E3: Who Won?

Gamers, that's who. There were so many huge announcements, awesome games, and really intriguing news ideas at this year's E3 it's hard to keep track. But, in the time honored tradition, I'm just gonna list the big 3 in order of how great their E3 was. Cause, you know. I'm lazy.

Microsoft

I think, without a doubt, M$ (har har) won the show. While the games lineup is robust, the most talked about 360 announcement was Natal, a motion sensing technology that seems far more advanced than anything Nintendo or Sony offer. Anyone who has ever heard me rant on the subject knows that I'm not what anyone would call a fan of motion sensing in games. To me, most games that employ motion sensing on Wii or PS3 (with some exceptions) just feel gimmicky and out of place. Natal, however, seems to take it to a new level. While all of it looks cool, just being able to navigate the dashboard with your hands Minority Report style is, to me, really cool. Since it won't be released until at least next year there is plenty of time to see Natal in action, but there is great reason to be optimistic.

Even without Natal, though, the Xbox game lineup would still give MS the edge. Mass Effect 2, Halo ODST and Halo Reach, Alan Wake, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, and many others show that the 360 is still the place for the "hardcore". I suppose the only real issue I have with the 360's lineup is the relative lack of innovation. Sure, the games all seem awesome, but they aren't much different than games the 360 has offered in the past. I think if Microsoft really wants to continue its upward momentum, new and varied gameplay is necessary. If Natal can live up to its promise, suddenly Shane Kim saying that the 360 has a 10 year lifespan seems pretty realistic.

Sony

After Sony's disastrous show last year and lagging behind both Microsoft and Nintendo, Playstation needed a big boost from E3, and that is exactly what they got. From motion control that looks better implemented than the Wii's current offerings to a diverse showing of games, Sony seems to be on the upswing. That is, of course, if anyone could afford to buy a PS3. One of the biggest reasons that Sony doesn't lead this list is the lack of a price cut. With Wii and 360 selling for significantly less than the PS3 and with much greater install bases, it seems really odd that Sony wouldn't finally cave and announce a significant price cut.

If you could afford to buy a PS3, though, you are going to get some pretty great games. Exclusives like God of War 3 and Uncharted 2 were expected and look outastanding, but the big announcement for me was The Last Guardian. Made by the team that created Ico and Shadow of the Colossus (one of the top 5 games of the last generation), there isn't a lot of information out about the game yet, but the footage I've seen is absolutely incredible. It's games like this that really seperate Sony from the competition.

The other interesting announcement was the PSP Go!, a new version of the PSP without a UMD drive and a different interface. Looks cool...until you see the price tag. $250 is simply insane for a portable device. You can buy a Wii with that. Not that you'd have anything to do with it...

Nintendo

Oh, right, speaking of. Nintendo looked like they were heading off a cliff during the early part of E3, completely abandoning the core fan base in favor of 12 year old girls, soccer moms, and grandma and grandpa. The Wii Vitality Sensor (maybe the stupidest fucking peripheral I've ever seen) was looking like the climactic moment of Nintendo's press conference. That is, until Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M were announced, saving Nintendo the ire of jilted fanboys everywhere (unless you wanted a new Zelda game).

In all honesty, the Wii as a platform really has eschewed traditional gamers. The formula seems to be throw out a bunch of stuff we don't really care about while providing 2 or 3 huge titles per year. Galaxy 2 looks almost identical to Galaxy 1 (which is actually a good thing) and Metroid: Other M actually looks really great. I'm not as sold on New Super Mario Bros Wii, but hey, it could be fun. The best thing about E3 for Nintendo was Shigeru Miyamoto confirming that a new Zelda game is actually in the works. Of course, it probably won't be out for 3 years.

What really does seem at least somewhat problematic for Nintendo is the zealous push from Sony and Microsoft on motion capabilities. Natal looks like a whole new experience, while the Sony project seems to be a refinement of what has made Wii so successful. Nintendo's price point and focus on family driven gameplay likely means that Wii will still own this generation, but MS and Sony seem ready to take the reins of motion control and lash them to their own stallions, creatures no doubt made out of solid gold.