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10 memorable E3 conference moments (Ravi Drums not included)
With E3 coming up, and amazing and/or hilariously awkward conferences on the way (get your bingo cards ready!), Crispy Gamer's Kyle Orland offers a look back at the most memorable conference moments of E3's past. Remember Reggie's first appearance, when he was trying to act like a tough guy for some reason? Remember when Rock Revolution revolted against its own presenter? Perhaps you've managed to forget Jamie Kennedy's stint as an Activision conference host. No doubt Jamie Kennedy has tried.We're a bit surprised not to see Nintendo's 2008 conference represented. Orland took the high road and used some of the 10 slots for historically interesting press conference moments. We suppose there's quite enough talk online about that particular conference anyway.
Get your Ravi on with We Rock: Drum King
If there's one thing we learned from Nintendo's presentation at E3 earlier this year, it's that snowboarding injuries are often hilarious playing imaginary drums is like, the coolest-looking action that anyone could ever hope to perform. 505 Games, whose publishing repertoire includes PAL versions of Cooking Mama and Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, will attempt to capture said lightning in a bottle with their upcoming Wii rhythm game We Rock: Drum King. We think we know who's winning the coveted "Best Video Game Title of 2009" award. The title, which is being developed by ARC System Works (the minds behind WiiWare "games" Family Glide Hockey and Family Table Tennis), is currently slated for a Europe-only release of April 2009. Based on a brief explanation provided in a press release, gameplay sounds like it will be reminiscent of Guitar Hero, with players using two Wiimotes to "air drum" along with a song, as designated by multicolored bars moving along a track. We will be heartbroken if this one doesn't make it across the Atlantic.
Rigopulos on why air drumming doesn't work
In a lengthy interview with GameDaily BIZ, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos offered his thoughts on air drumming – the preferred form of percussive input in Nintendo's Wii Music, skillfully demonstrated above by a professional – and explained why Harmonix felt the need for an actual drum peripheral on the Wii. After considering using the Wiimote in an air drumming capacity, Rigopulos says, "We backed away from it because we found that the tactile element of actually hitting a surface when you're drumming is a fairly critical part to the visceral feel of actually playing drums." So, with air drumming, you're missing "a critical element ... in the experience."Not much of a surprise coming from the head of a company currently shipping a giant, plastic drum kit, sure, but we were surprised to learn air drumming was ever even under consideration at Chez Harmonix.
Rumor: Wii Music coming Oct 16 to Japan
Nintendo is holding some sort of event today in Japan, far from our watchful eye. Though it may be able to hide from the Joystiq Biomass, it can't hide from the internet, as the folks at NeoGAF have once again proven. User Jonnyram got some tidbits from the Japanese Rambling Man blog, which (according to his translation) says you can expect to see Wii Music in the Land of the Rising Sun on Oct. 16.If the post can be believed, you can also look for Captain Rainbow in August, colored Wiimote straps in September and Valkyrie Profile DS on Oct. 2. We're a couple of language barriers removed from the source, so we wouldn't write it in stone, but the info does seem to represent our best guess at a Wii Music window for the moment.[Via NeoGAF]
