E3 2007: Xbox 360 at the Show
E3 is over. How did Microsoft perform?
The new look E3 has come to a close. This overtired time is perfect for some thoughtful reflection. That's why the IGN Xbox 360 team, comprised of Hilary Goldstein, Erik Brudvig, and David Craddock, along with Insider editor Nate Ahearn, has gathered for a look back at the week that was. Our final thoughts, impressions on which games had the best showing, and takes on how Microsoft performed are the topics at hand.
Hil's Thoughts: Microsoft flopped on opening night. The MS press conference was like a crap local band that was forced to open for the Stones. The presser seemed tentative and Microsoft appeared unsure of how to approach this E3. Rather than grabbing it by the balls, MS played it soft and gave us Scene It? and a Viva Pinata party game. Yech.
Fortunately, Microsoft brought the goods at the actual show. Halo 3, Mass Effect, Halo Wars, and Fable 2 all delivered and once again renewed my faith that Microsoft knows what it's doing.
It was the third-party offerings that really did Microsoft proud. There were some surprises -- Naruto, Marathon -- and almost no downright awful games. And when it came to third party, the bulk of multiplatform titles were shown on Xbox 360. Even Fallout 3, which would probably have looked prettier on a PC, was shown on a 360. Rarely was a multiplatform game shown on PS3 over the 360, which says quite a lot about the 360's place in the console market at this time. It's the in system right now.
The sequel to F.E.A.R. looked great. Few people had the opportunity to see this one, but those who did were treated to a run-through of the first level. Though the unnamed sequel isn't coming until 2008, the game looked very polished. Another stunner was Rock Band. While the guitar prototype could use a little work, the drums and vocal elements are fantastic. I couldn't get enough of this game. And yeah, as I mentioned earlier, the real surprise for me was Naruto. The combat in this game is really fast, but a lot of fun. The adventure elements seem too basic for me, but I'm trying to pretend those parts will be minimal.
Overall, the Xbox 360 shone at E3. Once you get past the bad press conference, it was smooth sailing for Microsoft's beast of a console. The only bad news was the announcement that Unreal 3 was heading exclusively to PC and PS3. That was a pretty big blow for a system known for first-person shooters and great online multiplayer. Fortunately, there are a lot more games that will take up your time this year and next.
If nothing else, E3 2007 proved that this will be one of the greatest fall console line-ups of all time. And Microsoft will have AAA games coming out the ass every month from August through November.
Erik's Thoughts: A Microsoft executive that I'll leave unnamed made a good point to me during a discussion I had with him about the press conference. Microsoft went all-out at X06 last year, announcing a huge lot of games that wouldn't be due out for years. You can't do that at every show. The pressure last fall was to show that Xbox 360 had a solid future lineup after the launch shortage and reliability fiasco. So the company did. But now that we've seen everything, it's tougher to get excited about it since it all seems old hat to the hardcore followers.
And it's true. The Microsoft press conference did feel a bit like it was preaching to the choir. "We're going to have great games this fall," MS cheered. Yeah, no $#13. Tell us something we don't know. 750,000 people played Halo 3 in the beta already. We know Halo 3 is going to be huge. Tell us about 2008 and 2009. Don't give us Scene It? and Viva Pinata: Party Animals and expect us to be satisfied on the news front.
So Microsoft did, it just took the company an extra day or two to do it in behind closed-door meetings. I wasn't too thrilled about the future after the Microsoft press conference, but after another two days of seeing the future lineup I'm completely excited. We got to play Mass Effect and Fable 2 for the first time. Bungie showed the campaign mode in action for the first time. Rock Band and Guitar Hero 3 will do more to expand the casual audience than any mini-game collection ever will (Slight aside. The drums for Rock Band are killer. I'm not so thrilled with the guitar peripheral. The flush with the fret board buttons don't give you much feedback as to where your hand is and you can easily slide off of them entirely and lose your place. Plus it just feels a bit lightweight and cheap. Hopefully the unfinished model will change slightly before release). Halo Wars looks like a hit. PGR 4 looks gorgeous. The third-party lineup looks just as good. Fallout 3 was outstanding and my personal Game of the Show.
Let's get more specific. Here's a rundown of what surprised me the most and a couple that didn't impress.
On the Rise
Mass Effect: How could a game at the top go up any more? Well, I was a bit down on Mass Effect. It has never run smoothly and when the word went quiet on its release, I began to fear the worst. It still needs tweaks to get the performance spot on, but the demo we got at E3 was the best of the show.
Turok: The build at the show was the same as what IGN was shown prior, but I hadn't had a chance to play it until now. It's a lot of fun and looks fantastic. This is a totally different Turok than what you're used to.
Call of Duty 4: The CoD4 demo was one of the highlights of the MS press conference. This game looks incredible and may just be a contender to topple Halo 3 as the best FPS on 360 this year.
Honorable Mention:
Naruto: Rise of the Ninja,
Halo 3,
Condemned 2: Bloodshot.
Needs More Cowbell
Viva Pinata: Party Animals: My favorite pinatas look like they're being tossed into a rushed mini-game collection just to appease the family audience. Just because you're a kid, it doesn't mean you want mediocrity.
Hexic 2: The new look doesn't appeal to me. Nor does the likely truth that it won't be free. I'll stick with Hexic HD.
The format for this year's E3 probably wasn't the best for generating interest. Info trickled in during the week leading up to the show and then continued to do so during the conferences themselves. Without any blockbuster announcements or huge flood of info, impressions, and media, I feel like the show became less mass market friendly. In the past, we had an E3 that was a bonanza. The public loves spectacles. This year, we got in-depth looks at a handful of games, but the flood never came. You really had to be a hardcore gamer that follows videogame news daily to see every big preview. That isn't the greatest outcome for an industry that is making such a big push to grow beyond the hardcore.
In the end, how did it turn out for Microsoft? It was a great showing. There weren't any bombshells, but it's hard to argue with the fall 2007 lineup. Or what we have coming to us in 2008.
David's Take: While I was rather lukewarm to Microsoft's press conference earlier this week, my overall opinion of the Xbox 360's E3 presence is a bit warmer. Most of the games revealed by all companies were expected, sure, but most of them look pretty fun--and isn't that the point of any game?
Condemned 2 receives my personal vote as Game of Show. The forensics system has been much improved over the pixel hunt found in the original game. Players start out noting obvious characteristics--is the victim male or female? What type of clothing is the victim wearing?--to eventually build a stronger case which determines how the victim died. As I watched a SEGA representative break a dog's snout, snapping it at a very awkward angle, I astutely noted that the game's brutality is very much intact.
Xbox Live Arcade also made a good impression on me, with classics such as Golden Axe finally seeing release, as well as Bungie's little-known gem Marathon: Durandel on its way. Hexic 2 was a bit of fun, but I have to wonder how the follow-up to a free game will get much recognition, if any. Sure, there will be improvements to the original, but will they be substantial enough for gamers to actually pay for?
The demonstration of Assassin's Creed didn't come off too well, but I'm still excited about the game. I have mixed feelings on the game's emphasis on action over stealth, but pulling off murders in the middle of crowded courtyards and subsequently scurrying up buildings and vaulting across rooftops should be a good time. Hey, I'll be buying the game either way.
Must have... more... Resident Evil 5. Less than 1 minute of footage is simply not enough, Capcom! Speculation about the game is running rampant, with many players pontificating over whether or not the game is a true sequel to Resident Evil 4, as well as the apparent protagonist's likeness to Chris Redfield. The sooner this game comes out, the better, though I expect to have to wait until at least the second quarter of next year.
Halo 3 was... Halo. If you like the series, then I'm sure you'll like the final installment of the trilogy. I can't say that I see anything really new to the game, though, which is why I'm strongly considering passing the chance to play it. The graphics and gameplay seem unchanged from the last game, and while the music is still good... well, this is a videogame, not a soundtrack.
Again, nothing too unexpected, but most everything I got to see and play looked fun. I missed out on Mass Effect and Fallout 3, two titles I'm really looking forward to, but there'll be enough titles to spend money on in the next few months, as Xbox 360 gamers are in for a really fun--and expensive--holiday season.
Nate's Impressions: At this year's E3 Microsoft was clearly devoted to pushing titles for one timeframe, four months on the calendar, the 2007 holiday season. I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to only focus on the latter part of 2007, but in my mind, Microsoft failed to impress. Sure, their holiday lineup is going empty thousands of wallets around the world, but what about what's coming next? I want to know what I'm going to want next year, and the year after that. Past E3s have delivered those kinds of announcements, but not this year. Aside from Resident Evil 5 there was nothing at Microsoft's Press Conference that looked past the present.
Third-party offerings seemed to impress more than the first-party titles in the conference. Microsoft showed us some titles that will be released further into the future - like Fable 2 and Halo Wars - behind closed doors, but it just feels as though they deserved their own spot in the conference rather than being tucked away in some secluded room at the Loews Hotel. What we were shown behind closed doors was impressive, especially Fable 2 and Mass Effect, but the game of the show for Xbox 360 will likely go to a third-party game rather than first.
Another focus for Microsoft this year was orienting their console with everyday families, something that the Xbox 360 has struggled with considering the bulk of its titles are heavy on the blood and action, and light on handholding moments. To do this they debuted Scene It? a game that, while it has been available as a DVD board game for quite awhile, will still be a fun game to whip out at parties from time to time. Then there's Naruto, which we already knew about before the show, but the game is looking impressive and should sell well within the target demographic of 8-14 year olds.
All in all Microsoft's showing should not be judged by their press conference alone. Now that I've gotten a good look at the behind closed doors content that Microsoft was offering, I'm left wondering why they didn't bring out some of their big 2008 guns for their conference. Show the Too Human trailer (which in my opinion was the best full-length trailer at E3 other than MGS4), have Peter Molyneux play Fable 2 in front of everyone, and show off the Halo 3 single player campaign for all to see and Microsoft takes E3 hands down. As it stands, the impression most will get is, "Okay, I'm going to have no money after this holiday season. But what's next?"
Via IGN
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