The Icon Bar: Games: E3, then
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E3, then |
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monkeyson2 (12:07 3/6/2009)
andypoole (12:51 3/6/2009)
Phlamethrower (13:01 3/6/2009)
andypoole (13:13 3/6/2009)
Phlamethrower (13:21 3/6/2009)
andypoole (13:28 3/6/2009)
monkeyson2 (13:25 3/6/2009)
andypoole (13:28 3/6/2009)
monkeyson2 (13:30 3/6/2009)
andypoole (13:41 3/6/2009)
filecore (17:34 3/6/2009)
andypoole (17:58 3/6/2009)
filecore (19:50 3/6/2009)
andypoole (12:36 4/6/2009)
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Phil Mellor |
Message #110172, posted by monkeyson2 at 12:07, 3/6/2009 |
 Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
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What's new then?
Sony: New controller, PSP Go http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8080436.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8080452.stm
Microsoft: Project Natal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oACt9R9z37U
Nintendo: Wii Motion Plus, Mario, Mario, Mario, Mario... and Metroid (the Other 'M')
PSP Go is a strange thing. They've finally got rid of the UMDs and moved to online purchases, which I'm convinced is the way to go (based on my experiences with the iPhone app store). But it seems very outdated in some respects, particularly the controls (no touch screen?). Will be interested to see whether they make an effort with the European online store.
Not convinced by the new controllers from either Sony or Microsoft. The Natal stuff looks more interesting than Sony's still early prototypes, although the demo video says it's a "product vision - actual features and functionality may vary" so I'm not sure how much to believe anyway.
Besides, although the tech is neat, but I'm not sure if it's practical enough. Can you play with the lights dimmed, or lounging on the sofa? Is the AI really that good? Will hardcore gamers suddenly warm to looking like a wally in their living room (after refusing to even waggle their wiimotes in polite company?)
I'm putting this in the same bucket as "PlayStation Home" - neat demos, but the end result (when it finally arrives) will be rather disappointing.
I've defended Nintendo in the past for using Mario so much, but it felt over the top announcing so many Mario games in one press conference. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was inevitable, but should be good fun. I hope they use orchestrated music again though - the synthesised stuff in the trailer made it feel far less special.
Very worried about Metroid: Other M, that it will lose the aspects of the game that I like - the feelings of loneliness and exploring new worlds. But they've shown little more than a flashy trailer, so I'll hold judgement for now.
Wii Motion Plus looks good, and I'm glad it's being bundled with various games. The Conduit, Red Steel 2, Sin and Punishment... good stuff awaits. |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #110173, posted by andypoole at 12:51, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110172 |
Posts: 5558
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What's new then?
Sony: New controller, PSP Go http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8080436.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8080452.stm
Microsoft: Project Natal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oACt9R9z37U Yawn. Basically, they've seen how well received the Wii Remote was, and they want a piece of it. The Microsoft one I'm not entirely convinced has been thought through properly.. We all saw the commotion when the Wii came out with people throwing their Wii Remotes through the telly screen.. Now they're going to be kicking and punching said telly screen.
Nintendo: Wii Motion Plus, Mario, Mario, Mario, Mario... and Metroid (the Other 'M') Nintendo quite publicly said before e3 that this year was going to be all about the games. And they didn't disappoint. See below.
PSP Go is a strange thing. They've finally got rid of the UMDs and moved to online purchases, which I'm convinced is the way to go (based on my experiences with the iPhone app store). But it seems very outdated in some respects, particularly the controls (no touch screen?). Will be interested to see whether they make an effort with the European online store. Basically, they still haven't found a portable format that works, and they're still trying to create a portable console that people will actually buy. I still don't think there's anything there that's worth getting. I'll be sticking to Nintendo's portable platform for now, thanks.
Not convinced by the new controllers from either Sony or Microsoft. The Natal stuff looks more interesting than Sony's still early prototypes, although the demo video says it's a "product vision - actual features and functionality may vary" so I'm not sure how much to believe anyway.
Besides, although the tech is neat, but I'm not sure if it's practical enough. Can you play with the lights dimmed, or lounging on the sofa? Is the AI really that good? Will hardcore gamers suddenly warm to looking like a wally in their living room (after refusing to even waggle their wiimotes in polite company?) I think they will very much struggle in darkened rooms.
I also noted that the video Microsoft released of Natal is pretty much all faked. Take for instance the guy that "scans" his skateboard. When he tells it to scan, he's got his fingers over part of the design, yet when he then goes into the menu to select it, there's no fingers there, and it's a perfect replica of the design itself. Also, some of the movements that are "replicated" on the screen are different to what the person actually did...
I'm putting this in the same bucket as "PlayStation Home" - neat demos, but the end result (when it finally arrives) will be rather disappointing. Ditto. When Nintendo announced their Wii Remote, it was something new, and people were naturally intrigued by it. Now, it's just a matter of Microsoft and Sony trying to play catch up. Of course, the Wii already has an established userbase, and I think that the game developers are going to continue supporting that platform rather than hoping that people will buy Microsoft or Sony's addons.
I've defended Nintendo in the past for using Mario so much, but it felt over the top announcing so many Mario games in one press conference. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was inevitable, but should be good fun. I hope they use orchestrated music again though - the synthesised stuff in the trailer made it feel far less special. Well I was fairly happy with the lineup they announced. New Super Mario Bros Wii looks very much like the DS version of the same name, which was an enjoyable game, and sort of takes the franchise back to its roots. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also a game I was quite happy to see. Mario Galaxy is an excellent game, and assuming they don't bugger the format up in this sequel, it'll be good.
The other Mario games announced I wasn't overly fussed with. I'm not into the Mario RPG style games that much anyway.
Very worried about Metroid: Other M, that it will lose the aspects of the game that I like - the feelings of loneliness and exploring new worlds. But they've shown little more than a flashy trailer, so I'll hold judgement for now. I'll be honest here, I've never played the Metroid games, however I did think that the trailer looked absolutely fantastic. I've been meaning to pick up a copy of the GameCube/Wii versions of Metroid for a while now, and might do so before the Other M comes out.
Wii Motion Plus looks good, and I'm glad it's being bundled with various games. The Conduit, Red Steel 2, Sin and Punishment... good stuff awaits. Wii Sports Resort looks quite fun, and I'll likely pick it up when it's out. The Conduit is one I've been keeping my eye on for a while now. It looks like it should be a very good game.
Wii Fit Plus, from what I saw of the presentation, is going to be similar to the Wii Fit that's out there now, but with extra bits thrown in. I haven't touched Wii Fit for a while now, but the games were by far much more fun to play than the aerobic/yoga exercises that are in the game. If the new one has more games that are fun in there, I may well pick that one up too.
Right now, it looks good to be a Nintendo fan in the gaming world. OK, there's some excellent looking games coming out on the other platforms soon.. Modern Warfare 2 for a start, but I still don't think there's enough on offer for me to warrant buying an XBox 360 of PS3 in the foreseeable future. When Modern Warfare 2 is out, I'll most likely get the PC version.
If anything, at E3 there seemed to be not much from Nintendo for the DS(i). Maybe this was because the DSi was only launched a short time ago, but it did seem odd that there weren't many big announcements for the big Nintendo franchises on the DS(i). Having said that, there is a new Zelda on the way for the DS(i) (Shame there wasn't a new Wii Zelda announced), and I'll most likely get a copy of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days when that's out.
And then there's also Toy Story Mania for the Wii, which is based on the attraction of the same name at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, which given that it's pretty much the same as what you do on the attraction itself, should be an awesome party game 
Andy. |
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Jeffrey Lee |
Message #110174, posted by Phlamethrower at 13:01, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110173 |
 Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
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*resumes waiting for HL 2 Ep 3 news* |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #110175, posted by andypoole at 13:13, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110174 |
Posts: 5558
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*resumes waiting for HL 2 Ep 3 news* Pfft. Aren't you supposed to be porting RISC OS or something? 
Andy. |
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Jeffrey Lee |
Message #110176, posted by Phlamethrower at 13:21, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110175 |
Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
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No, I'm meant to be working |
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Phil Mellor |
Message #110177, posted by monkeyson2 at 13:25, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110173 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
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Wii Fit Plus, from what I saw of the presentation, is going to be similar to the Wii Fit that's out there now, but with extra bits thrown in. I haven't touched Wii Fit for a while now, but the games were by far much more fun to play than the aerobic/yoga exercises that are in the game. If the new one has more games that are fun in there, I may well pick that one up too. Yes, I didn't play Wii Fit much because it was far too much like a PE lesson. I prefer my exercise to be a happy side-effect of doing something more fun or useful - most sport and gym activities are really quite tedious and mind numbingly dull.
A version of Metroid Prime with balance board controls - now that would be awesome. (And maybe what Natal is aiming for).
Also, I forgot the Wii Vitality Sensor. What the hell is that about? Seems a bizarre thing to introduce at this time, particularly with no software to demonstrate it's usefulness.
I guess it could be put to an interesting use in something like Resident Evil or Eternal Darkness, but the actual design looks a bit clinical and not something you'd wear whilst shooting zombies in the head. |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #110178, posted by andypoole at 13:28, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110177 |
Posts: 5558
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Also, I forgot the Wii Vitality Sensor. What the hell is that about? Seems a bizarre thing to introduce at this time, particularly with no software to demonstrate it's usefulness. I think that was just put in there as a quick look at some of their R&D. Personally, I can't see a use for it in general games. They may be able to tie it into Wii Fit along with some of the exercises, but I can't see myself using it in something like a Mario game or a FPS...
Andy. |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #110179, posted by andypoole at 13:28, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110176 |
Posts: 5558
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No, I'm meant to be working Hm, that reminds me.. I should be doing something like that, too...
Andy. |
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Phil Mellor |
Message #110180, posted by monkeyson2 at 13:30, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110173 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
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And then there's also Toy Story Mania for the Wii, which is based on the attraction of the same name at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, which given that it's pretty much the same as what you do on the attraction itself, should be an awesome party game What, somebody asks you where the Great Movie Ride is, and you do the Disney point with the Wii remote? |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #110181, posted by andypoole at 13:41, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110180 |
Posts: 5558
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And then there's also Toy Story Mania for the Wii, which is based on the attraction of the same name at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, which given that it's pretty much the same as what you do on the attraction itself, should be an awesome party game What, somebody asks you where the Great Movie Ride is, and you do the Disney point with the Wii remote?
No, I have fingers for that
Andy. |
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Jason Togneri |
Message #110182, posted by filecore at 17:34, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110181 |
Posts: 3868
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And then there's also Toy Story Mania for the Wii, which is based on the attraction of the same name at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, which given that it's pretty much the same as what you do on the attraction itself, should be an awesome party game What, somebody asks you where the Great Movie Ride is, and you do the Disney point with the Wii remote?
No, I have fingers for that
What, somebody asks you where the Great Movie Ride is, and you give them the finger? |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #110183, posted by andypoole at 17:58, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110182 |
Posts: 5558
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And then there's also Toy Story Mania for the Wii, which is based on the attraction of the same name at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, which given that it's pretty much the same as what you do on the attraction itself, should be an awesome party game What, somebody asks you where the Great Movie Ride is, and you do the Disney point with the Wii remote?
No, I have fingers for that
What, somebody asks you where the Great Movie Ride is, and you give them the finger?
No, I do The Disney Point in the general direction of GMR.
Not too many people ask that here in the North-West of the UK, though.
Andy. |
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Jason Togneri |
Message #110186, posted by filecore at 19:50, 3/6/2009, in reply to message #110183 |
Posts: 3868
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The Disney Point How bizarre. I learned in Malaysia that it's rude to point in any form; if you really must, point, you should use your thumb (so pointing forwards is basically a forward-inclined fist, with thumb in a straight line over the top). Ah, culture. |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #110190, posted by andypoole at 12:36, 4/6/2009, in reply to message #110186 |
Posts: 5558
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The Disney Point How bizarre.
Even more bizarre is the fact that it's nearly three years since I worked for Disney and I still do the Disney Point to this day. It's kind of involuntary now
Andy. |
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The Icon Bar: Games: E3, then |
