E3 '10: Microsoft fails to Kinect.

From forced excitement to awkward Wii Sports rip-offs, Microsoft really put up a rather underwhelming E3 conference, touting a look at the future of gaming.

If you don't want to hear me rambling about it though, you can just watch the whole thing for yourself.

It all starts... with Black Ops.

(Not the E3 trailer.)

Now that Infinity Ward has been dissolved, it's up to Treyarch to maintain the series' integrity. Yes, they've had cracks at it in the past, but none of them have really been as critically acclaimed. Still, the stage set for Black Ops is not the World War II anymore, which is promisingly fresh, because now we're on Vietnam. Yes, it's the 70's in this new go-around.

Unfortunately, I suffer from a lot of nausea when playing a lot of FPS games, so even if I were actually interested in this new installment, I wouldn't be able to last 20 seconds with it.

Next, Senior Vice President Don Mattrick is reading the teleprompter badly. Seriously.

He announces an exclusivity deal for Black Ops DLC, and moves on to mention the Xbox's 10 year anniversary. He segueways a bit into Project Natal- now dubbed "Kinect"- and it's "all about showing, not telling".

He calls Hideo Kojima on to the stage and, as last year's E3 announcement for MGS Rising promised, he delivers some actual gameplay footage. Shigenobu Matsuyama, producer of the game, is called on to provide a slightly clearer English-language explanation. "Zan-Datsu" - to cut and to take- is a driving force behind the awesome-looking multiplatform game.

The only question is: are there cutscenes?

Other than that, this title looks extremely hardcore. That is so badass. Come on though, watermelon cutting simulator? Lol.

Phil Spencer, Corporate VP, comes on stage. He's a better speaker.

He goes on to name drop some high-profile titles, but then goes on about Kinect's ability to connect people. But whatever, it's Gears of War 3 time. 4 player Locust ass-kicking.

Did anybody say Left 4 Dead?

OK, OK, I confess: it looks pretty fun.

Cliffy B.: "Now that's our demo. Try out Beast mode later."

Wait, he forgot to mention about how much he'll be ranting more about bird poop on TV.

Peter Molyneux, expert British rambler and legendary game designer, is called on stage. Fable III to be covered.

Looks exciting. And the dog returns.

Next, Microsoft Game Studios presents a new game from a new partner: Crytek.

Now that God of War has come to an end, there should be something that fills the void. These Spartans in Codename: Kingdoms may just be the thing, and what better developer to handle a graphically astounding epic than Crytek?

Next is Halo: Reach, which I have zero interest in.

All I know is that there are space battles.

Next exec to be called is Marc Whitten.

Time to demo Kinect. I'm very compelled with the navigation controls because it does voice and face recognition, which is very cool.

Fast forward to about 20 minutes to see how cool the navigation interface is.

"Xbox! Pron!"

Also, Justin Bieber? Demo? Gamers? Seriously?

Now it's time for FaceTime, I mean, VideoKinect. It's great that you can chat with people who are on Windows Live Messenger instead of just Xbox to Xbox. Why does Apple's demo feel cooler for some reason?

I like how you can watch videos together. But the really forced (scripted?) conversation stifles the mood, even when the camera follows your face which is a very good touch (although I hope it also follows colored people's faces, unlike some HP computers).

Next, ESPN streaming for Xbox 360 is announced. I imagine a lot of sports fans are cheering right now, but of course, your network provider must be supported by ESPN.

The two guys from SportsCenter "commute in just seconds to E3". I don't particularly care, still it looks like a great implementation of an "ultimate sports experience".

Now it's time to demo the Kinect library, and Kudo Tsunoda is back to "deliver on last year's promises".

A family-friendly derivative of Nintendogs is announced, and it's called Kinectimals. That little girl pretending to be licked at is so... ughhhh...

Bright side: you're taking care of a tiger!

Next is, well, the uninspired Kinect Sports. Ubisoft also announced a Kinect sports compilation and... I'm kind of sick of them.

Well, if I wanted to run like a running dumbass, I would've bought that old NES Track and Field game. At least, you can play soccer. Ping pong without a controller though is gonna be tricky.

Next: Kinect Joy Ride.

"Here we go..."

Wow, worst feigned enthusiasm ever.

You know that game show Wipeout? Well, Kinect Adventures is kind of like that... I guess. But seriously, are they actually faking fun?

"Look at the water!"

I hate you people.

Sims are more convincing in faking their fun.

Ubisoft demos their Kinect game. A fitness game called Your Shape: Fitness Evolved.

Hmm, looks like an actual attempt at a decent fitness game. They actual demo this game, but I'm too lazy to look for the demo video.

Interestingly, the Kinect is actually made for these games. Dude, this is the new Wii Fit craze. This thing will sell because of Your Shape.

Next for Kinect is Harmonix's dance game Dance Central. I love Harmonix, but...

...oh. Interesting. This actually looks badass given the right presentation. Alex Rigopoulos goes on stage to announce some tracks from Lady Gaga, No Doubt, etc. and Harmonix has worked with "actual dancers so the game lets you do the real deal". Otherwise known as "not looking as stupid as it really should be".

That said, there is still a lot of opportunity to look dumb regardless.

What's great though is something that resembles a bit of drop-in-drop-out, or maybe it's just me.

Kinect will be launching worldwide on November 4, 2010 with 15 titles set for launch. Yes, there's a Sonic game.

Lol, what?

No demoes for that, but I'm interested in how it'll actually happen.

But what they do show a demo for is a freaking Star Wars game. It may or may note come with something tangible.

Hit detection looks iffy though.

Afterwards is a demo for Forza Motorsport for Kinect, and I don't really care much for that game because I really don't like the idea of a non-tangible steering wheel. Maybe for car creation though.

Will Kinect hold up to the demands of precision that a racing simulation demands?

Don Mattrick comes back on stage and from here on I'm feeling a bit indifferent.

He recaps whatever the teleprompter says, and definitely tries hard to appeal to Nintendo's blue ocean. To be honest, some games look good, but some games just look stupid.

Aside from that, he announces the completely redesigned Xbox 360 Slim. 250GB HDD, built-in Wi-Fi, Kinect-ready. $299. That's a pretty competitive price against the PS3.

It's shipping today.

And the audience is getting one.

They just got OPRAH'D!

"That was really fun," says Mattrick. Yeah, a fun bribe. An otherwise lackluster conference can only be made good with a stunt like this.

Truth be told, I'd really love to have one of those for free...

P.S.

Microsoft Kinect Pre-Con

Picture it: E3. You're wearing some white thing and you're about to demo Microsoft's most ambitious gaming-oriented accessory.

Well, I can certainly picture that image with the help of Twitpic, and in the words of @jeffcannata, "Microsoft has indoctrinated us," which looks to be the case.

Just when you thought Microsoft's Project Natal was a pretty bad code name, Microsoft just rebranded the camera-based motion controller with an even worse finalized name for market: Kinect.

I'm fine with Microsoft's Kin phones, but Kinect is just... a dumb play on words.

Demoed on the show floor a few hours prior to its imminent keynote (it's just a mere 5 hours to go as I type this), Kinect elicited quite a few negative reactions. True, the controller lives up to its promise of voice recognition, body position recognition and hand recognition, but the imminent game library supporting it isn't too promising. Another Wii Sports knock-off, Wii Fit knock-off and a driving game headline the launch line-up.

It's true that Microsoft may have saved the more hardcore titles for last, but as of now, I'm left unimpressed by the lack of compelling games the Kinect has been announced to have.

Also: Harmonix has confirmed the existence of a dance game that runs under Kinect. I guess, that's something to look out for in tomorrow's conference.

This Time in Games: Pre-E3 Rock Band Orga...nizing

Do you know what a bombshell looks like, aside from the obligatory Jessica Rabbit picture?

It looks like this:

What you're seeing here is the plastic prototype keyboard-slash-keytar-hybrid that'll work with yes, Rock Band 3.

And I couldn't be any more excited.

Aside from that, there are the obvious gameplay enhancements of vocal harmonies, pause counters, drop-in drop-out, and more. Top that up with even better graphics, animations and lighting effects and you've got yourself a day-one purchase.

Notably, there is also a DS version coming out. Puzzles me that a PSP version is not present this time around. Hopefully, the DS version will bring some Amplitude style gameplay, which I really, really loved when I got my hands on it.

Unexpectedly so, Harmonix has also included support for real true-blue instruments that can be connected to your computer as a MIDI instrument. No really, you can get your real electric guitar/keyboard/drums and connect it to Rock Band. It's all made possible by the little adapter below:

How, one will wonder, will a real instrument translate to the game? To answer your question, there's a new Pro mode for all the hardcore fans out there.

It'll be a note-for-note representation of the real song, so basically, there will be a lot of actual keys on the screen that you can really play from in real life. Not only does this make Rock Band 3 a fun game, it can also be a bonafide learning tool.

Harmonix is also offering its own six-stringed guitars ($150) and drum cymbals ($39) for those who don't own a real guitar but are interested in PRO mode. They will all be compatible with your computer as MIDI devices if you want to start composing your own songs.

A lot of things are a given on the 360 and PS3 side of the coin, but the Wii side, well, there are still a lot of unclear details. I won't get into them though.

There will also be smaller touches, like Facebook/Twitter connectivity, song filters and setlist creation tools, that make the game a lot more usable and quick to set up.

But I'm not all about Rock Band 3, there's been some buzz about a Mortal Kombat Rebirth movie pitch that's been distributed around the interwebs, and quite frankly, the results are positively shocking!

It's rumored to have been a pitch for Warner Bros., and I can't believe how much potential this kind of has. Still, I can't say much more since video game adaptations have a history of being really bad. Maybe this video will live a great life as a viral short, but as a full-blown movie, it might just suck ass.

More serious are the former guys of the dissolved studio Midway (now dubbed NetherRealm Studios) who are working on a real Mortal Kombat game that looks really fun for once.

It marks a return to its 2D roots, but with polygonal characters (you know, like Street Fighter IV). What's different though, is the fact that the game will also feature tag battles much like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 famously did. In addition, the good ol' fatalities return, along with "environmental fatalities", and perhaps even "brutalities". All in all, it's likely to feature much gore and brutal action.

Ed Boon, one of the original creators of MK, is once again working on it with a team in Chicago.

Games As Art?

It's a huge gray area right now- video games being a medium of high art, that is. I'm a bit of a gamer myself so I guess it was high time that I gave a bit of my thoughts on the matter. Much attention has been given towards Roger Ebert's thoughts on the matter, and while I usually agree with most of Ebert's opinions, I just can't shake the fact that, yes I'm saying it, Ebert knows almost squat about video games. Simply put, he probably already doesn't know what he's saying about the matter.

Really, it's all a matter of defining what these words are and understanding these words in the correct perspective. Modern video games exude a lot of adjectives that range from "overly sexualized" to "gorgeously interactive". Like any form of media, the video game has its ups as well as its downs, and in that sense, if you call the motion picture and the TV show forms of artistic expression, bastardizations and all, then video games are definitely a part of "art" in that respect.

A painting is considered art, but that painting could either look really good, or be extremely bad. Perhaps, some paintings can only be appreciated by having an acquired taste, just like how there are movies that engage viewers of another demographic. They inspire debate, they inspire conversation, and they just simply inspire. Video games, in all counts, do the same, if not in an even more escalated form.

Perfect example of an escalated point of conversation comes in the form of most any Rockstar game, really. Grand Theft Auto, for all its pointless violence and hot beverages, is a video game that allows its makers to express their satirical views on society's deranged perception of personalities like homosexuals and immigrants. This series of video games make an effort to get a message out and be relevant, but in a way that they almost become cloaked in a blanket of overexposed media coverage about its violence and sexual themes. Art, by definition, portrays the culture that surrounded its creator/s- our progenitors; and Grand Theft Auto is very much a good example of that. More recently, another Rockstar video game, Red Dead Redemption, also covers some solid ground despite its Spaghetti Western themes.

In the aesthetic viewpoint of art, a huge load of video games already achieve a certain level of artistry that can rival the "modern art" that comes with strange sculptures and modern photography. In fact, some games achieve the effect of being a throwback to the art of old times passed. Okami, which is about Japan's sun god Amaterasu, is practically a traditional Japanese painting from start to finish. This game uses cel-shading techniques that would just look tacky in other media formats like movies, and achieves an engrossing effect that can't be found anywhere else. Arguably, its painting effect outdoes Sin City's, even though their art styles are radically different in contrast.

Hell, how about Assassin's Creed 2? The creators had to go around Europe and research on its landmarks, as well as estimate the state they were in during the Renaissance. As a result, some of the landmarks in the game are in a state that's still in construction, and the realism with the execution of the world is astounding. You won't be able to look at any singular detail in a movie unless you have the time to sit down and rewind through footage. While attention to detail is much appreciated in that medium, it's so much more appreciated in video games, because the player can actually approach something and admire the hard work that went into, say, the area around Florence, Italy.

That said, there's another side to the coin; the other edge of the sword, if you'll allow, to this debate. Some professor of philosophy named Barton Odom said that video games are simply not art, because they do not endure; they date easily, and you'll dump them when the next generation of consoles come out. A lot is true about that statement; it's true that many people don't bother playing their Nintendo 64's anymore, when they have a PS3. But how is it that up until now, the more than 20 year old Super Mario Bros. is still making such an impression on pop culture? Practically everyone knows the layout of its iconic first world, affectionately called World 1-1, and about every other single outlet of medium that is considered art- movies, TV, even paintings and sketches- have at least one example of an allusion to this very video game, even if you do eliminate the horrific disaster that was The Mario Bros. Movie.

More and more people are even appreciative of their old Nintendo Entertainment Systems or their Sega Genesis because they've actually collected a bit of value; and I'm not just talking monetary, but nostalgic as well. Let's put this in movie talk, then. The first time you were able to watch Star Wars, it was revelatory. You watch it a few years later and it seems a bit dated, perhaps a bit cheesy, but the nostalgia value is just oh-so awesome. The same thing applies to games like Zelda or Wolfenstein. The latter even got a re-release, and it was done for a reason. Any creation, when done with love and likewise received with the same affection, can endure the test of time. In a decade or two, people will still know what World 1-1 is, people will still know what Metroid is, and people will most definitely know what the hell a NES is.

And yet, shooters are simply a hard example to back up in this argument (barring Bioshock and Half-Life), because they simply don't have the same level of emotional involvement that comes with other media. Racing games, simulation games and action games, with some exceptions, apply as well. Then again, there's absolutely zero emotional involvement (in a man's part, at the very least) when you go see Sex and the City 2 either. That movie is also as shallow and as masturbatory (in the sense of wish-fulfillment) as the next Leisure Suit Larry game.

Ultimately, someone may dismiss video games as something far from an art form because it's just pretty images and a person sitting down on a couch pushing buttons (or waggling like hell). If that's the case, wouldn't movies ultimately be a person (or a number of people) sitting down on a couch and staring at images? Case here is that people's perceptions about video games may be a tad bit too dumbed down. Movies, people will argue, offer an emotionally invested medium of entertainment and thought-provoking storytelling, and so do games, but in that case, the player is in control of the story, and it makes him even more emotionally invested; even more challenged- physically even.

There's a strong case to be made with the gray area of video games becoming a form of art, and yet, there's something about them that just doesn't feel like art. Not yet.

But why should we even care about video games becoming art? Why can't video games be video games? As in, video games should not be the tertiary group of a primary classification, why can't they just be a new form all its own that operates alongside art and technology? It shouldn't have to be a derivation of a singular form, it can always be its own form; its own identity.

"It's not 'art', it's a 'video game'."

Yeah, I like that sound of that.

This Time In Games: It's a-me...

From perfect scores on reviews to unique gaming concepts, "This Time In Games" recaps the recent happenings and the hottest titles of the gaming industry.

This time in games:

Rockstar releases Red Dead Redemption.
And it seems to be the best Western game ever.

It follows the tradition of open-world games, but this one is, of course, set in a town with cowboys and epic gunbattles. For now it's for the 360 and PS3 only but I suspect that it will be available for the PC in some time.

A lot of review outlets think that Red Dead Redemption does redeem itself from its less raved predecessor.

Wii gets an epic week, too.
From Super Mario Galaxy 2 to Trauma Team, a lot of Wii owners have reason to burn their pockets, because a lot of really good games are starting to come out, and I suspect that it won't stop.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 has been proclaimed as "not just Super Mario Galaxy 1.5, but a game that rivals even its genre-breaking progenitors". In short, it's longer, larger and more streamlined than the first Galaxy, which is largely a good thing.

Also getting good reception is Bit.Trip.Runner, the first platformer of the rhythm game series. This WiiWare title has Commander Video jumping from point A to point B to a rocking soundtrack and retro visuals.

Lastly, there's Trauma Team which is a large departure for the surgical series of games. Instead of just a surgeon, you gain control of 6 different people, ranging from an orthopedic surgeon, surgeon, forensic investigator, diagnostician, first aid volunteer, and a doctor of endoscopy, all of which feature several distinct gameplay styles.

The anime style visuals and sound effects keep things interesting, and so far it's been getting raves as well.

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

A game that complements the movie adaptation, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a bit of a throwback to the last generation of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time games. It doesn't really follow the movie's storyline and instead bridges the gap between the happenings in the first Sands of Time and the somewhat controversially "emo" Warrior Within.

Within its package contains the original 2D Prince of Persia game, as well as zero Jake Gyllenhaal, which is probably a good thing, for the sake of uniformity.

Sonic 4 for iPhone and iPod touch, confirmed!
The "reboot" SEGA is releasing for Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare and PSN is also going to the App Store. It has yet to be known whether the controls will be as bad as the emulated versions of Sonic that are on there, but the game is looking pretty good.

Could this be Sonic's first great game since... forever?

This video.
Trauma Center, the original DS game, was released ages ago but this parody was too insane not to notice, as it pretty much takes the over-the-top scenarios of the game's story and runs away with it.

Allow Me My Fanboy Moment

Can I just briefly tell you all that Capcom just announced Marvel vs. Capcom 3?

You do know what that means, right?

NERDGASM.

Unless you haven't played Marvel vs. Capcom 2, you probably won't know how significant this is. In fact, it's quite mind-blowing, so to speak.

It will be released in the second quarter of 2011 for the PS3 and 360. It is possible that plans for a PC version are non-existent, particularly because Super Street Fighter IV won't have one as well, but until Capcom announces a PC version, I might actually consider saving up for a PS3.

There's an announcement trailer that's gone viral, meaning it's likely to be seen in any game-related news outlet in the Internet. It uses in-game graphics and the characters just look absurdly good.


- mobile blogging mode

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 10)

Maybe you keep asking about a Halo for the PS3 or a Ratchet and Clank for the 360. You know what, those things are non-existent, so perhaps you may need to look for some games that are multiplatform.

Multiplatform means that a game is present throughout various consoles, and what better multiplatform game to purchase than...

Batman: Arkham Asylum?

What, you thought I was gonna say Modern Warfare 2?

Well, with such a saturated market for first person shooters, the odds that someone who likes to play games already has Modern Warfare 2 is probably huuuge. But sometimes, people need an experience that doesn't have to hinge on its multiplayer to be awesome, and that's where this game comes in.

Fine, it's a licensed game, but I'll be damned if anyone said that it was a very sh*tty one, because it is far from sh*tty. In fact, it's the opposite: it has an accessible but immersive world that's chock full of collectibles and extra goodies, and what's more is that the fight system is simple yet satisfying.

Not to mention, the Batman this game has is not voiced by Christian Bale, which is always a plus.

If you can't already tell, I'm in love with this game. Atmospheric, fun, exciting, the whole package. Hell, it might just be the thing that will make those anti-Batman friends of yours like the deep, mature lore of the caped crusader.

Xbox modders get locked out of Live, and then some

I heard from a podcast that described something a GameStop employee said. The employee basically said that if someone bought the high-profile Modern Warfare 2 before launch date, Microsoft would brick his/her Xbox. At the time, it sounded like a joke, but for some reason it's somewhat coming true.

Today, I saw an article in Yahoo! stating that Microsoft has initiated an Xbox banning crackdown that targeted Xbox owners who had chipped/modified units. The only thing Microsoft really did was block Xbox Live access and this leads me to note how ludicrous the reasoning behind it is. It's piracy. But what good is blocking Xbox Live when Microsoft still lets you play the pirated games anyway, just offline?

The Yahoo! article also reported that even innocent, law-abiding owners got an Xbox Live ban, but the worse thing about this screw-up is how crappy Microsoft's support people must be. The report quotes the innocent 'victim' as being waved off by support as if he were a criminal, and this is where the worst thing about anti-piracy measures comes in. Even the innocent ones aren't spared.

Hell, it's hard to know why MS targeted the Live service instead of bricking the whole thing. It's a separately paid service and I don't think you can pirate a service that you have to pay for monthly. Consequently, pirates will remain nonchalant and mostly shrug it off since their Xbox systems can still play games anyway, so it's kinda pointless all things considered.

Oh, and how about improving the way customer support treats your customers, Microsoft? They still pay legally for the online service so that's the least you can do.

Rock Band DLC: QUEEN!!!1111

It's been overdue, but you know what they say, better late than never.

This is so full of win.

But "Another One Bites the Dust" isn't the only Queen song on offer, in fact, there are 10 songs on offer, and this is just one huge varied setlist that's sure to put fans in for a treat. In fact, it even offers Under Pressure which until now has been a Guitar Hero 5 exclusive.

The setlist:

Another One Bites the Dust
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
One Vision
Fat Bottomed Girls
I Want It All
I Want to Break Free
Killer Queen
Somebody to Love
Tie Your Mother Down
Under Pressure

Guess Who Joined the Party?

Since the PS3 cut its price and weight down to $299, the Xbox, after several weeks of persistent rumors, is too.

The console with the longest warranty ever is phasing out the Pro model and bringing the black-colored Elite model to the fore which is good news for those holding out for the console.

Thing is, Microsoft still has the red ring of death issue, and the Elite model doesn't even have Wi-Fi. If you want Wi-Fi, you'd still have to pay another hundred bucks, but on the flipside, there's Xbox Live... which isn't free either. And they're removing the HDMI cable... why?

Now that I think about it, the PS3 still has better value even with the 360's new price cut.

Games I Want: September Edition

NOTE: I've decided to start a new monthly blog post called "Games I Want" (as if there weren't enough of these), so technically, the games I will list monthly must excite me. Otherwise, even if the omission is glaring or not, I will not include them here. To note, I only have a Wii, a DS and a PC for gaming so there will definitely be some glaring omissions. You'll note that Final Fantasy: Dissidia will not be in the list below, but in my humble opinion, it still has enough multi-platform games to keep your interest.

This was originally intended for my other blog in Gamespot, but I found it to be something I wanted to share to everyone else instead. For now, I've copy and pasted the entire post verbatim. Enjoy.


I just noticed that I have a lot to be excited about in September, not only because my birthday strikes on the first, but also because of a lot of major game releases. Yes, people, fall season is almost here... consider the summer drought over.

So I'm gonna make a little recap of the exciting properties overseeing release throughout the month (that I'm excited about), so it will definitely be a bit more Nintendo-oriented since I only own a Wii and a decent gaming PC.

The major releases I'm looking forward to are:

Muramasa: The Demon Blade
This Wii game has a particularly stylish traditional look that reminds you of other games like Viewtiful Joe and Odin Sphere, and that's because the game's developer is the same as that of the latter. VanillaWare looks like it's gonna do a really good job with this Wii-exclusive button-mashing title, and I'm gonna be first in line to get this.


Guitar Hero 5
Granted, I prefer Rock Band 2 tons more, but any numerical Guitar Hero release is most likely major. I'm not likely to go buy this in an instant 'cause I'm gonna wait till people say "It's compatible with Rock Band 2 Wii instruments". I know, I should've bought the GH ones since they're more durable and stuff (ironically, there were quite a lot of issues last year which led me to buy Rock Band 2 in the first place) but hey, it's been 2 incompatible GH games since then, and I demand that Activision give this one some Rock Band instrumental love since Rock Band 2 already supports every GH instrument compatible with the Wii. If that happens, I might buy it... the drop-in drop-out system is actually quite compelling for me... the setlist is kind of okay too.


The Beatles: Rock Band
Speaking of rhythm games, I'm surprised at myself for being excited for this Beatles game. I never grew up with their music, I've only heard snippets, but somehow I feel compelled to buy it. When news of this came out, I would coincidentally hear their music all over the place, and I would in turn develop a strong appreciation for them, which must be the reason why. For fans, the Beatles and all the unreleased exclusive content coming along with the game are enough to justify what seems to be a really steep price for the special edition. Of course, I'm shelling out for the disc only so I can save money. 1 set of instruments is enough.


Wet
While it's only overseeing release in the Xbox and the PS3, I have no doubt that it will eventually come out in the PC since this is Bethesda we're talking about. Gameplay and art direction both look insanely great, but I feel that waiting for the reviews of the console editions is a bit more of a rational thing to do for now. I still have doubt if Rubi can manage to hold a gamer's attention for more than 30 minutes because quite frankly one can have the tendency to get sick of automatic Matrix-esque slow-mo shootouts.


Need for Speed: Shift
After a few underwhelming additions, EA is putting its famous Need for Speed franchise into the pit for a bit of a tuning. The product of this tuning? This game. It looks so pretty, damn it! It's been so long since I've last played a serious racing game too. Judging from what I've seen, it's gonna be pretty cool.


Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC Edition)
The Dark Knight has never really found a serious video game to call home, but Arkham Asylum may be it. I've only heard tremendously good feedback for the game so far, so I can safely say that I'm excited for it as well.


Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Loved the first one, second one looks awesome as hell, and... Stan Lee's in there. I didn't know why I said that. Anyway, while I'm not really much of a comic book fan (I have yet to read one. Ever.), I still love a lot of these characters, and believe me, there's quite a lot. I know it's just some beat-em-up but there's a lot of customization, a lot of RPG elements, and there will be quite possibly a pretty good story behind it. I mean, people are making a big deal about this "Civil War" thing. So yeah, a lot to expect, a lot to be excited about, and the best part is, you just know that they'll be able to deliver. Aah, if only it had a PC version.


Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
I love the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and it seems that it has yet to lose any of its charm. I don't think anything else new has been added though, but we may soon see when the game comes out. Come on, it's a full-fledged Mario RPG. Nothing will probably go wrong... except for the fact that maybe Bowser should've just eaten the whole Mushroom Kingdom in the first place instead of, you know, the same shtick he does over and over again. I mean, how do Mario, Luigi and Peach shrink anyway? Bowser's not that big (except for that last part).


Scribblenauts
When I first saw the God vs. the Kraken video on YouTube, I just said to myself, "I'm so gonna buy this," and for good reason: you put any noun you can think of in your head and it will possibly appear. Granted this is a rated E game so there's none of that stuff, but when you think about it, there's possibly nothing else like it. You're forced to use more creative ways to solve puzzles, and truly I like how they think.


PC versions of Red Faction: Guerilla and Resident Evil 5
I've put the two together for the reason that I don't know whether I'll buy them or not. I know for a fact that Red Faction does look like an awesome game, but I don't think it's compelling enough for me to buy yet. RE5 I might get when I actually get to finish RE4!

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
I am a fan of the KH series, I'm not ashamed to admit (but I'm not particularly a fanboy since I've become a bit lost on the lore), so I am very much looking forward to the DS installment of the franchise. While Chain of Memories on the original GBA was decent, this one doesn't look like it will feature that bullcrap card battle system (and thus, for me, will be very, very good). While the card battle system did offer a bit more strategy, I prefer the excessive real-time button mashing-ness of the series, it just feels "un-Kingdom Hearts" without it. I don't particularly care much about the story since it's become a tad convoluted for the sake of making more games for more money, but I don't know, it just looks too good to pass up. And hey, The World Ends With You was a perfectly awesome Square handheld RPG, so why not give it a chance?


Dead Space Extraction
I have yet to play some real Dead Space, but I've heard that it was an unexpectedly good time. Now that it's a name that's bankable, EA has gotten the same developing team to make a Wii-exclusive prequel. This would've sounded awesome if only they just let the player control the character! That's right, Extraction is apparently another on-rails shooter ala the Resident Evil Wii games. I'm not saying that on-rails on the Wii isn't fun-- far from that-- but it's getting a bit... tiresome, don't you think? I'd regret saying this but the graphics also make the atmosphere a bit less scary... but at least there's a flamethrower which is awesome! It's hard to say that I'm particularly optimistic about this title, but I'm giving it a chance and expecting it to offer at least a quarter of the greatness the full-fledged game was said to have. And come on, it has more strategy than the House of the Dead because of the dismemberment thing! Think about it!


I've saved the best for last, and that is...

Deca Sports 2
The holy grail of Wii sports games, Deca Sports is a franchise any gamer should ever miss... and yep, I'm saying it's underrated. Now that there's a sequel, I'm sure to join the frigging bandwagon 'cause it's so totally awesome!


NAH, just kidding. Just total BS, that game. If I wanted to play a compilation of sports games, I'd go back to Wii Sports Resort. It is fantastic (except for cycling, canooeing...)!

Rock Band Network: Don't wait for the third one

One of the major features people talk about when comparing the lasting value of Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2 is the music creator (GHTunes) of the former. While it makes for a little bit of amusement, the amusement doesn't really last long what with the decidedly un-user-friendly creation interface. Now, the arguments can be put to rest, because Harmonix has announced something even better: the new Rock Band Network.

Aimed as both a promotional tool for independent labels/artists and a DIY DLC creator for established labels, the Rock Band Network is the place where the artists themselves can create both the song and the Rock Band chart, then upload them to the community for evaluation. They can set their price (.50c-$2) and they'll get a share of that profit.

Nobody said creating the crap was easy though, and that's because one will need an account before they gain access to the same tools Harmonix uses. So no, it's not the same consumer-oriented composer tools Guitar Hero offers, but the real deal. Now it won't have to sound like a ringtone (unless your song sounded like a ringtone intentionally).

Perhaps one deal-breaker to this new tool comes with the current incompatibility with other consoles-- namely the PS3 and the Wii-- but Harmonix says that they're "working on those versions" as well.

I envision Rock Band Network as one of the biggest promotional tools the music industry can exploit. I mean, since a creator can simply release the song/s on a date he chooses, labels could say, simultaneously put out Rock Band DLC and a new album.

For the interested musicians out there, you better have a 360 if you want to participate in the beta. You'll also have to get your e-mail address and type it in the site though.

E3 '09: Microsoft is pregnant

I'm very lazy right now, what with school approaching in just a matter of hours, so instead of giving the same style of edited, more gramatically correct news round-up, I'll just copy and paste my impressions over from when I was watching the press conference. Don't worry, the new games featured are mostly written in bold or italics, and there will even be pictures!

With a (not as) new (as you'd think) way to control your games (Project Natal), new MGS and Halo games, and loads of game demoes, Microsoft is gonna have a field day/year.

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Starts with CG Beatles, very Gorillaz.

LOL, love the video and accompanying music. (OH, OPENING CINEMATIC!)

Harmonix team demoes Beatles. NICE INSTRUMENTS and very cool harmonizing. "Eleanor Rigby" is always welcome. IMO, Harmonix will make a better artist-centric game than Neversoft EVER will.

Some guy reveals 10 songs from the game's setlist along with the game's first (great) trailer:

I Saw Her Standing There

I Want To Hold Your Hand

I Feel Fine

Day Tripper

Taxman

I Am The Walrus

Back In The U.S.S.R.

Octopus's Garden

Here Comes The Sun

Get Back

There will also be DLC (Abbey Road album) and (damn it) XBox Live will have an exclusive song after launch ("All You Need Is Love"). Proceeds go to "Doctors w/o Borders"

Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison come on stage. They look like... mothers. LOL.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr go on stage. Holy crap. They're fooling around. "I love the game. The game is good. The graphics are very good. We were great." etc. They're promoting the game. End of story.

John Shappert (SP?!) goes on stage to thank the audience, and recap last year's announcement of the NXE. "Today we're gonna deliver even more. No charts and graphs, no sales figures. 10 games premiered for the world. Revolutionary new experiences for everyone"

Tony Hawk RIDE

Tony Hawk goes on stage, and unveils the skateboard controller for the game. Looks like a hoverboard in Back To The Future. I wonder how awkward it will handle.

So you'll have to slide the board on the floor... and actually have to grab it. Uh-oh, fat lazy bastards will have difficulty. I wonder if I even get the appeal of it.

Yeah, still skeptical.

Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty name dropped, but you probably already knew that.

It looks really good- like a real movie. Lotsa explosions. Just a really good gameplay trailer.

Now 2 guys demo a climbing aspect. Intense?

Now shooting mode. Nice graphics, short draw distance much? I guess it's because of the snowstorm.

There are enemies... environments are pretty destructible. A helicopter exploded through demoer's own firepower. Nice.

Driving a snowmobile, holy crap. I can't wait to play this.

Demo ends.

MS once again gets 2 map packs for it before PS3.

Final Fantasy 13

OK, Final Fantasy 13. Two guys and one girl (interpreter) come on stage.

A gameplay video of FF13 running on Xbox starts, and it looks like the bomb. ATB returns to the foray, it seems, but there are 4 of them running at the same time, I think? So that you can chain together attacks?

It seems that long summons are back... Will get tiring like in FF8.

Spring 2010 is all they can get to a release date. About time?

Epic Games' Shadow Complex

Donald Mustard and Cliff Blezinski, the latter wearing a Bill Gates mugshot T-shirt. Donald's mic is broken. Did Cliff deliberately break it so the attention will be on him?

Shadow Complex is an online-centric game for the Xbox that is kinda reminiscent to the 2D side-scrollers of old. That's what the two are demoing.

Joy Ride

Xbox Live Arcade game that looks lame. Mario Kart is probably more fun. Basically, it's just using your Xbox avatar to drive around and race. But it's free, at least, I think. The tracks, cars, etc. are not.

Trailers galore

Now what's this trailer? I didn't catch its name.

Oh wait...

Crackdown 2.

"I ain't waiting for salvation. As long as we got guns, we gonna fight." I think this is a trailer for another game.

Left 4 Dead 2. Yay.

And what the hell?

Ubisoft logo appears... Sam Fisher? Splinter Cell: Conviction. Wow, that's a nice trailer. Sam's a double agent now on a personal mission, huh?

Two men from Ubisoft come on the stage, and play a demo. I have high hopes for it.

THAT INTERROGATION TECHNIQUE WAS COOL. The game's story looks like it will be told in a really cool way.

Holy crap, I freaking LOVE it. So many ways to play, so many possible scenarios. Very impressive.

Forza 3

"Definitive racing game of this generation" is how a lot of people describe it.

It does look pretty sick, and the replica of the car being displayed on screen and the one behind the presenter is absolutely uncanny.

"Best looking, biggest racing game of this generation" Pretty bold claims being thrown around. Maybe this is before Gran Turismo 5 hits.

Now a video about Forza 3 is being shown, and it's about car design and Xbox Live.

They're making a pretty big deal about community features and car design and pretty much driving around.

Sony better counter this game LOL.

Halo: ODST

A Bungie guy is demoing Halo: ODST. Not sure if I'm impressed yet.

Looks like the character is in a pod of sorts. I'm not sure.

Oh, the pod is falling... it crashed?

"You are a rookie separated from his team. You have to stay alert of unexpected elements."

Still not very impressed. It just looks like Halo.

Massive explosions... pretty good. 9/22/09 is the release date.

But there's a "top-secret-project". A trailer rolls, and...

the reveal, Halo: Reach. Oh God, another Halo which falls 2010. When you buy ODST, you'll get to play the Reach beta.

Sam Lake takes the stage, whoever he is. He (re)introduces Alan Wake. Interesting, I thought it was vaporware.

A live demo appears on screen... I guess it does look like RE4 for the 360. Someone or something is using telekinesis or something. What the hell, a... flashlight gun? Oh my, it's getting pretty intense over there.

What is with all this constant slow-motion crap going on? It's annoying. Uh-oh, a tractor is threatening our hero to go down the hill... Cliffhanger.

Now the focus shifts to Xbox Live and how it will improve. Last.fm, Facebook and Twitter are getting incorporated to the NXE dashboard, as well as improvements to Netflix sorting. Sky Cable also lets UK Xbox players watch live TV for no additional charge.

Also, Microsoft is rebranding its video service to Zune as well as expand the supported countries. There will be instant playing in HD as well as the ability to watch movies and TV (live or otherwise) together with Xbox Live friends.

IMO the Twitter interface is pretty darn slick, but the lady demoer was a bit of a "dancer" if you know what I mean. Kind of annoying.

Sernio VP for Xbox Don Mattrick goes to the stage and says one crucial piece of the puzzle is missing. Hideo Kojima then goes behind him and the famous discovery sound in Metal Gear Solid plays. Yep, there'll be a Metal Gear Solid game for the 360. And it's not MGS4.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising is the name of the game, and it's about the character Raiden. "It's a completely new Metal Gear experience," says Kojima. I wonder if Sony's gonna get the man to their stage tomorrow?

Project Natal

"People ask me, can you add a motion controller?" Uh-oh, Microsoft's gonna reveal some kind of motion controller. "We're making you the controller," he says. Oh crap this is gonna be really bad.

Theoretically cool, and could've sold me in 2006, but if co-op meant having to be the pit stop guy, I wouldn't really like it.

Basically, this Project Natal is a full body camera that also features facial and vocal recognition. No wands, no nunchuks, just a huge gimmick that's also vaporware for now. Love or hate motion control, Microsoft's ambitious project is undeniably pretty cool. But Mattrick's pretty damn awkward- clapping at his own speech. Dumping research money into this is only possible with Microsoft.

Now Steven Spielberg is called to the stage to, uhhh, endorse Project Natal? Hmm, fine. But if there's no live demo, it's gonna be vaporware.

Oh wait, speaking of live demoes... Kudo Tsunoda gets called on stage. Come on, come on... demo it already...

Ahh there it is. That's pretty nice. The camera recognizes Kudo instantly but the proposed 1:1 movement is kinda awkward on screen, but it's just a prototype. He swipes through the Dashboard, which is pretty cool but ultimately kinda slow.

Now there's a game as well as a new demoer. She's blocking balls using her body and is it just me or is the movement a bit laggy in reaction? Eh, again, it's just a prototype.

The demoer looks kinda stupid now. Stop doing that, girl.

Kudo demoes a new game called Paint Party for Project Natal. The goal is to paint by saying the color you want and dumping the paint by motioning dumpage or swiping to make finer strokes. Saying "pose" will let the game take a picture of your pose.

This kinda renders MotionPlus pretty moot, quite obviously. Both make people look stupider nonetheless.

Peter Molyneux of Lionhead Studios gets called to the stage, and I really don't like how he's such a blabbermouth. Still, I guess there's gonna be a really huge announcement since considering his work is pretty much expected. Now he's introducing something new... for Project Natal. A sort of digital "friend" that reacts to the English language and replies with something. Pretty damn ambitious, but now it makes me wonder what would happen if the person playing was a pedophile, LOL. No, erase image! The horror!

But seriously, it's pretty damn amazing. You can even give him stuff!

Still, cameras like this have already made experimental stints. EyeToy could suffice. This one is a bit more of an upgrade instead of a revolution. That was the Wii

Hmm, I wonder what would happen to the focus groups if they got a hold of FPS makers or Rockstar games making games for this device? Sucks for them, I guess.

In hindsight, the camera was not as much of an eye and jaw-opener as the Wii was to me in 2006, but there's still some pretty nice technology at work.