e3 2010
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Warhammer 40K Dark Millennium Online trailer gives taste of the far future
The Warhammer 40K MMO, Dark Millennium, may still be another two years away, but the trailer after the break gives us a small glimpse of the in-development title's graphics and user interface. Of course, being two years away, almost all of that can (and likely will) change.
Preview: Metroid: Other M
In every Metroid game, from the NES original through Metroid Prime, there's been a certain weight to Samus. She can run faster than someone in a giant suit of armor should be able to, yes, and she can triangle jump to ridiculous heights, but Samus has always felt slow to start and build up speed, as would be expected of someone covered in metal. More than the perspective changes, the ability to walk toward and away from the screen, the auto-aiming or any of the other new elements in Metroid: Other M, Samus's "weight" feels the most different. She is faster than she's ever been in Team Ninja's take on Metroid and accelerates to full speed instantaneously. The faster movements naturally lend the game a faster pace, and the way Samus zips across the screen makes the Team Ninja influence apparent. %Gallery-95759%
The 3rd Birthday trailer quantum leaps into action
We know our dream of playing a video game adaptation of the greatest television show ever will probably never be realized. Still, judging by this trailer for the spiritual successor to the Parasite Eve series, The 3rd Birthday might just be the closest we'll ever get to Quantum Leap: The Game.
Interview: Marvel vs Capcom 3 producer Ryota Niitsuma
During E3, we bent the ear of Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds producer Ryota Niitsuma, who in turn gabbed about the new game and previous Vs titles, as well as the possibility of a new arcade stick partnership with Mad Catz. The full interview follows. Joystiq: We've heard different stories about the origin of Marvel vs Capcom 3 -- both that development started as a result of strong sales of the HD re-release of Marvel vs Capcom 2 and that it was in development long before that. Which is it? Ryota Niitsuma: Both games were being developed independently -- one didn't lead to the other, as it were. While we were getting the ball rolling on MvC3, the downloadable version of Marvel vs Capcom 2 was being repackaged and distributed. And then that was really successful, as you know, and because of that, it had kind of an impact on Marvel vs Capcom 3. We thought then that the game would be really big and people would be excited about it, so then we were more hopeful and expectant of what would happen with Marvel vs Capcom 3. %Gallery-91173%
Molyneux: 'Milo & Kate' fully playable, 'ten times more amazing' than before
While we did get to see (and be impressed by) Fable 3 at E3 last week, there was no sign of Peter Molyneux's other big project, the demo now known as Milo & Kate for the hardware now known as Kinect. Molyneux tells CVG that it is now fully playable, and "ten times more amazing" than it was when we saw it at last year's E3. The game was shown off to celebrities, presumably at the closed-doors hands-on session held during the bizarre Cirque du Soleil event last week. So why didn't we get to see it? "There's a very interesting reason why," says Molyneux, "but I can't tell you why." Really, Peter? Didn't we mature past this random, vague hype? Fable 2 was great, and Fable 3 looks good, so we'll be patient. But the reason why Microsoft didn't show off what sounds like one of its most enticing Kinect titles had better be "interesting" indeed.
Hands-on with three new Power A peripherals
Peripheral manufacturer Power A had a major presence at E3 this year, residing in a massive booth taking up a fair amount of real estate on the main show floor. The company's product showcase was highlighted by three controllers which are due out later this fall for the PS3 and Wii. If you're a visual learner, you can check out a few images of each of these controllers in the gallery posted below. Otherwise, click past the jump to read our thoughts on these devices. %Gallery-96150%
Hydrophobia's 'Challenge Rooms' test powers slated for its sequel
Our preview of Hydrophobia from E3 2010 covered what we saw in the first installment of the planned trilogy; however, if you want an idea of what to expect in the next installment, we got a better idea by checking out the game's "Challenge Rooms," which unlock only after the player finishes the main campaign. What's tucked after the break may be considered spoiler-ish, so click on through if you're willing to take the plunge. %Gallery-74474%
Preview: Halo: Reach (campaign)
What's the biggest change being made for Bungie's final Halo game? Some would argue that the visuals, powered by a brand new graphics engine, make the greatest impact. Sure, Halo: Reach looks better than any Halo before it -- but that's not what I was taken aback by. Others would argue the lack of Master Chief makes Reach feel different from its predecessors. Yes, the Spartan-III jumps a bit differently, but that doesn't define Reach's new emotional direction. No, the biggest game-changer is this: the Covenant don't speak English. Before you angrily hit the "Back" button on your browser, hear me out. In the previous Halo games, the Covenant were like movie villains; they could even quip one-liners at you. Some would even squeal, comically, as they ran away from an overpowered Master Chief. However, because Halo Reach isn't a story about a triumphant victory -- rather, a tragedy against an overwhelming alien force -- Bungie was left with a challenge: how do you reinvent the Covenant -- familiar to a generation of Halo gamers -- and make them threatening again? You make them truly alien. While it may seem like a rather cosmetic change, this creative decision represents a maturity in Bungie's storytelling abilities. The developer wants you to take the story seriously -- so much so that the flaming helmet included in the $150 Legendary Edition can't be used in the campaign. (Apparently, having someone's head on fire in cutscenes drastically reduces its gravitas.) %Gallery-96148%
Preview: NBA Elite 11
There's a lot riding on NBA Elite 11. Now that EA has decided to retire its NBA Live series -- which graced consoles for the last 15 years -- and completely overhaul its game engine, it's hoping to reclaim the throne it lost to the NBA 2K series so many years ago. The first change that's apparent is the new controls. Gameplay is handled primarily through the use of both analog sticks -- the left stick acts as your feet, while the right stick represents your hands. It was jarring at first trying to link together moves in succession. But after only a few minutes, I was able to execute lay-ups, crossovers and even dunks. Once I really started to think of it in terms of feet and arms, it all really became intuitive. %Gallery-96126%
EQII's Dave Georgeson talks battlegrounds, starter cities
Now that this year's E3 is safely in the rear-view mirror, more MMO-centric news from the show is slowly filtering out of outlets around the web as writers are able to collect their interview notes and put fingers to keyboards. One such piece features EverQuest II's Dave Georgeson, the new producer on the long-running fantasy MMORPG, who sat down with Ten Ton Hammer to chat about changes coming soon to the world of Norrath. Georgeson indicates that the updates will be revealed at this year's SOE Fan Faire. In the meantime, he mentions tweaks to the beloved cities of Freeport and Qeynos, recently removed as starter city options to the chagrin of many veteran players. "I think the business as usual model needs to change. It would be so much better if we can put back some of the richness into the game so we don't have the empty world syndrome. We're going to be offering some new things here in the future that are really going to shake things up a bit," Georgeson says. He also touches on the problems inherent in the new Battlegrounds system, as well as hints at plans to address it eventually. "I think that people who are just casually going in are getting worked by people who have a lot of PvP gear and because of that we are seeing that people aren't going in without a full board commitment. Because not a lot of new people are going in we basically have the same set of people playing over and over again. Battlegrounds is a really good feature and we will continue to support it, we like it a lot; it's just under performing for the amount of effort we put into it," he says.
Interview: John Greiner introduces MonkeyPaw Games, a localization firm for digital releases
John Greiner was president of the US-based Hudson Entertainment for five years, and worked for Hudson Soft in Japan for fifteen years before that. Now, he's taken his expertise in the Japanese game industry and applied it to a new project, the digital distribution-focused publishing firm MonkeyPaw Games, a company that will specialize in remaking and localizing Japanese games from the past and present. In an interview conducted during E3, Greiner explained the new company's plans, opined on 3D and his favorite "lost" Japanese games, and provided valuable insight on what it's like to do business in Japan. Joystiq: Details were scarce when you made the announcement of MonkeyPaw Games earlier this month. John Greiner: The reason we didn't want to release many titles -- what we're doing -- is because we are having another release shortly, but first we wanted to show who the company was and what we're trying to do. The foundation of the company is the bridge that we give between Japan and the West. As you know, there are lots of Japanese games that never made it to the West, and should have made it to the West, but for whatever reason -- usually a lack of understanding on the Japanese side that there is a market for Japanese games in America and in the West. What we plan to do is form a community of like-minded gamers, people who want to see a lot of these great Japanese games come to the West.
Preview: Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip
Playing Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip at E3 gave me a small taste of the frustration 16-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer must have experienced after failing to beat his rival, Rafael Nadal, the past several years. Regardless of how prepared I felt going into a match, Hugo (clearly the greatest computer-controlled tennis player of all time) found a way to not only achieve seemingly impossible comebacks, but to make me look like an uncoordinated fool in defeat. I've never been this bad at a tennis video game, leaving me to wonder if Get a Grip is supposed to be a precise simulation, or if something's wrong. %Gallery-96116%
Preview: EA Sports MMA
The first mixed martial arts game, simply Ultimate Fighting Championship, was released way back in 2000, but it took nine years (including a five-year hiatus) for the sport to emerge as a successful video game sub-genre. THQ's UFC Undisputed series has enjoyed two years of positive critical and commercial reception. Now, EA is reaching for its own slice of the pie, introducing its UFC competitor, EA Sports MMA. In the back of EA's E3 booth, I spent some time with MMA -- I even fought a few random show floor attendees, mostly in the game -- and discovered that while EA Sports' offering is still a ways away from being a lifelike recreation of the sport, from a gameplay standpoint, it's a pretty decent game. %Gallery-80427%
Preview: 3DS 'Paddle Ball' tech demo
I know, I know -- a preview of a tech demo? In fairness, this one kind of blew my mind. Here's the skinny: outside of games we're assigned to play, there's rarely extra time while covering the controlled madness of E3 for Joystiq writers to check out something they're personally interested in ... other than the last day, that is. So, last Thursday, several of us who had yet to check out the Nintendo 3DS sneaked in a few personal moments with the device everyone was buzzing about. Upon first entering the 3DS area of Nintendo's E3 2010 booth, Nintendogs + Cats was available to pet, and an array of 3DSes with 3D trailers weren't too far away -- these featured everything from Mario Kart 64, which looked stunning, to a new Pilotwings title (hooray!). What impressed me the most, though, didn't star Mario or Chris Redfield or Solid Snake -- it was Pong. Alright, so, the Nintendo rep walking around the area with a 3DS chained to her waist (no joke) referred to it as "Paddle Ball," but for all intents and purposes, it was 3D Pong. %Gallery-95697%
TERA E3 video walkthrough with Evan Berman
Thegamer.vg has an interesting video interview with En Masse Entertainment senior community manager Evan "Scapes" Berman recorded live at last week's E3 convention in Los Angeles. The three-part interview, which features over twenty minutes of footage from En Masse's upcoming TERA action MMORPG, touches on everything from character creation, to class skills, to equipment customization. "With the focus group [testing this past March], we saw the Crystal Socketing System, which will allow your armor and weapons to be a little more customized toward what you want to focus on. If you want to have healing per second, or mana per second, or additional damage when somebody's knocked down...these are all crystals that you'll socket into your armor and weapons and you'll have a combination of them," Berman says. The walkthrough focuses on character creation, and also shows a bit of PvE in the form of quests and starter area gameplay. View the first portion of the video at Thegamer.vg.
Preview: Brink
In Brink, Splash Damage has created a world of two perpetually warring sides: the Security and the Resistance. Each is fighting for its own slice of a very small pie called the Ark, a floating city that remains the last bit of "land" on a flooded Earth. It was built to safely support a few thousand, but its ranks have swelled into the tens of thousands -- overpopulation and the two warring sides naturally brought about a conflict. Each side has four different classes. There's the Medic, the Engineer, the Soldier and the Operative. The Medic doles out health and revives downed teammates, the Operative can disguise himself as a person on the enemy team, the Soldier can replenish his teammates' ammo, while the Engineer is tasked with maintaining the hardware. Every in-game action nets you experience points, which can then be used to purchase specific abilities (things like damage buffs, extra ammunition, etc.) and customize weapon loadouts -- quests are accessed through an in-game radial menu, which allows players to choose from a set of ongoing objectives on the fly. %Gallery-64854%
Preview: Hydrophobia
I played Hydrophobia for the first time this past March at PAX East and, at the time, I was fairly impressed. My feelings on the downloadable title haven't changed dramatically after trying out the game's combat in the E3 2010 build, but I did notice a handful of rough edges this time around. The new parts of the demo essentially picked up exactly where I left off at PAX -- a handful of gun-toting Neo-Malthusians stood in my way and, lucky me, I had just stumbled upon a pistol. As it turns out, the pistol isn't equipped with live rounds -- at least initially, though the Dark Energy Digital rep talked to us about a handful of other types -- but rather "Sonic" rounds that require a charge up for full blast. The idea here is to encourage environmental attacks rather than traditional, cover-based, third-person shooting; flaming barrels, glass panes and electrical boxes littered throughout the environment certainly helped to encourage me as well. In theory this works -- and presumably would work better had I gotten more acclimated to the concept -- but I found myself accidentally igniting exploding barrels and trying to drown foes to no avail far more often that I would've liked. %Gallery-74474%
Preview: Monster Tale
Developer Dreamrift, a company formed by the creators of Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure, has partnered with Majesco for its next game, a DS title called Monster Tale, intended for younger audiences. The core Hatsworth concept of performing one action on one screen to affect the gameplay on the other screen remains, but the hyper-British Empire theme has been swapped out for an exaggerated version of childhood, complete with villainous neighborhood bullies. More importantly, the bottom screen, which hosted a falling-block puzzle game in Hatsworth, is now home to a "virtual pet" called Chomp. At least, that's how Majesco puts it. I think the use of the term "virtual pet" does a disservice to the game. People who are into virtual pet games would likely find the interactions with Chomp too limited and the platformer on the top screen too distracting; and while those who like action-platformers would probably really like the upgrading system Chomp provides, they might never know it due to their instinctual evasion of pet sims. %Gallery-92883%
Preview: A quartet of Tecmo Koei titles
I usually try to avoid whirlwind preview sessions during gaming events -- hour-long booth tours that see me bouncing between a handful of titles from the same developer. However, that was the case during my recent E3 time with Tecmo Koei's suite of upcoming titles, a collection which included Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage, Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll, Quantum Theory and Warriors: Legends of Troy. Given my limited time with each of the aforementioned games, I decided to arrange my initial impressions about them into a single preview. You can check out my thoughts on Tecmo Koei's lineup after the jump.
Civilization V trailer highlights new features
Trust us: Civilization V is no copy-paste of the previous iteration. It's made abundantly obvious in the trailer past the break, which highlights the fifth entry's overhauled engine, multiplayer features and modding support. This time around, players will be able to access advanced modding tools, Civilization fan sites and even fan-made scenarios, all from within the game. Ambitious stuff, to say the least. Civilization 5 builds a road to retail on September 21.
