Microsoft Press Conference: Stream & Discussion

[Bond]

http://xbox360.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/61644/xbox_360_logo_qjgenth.jpg

Time Keynote Will Start:

Monday 6/1
1:30 et
12:30 ct
11:30 mt
10:30 pt

Watch it Live Here:

- G4TV
- Major Nelson's Live Blog: http://majornelson.com/e3.aspx
-GameSpot (http://e3.gamespot.com/press-conference/microsoft-e3/)
-IGN (http://e3.ign.com/)
-MicroSoft (http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/e309/default.htm)
-GameTrailers (http://www.gametrailers.com/e3/?show=Press+Conferences#Content)

[Bond]

My predictions:

- MGS game revealed for 360

- New Halo title that Frankie and his team have been working on is revealed

- New Marketplace that is integrated with the Zune

- Some type of hardware upgrade is revealed for the 360

[BreakABone]

I added a few more links for you

My prediction
-MS announces the motion camera everyone hinting at.
-Alan Wake, Halo ODST and second Halo game are big first/second party focus.
-Talks of Forza 3
-Some new awesome looking XBLA game
-Rare announces more of their backlog for XBLA
-Look at the fall dashboard update
-Zune HD with more game capability, becoming like MS handheld.
-New Crackdown will be announced.
-Footage of FF 13
-Trailer for Ballad of Gay Tony

http://twitter.com/geoffkeighley/status/1985201213
So MS conf has been moved up 5 mins so guess got last minute word on a trailer

[Vampyr]

Most excited to see if anything is shown or said about the new Lionhead IP.

Crap. Why does the conference have to be in the middle of the work day.

Going to have to download and watch at home later.

[BreakABone]

Most excited to see if anything is shown or said about the new Lionhead IP.

Crap. Why does the conference have to be in the middle of the work day.

Going to have to download and watch at home later.

I can provide you a live blog if want to read news as it happens.

[BreakABone]

Almost 15 minutes on Rock Band...

[thatmariolover]

IGN's stream is total crap. I'm on insider and I'm still stuck at 235kbps.

*Edit*

Oop, down to 150kbps.

[thatmariolover]

I'm actually astounded I pay for this service.

[Bond]

Watch it here: http://www.justin.tv/spackul

No lag.

[Bond]

Crackdown 2! Yes!

[BreakABone]

Sweet Left 4 Dead 2 in Nov...
And just like the rumours
Different survivors, more melee weapons, new infected.

[Bond]

Splinter Cell: Conviction exclusive for 360!

[The Germanator]

Kojima in da house.

[Bond]

New MGS for 360!

That's the trifecta: GTA, FF, MGS.

[KillerGremlin]

Microsoft is the new AOL, offering all these otherwise free services on a computer for a small but profitable expense on Xbox Live Gold! Woo go MOL!

Seriously though, that new Wii-rip off thing looks cool...scanning stuff. Voice recognition. No controller? It's like a Wii only without the Wii-mote. I imagine all the people that bought the Wii will love this.

[KillerGremlin]

And what the fuck? The Xbox recognizes who you are and signs you into Live? Xbox is aware now? Oh shit, 3...2...1...skynet bitches.

[The Germanator]

Man, if only Bob Ross were still around, that painting demo would have been epic.

[BreakABone]

The Milo/Mylo demo was just a tad creepy.

[KillerGremlin]

Looks like I can't pick my nose while playing Xbox360 and definitely can't game in the nude like I normally do anymore.

[Bond]

Interesting... that's quite more advanced than I thought it would be, and more substantial.

[DarkMaster]

Pretty good overall, although the biggest thing for me was seeing english voices already in FFXIII. I wonder why we didn't see any Mass Effect 2?

[BreakABone]

Yeah that was an awesome conference.

I mean based on sheer content, I doubt Nintendo nor Sony can match.

And the technology for Natal looks awesome, though some of it will be interesting with no physical representation.

Milo scares me. :(

[KillerGremlin]

It's too bad all these motion games are mostly shovelware and arcade style. The reality of the situation is I think you need some form of tactile feedback or a controller for serious gaming. How do you call up your inventory or use a C-button type thing without a controller?

In one regard I think what Microsoft has here is actually much nicer than having to hold a Wii-mote, but I think the Wii-mote is better integrated for serious gaming aka game like Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime.

Wow holy shit. I just said Nintendo's Wii is better made for serious gaming. Actually all you need to do with your 360 is pick up a 360 controller...

Which means this new motion stuff is obviously being put into place to cater to the casual gaming and dum-dum crowd that has made the Wii the number one selling console.

[Bond]

The 360's lineup for this year is starting to look a lot better than it originally did.

[KillerGremlin]

200 bucks for the Microsoft Wii thing. Seems kind of pricey.

[Angrist]

I'm waiting for a good replay of this. Sounds interesting.

[BreakABone]

http://i39.tinypic.com/sce3c5.jpg

Well that's a nifty little service.

[BreakABone]

Peter Moore at EA's press briefing, sure Bond is regretting this.

<embed src='http://videomedia.ign.com/ev/ev.swf' flashvars='object_ID=14354412&downloadURL=http://xbox360movies.ign.com/xbox360/video/article/988/988770/projectnatal_trl_e3_flvlowwide.flv&allownetworking="all%"' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='433' height='360'></embed><div style='width:433;'><a href='http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/143/14354412.html'>More Lionhead "Mylo" Project Info</a></div>
For those of yoou haven't seen Project Natal trailer.

[Angrist]

Thanks.

Great technology, I have to say.
But it's all about the games.

And no release date yet, right? They've just sent out development kits... The Xbox 4pi might as well be out before we get decent games.

Interesting tech though.

[Bond]

I think this is a pretty big research and development investment into the future. I doubt Microsoft is anticipating short-term returns.

[Angrist]

Yeah sounds like it. That's not a bad thing of course, I think Nintendo is doing that with DSi, Wii online, etc.

I really want to see more of this tech. The Milo thing was neat, but I wonder how advanced the AI can be. In any game. There's a reason we never talk about chatbots anymore.

[KillerGremlin]

http://i39.tinypic.com/sce3c5.jpg

Well that's a nifty little service.

STEAM did it first! thank heavens for the guys who invented steam...what a wonderful service that has become.

[Bond]

Okay, could we get a celebrity count at the conference?

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Felicia Day, Steven Spielberg.

Am I missing anyone?

[DarkMaster]

Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Lennon? If you count them.

So I'm guessing that Mass Effect 2 will be on the PS3 as well now? Seems like the only reason it wouldn't be shown at this conference. Not that I care, really.

[Bond]

It's possible, I suppose, but so far it is only for the 360 and PC.

[Bond]

High quality photos from the conference:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/majornelson/sets/72157619114287452/

[BreakABone]

Tony Hawk, Joel McHale, James Cameron, Pete Sampras.

[Angrist]

The conf started out pretty boring, with all that Beatles stuff. And all those guest appearances, what were they good for?

Gaah, was I the only one who thought the Modern Warfare 2 demo was incredibly boring?

I guess I just don't get Final Fantasy. There's this huge, awesome monster, and what do you do? You stand still, waiting your turn to attack. :unsure: I just want to grab my sword and run in.

Joy Ride, finally something that might provide a Mario Kart experience on Xbox.

Wait, Left 4 Dead 2 won't be out for PC????? Or when they said 'only on 360', they meant concoles only? That's lame.

Lol, did that Forza 3 guy really say '1 button driving'? PSTW!! :D
Movie maker option sounds nice, but how are we ever going to make something like the demo shown?

Am I the only one who thinks the camera is a bit scary? It can follow you through the room... When the girl was trying on a new dress, her trousers suddenly disappear and she has bare legs under the dress. Did she let the game scan her in underwear? And what if she wants to try on a bikini or underwear? :confused:

The ricochet game looks boring. Instead of waggle, it's just waving your arms and legs.
Hah, the painting guy walked off the stage as if he was really really ashamed of his painting (and his game).

I wonder if Natal can detect subtle movements, like twists of your hands. And at the price of $200, I wonder if we ever get big games that utilize it. It would be nice to have an adventure game that uses it, but will enough people buy the technology?

[Professor S]

Natal sounds great, if it works, and with stuff like motion detection thats a big if.

As for Steam... F&%K STEAM. If I lose my internet connection I can't play my goddamn game!

[Angrist]

Lol, that's not true. I've banned my internet for 4 months and I could still play Steam games.

[KillerGremlin]

Natal sounds great, if it works, and with stuff like motion detection thats a big if.

As for Steam... F&%K STEAM. If I lose my internet connection I can't play my goddamn game!


There's an offline mode so as long as you have it installed you can play any single player game offline....

I often buy hard copies because they are cheaper and then register them on STEAM so I can install them from wherever. The way I see it, STEAM can be the best of both worlds. And with deals like the Orange Box for 9.99...hard to dispute.

Don't see how any other online content system would be different or improved from STEAM. In fact I know STEAM is better than xbox360 because buying PC hard drive real estate doesn't cost ass raping amounts like the marked up 360 hard drives. (You can buy your own 120gig hard drive and format it for the 360 though).

[Professor S]

Hmmm, perhaps it's my own technological illiteracy. I tried to play Empire: TW offline one time and it wouldn't let me. I just don't like the idea of having to answer to someone every time I want to play a game, regardless if there is some setting that allows it.

[KillerGremlin]

Hmmm, perhaps it's my own technological illiteracy. I tried to play Empire: TW offline one time and it wouldn't let me. I just don't like the idea of having to answer to someone every time I want to play a game, regardless if there is some setting that allows it.

Hmmm...that's strange. I'm not denying your claim, it is possible that the game needs some form of online verification. =/

One major drawback to online content distribution is what happens if the online company fades away. People who bought DRM-encrypted MP3s from Walmart had to recode all their MP3s when Walmart changed stores. This is one major drawback with DRM/online distribution. What happens if Valve goes under? Or decides they don't want to fund the servers distributing a 10-year old game. It does indeed suck that you have to answer to someone if you want to play your game.

I've always been a huge fan of physical media. Having a physical copy means A) you physically own it and no one can tell you otherwise or take that away from you, B) you can resell it.

I know with games like Half-Life STEAM lets you play in offline mode. However it might lock you out if game is not updated. This was one complaint people had with Half-Life 2.

You basically do need an active Internet connection to update or play a lot of the games, and a broadband one at that. So I think physical media trumps online media for sure.

But I'd check on the web anyway, just in case. Seems odd that STEAM would lock you out of your single player game like that. That is what the offline mode is supposed to resolve.

Online distribution has its pros and cons. =/

[manasecret]

Project Natal looks amazing. That guy on GameTrailers Bonus Round brought up a good point about the problem of no controller -- assuming the accuracy is there, you can then incorporate any real life item into the game. It may still need buttons, but maybe it's so accurate it can see you pulling a trigger? And maybe it's accurate enough to pull off the Red Steel 2 type sword fighting with any ol' stick you have laying around.

I think something with buttons will probably be needed for many games. But that's old tech and can be easily added.

It's still early, and I think this will be more of a next-gen thing for Microsoft. But I am damn glad someone is giving Nintendo a run for their money. It cements motion control as a real-deal for the future, and it creates competition.

How awesome would a combination of the Wiimote and Natal be? :D

[Angrist]

A combination of all 3 technologies, that would be awesome.
Except Sony's is just an in-between mix of the 2 others. So yeah, you're right, a combo of Wiimote+ and Natal. :)

Oh and don't forget Nintendo's awesome finger scanner. Oh and the Virtual Boy. And power glove. :eek3:

[Jonbo298]

Natal sounds great, if it works, and with stuff like motion detection thats a big if.

Tech as "advanced" as what MS had shown off is definitely in its infancy. There's alot of room to grow with what MS had shown off instead of just a PSeye or the current Live camera, this has potential.

There will be flaws for sure. Hey You Pikachu! was one of the first console games (off top of head) to really try a hand at voice activation and it was severely limited but now we have games that you can talk words without needing to enunciate it or "train" it. Even that has room to go to hold real conversations but this seems to at least advance further to holding real conversations and not spouting 1-5 words and hoping it works.

[TheSlyMoogle]

Yeah this is getting into sci fi shit, where I wake up in the morning and my computer makes my coffee and helps me get dressed. Well not really, but it's starting to get there haha.

[Professor S]

Hello Dave... would you like to play a game?

http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/theframeup/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hal9000.jpg

[Angrist]

Hehe, I'm glad I saw 2001. Would you guys recommend 2010?

[KillerGremlin]

Hehe, I'm glad I saw 2001. Would you guys recommend 2010?

Maybe. The movies are based off of books I believe. I saw 2001 because I'm a huge Kubrick fan. He's one of my favorite directors. He didn't direct 2010 so I had no interest in the film. Maybe fans of the books would appreciate the movie more. I don't really know.

It got nominated for a few Oscars so I'm sure it's tolerable cinema.

If you phrased your question, "should I watch 2010 or Dr. Strangelove"...well...I shouldn't even have to justify that hypothetical question with a response. :D

[Bond]

New article over at cnet: How Microsoft stole the show at E3 (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10256539-17.html).

Results of their poll:

Which company had the most impressive E3 2009 announcements?
Microsoft 52.1%
Sony 33.9%
None of them--they were all yawners. 8.4%
Nintendo 5.6%
Total votes: 10853

[KillerGremlin]

New article over at cnet: How Microsoft stole the show at E3 (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10256539-17.html).

Results of their poll:

Which company had the most impressive E3 2009 announcements?
Microsoft 52.1%
Sony 33.9%
None of them--they were all yawners. 8.4%
Nintendo 5.6%
Total votes: 10853

I can't believe Nintendo got such low votes. I know it's cool to hate Nintendo (I'm very critical of Nintendo myself), but I thought Sony's 2-hour long and drawn out conference was less exciting than Nintendo's and way more predictable. I agree though the Nintendo conference sucked. Just slightly less than Sony's.

[Bond]

Here's an IGN poll with very similar results:

Who won this year's E3 press conference battle?

Microsoft - 1086
Sony - 485
NO ONE!! - 335
Nintendo - 109
Votes: 2015

Source: http://ve3d.ign.com/poll/257/E3-2009-Press-Conference-Winner

[KillerGremlin]

If so many people are unmoved by Nintendo why is the Wii destroying sales this generation. :ohreilly:

[Bond]

I don't think the people who are buying Wiis in droves are the same people who would watch an E3 press conference, let alone vote in an E3 poll. But, I could be wrong.

[manasecret]

That CNET guy is seriously drinking the Microsoft Kool-Aid.

Nintendo had a tough year at E3. It announced a new Super Mario Bros. title (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10254865-1.html) for the Wii (http://www.cnet.com/nintendo-wii.html). Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also coming to its console. But that's about it. Oh, and a pulse reader called the Wii Vitality Sensor (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10254524-1.html). Yeah, I don't get it, either.Well, he's either ignorant or willfully ignoring what they presented. I agree Nintendo's conference wasn't as big as I'd like, but leaving out a Project Ninja (EDIT: Oops, Team Ninja that is, I'm running the names together..) Metroid game is leaving out a lot. And a tough year at E3? A slew of WM+ games releasing within a month, pretty much all exclusive (one of his criteria for Microsoft's good year)? And the new game announcements for wildly popular franchises is a tough year? I know they're not Halo or MGS, but they're still just as popular, perhaps for a different crowd. It wasn't Nintendo's best year, but I wouldn't call it a tough one by a long shot.

Game downloads are the future. Exclusives help sell game consoles. And taking motion control to the next level is the right move for Microsoft.Game downloads are the present and have been for a few years for the PC, and I can tell you while it's the right step to be making, it's not like I feel like I'm in the future ("In the year, two thousaaaand!"). And much of the time getting a physical disc and manual for the same price is the better deal.

You can say what you want about Microsoft and its Xbox 360. But at this year's E3, it made the competition look foolish. And in the cutthroat business of video games, that's a major victory in and of itself.

Wake up, Nintendo and Sony. Microsoft has.Wow, "made the competition look foolish"? What is Nintendo supposed to wake up to? I guess he's saying that they should wait two years and then release their motion control like Microsoft?

I agree Microsoft is doing a lot of things right, downloadable games being a minor one, and great games. And Project Natal looks it has great potential. But until the potential is reaped with solid games, it's nothing more than potential.

[Angrist]

I haven't read the full article, so I can't really say much, but I agree with manasecret here. Microsoft had one big winner and that was Project Natal. The rest was all in the line of expectation.

But Natal is years away. Nintendo has awesome motion control coming out this month. They had it first. That their competition is copying them is a huge compliment and shows that they took the right gamble. And 50,000,000 says enough.

I don't see how Sony's conf is 'defeating' Nintendo's. I watched it, it had some nice games, but their PSP and motion control parts were very weak.

If I want to give them grades, it's something like this:
MS - 8.5
Nintendo - 6.5
Sony - 5.5

[BreakABone]

I agree with the votes, if I was going based solely on the press conference there is no doubt MS won hands down.

But people are looking at e3 in a bubble, Nintendo had no new tech to show because they launched with motion controls almost 3 years ago, the other two are playing catch-up.

Though, I would put Nintendo ahead of Sony. Sony had such odd pacing issues, and very few surprises. And a motion control that has a huge fundamental flaw in the no movement at the moment.

[Jonbo298]

I'd definitely put it too at Microsoft then Nintendo then Sony. Sony just...that damn "Anal Wand" demo felt like such a rushed effort to show a little "me too!". Ninty at least had a few decent surprises (2 mario games that I can't see doing bad considering how their predecessors were).

[Szymon]

They just give the Beatles credit for technology developed in their age? WTF?

[Angrist]

The whole Beatles thing was........ stupid. Redundant. A fluke. I don't know what a fluke is, but I think this is it.

It's not a 360-exclusive. Why fill 15 minutes with it? And the 2 Beatles on stage were boring. They didn't even know what to say...

Oh and I wonder if Tony Hawk would have wanted to come on stage if he knew that MS was going to own his stupid board with the Natal skateboarding demo. It made him look quite silly.