Microsoft ‘went first’ yesterday, the initial conference of the big three is presumably the hardest one to judge because there’s no frame of reference, we simply don’t know what the other two, Nintendo and Sony, are planning. However, unless the latter two royally screw this year’s presentations up, Microsoft have to come a distant third based on what they decided to focus on last night.
You know, it’s not really going to be that hard to top an hour’s worth of Kinect stuff, and with Nintendo reportedly ready to blow everyone away with a new Zelda for Wii and Sony’s sure-fire hits of Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2 and Motorstorm: Apocalypse ready and waiting, it’s already in the bag, right? Focus on the games, and the crowd might at the very least eek out a little cheer now and again.
The relative silence last night during Microsoft’s motion control section (and indeed, throughout the rather rushed, mistimed presentation) speaks volumes: the gaming press wanted to see games – proper games – and why Microsoft didn’t push the likes of Halo: Reach (which looked wonderful) and Gears 3 (again, a must-own) is beyond me. Yes, Kinect has potential, but was E3 really the venue to show it off?
Perhaps not, and especially not when it means not showing the stuff we wanted to see more of. The Crytek exclusive was completely lost in the haze, but could have been something really exciting if it wasn’t just a stepping stone to Microsoft getting to the Kinect portion – a little more hype and, you know, some discussion afterwards would have helped to cement the new game in people’s minds.
Sony know how to do this – they’ve been doing it for the last month with the aforementioned trio of PS3 exclusives. LittleBigPlanet 2 was up first, and will certainly feature at the show for everyone to see, as will Killzone 3 with hopefully a real-time demo. We’ve played the level of Motorstorm that’ll be at E3, and when you see it in motion you’ll know why I was so excited about playing more of that one.
What Sony need to do is remember the target audience, their target audience. Sure, show us some Move stuff but keep it to the proper games – don’t waste 10 minutes on whatever’s happening to EyePet when most of the press seated won’t ever have touched the game. And certainly keep it all real-time, we don’t want anything pre-recorded and faked, thank you very much.
And if you do decide to show PSP2, ensure it’s backed up with one hell of a show, because after the Go, with confidence in the brand battered by high pricing and the knowledge that it was all just a test; a precursor, your buying public will need solid reasons to want to buy into the PSP again. Ensure there are games that only run on the second gen machine, and ensure it’s got a clear purpose.
But really, it’s all about the games. We want to know what thatgamecompany have been up to, we want to see inFamous 2 and all your other first and third party exclusives. We want to see Ico in HD, we want to see the new God Of War running on PSP, and we want a clear, locked down and 100% guaranteed release date for Gran Turismo 5. We want games, proper games.
You’re not going to have Zelda, but you’ve still got a bloody good chance of coming out on top, Sony.
Tuffcub
If Sony announce what I thik they are going to anounceits going to make an awful, awful lot of people happy :)
cleric20
yeah – looking forward to that Megaton!?
But I’d just be happy with the Sly Cooper HD and StarHawk (which will be more fun to play that Halo Reach)…
This really is Sony’s e3 to lose now!
Radboud
what? what? TC, don’t be shy, you can tell us what you think :P
PandaPanic
All they need to do, is not play Justin Bieber music and constantly show stupid PS Move games unless if it’s something really worth looking at like Ape Escape :D
YOURMUMANDME
I dunno, I hate to admit it but Natal/Kinect has come a long, long way since last time we seen it. Even the fitness program that EA made a sequel of was a lot better with Kinect.
Mind you can you imagine having a group of mates around watching the football chatting about the Xbox and other things that might screw with Kinects command system, everyone waving their hands and stuff would ruin it.
bunimomike
Sony conference: 30% Move, 20% new hardware (if there’s any), 50% games for gamers.
The list you mention, nofi, and more (The Last Guardian, etc) could make the Sony stage light up.
The biggest thing I have on my mind is the press that are there and what the big three are offering. From a conference perspective, casual games leave the audience cold but there’s also generic press there (BBC, etc) who obviously transmit this information to the masses. Nearly zero of my real-world mates use anything like TSA, IGN, Gamespot, etc. They just pick up on stuff on the likes of BBC as and when it filters through. So, even though the audience isn’t screaming for more, each respective company might still be having a great show because of what trickles through the mainstream media.
Nauraph
I have to say that my ‘real-world mates’, the ones who’re even a little interested in games, actually check game website for their information.
But maybe that’s because the regular news won’t show/tell anything about the E3 over here.
bunimomike
Which separates your mates from mine. Mine are suitably slow to purchase new consoles, etc. None of them are hardcore gamers (which goes to make up a great percentage of gamer than the more enthusiastic folk on here). So it’s about MS, Sony, Ninty, appealing to the correct audience, as such. Tricky bugger.
matty
I really hope they don’t go the MS route and have a whole show of Move. I will close the stream. I want to see Killzone 3, lots of it :D Sony should think, how many casual gamers watch E3? They just need to advertise Move well, and show off the big guns at E3.
Cray2k
IGN’s live show that they are doing still has a shed load of ‘Unannounced Games’ in their schedule as well as closing their show with a ‘Unannounced PS3 Game Demo’
Radiitz
Just give me the PSP 2 with a built in phone, and Sony have won me over straight away. Oh, and lets not forget a “SECND ANLOGZ STICKZZ!!!1!!11” Lol. Not bothered about that because my life doesn’t depend on it, unlike others who say they won’t even buy it if it does not have this included ;)
52pickup
I wonder if translator san will put in a personal appearance?
Topgearsam
sony can win e3 if they dont spend most of thier confornence on casual move games if its a hardcore move game and its cool ok but dont go the way microsoft did with their press confrence