Phew! It's been tough to keep up on blogging, as E3 prep requires sifting through a mountain of emails. The spare time I usually use to peck merrily away at SVGL has been eaten up recently -- and so has my game time, since by the end of the day once I'm off work, I almost don't even feel like picking up a controller.
I figured I'd start the catch-up process by answering some of the most common questions I've gotten via email during my recent lull of sorts: Yes, I've seen the purported "Project Trico" vid. Am I excited? What do I think? Of course I'm excited, it's a video that sure as hell looks like it's for a new Ueda game. Other than that, what's there to say until we have some more details? Longtime SVGL-ers know that I loathe the hype cycle, so I'm not about to get lathered up prematurely. Yes, I am going to E3, yes, I am looking forward to it.
Do I have any E3 predictions? Actually, for once I'm tending to believe these early rumors surrounding this supposed PS3 Slim. I feel Sony knows it absolutely can't compete in the price wars with the PS3 at $399 -- but given Sony Corp's current stunning losses and plans for heavy restructuring, I wonder if it can yet afford to cut the price of the thing by $100, as the industry seems to agree that it must.
Microsoft was quite clever in introducing its Arcade SKU -- at $199, it's angled as a mainstream product, and thus can compete with Wii even while the boost in sales arms the company to really drive the nail into Sony, too. My guess would be that the PS3 Slim would be a reasonable way for Sony to follow suit with a lighter, smaller, cheaper and less-able PS3 for a broader audience. What will they take out of it, exactly? No idea.
Of course, a supposed slim PS3 could be an entirely new upgrade on the existing hardware that's smaller and less expensive to manufacture. That they'd be able to get the overpriced box off the shelf and replace it with one that's cheaper and equally capable is a miracle I'm not expecting, though -- my guess is that it's a simpler SKU that will sell alongside, not replace, the proper PS3. Of course, I'm only speculating -- I've got no info whatsoever to suggest either way.
Will Microsoft introduce gesture-based motion control? Unsure. I was with Kotaku last year where we actively did some reporting about a possible Wii Remote-ish wand expected at E3 -- I felt pretty sure that was going to happen, and yet it didn't, so despite all the motion rumors flying around the Xbox 360 this year, I'm bating my faith.
Reveals I'm looking forward to? Take a guess (and do you think it is an "S" or a "5" flashing in the clouds?).
I actually get a little antsy around E3 time. The hype is at an all-time high, and audiences are waiting in a frenzy of anticipation for announcements, reveals and impressions that can't possibly meet expectations. For example, I can tell you for certain that no matter what poor Nintendo says or does in a couple weeks, no one will be happy.
The bar is set very high for E3 this year, and I wonder how it can possibly meet the expectations of those who question whether it should even continue to exist after last year's lull. I'm not someone who's easily impressed, mind you -- but the collective shoulder-shrug that often follows E3 tends to make me feel a little sad, because I wonder what people were expecting, and whether those expectations were realistic.
So tell me -- what are you expecting out of E3, and what are you looking forward to?
17 comments:
Luckily for me, I've pretty much drowned myself in playing titles that I already own or haven't and always wanted to play but couldn't. This means I have absolutely no expectations for E3, which is good. That means I'll be able to take in whatever gets announced with a sort of detached purity.
I've submitted myself to full information control regarding "Trico" and I'm resolving myself to make this week's leaked trailer the last thing "I see" regarding the game. ...Yeah, I know too much MGS...
I will be pissed if there's a new Metal Gear game announced however. Depending on the context of it though, I suppose that's not the worst thing that could effect my day. Not to mention the possibility that it may not even be a Metal Gear game at all. It will be ironic if it's Snatcher though, as that's the game I've set to play for myself (for the first time) after I'm done splooging on Metal Gear today.
I surely don't envy you guys gearing up for the event. I can't even walk into the library anymore without throwing people nasty looks. >=/
I have no expectations this year, so things can skew into any number of directions for me.
~sLs~
Absolutely nothing.
I always expect more from the GDC. Especially in respect to the IGF...
I'm hoping that there will be some sort of info on this new PSP business; my PSP purchases have kind of been put on halt until I understand the direction this is going in.
The trailer for Project Trico was like an emotional punch straight at the gut. I'm a strange guy; I've recently been thinking how emotions in videogames affect me and noticed that I often feel more emotional with videogame trailers than the games they are meant to advertise. Take Metal Gear Solid 2's trailer - layers and layers of action, emotion, suspense, knowing winks, bravado; all steamrolled into a visual spectacle even the game doesn't deliver. After all, trailers aspire to be all that, right? To convey the *meaning* of the game. MGS2's trailer (or rather that first glimpse at E3 way back then) does that with a level of excellence I haven't found in many other trailers.
I admit to feeling some watery incongruences (humans usually refer to them as 'tears') in my eyes whenever I happen to see it.
Strangely, Project Trico's had the same effect on me. I say strangely because there is no *game* yet that we know details about. But there's a very meaningul *sense* of childlike wonder, wanderlust, imagination and relationship. Usually, the kind of thing only the best Zeldas manage; and what Ico and Shadow of the Collosus offered.
Trico isn't a game yet but it evokes one. The unwritten promises of what it might hold are simply too affecting, too powerful to let go. But expectations to hear about it on E3 are slim, so I'd enjoy hearing about a game that is apparently being worked on - Beyond Good and Evil 2.
PS: Love your new pic on the sidebar :P
Microsoft's hyperbolic statements about it's upcoming reveal has me trying constantly to figure out what on earth they could be talking about that would make us reconsider home entertainment as we know it.
The motion control camera thing looks legit, but like you said, so did the wand. And I can't convince myself that Microsoft would be desperate enough to so blatantly go after the already-established and locked-in Wii audience.
The only thing I can come up with - and the thing that makes the most sense to me - is there's some sort of advancing of the whole NXE that makes it more social in nature, perhaps even tying it in with Facebook and more in depth interaction with Netflix. Maybe the avatars will actually be useful or do something, rather than simply hanging out waving whenever.
This seems to be the way to go, since social gameplay has always been Microsoft's strong suit, NOT casual-focus motion gameplay. It would also make the Xbox something that DOES appeal to the average, mainstream, dare-we-say casual gamer. It's a way to be with friends that's more intimate than writing on their wall, poking them, or mafia wars.
I'm always looking forward to the unexpected surprise titles. The ones that leave your jaw open and drool pooled beneath your feet.... or at least hopefully underneath your feet and not anywhere else.
I'm also extremely excited for Sony's E3 presentation. I think they are going into E3 with the most momentum because of their software successes earlier this year (and next week) and I'd like to see them carry it into the event this year.
I feel Nintendo always has something interesting, however I'm only passingly, if not marginally curious, about Microsoft's presentation this year. Another "stolen" exclusive, or timed one, isn't going to impress me much and never has.
I need content, not a pissing contest.
not much really. your usual suspects, everyone will show sequels and the masses will rejoice and bitch at the same time. all the new things will be hyped to death and we'll all wonder whether any of it will be worthwhile.
I'm hopig for Alan Wake and BG&E 2. Those are really the games I've been looking forward to and with the recent leaked trailer for Good & Evil, I think it's safe to say it'll be there.
And chances of Alan Wake showing are very high as well.
Hmmm... an innovation in gaming on the order of the Wii's motion control... How about voice recognition that works? Remember that game "Lifeline"? Like that, only, you know, good.
Ugh. I can tell from the trailer your animal companion thing is going to die at the end and I'm going to cry like a baby. They were all, "Remember how bad Adam felt when the horse died in SoC? What if we made a whole game about making Adam feel shitty? Let's go with that." Thanks.
Project Trico definitely has me excited after the superb SotC (sadly, I've never had the chance to play Ico), as does BG&E2, which I'm hoping we'll see a lot more of this year at E3. That leaked footage - if it's real - has me concerned about the direction of the game, but I'm waiting until I see more to make any judgments. Finally, I'm hoping for something exciting from Valve *cough*HL2:Ep3*cough* since they've been pretty quiet since Left 4 Dead came out.
I'm also kind of hoping that teaser site is for Snatcher or some other non-MGS5 product. I want to see Kojima productions branch out some more. If it is MGS-related though, I'm guessing it's not MGS5, but an MGS4 expansion, a la Substance and Subsistence.
YES, i cannot wait. E3 should be pretty big this year. Of course, Blizzcon is probably going to kick its ass, but whatever - still looking fw to it.
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