There was a time when E3 was a really, really big deal.  Now, it’s simply a really big deal.  One of the biggest factors of its whole big dealness comes from the console manufacturers’ press conferences.  They typically range from the epic (introduction of the Wii) to the horribly, horribly wrong (introduction of the PS3 and real-time weapon changing).  So how did this year go for Sony?

Video store on PSN
It’s hard to grade an announcement like this, similar to how it was the announcement of Final Fantasy 13 going to the Xbox 360.  On one hand, this is a huge deal and what many PlayStation fans have been asking for.  On the other, they’re simply matching what the Xbox 360 already had, and without lower prices.  On top of that, Microsoft one upped this announcement already this year with the introduction of Netflix on the Xbox 360.  Unfortunately, it just makes Sony look a step behind.

New PSP bundle
Yawn.  This is big news for the PSP?  A new game, system, movie, and memory stick combo all for $199?  Maybe if they had dropped the price to $150, but as it is this is mostly a non-issue.

DC Universe Online
Wait a second, wasn’t Microsoft working on this?  Nope, that was a Marvel Comics MMO.  Sony is actually launching a DC comics MMO.  Good for them, and good for an MMO (that isn’t titled Final Fantasy) finally coming to home consoles.NOT DONE

$399 80GB price point
What’s this?  Some actually creative pricing?  Sony has announced a new bundle for an 80GB upgrade to the current 40GB system.  Wait, what does that mean?  Basically an 80GB PS3 with no backwards compatibility for $399, unless Sony isn’t telling something.  Still, that brings it more into line price wise with the Xbox 360, plus a year of Live.

God of War 3
Well, it was announced when a flashy CG trailer.  And, that’s about it.  Of course, this was already a given, so not really big news.

MAG: Massive Action Game
This was probably the crown-jewel of any press conference this year.  So, you like big action games?  How about 256-player big?  That’s broken into more manageable 8-player squads, but still, it’s all part of one battlefield.  It’s either Sony’s killer-app or something that will flop horribly.  Titles this ambitious have little wiggle room.

New Ratchet & Clank, Pain, Fat Princess, and others for PSN
Tired of yearly game installments?  What about yearly expansion packs via downloadable content?  That seems to be the direction Ratchet & Clank is headed.  Along with it come a new Pain: Amusement Park, Fat Princess, Crash Commando, and others.  Definitely a step up from many of the, let’s be honest, shovelware titles found on XBLM.

Resistance 2 beefs up while Retributions heads to PSP
An exclusive third-person Resistance title is headed to the PSP, while Resistance 2 went epic.  A boss that towers over any other in gaming history?  Check.  60-player online matches?  Check.  8-player online co-op play?  Check.  Kitchen sink?  Eh, three out of four ain’t bad.

Final Verdict
Sony brought a mixed bag to this year’s press conference.  In many ways, such as with the new PSP bundle, they failed.  But in more significant ways, such as with MAG and Resistance 2, they succeeded.  It isn’t that Sony blew away the press conferences of Microsoft and Nintendo, but they did do enough to showcase actual games that will give them a competitive advantage.  That’s good news for Sony and PS3/PSP owners.

Grade
B

Via | Game With A Brain

There was a time when E3 was a really, really big deal.  Now, it’s simply a really big deal.  One of the biggest factors of its whole big dealness comes from the console manufacturers’ press conferences.  They typically range from the epic (introduction of the Wii) to the horribly, horribly wrong (introduction of the PS3 and real-time weapon changing).  So how did this year go for Nintendo?

Shaun White Snowboarding uses Balance Board
Well, here’s a big surprise.  Snowboarding games are going to use the Balance Board?  Great, but could it at least be a good series of snow boarding games?  Maybe a new SSX?  Why has EA abandoned that series?

Animal Crossing: City Folk
It’s finally here, and it’s an awfully lot like every other Animal Crossing title.  Yes, there does seem to be a bigger emphasis on online than in the past, but it still isn’t exactly the MMO version many were hoping for.  Essentially, if you’re sick and tired of this series or it never appealed to you in the first place, nothing here is going to make you change your mind.  Still, good to hear it’s coming this year.

Wii Speak microphone
So, being Nintendo and all, they had to do microphones a bit different.  Their solution?  A community microphone that sits atop your television.  That’s great and all, but the last thing the Wii needs is yet another accessory.  Seriously, Nintendo is starting to challenge Lego for the amount of stuff you might step on in the middle of the night.  Still, good to see Nintendo taking steps toward voice communication.  How well it works in practice, being such an odd design, will determine its real value.

Wii Sports Resort
A marquee title to show of the new 1:1 motion controls of the Wii’s other new little gadget.  A Wii Sports sequel is exactly the sort of software they needed to show off.  Millions of Wii owners have basically bought the system for the original Wii Sports, and many will invest in this fun looking sequel.  Probably the biggest plus of their entire conference, which is maybe not the best sign.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for DS
An original Grand Theft Auto…for the DS?  Yep.  It’s not a bad idea, but the sort of open world gameplay with nice 3D graphics can’t possibly be ported down to the DS.  Compromises will be made, and when they are series like this usually fail.  A new Grand Theft Auto for the Wii would have been a safer bet.

Wii Music features 50 instruments
This game simply looks insane.  Fun?  Maybe, but can they really recreate 50 instruments in any sort of realistic manner where it will still be fun?  It’s the wild card of Nintendo’s presentation.  It will either be the next Wii Play (huge seller, but poor gameplay) or Rock Band (a total sensation to the gaming scene).  Here’s hoping for the latter, but not ruling out the former.  Nintendo needs this game to be both good and a huge seller.

Final Verdict
Nintendo gave a fairly poor press conference this year.  There’s just no other way to put it.  While big titles such as Animal Crossing: City Folk, Wii Music, and Wii Sports Resort will sell well to a casual market, the hardcore market was entirely ignored.  The rest was more window dressing than even Microsoft’s conference.  Nintendo will continue to print money thanks to this, but they’ll win few praises.

Grade
C -

Via | Game With A Brain

There was a time when E3 was a really, really big deal.  Now, it’s simply a really big deal.  One of the biggest factors of its whole big dealness comes from the console manufacturers’ press conferences.  They typically range from the epic (introduction of the Wii) to the horribly, horribly wrong (introduction of the PS3 and real-time weapon changing).  So how did this year go for Microsoft?

Avatars
At best this seems a cheap gimmick to capitalize off of Nintendo’s success with the Miis.  Yes, that is at best.  At worst, this is Microsoft’s cheap gimmick to capitalize off of Nintendo’s success and try to beat Sony to it first.  Either way you go, Avatars are a goofy idea for Microsoft to introduce at this point.  Unless they’re planning something akin to Home, Avatars are simply very fancy gamertag pics that Microsoft can charge you to customize.  Not really something to get excited about considering most Xbox 360 users would prefer a Batman gamertag pic over a generic avatar wearing a Batman t-shirt.

Netflix instant watch
A major coup for Microsoft.  Yes, it will be a pain for many that they must have a Gold subscription to use this new feature, but otherwise it’s fantastic.  It could easily lead to a spike in both Gold and Netflix subscriptions and certainly gives many users more of a reason to make the Xbox 360 the center of their living room.  The lack of HD content is a slight negative, but not a deal breaker for most.

Fallout 3 exclusive content
These exclusive content deals are nice and all, but they seem to usually be for games already packing 40-hours or more of content.  Are there really that many players who are being swayed by this?  Compare this to, say, a few exclusive extra levels in the new Mega Man 9 and you might have a bigger deal.  Imagine Madden with an extra online mode.  Adding five extra hours of content to an already 40-hour game will simply mean an extra five hours of the game many people will never get around to finishing.

Fable II in October
The original Fable got a lot of critical flack when it was originally released for under delivering, but the truth was that it was a quality title and any sequel is more than welcome.  A solid, exclusive title for the Xbox 360 this fall.

Install games on hard drive
Considering the vast majority of Xbox 360 owners have a 20gb hard drive, and the fact that Microsoft outrageously prices their hard drive upgrade, this is pretty useless for most.  Yes, it will likely speed up loading of some titles, but it will go largely ignored by most users.  Too bad, too.  Anything that improves the performance of games is a welcome addition.

Final Fantasy XIII jumps ship
Yes, it is a huge deal that Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the Xbox 360, but perhaps more in the way that it was a huge deal that Rare was sold to Microsoft.  That deal hurt the image of Nintendo among hardcore gamers.  In the same way, this seems to show a weakness in Sony and their ability to hold onto exclusives.  However, in the end, getting a game your competitor already has is more of a push than a win.

Access XBLM on the web
Silly and pointless.  Less than 1% of gamers will actually ever use such a feature.

Primetime game show games
Play games and win real prizes?  Sounds great in theory, but in practice this sounds like something that will largely be ignored by most.  Yes, a nice added feature, but certainly not likely one to set the world ablaze.

Lips karaoke vs. Rock Band 2
Microsoft officially announced their Lips karaoke game and nobody cared in the face of Rock Band 2.  Seriously, the only real appeal of this title is as a low-budget entry for those who don’t want to shell out the big cash for Rock Band 2.  Other than that, unless the voice recognition is ungodly, this game will quickly be forgotten just like their karaoke game for the original Xbox.

New Dashboard
Well, it looks…interesting.  Really, that’s about all that can be said for it now.  The minimalist approach is certainly very Apple-like, but unless it works as elegantly as something Apple would do–will anyone care?  Microsoft is running dangerously close to having real OS problems with their game system.  Ideally, a video game OS should be as simple and straight-forward as possible.  That seems to be the idea behind this new facelift, but Microsoft doesn’t exactly have the best OS track record as of late.  One would hope this solves many issues with the current Blades system, but one should probably not hold their breath.

Portal: Still Alive, Geometry Wars 2, and Banjo Kazooie
First, the good news.  Portal: Still Alive is likely to now rocket to the top of many gamers’ most anticipated lists.  The same with Geometry Wars 2.  The bad news?  Both titles are also likely to appear on PSN and PC.  As always, any new software is welcome, but exclusive software certainly carries more weight.  Banjo Kazooie will be nice to see, especially since the Xbox 360 could use a few good cartoon platformers.

Final Verdict
Microsoft’s press conference was certainly fruitful, but not very filling.  Most of the announcements were cosmetic or meaningless to most gamers.  Those that weren’t, when the rest is all stripped out of the way, seem a bit meager.  Microsoft’s best hope is that Sony and Nintendo are planning only a couple of big announcements and that their sheer numbers may overwhelm.  But all in all, not the best of showings for the House that Bill Built.

Grade
B -

Via | Game With A Brain

When it comes to marketing of late, it’s hard to argue that Nintendo isn’t the smartest kid on the gaming block.  That’s made even more clear by their latest promotion–DS parties for women.

Akin to the traditional Tupperware party, Nintendo invites women to a catered party where they are each given a new DS.  An assortment of female-friendly games such as Nintendogs, Brain Age, and Mario Kart are provided.  The hope is that these women will then in turn tell their friends, family, and coworkers about the little gadget and generate some feminine buzz.

Can such a farfetched idea work?  Sure, why not?  Nintendo has already managed to make in-roads into the female and elderly markets in ways that no one expected even three years ago.  Who would have thought retirement homes would be sporting Wiis as a feature?  And if it does work, how long before Sony has their own PSP parties?

Via | Game With A Brain