E3 Press Conferences

Other than the Sony mishap, there's not much news to talk about is there? So I'm focusing (yet again) on E3 and what to expect from the 3 big press conferences held by Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. So the company with the least amount of news going into E3 is Microsoft, and they are kicking off the show conferences.

1. Microsoft - The Underdog

On June 6th, at 10am, Microsoft will be taking the stage for their conference. And truthfully...nobody really knows what to expect. The obvious thing will be Kinect games and going from the rumblings around the web, they will try to bring in some fans with some core games. Child of Eden is a good possibility with it's release being the following week and I'll go so far as to say a Dance Central 2 after the critical acclaim it received the previous year. I would also expect them to discuss a lot of features that they are talking about for it and an idea of when to see those.

Expect new features for the X-Box like they do yearly. With the acquisition of Skype, that has to be included in the conference somewhere and how that will be brought into the system. New avatar stuff comes about every year with some sort of app that nobody really cares about but Microsoft will include anyways.

I would expect to hear something Halo related, whether it be a new game but it seems more likely for a re-release of a previous game. I've heard a lot of the original being the re-release, but I could see them go the Sony route and re-release the first two games on a collection disc ala God of War, Tomb Raider, etc. The recent news of the Alan Wake downloadable makes that a possibility of something to be shown and I would say it's a safe bet that a Forza is also in the works. Gears of War 3 is a given since that is coming out this year. Oh, and expect a tease of the summer sales they tend to do with the new arcade games to come out. They also normally announce some sort of exclusive with a game like Call of Duty and the map packs, so with the new Modern Warfare coming out, exclusivity with new DLC for that.

Lastly will be a price cut. In fact, I'll say it here. Price cut on all console systems, not just X-Box. I would say Kinect as well, but with the success of it still selling, if a price cut is in the works it will probably wait until Winter for the Christmas rush. Speaking of Kinect, also expect them to continually praise it's success until you hear crickets and snores from the audience. We've heard the same "Kinect is the fastest selling..." discussion since it's release, we don't need it taking up valuable time at the press conference that's supposed to intrigue people for the future.

Unless Microsoft has something hidden behind a big curtain this year, this press conference will be a dud. Kinect will be a big focus since it's the only thing close to a "new system" that they have to compete with Sony and Nintendo's new systems. They need to show games though, not just for Kinect, but for the console as well. They shouldn't rely heavily on 3rd party games to carry their system this year, because the other two consoles are releasing a ton of system exclusive content. They need to WOW with Kinect and they have to get gamers psyched up for future 360-exclusive releases if they even want people to remember they were there this E3.


2. Sony - Winning People Back

The past couple months have NOT been kind to Sony. If the Geohot mess wasn't bad enough, the hackers last month certainly was. So this E3 conference is a major event for Sony especially so soon after the new PSN arrives and the "Welcome Back Program" looms in the future. Which leads me into what will happen on June 6th at 5pm...

Do they address it, or don't they? Part of me thinks they want to move on and try to just impress the hell out of everybody in an attempt to make them forget. It's been discussed pretty extensively the past few weeks and will be for the next two at least. But...it's the elephant in the room. The big fat elephant they have dancing on their projection screen while they try to sell us on the NGP. They have to address it. An apology will be made I'm sure and I think they will also reiterate how important their consumers security is and they will then go into detail about the situation and what they have done to make it better. I also don't expect us to see the "Welcome Back Package" until E3 or maybe slightly after just so they can bring it up as a "see...we care!" way to finish that topic.

I'm sure the Playstation Phone...Xperia Play...whatever it's called will also be talked about. Most people won't care, but I'm sure there will be a few minutes just for this phone and what it can do.

But...the NGP will be the big thing for Sony. We'll get to see it running with games like Uncharted and Wipeout and they let us know all the specs and details about the system and even the release date, price, and list of games. If they don't, they are foolish. They may discuss the PSP and how they plan on improving that with the NGP, but I see a decent portion of the conference being devoted to this new handheld with cheap shots thrown at Nintendo about gimmicky 3D (before they go into their 3D Playstation games and televisions part of the show).

Then out come the games. Twisted Metal was the big reveal last year, so I'm not expecting that to be the finale but it's expected to have something at the conference. The same with Resistance 3, Uncharted 3, The Last Guardian, Dark Souls (maybe), the upcoming Final Fantasy and some news on more collections such as the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus one and probably show us what that looks like cleaned up. The finale, in my mind, has to be The Last Guardian. People have wanted more on that game than any other the past few years and it's time it came out. I'm calling it now...Gameplay will be shown and a release date will be given.

Sony has the potential to be the big show. Nintendo has all eyes on them for their new console reveal, so Sony will have to put the effort in to divert the attention their way. If they do it correctly, and Nintendo fails to impress, Sony has this one in the bag. The PSP was a disappointment (let's not even mention the GO), so a big focus will be on promoting the NGP and they have to have it a decent price to compete with the 3DS regardless of what it can do. They need to acknowledge the recent hackings if only to get it out of the way especially since people are wanting to hear Sony discuss it. And finally, show us that extensive PS3 exclusive list of games to expect that people often overlook for the X-Box's piddly exclusives.

3. Nintendo - All or Nothing

The day everyone is waiting for is June 7th. At 9 in the morning, Nintendo takes the stage with big expectations and hopeful explanations.Their conference will be divided into 3 sections: 3DS, Wii, and Cafe'. Now, will the 3DS go before or after the Wii? It is just their handheld system and they tend to get less love at press conferences than consoles, but with the Wii dying, I can see the 3DS going second. However, if they want to promote the Cafe' right (and depending if they have games to show), they will show the Wii THEN Cafe' if only to show the major differences between the systems.

The 3DS has sold well, but not to Nintendo's liking. They will address this and show how they plan on improving this. So...bring out the 3DS games. The list of games that came out last year will have footage for this year along with seeing what that Super Mario Bros title tease is all about. They know one of the major downfalls of the 3DS was the lack of games so they want to prove everyone wrong and show that it wasn't wrong for them to purchase this system. Zelda, Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros 3 (?), the e-shop, and more will be discussed in this portion of the conference. Oh. Price drop for the handheld as well and maybe a new iteration by the end of the year.

The Wii is dying, but not quite dead. They will still show games that will be coming out this year, similar to what they did last year with games like Donkey Kong, Kirby, etc. Games we weren't expecting, but will see for the Wii shall be announced that will come out before the year's end and of course the one we do know about: Skyward Sword. The problem is, again, the Wii is on it's last legs. Other than some new game announcements and a price decrease, there's not much going for this system this E3. If anything, it's just to help propel the new system to the fanbase.

The big announcement of E3! PROJECT CAFE! The mysteries will be unveiled. What will it look like!? The the hell is the deal with the controller!? Are the graphics really better!? These questions and more will all be answered. This is what everyone wants to know and see at E3. Nintendo can win back a large portion of the hardcore gamers they lost with the Wii, or they can utterly disappoint everyone with a lackluster system that barely competes with the current gen of consoles. What happens here will help dictate the pace of the next generation of consoles. Sony and Microsoft are definately keeping an eye on this console and if it looks like it will be a beast, it could cause them to speed up towards their next system as well. I'm not sure exactly what Nintendo will show, but if they are shooting for the core audience I would expect big name developers to be mentioned, maybe some video of what games will look like, and the hardware itself at the very least. They may hold off on showing the controller, but since it's not as big of a departure that the wiimote was, I don't see them keeping that a secret.

Nintendo's conference will be the most interesting. This is the one people are looking forward to but can Nintendo show enough leading up to the reveal of Project Cafe to interest people? The console itself may show too much or too little and like any reveal can cause some ripples in the fandom. The 3DS didn't get the greatest reception upon it's reveal, it wasn't until people had it in their hands before it really took off. This console could be the same. If Nintendo has a lackluster showing for Project Cafe, the rest of their show will be scoffed at. The 3DS is to help people feel better about their purchase, the Wii is to bide the time until the new console, and the Cafe is supposed to have people excited for the future. If Cafe' is disliked, nobody will care about the Wii releases since those are dying out anyways and the 3DS is just a handheld so it's not held up to the same standards of a console and that news will play 2nd fiddle anyways.


It is coming. We are just a few weeks away and most things are pure speculation at this point. News tends to be pretty dead up until E3 (unless smaller devs want to get SOME mention before the wave of news hits), but with what's coming up, can everything deliver? There's a lot of hope for what's coming out in Sony and Nintendo's camp, and Microsoft has people scratching their heads. But if last year was any indication, anything can happen. It is coming. We are just a few weeks away...

Why Nintendo SHOULD have the edge in the console wars

This generation of console sales was pretty one sided with Nintendo dominating in the sales charts. They successfully pulled in the casual consumer with their motion controller, despite weak software sales due to lack of third party support. With Project Cafe on the horizon, that should all change. And if it does, Nintendo is truly a force to be reckoned with...IF...they learn from their mistakes and take advantage of everything they have.

1. Strong Back Catalogue:

Between the three companies, only Nintendo and Sony have the right to say they can pull out games from a vault and sell it to users. Sony is somewhat doing this well with their PS1 classics on the PSN store, the problem being that most of the games people want are being released in Japan, but not so much everywhere else. That seems to changing a bit with recent releases of Parasite Eve, Suikoden, and Chrono Trigger being an upcoming release.

Nintendo on the other hand have the Virtual Console. With almost 30 years of games under their belt, the VC should be packed full of games that nostalgia has us banging on the door for. The problem Nintendo faces is basically ignoring any and all online support they could have had for the Wii and forgetting to market these games that people could want. Nostalgia is a great way to bring in sales, especially if that nostalgia is relatively cheap to put on the system, easy to get to and a cheap enough price that gamers can't shrug off. Nintendo will need to use their back catalogue to the best of their ability to bring in side sales but they need to also market the products as well as Xbox Live instead of what they did with the Wii.


2. The Best First Party and Exclusive Support

Remember that nostalgia thing I just talked about? It's an even bigger component here. Because on no other console will you see Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Kirby, or Pokemon. People grew up with these games. And whether Nintendo decides to do another successful game to capitalize on that nostalgia in the same vein that Super Mario Brothers Wii did or do a fresh new game like Donkey Kong Country Returns; it's these games and characters that intrigue players. If Project Cafe does indeed bring back the hardcore gamer, these will be one reason why. None of these games require a deep knowledge of each respective world. It's jump in and play. Which is more than most first party/exclusive games can say on the 360 or PS3. And like I said, I don't see any of these franchises jumping ship to another console. But Nintendo has featured Sonic in Super Smash Brothers and the same with Solid Snake. Notice however that some games that were at one time exclusive, such as Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect, are now going multi-console. So again, to reiterate my point, Nintendo has first party exclusive games that will NOT be going to a different console. And if Project Cafe puts up the sales numbers that the Wii did, it will be even more incentive for various developers to jump onto the Nintendo console. Whether it big time companies like Activision or the low-on-the-totem-pole Indie developers, they all want money. And there is more chance for money where there is a bigger install base with people who will buy their product. Which again, Nintendo will have if they bring back the hardcore gamers.


3. Learn from Microsoft and Sony

Virtual Console. DSIware. Wiiware. Friend Code. If anyone knows what these are, they also know these are complete failures on Nintendo's part. Despite the Wii having the most sales, it's not motion controlling that has had the biggest impact on gaming this generation, it's the online component. Nintendo can not flounder in this department again with the upcoming console. They don't even need to do anything revolutionary, just get an online system going that WORKS. They need to know how to market games correctly that they are trying to sell online, they need to find an easier way to get some sort of online gaming network going, and they definitely need to keep the music they have for their various shops. Say what you want about their virtual stores, but their music beats out Sony and Microsoft's hands down.


4. Do not worry about the console specs

So rumor is that Project Cafe has more power than the Xbox and PS3. Fine. But as the 360 and PS3 have shown, specs aren't everything. Although the PS3 should be producing better looking games...it really doesn't. There is only a handful of games that I could use as examples for the PS3 being above the 360 in terms of power. So if Nintendo has the "better" console, fantastic. But in the long run it doesn't mean much, especially if you take a look at their track record. Nintendo is not about up-to-date tech. They use older tech for cheaper cost. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. For the good, it makes for cheaper consoles. I'm sure everyone remembers the "new" tech that Sony released that was the PS3. $700 I believe? Too much for an average gamer. It wouldn't be until years later that their price dropped enough for the consumer base to rise to be a contender for the 360. So even if Microsoft and Sony released a console in the next few years, it will probably be more expensive than the Nintendo console's release price, and definitely more expensive than the Nintendo console will be upon the new 360/PS3 console release. The bad would simply be an outdated system the minute the new Xbox or Playstation console is released. So with this almost Dreamcast approach to release a console between generations, Nintendo may actually be making a smart business decision with the release of this console.

5. Backwards Compatibility

More rumors about Project Cafe claims it will also be able to play Wii games and possibly Gamecube games. If this is true, this is something that should also be advertised. Despite the hardcore gamers Snively Whiplash way of thinking (a foolproof plan it is not) that they are the only consumer base Nintendo should worry about, the truth of the matter is that the casual base is quite important still. If they include backwards compatibility, they have a chance of bringing back casual gamers on top of hardcore ones bumping up their sales and keeping the casuals away from Sony and Microsoft. So I would expect the controllers that were purchased for the Wii to still work for some games which would also avoid the alienation of Wii owners.

Remember, Sony and Microsoft both received a bit of backlash when their compatibility was removed from consoles. Microsoft technically did not remove it I believe, but it only allows certain first gen Xbox games to be played. Sony did remove it fully in later PS3 hardware. If Nintendo keeps backwards compatibility, still releases games for the Wii, their Wii software sales will probably increase as well too. Especially if they release older games such as Mario Galaxy or Super Smash Bros Wii that the detracted hardcore gamers never got to play in the first place. So while the Wii may eventually die off, Nintendo could still squeeze out sales from the Wii software and even get more sales for it post-Wii than they did present-Wii.

6. Innovation

Nintendo has done quite a bit for gaming. There has been negative response such as the Virtual Boy and there has been lukewarm response such as motion controls, and there has been positive response like the Game Boy. Say what you will about some Nintendo products, but they can normally put SOMETHING different out there. Some are thinking that the controller may be this type of innovation with it's touch screen and what that could mean for potential games, and some are thinking they could take a step beyond what failed with the Gamecube and find a way to link games between the handheld systems and the console itself. With next to nothing known about the new console, these are the only two real possibilities. Remember, 3D was originally thought of on the Gamecube as well, and the same with motion gaming. Both fell through and showed up in later forms. The link between the GBA (I believe it was) and the Gamecube was also something that never quite worked out. However, with the number of handheld love growing since the release of the DS's all the way to the 3DS, there's a chance that these handhelds may not be required, but can give players more incentive to own both the handheld and console for exclusive gameplay.


7. Third party and indie developers

And the straw that broke the camels back for Nintendo. The only thing that worked for the Wii were first party games or acutal party games. The Wii was not the console for third party developers and very weak for independent devs as well. Any ports from consoles were done poorly and it got to the point where no developers other than first party were worth supporting on the Wii. Project Cafe is already said to be correcting that with Rockstar already being mentioned as a developer for the console. So with Nintendo being the company with the best selling first party games, the third party games now appearing on the new console, and the other consoles finding themselves with fewer and fewer exclusives, Nintendo may be riding high with games upon the release of Project Cafe.


Depending on who you ask, the console wars boil down to two things. The fans will say that the winner of the console wars is the one that gets played the most. The companies themselves would say the sales are what matter the most. If Nintendo takes the proper steps, they can win both sides of the argument and make the next generation of consoles for Sony and Microsoft to be embarrassments. I don't think this will be the case since Nintendo tends to hold back leaving room for the other companies to improve on what Nintendo should do. The possibility is there, however, and if Nintendo wants to put an end to these console wars they need to look past the boardroom and at the fans. We know what we want.

Project Cafe - The Router of the Future

With the recent rumor and announcement of Project Cafe, the upcoming system from Nintendo, "leaks" of pictures have started to hit the web. Although the system is supposed to do everything but butter your toast, the look and design doesn't make the specs seem so plausible.

and a slightly different "SNK Handheld" controller look: