Victim of Culture

E3 2009: Sony press conference review

This year sees E3 trying to return to its roots after a disastrous 2008 show.  One of the biggest parts of any E3 show is the console manufacturers’ press conferences.  They typically range from the epic (introduction of the Wii) to the horribly, horribly wrong (introduction of the PS3 and real-time weapon changing).  So how did this year go for Sony?

MAGnanimous gameplay
MAG, Sony’s 256-player online FPS game continues to impress.  No other online shooter has ever quite capture the scale of war (obviously).  Of course, if half the time ten people can’t even get a game of Halo right, what are the odds of 256-players?  Are we constantly going to be dealing with team killers and people running off into the ocean to drown themselves?  All signs points to yes, but some fun should be had.

Uncharted 2 shows, too
The original Uncharted may be one of the most criminally under appreciated games in recent years.  Hopefully the sequel will get it some more headlines like it deserves.  You’ve seen lots of this already.

Final Montana Bloodlines
Yes, the above is actually game you want to play.  Instead, you’ll get two pretty interesting titles in Dissidia Final Fantasy (August 25) and Castlevania Bloodlines (November 10).  You’ll also get a new Hannah Montana PSP bundle!  That’s right, you will get it!

PSP Go a go
Not replacing the PSP-3000?  Knew that.  Not replacing UMD?  Figured because of previous fact.  New media manager MediaGo launching this fall?  Didn’t see that one coming, and it will work with both versions of PSP.  All future games on PSP will be downloadable?  Again, figures or else the PSP Go is a broken system.  $249?  Yikes!  A sub $200 price would have made biting a lot easier.

But what do I play on the Go?  Oh, Gran Turismo
Yes, Gran Turismo PSP is back!  It will feature 800 cars and 35 tracks.  It will feature local multiplayer and runs at 60 frames per second.  It actually looks a lot like Gran Turismo 4 on the PS2.  How close?  You won’t be able to tell the difference, most likely.  But…when?

Metal Gear Solid: Come Peace Walk With Me
So, for the ten who got the joke I will wait for you to stop laughing.  And by laughing, I mean the 1 in 10 who got it and thought it was funny.  Good, now for the rest we have a new PSP Metal Gear Solid subtitled Peace Walker.  Looks like it will focus on Big Boss and be set in the 1970s.  Disco Stu meet Disco Snake?  The mind boggles.

Resident Evil goes small
A new original Resident Evil game designed exclusively for the PSP?  Sounds great!  Will it be any good?  Resident Evil off-shoots are very hit and miss.  One hopes they take their cues from Resident Evil 4.

Planet, Montana, Princess, and dogs, oh my!
Little Big Planet PSP?  Check.  Jak & Daxter PSP?  Check.  Fat Princess PSP?  Check.  Hannah Montana PSP?  Check.  Nintendogs rip-off dog simulator PSP?  Check.  Finally something to play on your PSP?  Big check.

Final Fantasy VII Remake…not today, but original on PSN
Well, it wasn’t what many wanted, but Final Fantasy VII available on PSN today still isn’t bad.  Now you don’t have to track down a copy anymore.  Your Saturday suddenly became free.

Home is where your heart is
Lots of bragging about Home’s success and evolution.  New content coming to Home via content partners.  Basically, nothing exciting enough to tempt non-converts.  But hey, more for the faithful!

Agent works exclusively for PS3
Rockstar (makers of Grand Theft Auto) announce their exclusive new title for the PS3—Agent.  They then promptly show nothing.  Great that’ it’s exclusive, boo to no show and tell.

Assassin’s Creed 2 to feature PSP connectivity
Great to see AC2 coming to the PS3.  PSP version?  OK!  Connectivity between AC PSP and AC2 PS3?  OK…

Just in case you forgot…
A little game called Final Fantasy XIII is still coming to the PS3.  Yeah, just in case it slipped your mind.

Another little tidbit, this time on Final Fantasy XIV
So, Final Fantasy XIV is the sequel to Final Fantasy XI, as both are online games.  XIV is coming exclusively to the PS3…at launch, at least.  Are all these Final Fantasy numbered games starting to confuse people?  Why do the online titles have to be part of the numbered series?  Just call them Final Fantasy Online.

PlayStation gets in the motion
Here’s a funny little story.  Nintendo announces motion controls and everyone laughs.  Nintendo sells a billion consoles, and suddenly people stop laughing (minus Nintendo).  Then Sony and Microsoft quickly follow suit with their own solutions.  Sony’s involves using the EyeToy and a new wand-like controller together to create 1:1 motion controls.  For instance, swing it like a tennis racket and the camera can replace the controller with a racket in your hand on screen.  Pretty cool.  They also show off a FPS shooter using the tech and a RTS, but unfortunately all are just demos.  The best looking one was a sword and shield fighting game, which would be great for a Zelda-like adventure title.  Looks like a neat combination of Microsoft and Nintendo’s tech.  Definitely one to keep an eye on, though just as hesitant about it as Microsoft’s.  Hopefully both have some follow-through.  Coming Spring 2010.

Disney joins Little Big Planet
Yay!  Now I can dress sacks as Pluto and really have no idea what it is!

ModNation Racers is the kart racer you want
Next up is ModNation Racers, a cutesy kart racing title that allows for the some of the most advanced level design ever seen in a console title.  Really, the level builder looks super simple and you are able to change everything from the ground to the water, to the sheep!  You know you’re thinking of ways to design a Scotland track as you read this.  Compared to Microsoft’s new kart racer, this definitely seems the winner of this day old fight.  Coming in 2010 (boo).

The Last Guardian is the latest Ico game
Yes, this was very similar to the leaked footage already out and it does confirm it as the new title from Team Ico.  Only, this new footage has a graphical polish that makes it look even more outstanding, plus some new footage of guards and stealthy gameplay.  This is a must own title for Ico and Shadow fans.

Gran Turismo 5 is still coming
Okay, this is just getting comical guys.  This series is really not great enough that it should take the same amount of time for you to make one game as it does other studios to make 2-3 racing games.

God of War III will own your soul come March 2010
Again, more waiting until next spring.  Still, God of War III looks even better than in earlier previews, and certainly seems to be the frontrunner for action game of 2010.

Final Verdict
Where were the surprises, Sony?  Yes, your motion controls do look impressive.  It looks more real world usable than Microsoft’s solution.  And yes, Final Fantasy XIV is cool for fans of that series.  But where were the other surprises?  I guess all ruined ahead of time by press leaks (intentional or not).  PSP Go looks overpriced, but the rest of the PSP lineup looks spectacular.  This is exactly what fans have been craving.  For the PSP alone, Sony delivered an A quality press conference.  But the big brother PS3 looked sorely out of exciting, exclusive new games we haven’t already seen.  It’s hard to rank the press conference as a whole, but somehow we must.

Grade

B -

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