In this weeks D+BATE, the D+PAD team pick over the remains of the show, and ponders…..

‘How will E3 2010 be remembered?’

Read on for our thoughts, and let us know what you think below.

Simeon Paskell: “I think that E3 2010 might be forgotten pretty quickly, as despite the unquestionable quality that was on display, it lacked many (or indeed any!) moments that made me go ‘Wow!’. For the big three – Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft – it was mainly about consolidating their positions and re-emphasising their respective business plans to illustrate how solid each of their platforms are.

Though this is to be expected so far into this generation’s life-span – especially bearing in mind that the usual console release cycle seem to have pedalled out of sight – it raises some interesting questions about gaming, and where it will go next. Obviously, motion controls are still very much in fad, and Sony’s and Nintendo’s dabblings with 3D mark an evolution in terms of how game visuals are delivered, but in terms of actual game design, innovation was pretty thin on the ground. Even the supposedly revolutionary Kinect couldn’t muster anything more exciting than a selection of fairly blatant Wii knock-offs.

Maybe it’s unfair to expect E3 to shatter our expectations each and every year, but as an event, we have come to expect glimpses of the future, things that make us, as gamers, fantasise about the experiences that lie around the corner and how they’ll change the gaming landscape forever, This year, it just didn’t happen. Sure, we all can’t wait to get our hands on the 3DS, bark orders at our Xbox’s and try the next generation of waggle with Move, but there was nothing on show this to suggest that these aren’t just baby steps, not giant leaps. I’m hopeful that next year – when Move and Kinect have time to mature and the potential of the 3DS has been explored a little more, there will be more likelihood of games surfacing that mark real revolutions in design.

This year – though the show as a whole was solid – it was really only Ubisoft’s Child of Eden that set my head spinning. Much of the rest – from the triple-A FPSs to racing titles – largely showed genres inching forward and adding polish. While this is still a good thing, it’s not going to knock my – or, I expect – many other gamers socks off. Or am I just getting old and cynical?”

Chris Morell: “Gamers are a cynical bunch anyway, so when Microsoft is seen dedicating over half a conference to the casual market, during an event sporting a lack of new IP’s overall, criticism will undoubtedly and quite rightfully follow.

The name of the game this year was disappointment, despite the few welcome gameplay videos for the likes of Metal Gear Solid Rising and Gears of War 3. Where Microsoft’s Natal excited, Kinect floundered, largely down to the complete lack of interesting titles on offer. If anything, E3 2010 will be remembered as the year that Nintendo hit a home run, as the reveal of the 3DS impressed journalists present almost as much as the games themselves; Donkey Kong, Metroid, Kirby and Zelda have all promised to make a triumphant return to your living room, and most of them offered playable demos on the show-floor to back up this claim.

For me, the relevance of E3 was more about what wasn’t shown – still no word on Devil May Cry 5 or a new DOA and the complete lack of footage for The Last Guardian and Arkham Asylum 2 was simply bemusing – with almost zero core announcements for Kinect serving to limit its appeal much more than Microsoft had hoped. True, the likes of Platinum Games’ Vanquish and Ubi’s Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood were present and looking pretty slick but I, like Simeon, found myself underwhelmed due to the lack of major announcements and fresh ideas on offer.

Thankfully, E3 is rarely remembered in its entirety, but rather for its many surprises and gaffes (who could forget the hilarity of Jamie Kennedy dying on stage in 2007?), so with any luck Sony and Microsoft will be able to come back next year to a clean slate and present something truly special to masses. I expect both Move and Kinect to do well this Christmas – with Your Shape: Fitness Evolved serving to slim us down following the usual holiday binge – but until we see some real games for the current audience their longevities are in question. For now, Nintendo can hold its head up high for a job well done, even if Miyamoto’s showing of Skyward Sword didn’t quite go to plan.”

Emmet Purcell: “Like every E3, this year’s event will be remembered by the press conferences of the big three gaming giants. Actually scratch that, I can barely remember a thing from Sony’s show, so let’s just stick to Nintendo and Microsoft.

I’ll always remember E3 as the year Microsoft killed gamer expectations of Project Natal. With a new name and a new audience to court, Kinect is a worrying sign for me as a core gamer. A year after Molyneux’s Milo demo had forums in rapture over the potential of controller-free gaming, we got an hour of Wii copycat titles, Dance Central excluded. In previous years we’ve always known Ninty would disappoint at E3, but we could always rely on a great MS show. This year MS went so overboard in trying to attract the Wii audience, I actually felt embarrassed for the company. And if an Xbox 360 + Kinect costs close to $400, then they’ve wasted everyone’s time – themselves included.

Nintendo on the other hand, surprised a lot of people – I wonder just how they keep some of these releases under lock a key so well, especially compared to Sony, whose numerous leaks killed any surprises during their event. I think Nintendo learnt from New Super Mario Bros Wii that they can now create games which appeal to casual audiences, then crank up the difficulty and nostalgia for core gamers. My only complaint would be the lack of any fresh IPs but that would be a little nit-picky, this was the show Ninty fans had clamoured for the last few years, with even Kid Icarus and Pilotwings showing up.

To keep it simple, E3 2010 will most likely be remembered for Nintendo’s surprises and well-received 3DS reveal, and Microsoft’s sudden change of tone regarding their audience.”

Zoheir Beig: “I think I’d echo the majority of opinions here in saying that the new hardware presented at E3, both for the first time in the case of Nintendo’s 3DS and – in the case of Kinect and Move – with one eye on imminent retail release, will take time to bed down; it’ll be perhaps a full year, until the next E3 in fact, before their success and potential can really be assessed.

The overriding feeling for me, one I heartily embrace, is that these hardware revisions haven’t meant the start of another wave of brand-new consoles (following past cycles it would’ve been quite predictable to have expected a new Microsoft Xbox, for example, at the E3 just gone). If Kinect and Move can extend the lifespan of this current generation for another good few years then very few people will complain.

But if I had to choose one highlight it would have to be Nintendo’s 3DS reveal. And the corresponding list of games, particularly those first-party titles (Kirby! Pilotwings! etc etc). And Child Of Eden of course. Is it just me though, or were there very few genuinely brand-new titles announced? Still, exciting times.”

Major Releases

The keynote opened with a bang as Treyarch’s Studio Head, Mark Lamia stepped out to ‘take us deep behind enemy lines… into the world of deniable operations with Call of Duty: Black Ops.’ What followed was a tense, trigger-twitching segment of gameplay which saw the character, Mason skulking through a cramped network of caves. Next up, bright jungles, lush with vegetation and crawling with enemy units. After a brief firefight showcasing the usual gunplay that we’ve come to accept as standard, Mason hijacked a Hind D chopper and used it to plough (quite explosively) through the troops to safety. If the short video proves anything, it’s that Treyarch are aware of the need to keep the franchise fresh via bouts of destruction and a snappy pace.

Cue Senior Vice President of Interactive Entertainment, Don Mattrick, who announced, ‘an exclusive multi-year agreement between Microsoft and Activision.’ He continued, ‘Starting with the release of Black Ops on November 9th, all Call of Duty add-ons and map-packs will launch first on Xbox 360.’ The deal is set to last until 2012. Mattrick then followed on with the promise of transformation, revealing Kinect as the final name of the oft-debated Natal. ‘It’s all about showing, not telling,’ he exclaimed proudly. For what it’s worth, that’s exactly what Microsoft would do.

Next was the turn of Hideo Kojima, who, after a brief introduction passed the stage to his Producer for Metal Gear Rising, Shigenobu Matsuyama. Presenting the Japanese term ‘Zan-Datsu,’ which translates directly into ‘Cut-Take,’ Matsuyama elaborated via a new trailer featuring rendered video and some actual gameplay footage. Wearing an updated model of his MGS4 cybernetic duds, Raiden sliced his prey, grabbing hold of electrical orbs that he then absorbed. The gameplay itself was fast and frantic, offering but a glimpse of the destructible objects that can be sliced multiple times with perfect precision. The trailer closed with the statement, ‘Cut what you will.’

Cliff Bleszinski was the next face to take to the stage, looking and sounding as casual as a man born to be in the public eye. Gears of War 3 gameplay was then shown for the first time, taking the form of a 4 player co-op story mission featuring the lambent enemies such as a mutant Berserker, which fans will remember as the one-hit-kill behemoth from the first game. While it appeared to play like classic Gears, the variety of enemies has been greatly increased, as has the already-satisfying brutality and gore. Taking place in a location named Anvil Gate, the action was surrounded by a surprising amount of greenery for the series, suggesting more diversity to the stages this time around. The game is slated for an April 2011 release.

Peter Molyneux and Lionhead’s Fable 3 were next up, as the show kept up a decent pace and the big names kept flowing. ‘Set five decades after the conclusion of Fable 2, this epic action-adventure title delivers everything you’ve come to love about Fable and more,’ the Director continued, ‘In Fable 3 your journey leads you from revolutionary to ruler and beyond with the choices and responsibility that power brings.’ The gameplay itself appeared startlingly similar to that of Fable 2 – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – but seemed to involve more explosions than last time.

The gameplay footage of Halo: Reach that followed afforded a taste of what Halo fans have been hoping for – more Halo in its purest form. It was rousing, action-packed and atmospheric, if all a little too familiar for anyone tired of the formula. The big, yet brief reveal was the inclusion of space combat, though we’ll have to wait to see how this holds up. Given the vehicular combat as a whole however, we have very little reason for concern.

Kinect

Corporate Vice President for Xbox Live, Marc Whitten declared, ‘Kinect’s sensor detects both movement and sound in very sophisticated ways. It recognizes you, it responds to your gestures and it listens to your voice… there are no barriers and no learning curves… this is what happens when technology gets out of your way.’

While hyperbole is most certainly a part of the PR culture (about half of which could be levelled squarely at the feet of Milo’s Peter Molyneux) there’s no denying the technological splendour that is Kinect. You can sign in with your voice via simple commands such as ‘Xbox – Play’ and ‘Xbox – Pause’ or flick through menus and select music with a simple wave of your hand. Kinect also allows for video chat with any other online user, with the option to view videos, news and sport together. If Microsoft’s show was intended to reveal Kinect’s capability to revolutionise the way we communicate and share then it’s mission accomplished. As a platform for actual games, however, the following ill-advised and at times downright painful stage demos will have done little for Kinect’s reputation, particularly among core gamers itching for a reason to splash the cash.

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Miyamoto insisted the game, developed exclusively for the Wii, entitled The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, acts as a “key turning point in Zelda’s history”, although the following and embarrassing on-stage demo of said game was underwhelming to say the least. It’s not to say the game isn’t fully functional, but Reggie was keen on insisting “technical difficulties” led to Shigeru’s failed attempts at controlling certain aspects of his on-stage demo. What he did manage to show was fantastic- including the 1:1 control (via MotionPlus support) of Link’s sword, where a shake of the right hand will equip said sword, with the Nunchuk controlling the shield. Whilst the showing did at times seem a little unresponsive to his movements, we were assured that it would feel streamlined and smooth on the show floor and I’m fully confident that this will be the case. Besides, when do demos ever go according to plan!?

The way that certain enemies could only be killed through specific sword swipes was particularly impressive; as such it’s to be expected a great deal of creativity will have gone into the game’s enemy types to ensure fresh and distinct play experiences throughout. Shigeru also presented the selection of items that are key within Zelda titles (this time, holding the ‘B’ button brings up a radial menu where the cursor can then select an item). From the bow and arrow (the aforementioned technical issues), to the beetle that can be deployed and controlled by the Wii Remote to collect hidden items, to the motion-controlled whip, SS’s game play already seems to have a strong emphasis on offering deep rewards for experimentation with each weapon, and huge reserves of opportunity for a bountiful amount of intriguing puzzles. The cel-shaded visuals and bright, vivid and colourful kingdom of Hyrule also looked superb and were a joy to behold. Miyamoto ended his first involvement with the conference with a proud mention that the game is scheduled for release next year.

And thus, the mentions of legendary gaming characters could not be stopped, as a new Mario sports game was announced- in a similar vein to Mario at the Olympic Games and Super Mario Strikers, titled Mario Sports Mix. The trailer showed Mario and friends competing in volleyball, handball, hockey and basketball, although expect a full list of included mini-games later, in time for its 2011 release. Yes, Nintendo seemed keen on revisiting past gaming series with a string of titles announced throughout the conference that were frankly, brilliant. GoldenEye may have been leaked slightly before its full announcement here, but it couldn’t hinder the crowd’s overzealous applause of its first showing. Featuring the likeness of Daniel Craig, 16 player modes (including “paintball”, “melee only”, and “you only live twice”), as well as split screen and online multiplayer, it promises to deliver where no other game on the Wii truly has so far- a core FPS experience, aiming to match its rivals on its more powerful counterparts.

A return for Kirby was also presented neatly, with a beautiful art style, conveying its cutesy exterior. Its classic 2D platforming mechanics meanwhile looked intuitive and outrageous fun, with a number of guises for Kirby employed. The game, which focuses on a fabric/ thread thematic reference is named Kirby’s Epic Yarns- gamers can also enjoy interacting with the world, such as unzipping backdrops, or pulling the background back in a neat folding effect to reveal something completely different. It’s the kind of innovations from the classic 2D platform that Nintendo always seems to conjure and promote so well. It looked positively sumptuous. But Nintendo weren’t going to stop any time soon, as the classic tune of bongo drums greeted another trailer, leading to a revival of Rare’s flagship Donkey Kong Country from the days of the SNES. Developed by Retro, Donkey Kong Country Returns has an identical look to the classic Super Nintendo title (exploding barrels, mine carts, banana collecting, and all!), with updated graphics and the ever familiar sights, sounds and erm, monkeys.

Disney and Junction Point’s Epic Mickey was also smartly demoed. A beautiful 2D art-styled cut scene with Mickey and Peter Pan’s Smee set off the showing, with the game then transposing back into its 3D environment. The game, with a world populated by characters rejected from Disney’s past, focuses on the progressive game play mechanics of “drawing and erasing”, either removing parts of the world with “thinner” or drawing onto the world with paint- restoring it to its painted glory. The platforming looked joyously responsive, with the camera tracking Mickey exceptionally well through the 3D world. Split into different zones (action, quest and travel)- the latter, which was demoed, involved Mickey in a side-scrolling 2D platformer in a similar style to his first cartoon animation, Steamboat Willie, with its classic black and white flickers juxtaposing with the previous world excellently.

Nintendo seemed almost keen to skip over more casual releases Wii Party and Just Dance 2 in favour of giving the core fan-base what they deserve for being forgotten in recent years. Wii Party is a Mii- inclusive party game, the like of which we’ve all seen, and no doubt, played before- featuring 13 party game modes, delivering “yet another Nintendo game that will drive social interaction”. The latter, Just Dance 2, continues the hugely popular Wii-exclusive dance game, and invites up to 8 players to dance in “crew face-offs” and features over 40 new tracks.

Team Ninja’s Metroid: Other M was also presented via a neat trailer, with Samus set to return on August 31st. Reggie also boasted about Dragon Quest IX’s incredible success from the launch in Japan, spouting figures sold to be a massive “4.2 million copies” for the Nintendo DS exclusive, demonstrating its status as a “phenomenon”. He continued to confidently announce its scheduled release in the US in 26 days, with one of the biggest applause of the presentation greeting his sentence.

And finally, the cornerstone of the presentation. Banishing any negativity towards the product, Reggie stated “today, we’re not just raising the bar, but extending that bar into the distance”, with the most jazzed-up and electric entrance of an inanimate object you ever will witness. Ladies and gentleman: the Nintendo 3DS. Demonstrated by Satoru Iwata, the recently revealed but only now shown successor to the DS, the 3DS, ought to take the limelight as the highlight of the show. In addition to its new analogue control method, its 3.5” wide-screen top display, graphical improvements, and motion sensor and gyro-sensor, the 3DS adds an all-new dimension to games, without the need for glasses (something they seemed keen to express!). Sadly, such a device could not be shown on stage since it needs to be held to gain true effect, although it was guaranteed to promise “a better sense of height, depth and space”, with the ‘Project Sora’ announcement from last January revealed to be the first title developed specifically for the new hand-held, this being Kid Icarus: Uprising.

The two external cameras also allow users to take photos in 3D, whilst the “3D depth slider” will allow players to choose exactly how much of a desired 3D effect they wish to implement. It’s certainly a clever touch, and will relieve any grievances the player will have with such a new experience. New games from Level 5 (a new Professor Layton), Activision (DJ Hero 3D), Namco Bandai (Ridge Racer), Capcom (Resident Evil) and Konami (Metal Gear Solid) were also reeled off, each making use of the all-new functionalities and perception that such a device enables. It certainly looks intriguing and interesting, with extremely glowing reports already surfacing from the show floor in LA from insiders. As they kept re-iterating within the show, however, to truly understand will require you to hold the system yourself. But don’t expect booth babes to come showing you the new 3DS like it happened in the show, as you’ll simply have to buy one at the local, grungy shop when it’s released later this year.

In retrospect, Nintendo have done extremely well in positioning themselves in a much brighter light for the core gamers amongst us with their showing at E3 2010. Far from the calamitous reveal of the vitality sensor at E3 2009, classic IPs were revived and given excessive levels of optimism and excitement, and more new games were announced than can be detailed sufficiently here. The 3DS should be an enormous success, with the technology seemingly being much more than a gimmick, whilst the new level of interaction to games with such a device can allow developers another forward-thinking role in the year’s to come. We’ve seen them step up to the plate with the touch screen and motion sensing, now it’s the weight of three dimensions – I can’t wait!

Read on to find out in our report of Sony’s E3 Press Conference 2010.

Taking to the stage backed by three huge screens, Sony’s Jack Tretton ( President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America) was his usual cool, calm and collected self, promising that Sony have a “a lot of action and a lot of great product” to deliver. Emphasising the future proof nature of the PS3, Tretton explained that Sony are looking to be “dazzling and transformative” and that “consumers want all their games, music etc accessible in one device”. That device – unsurprisingly – is the PS3.

It was now Kaz Hirai’s ( Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc) turn to promote Sony two chief tenets – ‘Innovation and Content’, both areas that the company are looking to take to new levels. Sony are the “undisputed leader in 3D”, we were told, and the PLayStation 3 is a “perfect vehicle for 3D distribution” with “35 million 3D-ready PlayStation 3s” already in peoples’ homes. The company was certainly keen to emphasise how serious it is about 3D; in their words, “2010 will be remembered as the year that PlayStation brought authentic 3D to the industry” – a lofty claim indeed.

To back this claim up, Sony revealed a short demo – in 3D for those at the event – of the much anticipated Killzone 3. Guerrilla Games’ Herman Hulst detailed how important an element 3D is in the production of Killzone 3, before a live demonstration of two sections from the game. Set in snow bound, industrial areas and frosty canyons, it was all as loud, dirty and good looking as we’ve come to expect from the series, with the new-fangled jet packs looking like a lot of fun to use. Though we’ve yet to experience the 3D for ourselves, this certainly has the potential to deliver on a pretty spectacular scale to those lucky enough to own a 3D TV. The game is due to launch in February 2011, and will also fully support the PlayStation Move.

The list of games that Sony confirmed will come with full 3D and PlayStation Move support was undoubtedly pretty impressive, including the likes of Motorstorm: Apocalypse, Gran Turismo 5, Mortal Kombat, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, NBA 2K among others. Sony, it seems, are absolutely serious about getting a 3D TV in everyone’s living room, and this was certainly a spirited attempt at convincing early adoptors to part with their cash.

Before moving onto looking at the PlayStation Move in more detail, Tretton noted the 10th Anniversary of the PlayStation 2, which was the “second most played console last year” and one which “continues to provide value”. Luckily for those of us itching to get to the more juicy parts of the presentation, attention was soon shifted to Move.

PlayStation Move:

As a whole, Sony’s PlayStation Move pitch this year was solid, if not particularly mind-blowing. With only a handful of new titles to show, the intention was clearly to cement the technology’s focus on precision, and Sony’s desire for it to bridge the gap between casual and hardcore gamers.

The first new Move title to be shown was Sorcery from developers The Workshop. Clearly aimed at Harry Potter fans, the title focuses on wand-based magic, with wrist-flicks and gestures casting spells. Visually, it looks part-Zelda, part-Fable, and the concepts on show certainly look intriguing.

Also demoed was EA’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour which, we are told, is “no longer about pre-canned animations, but 1-1 movement”. The small, subtle movements that the game looks to facilitate certainly looked impressive. The Move support wil be available via a downloadable update.

Also announced was Heroes On The Move, which looks to be a party game featuring Sony favourites Ratchet, Clank, Sly Cooper, Jake, Daxter and Bentley.

It was at this point that the slightly dry feel of the presentation took a more comical turn, with the arrival of (PlayStation advert star) Kevin Butler. What followed is probably the first videogame-based stand up routine we’ve ever seen, and you know what – it was actually quite funny. “Am I crazy or did I see 100 French acrobats prancing around an arena the other night?” (mocking Microsoft’s recent Cirque du Soleil extravaganza). The PlayStation 3 and Move will enable us all to “box using game characters who have important features likes arms…and necks” we are told, and most significantly, he outwardly declared his – and Sony’s – love of games. This segment worked well, and went a long way to show that you don’t have to give away new consoles to connect with your audience.

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Fallout 3 and LittleBigPlanet tied with the most awards won, receiving two each. Additional stats can be found here.

The award winners:

Best of Show
Fallout 3
(Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Original Game
Mirror’s Edge
(DICE/Electronic Arts for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 36)

Best Console Game
LittleBigPlanet
(Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)

Best PC Game
Spore
(Maxis/EA)

Best Handheld Game
Resistance: Retribution
(Bend Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP)

Best Hardware/Peripheral
Rock Band 2 Ion “Drum Rocker” Set
(ION Audio/MTV Games for Xbox 360)

Best Action Game
Gears of War 2
(Epic Games/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)

Best Action/Adventure Game
Dead Space
(EA Redwood Shores/EA for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Role Playing Game
Fallout 3
(Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Racing Game
Pure
(Black Rock/Disney Interactive Studios for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
Madden NFL 09
(Tiburon/EA for All Systems)

Best Fighting Game
Street Fighter IV
(Capcom for Arcade)

Best Strategy Game
Tom Clancy’s EndWar
(Ubisoft Shanghai/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Social/Casual/Puzzle
LittleBigPlanet
(Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)

Best Online Multiplayer
Left 4 Dead
(Valve/EAP for PC, Xbox 360)

All worthy winners? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Here are the games that we had hoped to see, but didn’t.

Forza Motorsport 3

Following the Intellisponse scandal we were primed and ready to see stacks of rumours regarding Forza 3 confirmed. But it never happened. So here are those leaked details again: 2 discs, 400 cars, 100 tracks, extensive DLC. Could we see a head to head battle between Forza 3 and GT 5 early next year? Watch this space…

Shadow of the Colossus 2

Team ICO have been out of the limelight for an uncomfortably long period of time. With a “screenshot” of their first PS3 title appearing on Sony Japan’s career pages back in January (curiously labelled Wanda – SotC was called ‘Wanda to Kyozo’ in Japan, we’re guessing at a sequel), we expected to see a grandiose announcement of a sequel to 2005’s leviathan-slaying title. But it wasn’t to be…

Dead Rising 2

Despite being mildly disappointed by the original Dead Rising, we’re still eager to see another Frank West zombie-bashathon. With rumours of a Las Vegas setting hitting the internet just prior to E3 we assumed all would be revealed during Capcom’s press conference. Instead, all we got was an inconclusive talk about the Lost Planet film. Sigh.