DS-x2.com E3'09 Round-up

E3'09 has become part of our history and after over 120 different newsitems covering 177 games, it is time to sit down and think about what we've witnessed.

The past week has brought us many new games and announcements from various developers and publishers. We've seen the press conferences by Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft and all companies had 'BIG' announcements to share with you, the gamer.

After the chaotic news-posting, the DS-x2.com staff (except for Les due to personal problems) sat down and wrote down their thoughts about E3'09. Were we happy or sad? Read our thoughts below.

Andrew

For me, personally, E3 was certainly back on form this year and while there were no huge surprises there was still more than enough to look forward to for the rest of the year. Like many true handheld fans I cleared some time in order to watch the live streaming of Nintendo's own Media Summit and just when I thought I'd seen it all they announced COP: The Recruit with the trailer shown in all it's 3D glory. Claimed to be a true, free-roaming, action game, The Recruit looked like everything the excellent Chinatown Wars fell short of but we'll reserve judgment until we actually play it.

Next up was GBA favorite Golden Sun DS with yet another stunning trailer. If you have played the original you know just how beloved this game was with Gameboy owners the world over but the fact that this is now in 3D should having everyone placing it on their must-have lists.

The DSi wasn't forgotten either and while we've only really received cut down versions of games, up until now, there where some new announcements which are likely to please anyone who has invested in this new piece of kit. Gameloft unveiled some impressive screens from Asphalt 4 and have said that the DSi's camera can be used to take photos and apply them to signs and billboards within the game. It's certainly a neat feature but surely you'll be going too fast to actually appreciate them.

The more creative side of your average DSi owner was also catered for with the English language release of Flipnote Studio which allows you to create short animations and share them with other users. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis followed a similar path by including a handy level editor, which is surely going to be essential in every DSi platformer of the future.

Clearly, my focus here is with the DS and DSi but I'm sure the other can shed some light on the Wii for you all.

Chris

The two shows that preceded this year's E3 were lacklustre to say the least. The ESA took this in and hyped up this year's event as a return to the form seen in 2006. Like many, I was sceptical that it could even live up to the 5 hours lines of 2006 with people trying to get their hands on the Wii. But if Monday morning taught us anything it was that E3 was back to it's old ways.

Microsoft took to the stage on Monday morning and by midday, the show had already lived up to the hype. Choosing to focus on 12 titles, their conference was all about the games and it didn't disappoint, even with all the leaks beforehand. Titles like Alan Wake and Splinter Cell Conviction fronted part of Microsoft's strong line-up for 2009 and beyond and they all looked spectacular. And the final unveiling of Project Natal as the show closer was something else. While initially not seeming that big a deal, Peter Molyneux's Milo demo not only showed exactly what the controller will be capable of but dropped jaws worldwide simultaneously. The sheer audacity of it set precedent and set a high standard for the other companies to follow.

The other side of Nintendo's conference saw Sony take to their respective stage and like Microsoft, they chose to focus solely on great games for all of their platforms as well as showing off the PSP Go, dubbed 'The Worst Kept Secret of E3' by Jack Trennent. With such a wide array of titles on display, there was something for everyone and what could have easily become a snooze-fest became a fantastic 2 hour plus show filled with fantastic titles. Personal highlights included the true unveiling of Team Ico's new title The Last Guardian, which looked phenomenal, and the next big thing in Sony's Play-Create-Share game line with ModNation Racer. And like Microsoft, Sony brought their motion controller to the show but with it being very much a work in progress, it won't be until later in the year that we see it put to use in actual titles.

So on Tuesday morning, after Microsoft's fantastic curtain opener and before Sony blew the crowds away with their offerings, Nintendo's heads took to the stage. The ever present memories of last year's show shadowed the event with many fearing a repeat could be in line. Luckily, Cammie Dunaway managed to keep her composure and didn't bore the audience with stories of her snowboarding exploits. Choosing to highlight a few key titles from themselves and third parties, Nintendo's conference lacked the gravitas that Microsoft and Sony's later one had and produced some head scratching at the announcement of the Wii Vitality Sensor, which although a strange announcement shows some real potential to help personalise a game to each individual playing it. But outside of this, Nintendo made some big announcements on both the core and casual front, although the only true surprises fell to Golden Sun DS and Metroid: Other M, which wowed the crowd as the found out about the collaborative effort of Nintendo and Team Ninja as they look to answer the missing links in Samus' back story after the events of Super Metroid and before those of Metroid Fusion. Unfortunately for Nintendo, the surprise of New Super Mario Bros. Wii had been spoiled on Monday by a sneaky journalist snapping shots of Nintendo's covered booth all but announcing the title. The DS drew the short straw and had a rather lacklustre showing of support from Nintendo and third parties with the likes of Dragon Quest IX, releasing in a few weeks in Japan, nowhere to be seen. While those in attendance may not have been enthusiastic about the show, it was a vast improvement on last year's effort.

E3 2009 returned the show some way to its former glory with big announcements from not only the big three developers but from other industry teams. Showing us exactly what we have to look forward to not only on Nintendo's platforms, the show can easily be thought of as a success and if the ESA's words are anything to go by, E3 2010 should be bigger than this year, and it already looks like it with true unveilings of Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid Other M (if it isn't already out by then as rumours place it for release in March) and the next Zelda title for the Wii. For gamers, the year ahead is packed with titles to cater to all needs. It really is a great time to be a gamer.

Dennis

This year's E3 promised to be one like the event used to be: three industry giants all claimed jawdropping press conferences, just like the ones in which Reggie Fils-Aime pulled the first Nintendo DS from his pocket or the first footage of Zelda: Twilight Princess on GameCube. Everyone was hyped... And I was sad because I had to miss the showfloor itself and follow the event from the other side of the ocean...

On June 1st, when Microsoft showed the world its Project Natal, my heart skipped a beat: "Could it be true? If Microsoft can truely pull this off, what can we expect to see more this E3? The technology shown shouldn't be available until somewhere near 2030. This can't be!" Filled with anticipation, I waited for the Nintendo conference. "This will be the moment we've been waiting for the past years. This will be the one we'll be proud of."

And so E3 began. Nintendo showed the world a New Super Mario Bros, Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M for Wii and Golden Sun DS for Nintendo DS. Not bad, if you'd ask me. However, even though these aren't the smallest titles and deserve respect even though we haven't even touched them, this didn't make me proud of Nintendo's conference just yet. Next up: Mr. Iwata and his Wii Vitality Sensor. I must admit that my initial reaction towards the Wii Balance Board was alike the one towards the Vitality Sensor: it seems like a nice gimmick, but what could we possibly do with this? Luckily Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot eased my mind a little by telling the world that they've been experimenting with similar technology to reflect one's current status ingame. However for Ubisoft it was an ear-attachment, which seems more plausible as it leaves both hands free for your controller(s). In my opinion a missed opportunity.

So, did the disappointment of Nintendo's conference destroy my E3 dream? Not quite. Many developers and publishers showed us that we don't really need a new console yet, or a new way to control games for that matter. Ubisoft's C.O.P. The Recruit shows the power of the Nintendo DS when used right, Metroid Prime Trilogy heading for Europe after all and Ubisoft's camera for Your Shape adding a nice twist to fitness titles are the ones that more or less saved my E3.

If I'd have to pick a winner this year, it would be a close finish between Ubisoft and Nintendo. Yes, both companies disappointed me with their press conferences, but both revealed a few titles that made me hold onto my gaming habbits for yet another year. Thank you both for saving my E3.

Nick

The return of the "old E3" is purely PR novelty. E3 has always been the same: News. Game news -- and lots of it. Nothing really changed for us over here on the DS-x2.com side of things. That said I'm glad it's there for the people who have the ability and privilege to attend. Hopefully one day Dennis will be able to make it to E3, sport the DS-x2.com shirt, and snag interviews with all the "cool" developers. No need for anyone else, he's a one man media team. I on the other hand am being replaced by a monkey at a typewriter after this article.

As we've witnessed in previous years, this year's E3 seemed to be all about catering to the "nongamer". The goal is to make them just as able-bodied in video games as someone experienced with an analog stick-and-buttons controller. The balance board, Wii motion plus, and maybe even the Vitality sensor once we... uh... figure out a gaming use for it. We've seen many of this before but I think after letting Nintendo lead the way with DS and Wii, Microsoft and Sony are desperate to cut themselves a piece of the "nongamer" pie -- or "maybe" gamer as Iwata puts it. The gamer that, to me, seems to have been lost somewhere in the previous decline of the industry from the last decade.

Nintendo has the advantage in this "race", their game systems were actually built from the ground up with both gamer markets in mind. Those foundations being the Wii Remote on Wii, and Touch Screen on the DS. The added peripherals to the Wii Remote and DS (or DSi itself for that matter) are simply insult to injury to Microsoft and Sony, who once said they were not interested in "nongamers" just a few years ago. Especially when Nintendo's added peripherals outsell their competitors main peripherals. We're not just talking power gloves here either: cameras, microphones, boards, motion controllers, guitars, drums, skateboards, and Microsoft's "Natal" which seems to be something along the lines of all those devices in one -- or so it promises. These devices are actually worth more than the plastic that encases them for once.

Oddly enough with all the first party and (major) third party peripherals these days, one's console seems to be taking the shape of a home all-in-one-arcade of sorts (or two or three depending on how many systems you have). Many of which peripherals will fade into obscurity soon enough.

Focusing strictly on games this E3, I'm quite pleased what Nintendo has lined up for us and what's in the works.

On the Wii side of things: Metroid: Other M looks so amazing I don't even have to mention I'm looking forward to it. Do I? No, I don't. But I just did. Sin and Punishment 2 is another given from me, your resident Treasure fan. It looks so crazy I can't even really tell what is exactly happening on screen. I hope it's fun, potentially difficult, and full of bullets. Delicious bullets (mmm...). Kind of surprised I didn't see it up on screen at Nintendo's press conference with the "Harder edge" games Reggie was showing off. None of which besides Metroid: Other M looked any good to me. Not sure what to think of the two new Mario games coming out for Wii either -- Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros. for those not in the know. Both just seems like more Mario... and that's about it. I know they will be fun and well developed games, but to me 3D Mario has been-there done-that. Multiplayer isn't going to change much -- not that I can foresee anyway. The way you can mess up your friends reminds me a bit of the original Gunstar Heroes in a bad-yet-funny kind of way.

The Nintendo DS had a nice showing as usual, with even some DSiware grabbing my attention. Golden Sun DS from Camelot is going to be epic, both figuratively and literally: The story, the art style, characters, everything. I just hope they put a map on the top screen because I remember getting lost in a dungeon way too many times in that game. I love games that let me create, so I'm looking forward to playing around with both Wario ware DIY, and Flipnote studio. The latter will require me to track down a DSi that has it downloaded from the DSiware store. It's too bad DSiware titles can't be downloaded to my Wii for use with my DSlite in the same way I can download DS demos.

There was a surprising amount of new technology at this year's E3 from the big three (Sony being the one I didn't pay much attention to in case you couldn't tell). How long any of it will stay relevant however, will depend on the longevity of the games themselves.

You (yes, you!)

DS-x2.com isn't just about us, it's about you too. For that reason we're more than interested in hearing your thoughts about E3. Please share your thoughts on E3 using the comments-section below or (in case you've got a lot to share) e-mail us at e3-2009@ds-x2.com.

Share on Twitter or FacebookPosted on 07-06-2009 by Dennis

Comments

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  I was surprised at how good it was. It Brought back the old body and soul of the Electronic Entertainment Expo had that it lost in 07 and 08.

  jedibmoney, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  I though so too.

  Andrew, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  Yeh, it was definitely good but Nintendo have a long way to go before getting back to the likes of their 2004 showing. I doubt they'll ever get there because their now trying to balance both the casual and core gamers but I'm hoping next year's unveiling of Zelda Wii will produce another Miyamoto-brandishing-sword-and-shield moment. And although I didn't mention it, I'll do so now. EA put on a very good conference. It's strange to think that only a few years ago you wouldn't look forward to what they have to show but now I do.

  ganepark32, 30-11--0001 at 00:00