E3 2009 Highlights

My first Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone and while it has been claimed to be the best one in years, it's memorable for so much more. Not only did I get to experience so much as a videogame writer I got to see what I can expect from myself as a person.

I was able to learn what is required from a successful member of the press.

1. Do not make yourself look like a fan. If you happened to have seen images from E3 you there is one clear fact that separates the Gaming Press from Gamers, shwag. The press knows not to walk around with huge Inflatable Wiimotes from Nyko or wearing Ninja Turtles headbands. Yes, companies will give you promotional material, but you know the difference between taking it and putting it away and flaunting it. No one will take you serious when you're asking them about a game when you're wearing a Battlefield 1943 T-Shirt. The same goes with the people you see. This is my opinion, but as a new writer in the field, I still view myself as a fan and while at E3 I saw many people I wanted to go up and talk to. I saw people like Jeff Gerstmann, Jeff Green, Robert Ashley, Ryan Scott and Dan Hsu (Ryan and Dan sat beside me during the Miyamoto Panel) but I didn't try to disturb them and go 'Oh man, I really love your writing...' They are there working, just as I am. Maybe when I cover PAX in September I will be more inclined to chit-chat with them considering the relaxed environment, but during E3 hours, it just didn't seem right.
2. You will not have time for everything. Even with essentially three full days attending E3, I did not manage to get to play everything that I would have liked to have. I wanted to sample the God of War III demo, but the line-up was too long, the same goes for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Even with Press credentials, the line-ups are too long and scheduled meetings are always more important.
3. Promptness is appreciated by all. Just like in the real world, if you are scheduled to meet with a developer or studio, be sure to get their early. It's just common sense. They'll appreciate it and more often that not, they will be willing to start the meeting earlier and/or show you more.
4. Treat the little studios the same way you would treat the big boys. This works both ways. During my time at E3 I had interviews with many 'smaller' studios such as Koei, Tecmo and Ignition and even had sessions with Bethesda, Eidos and Electronic Arts. I made sure to treat every meeting the same way. Just because a smaller studio doesn't make the marquee game does not mean they deserve less respect. More often than not, it's those smaller studios that will be willing to give you more details about their products because they are in the same boat as you (that is if you are covering the event for a smaller site like I was).
5. Cleanliness is Key. I had to admit it this, but the stereotype that most videogamers are unhygienic was extremely evident here. When I was at PAX last year I made this same comment and E3 continued to solidify that. With all the problems we have with Swine Flu and other airborne bacteria, make sure that you are proper when attending such an event. Wear clean clothing, wash your hands when you leave the washroom and just be sure to careful with what you touch. I will give props to Sony in their PSP office that their guys where constantly wiping down PSP and PSP Go units. It might have been more to clean the units clean, but every time they wiped a unit, unnecessary bacteria was taken away.
6. Just because you have covered E3 certainly does not make you a journalist. E3 might be the Mecca of videogames, just being there doesn't make you a journalist. It's what you do afterwards. If you were a member of the press but you didn't actually interview companies or attend any of the closed room sessions, then you are more an enthusiast than anything else. It's going to be the coverage you do in terms of previews, hands-ons and interviews that will set you apart.

There are certainly other things that I learned but I don't want to go on and on about it.

Since I managed to get hands on impressions on a bevy of upcoming games, I want to give my highlights on some of the games I actually got to play for a few minutes. Here now is my list of 'Favorite Games from E3 that I actually played'

Nintendo DS - Scribblenauts

I heard about this game last year on an IGN Podcast but thought nothing of it. Then when so many people on Twitter (specifically Area 5's Matt Chandronait) were mentioning it, I just had to find out where it was and go check it out. On Thursday, as soon as I got into the doors, I ran towards the Warner Brothers Interactive booth and began playing it. I was lucky enough to have the Lead Designer Matt Cox talk to me about the game for a few minutes before he was stolen away from me by the Joystiq guys but from the moment he started telling me what to do I was in love.

If you haven't heard about Scribblenauts, the objective of the game is to assist the lead character Maxwell collect 'Starites'. In order to do so, you need to specific objects to do so. In some cases you might need a ladder to climb a tree or in another you might want to have a snorkel to swim underneath. To obtain the items necessary, all you have to is write it and it appears. If you want that ladder, just type in 'ladder' on the keypad and one will appear. Feel like being creative and destroying the tree to get the 'starite', then right bomb or dynamite and place it by the tree and watch it explode. There are thousands of different ways each level can be completed and this creativity alone will make this game one to watch later this year.

(Honorable Mention: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box)

Nintendo Wii - Sin and Punishment 2

One of my favourite games from the Xbox was Panzer Dragoon Orta and I really enjoy on rail shooters because of the frantic action that are associated with them. After playing through the one of the characters demo (the boy character Isa) I knew that this will be an incredible game.

I never played the original but after going through this, I seriously want to go pick up a Classic Controller for the Wii and download it from the Wii Store. S&P2 is filled with beautiful visuals, stunning sounds and a lot of variety. The game is extremely easy to pick up but offers plenty of challenges. I am a bit disappointed that this has been overshadowed by other marquee Nintendo titles, but I do feel that this will ultimately be one of those games that will appeal to the hardcore gamers that have complained they are not loved.

(Honorable Mention: Muramasa: The Demon Blade, New Super Mario Bros. Wii)

Xbox 360 - Just Cause 2

The first game I got to see behind closed doors was Eidos upcoming Just Cause 2 and I have to say that what I at first thought would be a gimmick could turn into a feature that will be copied by many others in the future.

The key aspect of Just Cause 2 is the use of your parachute and grappling hook to play the game. Both items are available to use at just about anytime and both are important in completing the game's 60 missions. Let's say you're battling it on the roof of a building, you can quickly jump off and paraglide yourself to another spot on the map. Another use could be when you're on top of a speeding car; you can hop off of it and use the parachute to avoid an explosion.

The grapple works on so many levels as well. On top of the being able to use it in conjunction with the Parachute, you can use to grab enemies or weapons or combining two enemies together. Again, the use of both can do so many different things.

As long as the game doesn't make the use of both too much of a necessity, I can see this being yet another satisifying title for Action-Adventure fans.

(Honorable Mention: Samurai Showdown: Edge of Destiny, Need for Speed Shift, Mass Effect 2)

PlayStation Portable - Motorstorm: Arctic Edge

Fans of the PS3 Motorstorm series will feel right at home when they pick up Arctic Edge. The game feels and plays nearly identical to what we've become accustomed to on with the PS3 controller. The game moves fast and sound really good. I did notice some graphical issues in a few minor spots, but other than some clipping issues and collision detection problems, this looks like it's heading in the right direction. It certainly won't be able to replicate the PS3 version tit-for-tat, but it will be pretty damn close. Racing fans will be really happy on the PSP later this year.

(Honorable Mention: Gran Turismo PSP, Dissidia: Final Fantasy)

PlayStation 3 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

I will not deny it, I am a massive Uncharted Fan and ever since the first announcement I have been waiting patiently to play and thankfully I got my opportunity to see it, touch it and love it. On the show floor we got the opportunity to play both the Multiplayer and Co-op modes and both are extremely fun to play. Thankfully, if you own inFamous, you already have the same opportunity to experience the Multiplayer Beta so there is no need to explain myself here. This will not only be one of the best titles for the PS3, it quite possibility could be the best game of 2009.

(Honorable Mention: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2)

Things I am glad to have seen:

1. Being able to attend the Shigeru Miyamoto Panel
2. Sitting in the second row during the Sony Press Conference
3. Crossing paths with Hideo Kojima
4. See a few games well before the rest of the public will
5. Trying out the PSP Go and not enjoying it

Things I wish I got to do:

1. Attending Private sessions with Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft (If I was a Senior Editor then I would have)
2. Taking more pictures with Booth Babes (I had work to do)
3. Playing God of War III and Splinter Cell Conviction
4. Either showing up a day earlier or staying at least a day longer. I would have either liked to have spent more time on Monday or being in LA on Friday once everything was done. The more time in LA would have allowed me to see a bit more.

Overall, I am glad for my experience at E3. I would love to write a more detailed chronicle of my 3 nights in LA but that will have to wait. I still have a ton of previews I still need to write up but once I've completed those, I will try my best to do something to show off exactly how much went on for me from June 1st until June the 4th.

Why I like the PS2 Price Drop.

With Sony's announcement of a price drop for the PS2 from 129.99 to 99.99 (or 109.99 here in Canada), it shows that Sony actually has the right thought process.

Every time Sony sells a PS2, they will be earning a profit. Considering the system nearly a decade old, they probably have an abundance of units still available and would love nothing more than to get more units available. The PS2 already has a slew of quality titles available and each one is extremely affordable. Stores have been for the past 3 months been offering incredible discounts on such titles. Here in Canada, Best Buy was offering a Buy 2 Get 1 Free PS2 offer. If you consider that most titles have an MSRP of 19.99 to 29.99, so for the same price of one 360/PS3 game you are getting two quality games.

Now the reason behind this is strictly to cut into the sales of the Nintendo Wii which retails for about 279.99 depending on where you are. The Wii and the PS2 have a lot of the same features and benefits for users. The Wii offers you Motion control while the PS2 is a DVD player. Yes, the DVD feature is now mute considering you can buy DVD players for 40 dollars, it is still a bonus feature and essentially puts the cost of the gaming portion of the unit at 60 dollars (I will be using the US pricing point for this article).

Both systems have very similar titles. Those of us who play games and follow the industry know that Wii and PS2 games are nearly identical in look and play. In fact, it's often the case with some titles that the PS2 version of a game is ported to the Wii.

The casual aspect of the PS2 is there but will require Sony to push it. Game Series like Buzz, SingStar and EyeToy will need to be marketed strongly to capitalize on this. Sony has already in the past done this but will need to redo this push to let those casual players know that the fun they have with the Wii can also be done with the PS2 sans the motion controlling. Sony can focus on the fact that they have cool spericals such as a Camera, Microphone and other features that can only be found on the PS2 (excluding of course the 360 and PS3).

We Hardcore gamers might not care too much about this because we've already experienced and enjoyed what the PS2 had to offer and have evolved with the growing technology. Again, they have our money so they don't really care about us. They don't have the money of the parent with kids in elementary school who has a kid who loves Hannah Montana will lean towards the PS2 because of the games and the fact that they can watch Hannah Montana on the unit.

Don't forget that Sony has been planning a casual push for a while now. Last month, they announced the Hannah Montana PSP pack and I could see them doing something extremely similar with the PS2. Bundle the unit with the Hannah Montana singing game along with a DVD and a remote and you'll get those kids.

In my life-time, I have purchased 3 PS2 units, two fats and one slim. I no longer have a PS2 and luckily have a PS3 with backwards compatibilty but I could still see myself purchasing another PS2 to have with my other television in my apartment. I could watch DVDs from the comfort of my Bed and even play my older titles. There are still a slew of great titles still available for the PS2 which I missed or own and haven't gotten around to completing such as Resident Evil 4, God of War II, Persona 3 and 4 and Final Fantasy XII.

I love what Sony did with this, but there is one mistake that will hurt Sony monetarily. They did this at least a year too late. This should have been done this time last year when the PS3 was struggling and were forced to drop the price. Yes, this might have hurt sales of the HD system, but it would have been great when the economy was at such a high and people were spending. This would have really put more pressure on Nintendo and the industry as a whole would have benefited. Now a year later, it will take a bit longer before we actually see this force the other companies to play their hands.

It will be interesting to see what both Nintendo and Microsoft do to counter this. Will Nintendo finally drop the price of the Wii to entice gamers? Will they start announcing more flagship titles to keep gamers coming? Will Microsoft try to bring attention to the 360 Arcade and its benefits? This is actually a great thing and I am anxious to see what the companies all do in the lead-up to E3 over these next 60 days.