E3 2009

Where to begin? Ever since I first read about it in the pages of PSM, going to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has been a dream of mine. This summer, I finally managed to get in, and it was just about everything I’d dreamt it was. Booth babes smiled brightly at most (if not every) booth and setup, there were hundreds of game demos to play on site, swag galore and announcements that actually stopped my breath.

First off the big names: Microsoft & Sony. Both unveiled their own adaptations of the juggernaut, Nintendo’s Wii motion controls, to varying effects and intents. Microsoft’s “Project Natal” is purely camera based, and reads player motions to control the onscreen Microsoft Avatar. As of right now, it can make you XBOX Live avatar dance. It would seem that Microsoft aims to tackle and sup from Nintendo’s casual market with their similar colored (at least on the low end models) box.

Sony, on the other hand, did it right. The developers demoed their own motion control, a wii-mote like prototype that works in conjunction with the PS Eye. While this technology does not read one’s entire body, it does offer truly 1:1 motion reading. From basic hokey ideas, like “throwing spells” in an RPG, the developers moved onto showing the more extensive capabilities of the device’s precision. The best example was the use of a sword in a virtual arena against a dummy avatar. The developer using the controller was able to be so precise as to call specific parts of the enemy to hit, even going so far as to poke the enemy in the eye.

Some other highlights?

The incredibly snug feeling PSP Go. If you ever hold the PSP and wonder why it’s as wide as it is (which I do), the PSP Go solves that. I am throughly inclined to imagine that the lack of a disc drive (the thing boasts a 16GB flash memory standard), will only help the battery life. if the Go functioned as a phone, I may have fallen out of love with my iPhone on the spot.

Final Fantasy XIII unveiled a new and much more robust trailer than any yet seen. I’ll be devoting a full article to just that video alone, but the big news came when everyone’s jaw was still on the floor from the FFXIII video: an announcement video of FF XIV Online (14 for those of you unfamiliar with roman numerals). Yes, it is going to be another Online iteration of the series (possibly in the same world/universe as XI since the video had the world “friends must once again join hands”). The biggest bit of this surprise? PS3 Exclusive. In a world where the trend has begun to look like what Sony has, Microsoft has (but not vice versa), Sony unveiled this news in the same week it released its mega hit, Infamous (expect a forthcoming, glowing review of the game from yours truly as well).

The last news I’ll address in this article is Beatles Rock Band. I first heard the news of Beatles Rock Band back when it was a rumbling rumor and I immediately thought it was a cash cow whoreson of a piece of crap that would make me rue having paid Harmonix for even the original Rock Band. I eat those words today. The Harmonix developers presented their latest game with such reverence of their source material and aplomb that I can’t help but humble myself and admire them. They’ve recreated historic venues of Beatles performances (Shea Stadium, the Ed Sullivan Show, the rooftop performance, etc) to stunning accuracy. They’ve filled the game with an incredible showing of the Beatles’ most beloved hits and some other tracks you probably forgot you loved (they demoed Get Back, Tax Man and I Am the Walrus), and presented some of the more unique aspects of the game that made me love it even more.

In a proper application of “casual gaming inclusion” the Easy difficulty now has an automatic no-fail characteristic so that “noobs” don’t ruin play sessions. In a further effort to bring casual gamers to the fold who may be in it just for their love of the Beatles, Quickplay has every song unlocked from the get go. The coolest thing, that really got to me in terms of Video Game artistry, was based on the Beatles’ later career. While the Beatles started off as a major touring band, the later part of their career was spent in the studio crafting some of their most important tracks. While the Harmonix people recognized that those tracks, and the studios are important settings to recreate, they took the opportunity for something grander. So the studios become “dreamscapes.” As you play through, say, I am the Walrus, the setting warps and becomes a fantastical visual journey representing the song’s tone and message (even sober the visuals were a lot to cope with). Needless to say, I’m excited and psyched.

I have two more days of this to go through, so more will come, but for now, Be very excited for what all platforms have to offer in the coming months. To the people of High Voltage games, I’ll devote a more full bodied preview of your games (which I was impressed by) in a focused preview/impression article. The Nintendo people, although absent from this article, also had their own games that caught my eye, but today was just shy of too much for me to handle and I need to rest up for the next two days of this extravaganza. Stay cool, keep gaming.

For continued E3 coverage, check back here each night of the event. For more up to the minute tidbits, follow me on twitter: abuballoo