E3 2011

[chamber715]

Anyone else keeping up with the announcements so far from this year's E3?

Nintendo's new console looks... odd. The controller/tablet looks like it'd be awkward to play with. I find it funny, that the Wii and the WiiU have two completely different philosophies when it comes to the controller. The Wii's controller is simple and minimalistic. The WiiU's controller looks like an abomination of buttons. I do like the upgraded graphics and hopefully more dedicated third party software support.

Sony continues to push the 3D angle... I do like that they're offering a $500 entry level 3Dtv. If I were in the market for a second tv, I'd consider getting it. The PS Vita looks like a good handheld, but has a stupid name. It remains to be seen whether or not it'll be successful. The price is surprising, but a good surprising. $250 for the wifi only model and $300 for the wifi/3G model. It's a lot of money, but comparable to the 3DS and supposedly a lot more powerful.

Microsoft looks to continue pushing the 360 as a total entertainment solution. The addition of live TV and the ability to use the 360 as a DVR is potentially exciting but it all depends on what the service is like and how much it costs. I'm glad to see that they're integrating Kinect into less casual games. The parts of the Mass Effect 3 integration are cool, some are not. Ordering your team around with your voice? Cool. Saying lines of dialogue? Not so cool.

[chamber715]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/onli ... he-public/

OnLive, the streaming gaming service, is coming to the iPad and Android tablets. That's a pretty cool idea but I'm curious how many people pay for games on OnLive to begin with? I have an account and I've played demos and trials before, but I've never bought a game there.

[IsaacMahomie]

Coming from someone who bought an xbox360 less than a year ago, I'm pleased to see that they're sticking with this model and pushing it to its limits instead of starting from scratch.
I kinda like the idea of saying some of the dialog. It appeals to the actor in me. ... but no way I'd be playing that while my wife was home. That added feature would just add to her "videogames are borderline a waste of time" attitude.

[chamber715]

I kinda like the idea of saying some of the dialog. It appeals to the actor in me. ... but no way I'd be playing that while my wife was home. That added feature would just add to her "videogames are borderline a waste of time" attitude.

I think it'd be different if you were actually interacting with the characters. But you're saying one line to make a dialogue choice which your character then finishes the interaction. I think the reason I like using your voice to command the other characters is that the interaction is more direct. But I'm not sure why these features would be a 360/Kinect exclusive. Wouldn't you be able to do that with any mic, since presumably the software is deciphering the voice?

After watching the footage from the Microsoft press conference last night, I think the most impressive use of Kinect was with Ubisoft's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Being able to select different parts of your gun controller-free or by voice is cool. But shooting via miming shooting motions isn't.

[chamber715]

Thinking about the WiiU for the past few days, I hope what someone does is make a D&D game for the system. Since you can't use that many of the tablet controllers with the system, the restrictions lend itself to a DM type situation. Maybe make the game a hybrid RTS/hack and slash game. You can have a party of four players, for which the game would behave something like the old Capcom D&D arcade games. Then you have the DM who has an overview of the map or maps on the tablet controller and can dispatch enemies or traps or whatever. How cool would that be?

[DoctorTran]

If I were in the market for a second tv, I'd consider getting it. The PS Vita looks like a good handheld, but has a stupid name. It remains to be seen whether or not it'll be successful.

Names don't matter anymore... For example... is Vita any worse than Kinect or Wii U? I mean for fuck sake... Wii U. All I think of is Kung Pow.

Either way. I'm totally down for a PSV. Looking forward to Mass Effect 3, Halo 4, Halo: CE: A, MGS:HD collections, Ghost Recon: Future Warrior, Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, Battlefield 3... I think that's about it.

[chamber715]

If I were in the market for a second tv, I'd consider getting it. The PS Vita looks like a good handheld, but has a stupid name. It remains to be seen whether or not it'll be successful.

Names don't matter anymore... For example... is Vita any worse than Kinect or Wii U? I mean for fuck sake... Wii U. All I think of is Kung Pow.

Yeah, Kinect and Wii U are both stupid names. Wii U is a different level of stupid because it left people confused as to if Nintendo was talking about a new console or just a new controller for the existing console.

Either way. I'm totally down for a PSV. Looking forward to Mass Effect 3, Halo 4, Halo: CE: A, MGS:HD collections, Ghost Recon: Future Warrior, Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, Battlefield 3... I think that's about it.

I'm excited about the Vita too. The price alone makes me want to get one. It makes me a little sad that they're releasing previously PSP only titles to the PS3. I will get the Metal Gear Solid collection, even though I already own all of those games. One of them, I already own two different versions of...

[Mongbert]

WiiU doesn't seem very Nintend-esque, I suspect they're trying to ape Sony's and Microsoft's rather hamfisted approaches to naming.

[chamber715]

WiiU doesn't seem very Nintend-esque, I suspect they're trying to ape Sony's and Microsoft's rather hamfisted approaches to naming.

I think they're trying to capitalize on the success of the Wii, but it doesn't help that they've branded everything with "Wii". I think with Sony and Microsoft's naming convention, you immediately know that it's a different thing. Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and Xbox and Xbox 360... we've been trained to think that anything with a number after it is a different thing. But it's confusing when you name a console Wii and the controller the Wiimote and the new console the Wii U, which you focus all of your messaging on the controller and, in fact, show it being played alongside other Wiimotes.

[Mongbert]

I'm not sure Wii2 would sound much better. Doesn't look like its gone down brilliantly, though.

[Silv3r]

Should have just called it WOO!

[chamber715]

I'm not sure Wii2 would sound much better. Doesn't look like its gone down brilliantly, though.

Really the problem is that Wii isn't a very good name. Wii HD is an ok name, but it makes it seem like the only difference is HD graphics, which I'm sure that most of the people who bought the Wii in the first place are ignorant of.

I think Nintendo has had a problem with branding lately... I'm sure the 3DS name confuses some people. I was in Target a while back and I overheard a mom say to her son "But you already have a DS."

[Mongbert]

I think, by and large, the videogame market is just leaving Nintendo behind, they seem to have cornered the family market, but the real money now seems to be in generic FPSs, in swift succession, throw in some impressive sounding technical words, make sure everyone knows its HD, big-ass marketing campaign (coming soon the PS3 and the Xbox 360). Catering to the perpetual teens.

[chamber715]

I think, by and large, the videogame market is just leaving Nintendo behind, they seem to have cornered the family market, but the real money now seems to be in generic FPSs, in swift succession, throw in some impressive sounding technical words, make sure everyone knows its HD, big-ass marketing campaign (coming soon the PS3 and the Xbox 360). Catering to the perpetual teens.

Nintendo probably made a lot of money on the Wii, but it wasn't sustainable. I noticed that pretty much every E3 press conference since they debuted the Wii, they announced another piece of hardware... because they couldn't get people to buy the software. And software is really where the longevity of profitability comes from for video games. I know my cousin, who doesn't play games, has a wii. She also has a Wii balance board. And I think maybe 3 games. Wii Sports, Wii Fit and American Idol.

I'm not a huge FPS fan either, but I've played my fair share of them, mostly for sake of the comic. But, this image popped up on cracked.com:

That graphic pretty much shows why I don't like FPS games... they're all the same.

[Silv3r]

Sony continues to push the 3D angle... I do like that they're offering a $500 entry level 3Dtv.

I've just been reading up about this TV and it seems pretty damn cool. Using the same principle as 3d to allow two players to share the screen, each seeing it as if they were playing it solo. I wouldn't get one though, just because I don't have any use for that kind of thing. Still cool though.