The Video Game Spectrum presents E3 2008: Microsoft Press Conference, by Will (Editorial Manager) and Don (Xbox 360 Editor).
Xbox 360 penned as the home to the “biggest blockbusters.” Blockusters, he claims, include such titles as Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo 3, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, and Assassins Creed. Don Mattrick claims that the Xbox 360 can “deliver to everyone.” He cites such titles like Uno, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Scene It!
Don Mattrick states that Microsoft is all about creating a brand new experience and he states upcoming titles such as Fallout 3, Resident Evil 5, Fable 2, and Gears of War 2 will be shown this morning.
Fallout 3 Gameplay Demonstration
Presented by Todd Howard, Bethseda Game Studios
-Fallout 3 Trailer is displayed which is half a trailer, meaning the whole trailer will be online later on today.
-The setting of the game is in post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. and will feature switchable first-person and third person view mode.
-Pip Boy 3000 is brought up to demonstrate the various features such as abilities, weapons, and radios that can be used in-game.
-VAT (Vault Tech Assisted Targeting System) is used to queue up attacks on various body parts exploring the RPG elements of the game.
-Fallout 3 offers over 100 hours of gameplay and exploration and notes that you can even get to the top of the Washington monument.
-Todd states “This is a game that reacts to how you play it.” You can be good, bad, or “anything in-between” demonstrating the game will invite players to make their own choices and consequences.
-FATMAN, a mini nuclear bomb catapult is demonstrated in conjunction with VAT in order to line up and target the enemies.
-Fallout 3 DLC (Downloadable Content) will be available exclusively to Xbox 360 and Games for Windows.
Resident Evil 5 Gameplay Demonstration
Presented by Jun Takeuchi, Producer of Resident Evil 5, Capcom
-Game demonstration takes place in Africa, Chris Redfield is investigating a bioterror incident in Africa.
-Resident Evil 5 will feature online co-op introducting a new playable character and partner to Chris, Sheva.
-Co-op gameplay is demonstrated with action timed commands utilizing button presses, as well as teamwork displayed with Sheva blasting enemies while Chris snipes from a distance. Co-op will be very integral to overcoming obstacles and challenges in the game.
-A new variation of the chainsaw enemies from Resident Evil 4 is introduced and will require teamwork through co-op. And just as we get to the fight, the demo ends.
Fable 2
Presented by Peter Moleneux, Lionhead Studios
Peter Molyneux, creator of the Fable franchise confirmed today that, “Fable II is finished. This is an RPG that demonstrates invention and creativity. ”
“I don’t believe in going out and saying: ‘we’re going to create quite a good game.’ I believe that what we’re doing, with Fable 2, is thinking, right we’ve got to address all those things we did slightly wrong on Fable 1; we’ve got to make a bigger, better story, it’s got to be an amazing world,” Molyneux explained. “One of the main things is we’ve got to make this game jaw-droppingly beautiful. Sometimes darkly beautiful; beauty doesn’t only mean green fields, but just stunningly beautiful. I came away from E3 just sick of seeing gunmetal shiny things and sewers.”
In the game you start off as a child, both genders available, and throughout the game it shows how uniquely your character grows from a child to a full grown human being, with a dog as your companion throught intelligent AI.
In this game, it brings co-op play over Xbox Live, ambient and extremely detailed worlds, and with the press of a button on the controller, integrate others into the story immediately.
Fable II doesn’t have an exact release date, but we’re expecting to see released in October of 2008.
Gears of War 2
Presented by Cliff Bleszinski, Design Director for Epic Games
Gears Of War 2 has been the most anticipated title for the Xbox 360 ever since the sales of the first one were some of the best in the industry. Cliff Bleszinski, design director of Epic Games gives us more on the game.
The locust are back and are sinking entire cities with emergence holes, the scenario shown is the humans demoing a level with so they can tunnel underground and fight back against the locust to reclaim the planet Earth.
The singleplayer has many new features and weapons, such as Horder five player co-op, taking a dead locust hostage, new curb stomps, new chainsaw fatalities, flamethrower, gattling gun, and much more! Not to mention that most of these features are in the multiplayer aspect as well.
Re-Emergence day: November 7, 2008
Gaming is the Biggest Medium in Entertainment
An estimated $48 billion dollars are spend on video games. Video games are far bigger than the box office, DVD movies, and music.
The Xbox 360 is fueling this growth. The hardware sales are 10.3 million in comparison to 10.2 million of Nintendo Wii and the 5 million+ of Playstation 3. Third party game sale revenue is outselling the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 combined. Don Mattrick completes his statistical run by stating. “I’m willing to declare here today that Xbox 360 will sell more consoles worldwide this generation than PS3.”
Xbox Live and Its Future
There are over 12 million Xbox Live members currently, a jump from 6 million from last year. One billion dollars spent on Xbox Live since November 2005. Since then, 500 million pieces of content have been purchased. Content wise, Xbox Live boasts over 10,000+ movies and television shows.
Today, Xbox Live presents two new partners, one from the television and one from the movie medium that will be delivering content online. They are NBC and Universal. For movie content, Renown Studios, MGM, and Constantin Studios will be coming to the Xbox Live Video Library .
Innovating Through Software; The New Xbox Live Dashboard, Avatars, and Live Party
Presented by John Schappert, head of Live, software, and services.
-The Xbox 360 was designed for continuous innovation that includes social experiences. The Xbox 360 will be “completely reinvented through software” And now the Xbox Live Dashboard boost up a system update and a new look is revealed.
-Menu items are through the My Xbox Channel which includes instant access through everything on the console.
-The familiar gamercard is shown with one new addition, avatars. Avatars include “Tons of hairstyles, clothes and accessories to choose from.” Avatars will be integrated into games now and it will be “all over the place” and “on websites.”
-The new Community Channel lists avatars on a horizontal-like plain and includes a new “Live Party” feature where players will be able to do things in real-time such as having a photosharing party.
-This new “Live Party” will be utilized in Xbox Live Primetime, in partnership with Endemol to bring game shows (1 vs. 100) to Xbox Live. These game shows will be run through a live host and is driven by avatars. And yes, you will win real prizes.
-The Games Channel has recieved an overhaul to accomidate the avatar and live party chage. One game demonstrated was the Uno Rush game, in which the party leader can instantly launch the game for everybody to play.
Xbox Live Arcade and Community Games
-Geometry Wars 2: Retro Evolved from Bizzare Creations and Activision. Coming next month.
-Galaga Legions from NamcoBandai. Coming next month as well.
-A special guest speaker, GLADoS, announces to the audience that Portal Still Alive will be a 2008 exclusive to the Xbox 360 this Fall with new levels and achievements.
-And last, a South Park project that wasn’t develved upon further.
-Community games are set to be released along with the dashboard update in Autumn which will include the first title Colosseum, Hot Potato Online, and Word Soup.
-An exclusive partnership is announced with Netflix allowing Netflix subscribers who own Xbox Live the ability to watch movies online via the instant-queue as well as the ability to share movies to your Live Party.
The Live Experience
Shane Kim, Corporate vice president of Microsoft Gaming Studios had many things to announce at today’s Microsoft Press Conference.
Today exclusive Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content for the Xbox 360 was discussed, saying that in early 2009 a slueh of new episodes and alternate endings would be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.
He also discussed Rare’s top two titles: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise.
They didn’t release any news on Banjo Kazooie, but a new trailer was shown of gameplay aspects.
Viva Pinata is bringing a new feature where you can scan cards of Viva Pinata characters onto your Xbox Live Vision camera, and the pinata will appear on your profile in the game.
Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise will be available this holiday.
Scene It! Box Office Smash, developed by Krome Studios showed many new features that come with the game. The game is enhanced through Xbox Live through Avatars and Parties. Using the vision camera can put you into the movies. It also comes with a Director’s Mode, where you can control and make edits. Don’t fret if you don’t have a Vision Camera, because one is going to ship with the game for full experience.
3.5 million songs are downloaded every month, in which 80% of all songs are across all platforms. If you haven’t guessing it’s another Guitar Hero, Activision/Red Octane.
Kai Huang, President and founder of Red Octane, displayed the wireless drum kit with cymbals and the touch-slide guitar. This game is going to feature 85+ Master Tracks, the most we’ve seen from Music gaming. The Guitar Hero Tunes will premiere online distribution platform. Guitar Hero World Tour DLC REM Track Pack, where three songs will be featured from Van Halen, Metallica, and the Eagles, only exclusive to Guitar Hero. This will be the first game to let you plug in your Zune/iPod and lets you sing songs from there. Wireless microphones are also motion sensitive.
Alex Rigopulos, President and CEO of Harmonix and head designer of Rock Band 2.
In this game you’ll see many favorites that weren’t featured in the first such as Axel Rose, Bob Dylan, AC/DC will be appearing exclusively with one of their singles, Let There Be Rock.
The game is going to have forward compatibility, so you’ll be able to export all of the Rock Band 2 tracks from the original Rock Band. An estimate of 500 songs will be available for Rock Band 2 by Holiday of 2008.
Square-Enix and the Turn of Events
The President of Square-Enix, Yoichi Wada takes the stage to present the Square-Enix line for the Xbox 360. He states that he has a strong partnership with Microsoft and hopes to “provide a new generation of entertainment for the gaming communities of North America, Japan, and Europe.”
With this he announces three major titles that were revealed in June that include Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant, and Star Ocean The Last Hope.
Infinite Undiscovery is being developed by Tri-Ace and reiterates that it will be the first under the Square-Enix publishing name to be on the Xbox 360 as an exclusive only title. It will be released in North America on September 2nd, Europe on September 5th, and Japan and Asia on September 11th.
In addition, Tri-Ace is developing the next iteration of Star Ocean The Last Hope which will be coming to the Xbox 360 in the Spring of 2009. Currently the Star Ocean franchise has sold 2.8 million units worldwide.
The Last Remnant will arrive to the Xbox 360 first this holiday as a timed exclusive. The release date is set for November 20, 2008. The Last Remnant will be coming to the Games for Windows platform and available for PC gamers to play, release date is tentative for the PC.
And last, Don Mattrick is back on the stage to close the conference, however Yoichi Wada has one more announcement to state. And it regards a trailer…
The trailer has ended and the game will be available on Xbox 360 in North America and Europe. The game name is FINAL FANTASY XIII.
Yoichi Wada remarks upon this announcement by stating “At long last, the day we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. It gives me great pleasure to unveil this to you today.” He states that by bringing FFXIII to the 360 will “allow us to provide the game to even more fans in the two regions of North America and Europe, and we’re currently working hard on its development.”
Don Mattrick thanks Yoichi Wada for his “continued support” and states that “Final Fantasy XIII is an astonishing addition to our growing array of RPG titles.” He ends the conference by saying “Final Fantasy joins a long list of former PlayStation franchises finding a new home on Xbox 360…Thank you all for coming.”
