• It’s the little things

    06/20/2010 // 2 Comments »


    Activision’s event just wasn’t exciting enough for us. In the day prior Twitter was alight with rumors of who would be performing, from Eminem to Lady Gaga. So much so that my co-conspirators and I thought it would be a great idea to tweet that Bieber would be performing. After the tweet, we got a kick out of talking loudly in crowds about how excited we were to see The Bieber. It was funny enough and made us laugh, especially when we joined forces with Greg and Jason.

    (of course, I was hanging out with Brandon Winfrey of GamesonSmash, and he’s kind of rocking the Bieber look)

    The culmination? Hitting the VGChartz party post-Activision, and being asked, “Hey! I heard Justin Bieber was going to be there! Was he?”

    Viral victory.

    Posted in Gaming

    Dear E3 Diary, Day Five

    06/17/2010 // 2 Comments »

    Just made it back home from the I Am 8-Bit Scott Pilgrim party – no Michael Cera, but the crazy Lakers fans did blow up a car next to our hotel. Asplosions aren’t just limited to Activision events.

    Started the last day of the show with the lovely ladies of gaming at the first ever “women in games” photo shoot. I was less uniformed than the Ubisoft contingent, though it seemed like they brought their booth babes out for the picture…not sure that counts.

    Might have played some games today. Hard to say at this point in the show. There was Move, there was 3D…and then there was Civ 5. Happiness!

    Oh, and the cutest swag of the week, the Spirit Hood from Nexon:

    G’night super cool party people!

    Posted in Gaming, Industry

    Kinect Demo

    // 3 Comments »

    Microsoft has been demoing a little thing called “Kinect” this week. I don’t want to waste your time, so here it is: underwhelming. If this is the final product, if this is what we get on ship date, then gamer types like me will be disappointed. Who won’t be disappointed? Kids.

    While Kinect is less precise than the Wii controls and suffers from latency issues, it will be far easier for young kids to play than the Wii. My niece and nephews struggle to play with the WiiMote (but excel at using a mouse for PC games), and they will have a blast playing Kinect. Similarly, anyone you just wants to goof around but won’t be frustrated by the motion-result disconnect will enjoy the freedom Kinect offers.

    As the game works better for certain gamer types, it also works better with certain games. Dance Central, for example, makes good use of the product by focusing on broader movements instead of specific gesture tracking, which is where Kinectimals failed. It was a truly disastrous demonstration, with our guides telling us what to do and what the little lion cub’s response should be. The low point was when they instructed one of our companions, a good sport from EA, to lie on the floor on his back, hands and feet in the air so that the cub would “play dead”. Which it did. Eventually. In the meantime I was in a room with a guy lying on the floor limbs extended wondering how long this was going to go on, and really feeling for him.

    Somewhere between Dance Central and Kinectimals is Kinect Adventures. In the mini-game River Run you lean, jump and crouch to raft through an obstacle course. Originally instructed to “lean” to steer, the guides told us about midway through the course that stepping to the side is actually more effective.

    Here’s a video for Kinect Adventures, River Run. There is, as you will see, a lot more jumping than I’d like…

    One interesting feature not seen in the video is how Kinect handles the absence of buttons. While swipes will progress you through a menu, selecting a menu option entails hovering your extended palm over a specific space to charge a wheel. Once charged, the menu progresses with that selection.

    The titles we were shown are relatively simple, and I think there’s still a lot to be seen from games and what they can do with the technology.

    Posted in Preview, XBox360

    Dear E3 Diary, Day Four

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    Spent time with the folks at Bulkypix to check out a couple pretty iPad games, then waited in line. Mostly waited in line. The line ended with Kinect, which was underwhelming. Will finish up video and commentary tomorrow, which may or may not include the Felicia Day ogling I did, as she was playing Kinect in the neighboring bubble.

    While at the 360 both had fun with both Lara Croft: Guardian of Light and Fable 3. The former, an Arcade title, was a fun bout of co-op play with kind of a Diablo feel. I need to think some more on the Fable 3 experience, mostly because I was really into Fable 2 so I’ve still got nitpicky questions for those Lionhead folks (who kindly put up with the first round of nagging).

    The only folks badgered more were the MTV/Harmonix foks. I went into the Rock Band 3 appointment pretty skeptical, and very focused on the Fender stringed guitar that works with the game. It turns out that what they’re doing, contrary to all my pesky preconceived notions, is pretty cool.

    Was given Grip-Its while walking around South Hall. They’re analog stick covers are “designed to elevate performance, extend game play, and give you the competitive edge” . They’re little controller condoms.

    Spoke with Michael Pachter. We discussed important industry issues and/or that he’s never been to Idaho.

    Hit the BIG/WIGI event this evening, which had some great door prizes, most of which went to WASP. The conspiracy continues…

    Posted in Gaming, Industry

    Dear E3 Diary, Day Three

    06/16/2010 // 2 Comments »

    Woke up this morning and my hair was still wet from he previous night’s shower. Yeah, I’m sleepy. Nintendo kicked off the day, and I’ll add more thoughts to those nebulous notes sometime. Mostly it was an exercise in digital age futility – no internet and twitter was down. Same for the Sony presser, which meant some quality time in the media center instead of cruising the floor.

    As a result, I only had time to catch a few titles on the floor today and of course I made PixelJunk a priority! It’s always really difficult for me to play games on show floors; I do not do well with distraction, or that level of spectator pressure. Still, managed to have some quality stage clearing before playing around with LittleBigPlanet 2.

    IndieCade was going on at our hotel, which I gather is a venture to support indies and give them an outlet for their work through the PlayStation Home space. From there, off to SFX360′s Gamers Gone Wild party at the lush Suede bar  (it was great to finally meet Peench of PGL, especially since he traded swag with me, but we missed Geoff!). After I went deaf there, it was back to the hotel for some room service and this lovely Dear Diary moment. Because I’m an old lady like that.

    (btw, Amanda, Will and Sam helped me achieve a hattrick! Good to see you all again today)

    Posted in Gaming, Industry

    E3 Notes: PixelJunk Shooter 2

    06/15/2010 // No Comments »

    Got to play fifteen minutes or so in PixelJunk Shooter 2, which introduces acid into the mix. The acid behaves differently than previously introduced elements – very globby and oozy – and turns your ship orange and you have to go clean it off in water. When I first picked up the controller, I immediately shot one of the survivors. Oops. Yeah, had to get my Shooter bearings before I progressed. The game is so pretty, and whimsical, it’s too easy to forget that you need to have a strategy to survive – especially if you want to save everyone.

    New to the environments are these wheels you grab onto and they spin you through areas that are too thick to fly through on your own steam (they’re a little tricky to get used to). Hope to go back later in the week for another go, maybe find a time when it’s less crazy.

    Posted in PS3

    Notes from the Nintendo Conference

    // 1 Comment »

    Upside? I saw Bowser flame Reggie’s face off.

    Fils-aime: Technology is only a tool, the end product, the thing that does matter is the experience. And the best experience only come when technology and game design are perfectly matched.

    Happily, the first title revealed was The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which allows you to use the Wiimote and Nunchuck as the sword and shield. Shaking your hand will pull out the sword, and you are able to swing at “any angle”. You can use the Z button to target, and defeat enemies by slashing their weak points.

    Until I get hands-on time of my own, the effectiveness of the control scheme is dubious. Miyamoto came onstage to show Bill Trinen how it’s done, but the controls were jumpy and a number of the attacks and defensive moves – like using your shield to fling a projectile back toward an enemy – failed. The guys on stage attributed the spotty performance to “wireless interference”, and I honestly couldn’t tell you if they were joking or not.

    Sword is still your weapon of choice, however, and in addition to cutting grass it now fells trees and even serves to confuse those pesky eyes guarding locked doors. Holding the sword aloft charges it with power from the heavens and allows you unleash special attacks. To access the rest of your arsenal, stored in your pocket, hold B. Some quirky items are the beetle, which you steer through the air to pick up items, and the whip, which cuts grass and antagonizes enemies.

    Graphically, it looks like a Zelda title for Wii – unimpressive. At least you have until 2011 to muster more enthusiasm, development is set to continue through the remainder of the year.

    On sports titles, Fils-Aime juxtaposed realism and fun, as though the two are mutually exclusive. Since they then announced Mario Sports Mix (2011), I’m guessing they went with realism.

    Getting around that Pierce Brosnan problem, the recently leaked and now officially announced Goldeneye game will feature Daniel Craig as James Bond. The Activision title is set to release this holiday season.

    Epic Mickey looks different from those beautiful concept art shots we saw so long ago, but it also looks like fun. Warren Spector and Adam Creighton showed us two distinct parts of the game, which takes place in Wasteland. We began in Ventureland, a quest zone where you can talk to characters and pick up quests as well as tools and other items. Kicking off with Mickey having a chat with Smee, from Peter Pan, it’s clear the game full of old characters and places, including one of my childhood favorites: the Swiss Family Robinson House. Also shown was a Travel Zone, which are side scrolling platformers you use to get from one area to another based on old cartoons – like Steamboat Willie – and classic platforming. You are equipped with paint and paint thinner, which means you can opt to remove obstacles or restore them, with the latter effort requiring a bit more creativity. The game’s producer said that how you choose to play will not only affect how the world looks and how character’s respond to you, but how the game ends for the characters with choices between completing smaller quests or those the target the “greater good”.

    Officially revealed today was the 3DS, with improved graphics capability and, oh yeah, 3D. The new 3DS adds a slide pad to the controls, a motion sensor and gyro sensor. Additionally, it’s possible to watch 3D movies, and two camera lenses on the outside of the DS are for taking and viewing pics in 3D.

    It was then explained that Project Sora was established to create a game designed specifically for Nintendo 3DS. Satoru Iwata teased, “We felt that such a game deserved to feature a character that is already familiar to you”. The game is Kid Icarus Uprising, and the release date is unannounced.

    Also likely to have a release date along way off? The 3DS. While we were allowed brief hands-on time with the handheld (each of which was tethered to a model), what I saw was interesting, but not really impressive. It reminds me of what is being done with 3D for the iPhone, a fixed image around which you can rotate. How it will work with a game and in game camera is unclear. If during the course of play you tilt the device, the image is no longer 3D and flickers in and out.

    Partial list of games that will be developed for 3DS: Kingdom Hearts, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Saints Row, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, Resident Evil Revelations,Madden NFL, Batman, Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed Lost Legacy, Dead or Alive 3D, Samurai Warriors, Ninja Gaiden, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, FIFA Soccer, Metal Gear Solid and Ridge Racer.

    Some “also announced/shown” titles:
    Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Fall 2010

    Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, DS: Arrives in US in 26 days

    Metroid: Other M, August 31, 2010
    Fils-Aime: “What hasn’t been lost is a sense of isolation and exploration that has always been the hallmark of the franchise.”

    Donkey Kong Country Returns, Holiday 2010

    Wii Party, Holiday 2010

    Just Dance 2, Fall 2010

    Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, DS, Holiday 2010

    Nintendo Press Conference, Nokia Theater, Los Angeles, June 15th

    Posted in Gaming, Industry, Nintendo DS, Wii

    Dear E3 Diary, Day Two

    // No Comments »

    Just got back from second night at The Broadway Bar, this time the tab was on VGchartz. Again, Will, Amanda and Sam were kind enough to keep me and my drinks company, along with Cade and some of the Sarcastic Gamer crew. They were helping me sort through myriad emotions following the strangest event yet – Activision’s.

    There was music: Usher, Eminem, Jane’s Addiction, Maynard from Tool, Rhea, NERD, Chris Cornell…which had almost nothing to do with games. There was also a pole dancer on the world’s largest pole which prompted two troubling questions: Is giant pole the next peripheral? and, Is it possible to get pole burn?

    And the Black Ops trailer was very fiery.

    I was a bit cranky about the whole thing since the first 3 hours of the event involved being shuffled from one sweaty line to another, and when we were finally herded to our “VIP” destination, there weren’t any drinks. Not even complaining about lack of booze, I couldn’t get a water. Ended up trading in those seats for a suite with some icy drinkable goodness shortly afterward. (thanks, Andy and Gretchen!)

    Some things happened before that. Like eating at Roscoe’s – mmm, chicken and waffles – picking up the badge holder and pre-registering for Sony’s press conference, and then Oprah giving away some Xbox 360s.

    Tomorrow: Nintendo and Sony pressers!

    Posted in Gaming, Industry

    Dear E3 Diary

    06/14/2010 // 2 Comments »

    Yesterday I forgot about timezones and almost missed my connecting flight to L.A. like some kind of air travel n00b. Made it from LAX to the PlaystationBlog meet-up – just in time to miss Kojima! I had this great idea that I’d be able to grab a bite to eat between the 7 p.m. end time and Kotaku’s 9 p.m. party, but with an open bar on offer at the latter the line was already forming (if there’s one thing geeks have perfected, it’s queueing).

    Will, Amanda and Sam steered me safely to this particular line outside The Broadway Bar. About those guys, a lot of people kept coming up for pictures with “Cyrus”, “Amped” and “Doc”.

    So…that was weird.

    Amanda and I managed to have some girl gamer solidarity without getting matching tattoos or starting an alliterative website about our femaleness and gaming, so I’m putting that in the “win” column. Oh, and Tester fans, at no point in the evening did Sam eat beer-ios, make of that what you will. (Ladies, be advised, he’s off the market)

    The Kotaku party was a great mix of game makers, journalists, PR types and more – and since no E3 badge was required for entry, general public nerdiness. One big difference between PAX and E3 is that when I introduce myself at PAX, I tend to get a blank stare and it’s a smidge awkward trying to explain N4G. “So there’s this website – wait, no let me start at the beginning. There’s this thing, it’s called The Internet…” I love getting to meet the writers that populate our pages, the developers that track their games’ news on our site, and most of all I like letting people know there’s a person in there. Hiya!

    Mostly, I’m already tired. It’s Monday morning, and E3 is sneaky, very sneaky – it’s all “I’m from Noon on Tuesday to Thursday evening, but what it means is “you will be on your feet nonstop from Sunday through Friday”. Jerk. I need some of that Zombie Blood.

    Posted in Gaming, Industry

    The Frag Dolls Want You for an E3 Photo Session

    06/09/2010 // 4 Comments »

    Provided you have lady parts.

    The gals of Gaming Angels are reporting that things are going to get a little all girl gamer gang next Thursday!

    Every industry and gaming female at E3 is invited to an Ubisoft photo shoot of “Women in Games” at 9:30 a.m. at the south side of the plaza in front of South Hall (at Pico and Figueroa St.). If you’re late, no dice.

    This will be the first of a hypothetically annual photo for the ladies at E3, and while it’s easy to attach all kinds of girl-power jargon and PR speak like “promote women in the industry”, I’m not feeling like cracking wise. Frankly, I’m feeling a little starved for some girly fun, and this sounds like a great way to kick off the last day of E3!

    Posted in Gaming

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