The Stupid Gamer

The Nintendo E3 Press Conference was pretty tame overall. I couldn’t give it the full not treatment due to that whole 9-5 thing that gets in the way, but I have some thoughts on it anyway. While the conference was pretty weak on the game lineup front, the show was entertaining. Reggie, Iwata, and Miyamoto all came out and were candid, open, and witty. Not much was announced, but here are the highlights:

• Mario Kart Online is coming to the Wii early 2008 and comes bundled with a steering wheel attachment
• Wii Zapper will come bundled with software or $19.99 standalone - promises of a lot of game support from 1st and 3rd parties
• Super Mario Galaxy looks outstanding and just shot to my #1 most anticipated title
• Phantom Hourglass was shown and looked great
• Metroid Prime 3 was shown on stage and seems to be all that we hoped it would be
• Promises of way more 3rd party support
• Wii Fit is shown and uses a new peripheral - the Balance Board. This thing will probably sell millions
• TONS of games were revealed after the conference, but weren’t even talked about on stage
• Nintendo is ready to push gaming into the mainstream even further, hopes to not alienate core gamers

Overall I’d say the conference was more fun than either Microsoft or Sony’s efforts, though Sony definitely showed the most in regards to killer software. I think Nintendo could have spend more time on the games they have to offer, because their lineup is strong this year (Metroid, Mario, Zelda, Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Donkey Kong, Resident Evil, EA Sports online games, and much more). I’m willing to bet that Nintendo was aiming to capture the mainstream press’ attention once again, and in that they probably succeeded.

Oh, and there is some little Smash Bros. event tomorrow. But who cares about that, right?

Activision has tossed three more songs up in a single download pack on Xbox Live Marketplace for 500 points. The songs include Smoke on the Water, I Wanna Be Sedated, and You Got Another Thing Coming. No word is available yet if more songs are coming.

So what’s the deal here? Not only are they charging a ridiculous price for these songs, but they’re rolling them out sloooooowly. At this rate, it will cost you over $100 to own all the songs from the original Guitar Hero and take you approximately a decade to get them all. I’m still not about to pay these prices for three songs…especially since More Than a Feeling still hasn’t appeared.

Killzone 2 was shown last night to an exclusive group of members of the press in an event that was met with insane amounts of hype and curiosity. Message boards across the Internet were on fire with speculation as to whether or not Sony could deliver a product as impressive as they had been promising. Well, according to recent media released and reports from those that were lucky enough to attend, the hype is justified.

You can hit up just about any media outlet today to see full-sized pics of the game and see for yourself the kind of jaw-dropping visuals that Killzone 2 is sporting. While I’m still waiting for another round of price drops on the PS3 before jumping in, it’s stuff like Killzone 2 that is making that wait a bit more difficult.

In September you’ll be able to pick up a limited edition 360 with a Halo theme. Along with the console, you’ll also find Halo-themed accessories.

It’s a shame it looks like a cross between an Army ready to eat meal and a canteen.

-Halo theme opening by Corporeal (sp?) guys was pretty awesome.
-Peter Moore comes on stage as the music wraps up - mild applause
-Every game and demo shown will release THIS YEAR
-Peter claims it’s the best lineup in holiday history

-Rock Band by Harmonix w/ Peter Moore
-Peter on guitars
-Looks like an absolute blast
-Peter flubbed a few notes

-Viva Piñata Party Animals
-Attempt to cash in on mini-game craze
-50+ games

-Mass Effect
-Day one purchase for me
-Amazing animation
-Incredible production value
-All that next-gen should be
-November

(start video reel)
-PG4
-Dynasty Wars: Gundam
-COD4
-Stranglehold
-GHIII
-Beaut. Katamari
-Lost Odyssey
-NBA Live 08
-Fatal Inertia
-Medal of Honor Airborne
-Tiger Woods 08
-Ace Combat 6
-NHL 08
-Assassin’s Creed
-Spder-Man: Friend or Foe
-The Simpsons Game
-Splinter Cell Conviction
-Nascar 08
-Eternal Sonata
-BioShock
-Madden 08
-Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground
-Crash of the Titans
-Harry Potter Order Phoenix
-The Orange Box
-Bee Movie
-Naruto: Rise of a Ninja

-VP GLobal Marketing Jeff Bell
-Scene it game
-New controller “for everybody”…looks dumb

-More money will be spent on games than music
-Spin spin spin about install base
-Outselling PS3 2:1…tight race with Wii
-Highest attach rate, more overall sales than PS3/Wii combined, 2/3 3rd party games
-Half of consumer spending on 360 (doesn’t include handheld)
-Top 5 games were GTA/Halo last gen
-360 only platform to have GTA, Halo, Madden at once

-Naruto
-Looks nice, not my cup of tea
-Naruto runs like an idiot
-Fighting looks fast and fun like GCN games

-EA 2008 Lineup
-Double speed (fps)
-NCAA 08 next week
-Reggie Bush on stage
-Cheesy banter
-Obviously staged moment where Reggie busts a big run for a touchdown

-7 million Live members
-45 million game downloads
-Games show in video reel
-Bomberman Live
-Undertow
-Hexic 2
-Sonic the Hedgehog
-War World
-Sensible World of Soccer
-Every Extra Extend Extreme
-Geono
-Wing Commander Arena
-Feeding Frenzy 2
-Track and Field
-Spyglass board games
-Golden Axe
-Space Giraffe
-Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD
-Word Puzzle
-Marathon
-Poker Smash
-Switchball
-Tetris Splash
-Puzzle Quest
-Boku Sudoku

-HD Library twice size of leading cable provider
-Disney on Xbox Live d’load service…pretty much everything
-Tons of movies coming
-Global HD video downloads this year

-VP Corporate Office Shane Kim
-Forza 2 to sell over 1 million by end of month
-PGR4 demo
-All top manufacturers for bikes and cars
-Over 120 vehicles
-10 locations
-Shanghai shown w/ storm
-PGR4 shares photos and videos PGR on demand
-This September
-New trailer shown
-Claims 360 is most powerful console
-Lost Odyssey demo
-Looks great, very FFX in style

-Games for Windows
-Viva Piñata to PC
-Gears of War
-Game editor, new content, other surprises
-Cliffy B. on stage
-5 new chapters
-New multi mode, new multi arena
-Huge boss fight demo

-Peter Moore returns
-Live Support built in to unreal engine 3
-More than 60 titles on GFW this year (start video reel)

-Flight Simulator X
-Thrillville: Off the Rails
-Bee Movie
-Hellgate: London
-Age of Empires III: Asian Dynasties
-Stranglehold
-Gears of War
-BioShock
-Crysis
-Universe at War: Earth Assault
-BlackSite: Area 51
-World in Conflict
-Age of Conan
-Lost Planet
-Kane & Lynch
-Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
-Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals
-Juiced 2
-Viva Piñata
-Spider-Man: Friend or Foe

-Call of Duty 4 demo
-Amazing graphics and ambiance
-Very detailed
-Retains frantic nature of CoD series
-Live demo
-Awesome sniper action in demo
-Make good use of cover and stealth
-Exclusive to 360 online multi beta http://charlieoscardelta.com (was down at time of conference)

-Splinter Cell Conviction talked about
-GTAIV trailers were real-time 360 version - shown again
-Oct 16 NA , Oct 19 Europe
-Extra exclusive episodes by Spring

-RE 5!!! (only game shown not to be released this year)
-Jaw dropping graphics
-Village turning into zombies of some sort
-Trailer only about 20 seconds long
-July 26th full trailer on XBLM

-Assassin’s Creed
-Jayde gets cat calls from audience
-demo in Jerusalem
-everything in view is interactive
-villagers interfere or help
-fell into trap
-fights based on timed combos and counter attacks
-environment important in fights
-chases differ by personality of opponent
-November

-Halo 3 promo trailer with live actors – NOT HALO MOVIE
-Looks cheesy
-True to game series
-Warthogs, Pelicans!
-New console for Halo release
-Green Halo 360 Special Edition in September
-”meh” from the audience
-Halo 3 trailer to close show

-Halo 3 trailer!!!
-Pretty great trailer showing the Chief allied with Elites fighting Brutes
-MASSIVE enemy vehicles
-Environments looked gigantic
-Cortana looked to be in some sort of pain

-Crowd filed out during live music inspired by Halo franchise

Overall the conference was pretty ho-hum, but the 360 will still most likely have the best holiday lineup. There weren’t any real surprises outside of Resident Evil 5 being shown, but it was only a brief glimpse. There is plenty in the lineup to be excited about, however, so even though fans are feeling down about the quality of the conference, they should be extremely excited by the release schedule.

1up is reporting that Halo Wars will be playable at E3 later this week. This is great news for Halo fans as it’s a great sign that development is coming along quickly. Check out the full 1up post here: Halo Wars at E3.

I think that Halo Wars could possibly do for RTS games on consoles what the original Halo did for FPS games. Since the game is being built from the ground up with a console environment in mind, the development team will most likely find unique and intuitive ways to interface with your squads and units. Pikmin 2, in my opinion, is still the finest RTS game to be found on consoles, so I hope they borrow heavily from Nintendo in many ways.

As a big fan of Trauma Center on both the Wii and DS, I’m really happy about seeing Famitsu’s report that a new installment in the series will be coming to the Wii. The sequel, named Trauma Center: New Blood will feature full 16:9 support and co-op play. Yep, co-op Trauma Center goodness. Famitsu.com has several new screens up, head over to check them out.

Day one purchase? You bet.

The wife and I were in the mood for some pasta tonight, but our options are quite limited in this area. After considering a trip on the freeway into the city, we remembered that there was this little pizza place down the road that we’ve never tried. I grew up just a couple of miles from this place, but for some reason had never stepped inside. Upon arriving, it looked busy, and it smelled great on the outside. We stepped in and I immediately was attracted to the decor. They had a jukebox near the entrance and a ton of vinyl records and album covers all over the walls.

Just next to the order window, however, was what will definitely bring me back. There was a Flash Gordon pinball machine in good shape, an Area 51 cabinet, and an original Asteroids! The game was in great shape and played like a dream. After dropping a quarter into the Flash Gordon and earning 3(!) free games, I sat down and scarfed my calzone and breadsticks before making my way to the Asteroids. It was really in great shape. On the first play I managed to get my initials into the fourth position and on my second (and final) try I secured the number 2 spot. My score came in at about half the top score…so I gotta get back and sink a few more quarters into the machine to take that spot.

It was pretty surprising to see an Asteroids still on location making money. The machine has probably been there all its life or for a good part of it. I had to ask if it was for sale and the guy working there just shook his head and said, “sorry, man, it’s been a customer favorite for as long as I can remember.”

The long-awaited price cut on the PS3 is official. The 60GB PS3 will cost $499 and will continue being sold as is. A second package will be available with an 80GB hard drive and Motorstorm as a pack-in game for $599. While it is still a bit on the expensive side, Sony is finally starting to make the PS3 competitive. We’ll see what this does for sales numbers. I must admit, I’m tempted to bite.

Source: Official Press Release.

Starmen.net, one of the finest Earthbound fan communities on the Internet is working hard to urge Nintendo to bring the rest of the Earthbound series over to North America. While some want to see an anthology style disc, some want GBA or DS ports, others are looking for Virtual Console support. The one thing in common, however, is that everybody wants the game released in the US. In dramatic fashion, the Starmen.net call to action reads:

The EarthBound Fans’ Last Stand:

Nintendo has ignored EarthBound fans for over a decade. It’s time for us to make our final stand, and not with a petition. Each of us is personally communicating with Nintendo — sending letters, drawing artwork, and talking with them in person, on the phone. Will they finally recognize us, or is this the end of the line? You, the person reading this, will help determine the fate of MOTHER 3. You will determine whether EarthBound and MOTHER ever see the light of day in America (and beyond) ever again.

It only takes a few moments to participate in one way or another. I would urge any of you out there with even a passing interest in the series to take action. If fans could get CBS to put Jericho back on the air after it was canceled, perhaps Earthbound/Mother can receive a proper translation and Stateside release after all.

Check out further details, including some great artwork, here: http://starmen.net/ebsiege