E3 2012

[Kohaku]

Nintendo can still get points back with the 3DS conference tomorrow. E3 isn't over yet.

When is that exactly? I can't seem to find it on any schedule.

We should get more info during these:TuesdayNintendo developer roundtable – 9:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM PDTWednesdayNintendo software showcase – 9:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM PDT

[Blessed Blade]

To everyone complaining: Take note that the conference, in essence, is actually two and a half hours long; we just got it cut into three this time: The Nintendo Direct pre-show to talk about the built in stuff of the U, the U's game conference today, and the 3DS conference tomorrow. We've only seen 2 of 3 parts, people.Cholie: 9 EST, 6 PDT.Am I the only one who liked the presentation?(And was annoyed to no end that they skipped over the Zelda minigame every single time an opportunity was shown?)I mean, when you think about it, it makes sense that things weren't shown: Skyward Sword just came out in November. Anything new at this point would likely be a glitchy horrible mess. There's still the potential of a 3DS Zelda announcement(Or, rather, formal announcement, everyone knows it's in the works) tomorrow at the 3DS conference.Super Smash Bros 4 just started work back when KI was finished; that's three-four months at max... While I am disappointed they didn't even mention it, I don't think Sakurai wishes to be rushed. I was not expecting any word; and that's just what happened: No word.Meanwhile, I was surprised with things they did announce, like Fit U, SiNG, and Nintendo Land(Which admittedly looks kinda fun. ... If they would show us some footage of the Zelda game inside it. ). Fit U seems intriguing to me; but only because I haven't tried the other two versions, and because I really wish to actually get into an exercising habit. SiNG looks to be kinda fun, but it'd likely be a case of 'one friend gets the game, and brings it to everyone's house', aside for possible DLC.Arkham City looks amazing, and that is partly because I haven't played any other version(Though I will chuckle at people who get the Game Of The Year edition now. =P), and the controls look cool.Am I the only one who wants a Morpheus minifig after seeing that Lego City Undercover trailer? xD That looks awesome.So ZombiU's the game from the Miiverse trailer. It doesn't seem like it at first, but if you take notes, there are subtle hints, like the whole 'scanner' thing, the 'pushes' being ineffectual, and the general look of the game.New Super Mario Brothers U seems like it might be intriguing, but I'll admit, the biggest thought I had at the time was 'What? Is that an Emolga? Mario's going to wear an Emolga for a costume? Talk about crossovers.' =PSpeaking of NSMB; NSMB2 looks rather interesting; coins for EVERYONE!Pikmin 3 cemented my purchase of a Wii U ASAP. =PAlso; just in case people aren't on the Nintendo E3 website... Mass Effect 3 just got confirmed for the U, thanks to it's inclusion in the Software lineup video. ... Am I forgetting anything?

[Chols]

Works for me! Thanks.What I think was best about this E3 wasn't any particular conference, but the concept of tablet controls in general. Each console manufacturer has developed a new approach to this idea: Wii U has a dedicated tablet controller, Microsoft employs compatibility with pre-existing devices, and Sony uses 1 party interactivity with the PSV. Each of these are GREAT approaches, but honestly there's no way to tell what works best until they hit the market.I think I like Microsoft's SmartGlass idea best in concept, but whether it will actually work in execution is a concern. We already know that the large variety of tablet computers have a lot of differences in hardware and software, so I am skeptical as to whether this approach will be fully compatible with enough devices to make it worthwhile. Wii U's approach is my close second favorite, since dedicating the tablet interface to the system itself should help encourage development for this new control style significantly. Plus it's technically more affordable all things considered. Sony's approach is excellent too, but unless you plan on owning a PS3 and a PSV, there's not much to be desired about it.

[Blessed Blade]

What is Sony's approach? I missed that part last night...I personally like the U's approach, because then you can actually play and use the screen at the same time, as the 3DS/DS shows is very responsive.

[Dorek]

Basically that the Vita is their version of the touchscreen. Which, in theory should work rather well; it's cheaper than buying an entirely new console, which is what the Wii U is, and has enough power and functionality to be a better portable device (that tablet is hardly portable =P). However, they underestimated the desire for "NEW THINGS ALL THE TIME", and that people would rather kick-start a new generation then have to deal with extending the life cycle of the existing gen. Plus, they need to price cut the heck out of it, otherwise it really just isn't viable.(Regardless, I WILL be getting that ACIII: Liberation bundle)Microsoft's idea of adapting to mobile devices works well in theory, but I can't imagine using my iPhone while playing Halo 4. I just don't see it.

[Andrewnuva199]

My gosh, that LEGO City game looks very remarkable. I might have reason to start arguing for a WiiU in the house...

[Blessed Blade]

Dorek: Oh geez, I was afraid of that. Well, I'll make sure to bring a fire flower shaped 3DS to the Vita's funeral. =P </jk>In theory it'd work out. In reality, not so much./EDIT: Added a more fitting description of that odd shaped 3DS; fire flower. =PAnyway; onto what I was editing for. Finished watching that video; turns out Nintendo is releasing a new game, that, from what I can see, isn't related to any current IPs. It's called Project-100, but I have no clue what it's about. =/ There's also a new Wario game(Seems to be in the Wario Ware series, considering Jimmy appears), called 'Game and Wario'.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Pit: Arrow of Light

[Tilius]

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Edited April 27, 2021 by Tilius

[Chols]

My gosh, that LEGO City game looks very remarkable. I might have reason to start arguing for a WiiU in the house...

Verrrry much agreed.Honestly it's the only Wii U title I definitely want at the moment.Though it's not actually exclusive, as it is also on 3DS, though I don't know what difference exists between the two versions.

[Blessed Blade]

The Wii U Zelda video they put together for last year looked pretty good. Wouldn't have been hard to put together a short preview.

That's because it's a tech demo. =P

Then go to a gym or buy a treadmill. Because that actually works....

Been considering that; the other problem is that this isn't exactly a weight problem; it probably wouldn't even care about my weight. I just want to exercise more, though that's probably the better way anyway; would help gather steps for the pedometers. =P

Arkham City is a great game, but its presence becomes mehhh because it's a year late.

Well that's partly because the Wii U still isn't out; but if Warner Bros is smart, they'll have this essentially be the Game of the Year edition as well, having all the DLC and such, alongside the new features.

Really? It seems like the same game we've been getting for years. Adding a flying squirrel suit does not add anything new to the game.

Well, there's also those odd Yoshi babies; I'm not sure what that's all about.

Seems dumb, and would've made sense, and have been good, to simply make it a Wario game. And throw Waluigi in there, too.

Kinda a missed opportunity, yes, but you also have to consider that at least the Wario Land game we got for being an Ambassador, was more or less only partly a platformer, more like a beat 'em up sidescroller than anything, so they might have just wanted speed in it as well. But, I haven't played much of Wario Land, so I might be wrong. =/

Particularly pointless given that Wii U owners won't have played the previous two, and will therefore only get a fraction of the actual experience the ME series provides.

Yeah, I'm not entirely certain how they'll work that, but I will be getting the game when possible, just to see what it's like.

Good, Wario Ware and Pikmin are two series I have little problem with them continuing. Both pretty unique, and not released that often, so it's not just milking a franchise like New Super Mario Bros does.

Wario Ware's been released more often recently, of course, but I still see your point. Still haven't finished the first NSMB game, though...

Wii U really needs a new series entirely, some kind of Portal 2-esque clever, unique game. A big hitter that challenges video games properly, rather than giving us the same platformer over and over.

Yeah, I agree. That other game I mentioned looks interesting from the preview, but I honestly have no clue what it is.

Though it's not actually exclusive, as it is also on 3DS, though I don't know what difference exists between the two versions.

They say there's different missions and such, but we might find out tomorrow, at the 3DS conference.

[King of the Madness Isles]

I mean, when you think about it, it makes sense that things weren't shown: Skyward Sword just came out in November. Anything new at this point would likely be a glitchy horrible mess. There's still the potential of a 3DS Zelda announcement(Or, rather, formal announcement, everyone knows it's in the works) tomorrow at the 3DS conference.

Exactly. It may not have been glitchy, but throwing together an extended tech demo and announcing it as a game wouldn't work too well. I am dissapointed in the lack of Metroid, however. Not too much of an excuse for that (I'm a huge Nintendo fan, but I try to avoid being biased, and not making excuses for Nintendo if they're not valid).

I don't like how, for some people, having blood makes it a hardcore game. NG3 is said to be terrible anyway, so it's not really a hardcore game...

That's exactly why I said 'bloody enough?'. I was poking fun at people who hate on games that aren't M. Come on, think clearly people-there's a difference between friendly for kids, and meant for kids.I'm also now obsessed with Lego City Undercover. Will definitely buy that, Pikmin 3, and AC: Armored Edition for the Wii U. ZombiU looked decent, but I didn't like the name (this U thing is going to get old soon...or has it already? at least "_____ 64" sounded better). The zombie face thing was also hilariously glitchy.Best part of E3 though was either Reggie saying "And yes, my body was ready" XD ....Or Microsoft inviting the creators of South Park into their presentation, only to have them make fun of how inconvenient Smart Glass is for a sec. To me it sounded like they didn't downright dislike it, but though it was either one of a few things: gimmicky, ridiculous, expensive, overly complicated, or pointless.The stupid five minutes of random Usher was fun to laugh at, but mostly, to me, slightly angering?, because this is a video game convention, not the "Popular Kid's Favorite Music" convention.Oh, and the Vita, in my opinion, is impressive, but not a necessity. Nintendo sells consoles mostly based on the fact that you can't just go out and buy that same game on another system-it's either exclusive, or different. The Vita-I see good exclusives, like Golden Abyss, but nothing to convince me to purchase a system, and alot of handhelds have that issue, but I feel that the DS and 3DS solved it with a few heavy hitters, rather than a stream of fair games.

[Blessed Blade]

AC: Armored Edition

Okay, just say Batman Armoured Edition, I thought that a new Armoured Core game had been announced, even though I knew it was Arkham City. =P

The zombie face thing was also hilariously glitchy.

Reminds me of when they tried to show Skyward Sword that first year. =P

Best part of E3 though was either Reggie saying "And yes, my body was ready" XD ....

That was awesome, was waiting for him to reference that when he brought up that fact. =P

[Makuta_of_Oz]

The only thing that was gonna interest me in E3 was Pikmin 3, and it did.The Rock Pikmin are a bit... ehh... but I just took their nature as camouflage and a defence mechanism against being eaten. Also, where were the purple and white Pikmin?Also, what about those flying pink Pikmin in the title card?

[Chols]

OH MY GOD F-ZERO IS BA--Wait no that's just another part of Nintendo Land.Oh well.

[Blessed Blade]

Hmm? Did they announce something in the roundtable?

[Terminus]

I haven't seen the Nintendo conference, but what was announced that I've seen doesn't impress. Of course, that won't stop me from getting a WiiU day 1.And I laughed when I saw Project P-100 was being done by Platinum Games and directed by the director of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, honestly wasn't expecting a seemingly kid-friendly action game from them, especially since they previously did MadWorld on the Wii, and I cans think of a game by them off the top of my head that isn't rated M. Of course, the fact that Platinum is doing it is enough to interest me.

[Than the Moa]

I think I like Microsoft's SmartGlass idea best in concept, but whether it will actually work in execution is a concern. We already know that the large variety of tablet computers have a lot of differences in hardware and software, so I am skeptical as to whether this approach will be fully compatible with enough devices to make it worthwhile.

I meant to speculate earlier on how they would do this, but from the sounds of it, my speculation was confirmed as to how the disparate hardware and software will be handled..Smartglass is a platform. Essentially Microsoft writes and app that works on these different devices, then developers that want to leverage smart class only have to code for the smartglass platform (probably using HTML5/Javascript much like Windows 8 Metro apps). It eliminates issues with compiling for specific hardware and operating systems. Microsoft handles that for you as well as providing you the hooks to easily communicate with the Xbox. Edited June 6, 2012 by James William

[Chols]

I meant to speculate earlier on how they would do this, but from the sounds of it, my speculation was confirmed as to how.Smartglass is a platform. Essentially Microsoft writes and app that works on these different devices, then developers that want to leverage smart class only have to code for the smartglass platform (probably using HTML5/Javascript much like Windows 8 Metro apps). It eliminates issues with compiling for specific hardware and operating systems. Microsoft handles that for you as well as providing you the hooks to easily communicate with the Xbox.

Of course. That's the ideal way to execute the new platform. My concerns have less to do with what Microsoft provides and more with the hardware it runs on. Especially in the case of Android, where mobile devices and tablets using the operating system have a history of poor upgrade and app availability across different devices. This could be a stumbling block for Microsoft's new software if it can't work on a number of devices that people already own. I'm also curious as to how the game interfaces will compensate for each device having a different screen resolution and aspect ratio. There is no set standard for these attributes, so Microsoft will have to make a system that remains compatible on a variety of devices (This is the major advantage to Nintendo and Sony's approaches; they only use 1st party hardware, thus standardizing these attributes). I'm positive they'll have a way to compensate, but we'll have to see. Edited June 6, 2012 by Chols

[Than the Moa]

Ah, yeah, fair enough points. I would suspect Microsoft has a gameplan for it though, but I suspect as long as they toss it on iOS for iPad, they'll hit a big enough market saturation.

[GSR]

I can almost guarantee you that Smart Glass will be available across a variety of platforms (in fact, it's already been confirmed to work on iOS and Android). It feels like another step towards Microsoft's goal to have the Xbox serve as a family's entertainment hub, and to that end it's very much to their advantage to ensure it works on most anything.That said, it does brings Windows 8's design style with it, and will presumably feature improved integration with Windows 8 and mobile Windows devices.

Edited June 6, 2012 by GSR

[Archer Vonn]

OHHH MY GOD FAR CRYMad there's no Bioshock Infinite stuff, but I gotta say Sony won E3 this year....Wii U, ouch.

[BBCCD]

why was there nothing about bioshock infinite? please don't tell me that game is gonna get canned...Halo 4. i've always liked the storylines in Halo, but honestly Halo 3 kinda disappointed me. this new installment is going to give us an entirely new enemy and plot. only time will tell if that's great or horrible. it looks fun at least; the forerunner baddies remind me of Cragmites from Ratchet and Clank, the way they teleport around. as for the grenade catching things...those seemed tough until it was shown that you can just throw a grenade at them and shoot it and they insta-die.

Edited June 6, 2012 by BBCCD

[Dorek]

Nah, it just got pushed back a few months pre-E3 (announcing that definitely would have ticked a few fans off at E3; at least it had time to simmer =P) although I think showing whatever Move functionalities Infinite will have might have been a slightly better demonstration than the Harry Potter thing.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Dorek

[King of the Madness Isles]

Sony did not win E3. They spent too much time on their little Book of Spells. Cool technology, but meh.I mean, you might as well go read a Harry Potter book that isn't interactive.

[Dorek]

There's a difference between "being great" and "winning". Sony might not have had the greatest conference...but it was better than everybody else's. (except Ubisoft, but it's a different standard)

[Blessed Blade]

Dorek: I still don't think you can fully judge Nintendo's conference yet; considering 1) it was half an hour shorter than the others, and 2) the other half, the 3DS half, is tonight.

[Dorek]

True, I am looking forward to the 3DS one (since I'm actually going to buy one at some point). But their priority was to come out swinging with the Wii U, and they didn't do that. I doubt there's anything so spectacular they can do to redeem that.

[Lyichir]

I think Nintendo has done fine at this year's conference. It's no 2010, but let's face it; I doubt Nintendo will ever match their 2010 lineup (heck, even other companies may never come close). Nintendo's showing has been enough to convince me of the viability of the Wii U. Hopefully it'll be enough to convince more consumers for this year's launch.Meanwhile, my 3DS and I will be anticipating tonight's conference. Hopefully they'll have some game announcements in addition more information on games we already have heard of. A new Golden Sun would be spectacular. Of course, more info on Paper Mario and Animal Crossing wouldn't hurt, either.

[Terminus]

WHOAH. The NSMB2 Boxart screams "SHINY!!!" I wouldn't be surprised if it had super-shiny boxart, and this is probably to make people want to by the physical version instead of the digital one. =PAnyways, I'm looking forwards to the 3DS conference later and more DoA5 info within the hour.

[Queen of Liars]

Just watched the live feed of the new Tekken and it looks pretty good. The customisable character is an interesting addition, but it may difficult for them to allow full customisability without allowing for a completely overpowered character.Hitman: Absolution also looks great. I was worried because the first footage released a couple of months ago made it seem a lot more like Splinter Cell than Hitman, but I'm glad to see that the new footage showed that it still retains the elements that made Blood Money so great, while adding a lot more.Gonna go see if I can find videos of what was shown of Far Cry 3.

Edited June 6, 2012 by -Tragic Idol-

[Terminus]

The DoA5 trailer was pretty cool, although really nothing new besides Sarah from Virtua Fighter, I was hoping to se some new original characters.Meh, they still have my favorites, though (Hitomi, Kasumi, and Zack).Anyways, still waiting on the 3DS showcase to start... 8 minutes late already...OH YEAH! NON-SPECIFIC ACTION FIGURE!Aaand... Paper Mario has no experience system, I just lost a bit of faith in the game...And a Kingdom Hearts 3D Demo is coming to the Eshop soon!Sadly, nothing new was announced, so no Fire Emblem yet .

Edited June 7, 2012 by Terminus

[Blessed Blade]

Hmm. Paper Mario and Luigi's Mansion looks cool(Heck, all the games shown look cool)... but nothing new. I'm slightly disappointed; I expected at least some new announcements of enigmatic things. =/ Was also hoping for Fire Emblem announcement, like Terminus; but also eShop stuff, though the fact that there'll be more demos is awesome. ... I need a bigger SD card ASAP, though...

[D-D-D-Ddude]

BUT WAIT THERE'S MOREFire Emblem: Awakening was post-conference confirmed for localization. =DAnyone dissapointed by lack of Animal Crossing, though?

[Blessed Blade]

WAIT WHAT WHEN!? O_OHow the heck did I miss that? The stream simply ended for me... But that's great news, then! =D ... Not entirely something that makes me feel good for spending an hour and a half, but hey, we got game footage too. =PAnd yeah, I was disappointed about that too, but last I heard, it's been confirmed for Holiday season too...

[Archer Vonn]

why was there nothing about bioshock infinite? please don't tell me that game is gonna get canned...

Release date got postponed until February. Not getting canceled, too far in production for that to be even half a good idea, it just got delayed.So, no E3, and more time for JC to finish his Bouncer run of Bioshock 2. Edited June 7, 2012 by ~JC~

[Blessed Blade]

too far in production for that to be even half a good idea,

Which company would this be; if it's Capcom, it's never too far. :rolleyes:But, since we're talking about Sony, it's probably too far, yes. *Nods*

[Archer Vonn]

too far in production for that to be even half a good idea,

Which company would this be; if it's Capcom, it's never too far. :rolleyes:But, since we're talking about Sony, it's probably too far, yes. *Nods*

Think its 2k running the show? Bioshock is a multi platform series. Just not on the Wii.Sucks to be you guys. Edited June 7, 2012 by ~JC~

[Terminus]

Fire Emblem was an offstage announcement made after the 3DS conference.Also, SE's plans for Final Fantasy XIV look pretty interesting, I'll most likely get it once it's in version 2.0 and on PS3, the improvements sound pretty good.

[Lyichir]

Okay, even I was a little disappointed by the showing of 3DS games at last night's events. Yes, they showed some information on games I liked, but most of the information was not new, save for more detail on games they ALREADY WENT OVER at Tuesday's event. And would it have killed them to reveal some finalized release dates for more of those games? It looked like they were going to do so a couple times, only for them to give us the vague "Coming this holiday season".Mind you, I loved the games they did show. Paper Mario in particular looks absolutely fabulous. But there were absolutely zero surprises.

[Dorek]

I don't really know why people were expecting surprises =P. I was mostly watching to see if they'd confirm that rumor of a 3DS XL or whatever. They didn't, so I'll probably get a purple 3DS one of these days.However, NSMB2 looks pretty dang fun.