The Return of E3

Well folks, this is a very exciting week in the world of gaming. It's the week where all the major players in the gaming industry meet the press and the gamers. They introduce and show off all of the new toys and games that we will be killing each other for this holiday season. They show us the stuff that is almost done and the stuff that is just in development and still a year or so away. It's a time where we can all get together to celebrate everything that is gaming. It's the week of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It's E3!

E3 started on Monday with the big keynote speech from Microsoft. Then on Tuesday it was Nintendo and Sony's turn. There are also presentations from the big game developers such as Electronic Arts. Then it's time to hit the floor to check out all of the booths and play a level or two from some of the games that won't be released for months to come. I've been following along all week long and I have one word to describe this year's E3...."yawn".

I'll get into what the big announcements were from the different companies in a bit, but first let me touch upon something I mentioned a few months back...the recession. I felt that this was going to be a bad year for gaming. Discretionary income is way down, and that means so is discretionary spending. The cost of creating a video game is astronomical and game developers aren't going to spend that kind of money this year on a game that doesn't have an installed fanbase already. So that means we are going to see more sequels than ever before. And sure enough, that's what the big announcements were for this year.

Microsoft

Microsoft's big announcement was the development of a new kind of controller where you can play with your arms and use the motion of your arms to control the character's on the screen. Sound familiar? It should, because it's a blatant rip off of the Nintendo Wiimote. Sure Microsoft says theirs takes that technology to another level by introducing a camera that will recognize you and your actions. But seriously, this won't be released for at least 12-18 months, so really who cares?

As for games that Microsoft will be rolling out this holiday season. They announced sequels to some very successful games including Left 4 Dead 2, Mass Effect 2, and Assassin's Creed 2. All three were great games and I'm sure the sequels will be good as well, but there's really nothing new here. On the shooter side of life, they introduced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3: ODST, which is Halo 3: the sequel. All of which will be good, but again, nothing new. It's a safe secure holiday for Microsoft.

Nintendo

Nintendo is really going to push their Wii Fit franchise this year with Wii Fit Plus. They really think they have something here and are going to really push some programming for it as well. It could be pretty successful, but again, the Wii Fit was introduced last year, so nothing new.

Mario is back. They introduced a new Mario game with Co-op gameplay. It looks like a basic Mario game, and I'm sure it will sell like hotcakes.

They also introduced a new advanced Wii Motion Plus, which when attached to the Wii-mote makes it more sensitive to your actions. So when you play Tiger Woods Golf, it really takes into account every mistake in your swing. Sounds pretty cool, but we'll see if it makes games to hard. Sometimes forgiving gameplay is ok. I'm pretty sure that I can't beat Tiger Woods in real life, so there's no need to make me face that humiliation in my living room.

Sony

Sony is still playing catch up. And guess what they introduced? Yup, it's a Wii-mote like device that will "revolutionize" gameplay. Again, like Microsoft, this is a blatant rip-off of the Wii-mote and is at least 12-18 months away from release, so who cares?

To Sony's credit however, they have introduced some original gaming with the game Heavy Rain. The game looks beautiful and has a very artsy "Blade Runner" look to it. I think it could be one hell of a good game, and I hope it gets the commercial success it deserves. Otherwise it's just going to me more sequels with higher and higher numbers at the end of the titles.

Overall

Overall, I'm happy that the gaming industry is moving forward and fighting the recessions with everything it can. I really liked some of the original games these sequels are based on, so I'm happy to sit down and have another Assassin's Creed adventure. I just hope that this isn't a long-term trend. Without new "real" innovation and new games with new themes, the gaming industry will hurt itself more than any recession ever could.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year-old Gamer

Everybody Was IPhone Gaming!

About a year ago, I wrote a blog about how I thought if done correctly the IPhone could become the killer of the PSP. Well here we are about a year later and that has truly come full circle. As I write this blog, millions of people are currently downloading all kinds of games from ITunes to play on their IPhone and IPod Touch. Games generally cost anywhere between Free and $10, and here is the real secret...they're good!

Apple has done mobile gaming right. Each game is relatively easy to play, and all can be played in very short periods of time. This is key. For the most part when you are playing games on the go, you really have less than 15 minutes of where you can play the game. Maybe you are on the subway or you are waiting in line somewhere and you want to kill time. You can't pull out your PSP and start getting into a very involved stage of something. It will take you 5 minutes alone just to get to the start screen. With the Iphone, you're gaming in seconds.

The biggest problem with the PSP was what I described last year. There is no way to play your PSP without making it look completely obvious that you are playing your PSP. Last year I carried my PSP around with me for two weeks trying to find opportunities to play it. Say I'm out at a restaurant with the 30 Year-old Fiancee, and she steps away to go to the bathroom, I can't pull out my PSP and start playing a game of Madden. She would be furious. She's understanding when it comes to my gaming, but that's pushing it. However now, I can pull out my Iphone and start playing Tiger Woods Golf, and it looks to everyone in the restaurant that I'm texting someone. This is completely socially acceptable. No one has any idea that I'm on hole 17 at Pebble Beach putting for par. Awesome!

It didn't take too long before I figured out the greatness of this and started playing games like a madman. I've got Monopoly, Tiger Woods Golf, Metal Gear Solid, and the Price is Right. True story...a few weeks back I'm in Washington DC with a buddy of mine and we're having a few beers before we have to meet his parents for dinner. I slide over to him my phone and he starts playing the Price is Right. He's loving the game. Gets to spin the wheel and makes it to the showcase showdown. Needless to say we ended up running late to dinner. The cost of that game was half of the cost of one pint of beer.

Apple is really onto something here and the more 3rd party developers get on board the greater it's going to be. This fall Iphone Madden comes out. I can't wait to take my Patriots to the Superbowl...all while sitting at my desk at work.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year-old Gamer

Delightfully Evil

Now This Looks Promising

You have to give Xbox a little credit when it comes to one thing, and that's their online gaming. Almost every game that you buy today has some sort of multiplayer component of the game. In fact, a lot of gamers will buy a game because of it's multiplayer than it's solo game. Take the game Left 4 Dead for example. This game is played with 4 people working together to survive the zombie apocalypse. Now while you can play this game with three computer partners, they don't quite react the same way as a live person when your screaming for help because some huge monster is ripping your nipples off.

Over the past few years, Microsoft has done a great job at perfecting the online experience and while I'll be the first to admit that there is still a long way to go, I think they are making great strides. And one shining example of this, is a game that they are bringing to Xbox Live Arcade later this summer, 1 vs 100.

If you've never seen the live game show here's a quick summary of how the game is played. There is one person who is the main contestant and they have to answer trivia questions. The more they answer correctly, the more money they earn. There is also 100 other people, known as The Mob, who are also answering the questions. The members of The Mob that get the question wrong are eliminated. The contestant can quit at any time and walk with the money they have, or they can go up against The Mob. If the contestant answers a question wrong, then the remaining members of The Mob split the money and the contestant gets nothing.

Later this summer, this game show will be played live via Xbox Live. Gamers can sign up at a scheduled time and play the show for real prizes. You can be either "The One" or "The Mob". You use your Xbox Live Avatar to represent yourself and you can win Xbox Live Microsoft Points or even video games.

I for one am a huge trivia nut and this is right up my alley. I posted the trailer of the game on the left and if the game is half as good as the trailer, then this will be a huge success. I know I'm looking forward to it and hope this is just the beginning of games like this. It's a great way to help unite the Xbox Live community and something that the Nintendo Wii will never have.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year-old Gamer

The Best Sports Game I've Ever Played

For all two of you who are still reading this blog, welcome back. If you are wondering where I've been, the answer is simple. I've been on the ice of the Boston Garden for the past 4 months. Let me explain.

Over the holidays I was given a nice gift card to Best Buy, where on a whim I picked up a copy of NHL 09. I know there aren't a lot of hockey fans out there, but I"m one of them. And let me tell you, this game is the best sports game I've ever played.

Let's start with the basics. The graphics are great, the game play is innovative, easy to learn and hard to master. Basically, everything you would expect from a top quality sports game is here, but it goes way beyond that.

They have a game mode called "Be a Pro" mode. I started in this mode by creating myself as a left winger and joining the Bruins organization. They start by putting me as a rookie in the Providence Bruins on their 3rd line. When you play in this mode, you can only play as yourself. You can't change players and when your shift on the ice is over, then you sit (not playing the game) waiting for your turn again. It's a very compelling way to play hockey, and you learn a lot about how to play the game when you don't have the puck. Hint, positioning is key.

I start playing on the P-Bruins struggling at first, but then finding some success. I work my way up to their 1st scoring line and about 33 games into the season I get the call up to the Boston Bruins. My first game with the Bruins is at home against the rival Montreal Canadians where half way through the third period I score the winning goal. (by the way, scoring is really hard so this is a big deal) I have so much fun playing through the season helping the Bruins make their way up the standings that before I know it, i've played 82 games and the playoffs are here.

In the opening round, I get the Atlanta Thrashers. They jump out to a quick 2-1 series lead before I come roaring back and win the series 4-2. In the 2nd round I play the rival Montreal Canadians again. This series isn't nearly as close and I beat them 4 games to 1. Then it's off to the Eastern Conference finals against the Pittsburg Penguins, and boy are they good. Three of our games go to overtime and the phenom Sidney Crosby is just unstoppable. He scores 7 goals in the series and I painfully get eliminated 4-2 by the eventual Stanley Cup Champs, Pittsburg Penguins.

At the end of the last game, after I punched the couch for 15 minutes, I walked to the local bar and had a couple beers to one hell of a great season. I personally can't believe how into this game I got. I would drive home at night from work looking forward to playing whoever my match up was that night. I would travel home to Boston and watch a Bruins game on TV and tell my brother, "Oh, I easily beat these guys 4-1 when I played them last week."

I tip my hat to Electronic Arts. This is the best sports game I've ever played and is probably on my top 5 games of all time. It's a must play for any sports fan, whether you like hockey or not. The game is just that awesome.

Now it's time to look to the offseason to see if the Bruins will offer me a 2 year $3 million deal.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year-old Gamer