E3 2010 passed through like a haze for most folks, though this might sound like a routine affair like all the shows in the past, it was not. The convention, which was once hailed to be a gamer’s paradise, was transformed into a show where the core was relegated to witnessing their world in brief snippets only to be devoured by the plethora of motion-based games and peripherals for the casual gaming population. Call it the curse of Nintendo’s Wii that has given both Microsoft and Sony a run for their money, their fears and quest to capitalize on the big N’s success story led to the show floor being dominated by game demos that showcased the fad of motion gaming.
Microsoft’s Showcase:
The Xbox 360 division for the company has been bringing in sacks of good news. Last year when the company showcased ‘Project Natal’ at E3, the press went insane with all the exciting prospects that this could/would bring about in the world of gaming. This year Microsoft finally unveiled its project which was named ‘Kinect’. We believe the name sprung up with respect to what the device was capable of doing, recognizing kinetic motion. Microsoft’s conference was dominated by their controller and it seems they forget the audiences, that were at the show, recognize E3 as an event that primarily caters to the mainstream gaming audience. Their E3 showcase for Kinect was reminiscent of Nintendo’s unveiling of the Wii, which also set to create a new breed in the realm of casual gaming in the years to follow. With this Microsoft began to demo a line of games that was targeted to casual audiences. Though the mainstream gaming press dubs the lineup as cheap Wii clones, the truth lay in actually watching live demos of the console from the people who were attending the show. The games included:
Kinectimals: A pet simulator on the lines of Nintendo’s might successful DS game Nintendogs.
Kinect Sports: Imagine Wii Sports with actual physical fighting and running around like a crazy individual.
Kinect Joy Ride: This game was showcased as a free XBLA title at last year’s E3 convention, this year the game is no longer free but a Kinect launch title.
Kinect Adventures: The Ricochet demo which brought the world in close contact with Kinect has been bundled up with a number of other casual games which include a ridiculous river rapid game and a carnival game meant to be played with friends.
Your Shape Fitness Evolved: Yes it’s a Wii Fit Clone, designed to be on the ultimate Spartan training game, Ubisoft decided to bring the goodness of healthy gaming into the world dominated by the sofa. This demo was actually pretty impressive since it featured almost no lag in movement.
Dance Central: No longer shall folks need to spread out an obscure mat on the floor to learn how to dance. Dance Dance Revolution has now been transformed into a Kinect game from the original creators of the Guitar Hero franchise (Harmonix) with Lady Gaga and other bootylicious performers already confirmed for this game, there is a lot to say that this might actually be one of the top performing titles for Kinect.
The Kinect showcase was ostentatious and obnoxious as already covered by most gaming journalists. However, most of them fail to see the target audience this is being marketed. This system is not for the guys who play Call of Duty for 16 hours in a day, it not meant him to get healthy or become social. These games are meant to dive into the space that the Wii has in a non-gamer’s home. This is the person who probably buys five games in a year, especially during holidays because he wants to have a fun time with his buddies and friends after a couple of bottles of liquor or play something which is not geeky but cool with members of the opposite sex. We reckon that Kinectimals along with Dance Central are going to top the roster when the system launches this November with Microsoft’s insane advertising push even if the core audience keep complaining about the lag, there is a huge potential for this system to succeed in the market. Kinect is the Wii’s stiff competitor this season.
As far as hardcore games were concerned for the Kinect, Microsoft did showcase a Star Wars title and a Forza Motor Sport game which were to utilize the power of the Kinect. Even Electronic Arts showcased their own version of a fitness simulation game which recorded one’s heart beat as they would exercise and could calculate the amount of calories that were being burnt during the exercise. The show stopper for this motion controller, however, came in the form of Children of Eden. The game from the brains behind Rez (Tetsuya Mizuguchi) showcased an immense potential as a successful hardcore title. Sadly though this was not showcased as a part of Microsoft’s core title lineup and was a part of Ubisoft’s E3 showcase. Then came the influx of hardcore titles that would satisfy all those loners sitting in front of their televisions waiting to save the world from peril and doom:
Call of Duty Black Ops: Treyarch finally got to prove their worth this year by not being the second fiddle in the Call of Duty Franchise. Their Black Ops brief playthrough had all the spunk one would expect from a typical Call of Duty game. The cream on the cake, however, was the exclusive DLC and Map pack deal that Xbox 360 owners get first through the exclusivity deal that Microsoft has entered with Activision. After blazing through so many Call of Duty games, it seems that this version will be no different in providing a compelling experience within the action genre, however if individuals are looking out for something different it might just be a case of disappointment. The good news is that dedicated servers are back for the game so the multiplayer mayhem that was heavily criticized for Modern Warfare 2 might be forgotten.
Metal Gear Solid Rising: Raiden’s journey from being an Emo-espionage agent to a badass ninja is to be traced through the events of Rising. Though most complain this might not as authentic as the original Metal Gear Series since Hideo Kojima is only assisting with the project, but if the demo was anything to go by the game looks phenomenal. The new “Zan-datsu” system of dicing your enemy into half from any angle looks to add a dimension of brutality that has hardly been the genre from where Metal Gear’s origins lie. However, since the game is being crafted for a larger audience kept in mind (The Ninja Gaiden one to be precise), it looks to hold a lot of potential.
Gears of War 3: Fenix and the Delta squad return in an epic game that actually looks to be an actual sequel to Gears of War. With a variety of combat arenas, weapons and enemies, the Gears of War 3 demo just blew us out of our mind. To add to this, 4 player co-op and an entire new mode titled the Beast mode, its 2011 release date could not come any nearer.
Fable III: Albion returns during the period of industrial revolution, with a new king, a new set of choices and rumored Kinect support. Due release this year, the game looks to already add to the success of role playing games that the original Fable and its sequel brought about.
Codename Kingdoms: We had predicted that there would be a game which Microsoft would announce to cover its 2011 fall lineup and this was it. Being developed in conjunction with Crytek studios, the brief teaser trailer had an eerie God of War theme running through it. When the masters of visuals combine forces with marketing gods, no one knows the potential of the end result
Halo Reach: A glimpse into the single player campaign of Reach was finally showcased to the public and in doing so they also got a taste into the arena of space combat that has been built as a part of the game. Given the enormous success the game and the franchise has had for both Microsoft and Bungie, one can only imagine the force this game will bring about especially since it is Bungie’s final Halo game before they move onto to fulfill other commitments with other publishers.
Microsoft’s overall lineup was pretty balanced. Nevertheless, the clear focus of their show was on casual gaming and Kinect. This, nonetheless, does not imply that the company has lost focus with its core audience, they have ample amount of titles that will keep its core set of users occupied. One thing that most of the gaming press lost while dissecting the show was the fact that almost all of third party titles were being demoed on Microsoft’s console including Ghost Recon (our personal favorite) and BulletStorm which looks to bring back the dimension of fun filled gory combat lost from the days of Doom, right back into first person shooters. We might not be surprised if we see two different and distinct divisions sprouting within Microsoft Game Studios, one which extensively deals with casual gaming and the other focused on expanding its core audiences in the near future.
Overall show score: 6/10.