e3-2009
Latest
Hands-on: Shiren the Wanderer (Wii)
We read Atlus's late night press release announcing plans to localize Sega's Shiren the Wanderer 3 with utter shock. We had long since resigned ourselves to never seeing the console 3D version of Chunsoft's roguelike, and we were afraid that we had merely dreamed that Atlus had picked it up with plans to release it in 2010. But, sure enough, the game was available for play in Atlus's booth, and we were pleased to have the opportunity to check it out. Full disclosure: we didn't die in our play session, which should give fans of Shiren on the DS a rough idea of how long we were able to play.
Industry happy with E3 2009's rebirth
Initial reaction to the rebirth of E3 has been quite positive. GI.biz spoke with representatives of several major publishers and they all seemed to have supportive things to say about the event. Take-Two CEO Ben Feder even said the company "couldn't be happier" thanks to the show's "unbelievable" energy.We can add that from company reps we talked with during the show that almost everyone seemed pleased with the format and scale. A couple folks even said that the ESA could open the tap for E3 2010 just "a little more." Next year's show is set for June 15-17, but we still have plenty more E3 stuff to post and coverage from last week's activities, so stay tuned.
E3 2009: Impressions of Heroes of Telara
To be honest, when the Heroes of Telara trailer first released, much of what we heard was "been there done that" from readers and friends. "Fantasy has been done to death" was another. That's why we were glad to see the game actually in play behind closed doors this last week at the Trion World Network space at E3. While we only saw a pre-alpha copy of the game (and would point out that it's what they used for the trailer) it's certainly raised our interest over the initial impression we had. In motion, Heroes of Telara actually made some of us of think of an updated, shinier version of Guild Wars in terms of very pretty and highly-detailed stylized (yet somewhat realistic) graphics. As was explained to us by Chris Mancil, the Director of Community Management for Trion, one of the largest things that they feel will set Heroes of Telara apart from many others is that they are working to keep the game server-based. Their plan is to attempt to keep most of the "action" server side as is possible so that they can add new events into the game without having to send along enormous patches to players all the time. All assets will still reside client side, but they'll be able to manipulate game-play by telling the client to modify where things spawn, how things interact, and the like. From little things like different vendors having sales to large zone-wide events, it will allow them to change anything and everything on the fly and make Heroes of Telara feel more like it's taking place in a living, breathing, dynamic world that players will want to "live in, explore, and play." %Gallery-64646% %Gallery-64649%
E3 2009: Racing updates zoom into Free Realms
If you're one of the many people who really enjoy the Racing game or Demolition Derby in Free Realms, then you're in for a treat. We learned in speaking to Andrew Sites, Senior Producer for Free Realms, that the team at SOE are hard at work on a huge content update specifically geared (no pun intended) towards the fans of the racing games. The update, currently scheduled for July, will include progression for racing players allowing them to become better racers over time until they eventually unlock a prestige class mechanic. This prestige racer class is slated to allow players to hit level 20. In addition to the prestige class, we'll also see a new garage being added to the game which will allow players to have a special place to store all their cars. The new garage will also allow players to modify them, including changing speed, braking, handling and all those other spiffy mechanics that racing gamers like to pick from in order to build the car of their dreams. As if this weren't enough, in August, all you Free Realms racing fiends will be treated to a Pro-driver class which will grant new cars and tracks. Should be a turbo-charged series of updates! Massively was on the ground in Los Angeles last week and covering all the latest E3 MMO news coming from the convention. Check out our breaking coverage (or all the Joystiq network E3 reporting) and keep your eye on Massively's front page for the latest developments.
Hands-on (and flapping like wings): Wii Fit Plus
While the idea of leaning on a board and waving a stick around may no longer carry an inherent wow factor after everyone has introduced a motion controller, it's clear from just a few minutes with Nintendo's Wii Fit Plus that the company has been thinking of new ways to use its existing technology in gameplay. We weren't allowed to demo the new strength or yoga exercises in the expanded version of the megahit Wii exercise game -- thus sparing a crowd of gaming's best and brightest the sight of us stretching -- but the new balance games were open to us.%Gallery-65357%
E3 2009: Sci-Fi MMO is an "action RPG"
While visiting with Trion World Network at E3, we were unable to snag any new details on the Sci-Fi MMO beyond this poster - at least any that we can share with you, anyway. (Some of the early concept art flashed across the monitors, and it looks pretty cool if we do say so ourselves.) We did find out that this new MMO is currently codenamed "Channel 3" and is going to be an "MMOARPG", or a massively multiplayer action role-playing game. Of course, what precisely this means is largely anyone's guess. What makes it more action-based than a normal MMORPG? Will the action be due to the tie-in with the upcoming Sci-Fi series? Will they change their earlier statements and perhaps film action-y parts of the upcoming series in-game? Or is it just going to be buttonmashapolooza, with attacks coming as fast as you're able to faceroll your keyboard? Who knows! We'll keep our eyes peeled and ears to the ground in case the folks at Trion World Entertainment decide to let slip with any more tantalizing tidbits about this upcoming TV/MMO hybrid property. (Well, assuming they also don't catch us taking pictures of the monitors showing off concept art next time. Boooo.)
Miyamoto flattered, not worried by Sony, Microsoft motion controllers
If there was one driving theme behind this year's E3, it was that motion controls are too cool for school. However, even with both Microsoft and Sony jumping onto the bandwagon with their own gesture-based antics, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto tells the BBC that he's "not worried at all" about being left behind. In fact, the brain trust says that Nintendo's "very flattered" by the competition. Still, Miyamoto barbed his comments, stating that, based on what he's seen so far, neither competitor's motion controllers "have the type of depth that we're able to provide with Wii Motion Plus." Sony. Microsoft. You hear that hitting the floor? That's the gauntlet.[Via 1UP]
PSP Go lacks mini USB, compatibility with existing accessories, common sense
Confession time: we weren't exactly charmed by Sony's PSP Go when Sony made the thing official. It's not that we're particularly fond of UMD (quite the contrary as a matter of fact), rather we found it a little hard to stomach a slimmer device that offers nearly the same hardware as its predecessor, swapping an optical drive for more storage, yet will cost nearly twice as much. Factor in the cost of all new accessories and things get even less appealing, with confirmation that the Go lacks a standard mini USB port on top, meaning things like PSP keyboards and Sony's GPS accessory are on a fast-track to obsolescence. Even current A/V cables and chargers won't work thanks to a new multifunction port on the base -- but Sony will be quite happy to sell you new ones. Is this the price of progress, or an attempt to boost profit margins? It's not good news for gamers, regardless.
Hands-on: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Ever wonder what the digestive system of Mario's spiky arch-nemesis looks like -- or, for that matter, his endocrine, skeletal, muscular and nervous systems as well? We're guessing the answer is "no," but as it turns out, Bowser's guts provide an excellent backdrop for one of the most interesting games we saw at E3 -- Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.The game handles exactly like the handheld Mario RPGs that came before it -- the A and B buttons control the actions of Mario and Luigi, respectively. You walk them around a 2D platform world filled with monsters who engage the plumbers in turn-based combat. Combat cues are timing-centric -- pressing the right button mid-jump gives you a boost of power, and rhythmic button presses let you bounce Koopa shells off enemies for massive damage.However, Inside Story flips the script on the franchise, introducing an gameplay and story convention that is nothing less than brilliant in an Innerspace-esque kind of way.
Impressions: Ju-on: The Grudge (Wii)
Making a horror game for a "casual" audience requires a reorganization of priorities. While something like Resident Evil is intent on scaring the player, there are a lot of gameplay elements aside from fear, like inventory management and even accuracy. These elements make for a well-rounded game, but they can actually prevent the player from experiencing all the game's scares. AQ Interactive's Ju-On: The Grudge, being released in North America this October by XSEED, takes out all the "survival" from a survival horror game to create what XSEED calls a "haunted house simulator," focused entirely on scaring the crap out of players over and over again. And from what we saw, it works.%Gallery-63975%
Impressions: Mafia II
The original Mafia won critics and gamers over with its deep storytelling an intriguing new gameplay conventions -- but for some reason, it never seemed to become a mainstream hit as much as the industry's other huge, crime-riddled sandbox franchise, Grand Theft Auto, did. Perhaps it's because its creators weren't backed by humongous, multi-billion dollar juggernauts. Or maybe the name just wasn't as catchy.Regardless, developer Illusion Softworks, now operating under the moniker 2K Czech, is hoping to capture more of the gaming public's brainspace with their upcoming organized crime epic, Mafia II -- and from what we recently saw of the game at E3, 2K's well on its way to producing a product that could very well be the heir apparent to the sandbox genre throne.%Gallery-6189%
Hands-on: Battle Tanks
Battle Tanks, coming to the PlayStation Network from mobile developer Gameloft this July, feels very familiar. At its heart, the game's a two-stick shooter with a few interesting mechanics to help differentiate it from the crowd (bullets ricochet off of walls and power-ups break up the monotony). Which isn't to say what we played of the the game was bad -- it felt like digital distribution's equivalent of a rental-worthy game -- which is quite the dilemma, considering the PSN-based distribution of the title.Commanding a World War 2-era tank, we piloted ourselves around a handful of different square maps, where a variety of enemy tanks and power-ups laid in our path. The layout of each level's semi-destructible environments helped to dictate our tactics while we dominated Destructoid's Ben Perlee -- er, rather, while he blew himself up, given that ricocheting bullets (even your own) can mean game over. While we weren't exactly jonesin' for more once the demo had ended, Battle Tanks' detailed environments and combination shooter/puzzle gameplay could very easily help us while away an empty Saturday. Too bad we can't rent it.%Gallery-65353%
Hands-on: Overlord II
The original Overlord was a flawed game with a subversively chewy center. The only thing Overlord II needs to deliver to outdo the original is some polish, which is something we can't really tell is present from messing around with a demo for 10 minutes. That doesn't mean we didn't like what we saw, it's simply noting that Overlord's flaws didn't become strikingly clear until later in the game. The latest title has the same whimsical art style as the original, but this time magic is starting to disappear from the world. The Overlord will not only battle a comical version of the Roman empire (Asterix and Obelix fans will notice immediately), but will be an antihero to the loss of magic in the world.A demo for the game is available now on Xbox Live and PSN, but it picks up where the E3 demo leaves off.%Gallery-48075%
'WaSaBi': Game accessories with Japanese spice
Tons of companies were at E3 to show off their game accessory series, but nobody had a more eye-catching setup than Gametech's WaSaBi line. The accessory line, which features traditional Japanese patterns and ukiyo-e artwork, first launched in Japan in December of last year. Gametech has just opened sales to American customers, using this flashy booth both to attract their attention and to gauge their interest with surveys. The display worked on us -- we couldn't help but get pictures to share with you.The accessories on hand ranged from gorgeous (especially in the case of the PSP and DS pouches) to gaudy (the guitars), but all add a distinctly Japanese touch to your game systems.%Gallery-65323%
Insights on Nintendo's new games from the Miyamoto developer event
Shigeru Miyamoto didn't appear at Nintendo's big E3 conference, but he did appear at what Nintendo called a "developer event" later that evening, in a "very relaxed mood" from his morning off. This discussion/Q&A event was the location of last year's Pikmin 3 reveal, and this year Miyamoto came prepared to surprise everyone again at the end, with art from the next Zelda game. "To be honest with you, I really wanted, at this E3, to announce a Zelda game for Wii," he said. "But, we've already shown you a Zelda on Wii, and rather than try to think of something to bring here to show you, we really wanted to focus on actual game development."However, I didn't want to come empty-handed, so I did bring the main illustration for the next Zelda title."
E3 2009: APB lead designer EJ Moreland on the term 'MMO' and competing with WoW
Just from what we saw at E3, we know that Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin isn't your typical MMO. After I checked out the crime game's expansive character customization and grilled lead designer EJ Moreland about it, he also talked about a variety of topics, like how the terms "MMO" and "PvP" don't apply to APB, the MMO elements the game has, how some Crackdown fans might be disappointed and, of course, competing with the "800-pound gorilla" that is World of Warcraft.
E3 2009: APB lead designer EJ Moreland on player customization and creativity
Ever since it was shown at GDC last year, All Points Bulletin has been one game that both MMO and shooter players alike have been following closely. During E3 this past week, Realtime Worlds, the Scotland-based studio headed by Grand Theft Auto creator Dave Jones, announced that the massively multiplayer crime-themed game will be published by Electronic Arts. After getting a close look at APB's detailed customization options during a demonstration at E3, I spoke with lead designer EJ Moreland, whose past work includes EverQuest II, Star Wars: Galaxies and Ultima Online. During the interview, Moreland talked about the importance of having players feel unique, being compared to Spore and the possibilities in APB's future.
Fatal1ty teams with Fusion-io to launch 80GB ioXtreme PCI Express SSD
Up until now, Fusion-io's glorious creations have largely been priced out of consideration for general consumers. During E3, however, the storage gurus teamed up with Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel in order to debut a consumer-level PCI Express SSD card. Engineered to provide wicked fast transfer rates within high-performance PCs, the ioXtreme is an 80GB PCI Express card that should make your traditional HDD seem absolutely antiquated. Better still, it's slated to ship next month for the not-too-terribly-egregious price of $895, which certainly gets you into the game for a lot less than OCZ's (admittedly more capacious) Z-Drive.
Interview: XSEED on what happened with Muramasa and more [update]
[Update: we had attributed some of these remarks to the wrong person. Our apologies to Mr. Berry.]Last September, XSEED Games announced its intent to publish Vanillaware's Wii side-scroller Muramasa: The Demon Blade in North America, to the delight of hardcore action gamers and people who like to see pretty things. Then, in April, it announced that it wouldn't be publishing the title, a duty that then fell to Ignition Entertainment.At the time, we wondered why XSEED would decide not to publish such an eye-catching game. The short answer: it wouldn't decide to do that. XSEED's Jun Iwasaki and Ken Berry gave us details on the Muramasa situation, as well as the recent Fragile announcement, and the timing of Flower, Sun, and Rain. And, of course, they gamely accepted our pleas for Retro Game Challenge 2.
45 Second Booth Tour: EA
Continuing our 45 Second Booth Tour coverage, here's a quick looksy at EA's E3 2009 booth, which features plenty of game stations, a few helpful EA reps and hundreds of feet of wrap around video screen. Click and enjoy your 45 second booth tour.
