So, there we have it folks – E3 has wrapped for yet another year in its illustrious 15 year history. And what a show it’s been. There’s been genuine surprises, colossal disappointments, copious amounts of ‘wtf?’ moments… oh, and Kevin Butler. Now things have cooled off, the staff at PSU Towers decided to get together and have a good old chinwag regarding our personal highlights and lowlights from Sony’s showing at the Los Angeles-based event, which we’ve included below for your viewing pleasure. Just for this time, we’ve decided to knock our weekly ‘Top Stories’ feature on the head given that E3 has dominated pretty much every story the past week, so normal service will resume once again this coming Sunday. For now, let’s look back at the biggest week in the games industry and see what we made of Sony’s efforts.
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The Highs
Twisted Metal PS3
Let’s be honest here – did any of us really believe David Jaffe’s assertion that he wasn’t working on a new entry in the Twisted Metal franchise? Thought not. Regardless, this was one of the highlights of the entire conference, with Jaffe and chums arriving on stage in a clapped out van driven by the one and only Calypso. We’re then treated to a meaty play through of some of the game’s multiplayer maps, showcasing a variety of vehicles including choppers and bikes. We’re officially pumped.
Gabe Newell announces Portal 2 for PS3
Valve’s outspoken boss rocking up at Sony’s E3 press conference was probably the most unexpected guest spots we’ve clapped eyes on in years – and considering Newell’s past comments on the PS3, the most ironic too. Still, all bitter thoughts of the big man’s acid-tongued attacks on our beloved black box vanished as quickly as Newell appeared on stage, thanks to a little gem known as Portal 2. Yep, Valve’s eagerly awaited puzzler is heading to PS3; and what’s more, Gabe boasted that it’ll be the best version of the game you can get your hands on. What more could you want? Cheers Gabe.
Kevin Butler
Jack Tretton quipped at this year’s show that fellow Sony aficionados were keen to see resident marketing mogul Kevin Butler head the platform holder’s E3 press conference, much to the applause of those in attendance. A bit optimistic you might say, but after Butler’s brief appearance at the show, we’d welcome it – this bloke is just a total genius. Give us a wisecracking FPS fanatic in a suit over a bunch of fella’s pouncing around the stage like a drunk dad at a wedding (we’re looking at you, Microsoft) any day of the week. As Butler said – it’s all about the games.
Gran Turismo 5 finally gets a release date
This was more of a relief than a shocker, but thank the lord all the same. After months of designer Kazunori Yamauchi shoving inconsequential tidbits down our throats on how the game was shaping up, there was really only one thing on everyone’s minds – when are we going to get to place the damn thing? Fortunately, Sony answered everyone’s wishes at E3, confirming the Polyphony Digital racer for an early November launch in the United States. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is still being kept in the dark as to when they can get their mitts on the racer, but hopefully it won’t be too long until we find out. One thing’s for sure though – with LittleBigPlanet 2 out the same month, it’s going to be a stellar holiday line-up for the company.
Seeing Killzone 3 in action
Despite the fact we weren’t lucky to be in attendance at E3 this year and take in the full 3D extravaganza like everyone else, this still blew us away. Killzone 3 looks positively jaw dropping, oozing sophistication and technical brilliance from every pore, be it the meticulously crafted visuals to the fluid, visceral gameplay. What’s more, we also got a glimpse at the new jetpack feature, which received a rapturous applause from the crowd. To top it all off, we also have a firm release date – February 2011, two years since the release of its predecessor. Looks like Guerilla Games is hoping to get a head start on Gears of War 3, which hits shops in April next year.
PlayStation Move is looking quite impressive
PSU will be the first to admit we were less than enthused over the idea of the PS3 getting its own Wii-mote style motion controller. After Microsoft’s eyebrow raising Kinect event, we feared for the worst when Tretton took to the stage for Sony’s press conference. Fortunately, while we’re not entirely sold on the peripheral, what we did see has pleasantly surprised us. In particular, the title Sorcery looked quite intriguing, and demonstrated effective use of Move that didn’t come across as gimmicky or inaccurate, with players able to cast an assortment of spells as a young wizard’s apprentice. Furthermore, a number of triple-A offerings are set to include Move functionality, including Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, Heavy Rain and Killzone 3, which we feel will benefit positively from the new control scheme. Now, if only the price point was as attractive as the hardware itself…
Exclusive PS3 content for big hitting third-party games
Smart move, Sony. Exclusive PS3 goodies for some of the biggest upcoming third-party games, including Dead Space 2, Assassin’s Creed 2: Brotherhood, Medal of Honor and Mafia II. This was especially pleasing following Microsoft’s revelation that it has signed a three-year timed exclusivity deal for Call of Duty content. The Medal of Honor and Dead Space 2 content is especially noteworthy, as gamers will be treated to PS3 versions of two past entries in both franchises, namely Medal of Honor Frontline and Dead Space: Extraction. Brilliant.
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The Lows
No PSP2
We’re not going to mince our words here; Nintendo is dominating the portable scene and if Sony wants any slice of the handheld gaming market anytime soon, they’re going to have to up the ante and unleash a successor to PSP – especially with the 3DS on the horizon. The fact Sony didn’t reveal a PSP2 at it’s conference was a major disappointment, more so as we’ve been reading rumors on the device in the months leading up to the Los Angeles-based event. In fact, reports were so convincing that we would have bet money PSP2 would have shown its face at E3, even if it was just a mere confirmation of its existence.
The Last Guardian is conspicuously absent
Team ICO’s upcoming masterpiece has been laying low since last year’s Tokyo Game Show, which, combined with the fact it’s one of the PS3’s most anticipated games to date, made it an ideal component for Sony’s E3 press conference. Or so you would think. Sadly, this wasn’t to be, and The Last Guardian was conspicuously absent from the entire show. Apparently, the game wasn’t ready to pop its head up for a quick trailer or update, but it still doesn’t nullify our disappointment. Still, fingers crossed we’ll see it at Gamescom or TGS later in the year.
Not enough surprise announcements
Twisted Metal PS3 has probably been one of the worst kept secrets in recent years, and aside from Gabe Newell’s unexpected appearance with Portal 2 on PS3 (the impact of which was somewhat stunted by Newell’s almost stoic demeanour), this year’s E3 was decidedly lacking in surprising revelations from the Sony camp. You could say the writing has been on the wall for the past few weeks – one only has to look at the sheer amount of game announcements that preceded E3 (Killzone 3, MotorStorm 3, inFamous 2, etc) to realise that most of the big guns had already been displayed. As such though, we were rather hoping the platform holder had a few more surprise announcements up its sleeves, such as the Team ICO pack (HD revamps of Shadow of the Colossus and ICO) and Resistance 3. Alas, this wasn’t the case, and regardless of how impressive the company’s line-up was, we can’t say we were at all surprised with what was shown – and from the look of comments around the web, we certainly aren’t the only ones. Try keeping a few things underwraps next time, eh chaps?
PlayStation Move will cost you an arm and a leg
Ok, so Move looks quite promising. However, when Sony lifted the lid on the pricing strategy for the new peripheral, we weren’t so enthusiastic. The main device alone costs $49.99, but you’ll need to fork out an additional $29.99 for the Navigation attachment and $39.99 for the Camera. And that’s just for a single-player experience. If you want two-players in on the action, you’ll need to part with around $200. Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of.
Let us know what you thought of Sony’s efforts in the comments section below