So far, E3 has been nothing but a long list of disappointments. Microsoft has talked about their gimmicky new tracking hardware Kinect, and sampled all sorts of casual party games, dance simulators, and such. The only games they really talked about were sequels that we knew were coming, Gears of War 3 and Halo: version sixty-two (I’ve lost track at this point). Ubisoft talked about more Rayman and other lackluster titles. EA and Activision were more of the same. No one company was dropping any bombs. No huge announcements or titles, and a continual focus on the casual.
THIS is our future? Do not want.
With the new day comes a new opportunity. Nintendo opened wide their arms and let loose a healthy dosage of Reggie to heal the wounded masses. After so many disappointments and off-target conferences, Nintendo waltzed in and finally did it right. They talked about video games, and got us excited about their lineup, and they introduced a technology that gamers will actually want to use.
They kicked it off to a BIG start with the new Legend of Zelda game. Subtitled Skyward Sword, this is the Zelda title that uses Wii Motion Plus, which is exactly what gamers have been asking for since they introduced the technology. To demo the game, the grandfather of modern video games himself appeared in spectacular fashion. Shigeru Miyamoto picked up the Wii remote as the crowd erupted into applause.
Skyward Sword looks fun, and while the sword and shield in game mimic your real world movments, it didn’t seem perfectly accurate. The all too familiar inaccuracies that are experienced while playing Wii were still present, however, as some of Shigeru’s motions went un-noticed or were incorrectly interpreted by the hardware. Regardless, people were excited and happy to see it. In my opinion, this was the weakest point of Nintendo’s press conference. From the very beginning, all they could do is move up.
Shiggy and his familair grin showing the press how it's done
The next big announcement was the Goldeneye remake. The anxious crowd went absolutely nuts. Here was a game that all gamers in their mid to upper 20’s grew up playing, and had left a significant impact on their lives. The rumors were true, and the game looked fantastic. Visually, the graphics were sub-par, even for Wii, but the action was very reminiscent of Call of Duty-esque sequences and looked fantastic, while the multiplayer looks totally intact. The crowd was amped.
Nintendo just kept the ball rolling—a new 2D Kirby title with a fantastic new visual style by Masahiro Sakurai, a 2.5D Donkey Kong Country, gameplay footage of the highly anticipated Metroid: Other M by Team Ninja, and a Disney’s Epic Mickey gameplay demonstration by Warren Spector. Nintendo was pulling all the punches, and people were incredibly excited for everything they had to show. I could feel the vibe all around me—the press were excited for Nintendo and their lineup. They were all having fun.
Finally, there arised a pillar from the floor. Surrounded by smoke, Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata stepped out and picked up a small device—the new Nintendo 3DS. The mass of press went nuts. Cameras flashed, video rolled, cheers and claps rang out. Iwata talked some details of the new device, and then unleashed a video of the new Kid Icarus game for the 3DS. The crowd couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. At the event’s apex, the media was totally flipping out. Nintendo had clearly won.
Everyone in the theater was given a chance to try the new Zelda title, as well as catch a quick demo of the 3DS on units that were tethered to stunning beauties. As you played, she would strike conversation with you and talk a little bit about the unit. I couldn’t help it, but despite the tall blonde standing a foot away from me, I couldn’t take my eyes off the incredible stereo display of the 3DS. I was able to rotate a camera in 3D space and see as the image dished out the goods in honest-to-goodness stereoscopic 3D. No glasses, no gimmicks, just incredible 3D tech. I was blown away.
When it was over I stood up and shouted to my colleagues—”THIS is how you do it! Don’t waste our time with useless technology demos, get us excited about video games!”
Nintendo made us all feel like kids again and rekindle our excitement for video games, which is truly the perfect plan. It is why we’re here, after all.
Articles RSS