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The Daily Grind: Are you looking forward to any gaming conventions?
August and September are notoriously known as the months of gaming conventions, and ultimately, two months where we're pretty busy reporting announcements and general event coverage. We have both GamesCom and GamesCon (yes, confusing), GenCon, BlizzCon, GDC Austin, PAX, Tokyo Game Show and Dragon*Con to think about. Plus, there are countless smaller cons all around the world celebrating the gaming and general geek culture.So which conventions are you most looking forward to in the coming months? Since we already have plans to attend a few of these conventions, we're curious to know which ones our readers see as the most important to them. Let us know your annual favorites that you usually attend, plan to attend for the first time or simply want to hear more about.
Leipzig's Games Convention challenged by Cologne's GamesCOM
In the wake of last year's severely scaled back E3, Leipzig's Games Convention emerged as a strong European alternative for game demos and announcements. That reputation might not lat long, though, as GamesIndustry.biz reports that a major German trade group is leaving Leipzig behind for a new show, Cologne's GamesCOM, in September 2009.While the move has been rumored for a while, German industry association Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware announced only this morning that the new show would effectively replace the Leipzig event. Games Convention owner Messe Leipzig, for their part, released a statement expressing regret and saying that it would be a "harsh blow" for the region. No word yet on whether Games Convention would still try to put on a competing show, but consensus seems to be that effort would be difficult without BIU support.
Leipzig expects 200k people at Games Convention
The Leipzig Games Convention is expected to have over 200,000 attendees this year. Just to give a little perspective, the madness of E3 2006 in Los Angeles only came in around 60,000 people. The convention takes place at the 115,000 sq. meter Leipzig Exhibition Centre and may be its last time there; given the convention's 40% growth this year, organizers are allegedly looking for a larger location. Leipzig and the Tokyo Games Show both have higher attendance than E3 because they're open to the public.Leipzig will have 410 exhibitors this year from 26 countries. The sprawling complex will apparently be completely packed with exhibitors, there will even be a "family entertainment area" for parents and children to test educational software. The Games Convention is not the only thing going on at the time, there will also be the Games Convention open-air summer festival, which will have "live concerts, a range of sports, an outdoor pool and camping facilities." Wow, there's going to be a lot of people there. With an expanded crowd, they better not be charging €15 for a bratwurst or we fear it will devolve into the Leipzig's equivalent of Woodstock '99. Actually, with gamers at the helm ... that might actually be worth making popcorn for.
GC 2007: Leipzig dated, Singapore unveiled
The 2007 Leipzig Games Convention will take place at the Leipzig Messe (same venue as this year) from August 22 to 26, according to GamesIndustry.biz. Additionally, a Games Convention Asia has been unveiled for September 7 through 9 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Games Convention Asia is said to cover 25,000 square meters of floor space, or the entirety of Suntec's facilities. In contrast, the Makuhari Messe (where the 2006 Tokyo Game Show took place) claims 210,000 square meters of space. GC Asia organizers expect 200 exhibitors and 105,000 visitors, which is about 60 percent of this year's GDC (183,000) and 54 percent of this year's TGS. GC Asia 2007 will likely be just a few weeks prior to the Tokyo Games Show, but will its scale prove complementary or competitive to Japan's ten-year-old convention?
TF2 shows its class(es)
We rounded up some GC coverage for you just yesterday, but this Team Fortress 2 video deserves a spot right here on the front page. We know how you hate having to add a whole step to the process by clicking on external links. You demand simplicity, and rightfully so. Thus, here's the video for your viewing pleasure, right on the main page. The game has a really great cartoony quality, reminding us all that not every next gen game has to be Crysis to look amazing. Honestly, we find ourselves at a loss to pin down our favorite class. The Demoman, with his twice exploding time bomb? The super speedy Scout? Then again, the Engineer's auto turret is pretty freaking sweet. How about you? What's your favorite?
The winner of Leipzig? PSP
NOTE: This editorial is the opinion of Andrew Yoon, and does not represent the opinion of PSP Fanboy, Joystiq or Weblogs, Inc.Every video game convention, there's a "winner" of some sorts. It's pretty safe to say that the Nintendo Wii "won" the last E3, proving that waving around our hands can be fun. Not only did the Wii prove that the control scheme works, there was an amazing list of exclusives, from Nintendo's own Mario to third party efforts, like Red Steel. Nintendo wowed the crowd at E3 because of the amazing quality and potential of the games for its system.Did Nintendo pull the big win at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany this year? No. Did Microsoft? No. Sony took the win for this year's show, but not because of a great showing of PlayStation 3 goods (there were none at the show), but because of Konami's absolutely excellent lineup of upcoming PSP games. Yes, you heard me right: PSP "won" Leipzig.
Molyneux: "I'm lazy... motion sensing may be annoying"
All right, so the subject line isn't a direct quote, but it's exactly how many gamers from days gone by feel. Lionhead's Peter Molyneux spoke at the Games Convention, talking about ways to switch up traditional combat games by removing hit points, adding one hit kills (Bushido Blade, anyone?) and more environment-player interaction. Valid points, sort of. An audience member asked how the Wiimote would treat these ideas and he responded thus: "If you wanted to make a big difference, where's the best place to make that difference? I think the controller is definitely it. There's no doubt in my mind that controllers are changing, and they're changing really fast."Good answer, right? He wasn't done. "I've realized I'm an incredibly lazy person when I play games, and actually slouching back on the sofa, playing on my beer belly, is my most comfortable position. When I have to get up, it's painful. I make noises and start grunting." Yeah. Many will agree that sitting in a straight, upright position (let alone having room to stand to move around with your controller) isn't their favorite way of playing games. Basically, the rest of his argument stated that the physical exertion (though little) isn't what gamers want to do for hours at a time. 20 minutes, sure. What does everyone think? If more subtle, creative ways were thought up to utilize the motion-sensitive controllers of tomorrow, is that better than waving it around like a sword for however long a game is? Or do you not mind swinging a fake sword, baseball bat, etc, for more than an hour at a time?
Bloody beautiful Silent Hill trailer [Update 3]
A few hours ago, we revealed the very first footage of the game in motion. Now, Konami has revealed an official trailer from the Games Convention in Germany Konami's Gamer Day, and it is absolutely mind-blowingly beautiful. Comparing the game to Resident Evil 4 seems apt, not only because of the gameplay, but because of the insane quality of the graphics. Watch and be amazed.[Update 1: Footage actually from Konami's Gamer Day, not Games Convention. Also, Gamespot has added two excellent gameplay videos to their site. They seem to feature some awkward hit detection and camera, but hopefully that'll be worked out soon. Check out video 1 here and video 2 here.][Update 2: A video interview with the producer reveals that the playable build is very early, with most everything being placeholders. So, yes... the graphics and the animations are going to be much better. Players of the original Silent Hill be able to experience how the town became the way it did, but the main character of the game is not responsible for it. The town will be a mix of old and new, with two thirds of it being new. The game will be large: "a good size PSP game." The game features 4 vocal tracks, one of them being featured in the trailer.][Update 3: Another video of the game in motion, now featured after the cut.]
New Metal Gear Portable Ops trailer and details
As we promised earlier, a new trailer for the upcoming PSP-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops was revealed today at the Games Convention in Germany. As you know, Naked Snake no longer works alone in this mission, which takes place six years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3. You'll have to choose your allies wisely, and strategically coordinate with them. According to Gamespot, you can even switch control between your four allies by pressing a button. Fans will be giddy to know that the original voice cast is back, including David Hayter who called the script for Portable Ops the best one yet. Also revealed was the downloadable characters feature: you can access different wi-fi points around the world and have characters (either from the story or randomly generated) appear in your game. Wow. How the GPS feature of the game will work hasn't been revealed yet, but let's not forget the game will be appearing at TGS.Once you're done watching the trailer, visit our sister site Joystiq for some more hands-on impressions and a crazy motherload of screenshots.
Silent Hill Origins gameplay footage [Update 1]
PSP Fanboy once wrote: "So how about a port of Resident Evil 4? The new over-the-shoulder camera style would be perfect for the handheld!"Well, we might not have Resident Evil yet, but it looks like Silent Hill Origins will fit the bill just nicely. This first gameplay video (delivered by Playstation Portable.de) leaked from the floors of the Games Convention in Germany doesn't show off any enemies, but it shows some particularly nice graphics (the fog looks great), atmosphere and familiar controls. Hopefully we'll discover more nuggets of gameplay over the course of the convention, so keep it locked in to the Fanboy.[Update 1: According to PSP World, the game will offer "a cinematic experience comparable to the previous games, but framed within interactive moments." That sounds a lot like Resident Evil 4's button-mashing cutscenes to me.][Via IGN Boards]
Sony didn't lie! No playable PS3's at Games Convention
Leipzig, Germany... home of the Games Convention... but not the PS3. It's got videos, and pretty television screens, seats, logos... but no controllers, no tangible hardware. Why? Saving up their ammunition for the homeland show -- the Tokyo Game Show, possibly. Smart move? It certainly won't help to solidify support among German gamers. Definitely (spelled it right!) going to have to show us everything they've got in September. You can see their fun little area in a picture gallery made before the show started. Now that would be cool to have in your home/apartment/dreams. Good seating. Lacking tables, though.Rumors were that Sony would make some big announcement at the GC, but there's not much buzz going around yet save some wild speculation. When something comes up, it'll definitely (spelled it right again!) be here. If nothing surfaces, we'll assume all cannons will fire off the starboard side in September.
Early pictures of GC 2006
Over at gc-blog.de, there are some behind-the-scenes pictures from the Leipzig Games Convention 2006 as it gets ready for next week's opening. While there isn't anything in the way of spoilers to be seen (God of War II? No way!), you do get a rare glimpse of the booths being constructed: Sony, Blizzard, Microsoft, Nintendo, Konami, and more!Be sure to check out gc-blog.de for more hammer-and-nails fun.
Games Convention to feature Vice City & Sonic
According to GameFront, it appears that the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be presented to members of the press in next week's Games Convention in Germany. Also on-hand at the show, according to GamesIndustry.biz is Sonic Rivals, the first ever original PSP platformer starring Sega's famous mascot. With the convention pending, it appears that new screens of both games are making their way around the internet. CVG has posted new screens of Sonic Rivals, featuring the aptly named Silver, who boasts psychic powers. GAME also has new direct-feed screenshots of Vice City Stories in action, showcasing the "new" rocket launcher.[Thanks, Adriaan!]
