411 Games Fact or Fiction 07.17.07: E3 changes, Killzone 2, Wii Fit, Metal Gear Solid 4, & More!

Posted by Tommy Coloma on 07.17.2007

411's Joshua Richey and Sean Garmer tell us what they think about the new E3, the Killzone 2 demonstration, Wii Fit as a system seller, the winner of this year's E3, Microsoft's casual gamer push, and Kojima's retirement in this edition of Fact or Fiction Games!

Welcome to the one year anniversary edition of Fact or Fiction. Actually, we started on the 21st of July last year, but I'm not sure whether or not we'll be able to put one out on Friday. We'll just have to wait and see. This week our victims are Joshua Richey and Sean Garmer.

Joshua Richey posts The Digital Pulse every Monday. This week he gave us a rundown of the best of what E3 had to offer this year, including his top 15 games of the con.

Sean Garmer puts together the 411 Games Roundtable every month. Check it out to see what went on last month and what's in store for you this month. He also writes America's Football for the Sports section. This week he went over all you need to know about Copa America.

Now, do brilliant minds think alike? Let's find out!


1. It was clear that E3 was going to be different this year. Despite the changes, it was not as bad as people thought it would be.

Joshua Richey: Fact

From everything that I've heard from those that attended this year's E3, they've all said that they prefer the new format. Not just any dooder with a credential could get in this year. What you got was a simpler, more organized show that was minus the mayhem... and minus the three hour lines to play a five minute demo. E3 may have lost a lot of its glitter and glamor - but now it's a much more organized show that both developers and media members approve.

Sean Garmer: Fact

Watching this year's E3 press conferences on television and then again on streaming video - it sucks that the fans can't attend, but maybe that's a good thing. E3 lately had been turned into such a spectacle, it wasn't about the most important point of E3, and that's the games. This year's E3 brought the focus back to Video Games, and ultimately that's what they should be paying attention to. Hopefully, next year's E3 will be even better.

Score: 1 for 1


2. The Killzone 2 demonstration at E3 will quiet all the naysayers out there.

Joshua Richey: Fact

I despise Sony with everything within me... but Killzone 2 did them well. Very well. When Killzone 2 was first shown at E3 two years ago, people kind of rolled their eyes. Sure, it looked good, but there was no way in hell that that's what the final game would look like. No way! But the actual gameplay did more than justice to the trailer that we saw two years prior. It was truly amazing. With all of the things going against Sony at the moment, Killzone 2 is one of the things that they can look forward to.

Sean Garmer: Fact

I don't have a problem with Sony personally. I do have an issue with how they price things, but that's a different issue. What they've done for the gaming industry cannot be dismissed. So when they revealed the Killzone 2 trailer two years ago, and said it was actual gameplay, I said, whatever. Seeing it again, and how close it actually is to the real thing, it's crazy amazing. Now, if the gameplay can match-up to those graphics, then Sony could have a Halo killer in its hands.

Score: 2 for 2


3. Wii Fit will be a system seller.

Joshua Richey: Fiction

I'm going to have to go with a big fat 'fiction' on this one. I find the Wii Fit to be rather lame. Just another motion sensor gimmick. The Wii Fit does nothing other than prove which market they're targeting, which is apparently overweight, casual gamers and their parents. This thing is going to flop. You can bank on that.

Sean Garmer: Fact

Hey, you know what? Nintendo is trying their hardest to appeal to everyone and with this they can do that. If people all around the world complain that America is too fat, what better way to lose weight than with a video game system that encourages it - with a game that will be able to provide a fun and instructional way to lose weight. It easily can become something people do every day. It also isn't just for those who are overweight. Women might find it useful to lose some key pounds, or even guys that want to play some of the games offered, while exercising. The system already makes you get a workout as it is. Why not make a game that dedicates itself to that? I don't see why it would hurt. I don't think we will see another Brain Age type sale here for this game, but that it has appeal and can sell a few Wii's there's no doubt. Who knows when a game like that might come in handy. I don't think you can discount something that helps people exercise, that doesn't require them to leave their house, or for them to lift something heavy. Nintendo is doing a smart thing here, and I can see it panning out well for them.

Score: 2 for 3



4. There is no doubt about who the real winner of E3 is.

Sean Garmer: Fact

No doubt about it, the winners are not Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo. The ultimate winners are Video Game players everywhere. With all these wonderful games hitting this holiday season, I may quit my job in November (I'm just kidding. Where would I get the cash to buy the games?). It's just crazy. I definitely believe that this could be the best holiday season ever. Halo 3, GTA IV (not two games I'm crazy about, but most gamers are), Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mass Effect, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon and more. That's just awesome and gamers get to benefit from all that.

Joshua Richey: Fiction

I don't think that there is any doubt about who the loser was at this year's E3 (Nintendo), but I don't think that you can really say that there was a clear winner. Both Microsoft and Sony took such different approaches in their conferences. Sony was showing us the great titles that'll be coming out in the future - whereas Microsoft was showing us what they are releasing this year. Really can't argue with either one. They both did a great job, and I don't feel that either of them was clearly better than the other.

Score: 2 for 4


5. Viva Pinata: Party Animals and Scene-It? will bring in a significant number of casual gamers to the Xbox 360 camp.

Sean Garmer: Fact

The way Viva Pinata looks, it seems more like a kiddy game than the original game did. Now, Scene-It could work. For someone who's family buys all the Scene-It games and enjoys each one, making the game and giving you four controllers for sixty bucks is worth it, especially if they are going to continue to make new questions all the time. I'm guessing also that this will be more like Trivial Pursuit, in that one game will include all of the categories used in the Scene-It universe. Or, they may release downloadable content that gives you questions for the other categories as time goes on. Either way, I could see that working if they release the other Scene-Its for say ten dollars. That's about twenty-five dollars cheaper than buying the board game. However, it still doesn't have the portability that the board game does. But that just means people might just use the XBOX 360 as a party machine, and I don't think Microsoft would be opposed to that.

Joshua Richey: Fiction

Both of these titles will bring in SOME casual gamers, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that there will be a significant difference. Games like Scene-It? are already available in other formats. The fact that it's coming to the 360 doesn't really prove anything. I also don't think Viva Pinata: Party Animals will make a significant difference. Viva Pinata got incredible feedback from experts, but even the game's creators would tell you that they were hoping to sell more copies than they did. So this question is basically like asking if Mario Party (whatever number they're on) is going to make a significant difference for the Wii.

Score: 2 for 5


6. During Sony's press conference, Kojima said that he's retiring from the Metal Gear Solid series. We can believe him this time.

Sean Garmer: Fiction

I just don't know if I can believe anyone that says they are going to retire from something in the entertainment realm anymore. Jay-Z said he was retired and within a few months he was back and had another album. Wrestlers do it all the time in their careers. I wouldn't be surprised if something brings back Kevin Spacey from his retirement too. There's always something that makes them long for the whole job. I'm sure this Metal Gear will sell extremely well and Sony is going to want another one. You know he's going to want to be the one behind the whole thing. Who knows? They may even make a Metal Gear movie and he could return for that. It's too hard to leave something that's your baby.

Joshua Richey: Fact

Sadly, I think that we can believe him this time. Kojima is my favorite game designer in this industry and I'd like nothing more than for him to be at the helm for some more MGS games. But I do believe that you've got to believe him this time. He announced at E3 that MGS4 will be the end of the series, and that all the questions will finally be answered. Kojima isn't all that old himself, but Solid Snake doesn't look like he has an MGS5 in him. And considering that nobody (casual or hardcore) likes Raiden, I don't see them continuing the series with him as the star. So I think that it's safe to say that the end of Metal Gear is upon us. Sad face :-(.

Score: 2 for 6



Wow! A final score of 2 for 6. It's been a little while since we've had one of those. Join us again next Friday or every time you type xyzzy, nothing happens.