E3 2006

[bishopcruz]

Ok, E3 is on us next week, and I'm sure that Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are going to be pulling out all the stops in the war for next-gen mindshare. So if you guys come across any cool e3 news pop it in this thread.

 

What will we see?

 

What surprises are you all expecting?

 

Who will be crazier? Miyamoto, Kataragi, or Moore?

 

Will the Wii really be all that and a side of toast?

 

Will the PS3 make that toast?

 

Will the 360 reveal its true potential as a transforming robot?

 

E3 will answer all of those questions. And MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So what are my fellow Hondonians wishing to see?

[bishopcruz]

Actual News:

 

Sega sent out their E3 line up which includes 5 Playstation 3 titles (Full Auto is the only exclusive) and just one Wii game.

 

Chromehounds (Xbox 360) - Release: Summer 2006

Chromehounds brings squad-based multiplayer mech combat exclusively to the Xbox 360 for the first time ever. The war of the future has begun with three superpower nations fighting for world domination. Commanding fully customizable giant metal war machines called “Hounds”, players must manage their tower of heavy artillery through giant war zones while engaging in cooperative squad-based tactics, and fighting intense battles against other real-time players via Xbox Live.

 

The Club (Working title, PS3, 360) - Release: Summer 2007

The Club is a loosely organized and highly illegal underground entity. The Club is a meeting ground for those seeking the ultimate in vicarious thrills, and those who want to watch them. Players have been entered into the arena and must fight for survival against the odds. Set in a variety of unusual and evocative locations scattered across the globe, players will yield high-powered weaponry in a bid to earn their escape. The first task is to survive, but players must kill according to specific rules - quickly, relentlessly and with style. Kill or be killed, stand still and it’s death!

 

Full Auto 2: Battlelines (PS3) - Release: November 2006

Full Auto 2: Battlelines is the next generation of combat-racing, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3. The sequel to the award-winning Full Auto, Full Auto 2: Battlelines puts high-speed vehicles outfitted with weapons and armor into fully realized and fully destructible urban street environments. Strategically use destruction to win races as well as leave massive devastation in your wake. Players can destroy the environment to dynamically change track conditions to block competitors, open new paths, or crush opponents with falling debris caused by well-timed missiles. Full Auto 2: Battlelines also introduces a new Arena Mode featuring team play and six different levels, each specifically designed for a unique type of multiplayer car combat.

 

Medieval II: Total War (PC) - Release: November 2006

Medieval II: Total War is the latest game in the award-winning and critically acclaimed Total War series. A follow-up to 2005’s Strategy Game of the Year - Rome: Total War - Medieval II: Total War is a visually stunning game that spans four and half centuries of the most turbulent and bloody era of Western history, encompassing the golden age of chivalry, the Crusades, the proliferation of gunpowder, the rise of professional armies, the Renaissance and the discovery of America.

 

Phantasy Star Universe (PS2, Xbox 360, PC) - Release: Fall 2006

Phantasy Star Universe gives players the best of both worlds by offering the depth of single player adventure and the thrill of online cooperative gameplay. Played offline, Phantasy Star Universe joins real-time action gameplay with rich character customization and an enormous solar system to create a fast paced and emotionally engaging RPG experience. Played online, the title gives players an opportunity to travel with a squad of other adventurers, enter urban sprawls teeming with hundreds of players, and build their avatars into powerful warriors. A rich and exciting universe awaits!

 

SEGA RALLY REVO (PS3, Xbox 360) - Release: Spring 2007

With revolutionary dynamically deformable terrain, proprietary next-generation graphics, bone-jarringly realistic physics, and competitive bumper-to-bumper racing, SEGA RALLY REVO will set a new benchmark in its genre with a high-tempo driving experience that’s every racing fan’s driving fantasy.

 

Sonic Rivals (PSP) - Release: Fall 2006

Sonic Rivals is a head-to-head competition between Sonic and his top rivals, where the gloves are off and winner takes all! Built from the ground-up, the engine allows gamers to rip through tracks in some high-spirited single player and wireless multiplayer action against friends as Sonic returns in a whole new racing-platformer with classic 2D gameplay in true 3D environments for gamers on the go.

 

Sonic The Hedgehog (PS3, Xbox 360) - Release: Fall 2006

Sonic celebrates his 15th anniversary by blazing his way onto the next-generation consoles, with his first adventure set in the human world! Featuring interactive 3D environments and a large cast of returning and new characters, get ready for the reinvention of Sonic The Hedgehog, in his most intense, high velocity escapade to date!

 

Super Monkey Ball Adventure (PS2, GC, PSP) - Release: July 2006

Join AiAi and friends in a new game to bring harmony to the Monkey Ball Universe kingdoms in Super Monkey Ball Adventure. This is the first Super Monkey Ball title that offers a narrative-driven adventure in a dynamic world in which puzzles and quests are spread throughout. Classic Super Monkey Ball gameplay is bolstered by a chant system that grants new abilities to the Monkey Ball in addition to brand new multiplayer Party Games and puzzle levels built into the story line.

 

Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Wii) - Release: Fall 2006

AiAi and all his friends have rolled their way onto Nintendo’s new console, with a wide range of new puzzle levels and numerous exciting Party Games specifically designed to exploit the innovative Wii controller. For the first time in the Super Monkey Ball universe players will be able to jump using an upward flick motion with the Wii Controller. In addition, scores of Party Games - such as Whack-a-Mole or ring toss - have been creatively designed to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii controller.

 

Virtua Tennis 3 (PS3) - Release: Spring 2007

With Virtua Tennis 3, the series returns with enhanced photo-realistic graphics and advanced player animations that perfectly match the behavior and mannerisms of individual professional players. Next-generation systems allow gamers to see the most detailed expressions on the faces of their selected players as they battle to win heated tournaments around the world. In addition to the popular mini-games from previous titles used to sharpen players’ skills, there will be a whole host of brand new mini-games to keep players in top form.

 

World Pool Championship 2007 (PS2, PSP) - Release: September 2006

In World Pool Championship 2007, gamers will experience the most complete and authentic billiards game by either creating their own pool player or playing as one of the world’s top pros in 20 officially licensed pool tournaments including the Mosconi Cup, World Cup, and U.S. Open. In Golden Cue mode, players test their versatility by challenging other pro-players to games of eight and nine-ball, and other cuesports within the same tournament. Pool sharks can also show their true skills in the World Trickshot Championship, where players can pull off their favorite crowd-pleasers from a vast selection of trickshots.

 

Yakuza (PS2) - Release: September 2006

In a society where respect and honor holds great importance, there is an even higher regard for these traits within one organization most feared by all: the Yakuza. Step into the shoes of the Yakuza and experience the underside of Tokyo, where the city streets and illicit haunts of the city’s nightlife district are authentically re-created; cinematic CG movies tell a gripping story, and memorable characters deliver a rich adventure full of beautiful but deadly fighting.

[Drifter]

I also hear there is suppose to be about a two minute promo movie of Halo 3 shown at this years E3 as well.

[bishopcruz]

Sony has announced the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable games that it will show at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. While the big draw for the company will be the PlayStation 3, we'll have to wait until Monday's press conference for more details on Sony's next-gen offering. For the time being, the number of PSP games that will be shown at E3 outnumbers the PS2 offerings, with nine for the PSP and six for the PS2.

 

Most of Sony's PSP titles will land in the US in the autumn, with a couple of games to be released over the summer--Lemmings in May and World Tour Soccer '06 in June. Lemmings was released in the UK in March. The other titles on offer are ATV Offroad Fury Pro, Gangs of London, Killzone: Liberation, LocoRoco, NBA '07, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2.

 

On the PlayStation 2, the company is lining up ATV Offroad Fury 4, NBA '07, Rogue Galaxy, and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs for release in the US in autumn, and God of War II for 2007.

[bishopcruz]

New game from the creators of Prince of Persia for the 360 and PS3:

 

 

 

 

Set in 1191 AD at the height of the Third Crusade for the Holy Land, Assassin's Creed puts players in the silent shoes of Altair and gives them the opportunity "to shape events during this pivotal moment in history." Altair is presumably a member of a group of ruthless assassins whose plan is to bring an end to the bitter struggle by striking out at both warring parties.

 

The game is being developed by Ubisoft's Montreal studio (creators of hits like Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), and Ubisoft is making some big promises for the project.

 

"Assassin's Creed is going to push the video game experience as we know it today into an entirely new direction," said the Montreal studio's CEO Yannis Mallat. "Assassin's Creed's compelling theme and storyline experienced through the next-generation console will captivate audiences and affect them on the same level as an epic novel or film."

 

And just like the Crusades, Assassin's Creed is all set to spawn sequels. The company refers to Assassin's Creed as "the first game" of a new franchise that will make its debut at next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

 

Ubisoft is focusing on creating more new franchises heading forward. The company has said it plans to introduce three new brands to the marketplace every two years, and Assassin's Creed is its latest example of developing new intellectual properties.

 

Assassin's Creed is expected to arrive in stores in 2007.

[bishopcruz]

More E3 news, this time for MGS 4

 

On the latest version of the Kojima Productions Report (the English version of Hideo Kojima's podcast) host Ryan Payton debuts the first 90 seconds of the Metal Gear Solid 4 E3 trailer. The clip is all Japanese dialog between Solid Snake and Colonel Campbell over some violin, guitar, and strings. But the report includes the following English translation:

 

Snake: War has changed. Our time has ended. Our war is over.

 

Campbell: Since the Manhattan incident, restrictions on military intervention in foreign countries have eased, fueling demand for mercenaries. Today, the world's wars depend largely on PMCs, private military companies whose businesses include supplying these mercenaries. PMCs have become a serious threat to the world.

 

Snake: The US has exported too much of its military power. Now she's paying the price.

 

Campbell: In total, they've got enough manpower to rival the US military. Based on our investigation, the five largest PMCs are run by a dummy corporation, which acts as a single mother company.

 

Snake: And the mother company...?

 

Campbell: Outer Heaven.

 

Snake: The one world in which soldiers will always have a place…

 

Outer Heaven, holy crap! Does this mean at least part of the game will take place where the whole Metal Gear franchise started? We'll have to see the trailer with our own eyes to find out.

[The NZA]

You got me on that last bit, Bishop. Snake has to go back to Outer Heavin in the finale.

 

Im waiting on talk of a few select games, myself: Marvel Legends one, PS universe, Ryuga Gotoku etc. But the big news will be PS3's official release date so i can start making pre-orders.

[Newtype]

Hirai takes the stage once again and recaps what's been seen so far. Then he announces the global launch details. It will be available in two versions: one with a 60GB hard drive, and one with 20GB. It will launch in the US on November 17 for $499 ($549 CDN) for the 20GB version and $599 ($659 CDN) for the 60GB one. The machine will launch in Japan on November 11 with the 20GB version fetching 59,800 yen, and the 60GB one bearing an "open price," which means retailers will set the price themselves. Europe and Australia will also get the mahcine on November 17, with the 20GB version running for 499 euros, and the 60GB configuration going for 599 euros. Hirai thanked the audience and invited them to get their hands on PS3 games at kiosks throughout the hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost forgot to put this in but.....PS3 hits US November 17, $499 for 20GB version, $599 for 60GB Fuck yeah!!! Ten days after my birthday.

[bishopcruz]

for that price sony can suck something long and hard. Or at least until it drops for a while.

[Newtype]

It'll be nice when XII come's out but holy shit this looks good. FF XIII

 

 

for that price sony can suck something long and hard. Or at least until it drops for a while.

 

Yeah... but I'm a little whore I'm still going to buy it. You have seen the games for this right. As long I get my moneys worth I'm a happy little whore. Beats owning a shitbox 360

[Silent Bob]

GameSpot's description of the new MGS4 trailer. Can't wait to see this one online.

 

Naomi Hunter. Colonel Roy Campbell. Meryl Silverburgh. Raiden. Liquid...Ocelot? Those are the familiar faces unveiled during a new trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots at Sony's E3 press conference today. If you've been keeping up (and we know you have), you know that Solid Snake is one old fogy in his PlayStation 3 debut, unveiled at last year's Tokyo Game Show. Today, Sony dropped a short new trailer that really focused less on explosive action and more on the unveiling of these new characters, with Snake's pensive ruminations on the state of modern warfare providing the backdrop (which you heard in Hideo Kojima's audio blog last week).

 

But for longtime fans of Metal Gear, this short, understated trailer was a bigger punch to the gut than any number of giant, rampaging bipedal robots. The biggest shocker? Every character featured in the trailer has undergone some costume changes, but they're basically all the same age. Snake is the only one who's aged a significant amount, so there's definitely something fishy going on here. But then, with his dubious genetic history, who can honestly say what's up with Snake's rapidly advancing age? What we can say is, all these characters have done some, uh, maturing since we last saw them. Naomi's looking awfully haggard. Meryl's sauntering over, uttering "We're the new Foxhound" in a rather menacing fashion. "Liquid" Ocelot is sporting a fierce '70s style, with big rose-colored shades and a silver mullet. And Raiden... holy cow, Raiden's like the new cyborg ninja, wearing a crazy mechanized suit, flipping around in the midst of battle and speaking to Snake in gravelly new tones, "It's my turn to protect you." Our fanboy hearts are absolutely thudding in our chests.

 

Otherwise, you've got Snake lamenting the regimented, metered manner of war in the future. ID-tagged weapons keyed to ID-tagged soldiers, nanomachines enhancing the soldier's natural ability, "an endless series of proxy battles, fought by mercenaries and machines." Continuing: "Genetic control, information control, emotion control, battlefield control. The age of deterrence is now the age of control." Say what you want about Kojima's games, but he can write some punchy dialogue. And at the end, we see Snake sitting alone in a bombed-out shelter, gazing listlessly at his pistol before putting the piece in his mouth. "One more thing I must do. One last punishment I must endure."

 

"This is my final mission."

 

Chills. This is obviously the Metal Gear to end all Metal Gears, in more ways than one. We want to know more, desperately, but for now that's all we get. However, Konami's own E3 conference is scarcely 24 hours away, and if they just happen to drop anymore juicy tidbits about this game that a few of you may be interested in, we will certainly deliver them to you in a timely fashion.

[bishopcruz]

Yeah... but I'm a little whore I'm still going to buy it. You have seen the games for this right. As long I get my moneys worth I'm a happy little whore. Beats owning a shitbox 360

 

I'll at least wait until MGS 4 comes out, what the PS3 has been showing is NOTHING like the trailers they had last year. Genji looked a lot worse, and FFXIII doesn't look particularly special either. We'll see if there is anything that wows me.

 

360 is friggen awesome, but I guess you'll never know. Oblivion is the shit, and I can't wait for the RPGs coming out from Sakaguchi. If they aren't your style, eh whatever, personally most of the announced titles for the PS3 haven't got me dying to get one. I'll prolly stick to my 360 for now. Whatever floats your boat. I will never understand the Microsoft hate.

[Newtype]

MGS4

 

HOLY SHIT. What make's it worst is the fact we have to wait for the PS3 to come out (If were lucky to get one) and the game. Time to start saving up.

[MusicManiac]

This trailer is awesome. To bad it's gonna be 2 years till we see the finished product.

[bishopcruz]

Trailer was alright, not the best work that has come out of Kojima productions, I think the initial MGS2 trailer and the second MGS3 trailer were absolutely amazing. Still a few cool scenes. Had to say I loved the fact that Snake lost the mustache and I also liked the shot of him doing the salute ala big boss.

 

BTW, I'm surprised no one mentioned that a MGS is coming to the PSP, it's supposed to be about Big Boss and the founding of FoxHound circa 1970.

[bishopcruz]

Only seconds after Sony’s E3 2006 Press Briefing ended and many gamers had made their annual “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” conclusions. Now whether Sony’s E3 kickoff was a success or a failure will be contemplated from now until the release of the PlayStation 3 – which is November 17th in North America. Despite showcasing a number of fully playable PlayStation 3 games, one word came to mind…dull.

 

Being this is an Xbox/Xbox 360 specific media site, obviously our thoughts are immediately interpreted as biased. While this is an understandable criticism, it was really difficult to find many truly exciting facts from Sony’s briefing. The EyeToy card demo – pretty cool. The 6-axis controller – ok, that can be sweet for a few, very specific, games. But where were the details on the online gameplay pricing structure? What games can we expect to play at launch when dropping between $499-$599 on the PS3? There are many questions left unanswered, but one thing is for sure – Microsoft has to feel pretty good about itself right about now.

 

 

Much of the media assumed that the reason Sony was being so quiet about their briefing, was because they were going to drop a bombshell of exclusives and jaw-dropping gameplay demos. That simply didn’t happen. Don’t get us wrong, there were still plenty of highlights to Sony’s shindig, but no one walked away with the same buzz as last year’s briefing – yes, the CG fantastic briefing.

 

But what is Sony’s chief competitor thinking at this point? We were lucky enough to stir up a quick chat with the head of Microsoft Game Studios, Shane Kim, and GM of the Game Developer Group at Microsoft, Chris Satchell.

 

Our first query to Chris Satchell was to step outside of his competitive structure and simply provide thoughts on the briefing, purely as a gamer. “I’d have to say that I came away a little disappointed.”, claimed Satchell. “We really didn’t see anything that was innovative – it was the same experiences we’ve seen before.”

 

When asked to comment on the briefing from a competitive standpoint, Shane Kim elaborated, “I’ve said this before, but there was nothing from Sony’s briefing that would make us change anything regarding our plans. We are very confident in our approach, especially now. We have a much better online story and much better content. Finally, we feel that our superior price point provides us an advantage.”

 

Two areas where Sony demonstrated forward thinking was in the EyeToy card demonstration and the 6-axis controller, but we still question how mainstream these will become. Does Microsoft feel in pressure in being the only next-generation system to not feature a motion-sensing controller?

 

“We actually had a very similar product on the market for the PC – the (Sidewinder) Freestyle Pro.”, Kim recollected. “It was a great controller for a very specific set of games, but wasn’t accepted as an overall controller. We considered the technology when developing the Xbox 360, but felt it wasn’t the way to go.”

 

Satchell mentioned, “I view Sony’s motion-sensing controller more as an attempt to address what Nintendo is doing with the Wii. While I thought the EyeToy demo was cool, I do question if the masses will play a game that way.”

 

As for Sony’s online focus, Microsoft appeared confused. “They talked a lot about building an online community, which is something we’ve already established very well on Xbox Live. Surprisingly, they didn’t mention anything about their online gameplay structure.”

 

When asked if they were surprised that Sony was now adopting many of the same principles that Microsoft has touched on in previous E3’s, such as giving the game creators the power to realize their visions, Kim stated, “I think we found that Sony was touting much of the leadership thinking that we’ve previously shown.”

 

So what can we expect from Microsoft’s own E3 press briefing tomorrow?

 

“I’d say you can expect a lot of leadership to be demonstrated tomorrow.”, proclaimed Kim. “We are in a good position with our first-party lineup, not to mention the stellar support from our third-party partners.”

 

At this point, Microsoft has no announcements regarding a price drop on the Xbox 360 to combat the PS3 launch, nor did they mention eliminating the Xbox 360 Core package. We’ll admit, for the mainstream consumer, when comparing at $299 Core package with a $499 base PS3 package – Microsoft’s value approach wins out. Obviously this isn’t an apples to apples comparison, but most mommies and daddies of the world don’t know the difference between 1080p output and a hole in the ground. Money talks.

 

Until Microsoft’s press briefing ends, we’ll still be left to wonder exactly how much they’re packin’ for E3 2006. Rumors continue to fly regarding a Halo 3 demo and Shadowrun being announced for the Xbox 360 and PC. Will Microsoft truly show leadership? They certainly have an air of confidence going into tomorrow’s event. Check back tomorrow for our full recap, directly after the press briefing.

[bishopcruz]

From Gamespot:

 

When Sony announced the PlayStation 3 at last year's E3, one of the most impressive parts of the machine was its specs. The console was a gearhead's dream with three Ethernet parts, two HDMI ports, six USB ports, and a host of other features. Many wondered how Sony could pack so much into a sleek box and still price the system competitively.

 

How things have changed in a year.

 

According to the latest specifications released by Sony, the PS3 now only comes with one Ethernet port and four USB ports. Also, the lack of a second HDMI port means that the dual-screen setup running 1080p function that was shown off last year is no longer a possibility.

 

The PlayStation 3 will come in two configurations, one will have a 20GB hard drive and the other will have a 60GB hard drive. However, losing 40GB isn't the only downgrade with the 20GB version. The 20GB version, priced at $499, will not have Memory Stick, SD, or Compact Flash inputs, Wi-Fi capabilities, or any HDMI output.

 

The new motion-sensitive controller, included standard in both the 20GB and 60GB models, will lack a feature that was present in the PlayStation 2's DualShock 2 controller--vibration. Citing the new "six-degree," a statement from Sony says "vibration itself interferes with information detected by the sensor."

[bishopcruz]

News out on the Wii, looks like Zelda will have 2 releases a GC one and a Wii one, Mario will also be at launch. Word is graphics aren't so hot, but we knew that would be the case going in. Kinda curious to see how this all works out.

 

From 1up:

 

We're not going to waste your time here with a full preview of Twilight Princess (okay, really it's because we've only played about 10 minutes of it so far). Stay tuned for more updates later; for now, let's just get down to how the game controls with the Wii controller.

 

For a system whose agenda is to be more accessible, Wii sure makes a Zelda complicated. Granted, the game wasn't designed from the ground up for Wii's ker-azy controller, and 10 minutes isn't enough for us to get used to anything, but this won't be the game that gets casual gamers to join Nintendo's revolution.

 

Moving Link with the Nunchaku's analog stick isn't awkward by itself; it's doing it while remembering how to center the camera, throw the boomerang, shoot an arrow, equip special items, lock-on targets, draw a sword, fight and parry, etc. and keeping everything moving along smoothly that's the difficult part(s). For example, while running around, the Wii Remote motion sensors don't affect much, but if you hold "down" on the D-pad, you will pull out your bow for a manual aim. At that point, you have to remember you're no longer controlling things with the analog stick like you've done in the past. Now you have to point the Remote at your targets (more first-person-shooter style, but only while in this targeting mode). If you want to lock-on to multiple targets with the boomerang, for example, first you hold down "left" on the D-pad, then point to the first target with the Remote, then lock-on with a press of another button on the Nunchaku, move to the next target, repeat until you have everything dialed in, and then let it all fly.

 

The Remote isn't just used for pointing, either. During swordplay, shake it to do a spin attack. While fishing...well, you can probably figure that one out (move the remote how you want your on-screen pole to move -- you can even "crank" the Nunchaku controller around in a circular motion to "reel-in" the line, though holding down the A button is much easier).

 

It all takes some getting used to (except fishing...that one's a cinch). Zelda veterans will definitely run into some learning-curve stumbling blocks. But with the close-up sound effects coming out of the Wii Remote (the twang of the bow, the crank of the fishing reel, etc.) and the excitement of playing a new style of Zelda, fans will be lining up to knock those blocks off.

[bishopcruz]

Lot's of cools stuff coming to Xbox live arcade, you retro nuts should be happy:

 

Pacman, Frogger, Contra, Sonic, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter II, and more. Looks like Sega, Konami, Namco and more are on board.

 

Also: LUMINES LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lumines is the best puzzle game in like 20 years. I'm always playing it on my psp.

 

CUrrently downloading the HALO 3 trailer on my 360 (Love that functionality)

 

Looks like GTA 4 is going to be Xbox 360 exclusive, or not. Ok looks like MS is getting some exclusive online downloadable stuff, and GTA 4 will not have any time exclusivity to PS anymore. Fair enough.

 

Finally got the HALO 3 trailer. Holy shit, looks sweet.

[bishopcruz]

More MGS4 stuff apparently there is a 15 minute trailer:

 

From Gamespot:

 

May 9, 2006 - Kojima Productions showed off a brand-new Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer at Konami's E3 2006 press conference. The trailer ran for a good 14 or 15 minutes in length and showed off a ton of never-before-seen footage from the game.

 

Snake is equipped with a new suit known as the OctoCamo. It essentially acts as a chameleon device, changing its texture to match the environment. The trailer also shows the return of Revolver Ocelot, Meryl Silverburgh, Naomi Hunter and Raiden.

 

At one point in the trailer, two of the new legged Metal Gears close in on Snake from both sides. He finds a box nearby and in classic Snake fashion, uses it to hide. The Metal Gears close in, look at the box and stomp on it, red, pulpy bits flying everywhere. It's then revealed that the box was filled with watermelons and Snake is safely away. The box contained a URL that looks to have pointed to www.water-melon.com.

 

The end of the trailer alludes to Raiden's return in 2008, but then the 8 gets scratched out and a 7 written in its place. We'll have more details on the trailer soon, so stick around.

[MusicManiac]

Does Sony really REALLY think that consumers are gonna drop 500 beans on a base system and 625 on the primo sytem plus games?

 

Fuckin ridiculous.

 

My first car cost less than that.

[bishopcruz]

Yeah, a lot of people are really pissed at the whole Sony conference, it was considered the worst of the three. Nintendo seemed to have the one that people loved the most. I'm just fairly cheesed that MS did the whole Sony thing and showed a bunch of CG for its newer games. Not all of them, just some. Kinda peeved me. Still the PS3 conf sucked, and I can't pass judgement on Nintendo until I get my hands on the Wii-mote.

 

But at the end of the day $500 for a gimped PS3 and $600 for a regular one is pretty fucking insane. I was expecting $399 and $499 myself, and with less differences between the two SKUs. Not to mention Sony has dropped a TON of the features they announced last year. I think their lying ways may be coming to bite them in the arse.

[The NZA]

that does sound like a dissapointing show; its obvious sony's still not taking online gaming seriously. at least theyre decisive then, 'cause the ps2 online system's a joke compared to x-box live.

 

Maybe theyre gettin complacent like nintendo did when they had the lion's share of the market, despite projections for MS to gain ground this genereation.

 

i musta missed it, remind me which features the PS3 promised that its gone back on? also, what all does the $600 one bring, besides 40 mroe gigs? that doesnt sound like the difference between the x360 and the plus system or whatever it was called...they gotta throw out more to justify the cost.

...but even at $500, we all know itll sell, oddly.

[Jont]

 

The new new Wii controller. For playing old games and ports from other consoles.

 

Dull as shit. I'm guessing Nintendo made it like that so it wouldn't threaten the non-gamer demographic that they keep harking on about, hopefully they're going to bring out a gamer edition as well. (or even better, wasn't there something about plugging game-cube controllers into the Wii.)

[bishopcruz]

that does sound like a dissapointing show; its obvious sony's still not taking online gaming seriously. at least theyre decisive then, 'cause the ps2 online system's a joke compared to x-box live.

 

Maybe theyre gettin complacent like nintendo did when they had the lion's share of the market, despite projections for MS to gain ground this genereation.

 

i musta missed it, remind me which features the PS3 promised that its gone back on? also, what all does the $600 one bring, besides 40 mroe gigs? that doesnt sound like the difference between the x360 and the plus system or whatever it was called...they gotta throw out more to justify the cost.

...but even at $500, we all know itll sell, oddly.

 

Few things their online service looks, meh, pretty much Live all over again, I'm curious as to Nintendo's service, and how it pans out though.

 

Ok, PS3 lost 2 ethernet ports. The Dual HDMI output (I remember a lot of fanboys creaming over the idea last year.) a rumble feature in the controller and some other miscellanious stuff. I think I am missing some more, but can't remember currently.

 

The $500 system has a lot of people pissed because it isn't upgradeable, doesn't have ANY HDMI ports (which makes Bluray sorta useless), no wifi, and no slots for memory sticks. A lot of people are annoyed because wihtout HDMI 1080p resolution is impossible. People also don't like getting a gimped system. At least the 360 core is upgradeable.

 

As far as them being complacent, I agree, but they are risking a lot on PS3, if it doesn't sell as well as they need it to, Bluray may fail, and if that happens it is BAD Juju for Sony. The problem is, Bluray just KILLS the cost of the system.

 

I know I am ragging on Sony a lot. Maybe I'm still bitter that so many people bought their BS about the PS2 and the DC died. OTOH, they have gotten VERY arrogant lately, and don't seem to be trying anything 'new'.

 

The only reason at this point I'm remotely interested in the PS3 is for MGS4, and POSSIBLY FFXIII (though, Nomura is a hack in my opinion.)

 

OTOH, while I thought the MS conference was better and they are doing some cool stuff, I was annoyed for a lot of the game announcements they were using CG trailers. They didn't used to do that much, but hell, it worked for Sony so well last year, so maybe that's why.