Working Title 06.08.11: Working Predictions: E3 2011 - The Evaluation

Posted by Jordan Williams on 06.09.2011

Did Microsoft heavily promote Call of Duty: Elite? Did Sony apologize for the PSN outage? Did Nintendo give Project Cafe an official name? 411's Jordan Williams takes a look at his E3 predictions and analyzes the convention!

Now with less than 1% F-Bombs!

Welcome to the #1 Column to realize that console exclusive dominance at E3 is all but dead….WORKING TITLE. So this week is E3 and everyone is going out of their fuckin' (1) minds about all of the new stuff I am having the dawning realization that the console dominance era seems to be over. Watching all of the Big 3 pressers showed me that…I don't really care about what the first party offers anymore. Sure, the Wii U stuff looked cool and I am always happy for some Nintendo first party goodness but nothing first party from Sony OR Microsoft really wowed me. The stuff that really got me going were the multiplatform offerings like Skyrim, Saints Row: The Third, and BF3. So I think the era of gushing my pants over Exclusives are just sorta…done.
But that doesn't change the fact that all eyes are on E3 this week and we will have TONS of news and stuff to do…well…people who aren't lazy enough to pretty much rehash the same column they did last week.

Me on the other hand?


IT'S MOTHERFUCKING(2) E3 TIME…AGAIN!


Working Title: E3 2011 - What Should DID Happen


So the Big 3 Pressers are pretty much done. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all got on stage and showed us what is to come for at least the next two years for the consoles. Some had some entertaining new ideas to bring to the console world while others just seemed to be spinning wheels. I'd say the overall feeling was sort of…just there. Microsoft pushed the Kinect hard and that probably pissed off the wrong people for the right reasons. Sony made it abundantly clear that they want the PSVita to kick the ever loving crap out of anything else Nintendo does but didn't necessarily push the Move that hard. And Nintendo once again showed us that there is NO LIMIT of how much they can repackage a first party title to get people talking…but who can blame them?

Well, the vast majority of the internet would blame them but let's just see how everything went down for them.

Nintendo

So obviously we all knew going in that Nintendo was going to do two things. They were going to press the 3DS hard and they were going to reveal what exactly the Café was and what it could do. I'd say in that regard the delivered. They showed us the Wii U (which is a horrible name that the internet will forget in about two weeks) and showed us that the 3DS still has some life left in it depending on what kinds of games you want to play. Outside of that they pretty much stuck the usual gameplan of trying to sell us on the idea that gaming isn't this exclusive club anymore that someone needs to be on the 'in' to know about...but rather a worldwide hobby that is being accepted by the casual and the hardcore alike. But let's see how well I did in predicting what SHOULD happen and then talk about what DID happen.

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Nintendo will give Project Café a Name


Did it Happen: Yes

So the Project Cafe got a total lateral move in being called the Wii U. I would have hoped that Nintendo changed the name just a bit to get away from the stigma that the Wii name has with the hardcore fans, but then I realized that the Wii brand name itself is OBSCENELY strong with the casual fan base that ate up the Wii last time. My main problem is with the "U" on the end of the Wii more than anything. What is so bad about Wii 2? Or maybe...Super Wii. And does anyone else think that Wii Vita and PSPU just sound better? Let's organize a name swap here.


Nintendo will reveal three NEW first party mascot-based titles for each of its consoles (meaning one each)

Did it Happen: No.

Well, sort of. It didn't happen the way I THOUGHT it was going to happen. I thought we would see at least one new Wii game, one new 3DS game, and one new Wii U game and instead we got four new 3DS games and two and a half (seeing as Zelda HD was a proof of concept rather than a full blown game) Wii U games and to my knowledge NOTHING for Wii that was new. But in the long run I think this was the appropriate time to show all of those people who bought a 3DS that there ARE some games coming out for the system worth playing in the near future and seeing as Zelda is most likely the swan song for the Wii (I don't care if they say it's not) I can see them pretty much regulating them to the backseat as far as everything else is concerned.

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Nintendo will announce that Skyward Sword will be a Café Launch Title

Did it Happen: No.

Much to my surprised they stuck to the guns that the new Legend of Zelda would be a Wii only release. I had thought for sure since the game was coming in so late in the life cycle of the Wii and the fact that it has been pushed back more than once and seemingly put on hold for a good little bit that they were just going to go ahead and regulate it the new hotness. And...after seeing the HD Zelda proof of concept part of me wishes that they had decided to go ahead and HD-ify it for the Wii U...although I have no idea how people would've accepted that the first 'hardcore' release would still be using the motion control they loved to hate.



Nintendo will announce solid release dates for LoZ-3DS and Kid Icarus 3DS

Did it happen: Yes

We finally got dates...well...better dates than what Nintendo is used to giving out. We finally know that we will be playing both of these games before the end of the year and that they will come and good times. So that's a good thing. I am also happy that even after a year they seem to still have more and more stuff to show with Kid Icarus than just it being the re-release of a game people wanted for awhile new. The actual story reveals seemed cool as well as the online multiplayer that just seems frantic as all fuck(3) the question is will it actually be worth playing? Out of all of the real time multiplayer games Nintendo has tried with the handhelds the only one I really liked was Mario Kart and the Starfox DS games. It'll be interesting to see if this game works out, but at the very least the single player is looking pretty damned good. As for LoZ-OoT-3DS? Sure...whatever.

Hard Mode

Nintendo will announce Project Café's Price Point

Did it Happen: No.

It was a long shot but of course Nintendo kept cagey about all of the money details surrounding the Wii U. I really think they should've given some sort of answer because that controller alone looks like it might cost as much as the 3DS based on the tech inside of it and what Nintendo is doing. Personally I think we will either see one of two things with the Wii U when it launches. We will either see that the Wii U is going to be surprisingly cheap for a console. With the console beating the cheap thing and the Tabletroller (Tablet-troller) will be the expensive part of the hardware package. OR for the first time ever we might see Nintendo release a console and actually take a loss from it. Which is...hard for Nintendo to do. I personally would love for Nintendo to take a profit hit from releasing this console because then it means they REALLY have to make the games shine in order for them to get money but for some reason I think we might end up seeing the controller cost a lot of money and the new 'box' ending up being the cheapest part of the ensemble.

Nintendo will announce Project Café's new online structure

Did it Happen: No.

As far as Nintendo would like us to believe the plans for Nintendo's online structure seems to be the same. They really didn't do any sort of concrete changes or fixes or anything. This could be because they probably haven't thought that far in advance...or the fact that the Nintendo online structure won't change too much. If the latter is the case than that is really big disappointment.

All in all I think Nintendo delivered on its promises on the software side. Although we THIRST for new IPs I really don't think anyone looks to Nintendo to do that anymore. You buy the Nintendo console and the Nintendo brand to get new versions and better versions of the beloved and established franchises. You can call them sequels, you can call them rehashes, you can call them whatever they want but the mere fact that Nintendo has been able to stay true to itself and still operate strongly as a FIRST PARTY developer on top of being a hardware developer still means something. They have always said since day one they were about Entertainment (What did you think the E stood for in NES and SNES?) first and foremost and despite all of the griping I think they are still sticking to their guns.


Microsoft

Yeah, it's STILL the Windows Logo.

I said last week that Microsoft had the most to prove this year because they are the ones lagging behind in the area of console exclusives and this year they proved that time and time again that they really have no answer to the exclusive problem. Gears 3 and Halo 4 are all well and nice but they haven't shown me that New IP EXCLUSIVE that I have been looking for. If I didn't already have a 360 and was looking to get one there is almost nothing that would sway me at this point because the strongest showings they have are still the multiplatform released. The one thing Microsoft pumped all of the time into...again...was the Kinect. And while the showing wasn't nearly as drab and painful to see as it was last year, it still just gives off the feeling that Microsoft is spinning its wheels instead of actively trying to compete. This might be a sign.

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Microsoft will announce a hardcore title for the Kinect

Did it Happen: Kind of...

So for the Kinect we got a bevy of games, but the definition of 'hardcore' might be a bit loose. We have Fable: The Journey which actually looked impressive but is really nothing more than just a rail shooter with a Fable Skin on it. We then saw Star Wars Kinect which I thought looked pretty damn cool...until I saw it in motion. Then it looked like...again...another rail shooter just this time you are swinging your hands instead of pointing your fingers and going pew pew. Some might argue that Mass Effect 3 could be considered a Kinect game but honestly what the Kinect does in that game can be done with the headset...and probably better. So in the regards of Kinect getting a hardcore title...I am going to have to say if you feel rail shooters and Ryse count as 'hardcore' then they delivered. If not...well hopefully we see something soon.


Microsoft will announce SOMETHING regarding Halo

Did it Happen: Yes and Yes again

So it was already sort of spoiled if you looked at the Xbox website earlier this year but they not only announced the long rumored Halo: CEA but they also teased at Halo 4. As for Halo: CEA I actually REALLY have a problem with this being a retail disc at 40 dollars. Don' get me wrong, I am happy that it is being released at a reduced price but when the way the game looks...the way it is presented and just the general fact that this is an anniversary release that features XBL HEAVILY it makes all of the sense in the world to make this an XBLA release. Hell, given the lackluster Summer of Arcade line up (outside of Bastion) this would've been the crown jewel of Summer of Arcade. But I guess they are going to get Master Chief's money no matter how they will get it. As for Halo 4? It was a pretty interesting couple of seconds that dropped a lot of hints if you are really paying attention to them. What is this new alien threat? Who knows. But the fact that they focused SO much on all of the acrobatics that M.C was doing during that teaser is VERY telling of what might be new in Halo 4.

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Microsoft will try to pimp the HELL out of CoD Elite

Did it Happen: No.

I figured since Microsoft usually gets behind MW as if it's a first party game for them they would be the main ones pressing hard for CoD Elite but outside of the gameplay footage for MW3 I don't recall them actually saying ANYTHING in regards to CoD Elite. Maybe it's too fresh for Microsoft to bother with or it's something they know they do have to sell to the fan base because it's something they already know about. Who knows?



Microsoft will make a backhanded swipe at the PSN Outage

Did it Happen: No.

Surprisingly I don't recall Microsoft taking any overt swipe at PSN either. If they really did make a backhanded swipe at the PSN Outage it must've happened so under the radar that no one picked it up because they seemed to just ignore PSN altogether in favor of touting all of the other things that XBL would be doing soon. Is this a smart move? Yes. Because I don't think those that live in glass houses should throw stones given that most people are still paying 60 dollars for a service that still gives them ads. At least now we get local TV, YouTube, and Bing. Just give me a damn internet browser and be done with it. All of the cool kids are doing it.


Hard Mode


Microsoft will hint at new console

Did it Happen: No.

Nothing really surprising here. For all intents and purposes I think Microsoft sees the Kinect as its new console and is going to push that more than anything else. So I don't expect them to really get in the groove of trying to push a new console out of the door until at the very LEAST next year. Although Microsoft was the first one to start the new generation last time, I think they will be the last ones to make the leap to Next Gen this time. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Fuck(4) if I know.

Despite Valve not being at E3, Microsoft will announce Episode 3 for the Xbox 360


Did it Happen: No.

Looking back I don't even understand why this was even put here. But it's hard mode for a reason and it was still a pretty big long shot. So...what the hell else could I really say about that?


So Microsoft showed up and did...exactly nothing. MW3, Mass Effect 3, and Tomb Raider all looked amazing...but none of those are reasons to BUY an Xbox. Gears 3 and Halo 4 looked like the same stuff again, which is fine because it's GOOD stuff but going into this I felt that Microsoft really needed to drive home to benefits of the 360 over the other consoles and all it did was show that the Kinect IS going to be used in hardcore games...but not in any meaningful way outside of rail shooters and voice commands.


Sony

I said last week that Sony was in the best position to wow everyone because they finally hit their stride and are on their way to regaining back some of the trust that was lost earlier in the year. Did they do that? ...I guess. The PS3 brand is still there with the big guns we already knew about but the big story this year was the PSVita. It's a shame I didn't lobby any guesses at the Playstation Move because they focused quite a bit on that as well...but to be completely honest I forget ALL about the Move until I saw it at the conference...and I can remember why I forget about it.


Easy Mode


Sony will pimp the hell out of 3D…again

Did it Happen: Yes


MAN, Sony loves the FUCK(5) out of 3D and they proved it again this year. From having the majority of the press conference presented in 3D along with making PLAYSTATION BRANDED 3D TVS. SERIOUSLY. They want you to hop on the 3D bandwagon so bad that they are willing to MAKE THE TV FOR YOU TO PLAY IT ON. So to say that they were pimping the hell out of 3D again this year is an understatement. They pretty much had 3D sucking people off for quarters.


Sony will show a complete list of NGP/Vita launch titles.

Did it Happen: Yes

And honestly it was a pretty impressive list. Does this mean that I want the Vita? Probably not...I really think that it blurs the line too much between a handheld gaming experience and a console experience and I am not sure I want 12 hour epic game on a handheld when I could easily put it on my TV. But the fact that they once again have lined up an impressive list of launch titles and starter titles for the PSP Vita means that they are definitely aiming to dethrone Nintendo in the quality AND quantity point. Let's just hope they can keep it from getting hacked like the PSP did.


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Sony will apologize for the PSN Outage in a serious manner

Did it Happen: No...ish

They apologized...sort of. They didn't do it at the press conference to my knowledge but they made sure later on to say that they were sorry for what happened and that it will never happen again. I am honestly sort of happy to see that they kept Kevin Butler out of the equation not only for this section but pretty much for the entire conference. The man works better in little spurts and not so much in prolonged instances.


Sony will FINALLY name a date for Last Guardian

Did it Happen: No!

AND THERE IS NO REASON WHY THE HELL NOT. People have been riding this game for the last THREE YEARS and Sony has been so cagey with the details that it's almost like they doubt themselves that the game is going to come out or ever be worth it. You announced the Ico Collection in HD and everyone is happy...but people (not me) want to play Last Guardian and they want to FEEL THE PAIN WHEN THAT THING DIES AT THE END. So why are you keeping this from them? WHY?


Hard Mode

Sony will apologize about the PSN Outage…by using Kevin Butler

Did it Happen: No.

And they looked REALLY professional in doing so. Kevin Butler is great and all but I don't think you want to have your fictional spokesperson speaking to the all-to-real business people that get paid and make money off of your products when you are talking about something that could've easily sunk Sony if it lasted any longer. I would've rathered them not say anything about it because E3 isn't right the venue for it but if they HAD to address it I liked that they took the serious approach to it.


Sony will list a US price for the NGP/Vita

Did it Happen: Yes

All I have to say for that is...Wow. Sony talked so much about how they don't see the DS and Nintendo as their direct competition in the handheld market, yet the priced themselves right at the 3DS' doorstep (for the Wi-Fi Model) and pretty much threw the gauntlet down. How does Nintendo respond to this? Do they do a price cut before the end of the year before the Vita launches or do they hope that nostalgia and the Nintendo Hardcore will propel the 3DS. This is the reveal I was most interested in from Sony because while the PSP looked like an overpriced piece of tech the world wasn't ready yet the Vita looks like a fuckin (6) world beater and is priced to the dollar with its direct competitor and can DO more. If there was a chance for Sony to take the handheld market or at the very least pose a threat to the Nintendo dominance this was it. The real question once again lies in if we will see genuine new experiences on the Vita or will we once again just get mini versions of the bigger, better, and badder console variants.



Sony had the most to gain from the conference and I think they played the card well enough when it came to the handheld market but didn't really do well when it came to the console offerings and the Move. While the Move-only games look to be a bit more in depth than what the Kinect had to offer it still just seems like they are trying to find something that works rather than something that's new. As for the exclusives...they were there...but...well that's about it. The thing that we were shown were either things we knew about or things that didn't set the world on fire. I said it once and I'll say it again. Console Exclusive Dominance is dying and this E3 pretty much proved it. It's not longer about who can land the most exclusives for the console. It's not all about what the consoles can inside AND outside of the gaming space. The console is turning into the media hub whether we like it or not.

And I am not sure how I feel about that just yet. I guess we'll see NEXT E3.

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Working Question

Of course, this is never a competition but no matter how much we try to convince everyone that E3 is not FOR us...people still think it is.

So let's get this out of the way.

Who won?

If you don't want to answer that question then you can always just tell me about what impressed you the most. For that I will say that I want Skyrim and Saints Row: The Third so bad that I can TASTE it. Like...I CAN TASTE IT.


Oh...and for those bitch and complain?

3,848 words.

6 of them were "Fuck" or some variation. Not including that one.

Which means....0.15% of this column included the word.

Until next time, I'm Jordan Williams...and I want Mr. Caffeine to be my personal alarm clock