E3 2008: Game Critics Award Winners

E3 2008 has come and gone, and the overall sentiment throughout the video game community is a feeling of disappointment. Since changing from a large convention and media spectacle to a more intimate and industry-only affair last year, there have been accusations that E3 has lost its soul and excitement. Despite this, the final results are in for the winners of Best of E3 as decided by an independent group of journalists from 36 leading North American media outlets that cover the video game industry. Called the Game Critic Awards, they choose winners for The Best of E3 and Game of the Year. After being narrowed it down to a list of nominees in each category, I'm going to highlight the awards for the Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best Console Game, Best PC Game, and Best Handheld Game.

The Game Critics judges have representatives from each of these independent media outlets.


It's no wonder that Fallout 3 managed to snag not only Best of Show, but Best Role Playing Game as well. A post-apocalyptic action RPG, the series and its spin-offs have largely been known as a PC property. Originally developed by Interplay Entertainment, the next installment is being taken over by Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion developer, Bethesda Softworks. The Elder Scrolls series have heralded for their massive scope, size, and immersion, creating a fantasy action RPG with endless replayability. Bethesda are big fans of the Fallout franchise and are looking to stay very faithful while adding their own touches. One of the most interesting aspects of Fallout 3 is its deep story and universe. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic United States, the population lives in fallout shelters where growth, development, and living parameters are closely monitored and engineered for survival. As the main character ventures out into the upper wasteland in search of his father, various organizations and enemy factions will play a role in the bigger story and gameplay. Fallout 3 feels like an FPS but plays like a turn-based/real-time hybrid. Action points are utilized and players can target specific body parts. Add to that a robust skill system called "SPECIAL" and a karma system that affects the game's outcome based upon good or bad choices, and Fallout 3 is shaping up to be even better than Oblivion. The game will utilize its Mature rating to the fullest, showcasing the gore, carnage, and devastation in the nuclear wasteland. Scheduled to release this year for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, exclusive downloadable content will be released on both the PC and 360.

The Best Original Game category is one of the more important awards given at E3, as it shows off games that are trying to innovate and add new things to the gameplay experience. There was some pretty stiff competition, but first-person action-adventure game Mirror's Edge managed to pull ahead. Developed by Electronic Arts Digital Illusions CE (DICE), this new IP is much different from their FPS Battlefield franchise. What makes this game unique is not only the first-person perspective, but the amount of freedom and mobility available. Rather than traditional first-person controls, Mirror's Edge offers a wide range of actions and shows arms, legs, and torso in active movement or combat. Set amidst a conformist dystopia and totalitarian regime, the strict laws on communication has created a team of runners to relay messages while avoiding government interference. Main character Faith is one of these runners, as you see the game through her eyes as she interacts with the environment and goes through various obstacles in the city. Movement, momentum, and camera angles are closely tied to the character, with a focus on chaining moves together. "Runner Vision" aids in finding escape routes and alternate paths with "Reaction Time" a sort of slowed-down bullet time view that allows strategic planning without losing momentum. The lack of a HUD creates an even more immersive experience. Look for the game this November on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

The category for Best PC Game seemed a little unfair, as many PC developers pulled out of E3 to avoid being overshadowed by their console brethren. But EA and Will Wright's Spore isn't new to E3, as it has been winning E3 awards since its debut in 2005. From the creator that brought the Sim games, Spore looks to bridge the gap between the casual and hardcore gamer in the self-proclaimed "massive single-player online game". Gameplay follows the evolution of a user-created species as it starts as a tiny organism all the way through civilization and space warfare. There are five phases in the game which Wright relates to a specific game type: cell (Pac-Man), creature (Diablo), tribal (Populous), civilization (SimCity), and space (Star Trek). After such a long wait, the creature creator has already been released in anticipation for its September 2008 release date on both Mac and PC. Handheld software has also been slowing down recently, with both the PSP and DS offering very limited selection in playable form. The PSP managed to pull out a win with its surprise announcement of Resistance: Retribution. While both Resistance 1 and 2 are both PS3 FPS games, Retribution is a third-person shooter that is looking to show off innovative controls that compensate for the lack of a second analog nub. An improved aiming and cover system will be implemented as well as a robust online system that features team deathmatch, capture the flag, and more. With new weapons and content not found in the console games, this may be the next must-have PSP title. While Resistance 2 is launching this year, Retribution won't release until Spring 2009.

LittleBigPlanet is a title that keeps on improving after each showing. Taking the crown of Best Console Game and Best Social/Casual/Puzzle Game, this PS3 exclusive title is being developed by Media Molecule. As the studio's first title, it's an impressive debut. First making its appearance at the Game Developer's Conference 2007, the game boasts its tagline, "Play. Create. Share." You create a personalized Sackboy or Sackgirl and traverse immense obstacle courses alone or with friends. The controls are very intuitive, utilizing the SIXAXIS motion sensing to move different parts of Sackboy and solve different puzzles and other goals. The Sackboys themselves are also very customizable, exuding tons of personality with a wide set of emotives at the user's disposal. There is a big focus on community and user-created content, as players can create their own stages and share them with others in a very robust stage creator. There is so much in the game and yet Media Molecule is still announcing innovative modes and features leading up to the public beta stage opening up in October 2008. While it sounds simple on paper, the charm and execution can be only explained by watching. This game definitely deserves to be watched.

E3 2008 didn't have that many surprises, but most everything shown was pretty solid. A lot of great games were looking even better, and this Holiday season looks to be packed with must-have titles. Most every company seemed to have something good to show off, while others had people scratching their heads. With a few game conventions still left to go this year, let's hope that it gets better than E3.

Read more...

E3 2008: Sony's First-Party Stance

Courtesy of Penny Arcade

After the rough launch of the PS3 and the slow start of the PSP, Sony soon realized that they weren't quite invincible. Boasting the infamous "10 year life cycle" for their consoles and supporting three platforms going into E3 2008, there was much speculation on what Sony could pull out that would beat out Nintendo and Microsoft. As third-party developers are starting to go multi-platform more often or straight out exclusive to the Xbox 360, Sony is starting to focus more on first-party games. Boasting some impressive sales numbers for the PS3, PS2, and PSP, they stuck with familiar territory with very few surprises. While much of their conference was retreaded announcements, they brought out a couple of impressive showings.


Sony is still carrying along the previous generation PS2, now in it's ninth year. With PS2 backwards-compatibility constantly in question with the various PS3 SKUs, they're making sure consumers hold on to their old hardware. Trying to appeal to families, they've created another PS2 bundle that includes LEGO Batman and Justice League: A New Frontier DVD for $149. And despite the low attach rate to the great sales of PSP hardware, Sony is hoping to lure more people in with another $199 Entertainment Pack that includes a silver slim PSP, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, a voucher for the downloadable title, Echochrome, 1GB Memory Stick, and the film, National Treasures 2: Book of Secrets on UMD. And to make sure that the PS3 doesn't feel left out, they have increased the hard drive space on the 40GB PS3 to 80GB while keeping the same $399 pricetag and same features(No PS2 BC, two USB slots, no memory card slots). They have yet to announce plans for the original 80GB PS3 that includes all those missing features. You can tell they're trying to combat the casual appeal of the Wii, the widespread popularity of the DS, and the core gamer audience of the 360, but none of these new bundles were really that impressive. They definitely have value, but not enough to take much away from the competition.

Resistance: Retribution is shaping up to be one of the bigger titles for the PSP.

The PSP's gaming forecast was looking slim, but Sony hoped to remedy that with sequels to LocoRoco, Patapon, Madden, and others. One of the biggest surprises for the handheld was the unveiling of a third-person action game called Resistance: Retribution. With the first Resistance game on the PS3 still one of the better FPS titles on the system and the sequel on the way, a PSP game was not expected. Microsoft made a very surprising steal with Final Fantasy XIII coming out on both the Xbox 360 and PC alongside the PS3 version in the US and Europe. With only a handful of third-party games exclusive to PS3, they shifted focus to internally developed titles and their new PSN downloadable games. Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty is a new PSN title that will be much shorter than the previous R&C but at a lower price of $14.99. That goes along with anticipated titles like PixelJunk Eden, Flower, and the impressive debut of the team-based multiplayer mayhem of Fat Princess. The official launch of their video rental/download service and of previous features such as in-game XMB menus and an achievement-like Trophy system shows that they're finally catching up to the feature set of the 360. You can even take video rentals and downloads on the road with the PSP, although you still can't directly access the store on the handheld. There still isn't a timeline on the often-delayed Home service, but it's starting to shape up into a useful community tool. And with a US line of ten Greatest Hits titles priced at $29.99, the PS3 is continuing to improve.

The upcoming PS3/PC MMO, DC Universe Online allows you to create a hero or villain and team up with the likes of Batman or the Joker.

The re-showings of exclusive titles, Resistance 2, Infamous, and the officially announced God of War III were nice, but the new details on the quirky, community title LittleBigPlanet and the epic MMO DC Universe Online were one of the higher points. While LBP isn't exactly a new title, it keeps on getting better with each showing. They constantly add new features and show how customizable and easy it is to create content and share it. The DC Universe MMO is coming on both PS3 and PC and is spearheaded by legendary comic creator Jim Lee. A longtime MMO player himself, DC Universe Online looks to discard the grinding and stereotypes of other games and feature more action-oriented gameplay and some unique premises. Almost like a mix of City of Heroes and City of Villains, Lee takes the best features of both games and makes them better with a DC coat of paint. And the ambitious title, MAG: Massive Action Game looks to set some unprecedented standards. Citing 256 human players at one time, squad-based gameplay, and a unique ranking system, MAG could be an impressive title if it can be pulled off. Sony seems to have most of their bases covered with some exclusive titles in each genre. And with a constantly improving PSN service and feature set, we'll see if it's enough to compete with the 360.

Overall, it really felt like Sony was just trying to catch up with Nintendo and Microsoft and what they already have to offer. Their conference wasn't bad, but there just wasn't much new or awe-inspiring. They're positioning all three of their platforms appropriately, and there should be something to look forward to for each one. LittleBigPlanet and DC Universe Online look to be some of the more interesting exclusive titles, and Massive Action Game could be fun if it doesn't get too hectic. Sony did a good job of boasting their first-party games, but they're going to need some real support from third-parties if they want to stay competitive.

Read more...

E3 2008: Microsoft's Borrowed Reinvention

Courtesy of Penny Arcade

Going into E3 2008, Microsoft was feeling pressure from both Nintendo and Sony. The Wii has been dominating worldwide, while the PS3, PS2, and even the PSP have been faring better than the Xbox 360 these past few months. Their holiday release schedule was largely unknown outside of a handful of major titles like Fable II and Gears of War 2. But they managed to pull out a few surprises while others were par for the course. While some of their ideas seem to be borrowed from other companies and the announced third-party loyalty smells like it was 'purchased', Microsoft had a decent conference that was at least better than Nintendo's field day.

Microsoft's new Avatar system looks very similar to Nintendo's Miis.


Perhaps the biggest announcement was the total redesign of their User Interface and of Xbox Live. The previous 'blades' look is now relegated to the guide menu, with the new look seemingly inspired in large part by Apple's aesthetic and overall design style. The gamertag card is now linked to a Nintendo-like Avatar, going with their new focus on community tools. Among those additions is a new Live Party channel. Similar to the grouping aspects of PS3's upcoming Home service, this allows friends to get together, form groups, and stay connected in-between games. Unlike Nintendo's Miis, Avatars are fully customizable with content purchased on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Created by Rare, you will be able to utilize them in Arcade games like Uno and Scene-It. They've also added Xbox Primetime, a game show channel where you compete in games like 1 vs. 100 and possibly win real-life prizes. You can't help but applaud their dedication to improve their services, but a lot of these shifts don't feel very genuine. The fact that many of them feel borrowed from others and that they're mostly trying to capture the Wii's casual audience doesn't sit too well with me. With the Xbox 360 receiving the title of the "hardcore" gamer's console, it looks like they're trying to stray from that image.


Final Fantasy XIII will be coming to both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 simultaneously in North America and Europe, but will remain PS3-exclusive in Japan.

Their casual market targeting is furthered by their karaoke title, Lips, where you can actually sing from your own music collection. Other titles like UNO Rush, a sequel to Galaga, and You're In The Movies show their casual side while the announcement of Geometry Wars 2 and the re-release of the N64 classic, Banjo Kazooie show their attempts to reassure the hardcore. Reiterations and release dates of previously announced titles like Fable II, Resident Evil 5, Gears of War 2, and a "semi-sequel" to Portal weren't surprising, but titles like Alan Wake and Halo Wars were suspiciously missing. Their "bought third-party loyalty" were seen in full-force with exclusive DLC content for Fallout 3, timed exclusive content for Rock Band and Guitar Hero, and the reiteration of Square Enix's surprisingly exclusive support for the Xbox 360 with a slew of RPGs. What is most shocking and controversial was the announcement that Final Fantasy XIII would also be coming to the 360 in North America and Europe, but not in Japan. I'm all for making games and content available to as wide of an audience as possible, but some of these exclusive deals make me question the utilization of Microsoft's deep pockets. The multi-platform release of FFXIII seems to be on course with Square Enix's previous track record of releasing exclusive titles Star Ocean 4, Infinite Undiscovery, and the timed exclusive Last Remnant on the 360. No matter how they have secured their titles, Microsoft has a pretty well-rounded line up for Holiday 2008.

I still don't agree with Microsoft's continued practices of 'nickel-and-diming' their consumers in the Marketplace as well as the overflow of content and the lack of quality control, but they have created a very robust video store. Their content catalog is only growing larger with NBC/Universal adding their support. And their video offerings are getting better with a partnership with Netflix to allow Xbox Live Gold and Netflix subscribers to watch and stream content directly to their 360. This is similar to their PC service, but now you can watch content directly on your television. They have also officially announced the Xbox Live Community Games channel, which follows up on their XNA initiative to allow consumers to create and sell games through the 360. With a fair pricing scheme that allows would-be developers to retain up to 70% revenue and pricing ranging from $2.50-$10, this sounds like a very good system. Their new services and community features are showing Microsoft's why Xbox Live is so big. While their pending game line up has some questioning its integrity versus some of the competition, it looks to hold up well.

Overall, it feels like Microsoft is grasping at straws. They seem to think that money is the answer to everything, buying loyalty and exclusive content rather than leaving it up to the publisher. This isn't a new business scheme by any means, but it doesn't feel right. The fact that some of their 'innovative' ideas don't feel very original is questionable as well. That aside, they seem to be implementing them well enough. While some accuse Microsoft of trying to appeal more to the casual rather than the core gamer, it's no where near the levels of Nintendo. Whether or not you agree with Microsoft's upcoming changes, service additions, and business practices, they at least added up to make a very decent E3 press conference.

Read more...

E3 2008: Nintendo's Casual Gaming Focus

Courtesy of Penny Arcade

Despite constant reassurances from Nintendo that they haven't forgotten about the "hardcore" gamer that got them through the rough times, it seems like their immense casual market has them reevaluating their priorities. While last year's E3 showed them focusing on both markets with announcements on games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, another forgotten accessory (Zapper), and Wii Fit, this year showed them entirely developing for their burgeoning casual audience. Despite rumors of classic franchises returning such as Kid Icarus or Punch Out, they instead gave a very disappointing press conference that showed more new accessories, more casual games, and very few innovative titles.

While third-parties have been struggling to find the Wii's audience, Nintendo has been putting out a mix of hardcore and casual games and a constant slew of accessories. It has been joked that the Wii has more unneeded peripherals than games, and Nintendo has once again revealed a pair of new accessories that will seemingly force consumers to buy them in order to get the most up-to-date gaming experience. The first one is being bundled together with the sequel Nintendo said wasn't going to happen, Wii Sports Resort. Back in September 2007, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata firmly denied the development of a Wii Sports sequel. While the game still remains the most popular and perhaps most-played Wii game to date, he was quoted saying, "We're not going to take such an easy way" and "We're not closing our doors to the possibility of a sequel, but it's definitely not coming out soon." With their desire to innovate, expand the gaming market, and provide "true entertainment", they seemed opposed to making cheap cash-ins just to make more profit. In less than a year, they simultaneously continued their trend of new accessories and put out some new cash-ins.

The MotionPlus add-on will increase controller accuracy and come with an expanded Wii Jacket.

Wii Sports Resort is coming with the MotionPlus add-on, which is a multi-axis gyroscope that attaches to the Wiimote to give increased accuracy and true 1:1 motion. While this sounds great for improved control, it's going to cause a lot of developer problems for those who don't buy it. The game itself sounds very unimpressive with three games revealed so far. The demonstration felt very hokey and lame, with a dog frisbee game, jetskiing, and a sword dueling game revealed. The frisbee game looked uninspiring, but the other two seemed decent. Either way, they seemed to fit more in the Wii Play tech demo than to sit along side the games in Wii Sports. The game will arrive in Spring 2009 at a $50 pricepoint, which will probably see sales similar to Wii Play due to the MotionPlus accessory rather than the game itself. The often-rumored Wii Music was officially unveiled, but it became a much different from the orchestra mini-game from the Wii's big E3 2006 debut. Much like the DS title, Jam Sessions, it's more of a simulation rather than a game. With various public-domain and Nintendo music on the disc and over 50 instruments featured, you get to jazz up and alter the music rather than making your own unique tunes. First impressions of the motions for the instruments were questionable, and Nintendo seems to be focusing more on creating and sharing video performances rather than DLC.

The Wii Speak community microphone will expand communication features in titles such as Animal Crossing: City Folk.

The other big accessory is a "community microphone" for a new feature called Wii Speak. It's a speaker/microphone combination that goes on top of your sensor bar and was seen demoed with the newest iteration in their life simulation game series, Animal Crossing: City Folk. Besides the new setting, it looks to be very similar to the original GameCube game with the new communication feature, similar graphics, and very limited Wi-Fi features. Besides those announcements, there wasn't much else that was noteworthy. They showed off some extreme sports titles using the Balance Board, but that was expected. The DS received its own share of news with the surprise announcement of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Besides the new game engine, characters, and the series' trademark sandbox gameplay, nothing else is known about the game. Air travel and cookbook applications were shown off, but they didn't look very useful or exciting. The DS version of Sims creator Will Wright's Spore is still looking impressive. And perhaps as no surprise to anyone, they have already announced a sequel to Guitar Hero: On Tour, which only released a few weeks ago. Entitled Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades, the game will feature song sharing and expanded microphone functionality. There may be some scattered third-party gems out there, but first-party announcements were very disappointing.

Overall, the general consensus of Nintendo's E3 outing is very underwhelming. The Mario and Zelda teams are supposedly "hard at work" on new titles, but nothing else was revealed. Outside of a side comment from Shigeru Miyamoto about a new Pikmin game and rumors of the M-rated action game Dead Rising coming to the Wii, there's nothing to really get excited about. The Wii Speak feature seems to be mostly for Animal Crossing and pointless Wii messages, while the MotionPlus add-on might end up becoming a mandatory accessory in order to accurately play future titles. The Balance Board has shown little outside of extreme sports titles and Wii Fit, and there's nary a real "hardcore" game to really sink your teeth into. It seems like third-parties aren't focusing on those kind of games, so we'll just have to wait once again for Nintendo first-party to deliver the next Mario, Zelda, and Metroid titles for some real gaming experiences.

Read more...

The Megaton E3 2008 Video Game Extravaganza

Formerly known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the annual event has become the place for video game developers and publishers to reveal their big projects, games, and secrets. Primarily known as more of a console gaming event in more recent years, both PC and console fans have had much to be excited about. Since escalating into a huge spectacle of lights, elaborate booths, and 60,000+ industry guests in 2006, the convention has drastically reduced in size and has become an invitation-only event. This year's E3 has become a mostly console affair after many PC developers pulled out of the convention to prevent from being overshadowed. With so many big announcements coming from the major console/handheld companies, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, as well as all of the big third-party announcements, a series of E3 2008 articles will begin with a brief convention overview as well as brief comments on some of the bigger announcements coming from The Big Three.

Beginning in 1995, E3 ushered in a new generation of 3D gaming with the debuts of consoles like the Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64. Branching off from trade shows such as the Consumer Electronics Show, E3 became the first video game expo of its kind. Since then, the convention has gradually grown in both size, stature, and glamour. Continually gaining expanded media coverage, internet coverage has allowed many consumers to get first-hand looks at brand new games, console innovations, and exclusive announcements. The increased popularity of video gaming with the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube has only made it even bigger and more elaborate, with the event gradually losing its focus on games and more on the event itself. Since downsizing in 2007 and restructuring the convention into the E3 Media & Business Summit, other major trade shows such as the Tokyo Game Show, Game Developers Conference, and the Leipzig Games Convention have risen in popularity and importance. To take the place of the former E3 media event, the Entertainment For All Expo was created in 2007 to allow the general public access and preview new products.


E3 2008 has started off with a bang, and here's a short preview of The Big Three's announcements. Microsoft began things early with an official confirmation of their 20GB Xbox 360 clearance sale. The unit is being discontinued and put on sale for $299 until stock runs out. A new 60GB Pro model is coming in August 2008 for the original price of $349. Couple that with a big overhaul to their User Interface, some new features & improvements, and a big steal from Sony, and they're shaping up pretty decently so far. Nintendo is now catering to their casual market more than ever with Wii Sports Resort, two brand new accessories, more compatible games with their Wii Balance Board, and a revamped version of Wii Music. A new entry in the Animal Crossing series is coming, but I'm a little skeptical. Some interesting ideas were introduced, but most didn't seem targeted towards the 'hardcore' gamer. Sony reinforces their support of the PSP, PS2, and PS3 with new bundles and mostly rehashed announcements. A new Resistance game for PSP and a handful of PSN titles were announced, but nothing much new. God of War III, the official launch of their video service, and the PS3/PC DC Universe MMO are looking pretty nice, but Sony didn't give much that wasn't already known.

Overall, I would say that Microsoft is looking the best of the three right now. First-party news is shaping up, but I haven't even touched upon third-party updates. With more E3 still on the way and so much more to look forward to, there's still plenty of time for anyone to take the show. Expect much more E3 coverage soon.

Read more...