And It Begins: The Microsoft E3 Press Conference

[Shoeless]

It was a pretty good conference, I'd say.

If I went into it without expectations, I'd give it an 8.5, same as Indy.

If I go into it expecting a radical change in the way I think of entertainment, then I give it a 6. I got a glimpse of the idea, just enough to pass it on the promise they made, but not enough to convince me wholeheartedly.

[murphjp]

The biggest surprise to me was no rare, no real lionhead game, and alan wake isn't getting released this year.

I'd give a 8/10 though it was solid(without any snakes)

[Onslaught X]

I'd give it a 7.5 or an 8. Kinda lost it at the end for me.

[Shoeless]

The biggest surprise to me was no rare, no real lionhead game, and alan wake isn't getting released this year.

Oh, you can't say you REALLY didn't see that one coming, can you?

[rm082e]

Overall, I was happy with the show. I don't know what more I could have expected, but I was kind of hoping for another megaton. MGS isn't a megaton in my opinion as it's been comming for a long while.

The camera stuff is neat, but not to my taste. I doubt I will get into it until my little girl is old enough to get into it with me.

As for the 2009 games, Halo ODST and Alan Wake are the only things I'm really excited about. Don't care much about Forza 3, and the other stuff didn't grab me at all. Splinter Cell looks pretty good so hooray for fans of that franchise.

I'll be interested to see how Sony tops this. Certainly a smear of big games will sell me, but I wonder if they will announce new functionality. Party system with cross game voice chat would hit my spot.

[capnmonkey]

It seems like more of an integration thing to me than games. Being able to scroll through the menus and chatting with friends, turning on/off the Xbox.

It's not as cool as it looks, speaking from experience with the PS3 eye. There are too many factors like lighting, positioning, people moving around in the background/foreground, etc.

Do you really want your cat to wander by while you are watching a movie and cause it to fast forward?

[RedRedSuit]

On the contrary, I was surprised they gave any kind of date for Alan Wake at all.

[KTA]

i'm boggled with no rare or mistwalker. I mean really?

[murphjp]

Oh, you can't say you REALLY didn't see that one coming, can you?

Ya I did figure a 2009 relase. They were just holding off giving info on it like Forza 3.

[RedRedSuit]

As for the 2009 games, Halo ODST and Alan Wake are the only things I'm really excited about.

Alan Wake is Spring 2010, he said.

[rm082e]

i'm boggled with no rare or mistwalker. I mean really?

TGS maybe?

[Onslaught X]

Hdinred, time to buy MGS4!

[murphjp]

TGS maybe?

Mistwalker probably, rare I would think US would be there primary audence.

[Shoeless]

i'm boggled with no rare or mistwalker. I mean really?

I think it's probably just another indicator that JRPGs (unless you're talking hand-helds) really aren't selling too well in the current climate. I think in general we'll be seeing fewer JRPGs across the board on the consoles compared to last generation.

Still, there's the Tokyo Gameshow later in the year, but yeah... to be fair, it's not like ANY JRPG has been pulling in comparable sales numbers to other AAA titles released in the last two years. That's going to weigh heavily on any company. Of course FFXIII could change all that, but it could only change it for FF and not the genre in general.

[michealo]

7/10 for me, the camera stuff is all a gimmick to me. the casuals can have that nonsense.

give me the other major titles mentioned/shown and i'm happy.
especially L4D2.