Any [General] E3 2012 Topic

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Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012
June 4th - June 7th

Yes, it's that time of year again; one of the most anticipated annual games events, E3 has arrived.
As you probably all know, the premise of E3 is for games developers to showcase games which are in development, as well as talk about new features they will be implementing into their in-console services. However, talk is we may be seeing a new console this year, but I highly doubt it!

The most important conferences to look out for are the aptly named 'Big 3'

Microsoft will be holding their conference on June 4th from 9:30am-11am PST
Sony will be holding their conference on June 4th from 6pm-7pm PST
Nintendo will be holding their conference on June 5th from 9am-10am PST

You can use this topic to discuss the show as you wish, I will also try and update the topic with various info as it comes from the conferences.
What games are you anticipating? Do you think they will reveal a Project Diva for the Western Market? I doubt it, but I can dream.

 

Re: E3 2012 Topic

So here we are again, E3 has officially started with the Microsoft Conference.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is the first game announced. (Coming Spring 2013)
Sam Fisher is back in what looks like it could be the most ambitious Splinter Cell yet. It still has Kinect functions implemented, but they are completely optional. Being a fan of the past Splinter Cell games. I can't wait to play this.

EA Sports
Fifa 13 and Madden NFL
Never really care for sports games as they are more of the same each year. However, apart from the graphical improvements and interface tweaks, there is also Kinect voice support which allows the player to substitute players as well as other things.

A new Gears Of War

Forza Horizon (October 23rd 2012)
Looks like a beautiful game and the cars look extremely realistic, simulating their real-life counterparts. But seriously, why choose dubstep to trailer this game?

Xbox Voice Search
Eh, What's the point? Apart from sitting on your couch and not using a controller, what exactly is the point of this? Can't see it being a very popular feature considering voice recognition technologies are relatively new to the scene.

Xbox Partnerships
Nickelodeon, Paramount and Machinima are all going to be partnered with Xbox too, allowing players to view content from these channels on their Xbox 360 system.
Several American Sport providers have also been announced so that players can watch sport live from their system.
However, I will say that an interesting aspect of the voice search/dictation is that it can be used to split the screen between video feeds meaning you can dedicate your time to multiple sports streams as opposed to just 1.

XboxMusic
Announced for new windows devices such as PC's running the Windows 8 Operating System, Windows tablets and phones and Xbox 360 comes a new music service known as 'XboxMusic'. Ok, not the best name for a service, considering that it can be used on various devices which have the Windows Name. Plus there are plenty of music libraries out there already such as Spotify. However, as the Xbox is lacking one of these services at current, this could be a good move for them. We'll have to see how it fares up against other services in the long run.

Nike+ Kinect Training
Nike+ have announced their partnership with Xbox.
It looks like a promising venture, but with an influx of Fitness-related technology over the last few years, I feel that this could be an overlooked feature of the Xbox.

Xbox Smart Glass
Now it's time for Xbox to jump on the Wii-U bandwagon.
The Xbox Smartglass allows you to use a smartphone to access extra content

Internet Explorer on Xbox (Autumn 2012)
Seriously, who uses Internet Explorer nowadays? Well, I guess anything will be better than the PS3 browser. Providing they actually focus on performance and optimisation for the Xbox system. I wonder if viruses will be confirmed for it? Haha.
Can be used with Xbox Smartglass to navigate through webpages and zoom in and out.

 

Re: E3 2012 Topic

Crystal Dynamics
Tomb Raider
Lara croft is back again, this time for the Tomb Raider reboot. Not much was actually revealed to us about this game, other than a trailer which was released around last E3 time. This time around, Lara gets Shipwrecked on an Island, and it is up to her to find a way off the island. Now, the game trailer was remembered mostly for Lara's moans. However, this new trailer showcases game-play of Tomb Raider. For anyone out there who wants to know, yes there is plenty of moaning and grunting in that also.
The game itself however, looks very promising for a reboot, with plenty of action and intense moments throughout the trailer which would get any players adrenaline pumping. There are a few things I picked up from the trailer which

LocoCycle
Seriously? Have developers lost it? A game based around a motorcycle?

Resident Evil 6
One of the most anticipated trailers for me this E3. However, I don't hold up much hope for the game. From the first look, all I can think of is, Cinematic Movie game a-la Heavy Rain. Full of QTE's and cinematic sequences with hardly any gameplay elements picked up upon. From what was in the gameplay, there was a few corridors covered, then it went back to cinematics. I do like the ability to edge along a wall to see round corners, however.

Wreckateer
Yay, it's another token Kinect game! -_- However this time it looks like Angry Birds meets Kinect. Great for children I suppose. Not much wow factor though.

Dance Central 3
Great for anyone who wants to make a fool of them in front of the TV. A good family game too. However, it just doesn't appeal to the core market of Xbox 360 players. Who better than to introduce us to the game than Usher? Another Kinect game nonetheless. Do Microsoft actually realise this is a games convention and not a concert?

Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2
Not at all interested in this game. However, with Treyarch at the helm again, I guess CoD fans can be assured that it will be a great game both Campaign and Multiplayer-wise. Plus the implementation of Zombies only happens with Treyarch developed CoD titles.

This is only a short synopsis, I will add to them once E3 is over and I can rewatch the trailers, I also know that some parts have been left out because I missed them.

 

Re: E3 2012 Topic

Expect a few updates today, missed the Sony conference due to time zones, hopefully all going well, I will be able to blog the Nintendo Conference.

 

Re: E3 2012 Topic

Thanks for the link, I'll blog my thoughts about it later on. :)

 

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1st draft
Now it's time for the Nintendo Conference live from E3.
E3 looks set to steal the show this year with the new Wii U, but also a showcase of some of the games which are going to come out for this console. There has also been news of a new 3DS model in the works, so without further ado, let's get on with the show!

The show starts in true Nintendo fashion with Mr. Nintendo himself (Shigeru Miyamoto) entering the conference hall and introducing the Wii U.
The Wii U's Unique selling point is the handheld controller by the sounds of it as it will be able.

Pikmin 3
Pikmin 3 is the first game to be showcased. For those who don't know what it is, it's a real life action strategy game.The graphics look a lot more realistic, water is beautifully animated and there are a new variety of Pikmin to choose from. The rock Pikmin. Also, a new feature known as targeting comes to Pikmin allowing players to strategically control their Pikmin to attack enemies and remove in-game hazards. Leaders are also new, allowing players to control up to 4 leaders which can be used to further enhance strategy in the game by allowing the player to switch between leaders to progress through various areas in-game.
Challenge mode has also been announced which requires the player to collect the most amount of fruit in the allotted time. They can then record their playthrough on the TV so they can look back and build up a strategy of how they can improve their gameplay in various challenge-based levels.
Miyamoto closed the Pikmin announcement by stating that developing Pikmin is meant to outline that deeper games can still offer fun as most games tend to skew towards light-based gameplay nowadays.

They are now talking about how the Wii U can also open up a new social window through the new features on the system.

Asymmetric gameplay
Like the late NES, the Wii U will be able to support 2 seperate game pad.
The Wii U game pad can respond to touches by fingers and the stylus which comes included, shoulder buttons are located on the back of the pad, known as ZR and ZL respectively and have been ergonomically placed so that the player can hold the controller and reach these buttons easily.
The game pad also has a rumble feature built in, the home button can also be used to open up the home screen without quitting the game. Not exactly groundbreaking in that respect, but it shows that Nintendo are going in the right direction for their new system.

The home screen known as the 'MiiVerse' looks a bit complex and clustered. But the social aspects look phenomenal. I like the idea of being able to take screenshots and post the screenshot to the Miiverse and also it's a nice idea to actually include trending games on the MiiVerse too.


New Super Mario Bros U
Ok, who wasn't expecting this seriously? Because I was. Mario, Nintendo's mascot is back in Super Mario Bros U which combines 3D graphics with classic side-scrolling gameplay. Multiplayer will also be available for this title allowing multiple players to play together either locally or over the net.

Batman Arkham City Armored Edition
Martin Tremblay is here to introduce one of the games set to hit the Wii U known as 'Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition.' This game is going to be exclusive to the Wii U. Batman and Catwoman will be Playable.
BAT mode will allow the player to fill a meter which once full allows Batman to execute BAT mode, allowing Batman to deal more damage to enemies. Eh, that's great? You can also use the touch screen to set off explosions.

Scribblenauts Unlimited
The Scribblenauts experience comes to the Wii U under the name Scribblenauts unlimited. The games premise seems to revolve around players being able to write or draw objects which will then come to life in the game. There is also a new multiplayer mode with some type of story available.

Wii Fit U
The sequel to Wii Fit, Wii Fit U is introduced to us by Reggie Fils Aime. Looks like the Wii Fit balance board can be used again, whilst the touch screen game pad is used for tabulating results including calories burnt. Another interesting feature is that previous results can be uploaded so players can get a more in depth look at how many calories they have burnt in say the timeframe of a day.
New events are also available in which the player can play to burn off calories.

Sing
Looks like the Wii U is going to milk us for all our money judging by all the peripherals which have been shown for it currently. To the tune of Carly-Rae Jepsen, we are introduced to a game called 'Sing' Not the most exciting title for a game, but it explains the premise perfectly. That is to sing. Seems interesting as well in the sense that the player can hold the touch screen to view lyrics whilst they are singing. Microphone included? I seriously hope so.

Lego City
In what looks like an interesting concept, Lego goes Grand Theft Auto. With a gritty 80's soundtrack to introduce the game, it looks set to impress. It also looks like it will be free-roam, with the trailer showcasing some exploration elements, as well as the ability to drive vehicles. If anything, children will love to play this as a substitute to GTA.

Just Dance 4
Xavier Poix from Ubi Soft announces 'Just Dance 4'. The first Just Dance to be released on a Nintendo console. Now this is great for anyone who owns a Nintendo and wants to dance, but I'm starting to feel, watching this through that Nintendo seem to have sadly forgotten about the older Nintendo gamers.

ZombiU
Talked about briefly yesterday, ZombiU looks like an interesting concept and a very suspenseful game! Maybe there is a glimmer of hope for the Wii U after all. The Handheld controller can be used to manage items as well as being used to look around the environment in a kind of X-Ray vision viewpoint. The final scene shows the games protagonist trying to hack a door whilst zombies are advancing towards him. The scene itself is executed very well and symbolises what Survival horror should be like. Looks very promising and I look forward to learning more about this game as information is released.

NintendoLand
NintendoLand is a game which is based around a fictional theme park. There are 11 games available to play through this game which will be based on iconic Nintendo mascots and franchises. This game is what Wii Play is to the Wii. Looks fun for a short time, but it probably gets old and boring fast. Online gameplay is available which may make it appeal a little more to the casual gamer however.
Multiplayer Luigi's mansion known as Luigi's Ghost Mansion doesn't seem to be that gripping either. If anyone is expecting this to be searching round a massive mansion like the classic gameplay, think again, it's basically just a maze where you have to catch ghosts whilst conserving torch batteries and working as a team.

3DS section
Nintendo are staying loyal to their 3DS fans by announcing games for 3DS too.

New Super Mario Brothers 2
Another Mario title for a Nintento system Quelle-Surprise! But it's another side-scrolling Mario game with Multiplayer implemented most likely. Not much disclosed, but it looks very similar to Super Mario Brothers 1.

Paper Mario Sticker Star
Paper Mario goes 3D in his new venture. Stickers are also a key element of this game, allowing the player to peel them off the scenery to execute commands which can be used to defeat enemies, but also to venture into secret areas and find hidden items.

Luigi's Mansion 2
I loved the first Luigi's Mansion game, which is why this makes me extremely happy that a sequel has finally been considered after a decade of waiting. There will be multiple mansions, but more emphasis on the ghost catching element, with 3D making the experience even more realistic.

At 18:11PM GMT, the Nintendo Conference ended with a fanfare and a virtual NintendoLand fireworks display.

Conclusion
A very colourful display of Nintendo's latest offerings, but lacking in Wow-Factor. It seems that the Wii U is already destined to go down the route of more family oriented gaming like it's predecessor as opposed to catering for the actual gamer. Not a smart move considering the demographic who attend E3 are more likely interested in serious gaming rather than novelty gaming.
Also worth noting is that no specific pricing details or a release date were given in the conference. So that remains an enigma.