Ok, so i watched a few more of the larger E3 pressers and have had my brain filled with gaming based goodness - and badness - coming in the next 12-18 months. Here’s how i reacted to the rest of the conferencess i watched in the format of the Fail Scale.
I’ve also added elements from the Microsoft Conference, even re-evaluating some with a little bit more of a mature outlook.
Rather than do a write up, i tweeted my initial reactions to the M$ Conference this year. It makes no sense but i don’t care. You can find my ramblings at http://twitter.com/MrCarrick as ususal.
However i did quite enjoy some of the mentions. I loved the original Crackdown and so a return to this franchise is much welcomed but i will have to see how much love i will send their way when more is revealed. The game now looks a lot less cell shaded, more gritty and well has zombies and monsters in it.
Like everything else.
Speaking of Zombies a return to another much loved game and the IP of the year for me from 2008 - Left 4 Dead.
The second installment sees 4 new survivors, 5 new campaigns, new special zombies along with alterations to the ones we know and love (to kill); such as Wandering Witches. It seems not all emos hide from the sun as the Witch likes to wander about when it’s day light rather than sit and cut herself.
There’re two doses of Halo loving for me in the next 18 months with both Halo ODST AND Halo Reach a previously hidden project buried deep in the earth’s crust whom no one could gaze upon untill today.
Both look awesome.
Now what else… let’s head toward the (and i will say personal oppinion, i appreciate some people like these games*) fail scale.
LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4. Fail.
Forza 3. Treacle Fail.
Cliffy B. Life Fail.
Tom Clancy Presents: Tom Clancy’s: Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell: Conviction by Tom Clancy, Presented by Tom Clancy. Tom Clancy Fail.
Metal Gear Solid. Sony Fail.
Natal Man Borking his Avatar. Windows 98 BSOD Fail.
And for the Win…
Natal (if it works). Win.
Metal Gear Solid. Xbox Win.
Sky, Last.fm & Zune. Win.
Arkham Asylum. Sexy Lady Win.
Beatles Cock Up. Fail Win.
Alan Wakes Existance. Not Duke Nukem Win.
Appart from those slanted views toward the 360 conference, there was something called Modern Warfare 2 as well. Who knew Infinity Ward made games eh?
Oh, Chuck Norris can do all of the push ups, in answer to your question Microsoft.
EDIT: Just found this. Nice.
Thankfully it’s getting to that time of the year again where us gaming folk get some new meat to chew on as releases slowly start to trickle out again after the Crimbo break, I mean there’re a few big names I’m looking forward to such as Halo Wars (RIP Ensemble Studios!) and FEAR2, assuming I don’t shit my pants playing the demo*.
Then obviously as the year ticks by at an ever increasing speed more and more joy will be had; however there is always space for crap games and by crap games I mean proper crap games for real consoles as the DS has about 67.4 new releases a week and usually about 99% of those are utter toss.
By Ubisoft.
My brain has just been informed of several tragedies coming to the gaming scene this year and surprisingly these are not by Ubisoft. Although Tom Clancy’s, Tom Clancy’s, Splinter Cell: Xtreme Hobo Party ConViction (Ho Ho, it’s the fifth one, clever Ubi!) by Tom Clancy is unfortunately lingering like a real homeless person around the corner ready to steal your money.
>The first abomination is DJ Hero. D, J, Hero. DEE JAY HERO.
As if they hadn’t already made Simon Says hard enough by having to play it with a room full of mates using plastic instruments they’ve gone and poisoned the franchise by trying to milk it for everything it’s worth - I dare say there’s going to be an MC mode in it, an even better way to make people look like dicks in their own homes.
DJ Hero has been rumoured for a long, long time now as very small drops of information have leaked out around the web but it’s now official. No Activision, that’s a bad Activision!
My next disappointment is from those lovely people at Electronic Arts who I do sadly have to be nice to a little bit these days as Red Alert 3 is actually really good fun and they cancelled the abomination of Tiberium. I obviously caused that.
Obviously.
Need for Speed is a series of games I’ve never really liked as I’m not a terrible fan of racing games any who, the only real time I’ve ever given racing games was to the original Gran Turismo which I loved dearly and a few of the Burnout series which is something published by EA which has also been done right recently. Takedown & Paradise are awesome.
Apparently EA are moving in a new direction with N4S this year by bringing out three more titles which I think is a bit excessive considering it’s a franchise with more releases than I’ve had hot dinners. In fairness game creators do actually have to bring out different products if they wish to cater for true multiplatforming what with the success of the DS and the fact the Wii’s internal gubbins is a steaming pile of GameCube which can’t process modern games for toffee.
That aside it is interesting that EA have thought they need to transform N4S considering it’s a game that never fails to sell boatloads of copies every single release but what do I know eh? I just hope this year’s Need for Speed releases actually work.
*Which I probably will.
In reference to an earlier post i made about Sony’s indecisive nature over their current generation games machine, it would seem they’ve elected to do it again, within 2 Months this time. Genius.
Today (22th August) saw the launch of the not so singing and dancing Playstation 3 80GB console, designed so you can download loads of films and music and other media bobbins from the Playstation network - where you currently can’t download most of it as it’s not there yet. Oh Joy Sony, Yay!
One thing that did make me chuckle is the slight media blip about this, with retailers advertising the ‘new’ consoles release and then Microsoft announce and carry out the launch of the (granted, also not really required) 60 gig Xbox 360 2 weeks before the new PS3, which then consequently is brought forward a week.
One thing which i suppose is actually good about this new SKU is that is has the new Dual Shock 3 bundled with it, rather than the quite poor vanilla Six Axis pad - thumbs up Sony, have a cookie!
And now give me that cookie back, as it would seem the new console for downloading all that tasty media is already useless as by the end of October you’re throwing another revision of the PS3 at our shores with 160 gig of storage - that’s 4 console revisions inside of 20 Months - say whut?
Here’s an idea Sony, either A you could have just launched the 160 gig in time for Christmas as you’re doing and stuck a massive X 4 on the box rather than a now rather deflated X 2 or B you could have just not bothered at all and marketed your own line up of drives at different capacities along side a 40 gig machine with a Dual Shock 3 and perhaps from the money saved on all the pointless storage on bringing in the vastly required backwards compatible feature you so whimsically declared pointless.
Nice One Sony.
I can’t believe i’ve not ranted about this sooner due to my absolute 100% pure Command & Conquer fanboyism.
EA are really starting to annoy me with the lengths they’re going to, to milk every last drop of money out of a once loved franchise.
They’ve gone and done it again, not only are they bringing out Kane’s Wrath an attempted to better the absolute tripe of C&C3 which ignored most of the original story line, seemed to reverse technology and secure Kane as some sort of undying Techno-Jesus.
They’re producing Tiberium, a bastardised love child of Gears of War and Ghost Recon seasoned with grated tiberium crystals served with a side of wank which just seems a chance to make a quick buck by ever so loosly tying it into the C&C Universe.
Surely by now Westwood Studios is turning in it’s corporate grave. The reason? They’ve moved on to my favorite game series of all time.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert… 3
After seven years, Red Alert returns! After a time travel mission goes awry, a new superpower has been thrust onto the world stage and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making WW III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies such as Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.
Experience the next chapter of the Red Alert saga.
So, they’ve decided to ignore the storyline again then with this random new third side thrown into the world, with no history of Einstein killing Hitler (this being the big change, the soviets remove Einstein from existance somehow) which means surely - in the RA way of thinking - the Nazi’s would still be wandering around thinking they’re the dogs bollocks.
Due to this change it means the entire Yuri palava never happened and that was the best bit and, egads, the point?
Also, yes Red Alert was always light hearted but they’ve used the word wacky. WACKY?!?!
Honestly i think i might just curl up and die.