Microsoft E3 Press Conference Report Card

Submitted by Richard Windsor on June 14, 2010 – 3:45 pm13 Comments

There is one thing that these press conferences are designed to do, get gamers excited about what is to come, and Microsoft definitely did this in spades. New games, new hardware, and Kinetic made for a great opening to E3. So just how good did Microsoft do this year?
So how do you grade something like this, well first you must let all your fanboy bindings float away into the ether and ask yourself, what did I see that made me happy:

Metal Gear Rising – This was not a surprise, yet the gameplay was very surprising. The new gameplay element allowing you to slice any enemy up into pieces just looked freaking awesome. Me and my friends about crapped in our pants over the gameplay footage. Imagine the hours wasted slicing watermelons!

Kinect – It is really hard this day and age to get a fair overview of an piece of hardware. Lurking in the shadows are B.O. ridden and virgin fanboys with the cry, “it’s just a Wii knock off”, or “it’s lame”. If you wade through the fanboy nonsense you can actually get a look at what could be a very cool way to game. Of all the Kinetic titles shown most were geared more to a casual crowd, which is awesome because I currently have a niece and nephew that always want to play but can’t, because the controller is too hard to play with for them. The so called “hardcore gamers” will cry foul, but all I have to say is Star Wars baby! If something like Kinetic does not get you at least a little bit excited about what it can do then you have lost all your childlike feelings towards games and you have become what you once despised…a bitter jaded gamer.

Halo Reach – With the beta long and done we all really wanted to see what the single player game looked like, and as a Halo fan I was not disappointed! Not only is it the best looking Halo game to date, the scale is impressive, and when we got a glimpse at the battles in space I about blew my lid. Sorry to geek out so much but Halo has been such a great franchise that anytime we get to see something new about it I can’t help myself.

Gears Of War 3 – Do I need to say anything else. The games looks amazing. It looks as if Epic has added a faster pace to the game with more big action moments. With an improved horde mode and 4 player Co-op….oh damn this game looks awesome.

Xbox Slim – While they may not have named it the Xbox slim there is no doubt that Gamestops around the country are getting calls asking how much their current fat 360 is worth. Wether you like the design of the console or not, you have to like added features, even if built in Wifi is late to the party, of course no self respecting online gamers uses Wifi. Probably the biggest thing is that fact that the DVD drive is now as they say “Whisper Quiet”. I have been contemplating the switch myself. I am not quite sure yet, but knowing that next gen hardware is probably not gonna surface for a while I might just make the plunge.

ESPN Integration – Can I get a hell yeah? Being the sports fan that I am I was really excited to see this coming to the 360. The streaming of live games will be awesome. They did not show this off too much, but with its Kinetic integration it looks to be another great addition to the 360. Helps to make up for the fact that we did not see Hulu make an appearance.

The above does not even cover everything shown at the press briefing. The Kinect hardware is very impressive, and hopefully we will see some more hardcore games as time goes on. We also have Fable 3, Crackdown 2, and Call of Duty Black Ops to look forward to as well, plus a few games that I can’t remember right now/ The rest of 2010 is gonna be awesome!

Final Grade A-

What did you think of the Microsoft E3 Conference? Let us know in the comments.

Jordan_Snyder

I couldn't give this conference anything higher than a C+. They showed some good games to start with, but it wasn't really anything spectacular. Then, they gave us an hour of boring Kinect “games” that should not have been shown. Seriously, leave those where they belong: at the Cirque du Soleil event. I can't wait for some of the games they showed, but overall, it was a big disappointment.
morphiend

I'm sorry, but besides the ESPN integration they didn't really bring anything that “oooh wow!” to the table in my mind. While their specific titles did have some “that's nifty” moments, but nothing that stands out. It *TOTALLY* reminds of last year's E3.

* Twitter/Facebook was swapped for ESPN
* Halo 3: ODST was swapped for Halo: Reach
* Alan Wake for MG Rising
* Natal for Kinect

Where's Milo? Not actually marketable? Honestly, if Kinect retails for more than $50, I don't see any reason to buy it.

BTW, I wonder if the new Slim is supposed to be used upright. There is an ENORMOUS vent on the side of the case and if its on its side I bet that inhibits ability to displace air: see: using a PS3 upright.

And, yeah, Jordan I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm with you on not much more than C+.
Tedtz

Wow, surprise that the Sony fanbot didn't like the MS conference. Jeez what a shocker!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-Windsor/761743905 Richard Windsor

While I understand what you mean. I think you might lack the creativity to imagine what some of this stuff means. I can't help but to disagree completely. I have a young niece and nephew and the casual games are a huge thing. Even a Wiimote is hard to use for small children.

It is really sad to see how jaded gamers are becoming.
morphiend

Are you really that excited to play Wii games w/o a controller? I'm not shilling for Sony, especially since we haven't even seen what they're going to “reveal”. AFAWK this may be the best that this E3 has to offer (3DS could be nifty, but IIRC the original DS was like lukewarm upon initial announcement).
http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-Windsor/761743905 Richard Windsor

I think that the potential is what some people are excited about. Did you see the Star Wars game? That looked like it could be awesome. Its only a year since Natal was introduced. Its gonna take some time for the more Hardcore games to show up at all. But when you see how well the tech works I can think of a million game ideas. I would agree that what they showed was a copy of the Wii, along with what Sony has showed so far as well, but people have fun with the Wii.

If the more robust games don't come within the next 18 months then Kinetic could become just a cool way to control your system, but I doubt that MS would invest so much if they didn't have some more stuff down the line. Just unfortunate that they did not have any that was ready to show today, but you have to love the potential.
http://www.facebook.com/eyona1 Eric Yonamine

De De De!
http://www.facebook.com/eyona1 Eric Yonamine

It doesn't matter how you approach ingnorance and haters Richard, they are un-edumacated!!! Embicles that cling to ignorance – FOOLS! Bewonder the pleasure that is great and improved technology with great game play, and has partnered with great game makers – Gamers rejoice – Douches need not apply.
http://www.facebook.com/eyona1 Eric Yonamine

De De De!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Sadowski/506807615 Tony Sadowski

I understand this is an opinion column, but when you start off by claiming that Microsoft “definitely” got gamers excited “in spades” and ask “just HOW GOOD they did,” you've already taken any trace of objectivity and Kinetic-waved its ass good-bye.

Like this: “The 360 is definitely a meathead system for meathead gamers. But just how much ass did they suck?”

I stumbled on the official name of Natal last night and ignored their press conference until this evening, because I have no real interest in buying anything Microsoft is selling. I checked in to Aeropause to see what they had to say, pretty much out of slavish loyalty to my life-long interest in gaming in general.

MS, no thanks.

Hey, funsters! Enjoy waving your arms around like ninnies and pretending you ALWAYS thought motion control was awesome and not gimmicky and had SO MUCH TO OFFER. Note to the Gaming World: The Red Ring of Death (TM) has just been replaced by the Kinetic Hula of Shame (TM)!

Same games as ever, too.

ESPN…really? I like sports, too…but you're gonna' walk around sporting a shiny little boner about that?

Microsoft did what it always does, catered to its usual crowd, and christened its obvious – albeit far less shameless than Move – gambit to get a piece of the casual/motion-control gaming market.

I'll second the C+.

I listen to the speeches of politicians I don't like. Not just because I like to know the enemy, but because, DEEP DOWN, I really want them to convince me that they might just have a point. I want them to make me think, give me something to chew on.

Yeah, you have to fan the fanboy flames…but to me, you've got to make believers out of the deniers.

To that end, fail.
Salesmunn

Richard, that Star Wars game was a joke. Maybe if the game is designed to focus on the journey of a legless Jedi who can do nothing but force slide or jump from one railed section of gameplay to another….or whatever he was supposed to be doing.

You're way off the mark here.
Salesmunn

How can a stooge like this be representing Aeropause with a report card all by himself? Are there other writers on this site that have any say here?

I thought you had people in LA today….did they approve this ridiculous A-?
askdfjalksdjfak

Question is, with Microsoft's conference being so bad, how can Sony not kick their asses now with their conference? Just knowing what games will be shown at the Sony conference…they already have kicked their ass.