However, after a failed experiment by moving the conference to Santa Monica, the expo fell in glory. What was once the yearly gaming mecca now became one of many different conferences and conventions about technology and gaming. It was fitting that this happened however, as gaming devices became much more than just gaming devices, fueling a much larger audience.
This year, in 2011, this wasn't any different of an expo. While the big three got together, I felt that there weren't many surprises they had. And I held off on making a thursday post to watch all the footage, and how best to describe what I felt about this. And what I felt, was nothing.
Maybe I am more jaded when it comes to video games and consoles, or possibly I'm looking just negative about certain things. But, in a conference where things have literally made my jaw drop in years past, this year felt like a moment of nostalgia. With both Sony and Nintendo showing off things that we've been hearing and seeing for months, and Microsoft not showing anything new in terms of software or hardware, it was hard pressed to find a surprise in the convention.
So, for a smaller in-depth look at the conferences, we'll start with Microsoft:
Microsoft debuted new footage of Gears of War 3, many Kinect enabled titles, showed off Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 footage, announced the same DLC deal they had in the previous year, and introduced yet another new interface for the X-Box and their Kinect motion controller. The conference didn't show much that we haven't already seen, and while the shiny new interface was different, it's the third one they've released in the last two years.
Sony: As Jack Tretton said about the conference, there was a major elephant in the room once he walked on stage. The Playstation Network outage that plagued Sony for a month was one thing that needed to be addressed, and Tretton responded with class. He apologized on behalf of himself and the company, and did it remarkably well enough to convince me at the very least. However, after that, there wasn't any more surprises to be had, except for the Sly Cooper 4 announcement trailer. The game has already been announced though. And while we now know the true name of the new Playstation Hand-held, the Playstation Vita, we've already seen how the system will function, what it can do. There wasn't anything that truly stood out, except for the graphics were of PS3 quality.
Nintendo: Yes, Nintendo did show off the new WiiU console, the hardware that they are releasing with Next-Gen Graphics capability, improved online play, and storage space in order to hold content and information. However, this is something we've been hearing rumors about from Nintendo for a while, and at the same time, it was something that was needed in order for the company to continue to compete with the other two console makers. The Wii at this point is underpowered, and is unable to handle experiences that the PS3 or 360 can. The WiiU and it's new "innovative" controller (a normal controller sporting a touchscreen for enhanced content and two cameras) is designed to make the console competitive.
The problem is, that they didn't show any gameplay. Third party titles were shown by footage from the other systems. First Party footage was shown in trailers of games that have been already released that were souped up. There is nothing of actual proof of what this console can actually do, which leaves me skeptical.
The rest of the conference was a mash of "been there, done that" for me, with all the games already shown at other conventions and conferences. This year, i'm sorry, has taken away my lust for the convention, and possibly even for following gaming news entirely. It is sad, since gaming is one of my favorite hobbies, and I did spend all week scouring the gaming news aggregates in order to find something that blew my mind. Sadly, nothing truly popped out like that.
I do apologize for skipping thursdays post for this one, and I will be back on schedule this week. Thanks for your patience.
No review score this week
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