Pfffff. Hear that? That was Microsoft taking some of the air out of Sony’s sails by showing off their new dashboard update and avatar system. It seems to be all PS3’s Home wants to be without the filler of walking from place to place and decorating a house. And I’m sure it will be released before Home. You can jump into a party with 8 of your friends and go from game to game with them, look at pictures, or even watch movies with the newly announced (but long rumored) partnership with Netflix. While you and your friends have to have both a gold XBL account and a Netflix account, it’s still a pretty cool idea. The avatars are a nice mix between Mii’s and Home characters. The dashboard update looks sleak and sexy and is a welcome replacement to the current scheme.
Another interesting part of the update is the introduction of another long rumored feature: Xbox Live Primetime. This is the “game show” feature that was leaked a while back. Details are fairly scarse currently, but 1 Vs. 100 was announced as one of the games and there will be “real prizes.” Most likely these prizes will be MS points or XBLA games, not cold hard cash.
Speaking of XBLA, one of the few surprises of the conference came in the form of an exclusive Portal expansion, Portal: Still Alive. New levels, new achievements, I’m down. Also shown was the rumored (Microsoft really sucks at keeping secrets) Geometery Wars 2. It will have several different play modes this time around and co-op. But will it be $5 again? The original Banjo game is coming to XBLA this year as well. There were 4 goddamn notes in the first one that I never found. I don’t know if I can go through that abuse again. There will be a new Uno game that uses the avatars, not really sure what makes it different from the old one other than that.
On the “casual” front, a new Scene It! game was shown off. This will be the first game to use the new avatars in the game. Still using the big button controller, it will have all new questions and clips along with new question types. I can overlook the terrible trailer and be excited for a new version of “the game I never lose.” Yes, that is a challenge to everyone. I cannot overlook the sad display put on by Microsoft execs for their other cas’ title, You’re In The Movies. A game full of PS2 Eye Toy minigames that get cut into a shitty B movie at the end? Only with a 5 drink minimum will I consider this game.
Lips was finally announced and it is actually called Lips. Besides having a terrible name, this game actually sounds really awesome. It will completely live or die on the promised ability to use your own music in the game. I’m a big fan of SingStar but the songs in those get old after a few play sessions. If this game really lives up to what they are saying it could sold that entirely. Also, the microphones look snazzy.
Both plastic instrument games were there as well. Guitar Hero is getting an REM track pack. Yawn. They are also getting the entire new Metallica album the day it comes out. Interesting but still nothing spectacular. Rock Band 2 was much more interesting, showing off the entire on-disc set list for the game. In addition to these 84 songs are 20 free DLC songs to be release soon after the game. If that wasn’t enough you will be able to import “most” of the RB1 disc songs if you own the game, for less that $5. That is a shit ton of music, thank you for truly sticking with the platform idea.
On the trailer/gameplay video watch we have Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Resident Evil 5, Banjo Kazooie, Viva Pinata, and The Last Remnant. Nothing huge to mention from any of these. They each increased my eagerness to get my hands on the actual game. E3 is like finding your Christmas presents in July and knowing you can’t have them for months. It kind of sucks from the outside.
Then at the end, Microsoft went in for the kill. Final Fantasy XIII will be coming to 360 the same damn day as it comes to PS3. Pfffffff. There goes the rest of the air in Sony’s sails. The two titles always thrown around as PS3 system sellers were MGS4 (always heavily rumored to come to 360 eventually) and FFXIII. With that exclusivity gone, Sony is going to have to put on one hell of a show tomorrow. I’m sure they still have something up their sleeves (coughGodofWar3cough).
Sadly absent were Alan Wake, Forza 3, GTA4 DLC video, any mention of motion control and any Microsoft exec more interesting than watching paint dry. Really insincere paint.
EA Press Conference
Nothing important really happened. id Software is moving to EA from Activision and there were a bunch of trailers and such. That’s about it. I’m tired and I wasn’t even at the show. Thank you to the brave men and women who are putting out all this information. I salute you and hope to join your ranks one day.
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