Pre-E3 discussion 02: Nintendo

In all honesty, I can say that I expect nothing from Nintendo’s conference, but the truth is I am very excited to see what they will have for us this year. It’s hard to be optimistic after completely bombing last year’s press conference. Nintendo certainly does have a lot to live up to, and they should be ready for some big game announcements, or else they may just destroy the rest of their loyal fanbase.

What do I expect? Simple, a huge game announcement, something that will be showcased that isn’t gimmicky. Something that uses the unique Wii controls without making them seem forced upon the player, but instead natural. Something that fans will be excited about for months to come. Signs point to a brand new Legend of Zelda game, but also there could be a new Mario as well. Let’s just hope that if a new Zelda game is shown, it is something else other than Spirit Tracks. Not saying that game will be bad, but people expect the next big Zelda game, one for the Wii (that isn’t a port of a GameCube game).

Sure, we’ll get more Wii Sports Resort news, probably a huge showcase on upcoming game that will use the Wii MotionPlus, and plenty of other third party games that will be coming to the Wii. I’m thinking Nintendo might use the conference to show a strong line-up of third party software, and focus less on the first party stuff. That is doubtful, but it’s something that is hopefully more likely than another Wii _____ game.

So, Nintendo…is there any reason to get my hopes up about Nintendo? I do keep in mind they brought us Punch-Out!! already, and Sin & Punishment 2 is on the way sometime soon. But what do they have this year that is their big game? Last year was Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart, the year before was Super Mario Galaxy. Perhaps the new Wii Zelda title will be announced, and actually be released this year? It may be too much to hope for, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed, just this one last time.

Or maybe the next time still. I feel like I can’t stop hoping for something good from Nintendo at E3, but I also feel like I will continue to be disappointed. I can’t stop the endless cycle.

Pre-E3 discussion 01: Microsoft

Since Microsoft is the first of the three, with their press conference happening the day before E3 officially starts on June 2nd, I’ll focus on them first. If you are an Xbox 360 owner, it’s pretty obvious that the last few years have been great. New additions to Xbox Live to make the service even better than ever, plenty of great downloadable titles on Xbox Live Arcade, some nice exclusive games, and finally a fantastic line-up of third party games. In terms of exclusives, the only two games Microsoft has officially announced are  Halo 3: ODST and Alan Wake, the latter being a game that might not even be released this year.

So, what’s there to expect? First, we should be hearing about a few unannounced first party exclusives to be released later this year. What exactly are they? Nobody has any idea. I’ve been hearing rumors about a Crackdown 2 and a Forza 3, but neither game screams “Holiday hit” similar to a Halo 3, Gears of War 2, or Fable II. Microsoft needs that one huge exclusive game that they can sell this holiday that will make people want an Xbox 360.

It’s hard to say what exactly needs to be done at the press conference to make Microsoft “win” E3. They need some huge announcements, obviously, announcements that will get even non-360 owners excited. And those announcements generally need to deal with exclusives. A lot of people bet on more “casual” approaches to games from Microsoft, with things like Lips and You’re in the Movies being shown last year. But based on how those two titles didn’t break any new ground, or sell nearly as much as their bigger games last year, I can’t imagine them taking that approach.

So, they need exclusives, ones that will bring over new Xbox 360 owners. Xbox Live, there isn’t much more they can do with that, Microsoft is already making a ton of money from Live that any further expansion on it besides a few updates here and there isn’t really needed. I’m sure we will see plenty of new Xbox Live Arcade titles announced, since those are generally pretty successful overall.

The past couple of years (aside from a few key announcements), we’ve pretty much known what to expect from Microsoft at E3. This year? We’ve got practically nothing. Since Microsoft has nothing else but the Xbox 360, they will mainly have to spend just about all of their time talking about the big games for that one system. So, the majority of their press conference is going to be a surprise to us. I do have a good feeling that we’ll get a “Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360″ level announcement this year, but whether or not it will excite everyone or just 360 owners is a complete unknown at this point.

The PSP Go…more like the PSP NO (THANK YOU)

The PSP Go, the long rumored “PSP 2″ that was supposed be announced at Sony’s E3 press conference, is now official. Well, not officially official, but a video and many pictures of the device have been “leaked.” Perhaps Sony never planned on announcing it at E3, only further exploring the device during their press conference while going into detail about the first initial games to be released for it. I’ve been considering getting a PSP, despite my lack of interest in handhelds, but I think I’ll stick with the original model instead of waiting to upgrade to something that looks awkward and overall, disappointing.

Month(s) in review #2: April/May 2009

Since April was pretty lame in terms of updates, I’m going to briefly go over April as well as my posts in May. Taking another look at my favorite posts/stories from those two months! Pretty big two months leading up to E3, with plenty of rumors (argh) and new game announcements right before the big show. Let’s go over the best of the best!

inFamous first impressions: Shock and awe

inFamous, the newest game from developer Sucker Punch, has finally arrived on store shelves. And quite honestly, in the few months leading up to this game, I’ve been incredibly excited to try it out. After an amazing demo released just last week, I got ready to play the final product with high expectations and a sense that this could be one of the best PS3 exclusives yet. And not surprisingly enough, I was not disappointed.

RUMOR: This blog will now focus on circus performances instead of video games

Rumors are everywhere, flying across your Internet like…something moving at an incredibly fast speed. Ah, well, point being is people love rumors. They eat them up, claim them as fact, and when the rumors prove to be false, they hang their heads in shame and whine on message boards. And now, the countdown to the countdown has finished for the unveiling of Kojima’s new game. And guess what? We still don’t know jack shit, but what we DO know is that it may possibly involve Metal Gear. Or something.

Learning from the West: The Japanese developers and game innovation

No matter where the game is developed, here in the US or over in Japan, there will no doubt be games that are completely unoriginal. But I think, in a lot of cases, Japanese game developers like to focus on things that the Japanese market loves and continues to focus solely on that. However, with Japanese companies like Capcom continuing to learn from Western developers (seen with the updated Resident Evil, and new franchises like Dead Rising and Lost Planet) it’s clear that more Japanese developers are learning that the Japanese market isn’t as important as it once was.

A Look Back #12: Amplitude

Did I happen to mention I love Punch-Out!!

Yes, I really do. Punch-Out!! for the Wii, a new game in a series I hold near and dear to my heart, is pretty much as good as you can get. It’s the best boxing game I’ve ever played, and some of the most fun I’ve had in a video game since the original back on the NES. While I would say it’s not as challenging as the original, it still has an incredibly difficult challenge to it, but it isn’t frustrating. You just want to continue playing it over and over again.

inFamous demo impressions

The inFamous demo was released for those who haven’t pre-ordered the game. Demos are released generally to gain the interest in the everyday gamer, and get them to rent or even buy the game the demo is for. And the inFamous demo, for many people, has convinced them that the game is definitely a worthy game to add to their collection. But why is that? What does inFamous bring to the table that other sandbox games don’t? A guy with lightning powers. Hell yeah.