I was looking forward to a really big year from Microsoft. We knew we were going to hear more about Project Natal (now named Kinect), Halo Reach, and Gears of War 3. But I was hoping for more surprises. Much like last year when Natal was first announced along with Left 4 Dead 2 and Crackdown 2. Last years E3 was a great E3. I really wish I could say the same for this year.
The games left me disappointed. Not because they didn't look good, but because they showed nothing new. The gameplay for Gears of War 3 and Halo Reach look great and will probably be day one buys for me. The trailer for Metal Gear Solid Rising looks amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Fable 3 looks stunning! But that is only four games. Four games that I remember off the top of my head, that really stood out. All four of those games we knew were coming and were announced previously. Where were the surprises this year Microsoft? They showed nothing we didn't know about game wise. This left me disappointed because I was expecting something big. A great big announcement. What I was left with was nothing new.
The Xbox 360 Micro looks neat and I would love to be able to get one. 250 gig hard drive and built in wireless for the same price of an elite makes it a must buy for the people who are looking at jumping into the Xbox 360 market. I would love to get my hands on one of these to try it out, but I feel that might be a while.
My favorite announcement is probably the ESPN channel. I love ESPN and I love to watch sports when I am taking a break from gaming. Combining the two is a great idea and I love it. Especially since it is going to be free for Xbox Live Gold users.
And lastly, Microsoft showed more of Kinect, but after seeing the Playstation Move, I am questioning which one I would like to spend my money on. The demo of the Kinect showed at E3 worried me. I am a hardcore gamer. What was shown at on the stage of E3 was a lot of casual games, which don't get me wrong I love the occasional Wii Sports. But the keyword there is occasional. I bought the Wii because I thought it would be so much fun to actually be in the game, but what I was left with was disappointment. I have a feeling Kinect might be the same way. I understand that Microsoft is trying to bridge the gap between hardcore and casual gamers. They want to get the casual gamers to enjoy playing games, but look at Nintendo. They forgot about their hardcore fans (they did show a lot of awesome titles at this years E3, that will be talked about in a later blog).
For a while all that was coming out for the Wii was party games and so many exercise games that I thought the Wii was going to replace the work out equipment at the gym. And as a Nintendo fan since the NES, I was disappointed. This is the route I am afraid the Kinect is going to go into. While Microsoft will still be releasing the hardcore titles like Call of Duty, Gears of War, and Halo, I feel that the games released for the Kinect will not be a game for gamers like me. And even though I will probably go out and by one because the Microsoft fanboy in me knows I "need" one, I have a feeling that after a couple weeks, and the honeymoon phase is over, I will be left disappointed. Just like I was with the Nintendo Wii (but it does look like it may turn around for Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country and Goldeneye look kick ass!)
I will be posting my thoughts on the Sony Press Conference and Nintendo later on.
-jj75XP
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