The craziness of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) ended last week signaling the beginning of the summer lull of video gaming although Metroid: Other M for the Wii and Starcraft II for the PC certainly doesn't mean an entirely dead season for gaming. Games were not the highlight at E3 this year, but motion and 3D technology stole the attention, which may disappoint gamers who wanted to see, you know, games.
To start off the recap of the 2010 edition of E3, here's how my dead-wrong predictions went (surprisingly not all were dead wrong).
1. An XBOX 360 3D game will be announced - Correct!
While Microsoft sits on the fence in regards to bringing 3D technology to the Xbox 360, (Kinect was their main focus at E3) Crytek plows ahead and announced they're developing Crysis 2 to be compatible for all systems in "true stereoscopic 3D." Back in my day, all we needed was a controller, an HD-TV, a 7.1 surround sound system and a relaxing leather chair to have the consummate video gaming experience. None of this confangled-3D technology. Okay, gramps.
2. Bungie announces Halo: Reach will have 6-Player campaign co-op - Dead Wrong!
Noble Team has six members, so six-player campaign co-op over XBOX Live seemed like an obvious progression, but unfortunately it wasn't announced and probably won't be with only a few short months left until Reach's release of September 14. With the Saber being introduced along with space combat and the demo level only featuring 4 scripted members of Noble Team, it seems like it's just not happening.
3. Bethesda announces Elder Scrolls V for late 2011 - Dead Wrong!
Sadly the next Elder Scrolls was a no-show at E3. With so many games in production under Bethesda's control (Brink, Hunted: Demon's Forge, and Rage), and Fallout: Las Vegas releasing this year it seems like it's better suited for next year to be announced.
4. Most prominent video game series that will announce full Natal Kinect support: the next Guitar Hero/Rock Band 3 - Dead Wrong!
The keytar, half-keyboard, half-guitar, was the big deal in regards to music games.
5. Guess the Over/Under: 5+ fitness games announced for Project Natal Kinect - Correct!
Just to list a few...
- EA Sports Active
- Get Fit With Mel B
- Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
- Zumba Fitness
- UFC Trainer
- Kinect Sports
- The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout
Subsitute "fitness games" with "dance games" and you'd still be correct. Sadly, no Richard Simmons game.
6. The following games have the best chance of switching sides: Dead or Alive on the PS3, Final Fantasy Versus XIII on the 360 and Mad World goes multi-console - Sort of wrong
Dead or Alive is moving, although to the Nintendo 3DS, Final Fantasy Versus XIII was a no-show, and the other M-rated, gorefest on the Wii, No More Heroes is going multi-console, but not Mad World.
7. Apple and/or Google opens their own gaming brand - Dead Wrong!
Apple didn't even show up and Google isn't moving into gaming anytime soon it appears.
8. Project Natal's announced price will be under $200 (specifically $149.99) - Correct!
Although it wasn't announced, both Amazon and Gamestop are taking pre-orders for $149.99 so unless Microsoft says otherwise, it appears this'll be the price. Its cost may be too high, considering even if they package it with a 360 skew, the price for the system and Kinect will be at least $299.99 which keeps it significantly above the Nintendo Wii's current price. Also, I hope Kinect games aren't going to be at standard 360 prices ($59.99) like retail sites are listing.
9. The company that will surprise everyone: Eidos Interactive - Debatable
Deus Ex: Human Revolution was an awesome trailer that helped drum up a lot of interest for it and the screenshots look as beautiful as the trailer. The next Tomb Raider, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, is an interesting change for the platforming-heavy series. The game is to be released as an XBLA title for 1200 MS Points this summer. Thief 4 was a no-show and Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days performance was debatable, considering we're so close to its release, not much more info was revealed. Eidos did have an impressive show so it's debatable if this one is correct.
10. The biggest game at E3 will be the next Legend of Zelda - Wrong?
It's surprising the next Legend of Zelda title, Skyward Sword, didn't explode onto the E3 scene, considering it's one of Nintendo's biggest, best series and the amount of fanboys drooling over it. Sure, gamers want to see gameplay, but to get everyone pumped up you need an epic trailer like Twilight Princess and the demo shown at E3 for Skyward Sword may have given a clear view of controls, but was underwhelming in content and what to expect for Link's next adventure.
In turn, here's what I consider the best game at E3: Marvel v. Capcom 3: FTW. Why? Capcom was brilliant in it's strategic showing of the game. Not only does it have the liberty to continually keep interest perked with the slow-release of revealing characters, but it showcased the game by having expert players demonstrate the game opposed to players on the floor who'd struggle to land basic punch/kick combos (newbies basically). The ridiculous, over-the-top hyper combos, air juggles and moves were awe-inspiring to watch. The game is absolutely beautiful from the 3D character models to the highly-detailed backgrounds like the Daily Bugle-sponsored parade in New York City.
Photo credit to Capcom
Quick thoughts
- I love the look of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood's multiplayer concept, especially with specific player assassination objectives, but they need to lose a lot of the information in the heads-up display (HUD). It's way too clustered and confusing.
- Naughty Bear may look like an XBLA title, but it's chock full of hilarity and fun gameplay. The fights looked a bit outdated, considering it the beatdown-esque gameplay with the animation for attacks and reactions, but it looks like it could deliver some interesting scenarios as your objective is fear and not necessarily beatdowns. It's also considered a "budget" title at $49.99.
- Couldn't Microsoft have chosen a bit more variety for Kinect Sports? It's way too similar to Wii Sports.
- The creative and genius puzzles of Portal are accentuated in Valve's demonstration of Portal 2's new mechanics. My favorite was the "excursion tunnel" which functions simiarily to a vacuum and works well with the portals in creating the effect.
What were your thoughts on E3 2010? Be sure to post in the comments section below.
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