THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN’S MAIN CAMPUS IS SITUATED ON TREATY 6 TERRITORY AND THE HOMELAND OF THE MÉTIS.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN’S MAIN CAMPUS IS SITUATED ON TREATY 6 TERRITORY AND THE HOMELAND OF THE MÉTIS.
SARAH HOPPE
Arts Writer
During the summer months, most people focus on the two Rs: rest and relaxation. However, a select group of technological enthusiasts are far more interested in the three Es: Electronic Entertainment Expo.
E3 is an annual convention where the best in the business of technology get together for a few exciting days of press conferences, question and answer sessions and hands-on demos. This year the event ran from June 15 to 17 and the big names did not hesitate to put on a show; Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all had interesting reveals.
Sony had very few surprises in their press conference; most of the announcements were expected.
A number of sequels were confirmed including Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, InFamous 2, Killzone 3, Little Big Planet 2 and Gran Turismo 5, a racing simulator series which hasn’t had a new title since 2005.
The Playstation Move, a motion control setup similar to the Nintendo Wii’s remote and nunchuk, was also highlighted. Early reports of the playable demos, such as Resident Evil 5, suggest that the feel of new controller is identical to the Wii (which was released in 2006).
Although the majority of Sony’s conference was lacklustre and predictable, one of their announcements was completely unexpected.
David Jaffe (one of the creators of the Twisted Metal franchise) implied earlier this year that he had no intention of adding another game to the series. It was a huge surprise when a dilapidated ice cream truck, containing the popular character Sweet Tooth, drove onto the stage during Sony’s press conference.
Twisted Metal games allow the player to compete in a wacky demolition derby using unconventional vehicles and weapons. The game will boast a single player mode as well as multiplayer battle royale. The new title is scheduled for release in 2011.
Of the three corporate giants, Microsoft arguably had the weakest showing.
Some of the incredibly predictable games featured at the event were Halo Reach, Fable 3, Gears of War 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Following the trend of copying another gaming company, Microsoft proudly revealed the Kinect (formerly known as Project Natal), a control system without a physical controller which is reminiscent of the Sony Eye-Toy (released in 2003). The system, which was revealed alongside a Cirque du Soleil performance, seemingly intends to profit off the casual gaming market which was conveniently created by the Nintendo Wii.
Another questionable announcement by Microsoft was for the Xbox 360 slim, a console which will replace the current Xbox 360 and require the purchase of a special cable to transfer over save files and data; the new slim does not support hard drive transfers.
The Xbox 360 debut of the popular franchise was one of the few highlights of Microsoft’s disappointing conference. The title, created by Hideo Kojima, promises fast-paced, hack and slash gameplay. There is no confirmed release date though the game will likely be out before the 2011 holiday season.
Nintendo was the undisputed champion of this year’s E3 event; the company toned down the casual gaming image and gave long-time fans exactly what they wanted. Some of the big franchise reveals include Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Epic Mickey, and a GoldenEye 007 remake.
The most anticipated game announced was The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, an action adventure title starring the beloved pointy-eared hero, Link. Early demos of the game show the incorporation of Wii Motion Plus, a peripheral for the Wii remote which will allow for one-to-one sword combat as well as the realistic use of weapons: to fire an arrow you must hold the remote in front of you and pull back the nunchuk, mimicking the action of a real bow and arrow. The title is scheduled for an early 2011 release.
The 3DS, a handheld gaming console, allows the user to undergo a 3D gaming experience without the use of glasses. The system will be released by the end of March 2011 and already has an exciting line-up of games confirmed.
Kid Icarus: Uprising, a new game in a franchise that has been dormant since 1991, will likely be a launch title for the console, and a 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was confirmed just after E3 ended. The Zelda title, which debuted on the Nintendo 64, is commonly considered to be the standard of the industry and one of the best games of all time.
The console giants weren’t the only companies with exciting announcements at the expo.
Software company Valve came to the party with a playable demo of the highly anticipated Portal 2, a puzzle-based physics engine.
The cross-platform Marvel Vs. Capcom III was also featured. Fans stood in line for hours for the chance to battle as Wolverine, Chun-Li, and Dante (newly confirmed from the Devil May Cry series).
Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix’s massively multiplayer online role playing game, debuted to positive reception. The title has beautiful graphics, detailed customization options, and a lot of potential to become the 2011 World of Warcraft.
No one can afford a $4,000 luxury and even fewer people are willing to wear enormous goggles in order to experience it. Until the price point drops, 3D TV will not be taken seriously.
Overall, E3 2010 was an enormous success. There is an exciting roster of games lined up for the coming year and a new console to look forward to. The 3DS was one of the most popular displays at the expo with a two hour wait time for 15 minutes with the device. After such an amazing show in 2010, video game fans are left wondering how software companies will be able to improve on this year and innovate for 2011. It will be a long wait until the next E3.
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image: Flickr
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