E3 From a Distance: Through a Dev's Eyes

My brain has been steeping in the E3 waters all week, and I think I've taken in just about all I can handle. Being up here in Seattle way from the hustle and bustle of E3 (which is very different for me, considering I've attended at least 8 or 9 of these things) is both a curse and a blessing.

I'm consuming E3 as most consumers do, through various web portals, through the consoles that have updates on them, and through my friends. I might have a closer inside scoop than alot of you, but for the most part, I've been reading the exact same stuff as you, and finding out about it just like you are, including the Sony stuff.

Based on what I saw, I saw alot of exciting stuff coming out in the near future. There were definitely some Meh moments for me as well though, and I'll try to get to that too. I think the hardest thing to do is to separate the wheat from the chaff, because it's so hard to figure out what is real and what isn't at E3. I can assure you that the footage getting around on various sites about The Agency is quite real, but I'm a bit disappointed that we couldn't see any real quality footage beyond that of external cameras showing the game. It really is more vibrant in person, than any of the footage i've seen hit the internet.

Stuff I'm excited about:

• I'm excited that the PS3 looked so good this year. I think development for this console is really coming into it's own, and I'm glad to see it being embraced as a game console on top of being a media machine.
• I couldn't believe how good Uncharted looked. I saw previous PvP footage that made me pretty excited for it, but the demo they showed at E3 was amazing. That had to be the most exciting game at E3, hands down.
• I also loved Assasin's Creed II. I never played the first one, but now I want to go buy that to be ready for the new one! I love the setting in the game, and I was floored with how fluid the movement was.
• DCUO is really starting to come together too, and I'm getting excited for that game as well. Lucky for me, that I can log into that right now and play =D
• I was blown away by the visuals of Gran Turismo 5. I want that game so bad it hurts!
  
• I want to play Forza 3 very badly as well, but I felt like the video they had of the cars spinning around was pretty lame and silly looking, which was kind of a turn off. I would have preferred they went a more serious approach like Gran Turismo did. Right now it looks like Gran Turismo is going to dominate.
• Gran Turismo PSP. DO WANT
• God of War III looked awesome, of course. All of the God of War games are awesome. My wife is going to hate it though, because when God of War 2 came out, I told her that I'm the God of War, and the God of War does not take out the trash or change the kitty litter.
• PSP Go! There is no way my wife is going to let me get this when I have a PsP. I'll have to convince her that I need it for work somehow lol.
• I'm stoked a new Professor Layton is coming out. My wife loves those games, and I have to admit, I'm pretty happy when she asks for help on a puzzle, because that means I get to pry it from her fingers from time to time.
• Metroid made by Team Ninja. They wouldn't have to even show me a screenshot and I'll buy this.
• The more I look at the New Super Mario Bros. Wii gameplay, the more I want to buy it. I wish they would just stick to this series and go with it instead of doing another Mario Galaxy.
• Modern Warfare couldn't get into my 360 fast enough. WTF man! Get me a copy of this!
  
• I will be buying Brutal Legend, and I will be awesome.
  
• Castlevania is my favorite game series of all time. Hideo Kojima. Need I say more?
• Lego Harry Potter might be my first lego game purchase. It's too cute.
• I think I'll be picking up Halo ODST. I'm interested to see how they play that story out. I think this one I'll have to keep an eye on.

The "Meh's" of the show:

• As I stated before, I'm excited to PLAY Forza 3, but man oh man was that trailer with the cars flipping around dumb to me.
  
• I'm not sold on Natal. I thought the demo looked hokey on the stage of the conference, and I couldn't help but feel like the actions were really off from what was going on on screen. I'm trying to imagine some of the scenarios played out in the pre made video, like where the family is all on the couch while a racing game is going on, and I just can't see that playing well at all. I don't see myself waving my arms long distances just to scroll through my friends list on my xbox either. Maybe I'm just not getting it. Then again, I haven't bought into the wii controller too, I feel like the waving around motions have ruined more games then helped them so far.
• Milo. I'm sorry, but who cares? I have no interest in helping an 11 year old boy do his homework. I think it's neat that he can see facial expressions, but where is the fun? HAL 9000 could see facial expressions too you know... Anyways, I just wasn't as floored by this as some people seem to be. It all comes back to wildly gesticulating my arms to get something done in a game. I want accuracy I guess.
• Where are the real MMORPGS? Heroes of Telara, that's about it? If the right people (IE my friends) are working on that project, I'm 100% positive that game is going to be good. But other than that, where are the rest of them? They must have eluded me or something. What a disappointment though.
• Left 4 Dead 2. Seriously? Already? The first one didn't have enough content to last a full year, and that was totally OK! We knew what we were getting! But another one at full price already? I really doubt I'll pick this up at full price.
• No real gameplay footage of FFXIII makes me a sad panda. I can't figure out if I want this game yet or not. I've seen part of like one fight or so, but that's it. Is the game linear? I can't tell if there is a whole world out there or what.
  
• I didn't see any good old school shooters announced at all this year. That's a shame, it's one of my favorite game genres. I would love to make one.
• Nintendo's pulse taker thingie. I mean seriously guys? YAWN
• Nintendo is really screwing this up man... I love these guys, but they are making it hard to love them. Where are the GAMES people? That's great, I can do leg lifts with my Wii, and count calories. I can look at the weather. Where are the fricken games mang!!??
• Deep down inside my soul I hoped there would be some update or attachment that would allow 720p to be on the Wii. Every time I turn my system on, it's so obvious that I'm not getting an HD resolution. I'm thinking of pulling the system out of the living room and putting it elsewhere, because really, It's becoming an eye sore to play games that look fuzzy like that. I'm a gaming snob man.

That's all I can think of for now.

Not Sold on the NXE Yet

After spending some time with the "New Xbox Experience" last night, I'm not entirely sure that I'm sold on the new layout.

I like some of the new features that came with it, like the ability to party up with friends, or the cool new Netflix integration, but I'm just not that happy on the pseudo prettied up version of the Windows Media Extender that they've done.

Have no doubt my friends, this is definitely a gussied up version of the Windows Media extender, it's just spaced out a bit more. I've had nothing with bad luck trying to navigate the media extender, and it's really not my style of interface compared to the old blade system they had in place on the 360.

I find it really odd that they went for the low rez approach that the Wii did on their avatars, despite the firepower that the xbox has. I mean, the face customization options were a blatant ripoff of the Mii's that Nintendo gives you, I mean, couldn't they have at least attempted to do something a little more original and XBOX looking? The avatars in the Home are distinct on their own without blatantly copying the Mii, why not Xbox's?

I do like seeing my friends avatars all standing around when they are playing their games though, it's pretty neat. I think its hard to figure out who is online though, at a glance.

What really boggled my mind was the new usage of the Xbox Button. I don't get the super small, grey window they bring up to do all of your quick commands. It's too small, and looks incredibly bland compared to the rest of the interface. It just seems out of place, and perhaps rushed. It certainly doesn't have the clean look that it used to have, and is definitely a step backwards in terms of aesthetics, and quite possibly, functionality.

I'm sure i'll get used to the change, but for now I'm not as thrilled as I hoped I would be with the new direction they are going with this. It's too bad that I don't get an option to choose between the two modes either, I'm stuck with their decision, when I bought into another interface a couple years ago and have grown to be quite fond of it.

He's Dead Jim

It's no use, the 360 they sent me is a piece of junk. Now I get to go through another one month process and watch them send me another broken machine.

Why couldn't they just fix mine and send it back to me like they said they were going to do? In the meantime I've spent 6 months worth of xboxlive fees and no machine to play it on.