GameXplain's E3 Expectations
By:
Andre Segers
|
June 11, 2010, 7:35 pm

With E3 2010 just a few days away, we wanted to take a few moments and find out what the GameXplain staff is looking forward to at the show.

Micah
 
 

This feels a little weird to say, but this is actually going to be my first E3. I've been to most of the other huge industry events, but somehow never made it to the biggest one of them all. Since this is also GameXplain's first E3, I must say that I'm pretty excited to see what the show has to offer. There are so many games that I'm excited to dive into, and an abundance of new hardware that I can't wait to get my hands on. Games like Civilization V, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Epic Mickey, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, The Last Guardian, and Portal 2 all have my utmost attention, but even those behemoths of the industry aren't enough to overshadow what I'm waiting to see out of Nintendo this year.

This will be my tenth year in a row of watching Nintendo's E3 press conference (though my first time not having to deal with bad online streams), and I've certainly seen some ups and downs in the show. Despite the efforts of everyone at the company to underwhelm during its press conference in recent years, I am expecting them to pull out all the stops this time around. I don't want them wasting time with the epilectic flailings of Ravi drums or the incoherent stammering of Cammie Dunaway. I want them to be simple and straightforward and show off some games that will haunt my dreams until I finally get to play them. The thing I most apreciated about Nintendo's press conference in the past when compared to its competitors was that it was not nearly as overblown or showboaty. In recent years, that has changed to mean that the conference itself was just sort of dull. The company hasn't really had a whole lot of amazing software to work with in its shows of late, so I'm hoping that things can go a bit differently this time around.

Hopefully Ravi isn't a special guest again this year...

So just what do I want to see out of Nintendo? I want to see a 3DS unveiling that defies all my expectations and is so mind-bendingly awesome that I collapse on the floor, a quivering mass of anticipation. Maybe that's too much to ask? Then I want to see a Zelda unveiling that uses Wii MotionPlus to slit my throat and watch me bleed to death just to show everyone what the device can do. Not that either? Well, then I just want to see what the hell the company has going on. I want to know what Retro Studios is up to. I want to know what happened to Pikmin 3. I want to see why I should care for a split second about the vitality sensor. I want a surprise announcement or two that rivals Metroid M's stealth reveal last year. Actually scratch all that. I just want Metroid: Other M to be as good as it should be. Then I'd be happy.
 

Schuyler

I'm a simple guy, and I like my Zelda. I'd love to see a world as open and eventful as Red Dead's in the next Zelda game, though their comments on the inclusions of dungeons and the graphics of Monster Hunter have me a bit curious. Not worried, just a bit unsure. Then again, I was as unsure as could be about them adding the first-person perspective to Metroid. I mean, whaaaaa? Oh, and I want it to be able to support a regular old controller. I'm not against motion controls, I just only like them in some games. The biggest question mark floating above my head, making me look like a Metal Gear guard, is Nintendo's press conference. It used to be one hour. Now it's two. I expect it to be worth my attention the whole time.
 

This picture is about all that's known of the new Zelda--hopefully we'll find out more at E3!

Portal 2 is high on my list to run to when the doors open, as with a few other big names. Epic Mickey I remember reading about a while back, and I'm actually unreasonably anticipating getting a look at this. And I want it to be more American McGee's Alice and less Sonic Unleashed, if you would be so kind. I'll give the new DS a spin, but consoles have always been my home. And sticking my nose into the Playstation Move booth is on my to-do list, since I keep hearing about how great it is, and I'd like to see Sony innovate something and not just steal things from Nintendo for once (and yes, I realize the irony in asking them to innovate with the Move). Oh, and one of my biggest anticipated events at E3 is talking someone else from the site into covering Natal. Hey Andre, what're you gonna be up to this E3?

And I'm gonna call it right now: New Rad Racer!

Andre
 

Well, Schuyler, I'll have you know I'm more excited this year for E3 than any other in recent memory. I think this may be due to all of the planned hardware announcements; between Natal, PlayStation Move, Nintendo 3DS, it's almost like the prelude of a new console generation, where anticipation is at a feverish pitch--or at least mine is. 

The Wii is my favorite system of this generation--largely, if not entirely--because of its motion controls. And now that both Sony and Microsoft are getting in on the action, I'm stoked to see what they can do with it. I've already had some hands-on time with the PlayStation Move, and though the demos themselves were underwhelming, the technology certainly impressed. I'm a bit more skeptical of Natal--I wonder whether a device completely void of buttons can actually offer a compelling and/or accurate gameplay experience, but I'm stoked to see what kinds of games both devices can deliver. We have it on Ken Lobb's authority that Rare has something in the works for Natal and I'm really eager to see what they come up with.

You too can be the controller in the comfort of your living room.

Of course, it's no secret that what I'm looking forward to most is what Nintendo has to offer, even if, perhaps ironically, it's the one we know least about. We know the 3DS (or whatever it's going to be called) will be there and I'm super curious to see what kinds of doors this will open for developers, if any. Unlike some of my colleagues (Micah, I'm looking at you), I am a believer in 3D and really do think it has the ability to enhance games. However, I'm not convinced there's anything 3D can do in and of itself that would change how we play games--how we view them, certainly--but not how they're played. So I'm curious to see if there's anything else to the Nintendo 3DS--something along the lines of the original that actually changes how we interact with them.

Beyond the 3DS, I'm most excited to see Zelda Wii--if it's there at all. I wasn't too keen on the last two console Zelda titles, so I really hope Nintendo has learned from their mistakes and pumps out something that's really unique. I'm also eager to see how exactly Wii MotionPlus is being utilized in the title. Speaking of which--and I know this is blasphemy in some circles, but this is my site dammit and I'll say what I want--I'm extremly curious to discover what Nintendo's plans are for the Vitality Sensor. Sure, it seems goofy, but if there's anyone that can do something interesting with this tech, it's Nintendo.
Eduardo

As the resident Nintendo hater and ranking grizzled old man, there's not a whole lot I'm excited for. The gimmicks like 3D and motion control are every bit as bad as waggle for the Wii -- about one in a thousand games will use it properly, and those odds lose my interest mighty fast. However, the games I am excited for look like they'll be nothing short of phenominal. One game that I'm really curious about (though I'm not sure if they'll show it) is Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 (or whatever they decide to call it) -- the original Arkham Asylum was one of the best games (if not, THE best) of last year, so I'm really itching to see what Warner Bros. has planned for that one. I'm also fairly curious about Bulletstorm -- the makers of Painkiller teaming up with the makers of Gears of War is something that has quite a bit of potential.
 
Speaking of Gears of War, yes, I'm also excited to check out Gears of War 3 -- no, it's not the most refined or clever game in the world, but what it does, it does extremely well, and for a fan of the instant-gratification school of action, this is right up my alley. Other games I'm hoping to see include Valve's offerings (Portal 2, Half Life 2: Episode 3), Infamous 2, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, but there are some games that aren't extremely action oriented that I'm looking forward to as well. The original Dead Space is a game that scares the bejesus out of me every time, and it's an expertly crafted horror/thriller, making me crave more. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a game I'm hoping to see more of as well. The series thus far has been nothing short of amazing, and I can't wait to see what's in store with this new game. While I already previewed it, I'm hoping to see more of Rock Band 3 as it's introducing some great new elements, and some scorching new music, so it's hardly something to snub your nose at. But perhaps, most of all, I'm really looking forward to seeing something from Sony's The Last Guardian -- Team Ico really excels at telling touching, personal stories encased within fantastic, magical worlds. Shadow of the Colossus and Ico are some of my favorite games of the past decade, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what this next chapter will entail.


Jimmy

I know with each and every passing year, the hype leading to E3 gets extremely tremendous. This year, the hype may very well be justified. With the recent release of James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar, it proves that people are very interested in innovative 3D technology. While I'm not totally sold on the idea of 3D gaming just yet, I'm excited to see what the show floor can impress me with. While I'm not huge into portable gaming, I really want to get my hands on Nintendo's 3DS, which gives the illusion of 3D gaming sans the glasses.

Could this be the 3DS? Mock-up courtesy of Kotaku.


While 3D gaming seems to be the new in thing this year, the hype behind motion controls hasn't gone away either. Nintendo is hoping to continue to push the envelope in that category with its vitality sensor, Sony will be showcasing its own motion control capabilities, and Microsoft will be pushing its unique Project Natal experiment. Once again, I'm not completely sold on all these new techs, but that just makes me more interested in trying them out. 

In terms of specific games I'm interested in, word has it that Valve has a big announcement up their sleeves. We haven't heard anything new from these guys in a long while. Perhaps Portal 2 or Episode 3 will be at the show, maybe the developer will show something entirely new. Either way, Valve is a developer that doesn't disappoint. 

Another developer that doesn't disappoint is Team ICO. The developer of instant classics such as ICO and Shadow of the Colossus will hopefully showcase its newest game, The Last Guardian. The developer has crafted some of the most beautiful and emotionally evolving games in recent memory, so if its track record is any indication, we're in for a treat.

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