The Gaming Pessimist

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ---Microsoft's E3 Press Conference

2011-06-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

After having one of the most successful years for the brand, Microsoft enters this year’s E3 Expo riding the waves of the very successful launch of their Kinect peripheral, a device that Microsoft sees as a re-launch of the Xbox 360 system. The first wave on Kinect titles has been released, and there have been some successes, and some failures. The early half of 2011 has yet to see an impactful release for the Kinect, and a lot of questions surround just what is in store.

Microsoft also has rather light second half of 2011, software wise, with only Gears of War 3 as their sole system exclusive, and nothing announced for release beyond that release.

Lastly, Microsoft is always looking to further transform the Xbox 360 into the complete entertainment experience. Last year’s fall update added a lot of features to move towards that goal, but what else would Microsoft have in store?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Microsoft E3 2011 Press Conference.

The Good

A lot of on-stage presence.

Microsoft kicked off their E3 presentation with an on stage demonstration of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. The demo showed off a lot of the action set pieces that people have come to expect from the Call of Duty franchise, and some new tidbits like underwater controls. The demo turns into a Michael Bay movie, with massive explosions going on around the player as he speeds through the waters around a besieged New York City. Microsoft paid good money to receive exclusive rights to Call of Duty downloadable content, and they will not waste it by not showing off the current best-selling franchise front and center.

The next title to be shown on stage was the first gameplay look of the new Tomb Raider reboot from Crystal Dynamics. The title skews more dark and gritty from the previous titles in the series, featuring a young Lara Croft getting beaten and injured in some brutal ways. The atmosphere and environment also works very well with the direction they are taking the series.

Microsoft’s big title for the rest of 2011, Gears of War 3, showed off the co-op with assistance of Ice-T. Giving a few of some of the new baddies that the player will face, including a massive boss that you have to defeat by damaging several of the weak points on the creature. New gameplay elements, like the walking armored body suits, were shown off during the walkthrough.

The last two major titles on stage bridge the game between the technology of the Kinect, and the core gamer. Ghost Recon Future Soldier shows off how the game’s weapon customizing interface, known as Gunsmith, is 100% Kinect able. Players are able to break down weapons to their base components, switch out any piece out with another, and test their creations on a shooting range. Voice enabled commands can also be used to have Gunsmith put together preset or random weapons. Lastly, the game itself is Kinect enabled. While the gestures to aim and shoot are a bit strange, spreading out one’s fingers out to fire for one example, the controls seemed to be responsive.

The other core title with Kinect features is Mass Effect 3. The BioWare sci-fi RPG will be using the Kinect for voice recognition. During conversations with other character, you can say the lines that Sheppard are given as options, and he will respond accordingly. While you are in battle, you can give your teammates commands to more into position, and for them to activate their abilities. This will make combat flow much easier, as the player will not have to navigate menus.

Overall, it was a strong lineup of titles to show off on stage, and the further bridging of the Kinect with more traditional titles just furthers along the potential future of gaming.

The New New Xbox Live Experience

Every year, the Fall Update of the Xbox Live service is a reboot of the service. It is the time that Microsoft adds in the newest and biggest features that add more bang for the consumers buck. This year’s update should be no different.

The interface itself is changing once again. Taking a page from what looks like the Windows 7 Phone interface, the cleaner look and full Kinect functionality sets out to make browsing the Dashboard a smooth experience. Full voice commands are being added to the motion controls to help set out to achieve that.

Major services are being added to help increase the value of Live, and to make it a one stop destination for every entertainment need. The first is YouTube. YouTube was the last major service that Microsoft needed to have, after Facebook and Twitter were added in previous years. Second is Live TV. A complement to Netflix, this service will only be as good as the sum of its parts. Right now, only a few international driven channels are slated. If Microsoft can line up some premium channel coverage, it could be a force for the service. The biggest surprise would be the integration of the Bing search engine. Using Bing, you can search through all of the content on Live, from Netflix to game content, instead of having to dig through menu after menu for what you are trying to find. This is a huge way to tie in all of the services that Live offers.

The last surprise addition would come from Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championships. The service, known as UFC Live, looks to bring the world of mixed martial arts to Xbox Live in a way that is similar to ESPN 3.

From day one of the Xbox brand’s inception, Microsoft wanted to make one device for all of the consumer’s entertainment needs. They are moving closer and closer to fulfilling that goal.

The Bad

Another year, another canned Kinect demonstration.

Microsoft cannot seem to pin down just how to show off their bread and butter properly. Just like last year’s press conference, Microsoft used fake families and actors on stage to show off their lineup of Kinect titles. While the avalanche of Kinect title announcements brings hope for a strong second half of 2011, they did a horrible job for their unveiling's.

Microsoft’s own Kinect Sports 2 was the worst of the bunch. The woman showing off the golf game did a horrible job at selling the fact that her demonstration was not real experience, while the football demo features two “dudebros” fist pumping and acting like fools while playing a couple downs. It is almost a slap to the face of the consumer when you act like that is what the market for you product is.

Leaks ruin a big surprise, but would there have been cheers?

It was accidently leaked, and no I will not use the much often joke about the poor person looking for a new job, that several major announcement would be made during this press conference on the official Xbox site. The mistake was quickly corrected, but not fast enough for the internet, the world knew that Halo 4 was to be revealed.

When the end of conference teaser was finally shown, there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from the crowds in attendance, in stark contrast to the official reveals of Halo Reach and Halo 3. Was this due to the leak, or maybe the market has become a bit burned out on Halo? Microsoft also revealed, officially, the Halo Combat Evolved remake earlier in the show to, again, little enthusiasm.

With six Halo titles in ten years, and Bungie no longer holding the reins of the franchise, perhaps Halo is something no longer worth getting excited over?

The Ugly

Minecraft? On a console?

How can you announce that the largest independent gaming project of the last year will appear on your service, but not have anything solid to talk about afterwards? The brainchild of Markus "Notch" Persson, Minecraft is the quintessential time waster, giving players the ability to build and create anything they want in the world by interacting with the environment. It was one of the best stories to come out of 2010, and the future success of this game gives hope to aspiring game developers to dive in.

Microsoft needed to have something concrete, but instead it was a bullet point in their conference.

Mixed messages.

Microsoft is in a sticky situation with their new company focus.

On one side, they have the traditional core market that made them into the success they are. Core titles like Halo, Gears of War, and Fable have brought millions to the Xbox brand over the years. These games tend to be on the visceral side, featuring content that is made for the 18-34 demographic that enjoys shooting and blowing stuff up in their gaming.

In the other corner, Microsoft has the Kinect software. Looking to tap into the family friendly, casual market, the Kinect games tend to be the same. Experiences for the whole family and software that younger children will enjoy fill out the Kinect library.

The problem is that Microsoft has yet to come up with a way to balance the two when they present their press conferences. They cannot go from on stage combat to canned presentations of cute and cuddly. They need to find a happy balance between the two, mostly by respecting the titles for the Kinect for by having better presentations.

Microsoft’s conference was just as segmented as last year’s. They were unable to achieve a nice flow in showing off all of the products and services that they will be adding to the 360 in the coming year. While this will not have a direct bearing on their sales, it is still a bit disheartening to see a rather poor effort for the second straight year.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ---Nintendo's E3 Press Conference

2011-06-09T17:32:00.002-05:00

Nintendo’s E3 was perhaps one of the most anticipated amongst the gaming world. The 3DS launch early this year game some a taste of the future of the long established video game company, and the known reveal of the first new console since 2006 caused much excitement. Nintendo would have the most to gain, or lose, coming into this E3, as it has to sell the idea of moving on from the Wii to a market that has never had to experience a chance in consoles before.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Nintendo’s E3 Press Conference.

The Good

The Wii U is revealed.

When word leaked out that Nintendo was working on a new console, the heads of Nintendo came out and confirmed its existence. Questions and rumors started to arise as every major gaming media site claimed to have a source in the inside that knew what Nintendo had up its sleeve. All of the speculation and excitement came to a head when the president of Nintendo of America, Reginald Fils-Aime, announced on stage that the new Nintendo console was named Wii U.

The highlight of the new console, which Nintendo focused on completely, was the controller. The unique design features a 6.2” touch screen with a full complement of buttons, as well as a camera, speakers, and a microphone. The most impressive feature of the new console is that the action going happening on the television can be transferred to the screen on the controller. The screen on the controller also opens up several possibilities to interact with a game like never before, as shown on stage during a montage of concepts.

What may be more impressive is that Nintendo was able to leverage strong third party partners into buying into the tech. John Riccitiello, the CEO of Electronics Arts, took to the stage to tell the audience of the potential of the new Nintendo console. Having strong third party relations have never been Nintendo’s strong suit, something they are looking to change for the future.

Nintendo bolsters the 3DS with a sensational lineup.

To most, the 3DS has a rather lackluster launch lineup, especially from Nintendo’s first party releases. Nintendo took a risk at launching the handheld at a price point that was higher than usual, and so far the system has not sold as well as Nintendo would like. Their answer to drum up excitement for the 3DS is a lineup of Nintendo developed titles that will rain down this holiday season.

Before the year is out, the system will see Mario Kart 3DS, which will feature kart customizing and flight and underwater elements added to the tracks, Mario Bros 3DS, which sees the return of some Mario gameplay favorites like the Tanooki suit and the flag pole to finish of stages, and Star Fox 3DS, which will feature a robust multiplayer experience.

Most Nintendo systems would have to wait years to see an iteration of these titles; Nintendo is going all in this holiday season to get the market excited for the handheld.

Happy birthday Zelda!

Nintendo kicked off the press conference with a live orchestra playing a medley of Zelda music from the series. The Zelda franchise has some of the most memorable tunes in the history of gaming, and Nintendo played off of that nostalgia well

Gaming industry Shigeru Miyamoto took to the stage to help celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda series with a bit of fun, interacting with the orchestra while they played some of the series iconic sound effects, the funniest being the opening the chest tune. Miyamoto also announced that the Game Boy Color title Link Awakenings would be available for free on the 3DS eShop that day. Also, Nintendo will be offering a free version of the multiplayer Four Swords as a free download for the DSi this fall. Lastly, Nintendo will be releasing a special edition, gold colored Wii remote when the Wii title Skyward Sword comes out this fall.

It was a nice treatment of one of the most cherished franchises in gaming, and Nintendo does an amazing job in celebrating the past of the company, along with its future.

The Bad

Nintendo looks past the Wii and the market that got them here?

The Wii has been Nintendo’s most successful console since the Super Nintendo. Nintendo was able to build up excitement for their product with a market that has long stepped away from gaming, and used that excitement to sell their brand. Titles like Wii Fit, Wii Play, and Mario Kart have sold hand over fist to this market. The so called “casual” market was locked down by Nintendo since the early days of the Wii, and it has treated Nintendo well.

During the conference, Nintendo put forth a show that was geared to their brand nostalgia, with their 3DS lineup, and to the core gaming market, with touting the third party relationships for the Wii U. Other than talk of the newest Zelda for the Wii, Skyward Sword, the Wii was already an afterthought for Nintendo, even with their new console more than eight months away.

While there are sure to be some Wii games announced during the rest of E3, it is a bold move from Nintendo to cease focusing on the Wii so swiftly, and with another holiday season to go before the Wii U launches sometime in 2012.

The Ugly

More questions, then answers.

While the Wii U was the focus of Nintendo’s press conference, the unveiling of the system left more questions on the table than answers.

A lot of confusion regarding the new controller arose, was it just a peripheral for the current Wii console, or was it the system by itself? Does the system support more than one of these controllers, and can it be taken on the road and played as a handheld like the 3DS?

Nintendo spent their time showing off concepts of what the Wii U, but it did a poor job in explaining some of the key features of the new system. Details about the hardware were left out intentionally so that Nintendo could get everyone to focus on the new controller. The problem with this approach, is while the new controller is an interesting piece of hardware, the masses in attendance were more interesting with how Nintendo would catch up with the competition in terms of power. Would the Wii U be graphically comparable with the PS3 and Xbox 360? Does the system feature a more robust online experience not found on current Nintendo hardware?

It is a dangerous practice to leave so many questions on the table, especially when you have the undivided attention of the gaming world. The next few months will be filled with more rumors at the abilities of the system until Nintendo finally starts to show off some software.

Overall, Nintendo did a great job to get people excited for the 3DS. This holiday season might be one of the strongest software line ups for any handheld as several top shelf Nintendo franchises will make their 3D debut. The Wii U reveal was interesting, but the lack on some of the details of the hardware just led to many more questions than answers. Nintendo had a clean presentation once again, even if some leave scratching their heads.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ---Sony's E3 Press Event

2011-06-08T13:20:00.000-05:00

Sony came into this year’s E3 Expo riding a wave of uncertainty.

The PlayStation Network outage in late April put a bad taste in the mouth from many. For three weeks, there was a period of uneasiness among the market. No one knew what was happening, and just what information was leaked out for the world to abuse. Sony’s response to the matter has been questioned at several points, from the media down to the everyday consumers. A level of trust may have been lost, and the PlayStation brand might have taken a public relations hit that is may not be able to recover from.

The E3 Expo is the first time since the outage that Sony would have the undivided attention of the entire gaming world. Did they do what was needed to put peoples’ fears to rest over the PSN outage? Did Sony reveal enough about their upcoming year to give confidence in the PlayStation brand as a whole?

This is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Sony’s E3 press conference.

The Good

Sony apologizes.

When Jack Tretton stepped onto stage at the Los Angeles Sports Memorial Center’s stage, he jumped right in to the “elephant in the room.”

He stood front and center on stage, without looking into any teleprompter, and delivered a true to the heart apology to the third party publishers and developers, to the retail partners, and most importantly, the consumers.

“I want to apologize both personally, and on behalf of the company, for any anxiety we caused you. I know we took you away from what you enjoy to do most, connecting and gaming with friends all over the world, and enjoying all the many entertainment options on the PlayStation Network. And it is you that causes us to be humble and amazed at the amount of dedication and support you continue to give to the PlayStation brand.”

This was the apology that consumers were looking for from the beginning. Not the usual corporate double speak and form letter like response, but a true to form apology that is sincere and to the heart.

Starting the conference off with the apology set the tone for the rest of the event, Sony’s argument on why the consumer should be invested in the PlayStation brand now, and into the future.

Nintendo has Mario. Microsoft has Halo. Sony has Uncharted.

Sony has been blessed in that have one of the most diverse line-ups of exclusives among the three console manufactures. Their library ranges from light hearted platform titles like Ratchet and Clank and Sly Cooper, to visceral sci-fi driven shooters in the form of Resistance. While Sony has had a lot of titles to hang their name on, it has been many years since someone could point to a specific series as the marquee franchise in the Sony library.

This year’s press conference just may have given us a franchise to look to.

The Uncharted series, a third person action title from Naughty Dog, has been a key franchise for the PlayStation 3 since launch. The Uncharted series has always been about pushing the system to its limits; better visuals, better sound, and better experience than anything else we can find on the Sony system.

Uncharted 3 took the stage with an on stage presentation of a level not seen before. No other game had as much time front and center during the press event, and Sony positioned the game as the centerpiece of their 2011 PlayStation 3 lineup. With stunning visuals, fluid gameplay, and the traditional atmosphere that the gaming world has become to recognize, Uncharted has become positioned as Sony’s premier franchise. What helps drive that point home is the big title announced for Sony’s new handheld, The PS Vita, is Uncharted Golden Abyss.

Uncharted looks to be the franchise that Sony will hang its hat on for the future of the brand.

Next Generation Platform comes to life.

Sony came to E3 fully ready to go head to head with Nintendo’s 3DS system. As sales of the 3DS seem to stagnate after the initial launch period, a disappointment shared by Nintendo brass, Sony took the stage to reveal the much anticipated NGP, forever now known as the PS Vita.

The Vita is bolstered by a strong lineup of software, mostly from Sony’s first party partners. The marquee title shown was Uncharted Golden Abyss, another adventure of the Nathan Drake that takes place within the Uncharted universe, but between the PS3 titles. Golden Abyss features both traditional and touch controls, which can be used simultaneously is the player chooses too.

Other titles shown on the PS Vita include a version of Street Fighter X Tekken, featuring Cole from Sony’s inFamous series, Ruin, a dungeon crawler in the same vein as Diablo and Torchlight, and traditional Sony franchises ModNation Racers and LittleBigPlanet.

The big surprise came when the price of the system was announced. Thoughts that the tech would drive the MSRP of the handheld into the many hundreds of dollars, Sony dropped the bomb that the Wi-Fi only version will cost $249, and the 3g version with cost $299. This puts the Vita in the same price range as the Nintendo 3DS, and sets up one of the interesting battles of this year’s holiday season.

Sony continues to woo the third parties.

Just like last year, EA and Sony have once again partnered to offer exclusive content on the PlayStation 3 version of select EA titles. SSX, the revival of EA’s arcade snowboarding series, will have Mt. Fuji as an exclusive mountain to play on. Need for Speed The Run will feature additional cars that will not be available on the other versions. Lastly, Battlefield 3 will come with the full version of Battlefield 1942 on the same disc, for free.

Perhaps the most shocking third party partnership came when Ken Levine, the brainchild of the BioShock franchise, took the stage to tout the advantages of the PlayStation Move controller, and how it can bring a much more immersive experience to games. On stage, he announced that BioShock Infinite will contain Move controls.

Other titles shown that will include exclusive content includes Saint’s Row 3, the previously mentioned Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken, and NBA 2k12, with a Kobe Bryant demoed feature called “On the Move.”

These partnerships help attract the consumer to the PlayStation brand by increasing the perceived value of the system, while most of the exclusive access on the Xbox 360 revolves around early access to paid content.

The Bad…

Resistance 3 comes across as lackluster.

Blame it on having to follow Uncharted 3 on stage, or perhaps just a poor choice of a level to show off, but Insomniac’s last PlayStation 3 exclusive looked rather plain when demoed on stage.

The demo sequence came across as simple sci-fi shooter fare, blow up a bunch of aliens amongst wreckage, while you merry band of underground fighter buddies take the brunt of the abuse. The action seemed choppy at times, and the overall aesthetic of the atmosphere was just terribly plain. It was not a good showing for what was once the top billed franchise for the PS3.

The Ugly

The nation’s fastest, something.

The announcement that the PS Vita will be partnering with AT&T as the systems national broadband partner brought a wave of discontent from the audience. What started as a few groans turned into a full blown wave of boos as the face of Kaz Hirai twisted in a way that made him think of E3’s of the past.

Please, everyone put on your 3d glasses, pretty please?

From a pure business standpoint, it is no surprise that Sony is pushing 3D technology. As a company, Sony has a lot to gain if 3D penetration increases, as they produce the most 3D televisions on the market. But during this year’s press event, Sony almost reached the point of begging the consumer to adapt to 3D.

The PlayStation branded monitor and glasses is a good concept. A 24” screen, glasses, cables, and the Resistance 3 title for $500 are a pretty good value for someone looking for an entry level product. The problem is that gaming has yet to have its “Avatar” moment, and until it does, Sony will continue to be unable to gain that market penetration that it wants.

Overall, Sony put together a solid press event, and a significant argument on why the PlayStation brand is worth investing in for the next 12 months. A solid and varied selection of first and third party titles, exciting new hardware with the PS Vita, and continued support to turn the PlayStation family into a truly unified brand is coming along nicely.

The Big Questions for E3 2011

2011-06-06T11:27:00.002-05:00

The E3 Expo is a rare time of year. The entire gaming industry comes together in Los Angeles to promote what is new and exciting for the near future video games. With new hardware being unveiled, the threat coming from the smartphones, and the cost of the business of gaming increasing, this show has become one of the most important shows in the history of E3. Each of the big three console makers have questions that need to be answered.

What will Nintendo do to wow us?

In 2004, Nintendo was in a rare place. For the first time in their illustrious gaming history, the first name in gaming was on their heels. The GameCube was third place in the console race, Sony was about to enter the handheld field with their PlayStation Portable, and the company’s offerings were considered an afterthought by many.

During that year’s E3, Nintendo came out guns blazing when their VP of Marketing, Reginald Fils-Aime, came to stage to the line “My name is Reggie. I am all about kicking ass and taking names, and we are all about making games.” What would follow is one of the most memorable moments for Nintendo in the history of the show, the announcement of the long awaited next installment in the Legend of Zelda series. Tears were shed, the cheers were loud, and Nintendo started on the road to become the big name in gaming once again.

Coming into this year’s show, Nintendo is still sitting on the top of the mountain, but has lost some of its steam. With a new VP of Marketing, Scott Moffitt, Nintendo has to once again sell their brand to the masses.

The 3DS has been having trouble at retail, a point that executives in Nintendo have pointed out. The market is confused as to what to make of the system. 3D is still such new technology for the regular consumer, that people are not sure if it is worth such a high entry fee. The software lineup has not been a big success, with the most anticipated title, Zelda Ocarina of Time, yet to hit store shelves. Will Nintendo show off a lineup that will make the system a much more attractive buy?

And what of Project Café? Several details have leaked out about the system, and the impressive capabilities that it may have. Nintendo will be the first out with a new console, and will have a quick turnaround from the reveal during the show, to its early 2012 release. Now more than ever, the first impression is important.

Nintendo has the most to gain and lose during this show.

How will Sony respond to the PSN attacks?

The PlayStation brand may be at its absolute lowest. The attack on the information contained within the PlayStation Network, and the three week outage that followed, crippled Sony from a public relations standpoint. E3 will be the first time that Sony will be able to address the entirety of the gaming world, and the first step into regaining the trust of the consumer. Will they take a light hearted route by parading around the pretend VP Kevin Butler, or will the Sony brass put out the apology that many think is needed?

Sony will also be showing off the successor to their first handheld, the Next Generation Portable. Rumored to be named the PS Vita, Sony is looking to once again go head to head with Nintendo in a market that Nintendo has dominated since handheld gaming became a viable source of entertainment. Will they be able to show off a product that will cause people to think of something other than Nintendo for handheld gaming?

Can Microsoft balance their releases between Kinect and non-Kinect?

With the Kinect taking off, Microsoft has to start balancing their releases for the Kinect, while making sure not to forget the masses that made the 360 a resounding success. Microsoft’s second half of the year is a secret. Other than Gears of War 3, it is all guess work at just what Microsoft has planned for the 360.

There are still a lot of concept titles shown off on the Kinect that have yet to see the light of day, the Star Wars title being the most anticipated. Also, there are several rumors that Microsoft is going to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Halo series with a remake of the first Halo title.

Will Microsoft be able to release enough software to support the two different markets?