In the midst of all the mind-boggling announcements at Microsoft’s E3 press conference today, there were 2 huge presentations for Halo nuts like myself.
First was the reveal of some actual gameplay footage from the upcoming Halo 3: ODST - plus a release date: September 22, 2009. That’s 113 days and counting for the slackers out there. The game looks fantastic, playing off of Halo 3’s strengths and not really messing with what ain’t broken, plus adding in some cool new visual enhancements to the standard HUD. Also, Firefly nerds will love hearing Nathan Fillion at the beginning and Adam Baldwin about halfway through, continuing their awesome tradition of being part of the Halo universe.
But wait, there’s more! Bungie and Microsoft then went about blowing our minds just a little bit more by unveiling Halo: Reach, an entirely new game for which we have absolutely no frickin’ information, other than the precious hopes of millions that it takes place during the events of the novel The Fall of Reach and that it includes Spartans (as evidenced by the “Sierra” call signs heard in the brief, gameplay-free trailer). Halo: Reach, as the trailer says, “Falls 2010.”
Everything can be viewed and downloaded at Bungie’s site. Enjoy.
So there I was, sitting in front of the TV with my trusty notepad, writing down all the new game announcements and release dates. And then came the end of the Microsoft press-conference. I was expecting one last yeehah! type speech before I could go and update the blog, and then it came.
Project Natal. Full body motion capture gaming.
No controller. Just a set top box and some amazing software that’s recognizing everything you do - your movements, your surroundings, your voice. Game control has never been more direct.
Now this isn’t coming in 2009. But when it gets here, if the technology indeed holds up, this will be very, very major.
Microsoft demonstrated the technology in 3 ways.
First, Ricochet - a 3D breakout-type game where you move your hands, feet and everything else to deflect balls at a platform of blocks. Nothing special game-wise, but pretty rocking as a technology demo - the girl on the stage was jumping around wildly, no controllers, no gadgets attached to her body anywhere, and she was translating onto the screen in a pretty darn snappy manner. Cool.
Second - a painting program controlled with simple voice, hand and full body commands. All right as a tech demo, not something I would ever actually do.
And third, came the real stunner - a demo created by Lionhead, presented by Peter Molyneux, where a boy game character named Milo interacts with a player - a girl named Claire. They hold a fluid conversation across the TV screen. Milo reacts real-time to things Clair says and the way she says them. He throws her a pair of googles - she makes a catching motion. She draws a picture for him - and passes it right into the game world as it is instantly scanned and processed by the Natal hardware/software magic.
Needless to say, it is a pretty stunning demo. Now go search YouTube for “E3 2009 Natal” and be amazed for yourself.
While I wait for the Microsoft E3 Conference to begin (alas, in front of a TV!), I’ve been browsing around and noticed that one of my most anticipated games - Brutal Legend - is gracing the front of the E3 venue this year. Woohoo!
For the latest hands-on impressions of the game and interview with the lead designer Erik Robson, check out the latest at this GameSpot article.
Sony many not have formally announced it yet, but video and images of its new PSP, the PSP Go, are already all over the web (notably YouTube), thanks to a leak of an interview with the Qore video magazine. As anticipated, the device gets rid of the UMD slot, adds 16gigs of integrated memory (and a mini memory stick expansion slot), and places a bet on downloadable content.
My initial reaction is that of light disappointment, notably on the visual design. The industry commentators aren’t quite saying it yet, but gauging by early internet reactions (and my own eyes), it is abundantly clear that Go isn’t going to knock anyone off their feet with its visual style. In fact, its a downright design dud. The wide rings around the digital pad and the button area look downright strange, and the whole thing kind of has that “barren piece of plastic” look.
Moving on to functional characteristics, there is still only 1 analog stick, and the screen is actually a bit smaller than on the PSP 3000, probably in the attempt to reduce the overall weight of the device, which is 20% lighter than the PSP 3000. No one has mentioned neither the presence nor the absence of a touch screen, and a slight chance remains that the device indeed sports one (which would be a big plus). The device does have Bluetooth.
The biggest bet here, though, is on the downloadable digital content, and that’s what is ultimately going to make or break the PSP Go. Apple has shown us the way, and Sony is quick to jump on the bandwagon here (and rightly so), by releasing a mobile platform squarely targeted at the DLC market. The new PSP will integrate with Sony’s version of the AppStore, and there is already talk of games such as Jack and Dexter and MGS being available in downloadable. How well Sony executes that downloadable application platform strategy will ultimately matter a hell of a lot more than the device itself.
I will end my comments here for now, since Sony still has the last word with their official announcement which will be coming soon. There is still room for some positive surprises about the device, so lets keep our fingers crossed for now. Meanwhile, you can check out the YoutTube video below.
If you are twiddling your thumbs waiting for this year’s E3 to finally kick off and start feeding gaming news to your information-starved brain, consider checking out episode 304 of the Bonus Round podcast. Host Geoff Keighley is joined by Andy McNamara, Editor-in-Chief of Game Informer, Brian Crecente, Managing Editor of Kotaku, and N’Gai Croal, Game Consultant at Hit Detection to talk about what might be coming up at this year’s show. The episode is split into several pieces, the first dedicated to third party publishers (as well as a discussion of this year’s rejuvenated E3 format), the second to Microsoft, and the third to Sony. (Part 4, Nintendo, will be coming later this week).
It’s a nice, long, laid back conversation, perfect for listening to in the background while you do whatever it is you like to do most with your eyes (I like to keep mine closed just to keep myself out of trouble). There is obviously no breaking news here, but its a nice round-up of all the rumors and game announcements of the past 6 months, which will get you pumped and ready for what’s coming on June 2nd.
The folks over at Bioware prepared this trailer as, well, a teaser of the teaser that they are going to show at E3. Blowing right past the obvious hilarity of that statement, the video (as you will see for yourself) gives some sneak peeks at what’s about to come to us Mass Effect fans in the next installment of the game. The major changes that the team seems to be stressing are the beefed up combat system, which is supposed be much more intense and dynamic, more powerful weapons and a darker tone to the overall story.
For me personally, this is exciting even if ME2 turns out to be just more of ME1. Sure, improvements are always nice, but there are just not that many stellar Western-style RPGs out there, and I get button-happy whenever I know that something as great as Mass Effect is coming back for another pass.
We’ll keep you posted on the E3 progress of Mass Effect 2. Meanwhile, make sure to keep drinking and smoking, and get some sex if you can. It’s good for the stress.
The latest update to the Nintendo DS line - the DSi - finally released today, and boy is it hard to put down. Let me show you what it’s all about. Hey, the bigger guys can get to do their own “unboxing” special reports when they get the systems ahead of us regular folk, why can’t we join in the fun, too, right?
Though it released late 2008 in Japan, Nintendo’s follow up to the hugely popular DS handheld, the DSi, was rumored to be launching on our shores some time late in 09, probably near the holidays. News from the Big N this week, however, reveals that the system will launch stateside on April 5.
The new version of the handheld - priced at $169.99 (msrp) - brings with it two low-resolution cameras (one on the outside, one inside the middle hinge), an SD card slot for music, pictures, or (wait for it…) downloadable games that will be available on the DSiWare shop (hells friggin yeah!). The system will come in blue and black colors at launch, and though I’ll probably be suckered into buying one right off the bat, I’m also holding out hope for another Zelda edition at some point down the line (have I mentioned that I love my gold DS Lite?).
Nintendo also announced that their popular (in Japan thus far) beat tapping game Rhythm Heaven will also be releasing on April 5 alongside the DSi - though the game will be playable on any regular old DS or DS Lite as well. There will no doubt be games in the future that require the DSi, but for the time being, nearly every game made for the DS/DS Lite should be playable on the new incarnation of the handheld (with one major exception being the Guitar Hero: On Tour games, due to the DSi’s lack of a GBA cartridge slot).
Brutal Legend, one of my most anticipated games of 2009, is getting the royal treatment over at the Official Xbox Magazine, which has published a 6 page (ok, they are sort of little pages, but still!) article updating us on the recent developments with the game. Tim Schafer, the main guy over at Double Fine, the man behind Psychonauts, Full Throttle, and Day of the Tentacle - in other words, one funny mo-fo, talks about what’s been going on with the game in recent months and cracks a few good jokes in the process.
Also, the guys over at Kotaku inform us that the game is going to be previewed at the GDC next month, so expect more juicy updates in the coming weeks!
In the final step to what has apparently been an ongoing rumor, gaming website conglomerate 1up.com has been bought up by UGO Entertainment, and its parent company, the Hearst Corporation. The deal includes all the sites and publications connected with 1up, including GameVideos.com, MyCheats.com, and GameTab.com.
Perhaps more disturbing, however, is the fact that Electronic Gaming Monthly, a major source of video game information since its founding back in 1989, will be ceasing publication immediately. According to MTV”s Multiplayer Blog, the January issue, which is on newstands now (featuring X-Men: Origins: Wolverine on its cover) will be the magazine’s last.
In addition to the closing of the great publication, it has been rumored that roughly 30 staffers at 1up.com and across the various entities have lost their jobs as a result of the buyout. We at GameLemon wish everyone involved the best of luck in the future, and I’d like to personally thank EGM for giving us such great info and cool features over the years.
