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E3 2008 Press Conference Overview

Below is what I saw as the key points and biggest news from the big three press conferences at E3 this year:

-Their theme: “We promise to keep the world smiling”

-Shaun White shows off Shaun White’s Snowboarding with the Balance Board; said it feels much like actually riding a board.

-Sales point: Nintendo now has holiday caliber sales numbers for both their consoles year round

-Animal Crossing: City Folk was officially announced as coming before he end the year.  It also comes with WiiSpeak Microphone to allow conversations to be had from room to room via internet.  Takes place in town like other AC’s, but you can also go to a city to buy and sell items.

-Guitar Hero On Tour:Decades, another Pokemon franchise game and Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars are all coming soon exclusively to DS.

-What to Cook (or whatever they are going to call it) is coming to America this November for DS.

-Nintendo is testing using the DS in a variety of ways, such as airports (for information) and sports venues (like in Seattle).  Want to make DS “device for games, companion for everyone”.

-President Iwata promises new games from the Zelda and Mario studios this generation; nothing shown.

-Lots of sales figures: Nintendo will officially be the number one console in America by Thursday accroding to projected numbers.  Nintendo is also in competition with itself for 1st and 2nd best selling system each month.

-Nintendo hardware and software, especially in third parties, growing instead of decreasing as time passes.

-DS sales between male and females are reaching 50/50.

-Star Wars: Clone Wars, Raving Rabbids: TV Party, and Call of Duty World at War all shown to demonstrate different ways to play; RR:TVP will use balance board.

-Oddly, no WiiWare titles announced.

-WiiMotion Plus will come packaged with Wii Sports Resort next spring.  Of course, additions WiiMotion Plus will also be sold separately.

-Wii Sports Resort is demonstrated.  Three games: throwing Frisbee (?), jet ski (Wave Race like) and sword dueling with 1:1 motion responses.

-Wii Music will launch this holiday season.

-Wii Music is not about hitting buttons on rhythm but the movements you make.  A song is played on stage; the game seems…interesting.  The Balance Board is used as a drum pedal for a drum kit.

-No Kid Icarus or other big franchise game announced.  Also, no announcement of Wii storage device or games that we know exist, like Disaster.

-Gears of War 2 and Fallout 3 both are shown early and look great.

-Gears 2 in stores November 7, 2008.

-X-Box online will get updated through software: new look -using channels- and Avatars -like Mii’s but more complex- to go along with gamertags.  Also has new “party” playing capability.

-Deal announced with NBC/Universal for downloadable content; television and movies.

-Deal with Netflix announced; watch or download movies with service.

-Noticeable focus on casual gamers with Scene It, Lips, and other games.

-Duffy sings her song with Lips!

-Final Fantasy XIII will be on XBox 360 when released.

-Resistance 2 video of game play shown.  Looks like the last game, but “bigger” scale and in America.

-Sales stats and such were then done by using the level designer from Little Big Planet.  Sadly, this became the most entertaining part of the conference; wish more was shown of LBP.

-$29.99 price point announced for Greatest Hits titles, such as Resistance, Assassin’s Greed, and others big sellers.

-The conference then switches to PS2 coverage….odd.

-The PS2 is being presented as still relevant, as part of the “10 year lifespan” of Sony’s consoles.  PS2 will be marketed as “perfect entry level platform”.

-130 new games to PS2 this year (WTF?!)

-Some talk about casual games such as Singstar and Buzz.

-A new movie and television service is announced for PlayStation Network.  This will allow downloads from major studios to PS3 and PSP.  Service goes live today (that was quick).  Priced similar to ITunes.

-Home is discussed briefly; still no date given.

-Life with Playstaion plan announced; news, weather, Google access.

-Jim Lee (!) comes out to discuss DC Universe Online.  He talks with passion, but game looks a bit stiff right now.

-Another Resistance sequel is coming - this one to the PSP.

-80 GB PS3 will become the main focus for sales at $399.99 in September.

-A video is shown where developers speak of the greatness of making games on the system; I need to point out that most of the games mentioned are coming to 360 and/or Wii as well….

-Video of future PS3 games shown.  Just quick clips.  MGS4 included in the video.  Didn’t that come out already?

-God of War III trailer shown as their last big announcement; nothing more than a brief trailer.

My General opinion:

-I think Microsoft did the best job presenting what they had planned and how they were moving forward, and FFXIII helps them out a lot.  Nintendo didn’t really bring any big news and Sony seems to be back peddling trying to keep up with the others (130 new games for PS2 coming soon?! Come on!).    All in all, though, it seemed a pretty dull year for announcements as everyone is riding on their one or two big titles into the fall as they set up and get ready for the second half of this console generation….

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E3 Update: Just before the Microsoft press conference, Nitendo announced the upcoming Wii MotionPlus attachment for their current Wii controllers.  Nintendo stated these plug-ins will allow more accurate motion and movement detecting.  More news about this, and all things Nintendo - including their fall game line up- should be announced tomorrow at their own E3 press conference.

Oh, and Microsoft Wii’d up the XBox360.  Guess they do thing the ‘casual gamer’ is important after all.

And Gears of War 2 looks like just as much fun as the last one.  I think I’d enjoy Fallout 3 as well…and FInal Fantasy no longer a PS3 exclusive is so crazy no one really believes it’s true; big win for 360 fans.

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SPACED is finally officially on DVD in the US on July 22nd.  I get to see Simon and Edgar again at ComiCon as well.  But most importantly I finally get to meet Daisy.  MMMMM.  Daisy…..

The Gun Show

if you don’t get it, you most likely don’t know Transformers as well as you think you do….

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Ain’t Life Tweet….

At the bullying of a few interweb friends I decided to start a Twitter acount; I swear if my phone bill goes up I’m killing Matty G!!  Seems T-Mobile had an issue with it in the past, but I’ll call tomorrow and find out for sure…

This is mostly so I can post on the road, mainly during my upcoming Cali trip or any other time I get bored.  We’ll see if I use it much after the 28th….

For those interested there  are currently two links:  one at the top of the right sidebar (it’s currently not working, but hope on the interwebs springs eternal, but it’s also under my links as Shuanfu’s Tweets.  For those interested, I hope you enjoy; I’ll do my best to use it.

12 days until I leave for Comi-Con ‘08!

UPDATE: I changed the link on the Blogroll to go to my profile instead of my RSS, so no password should be needed now.

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Greatest. Movie. Poster.         Ever.

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I know, I know….I’m cheating.  But at least I’m getting it done.

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Drawings in the dust on car windows.  To unreal.  Check out more…

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Only because it made me laugh so hard….

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Famous photos, all recreated in Lego.  Check it out….