E3 convention a “glimpse into the future” (Warning Spoilers)
The 14th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, or “E3″ - the world’s premiere video gaming convention held each July - once again served as a glimpse into the future of the multibillion-dollar interactive entertainment industry.
The invitation-only industry event was packed with media, retailers and analysts held at the Los Angeles Convention Center to play games coming soon to satisfy action thirsty gamers.
On that note, E3 ‘08 was less about the “console wars” between Sony’s PlayStation 3, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii, and more about the video games themselves - most of which are available on multiple systems anyway.
I did the research so I could give stealthgamers.com readers some hints on what was on display at the E3.
Action
In Electronic Arts’ “Mirror’s Edge,” you play as Faith, a “runner” who is an information courier in a world where all communication is tightly monitored by the state. By traversing rooftops and alleyways and navigating through underground waterways, you’ll perform your tasks - played from a dizzying first-person perspective - while working toward a greater goal: saving Faith’s sister, who’s framed for a murder she didn’t commit. This gorgeous game will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (PS3) and PC by year’s end.
Fans of “survival horror” games can look forward to a couple of scary thrillers including Capcom’s chilling “Resident Evil 5″ (Xbox 360, PS3), which drops the player in a zombie-filled African nation and will introduce a new online co-op feature when it launches in March 2009. Due out this holiday, however, is “Dead Space,” a new franchise from Electronic Arts (for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC) that takes place on a giant spaceship a few hundred years in the future. Konami’s “Silent Hill: Homecoming” also looked downright creepy.
Other impressive action games include LucasArts’ “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” (all major platforms), Ubisoft’s new “Prince of Persia” (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC) and Midway’s “Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe” fighting game (Xbox 360, PS3).
Shooters
Sony kicked off its news conference with a jaw-dropping live demo of “Resistance 2″ (for PS3, out in November), which takes place in an alternate 1950s. Rather than fighting each other in post-WWII battles, humans are working together to take on menacing aliens bent on world destruction. This gorgeous first-person shooter includes multiple weapons, enormous creatures (including a 300 foot-tall leviathan stomping through Chicago) and online support for up to 60 players.
Also due out in November is Microsoft Game Studios’ “Gears of War 2″ (for Xbox 360) that also pits man against vicious aliens but requires a more tactical approach than merely running and gunning. As with its best-selling predecessor, you must hide behind walls and vehicles to take aim, find precious health packs and ammo, and work with your squad mates to make it to the end of the levels. This Xbox 360 exclusive also offers a host of online multiplayer modes playable over the Xbox Live service.
Puzzle/strategy
Available this October, Sony’s “LittleBigPlanet” for PlayStation 3 is an innovative puzzle/platformer hybrid starring small, burlap-covered dolls that must reach the end of trap-laden levels before their opponents. But this innovative title blurs the lines between game player and game designer as you’re given the tools to create and share an unlimited number of levels over the Internet. “LittleBigPlanet” supports multiple game modes (including online play), challenging mini-games and plenty of unlockable items.
Fans of genius designer Will Wright (”The Sims,” “SimCity”) can circle Sept. 7 on their calendar as the highly anticipated Windows and Mac game “Spore” from Electronic Arts will finally be ready for play. In case you haven’t yet heard of its ingenious (and ambitious) premise, “Spore” can best be described as a life simulation that begins with a single cell before evolving into a land creature who must explore, eat, fight and mate. Advance through the tribe and city stages and you’ll visit other civilizations for diplomacy or war, and eventually will reach the space age to travel to other planets, galaxies and universes.
Strategy fans should also wait for Microsoft Game Studios’ “Halo Wars” (For Xbox 360) and Electronic Arts’ “Command & Conquer Red Alert 3″ (for PC).
Role-playing
As one of E3’s most impressive showings, Bethesda’s “Fallout 3″ (for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC) reintroduces players to an enormous post-apocalyptic world filled with memorable characters and radioactive mutants. Gamers can choose from multiple paths, each resulting in unique outcomes and experiences, and also play either from a first- or third-person perspective with the push of a button.
Other RPGs on the horizon include Microsoft Game Studios’ “Fable 2″ (Xbox 360) and EA Mythic’s “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning” (PC).
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EA Believes it Should Have Taken the Nintendo Wii More Seriously
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello has admitted that the company made a “strategic mistake” by investing in the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles instead of the Nintendo Wii.
Riccitiello told the San Jose Mercury News (a California based news paper) that, although the firm is now established on Wii, he regrets not spotting its potential earlier.
“We made the wrong call there [investing in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360], which made this transition harder than it would otherwise be,”
That rightly said, just proves the fact that nobody had predicted that Nintendo would grab such a big slice of the market. According to John the Wii is better than both the PS3 and the Xbox 360.
“But now we’re catching up, and I think we’re fine. We’ve got some incredibly innovative Wii titles [and] incredibly innovative DS titles coming. And so I think that issue’s sort of behind us.”
The games chief added that PS3 and Xbox 360 were still “meaningful”, stating: “[What’s] unusual in this cycle is there’s a second and third place that is meaningful, against which we can build a profitable business. That’s a good and positive thing.”
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Sorry Gamers free Xbox live is limited!
Last week many gamers were optimistic about Microsoft’s announcement which promised free online multiplayer gamming for Widows users, assuming that it would serve as a precursor of things to come to Xbox 360.
Microsoft’s comment on the issue, “Last week we announced that we were taking off the Gold-only restriction for multiplayer gaming over Games for Windows LIVE,” a Microsoft representative told media on Tuesday. “For a limited time, we are offering free online multiplayer on Xbox 360 and Games for Windows titles that offer Live cross-platform play.”
Supported cross-platform titles include Universe at War, Shadowrun, and Lost Planet: Colonies Edition. Just before you all get excited, the free party of select games is expected to end once the new Xbox 360 system update arrives this fall.
The limited promotion is the first time that Xbox 360 owners can play others online for free, without having to pay at least $50 per year for the privilege. Unlike online multiplayer for PlayStation 3 and Wii, which are both free, Microsoft says it charges players a service fee for increased stability and better performance.
Since launch, both Sony and Nintendo have begun closing the gap first pioneered by Xbox Live, suggesting that at some point Microsoft will need to reconsider its online multiplayer fees, provided either Sony or Nintendo can match the experience for free.
But at the end of the day we all know MONEY IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR MIGHTY MICROSOFT.
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Gamefly and Microsoft Team up for the Xbox Live
The top online video game rental service, Gamefly, has announced today a fully integrated campaign with Microsoft to implement a multi-tiered program on the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. This association will provide yet another avenue for users to learn about the benefits of GameFly.
Great news for X-Box live members
The program includes a special subscription offer exclusive for Xbox LIVE members — $5.95 for the first month of GameFly — plus 400 Microsoft Points, which can be used to purchase downloadable content on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360®.
The campaign will run now through September 13, 2008.
For all X-Box users that’s not It!
The GameFly presence on Xbox LIVE includes a GameFly Branded Destination Experience (BDE) which lets users learn more about GameFly, watch the newest commercial and download GameFly Themes and Gamer Pics. Additionally, Xbox LIVE members can enter the “Register and Win” Sweepstakes, with a grand prize package featuring tickets to meet and see multi-platinum recording artist Metallica perform.
“Working with Microsoft and establishing a presence on Xbox LIVE is a natural fit for GameFly,” said Sean Spector, GameFly’s co-founder and senior vice president, business development and content. “With millions of Xbox LIVE members in the U.S., this is a great way to share the benefits of GameFly with the largest gaming community in the console market.”
“We’re delighted to work with GameFly and provide the passionate community on Xbox LIVE access to exclusive offers and exciting new experiences,” said Mark Kroese, General Manager for the Advertising Business Group under Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices division. “Programs such as GameFly are a great example of how brands can create engaging and valuable offerings for members on Xbox LIVE.”
Exclusively written for stealthgamers.com
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Whether to Poker or not to Poker
Well that truly is the case, whether to allow video poker or not allow it. If that debate wasn’t enough it also seems like a Democrat versus Republican one now. The background is simple. The state Republican Party candidate is against a proposal that would bring video poker to the county to lower property taxes. How will that happen? Simple the Newberry County Council members want to replace property taxes with revenue from video poker machines. The person critical of it is South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson.
According to a report Dawson said “The Democrats are pulling the election year ploy to turn out Democratic votes in November and fatten their campaign coffers with the poker barons’ money.”
True Poker has a lot of money involved. Is Dawson really sad he isn’t getting a share in the “poker baron’s money” as he calls it or is he principally against it. Well in politics there are no clear answers. Till then the fate of poker hangs in balance in this county.
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A Humorous twist to Nintendo Wii vs Sony Playstion 3 war
This one is worth watching. I came across this one while look for something on Sony versus Wii.
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Electronic Arts to make “Crysis Warhead Performance PC”
An EA representative, at the company’s Comic-Con booth today, said that EA plans to market pre-built PCs in concurrence with the release of Crytek’s upcoming PC-exclusive shooter Crysis Warhead. The idea seems to be to target some of the gamers who are either new to high-end PC gaming, or have been out of the scene for some time, and restore confidence in them that it is not prohibitively expensive to acquire a machine that can tame something like Crysis and its followup.
The idea of Electronic Arts looking for ways to make the PC platform more approachable is great, and this idea is sound–buy this PC that says Crysis on it; it’s designed to run Crysis, and you know that if it plays Crysis it’ll play anything else on the market. I was also impressed that EA had no less than three PC exclusives–Crysis Warhead, BattleForge, and Warhammer Online, and other games on display like Mirror’s Edge and Dead Space are in development for PC as well–in its booth at Comic-Con, a mainstream show if there ever was one.
Apparently, the rigs will come in various configurations, which will correspond to Crysis Warhead’s levels of graphical detail, with a likely price range being $600-$800 (I doubt EA will want to market a machine that meets only the game’s minimum spec), and they will probably be named accordingly–the Crysis Warhead Performance PC, and so on.
The representative also mentioned to me, EA’s own internal analysis indicates the PC market is growing–publishers just have to learn how to capitalize on it
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August - the month belongs to gaming
Gamers could have had a better month. August is coming and august is the month gamers will have the time of their lives. Reason the release of games like Galaga Legions, Braid, Castle Crashers, Bionic Commando Rearmed and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 in the same month. It isn’t just the gamers that are rejoicing. Tech (and now gaming giant) like Microsoft are also heavily betting on it. It’s time to get bullish for Microsoft its with Live Arcade releases what many are calling the Summer of Arcade (there is also a contest by the same name running at www.xbox.com/summerofarcade.)
Earlier this month Microsoft has officially confirmed that the reduction in the price of Xbox 360 range would make it a almost $50 reduction thus making it the cheapest new gen console in the market. Noteworthy is
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