E3 Playstation 3 - Thoughts, wishes and predictions

In lieu of the presence of Microsoft's Natal, Sony are pushing forth their Move. Similar to the Wii remote and nunchuck in design, Move is Sony's attempt to get a slice of the motion control cake. However, like Microsoft they are competing for an audience, which Nintendo already has a firm grip on (and probably doesn't feel like giving it up anytime soon). Impressions have been mixed. Some say it's very cool, and should provide owners of PS3s with an experience similar to that of the Wii. I'd say this is true, but one clear flaw exists, and that is the software. Nintendo has been able to churn out some amazing first party software, which utilises the motion controls perfectly, but can Sony manage this as well? They're very much in the same boat as Microsoft, but one would call both companies foolish to attempt this gamble, with out any credible software to back it up.  Just like with Natal, time will tell with this one. Personally, unless there is some absolutely amazing software, I don't think they'll sell. Why would anyone bother with the price tag, when they can purchase a Wii capable of doing the same thing, with an established library ready to go. This will be the real test for both Sony and Microsoft.

Sony's Move controller is very similar in design to the Wii remote and nunchuck

Outside of Move however, Sony are also attempting to span into another market. One that Nintendo is pursuing with its 3DS, the realm of 3D gaming. In fact firmware updates, and 3D games have already been released in Japan. As to whether this is a good move, it remains to be seen. 3D TVs are both expensive, and technologically primitive at this moment in time. This will probably, although not necessarily correlate with some poor initial sales from 3D games. That being said, it's interesting that Sony are placing themselves in such a vulnerable position of potential loss, but it wouldn't be the first time - remember when every said Blu-Ray wouldn't last? Personally I think it's a bold move, and indeed a strong statement to its competitors, first of all a challenge to Nintendo who would have otherwise entered the market uncontested, and a sharp jab into Microsoft, who currently have no revealed any plans to implement 3D into their endeavours. Of course the dynamic is a little different from the Blu-Ray incident - the PS3 functions as a Blu-Ray player, but it can't add 3D to a TV. Or can it? I suppose E3 will tell us.

3D Glasses - hopefully, a thing of the past

Once again like Microsoft, Sony are lining up some big titles for release, and most of them are sequels. It seems Sony are looking to establish their first party franchises, with follow ups in Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2 and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Killzone is obviously quickly becoming a staple series. Now in its third iteration (the original appearing on the PS2), the franchise is moving into 3D, expanding the variety of environments (including jungle and glacial areas), giving the melee system a little bit of a refresher with extra levels of "brutality" and even taking a leaf out of Halo: Reach's book by throwing in some jetpacks. Personally I'm not quite sure how well this will go, but I am adamant that it is important that one of the system's flagship franchises utilise the 3D technology - it could be the difference between whether it picks up or not, and at the very least its much needed support for the new tech. LittleBigPlanet 2 on the other is taking its concept to the next level. The original title was a great tool for creative gamers to show off their imagination and design skills, but the sequel is said to relinquish even more control in its revamped level editor. Such additions include AI behavioural control and even create entire games, rather than just levels. It reminds me of when I used to dabble in fan-made Zelda games. The main problem there was people just weren't gifted enough, or lacked the time to complete all the coding and all the various amount of sprite/graphic related preparation. LittleBigPlanet 2 is obviously a great way for developers to promote fan-made content, and I think all developers should take note of it. It's simple, content editors are fun, and people like to mod. Ghost of Sparta is the latest addition to the God of War franchise, following the release of the God of War III earlier this year. Obviously the developers have a tried and true formula, but the question will be what they introduce that's new, that will set this title apart from its previous iterations.

LittleBigPlanet 2 - a new level for fan-made content?

However, there are still quite a few more titles to get excited about in regards to Sony's E3 showing. Infamous 2 has been recently confirmed and Resistance 3 is also rumored to be a possibility. Outside of this is a plethora of third party games including Dead Space 2, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. I've never played Infamous, but I did like the concept of a sandbox-type superhero game, however it apparently had its flaws, so if the developers have focused on fixing those, it could become a must own title. The Resistance games are a great piece of work by Insomniac Games and provided the level of quality and detail present in the first two installments is still found in the 3 iteration, I can't really see myself having a problem with it. Some new gameplay elements should be added to keep it feeling fresh, but there's no need for any drastic changes to the game structure or formula. Dead Space was obviously a hit in the survival horror genre, and it's prequel for Wii, Extraction, also received positive reviews, so its hard not to back the developer to bring out a third title that stays true to the series. The original Force Unleashed, was a fun game, but as a avid Star Wars fan, I found it lacking. Whilst the polish was there, some of the controls felt unnatural, and because of this the gameplay felt disjointed and unflowing. If Lucasarts have managed to fix this gripe in the sequel, it could be the best action based Star Wars game to date - in regard to being a force user, Battlefront II is king of Star Wars action games. Castlevania is a series I enjoy, having played several of the iterations in the series. My favourites are most likely the Sorrow games, which both star Soma Cruz. However they followed the very popular and addictive "Metroid-vania" style, which has been present in the series since Symphony of the Night, way back on the original Playstation. So, I like many, was reluctant to see the series break away from this. However, once Hideo Kojima was revealed to be directing the title, all my fears were nullified. Kojima makes incredible games, and you need look no further than Metal Gear Solid. The fact that Castlevania is one of Konami's biggest franchises almost garauntees Kojima will have plently of resources for which to build this game upon. It will be huge and take the series in a completely different direction, but I have faith this could be the refresher the series needs, and that this game could be the best in the series. However, E3 has begun so these answers will come sooner than later.

 This is Sna- err, Gabriel!

Affiliation with VOOKS

Hello my readers, of whom I hope there are a few!

Just a quick update to say that The Game Over Blog officially has its first affiliate, Vooks.net!

An incredibly active, reliable and all things friendly Australian Nintendo community - I highly recommend any of my readers, whether they be Australian or otherwise, to check out the site and join the forums, because the respectful community and friendly members will accept you with open arms.

I'm a member of the forums, with my usual tag of Lucrei, but there are plenty of other intelligent, humorous and kind members, who you should converse with!

E3 Xbox360 - Thoughts, wishes and predictions + Advertising

So as I sit here, on the eve of my final and only mid-year exam I decide the best course of action is to blog. Blog about what you say? Why E3 of course! It's only a few days away, so the time to use my clairvoyant powers is running out. Of course E3 coverage, even in preview form is by no means easy, so I'll have my work cut out for me. Thank god that exam is tomorrow.

E3 2010, marks the 16th annual E3 since its inception in 1995

Each company, and indeed platform is bringing something exciting to this year's E3, so I think the best course of action would be to categorise, at the very least, to Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, for the sake of you the reader. Funnily enough, I do care about you, even if in a distant and irrelevant way - oh well you can praise me in the form of advertising, bless your souls. In this blog I'll be focusing solely on Microsoft, as the post will get rather lengthy if not split.

Microsoft's little black box of joy - Project Natal, alongside an Xbox360

To begin with Microsoft are obviously going to be pushing one huge thing this year - Project Natal. This is the company's first move into mainstream motion controls for their flagship console the Xbox360, alongside Nintendo's Wii and Sony Playstation's Move. Even if I weren't a Wii enthusiast, I'm pretty skeptical about Microsoft and indeed Sony's counterpart project, which from a business standpoint, seems to be a risky gamble. It's obvious that there are a number of people who enjoy the casual, motion controller approach - but what can both of these companies offer than Nintendo haven't already? In this blogger's opinion, bar some fancier graphics - nothing. With no real ammo to draw people to this new technology, let alone buy another console, Microsoft and indeed Sony will need to reveal some impressive software to win some of the casual scene away from Nintendo. Certainly from my personal perspective, the most impressive part of Natal's design is the absence of a controller - which I believe could go either way. Depending on the degree limitations this causes, which one can almost be certain it will impose some, we will either see something revolutionary (in terms of motion control) or something really not worth the time.

Woman interacting with Milo software (virtual boy simulation), sans controller

However, there is plenty outside of the Project Natal camp, for 360 owners to be excited about. For starters, flagship exclusive titles in Halo: Reach and Gears of War 3. Both of these series, (particularly the former, being the 5th iteration of its series) do not require introduction. Interestingly enough, players around the globe have already been exposed to Reach, vial the multiplayer BETA and questions have arisen as to just what Microsoft can actually show off from this title. The folks over at IGN.com have two suggestions, namely a first-look at the campaign, which revolves around the epic and climactic destruction of the planet Reach (being a prequel to the original Halo: Combat Evolved) or to just quell some of the public's Halo thirst, give the journos a go at ODST's Firefight mode, allegedly similar to CoD: World at War's Nazi Zombies and Gears of War 2's Horde mode. Personally I've grown distant from the Halo franchise (the last title I played being Halo 2), so it's difficult me for me to comment on just what I believe will be unveiled. I'd probably back the revealing of the campaign's nature and scope, as this would surely increase hype and therefore advertisement. In the Gears of War camp, the release of the third and final title, will complete the triology and the story set up in the first two titles. Naturally any fan of the series and story will be ready to gobble this up. Having only played a marginal amount of the first Gears of War, and finding it not particularly engaging, my comments on this title will be even more slim. That being said, to spawn two sequels is by no means an easy feat, so obviously the developer's have improved the game design dramatically, or I just don't get the franchise - I am human after all.

Scope? Well if this artwork is anything to go by, then yes, scope... copious amounts of scope

It's also rumoured that Rare will be releasing details on a new game. What exactly? It's hard to say. Out of their existing and successful IPs, only Conker hasn't received treatment in a while, but this blogger believes Rare won't tamper with the classics and instead be revealing a brand new IP (something I can honestly say I'd be excited about), and if not, nothing at all. Alongside this is Fable III, which has been reported to have Natal enhanced features, although Project Natal is not required to play the game. Fable is a unique and engaging series which I think could benefit from a subtle use of Natal, but nothing too over the top, which is what it sounds like the developers are aiming for. However at the same time it's essential it isn't just some tacky add on and actually add some quality to the title, if minimal.

Rare would do well to leave Conker, and other old IPs, well alone

Alongside these big first and second party releases, Microsoft will also have the pleasure of hosting some fantastic third party titles. Chief among interest are Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Fallout New Vegas and id software's latest, Rage. The latter in particular being a point of interest, as id have not solely produced a game since Doom 3. However it seems they're moving away from tradiotional old school shooter cliche's and moving towards the commonplace open enviroments, which I for one, think it is a bad move. Do you see anyone else offering that old school experience? No. It's a niche, and id should stick with it. Still the game looks polished and has some impressive graphics, so at the end of the day, it's pretty hard to complain at this stage.

At the very least, it's pretty! (Cheers IGN)

Overall Microsoft seem in good stead for this years E3. They have a huge title in Halo: Reach, which is heavily supported with Gears of War 3 and a nice collection of third party titles to show off, collectively with other companies (read: Sony). There is a looming potential of a new Rare IP, which I think is something anyone into gaming would appreciate, particularly if the developer can reignite some of that spark that helped it produce some of the best offering's on the Nintendo 64 in the 90's. However a lot seems to hinge on Project Natal. Is it the correct move business wise, and is there even software able to win over some of the Nintendo entrenched audience? E3 awaits.

On a final note, in relation to my previous mentioning of advertising being the best form of praise, if anyone wants to request a nice Game Over Blog banner they'd like for forum usage, just drop me a comment with the character you'd like to feature. Here are some examples of what they look like (of course I'm willing to spice them up if you wish, but I do like them to match the current site layout - however size is always negotiable):

Xbox 360: Sales top 40 million

Today, Microsoft confirmed that since its launch in November 2005, the Xbox 360 has sold over 40 million units worldwide.This currently puts it ahead of Sony's Playstation 3 (33.5 million, Dec 2009), but still on the tales of Nintendo's Wii (67.45 million, Dec 2009).

Microsoft's Xbox 360 sales are back on the rise

Microsoft is hoping the release of Project Natal, a motion sensing camera ad-on for the system, will further increase sales, and heavy rumours imply the company is also seeking to follow in Sony's footsteps, releasing a slimmed version of the console.

Could this be the future for X360? (Note: Fanmade image)

Perhaps a further price cut, tied in with the release of Halo: Reach, will also result in further sales. Many gamers who have the other two systems, may see now as an opportune time to pick up the third, and play its exclusives.

References
IGN: Xbox 360 Console Sales Top 40 Million Worldwide

Monster Hunter Tri - A step up for Wii online multiplayer?

It's always a pleasure when a game raises the bar for a system in a particular area. In terms of presentation, the Wii title Super Mario Galaxy, unarguably achieved this. The game displayed unprecedented levels of presentational detail, quality gameplay, responsive controls and musical score - not much a surprise for a game of its reputation, being Nintendo's flagship intellectual property since the 1980s. No doubt Super Mario Galaxy 2, due for release June 10th of this year in Australia, will raise this bar yet again. However, due to their nature, both of these titles do not grapple with one of the most disappointing aspects of the Wii- the online component. Enter Monster Hunter Tri.

You need not look further than this screenshot, to see how much detail has gone into Monster Hunter Tri.

Developed by Capcom, Monster Hunter Tri is the first of the series to make it to Nintendo's Wii, with various titles on both Playstation 2 and PSP. The basic concept behind the game is that the players visit various towns and cities to obtain "kill quests" - essentially bounties placed on dangerous monsters that roam the land. Upon killing these beasts, players are naturally rewarded with monetary sums which can be used to upgrade the player's gear. However, forging unique weapons and armour leads to much greater bonuses to stats. This is accomplished by salvaging the corpses of fallen monsters for valuable materials. This is obviously a unique method of character progression, but is a nice break from standard experience and level systems.This is essentially the heart of the gameplay found in Monster Hunter Tri, but those curious will find a more detailed explanation from IGN and GameTrailers reviews (see footer). However, whilst Monster Hunter Tri shines in both presentation and gameplay, it's its advancement in online mulitplayer that sets it apart from equally impressive titles on the system.

4 player online multiplayer: No more friendcodes, wiispeak and usb keyboard support? Aw yeah!

It can't be understated. Monster Hunter Tri is the industry standard for an online Wii experience. When players take their Monster Hunter Tri experience online, they'll find what is essentially a MMO, minus that first "m" (massively) as the game is limited to four players at once. This might not seem impressive, but despite this limitation, everything about the online experience is perfected. To begin with this game utilises the peripheral unit Wii Speak, making it only the 4th (and for us Australians, only the 3rd) released game to implement it. Considering the peripheral has been available for over a year now, it's quite poor that only 4 titles have managed to utilise it, when it should be a staple in Wii online game design. However, not only does Monster Hunter Tri provide audio communication for players, it also provides visual, with USB Keyboard support. This means no matter who the player is, or how they prefer to communicate, they can take down legions of monsters with gaming associates in a sensible, effective and co-operative fashion. Something that even The Conduit (the seminal Wii online FPS experience) didn't quite achieve by implementing the idea of player proximity, which was not universally praised. Yet even with all this, Monster Hunter Tri does not hold back on creating the ultimate Wii online experience. Capcom have managed to persuade Nintendo to negate the need for friend codes - that's right, they don't exist in Monster Hunter Tri. Rather the player is given a 6-digit "Capcom ID" to act as the online account. However players can instantly add each other to their friend rosters when online, without the need to register each other's codes, thus lifting one of the most painstaking and restricting elements of the friend code system. Fellow gamers, welcome the new industry standard for Wii online interactions- Monster Hunter Tri.

Monster Hunter Tri Online: Get excited!

References
Wikiepdia (Monster Hunter Tri)
Wikipedia (Wii Speak)
IGN - Monster Hunter Tri Review
GameTrailers - Monster Hunter Tri Review