100 players participate at one time with the goal of gaining fame and fortune in that city. Every detail is cuatomizable in APB so no player is the same. Showing a video of APB.
(3:04:19 PM): Announcing a new partnership with GTA Creator Dave Jones for APB. APB will introduce an online city with thousands of citizens going about life.
(3:03:34 PM): Showed a few screenshots of the game. One looking up with sunlight streaking through branches. One of a wrecked wooden ship in sea at night.
(3:02:34 PM): Announced they’re working on Crysis 2. Bringing the franchise simultaneuously on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Using CryEngine 3 for all versions of Crysis 2.
(3:00:27 PM): Showing a video called Brutal Thoughts with Jack Black. Showing footage from the game. Blowing stuff up with guitars, driving crazy cars. Coming in October. Otherwise known as Rocktober. Crytek President and CEO Cevat Yerli is taking the stage.
(3:00:00 PM): 2600 lines of dialogue for Jack Black.
(2:58:23 PM): Ozzy Osbourne is in Brutal Legend! Lita Ford, Benny Killmeister in the game.
(2:52:01 PM): The hero dawns a Nazi uniform, plants an explosive in a base. Bomb explodes. Not very impressed with the graphics at this point. Hero hops in a car and is now trying to evade pursuers. The hero runs into a store in the red light district called SexeSale. Walks out and zips up his fly.
(2:51:07 PM): You can run, climb, drive anywhere. Even climbing the Eiffel Tower is possible. Can wear Nazi disguises.
(2:50:36 PM): Cool looking color palette. Stylized black and white world with notes of color at points of interest. Sandbox style gameplay.
(2:49:45 PM): Shows him scaling a building, killing a guard, grabbing a sniper rifle and taking out a Nazi leader as enemy soldiers make their way towards him. Now they’re going to start a live demo of The Saboteur.
(2:48:31 PM): Showing a trailer of the game. Showing a WWII bar with Nazi soldiers hanging out, groping women. Hero gets a note and walks out, camera pans up to reveal that they’re in Paris.
(2:47:31 PM): Sampras says the game is much easier than real Wimbledon. Shocker. Pete winds up losing to the EA Sports developer, but just barely. Now The Saboteur is taking the stage.
(2:46:27 PM): EA Sports developer is now going to teach Pete how to play. Pete’s actually pretty damn good.
(2:45:36 PM): Big smile on his face. Peter Moore still hasn’t acknowledged him.
(2:44:36 PM): John McEnroe playing against Pete Sampras. Peter Moore is playing as Pete. Peter Moore is getting whooped. Pete Sampras just took the stage. Standing right behind Peter Moore.
(2:43:47 PM): EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis taking the stage.
(2:42:40 PM): 600,000 units of EA Sports Active sold thus far. Announcing the first expansion pack. It’s in development and will be in stores this fall. 30 new exercises and activities. Water skiing, squash, more core exercises.
(2:42:05 PM): EA Sports Active is apparently God’s gift to fitness according to the two talking on-stage.
(2:41:21 PM): Peter Moore is back talking about EA Sports Active. Allison Swede (sp?) just took the stage. Talking about how she got rid of baby fat with EA Sports Active in her bedroom.
(2:40:02 PM): Madden Online Franchise announced. Showed a trailer with the famous “If it’s in the game, it’s in the game” speaking in the background.
(2:32:31 PM): Peter Moore is announcing EA Sports MMA. Coming in 2010. Well under development at EA Tiburon in Orlando. Peter Moore just made a joke about getting another tattoo.
(2:32:17 PM): Fight Night Round 4 is now launching on the 25th rather than the 30th.
(2:31:33 PM): They’re using FNR4’s new replay mode to show off the cool muscle flexing and sweat and blood spray.
(2:30:50 PM) : Tyson just went down in the first round.
(2:29:40 PM): They’re going to play with Tyson against Ali on-stage.
(2:28:36 PM): Starting with Fight Night Round 4. “One of the most anticipated games of the year," so says Moore.
(2:27:58 PM): Here comes Peter Moore.
(2:26:38 PM): Showing action scenes, new weaponry. Big sniper rifle and huge, A-bomb style rocket launcher. Produces a huge mushroom cloud on impact. Now it’s EA Sports' turn to take the stage.
(2:25:44 PM): Shepherd’s voice is heard saying he’s gathering people for an “impossible mission." Shepherd is believed to be dead by some. Based on the footage, he’s anything but.
(2:25:11 PM): Xbox 360 and PC getting the game early next year. Showing a trailer of ME2. Normandy shown coming out of hyper drive.
(2:23:56 PM): Now Ray and Greg are back to show Mass Effect 2.
(2:23:15 PM): Rock track running behind lost of violence on screen. Definitely going to be a sex scene in Dragon Age. And lots and lots of blood. No real gameplay was shown but it could have been using in-game assets. Launching October 20. Now Ray and Greg are back to show Mass Effect 2.
(2:21:31 PM): Darkest and most mature game ever released by Bioware. Showing a trailer of Dragon Age Origins.
(2:20:38 PM): I all of a sudden want to swing by EA’s booth. Dragon Age Origins taking the stage. Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk take the stage. “Going to reinvent the fantasy genre." Showing the game for the first time on consoles here at E3.
(2:19:56 PM): He just slammed head-on into a wall at 240 KMH. Holy crap, they’re giving away a BMW at EA’s booth.
(2:18:46 PM): Now they’re showing a live gameplay demo of NFS: Shift. Racing through Downtown London. Using the cockpit view is pretty awesome. Gives a good sense of speed and collisions.
(2:17:34 PM): More points for mastering corners. You level up your profile. Points are also given for being aggressive, htiting other drivers. You’ll also develop rivals over time. Leveling system will extend to at least level 50 where you’ll earn the title “Dominator."
(2:16:59 PM): Profiles earn points for Clean Passes and Overtakes. The video is frozen. They had to restart it. Owned.
(2:15:29 PM): Now Need For Speed Shift is going to be shown by Patrick Soderlund. This is the first game to launch with the new Need For Speed development strategy. Two-year development cycle. Multiple studios working on each title. Cockpit view will apparently redefine the way you play racing games. Unveiling the new driver profile in NFS: Shift.
(2:15:00 PM): The crowd is mocking a trailer for Charm Girls Club.
(2:13:39 PM): My Fashion Mall, My Fashion Show, My Perfect Prom - all for DS - and one additional one for the Wii. Showing a mini-game where the girls shake the Wii Remote to brush their hair. The person with the highest hair wins.
(2:12:43 PM): It will have some sort of subscription service. But it said “subscription is optional." Jason O’Campo just “wooed” at the end of the trailer. Four young ladies just took the stage with Dyan Williams to show off Charm Girls Club. is is the first time I’ve felt totally out of place at a videogame event. Four Charm Girls Club coming.
(2:11:34 PM): Now they’re showing a trailer of Littlest Pet Shop online. Saying it’s, “every girl’s dream come true."
(2:10:16 PM): 2 million girls are playing Littlest Pet Shop. Country City and Beach versions of Littlest Pet Shop coming to Wii and DS. Littlest Pet Shop Online is also coming this fall. Create and customize your own pets, take them on adventures, and play dozens of mini-games.
(2:09:38 PM): Chip Lang is now on the stage. With two creatures on-screen behind him that are entirely too cute for their own good. Talking about Littlest Pet Shop.
(2:09:00 PM): Riccitiello is now talking about how awesome the Wii is.
(2:08:03 PM): It looks like... The Sims. EA is going to show 12 games from 12 game creators.
(2:07:17 PM): The Sims 3 is being released at midnight tonight in several countries. Now we’re watching a trailer of The Sims 3.
(2:06:45 PM): John Riccitiello, the CEO of EA just took the stage.
(2:06:13 PM): Now he’s fighting dozens of undead soldiers using magic and powerful melee attacks. No gameplay was shown in the trailer. It was all pre-rendered CG.
(2:05:40 PM): Dante is battling a massive woman to get to Beatrice.
(2:04:52 PM): It shows an apocalyptic setting. Fire and ash is swirling in the air with a royal looking cruisader atop some sort of beast. It’s Dante’s Inferno.
(2:04:28 PM): The beginning of a demo from Visceral Games is being shown.
(2:04:08 PM): The lights are darkening and the music just got a little louder. Now it’s totally dark.
(2:02:38 PM): The same reel of EA properties keeps running with club music playing in the background.
(2:01:00 PM): The conference is one minute behind schedule.
(1:58:52 PM): The same booming voice is now reminding us to turn off our cell phones. I’m not turning mine off because I’m a rebel like that.
(1:56:45 PM): The press conference is scheduled to start in under five minutes.
(1:55:44 PM): A loud voice booms over the speakers system saying, “Locate emergency exits, aisles must remain clear, smoking is not prohibited." I feel like I’m on an airplane.
(1:53:54 PM): I’m wondering what celebrities EA will pull out since Microsoft already stole Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr for Rock Band Beatles at their conference.
(1:43:04 PM): Remember you can watch the EA press conference live on streaming video at our E3 hub page.
(1:42:04 PM): Seated at the Orpheum Theater in downtown LA. Giant screen in front of the audience is running through all sorts of EA characters and franchises. Not a whole lot of EA garb around. Pales in comparison to what was seen at Microsoft’s conference.[/i]
Ubisoft’s Press Conference
(6:55:23 PM): McHale says a quick goodnight! And the Ubisoft Press Conference ends. Time to go buy white suits.
(6:54:33 PM): The assassin’s mother and father are mentioned by the lead bad dude, who it would appear was connected somehow with their deaths. The trailer ends.
(6:52:35 PM): There’s a party in the streets, but there’s an ominous tone. A figure who resembles Altair slits the throat of one of the masked revelers. Close quarters combat ensues. And a chase. This cutscene looks amazing.
(6:50:14 PM): Sold over 8 million units of Assassin’s Creed 1. They hope to sell more of the sequel. Smart!November 17 is the release date. The trailer begins.
1486, Venice. It’s a dark night, and there are some unsavory looking masked folk about.
(6:49:50 PM): Now we move on to Assassin’s Creed 2 - the time of the Rennaisance.
(6:49:26 PM): Talking about a new project - a partnership between Ubi and Q. Billed as a new sensory experience - codenamed Eden.
(6:48:16 PM): Officially on the thrid laptop battery. Officially on the thrid laptop battery. He’s introducing someone related to Rez....It’s Mizuguchi!
(6:46:51 PM): No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is introduced. Grasshopper and Suda 51 are mentioned as the creative talent behind the game.
(6:46:04 PM): Yes, April is shown! Momentarily distracted. Cool looking brawler - Smash Up coming this fall.
(6:45:14 PM): Trailer coming on — A comic style intro cutscene plays.
(6:44:33 PM): 25th anniversaty of the Turtles actually. Detoc calls it cause for “Shell-a-bration”. Yes, that actually happened.
(6:43:38 PM): Joel McHale returns to introduce someone celebrating the 20th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Laurent Detoc, Pres. of Ubi North America comes on stage. Where is April O’Neill?
(6:42:49 PM): The demo ends and the crowd politely applauds.
(6:41:53 PM): Now we’re seeing the Rabbids beating on an airplane engine with such ferocity that they dislodge it from the jet. And now they can ride it around the game world to gather their much-needed items with more speed.
(6:40:33 PM): Nearing on two dead laptop batteries now. Can we make it three? Come on Ubisoft, keep demoing Rabbids!
(6:39:24 PM): Watching some very zany gameplay here, where the Rabbids are pushing around their shopping cart and running into all manner of beasts and obstacles. The Verminators are called in, and hilarity ensues.
(6:38:20 PM): Now they’ve pumped his eyes full of air and stuck a hat of jello on his noggin. Now that’s just cruel.
(6:35:14 PM): Live demo begins. There’s a Rabbid on-screen, and he’s being totally abused by the demoer, being made to flop around and bang his cute little head on the ceiling. The crowd is disturbed but amused. His head is now in a vice. Can’t wait for the kids to get their hands on this one.
(6:34:22 PM): The trailer mocks human consumer culture, shows people numbly shopping. So the Rabbids take their example and start gathering up everything they can to build a tower to the moon. What will those crazy bunnies think of next?
(6:32:57 PM): In Rabbids Go Home, their home is the moon (they think), so they attempt to head there in the new title. The Rabbids trailer is shown.
(6:31:50 PM): Adrian Fernandez Lacey comes out on stage with two Rabbids. Yet another Ryan Seacrest joke is made. Will they ever get old? No.
(6:30:47 PM): McHale says he’s waiting for the upgrade where you think about working out and then drink red wine all night instead. Now McHale is giving an intro to the new game Rabbids Go Home.
(6:30:16 PM): Ubi has created a custom USB camera for the Wii - coming this holiday season.
(6:29:32 PM): Can choose, say, your legs, and then pick toning or strength. Then the cam gives you feedback for your movements. Your Shape: A New Era in Fitness. The trailer ends.
(6:28:13 PM): Ubi announces the first camera enabled fitness game... for the Wii! It comes with a camera that scans your body. This is not the MS tech. Separate deal.
(6:27:18 PM): This appears to make use of the new Microsoft motion technology announced this morning. Will be able to use some of your own personal workout equipment along with the game.
(6:26:11 PM): She says for the first time ever you yourself can be transported into a fitness game. Called Your Shape — Will scan your body into the game and give you realtime feedback on your workout. There’s a coach built right in. Silly weight jokes are told.
(6:25:59 PM): The fastest growing genre right now is fitness. Two times the growth of the next biggest genre. That’s likely because the genre was, until recently, 0. Introduces Felicia Williams, a lead content designer of the Montreal Studio.
(6:23:59 PM): Style Lab will use the DSi’s new functionality.
(6:23:39 PM): Can send pets in your nursery into talent shows in another game. Wait — did I really just see a game called Hamster Superstarz?
(6:21:05 PM): I made that up. It’s called Tween Games 2.0. No one in the crowd is really sure what it was. Imagine Town, Imagine Artist, etc. are discussed as the best thing since sliced bread. Starz and Petz 2009 are introduced.
(6:20:47 PM): Laptop battery 1 has died. Moving onto number 2. Thanks James Cameron. Anyway, Right now an ad for the Imagine series is showing. Something about uploading hamsters and makeup to girls or something.
(6:20:06 PM): Integration, interconnectivity and invention - he calls them the three I’s.
(6:19:22 PM): Imagine is the biggest brand on the DS. He seems angry that people have copied the Ubisoft model of making games like those in the Imagine series.
(6:18:37 PM): Tony Key, Senior VP of sales and marketing for the U.S. comes out on stage. He says Imagine series outsold almost everything last year — Babyz, Petz, etc.
(6:17:10 PM): Moving on to casual games!
(6:16:25 PM): Some footage of the actual game is shown, and planes, ships and other machines of war do battle over an ocean and strip of land. One player tricks the other, and sends his forces in to eliminate him. Sort of unclear what the gameplay mechanism is... the trailer ends. There was lots of bass in the music track though. So that’s something.
(6:13:53 PM): McHale is back talking about his love for Splinter Cell. R.U.S.E. is up next, the strategy game. The trailer comes on. Two dudes are sitting across from one another at a table playing a tabletop game.... like something from Minority Report.
(6:12:19 PM): The demo ends and the crowd approves. This game looks awesome. This fall exclusively on 360 and PC.
(6:11:28 PM): Now Sam has his shotty out, ready to pop some domes. He uses an enemy as a human shield, pops some fools in the noggin, chokes some folks and generally causes death wherever he steps.
(6:10:55 PM): The game will leave a brief silouette of your last location while you run around to flank your enemies. You can watch them move toward your last position, unaware that you’re right behind them.
(6:09:42 PM): These executions are so crazy — He drops from the ceiling to stab and beat his enemies to death after marking them from above.
(6:07:34 PM): The street scene looks very sharp. By sticking to the shadows, he’s able to advance on some thugs and take them out before they know what hit them. The 'mark and execute' feature lets you designate your targets and then automatically execute them. Ammo pickup appears to be automatic.
(6:05:51 PM): This is the same demo as the one shown at the Microsoft conference. Takes place in a restroom where Fisher is holding a baddie by the throat and slamming him into anything and everything. Environment is completely interactive, and the transitions are seamless. He grabs a piece of broken mirror, which he can use to peek under doors.
(6:04:15 PM): Conviction is about Fisher’s personal agenda to do what he has to do. He no longer works for anyone but himself and he’s more brutal then ever before. Showing off the last known position feature for the first time tonight. Allows you to play cat and mouse with your victim. McHale asks if he can just go ahead and have the game now. He is politely refused.
(6:03:12 PM): Sam Fisher may be graying a bit, but it doesn;t seem to have slowed him down. He kicks some serious butt in this trailer. The game demo is coming up now.
(6:01:50 PM): Trailer begins. It’s Sam Fisher at the piano, talking about his convictions. It appears to be the same trailer shown at the Microsoft press conference.
(6:01:18 PM): Splinter Cell Conviction is introduced, and they talk about how stealth games traditionally make you weak and slow. They want to change that in Conviction to make you feel like a powerful predator. Like a puma perhaps? Rawwwwr.
(6:00:13 PM): McHale is talking about the challenge of bringing innovation to existing properties. The creators of the Splinter Cell series come on stage. McHale towers above them.
(5:59:10 PM): Pele’s role was focused on how to educate children abd how to learn something through his experience. He was able to be a mentor and foster teamwork. Pele says goodbye and exits the stage.
(5:57:09 PM): There’s apparently a bad guy who doesn;t play by the rules and the main characters have to beat them ina game of soccer. All cutscenes being shown. One of the good guys winds up for a killer shot, the ball catches ablaze and screams into the goal. The trailer ends, the game is coing out in “2009."
(5:56:20 PM): Trailer starts — Magical setting with a cartoony look. Pele is the headmaster of the Academy.
(5:54:33 PM): Not so much about the game right now, more about his connection to the sport and to young people. The game will help deliver positive messages and involve youth with the game of soccer. Or something.
(5:52:53 PM): He says it is a pleasure to be here and through a translator, says he knows there are people here from all over the world here and starts talking soccer. His whole life soccer was the most important thing to him and says it’s very important to young people still. Wants to help people connect sports like soccer with positivity. Erik, Clements and I are all getting white suits tonight.
(5:51:16 PM): There are some translation issues - Joel McHale doesn’t speak Portugese, which is a problem. After making McHale feel uncomfortable, he decides to speak English.
(5:50:12 PM): The game is Academy of Champions. A stylized illustrated Pele character is shown on screen. Sort of looks like an MS Avatar.
(5:49:22 PM): The greatest soccer player of all time, three-time world champ is introduced - Pele. The legend himself comes out on stage. The crowd cheers wildly. He’s wearing an awesome white suit.
(5:48:50 PM): The after a brief clip of the game in action, the Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage logo pops up. Now on to soccer, the most popular sport in the world. More popular than bocce ball. True story.
(5:47:40 PM): A Shaun White trailer starts. It’s live action, A group of kids are helping White build an urban snowboarding ramp.
(5:46:00 PM): McHale comes back out. It’s time for sports. Shaun White Snowboarding is mentioned as a success for Ubisoft, especially on the Wii. Snow-covered Ubi logo appears.
(5:45:13 PM): They will be bundled with the Wii Motion Plus at launch.
(5:43:47 PM): There’s a slow motion effect, too when you hit certain enemies. A miniboss referred to as a “heavy” is introduced. He carries a long-handled hammer and towers over you. He wants to hurt you. By quickly dodging around the enemy, the demoers were able to slide around and behind him. Ubi is going for a mix of reality and graphic novel flair here.
(5:42:32 PM): The game has a somewhat cel-shaded look, and the sword slashes have a comic-book like effect. Use the left stick for movement, slash with the Wiimote, use the Z button to target. And there are more advanced controls available as well.
(5:40:23 PM): Then the hero pulls out his revolver and shoots the driver, causing the bike to crash into a barrier and explode. Now we’re shown a standard FPS viewpoint with a large reticle in the center of the screen. The sword is mapped 1:1 to the Wii motion plus.
Swing your Wiimote and the sword responds precisely in kind. It’s demonstrated on a dummy first and then moves on to real combat.
(5:39:33 PM): The hero has had a bad day and the game opens up in a hot desert with vultures circling above. You’re being pulled on a chain behind a motorcycle — The sense of speed is intense.
(5:38:01 PM): Creative Director of the game, Jason Vanderburg comers on state — He looks like a pirate. The game will take place in a mythical desert. The new hero is a gunslinger and samurai - katana in one hand and a revolver in another. He’s now showing the first level of the game.
(5:35:02 PM): Intros Red Steel 2 and shows Red Steel 2 trailer. Live action film of a guy using the Wii Motion Plus like a warrior. Juxtaposing shots of the player and the on-screen character swinging a sword. Lighting looks really nice. Mostly saw cinematics, but the in-game action looked good too.
(5:34:35 PM): Jokes that there are so many French people backstage that it’s a little scary. Ubisoft is where the starts come out to play, is the company’s tagline now.
(5:33:39 PM): The Avatar demo will be on display this week, so look for our impressions. He thanks the crowd and closes. McHale is back. Applause all around.
(5:32:41 PM): The world of the game is in some ways richer than the film, but it doesn’t contain any spoilers, which is why it can be released before the movie comes out, he says. Yes, James Cameron is still on stage. Will he set the record for longest E3 speech?
(5:31:18 PM): The game allows him another avenue to explore that. Avatar is the first major stereoscopic title.
(5:30:28 PM): In the game you can choose which perspective you want to play as - human or alien. To see and understand through others' eyes - that’s the moral message of Avatar, Camerion says.
(5:29:43 PM): The game is not totally tied to the movie. It truly sounds like a collaboration. The two properties seem to be taking creative direction from one another.
(5:28:04 PM): He doesn’t want anything associated with avatar to 'suck'. It’s not just another licensed game, he says. I wish I was on the beautiful planet of Pandora right now.
(5:26:46 PM): Says they chose their videogame pertnership very carefully. Ubisoft seemed to get the concept instantly, he says. I wonder if Joel McHale is still here.
(5:25:48 PM): December 18 is the release date for the film. Being shot in stereoscopic 3D tech that took them 9 years to develop. He describes it as being more like taking a journey than watching a film. A 'dream state' of sorts.
(5:25:19 PM): Sully falls in love with one of the 'smokin hot' primitive characters on Pandora, and drama ensues. Cameron promises crazy enemies, over-the-top and even helicopter gunships!
(5:24:13 PM): Jake Sully is the main character. He’s an ex-Marine who was wounded in battle. Still only the Avatar logo behind Cameron.
(5:22:45 PM): There’s a group that lives in a primitive state but are incredibly wise. Much like IGN’s Greg Miller. The avatars are living breathing entities - they’re not synthetic. These bodies are controlled by a human driver that link its conciousness to that body.
(5:21:51 PM): Avatar takes palce in the 22nd century, mostly on a large moon called Pandora. It’s Earth-like with rainforests and 1000-foot tall trees. Many critters abound.
(5:20:56 PM): He wrote the treatment for Avatar originally 14 years ago. People said it couldn’t be done at the time. Then he began to see CG work like that in the LOTR series and dusted it off.
(5:19:47 PM): Guillemot comes back out. He’s now talking about what it takes to create realistic fatasty worlds. James Cameron comes on stage. Hugs all around — He’s the king of the world! Much applause.
(5:18:40 PM): They promise very high production values on these AC2 short films. Ubi is going from a simple developer/publisher to a converged 360-degree content provider. I think that means they are going to make more stuff. Cool.
(5:18:02 PM): They will be able to take 3D assets from engines like Anvil (the Assassin’s Creed engine), and use them in films seamlessly. They are working on short movies using this tech based in the Assassin’s Creed 2 universe.
(5:17:25 PM): Ubisoft is actually working on some of the shots for the Avatar movie. So the two media are merging with this project.
(5:16:34 PM): Tomorrow they will unveil new details about the work they have done on Avatar. But we want to see it tonight!
(5:15:13 PM): Mallot is talking about how great teams work when they have a vision. Ubisoft Digital Arts is their new studio that is build around their recently acquired effects studio, Hybrid.
(5:14:41 PM): Montreal studio director will be out later to talk more about that. And here he is...
(5:14:00 PM): Shaun White for the Wii was the best-selling sports game last year over the holidays. He mentions EndWar and Rayman as other recent successes with interface technology. Much like Microsoft’s press conference, Ubisoft is talking about removing the interface from the gaming experience. They have been working on some of these things for over a year.
(5:12:38 PM): We were the first to jump on the Wii with Red Steel, he says. Talks about Red Steel 2 and its use of Motion Plus.
(5:12:15 PM): Brings up Avatar, the game based on the Cameron movie. A new creative team has joined forces with Ubi... joined forces again with Peter Jackson, and working with Spielberg on Tintin.
So basically Ubisoft is making a Tintin game along with Spielberg. Jackson project is unclear...
(5:10:05 PM): Why not join forces with the best of the best to make our visions come to life, he asks?
(5:09:50 PM): Ubi has created a new divisioncalled Hybrid to help its media convergence efforts. Created a 'destination' called Uplay that will allow social networking from within their games. There’s a shop, etc. Will be on Assassin’s Creed, Avatar and Splinter Cell — A new multimedia experience.
(5:07:34 PM): Talks about media convergence and the future of entertainment. Content’s becoming interconnected. He’s also showing an illustration of a globe connected by people.
(5:06:12 PM): Introduces the pres and CEO of Ubi, Yves Guillemot. Joel McHale is way taller than Guillemot. But the latter is far more French. Says he is excited to hear fan feedback about the company’s upcoming lineup.
(5:05:32 PM): Says we’ll get to meet one of the most recognizable atheletes in the world tonight. Along with a 'visionary' director. James Cameron perhaps?
(5:04:39 PM): Says he pitched a game called Receding Glacier (in real time) to Ubisoft — No takers...
(5:04:04 PM): He says he loves Ubi games and the people who make them. Awwwwww. Where is Spaghetti Cat?
(5:03:11 PM): McHale — “I am a gamer. I love them. I haven’t had time to play them recently because I had two kids. And I regret that." Says his gamertag is SeacrestSlayer311. Ouch.
(5:02:14 PM): Joel McHale comes on stage! Billed as “The whitest host you’ll ever see”. Crowd goes crazy. Welcomes fellow nerds.
(5:00:38 PM): Music just got pumped up to press conference volumes. Going dark now, and a Ubi promo trailer plays — Assassin’s Creed 2, Petz, Rayman, TMNT, Splinter Cell are shown in a musical montage.
(4:58:57 PM): Show is starting. Welcome message plays. Still a good bit of milling about though...We’re reminded to turn off our cell phones. Erik refuses to turn off his Sidekick.
(4:57:47 PM): There’s a TV on stage with some 360 controllers laying beneath it. Just about 5 more minutes now until the Ubi press conference begins. Ryan Clements is trembling with glee. Will my laptop battery last the entire show? Play along at home.
(4:53:38 PM): The place is packed, and there are people crowded into the balconies above us. There’s a dude sitting in front of us wearing a t-shirt with an eagle on it. It’s epic. Correction — it’s a goose.
(4:53:11 PM): About 10 minutes until the show starts. There are three big screens hanging behind and above the stage showing the Ubi logo. The stage is bathed in a cool blue light and there’s soothing music playing in the background.
(4:35:00 PM): We’re here at the Ubisoft press conference at the Los Angeles Theater. Registration was a nightmare of epic proportions. But now we’re settled in and ready for the hotness. Erik Brudvig’s in the house, the dueling Ryans are at the conference(Clements on the camera, Geddes with the keyboard) and Jeff Haynes is holding things down behind the scenes.
__________________
I am, Forever Gone.
“I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds”
7:10 a.m.: The Nintendo Team prepares to head over to the event. Today’s team consists of Matt Casamassina, Craig Harris and Mark Bozon, all three of whom will be on hand at the Nokia Theatre. Matt (me — yeah, I refer to myself in the third-person) will be handling all the live-blog updates, Craig will be uploading poor quality pictures on the fly and Bozon is probably just going to fanboy out a lot. Back at our Los Angeles Convention Center news room, Levi Buchanan, Lucas M. Thomas, Jack DeVries and Rus McLaughlin will be translating our live blogs from garbled idiocy to some form of coherrent text, breaking down news stories from today’s events, and probably drinking.
7:15 a.m.: Bozon, in all of his genius, forgot to grab the SLR camera so now we’re waiting for him to drive back to his house so that we can leave. For the record, I hate Bozon. I don’t use the word hate often, so know that I don’t take the word lightly. Hate. Hate. Hate. Him.
7:16 a.m.: Oh, while I’m sitting here, don’t forget to stay glued to IGN all day today, never so much as blinking. If your eyes start cracking, get the dropper and feed them some water, but don’t blink. I stayed at the office late last night capturing the entire E3 demo of The Grinder, which looks fantastic, in direct-feed. That’s going up very, very soon. Possibly before the Nintendo conference starts. And then, at noon, I’ve got a video blowout on Silent Hill: Shattered Memories that you won’t want to miss.
Seriously! The next Mario game isn’t going anywhere. You’re allowed to look at third-party software for a few minutes. It’s not going to kill you. You might even like it.
7:32 a.m.: Bozon pleasures three women while completing his task in record time. The team now sits in LA traffic for the next 12 to 14 hours. After updating this via iPhone, Bozon’s previously full charge is now at 9% battery life.
8:18 a.m.: Bozon here. Matt is off running around, Craig just went on a coffee run, and I’m playing Nintendo trivia while sitting front row in the oh-so-special VIP viewing area. We can’t go into details since it’s so secret, but to say they have four new Zelda games (all on CDi, all releasing in the next 24 hours) would be a HUGE understatement. Also, it’s raining money, the beer is flowing like wine (?) and Nintendo is handing out flying cars. Still... as a Nintendo fan, I got all this and am still pissed. This keynote does NOT deliver. Lame.
8:22 a.m.: Our coverage begins early! Check out an exclusive full playthrough of the E3 demo for Muramasa: The Demon Blade by clicking below.
Click here for the FULL Muramasa: The Demon Blade E3 demo in streaming and 480p quality.
8:38 a.m.: Lucas here, checking in for the War Room team. Security is seriously tight at the LACC this year. Jack had to pull some ninja tricks just to get into our room here, Rus told the guard his shoelaces were untied and then decked him a la Marty McFly’s dad fighting Biff in the parking lot scene of Back to the Future, and I had to sweetly ask Susan Kramer (head of the PR pyramid here at E3) to personally escort me up the stairs. She hoped to meet Jeremy Dunham. She got Jack DeVries instead.
8:43 a.m.: The pre-show pretty music is playing. Fancy lights, nice logos. The show this year is taking place at the Nokia Theater L.A. Live, which you might know from seeing it on American Idol. Bozon’s looking for a microphone — he thinks he’s got what it takes to be the next Kris Allen.
8:49 a.m.: Show should start in about 10 minutes. I hope Nintendo has someone like James Cameron or Steven Spielberg on hand to talk about games and then not show them.
Preferably for 15 minutes at a time.
8:53 a.m.: How many Nintendo DS systems have been sold worldwide, a giant screen asks? Answer: 100 million-plus. I totally knew that! Meanwhile, Craig is uploading various pictures, which should start showing up in this blog shortly. Battery power on laptop: 88%. That could be problematic if James Cameron really does show. Hopefully one conference is enough for him. By the way, just learned that a green ring does not appear in Legend of Zelda on NES. Thanks, Nintendo trivia machine! This is a pretty cool venue. Very rockstar. Smaller than the Kodak Theatre, but very high-tech sexy.
8:57 a.m.: “Ladies and gentlemen, once again we ask that you turn off your cell phone ringers so as not to disrupt the gameplay demos. Thank you." No, thank you mystery Nokia Theatre voice booming out of the speakers. I think we’re going to start soon. Marionette, baby! Bring it. (Yeah — probably not going to happen. But if it does, I’m retiring.)
9:00 a.m.: I kind of want to move into this place. Nintendo says that Wii has sold more than PS2 during the first 30 months of both consoles releases. Also, DS has outsold PS2 in the first 52 months. These random factoids sure pass the time, huh? Admit it. You want to play more trivia.
9:01 a.m.: It’s 9:00. You know what that means? I think you do. Somebody tell Nintendo. It hasn’t dimmed the lights or faded the music yet.
9:01 a.m.: 50 million-plus households own a Wii worldwide. The Koopaling best known for wearing sunglasses is Roy. As of last week, 86 WiiWare games have been released. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh yeah. Here we go. Nintendo logo is on the screen. I think that’s mean to mean that the megaton is coming shortly.
9:03 a.m.: My wireless strength is asstacular. Hopefully Nintendo’s ninjas are trying to block out the signal. Could be. This thing better start soon. Apple makes some nice computers, but batteries... not so much! Oh — here we go! Nintendo logo is on the screen. People playing DS, Wii zapper, etc. “Everyone’s game."
9:04 a.m.: Basically, a montage showing how popular Nintendo’s systems are. Lots of happy families in front of televisions. Some dude doing push-ups. Girl using her DSi to take photos. You know the drill. Everyone is so ridiculously happy to be playing Nintendo systems that we might just have to sedate them.
9:05 a.m.: Montage over. EVP of sales and marketing, Cammie Dunaway, takes the stage. No snowboarding that I can see.
9:06 a.m.: She’s talking about videogame data. This is not shocking. Last year, videogames were just as big as home video and toys. And even bigger than movie and music box office put together. “Maybe you’ve noticed on a plane playing the Nintendo DS system. Or your uncle calling you for tips on how to bat his buddies in Mario Kart." She’s pushing the everyone’s game tagline again. Nintendo has been working on a simple goal, to “create surprise."
9:07 a.m.: Nintendo is going to bring us surprise today, she says. Sweeeet! I want surprises. I want them. Show me surprise, Cammie.
Sweet. I have a view of the teleprompter so I can read what Cammie is going to say before she says it.
9:10 a.m.: She intros Mario — the character. She’s going to unveil a new game. For the last 15 years, Miyamoto has been thinking about a new way to play a Mario game that’s never been possible before. Unveils New Super Mario Bros. for Wii.
New Super Mario Bros for Wii is all about multiplayer, it seems. Four people take the stage to play. Classic 2D view a la New Super Mario Bros. for DS. Except four people are playing. Mario, Luigi, Yellow Toad and Blue Toad. Very much a game about platforming and getting coins and points. You can play it single-player or coop with up to four players. People can jump in and out at random.
9:11 a.m.: Mario has an awesome propeller suit. Shake the Wii remote and he spins into the air. Very cool. There are portions of scrolling ground — parts of the ground move like conveyor belts. Mario walked into a wall and it disappeared, revealing hidden secrets. At the end of each level, you get a tally. All the points you collected, all the enemies you stomped, etc. All four players are ranked.
9:13 a.m.: New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be playable at E3 and will launch worldwide this holiday.
Calls the game “Mr. Miyamoto’s new masterpiece."
9:15 a.m.: Moving on to the next Wii Fit. Presumably to chat about Wii Fit Plus. “In the 13 months since it launched, Wii Fit has been the best selling software in America and around the world." “We began looking at ways to make Wii Fit easier to apply to your daily life, more beneficial and even more attractive to every member of the household." Wii Fit Plus is the result. It’s official.
From the game’s main menu, you enter the locker room where you can become your own personal trainer. There are six new strength and yoga training exercises in Wii Fit Plus. You can omit interludes between exercise. You can target a specific body area with specific programs. The game will keep track of the total calories you burn.
9:18 a.m.: Not just about fitness. It’s also a lot of fun, says Cammie. 15 new balance games. Juggling, skateboarding and “once called perfect 10 where you need to swing your hips in different directions to choose number combinations that total 10." Also a jumping game a la Mario where you jump over hurdles and dodge objects. You can buy it with the Balance Board or as a standalone purchase this fall.
More gameplay montages with people flailing and giggling uncontrollably. Balance Board, Wii Sports, et.
9:19 a.m.: Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage. He scares me. “Wii continues to attack the games market like no system before," he growls. I won’t look him in the eye or he’ll kill me.
He’s talking about how important interface is. Wii remote is the example. Then the nunchuk. And most recently, the Balance Board. Nintendo is now talking about MotionPlus.
9:20 a.m.: “For a couple decades, players only used their fingers to control game action. Today, they’re off the couch. In fact, over the last few years physical reality has become the new proving ground for game innovation." Take a look, he says.
Montage. MotionPlus will cool. Ping pong in slow motion. Basketball in slow motion. Swordplay in slow motion. Similar to the videos NCL posted on the Japanese website not long ago.
9:22 a.m.: Gameplay shown. Ping pong. Basketball. Golf. Bow and arrow. Rowing a boat. Dog frisbee. All from Wii Sports Resort.
The archery component looks particularly fantastic. You pull back the Wii remote to ready the arrow. Release with a button on the nunchuk. Depth of field blur around the target. Very cool.
Press the A button to grip the grow. Hold Z button on the nunchuk and hold your string. There’s a wind gauge in the top right corner. Have to compensate for it. This is going to be a ridiculous amount of fun.
9:28 a.m.: My mistake. You pull back the nunchuk — not the Wii remote — to cock the arrow.
Reggie takes the stage to take part in a demo of Wii Sports Resort basketball. You simply hold the Wii remote, aim and shoot the ball at the hoop. All you need is some good aim and a little flick of the wrist for style and accuracy.
9:30 a.m.: Looks fun, but it’s pretty simple. Just make a throwing motion. It’s all about the finesse of the gesture. Reggie won the two-player demo. Thats good because if he didn’t, somebody would’ve been fired. Wii Sports Resort launches july 26, in case you didn’t know.
9:32 a.m.: Last year in America, more third-party games were sold on Wii than any other system, says Reggie. And DS came in second. He’s talking about the RPG genre now. If MotionPlus is all about physical reality, RPGs are all about what goes on inside your head. He introduces Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers and shows a trailer.
9:35 a.m.: The trailer is just a clip of all the footage we put up yesterday. Reggie: Square is also brining Kingdom Hearts to DS on September 29.
9:36 a.m.: Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story name official. Nintendo shows off English gameplay footage of the title in motion.
The game looks amazing. It ships in North America and Europe this fall. One more RPG piece of important news. Legendary RPG name is on its way back to Nintendo portables. Golden Sun DS! Gameplay footage shown. Thank you, Camelot. Took you suckas long enough!
9:39 a.m.: Nice 3D engine. Not much gameplay to speak of, but awesome news nevertheless. Cammie’s back on stage to talk about DS and some new developer innovations.
James Patterson Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion demo for DS. From THQ. It’s book form. That’s kind of cool. But, uh, probably not going to buy it.
9:41 a.m.: New IP from Ubisoft. C.O.P. The Recruit. This is the title I mentioned in the podcast. The GTA competitor. Check out the engine on this game, people. It’s not too shabby.
Game puts you in the role of an underground street racer turned cop. He runs through an open world taking down enemies, carjacking etc. Looks pretty good. One more title. Style Savvy is the name. It’s the fashion design game on DS in Japan. Definitely for girls. I bet IGN’s Fran Mirabella would love all the fashion tips in the game, though.
9:44 a.m.: “Nintendo DS equals diversity," says Cammie. New Nintendo DSi montage. Various gamers playing DSi and liking it.
We’re thinking something like this might go down...
Nintendo predicted that DSi would naturally complement DS upon its arrival in the U.S. So far, that’s what’s happening. DSi sales have surpassed one million units so far and during the same time period, gamers bought another 400,000 DS Lites.
9:46 a.m.: Moving Memo, called Flip Note Studio here, will be available to DSi owners this summer.
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again. Playable on the show floor. Available only as a download via DSiWare next Monday, June 8.
9:49 a.m.: WarioWare DIY includes a feature for players to design their own games from scratch. Characters, environments, actions — even the purpose of the microgame itself can be edited by the player. Simple fundamentals, but theres a very deep experience to be had. Finished games can be shared with other WarioWare DIY owners.
Beginning this summer, you’ll be able to automatically upload photos taken with your DSi to Facebook.
Cammie mentions The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which will be playable on the show floor this week.
9:52 a.m.: Another montage. More people on Balance Board and flailing. Random cuts of already-released software. Everyone’s Game tag reinforced.
Now, global president Satoru Iwata takes the stage. He’s such a super man beast. His all black attire is surrounded by sexy. Drop a few megabombs Iwata. You know you want to. I can feel it.
Editor’s Note: Matt needs to get over his Iwata man-crush right now.
9:54 a.m.: 295 million people actively playing games. Nearly 150 million people say they would possibly playing games supposing the software is compelling.
Iwata wants to create games that satisfy both the hardcore and expanded audience crowd alike.
9:57 a.m.: He cites that Nintendo made some progress in this regard with Mario Kart Wii, which shipped with the Wii wheel. And he mentioned that games like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Wii Sports Resort also satisfy this goal.
9:59 a.m.: What’s next, though? Something completely new? An entirely different way of thinking about games. Wii Vitality sensor. It recognizes your pulse.
Not just a measurement of your heart rate. How nervous are you? How focused are you? These things are normally invisible. But the vitality sensor will help you see the information relating the inner world of your body. People can achieve greater relaxation with the vitality sensor.
10:01 a.m.: Videogames have traditionally been designed to excite players. But maybe the opposite could happen — you could unwind or even fall asleep with a certain type of game. We thought Nintendo already developed this type of experience with Wii Music. Har. Har.
Going back to more traditional games now (I hope). More Mario news.
For the first time ever, a second full 3D Mario title is gong to appear on a single Nintendo console. Super Mario Galaxy 2. Yoshi’s playable. Mario running around crazy environments. Huge boss battles. Graphics look great, as expected. Rolling a giant snowball around planets. Swimming unerwater.
10:03 a.m.: Bee Mario is back. Puzzles look great in this game. I think Nintendo has ramped it up.
I’ve said wow a few times. Really digging that Nintendo made Galaxy 2. First was so good. This is the kind of sequel I’m down for.
10:05 a.m.: Three examples of third-party titles with a little harder edge, says Reggie. All coming exclusively to Wii before the end of the year. The Conduit. Gameplay montage of The Conduit.
Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles is next. Gameplay montage of Darkside Chronicles.
10:09 a.m.: Dead Space Extraction is last. Good examples. But hardly newsworthy. Dead Space Extraction trailer shown. This game looks great, even on the big screen. “Third party publishers are drawn to opportunity and right now there is no opportunity larger than Nintendo," says Reggie. But what about Nintendo itself? Could a new, edgier also be coming from us, asks Reggie? “The answer is absolutely."
10:10 a.m.: New footage of darker game. Team Ninja and Nintendo!
WTF?
Project M presents...
Space action. Gorgeous renders.
Samus.
Metroid Other M!
Holy eff!
Huge Metroid game. Samus in huge 3D brawls. Viewpoint changes angles on the fly. I just soiled myself.
Seriously — just watch our footage. My description will never do this amazing game justice.
10:12 a.m.: “This historic collaboration is going to reveal a Metroid game like any you’ve ever experienced before. It’ll take you deeper in to Samus' story and further into the Metroid universe,," says Reggie.
It’s over, folks.
10:13 a.m.: Overall, pretty good. No Pikmin or MotionPlus Zelda, though. And no real demo from Miyamoto. That surprised me. Anyway, I’ve got interviews. Don’t forget to tune into IGN Wii in an hour and 45 minutes for serious Silent Hill love.
Sony Press Conference
(1:07:09 PM): That’s the end of the conference. Good times. Time to go actually play some of this stuff. Peace out and BEYOND!
(1:06:17 PM): That’s the end of the demo, but they mentioned that it’s officially March 2010 now. Not a big surprise.
(1:05:54 PM): He cuts off its snake-tail, and it stands up and fights him on its feet. Kratos then jumps up on its chest, tabes it about 500 times and pulls out some guts. Not dead, it reels back and starts fighting on all fours. Kratos then knocks him down, yanks off a horn and stabs him in the head with it.
(1:04:41 PM): Kratos moves up a level, Helios comes by and drops some fire. Then a chimera comes out and tries to mess with Kratos. Never do this.
(1:03:44 PM): After the peons are dead he takes on the centaur proper, killing him by pulling a Han Solo vs. a Tan Tan.
(1:03:10 PM): Then a centaur comes in and brings a lot of skeletal warriors with him. They pounce on Kratos, but he pushes them away, just like in the trailer.
(1:02:38 PM): Kratos picks up a skeleton and rips him in half. Guts come from somewhere.
(1:02:13 PM): You still have the pegasus wings.
(1:02:03 PM): Helios rolls in and fires from flames at him before the camera pans back to give you control over Kratos again.
(1:01:38 PM): He kills some dudes and goes inside a building that’s largely unfinished, making it a mix between a building and a cave. He finds some harpies and stabs them to ride them over long picts. Coming out into an opening, a Titan comes into view in the background. He’s HUGE.
(1:00:30 PM): Kratos' face was on the side of the screen in classic GoW menu fashion, but pressing start just pans out and shows him in full. Holy eff this looks good, notably better than the trailer that’s out there.
(12:59:34 PM): The Santa Monica guys restate that this is the end of the trilogy.
(12:58:54 PM): They’re about to show the first few minutes from God of War III.
(12:58:33 PM): That’s was it for GT5, but again, if that was real, then holy hell that game looks good.
(12:58:08 PM): A few cars spun out and smoke went crazy, but we didn’t see any damage.
(12:57:45 PM): The on-track stuff looks like CG, but I’m guessing that it isn’t. If this is actually the game, it is possibly the most realistic one I’ve ever seen
(12:56:29 PM): Here comes Gran Turismo 5.
(12:56:17 PM): That’s the end of it.
(12:55:54 PM): There’s more at the end now, showing the boy fighting the guards from the beginning, throwing barrels at them. He’s seen sleeping next to the creature.
(12:55:22 PM): The trailer is largely similar to the leaked footage, though it looks better, the lighting is different and it’s been tweaked.
(12:54:05 PM): The creature has more “scaley” legs than in the leaked video, but otherwise looks very similar. The landscape they look out on is more detailed and run down.
(12:53:24 PM): The boy is different now. The bowl haircut is gone, and it looks like he’s covered in tattoos.
(12:52:13 PM): It’s huge.
(12:52:04 PM): A feather slowly falls and lands near the same chain from the leaked video.
(12:51:29 PM): It’s called The Last Guardian.
(12:51:21 PM): Jack is about to show Team ICO’s next.
(12:51:02 PM): The game looks like it could be fun on a basic racing level, but the creation stuff looks really slick. They mention a 2010 release date before taking off. Jack is back out again.
(12:50:21 PM): You can change the time of day by angling the sun and everything it properly lit in realtime. Then you just pick to play and it starts up pretty much immediately.
(12:48:34 PM): Now they’re adding buildings and trees. You just use the “brush” and they pop in from the ground.
(12:47:33 PM): You just fly around and “paint” the track, and then the game automatically create the other parts for you. But then you can go back in and completely customize all that stuff, add mountains, change the track type, add water, etc. It looks very fast and easy to build a coarse. They just made a full, though relatively simple, track in about two minutes.
(12:45:39 PM): A tool called Track Studio lets you create your own track from scratch.
(12:45:22 PM): It has a very cartoony look. You can pick up and use weapons, like rockets and such.
(12:44:50 PM): The game is a straight-up kart racer, though it looks like the control is at least partially physics-based.
(12:44:03 PM): You can completely customize your racer and their vehicie. They parts are all predefined, so it’s fairly similar to how the creating stuff in LBP works, but you can make them a little more unique since they don’t have to be a Sackboy.
(12:42:10 PM): Jack announces Mod Nation Racers, the next game in the “Play. Create. Share." line, which now extends beyond(!) just LBP.
(12:40:56 PM): Jack is back and starts talking about LittleBigPlanet. He shows a Sackboy dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow.
(12:40:21 PM): It’ll launch in the spring of 2010, and right now they’re calling it the PlayStation Motion Controller.
(12:39:48 PM): That’s the end of the demo.
(12:39:34 PM): Now they’re doing an archery demo where he holds one stick forward like the bow and then the second back like he’s pulling back an arrow. Hitting the trigger releases an arrow.
(12:38:38 PM): Now they’re taking control of a transparent knight with a sword and shield. The accuracy here is, again, very very good.
(12:36:41 PM): They demo a very basic RTS concept where he circles enemies and then draws a path for them to follow.
(12:35:29 PM): The stick has an analog trigger, so he does a paint demo and the more he holds down the trigger, the more paint comes out.
(12:34:57 PM): Now they’ve changed to another demo where he uses two “sticks” to pick up blocks and builds stuff with them. Now he draws on a paper and the accuracy is actually very, very good.
(12:33:42 PM): They’re changed it to a first-person mode so he walks around the blank room and shoots stuff.
(12:33:08 PM): The level of responsiveness looks immediate and dead on.
(12:32:37 PM): The PlayStation Eye takes his video and puts him in the game, and different items keep taking place of the controller in his hand. A tennis racket, sword, stop sign, a golf club and some other stuff goes on there and they just wave them around.
(12:31:16 PM): They’re showing a live video demo. It’s just a basic room with a TV and some random bits in the room, but the floating, virtual console seems to be moving identically to what he’s actually doing.
(12:29:44 PM): They’re showing an engineering prototype of a new motion controller. The end is glowing purple, and the PlayStation Eye can track that end.
(12:29:00 PM): A couple folks come out to talk about some new controller stuff.
(12:28:19 PM): The trailer ends (which was all CG) and Jack makes a joke along the lines of, “Well there’s one bit of news that didn’t leak”.
(12:27:47 PM): It looks like Chocobos are in.
(12:27:39 PM): Final Fantasy XIV Online is actually the proper title, which makes sense with the likely (my assumption) PC release.
(12:27:07 PM): Eorzea is the name of a major character of some sort. A flying creature, sort of like an oversized bat, attacks a boat. Then some flying columns attack a different vessel.
(12:26:01 PM): PS3 is the “only console” you’ll be able to play it on, so it may also be on PC.
(12:25:47 PM): Final Fantasy XIV just announced, coming in 2010.
(12:25:33 PM): A couple battle clips are quickly shown, as well as some exploration. Lightning at one point is running through a floral area and the detail in the foliage and whatnot looks awesome.
(12:24:36 PM): The trailer has English voiceovers, which is the first time I’ve heard them. The VO work sounds OK, but it’s not at the same level as the visuals, at least from what I’ve heard.
(12:23:40 PM): It’s CG, there’s a girl giving a voiceover, and a ship flies in the sky. Cut inside some crazy building and Lighting talks with her buddy a bit. Then it cuts to them in a ship, crashing it seems, before skipping to another scene.
(12:22:07 PM): He’s going to show a Final Fantasy XIII clip.
(12:21:50 PM): Jack is back out and starts talking Square Enix.
(12:21:10 PM): He kills someone and the world sort of dissolves and distorts to tell a bit of the story before jumping back in. He makes use of a smoke grenade to get away from the guards before the demo ends.
(12:20:10 PM): There are more than 30 weapons in the game that you can take from enemies and use on them, and six additional weapons if you play Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines on the PSP.
(12:19:43 PM): Now they skip to another scene, this one set during the day. He rolls up on two guys and does a double face punch with a blade in each hand. Brutal as hell, and it draws nice applause from the crowd.
(12:18:40 PM): He lands and releases the flying machine (it would have been worth millions now) and it keeps going, catches on fire and takes out some enemies.
(12:18:13 PM): Fires in the city provide lift for the machine from the heat. The city is pretty big and really nice looking. Lots of details.
(12:17:40 PM): He takes off and enemies start shooting flaming arrows at him.
(12:17:15 PM): They show a scene from the Italian Renascence. The crowd is dancing and having fun next to a river in Venice. They climb up a tower and grab a guard and chuck him off the edge before going up to the top and finding DaVinci’s flying machine.
(12:15:11 PM): Now he introduces a couple Ubisoft folks to show off Assassin’s Creed II.
(12:14:56 PM): It’s an espionage game set in the late 1970’s. Jack says they expect Agent to have the same impact at GTA. We’ll see.
(12:14:20 PM): Agent is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 from Rockstar North.
(12:14:00 PM): Jack has brought up Rockstar Games.
(12:13:47 PM): The montage is finally over. Lots of games shown, but none in detail.
(12:10:37 PM): Uncharted 2, Infamous, Madden 10, Final Fantasy XIII, MAG, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Brutal Legends, White Knight Chronicles, Ghostbusters and a few other previously-announced games are being shown in short bursts.
(12:08:41 PM): Back to the PS3 with a montage clip.
(12:07:10 PM): Megaton video: PlayStation Home footage being shown. Okay, maybe not such a megaton.
(12:06:55 PM): Yep, it’s Home, and nope, they’re not really doing much other than chat.
(12:06:25 PM): Here comes a video.
(12:06:11 PM): Now he’s talking about PlayStation Home. There have been more than 6.5 million users, and 85% have “returned”, which must mean that they’re used it more than once.
(12:04:50 PM): Good applause for that announcement.
(12:04:39 PM): Nearly 50 PSOne classics are coming to the store, and Final Fantasy VII is hitting today.
(12:03:40 PM): Jack Tretton is back out and starting to talk about PlayStation Network.
(12:02:42 PM): People are still cheering for Hannah Montana.
(12:02:35 PM): Hot Shots Tennis and Fat Princess PSP were quickly shown. Exactly what you’d expect, but great to see.
(12:01:02 PM): LBP looks to have entirely new levels. A bit of Jak & Daxter was shown, then MotorStorm. Now Dissida Final Fantasy and SOCOM. We’re seen most of this stuff before in some fashion, but the reel is decent.
(11:59:48 AM): Always fade out in a montage. It makes it seem like more time has passed in a montage.
(11:59:31 AM): Here comes a PSP montage.
(11:59:21 AM): RE Portable is coming out sometime next year, but that’s about all he says. It sounds like it’s an entirely original game, though.
(11:58:59 AM): A logo for Resident Evil Portable is up on the screen, and Jack is going over RE sales and popularity.
(11:58:19 AM): Kaz comes back out, encourages everyone to check out the system at the show and takes off. Jack is back, son!
(11:56:50 AM): Coming in 2010.
(11:56:49 AM): He has a bunch of clones all standing together and it looks like they were about to take on a flying Metal Gear. And yeah, you can hide in a box.
(11:55:46 AM): Snake is wearing some black and orange gear, perhaps some sort of armor.
(11:55:17 AM): The footage mostly shows him runnning around or sneaking on rooftops. Looks like the same play mechanics that we’re used to.
(11:54:52 AM): In 1974, an unknown power takes power in Costa Rica. Big Boss (Naked Snake) is back and working to take them down.
(11:53:43 AM): The colonel, I think, is doing voice over work over real footage of nukes being launched.
(11:52:56 AM): He’s going to show a trailer.
(11:52:27 AM): He will be deeply involved with the game, writing the script and overseeing production. It’s not a spin-off or side story.
(11:51:48 AM): The setting is 10 years after MGS3, set in the 1970s. It’s a true sequel of the franchise.
(11:51:45 AM): Flanking the sides of the screen is the shot of Big Boss from the Kojima Productions teaser site.
(11:50:38 AM): Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on the PSP. Here comes Kojima.
(11:50:19 AM): GT is launching on October 1st with the PSP Go.
(11:49:50 AM): Kaz Hirai is back out.
(11:49:20 AM): If what we’re seeing is in-game, it’s really impressive. Just quick shots of cars driving around, but the lighting and model details looks awesome.
(11:48:18 AM): He’s going to show a trailer now.
(11:46:57 AM): They’re also adding a feature to let you trade and share cars with other players. Collecting all 800 yourself would take forever, but you can work with others to earn them all much more quickly.
(11:45:53 AM): Ad-hoc multiplayer for four players.
(11:44:18 AM): Full scale game (content-wise) at 60fps. 800 cars, 35 tracks, and 60 layout variations of those tracks.
(11:43:28 AM): Kazunouri Yamauchi is coming out to demo Gran Turismo on the PSP. It’s simply called Gran Turismo PSP.
(11:42:46 AM): Lots of new TV partners. E, TNT, G4, a bunch of other extended cable channels.
(11:41:39 AM): PSP Go is going to be $249 on October 1st in North America and Europe. 26,800 yen in Japan. The video part of PSN will be available natively on the PSP. Sounds like it’s going to be active as of today, but that wasn’t entirely clear.
(11:40:11 AM): Future titles will be available as both download and UMD.
(11:39:55 AM): Sony is lowering the price of the PSP tools (the development stuff) by 80%. That should help pique interested in making games for it.
(11:38:04 AM): Going over the same specs that were leaked - 16GB of internal memory, integrated Bluetooth, and no UMD drive. A new PC application for the PlayStation Store is launching today, called Media Go. He’s just showing a logo right now. It’s supposed to make browsing, buying and syncing content easier. Sense Me is also coming, to both PS3 and PSP, later this fall. It’ll automatically generate playlists for you.
(11:37:28 AM): More than 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the original PSP 1000.
(11:36:53 AM): It will not replace the PSP 3000 or kill the UMD. Both will still be supported and released.
(11:36:13 AM): Yep, no surprise. He’s holding a white one and pulled it out of his pocked. Looks about the size of an iPhone.
(11:34:41 AM): Kaz Hirai is coming out, assumably to introduce the PSP Go.
(11:33:53 AM): A Hannah Montana bundle is coming. The crowd cheers, but I’m not sure why.
(11:33:10 AM): 15 millions units sold last year to up the total over 50 million worldwide.
(11:31:57 AM): Good showing that it works, but the content was fairly simple. Back to the PSP.
(11:30:40 AM): The guy who we’re watching is going to head up and plant a charge to take out part of the base. Taking a piece will allow you to restart there when you die. Choppers come in to bring reinforcements. The demo ends with the squad meeting up with three others and moving in to take over a city.
(11:29:17 AM): They’re at some sort of oil refinery. They’re trying to take out an enemy bunker to push them back.
(11:28:22 AM): Showing the command interface where you can zoom up and into a grey-modeled 3D map to check out the landscape. You get blue dots to show your friends and it’s filled with them. But the player count is twice that since you only see your side.
(11:26:34 AM): They’re going to show the first public display of live gameplay. We’ve covered it before, but this is the first big showing. They’re showing a live game with 256 players.
(11:26:06 AM): MAG is up next. They’re going to show the first public display of live gameplay. We’ve covered it before, but this is the first big showing.
(11:24:58 AM): And holy %&@! this is awesome. They jump out of the falling building and the demo ends. Massive applause.
(11:24:44 AM): The chopper keeps taking out parts of the building, and now missiles are coming in. It looks like the building is starting to fall. Yep.
(11:24:01 AM): Drake heads inside a building, knocks over a table and takes cover to fight some bad guys. The chopper blows a hole in the wall and kills most everyone.
(11:23:26 AM): Chaingun fire keeps raining down on them. If this was real they’d be dead. The pilot must not have spent enough time at the firing range.
(11:22:16 AM): Takes a zipline down to get lower into the city. Nathan starts shimmying across a beam and then an attack helicopter shows up. They start running. Holy s!@# this is rad.
(11:21:13 AM): Reminds us that the Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta starts tonight at midnight. He’s about to show off some single-player stuff though. Drake is near a pool. Up on a ledge overlooking a city. He starts climbing around an overhagning bit of the roof and climbs up on top to overlook even more of the city.
(11:20:31 AM): Jack introduces Evan Wells from Naughty Dog to show off Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
(11:18:24 AM): Now the PS3. Fiscal 2009 goal was to sell 10 million PS3s, and they hit that goal. More than 24 million registered accounts on PSN.
(11:17:27 AM): Starting with the PS2. Recapping of sales, the $99 price, etc. They’re proud that it’s still going strong after 9 years. Nearly 100 new titles for the PS2 this year.
(11:14:32 AM): 364 games on PlayStation platforms this year. Normal patting themselves on the back speech going on right now. “We provide an entertainment experience that’s second to none." The old PSP is on the screen. Didn’t they see the news?
(11:12:54 AM): The montage is over. Cool but nothing crazy. Jack Tretton is coming out. Dark suit, no tie. Slacker. He’s making a joke about leaked news. At least he has a sense of humor.
(11:11:14 AM): Now we’re seeing a trailer montage. Uncharted 2, Batman, SingStar Queen, Infamous, lots of stuff we’ve seen before. A short clip of Uncharted 2 made it look like Elena is back.
(11:10:47 AM): An intro video with all sorts of PlayStation button icons are rising and falling. The PS3, PSP and PS2 are on pedistals.
(11:09:42 AM): The magic sign is lifting. It’s on now son.
(11:09:04 AM): Is the loudspeaker woman actually the REAL Wizard of Oz?
(11:08:37 AM): The nice lady has just said that we are but mere moments away from beginning.
(11:07:11 AM): The lights are getting crazier. This could be the sign that it’s about to start. Or maybe the apocolypse. Either one.
(11:06:24 AM): Also, Greg ate some food that didn’t seem fully cooked, so hopefully he doesn’t die before this is over. Who will be uploading photos then?
(11:05:36 AM): Some of the folks we’ve seen before heading inside were reps from Naughty Dog, Sony Bend and Sony Santa Monica. Naughty Dog and Santa Monica are here for Uncharted 2 and God of War III obviously, but we’re not sure what the Sony Bend guys are up to. Maybe we’ll find out soon. Syphon Filter PS3? We’ll see...
(11:04:04 AM): The stage has mostly been blue, but the colors are shifting and now it sort of looks like a lava lamp. I think Greg is having a flashback.
(10:58:16 AM): The music is a nice mix of experimental house with a taste of Mumbabwian. There’s a giant Sony logo magically floating in the center of the stage. At least we know we’re at a Sony conference.
(10:57:12 AM): We’re in and seated. A pleasant-sounding lady just came over the loudspeaker and said that the conference would begin soon. Thanks for the heads-up nice lady.
(10:54:03 AM): BEYOND. This @#$! is real.
(10:46:01 AM): Oh, the anticipation. How long does Geddes have to wait for the inevitable Crash Bandicoot announcement?
E3 2006 and 2007 were good, they did show a lot of games like COD4, Halo 3, MP3, SMG, and SSBB before they were released.
Here is what I hope to see:
Microsoft:
Halo 3: ODST- about dam time we get to see some gameplay of the ordinary Soldier in a free roaming covenant erradicated city.
CODModern Warfare 2: Yeah 4 was pretty good had its problems but still fun, been playing it recently. CODWaW fixed a lot of the problems and improved on some other factors, kill streaks rewards were not as brutal(dogs are easier to handle than one whole chopper, and artillary lasts longer then an air strike so you can know where to stay clear on either side, plus last stand became a more worthwhile perk and 2X grenades greatly reduced the nade onslaught in COD4, plus throwing range was greatly reduced.) So combine the best of COD4 and what CODWaW improved and we should get one hell of a game.
AVP3: One of the best shooters ever made was AVP 2 on the PC. This one should be a great addition to the 360.
Nintendo:
The Conduit: Even though it is near finished, we should get more of a look of it at E3.
What I hope to see: New console Zelda, not needingly to come out this year, we have spirt tracks this year. but will still be nice to see the next wii-outing for zelda after how amazing twlight princess was.
Metroid: Come on, it is about time for a DS side-scroller or at least another hunters game so we could finally get another multiplayer metroid game, would be great on either system.
I don’t this years going to be any better then the last it seems whatever front line game any company could release is out so its probably going to be a slow E3 this year.
Read this if your a dumb ass wrote:
I don’t this years going to be any better then the last it seems whatever front line game any company could release is out so its probably going to be a slow E3 this year.
Last year’s E3 invited under 5,000. This year is inviting over 40,000. It’s going to be different. Especially considering every major developer is going to be here this year and not just a select few like last year. With more people and more coverage means more big announcements. It’s a PR event and that’s what we are going to get.
Read this if your a dumb ass wrote:
I don’t this years going to be any better then the last it seems whatever front line game any company could release is out so its probably going to be a slow E3 this year.
The great thing is we never know until it’s all over. Every E3 always has mysteries to it.
Inferno Hero X wrote:
E3 2006 and 2007 were good, they did show a lot of games like COD4, Halo 3, MP3, SMG, and SSBB before they were released.
Here is what I hope to see:
Microsoft:
Halo 3: ODST- about dam time we get to see some gameplay of the ordinary Soldier in a free roaming covenant erradicated city.
CODModern Warfare 2: Yeah 4 was pretty good had its problems but still fun, been playing it recently. CODWaW fixed a lot of the problems and improved on some other factors, kill streaks rewards were not as brutal(dogs are easier to handle than one whole chopper, and artillary lasts longer then an air strike so you can know where to stay clear on either side, plus last stand became a more worthwhile perk and 2X grenades greatly reduced the nade onslaught in COD4, plus throwing range was greatly reduced.) So combine the best of COD4 and what CODWaW improved and we should get one hell of a game.
AVP3: One of the best shooters ever made was AVP 2 on the PC. This one should be a great addition to the 360.
Nintendo:
The Conduit: Even though it is near finished, we should get more of a look of it at E3.
What I hope to see: New console Zelda, not needingly to come out this year, we have spirt tracks this year. but will still be nice to see the next wii-outing for zelda after how amazing twlight princess was.
Metroid: Come on, it is about time for a DS side-scroller or at least another hunters game so we could finally get another multiplayer metroid game, would be great on either system.
Inferno Hero X wrote:
E3 2006 and 2007 were good, they did show a lot of games like COD4, Halo 3, MP3, SMG, and SSBB before they were released.
Here is what I hope to see:
Microsoft:
Halo 3: ODST- about dam time we get to see some gameplay of the ordinary Soldier in a free roaming covenant erradicated city.
CODModern Warfare 2: Yeah 4 was pretty good had its problems but still fun, been playing it recently. CODWaW fixed a lot of the problems and improved on some other factors, kill streaks rewards were not as brutal(dogs are easier to handle than one whole chopper, and artillary lasts longer then an air strike so you can know where to stay clear on either side, plus last stand became a more worthwhile perk and 2X grenades greatly reduced the nade onslaught in COD4, plus throwing range was greatly reduced.) So combine the best of COD4 and what CODWaW improved and we should get one hell of a game.
AVP3: One of the best shooters ever made was AVP 2 on the PC. This one should be a great addition to the 360.
Nintendo:
The Conduit: Even though it is near finished, we should get more of a look of it at E3.
What I hope to see: New console Zelda, not needingly to come out this year, we have spirt tracks this year. but will still be nice to see the next wii-outing for zelda after how amazing twlight princess was.
Metroid: Come on, it is about time for a DS side-scroller or at least another hunters game so we could finally get another multiplayer metroid game, would be great on either system.
Pikmin 3- no need to explain.
lmao
so amazing...
lawlz I still thinks masks are best, I miss the masks... I even dream about them... (< seriously 'ts creeping me out...)
