EPTWe begin the conference with Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEA). As with the other conferences, this is the time where the goal is presented to their fans and business partners. Their goal was to create an ecosystem of content and service that matched their heritage, a vision of a home entertainment system that is future proof and constantly evolving. Jack Tretton continued with a bold statement that, Sony's Playstation 3 is the only console that has something for every member of one's family. At Playstation, they not only focused on introducing great new games and hardware technology, consumers can enjoy nearly any form of entertainment experiences on the Playstation 3 and network. As you can clearly see, Sony has put a lot of on their plate, and we will see whether or not they can hold to their commitments and pledges.
Unlike Nintendo, where they first developed their game releases and then followed with their new device (the 3DS), Sony begins with the 3D experience. This portion of the conference was explained to us in detail by Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment & President of Sony's Networked Products and Services Group (now that is a mouthful). There are two tenets that they adhere to; the first is innovation, followed by content. In terms of structure of their conference, they seem to be quite stern and set to having a point-to-point discussion. Which is fine and quite in order. One thing people need to be wear of when it comes to Sony's conferences is that, they are very articulate with their language. The words you would commonly see in a commercial or advertisement is what you will hear from the developers and Presidents. So when we hear what they have to say, we should try not to be swayed merely by their swavay performance, but rather, by their content and introduction of their products. One important point made by Kazuo Hirai is that, every Playstation 3 will be compatible for 3D through a software upgrade. Which is good news since it means one less thing we would have to purchase. Such titles as Super Stardust HD, Pain, Motor Storm Pacific Rift, and Wipeout HD will all be downloadable to play in 3D. And by March 2011, there will be 20 titles released that will also be playable in 3D.
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After nearly 9 minutes of talking from Jack Tretton and Kazuo Hirai we get our first glimpse at a game that uses the 3D system. This title is one of Playstation 3's most popular and anticipated sequel for their lineup. The game that I will be mentioning in a few lines is introduced to us by Gorilla Games Managing Director, Hermen Hulst. As I have given ample hints to what the game is, I feel I should just simply say its name, Killzone 3. Herman Hulst illustrated (prior to the live game demo) that 3D is not an after-thought, it is not something that is added to the game after it is completed. But whether, it is conceptualized and integrated as in integral part of the game itself. It is adapted just like one would include sound, story, and animation. This reminds me of the current theme in movies. How there is the movie that was created with 3D in mind from the get-go (Avatar), and then there are pretty much every other movie that claims to be in 3D but it is no where near as polished as the former.
The demo began like something from a movie theater. The large screen was lowered, the lights dimmed, and the audience put on their 3D glasses (followed by applause). Right from the start, we get to see an incredible environment, an old-rusted metallic area that is covered with inches of snow. It should be noted that the demo is taking place in the fourth level. The players will be introduced to new weapons vehicles, and stages. In the demo, we get to see the enemy flying jet-packs that allow for the enemies to take to the sky. of course, they are not the only one's that will use them. As we get to see that the players will be able to use them as well to make long jumps (they remind me of Starcraft II's Terran unit called the Reaper). When damaged quite a bit, the screen turns black and white and the sound dulls down, it gives quite a surreal feel. There does not seem to be any dull moments and there is always something happening that brings you to the edge of your eat. The game looks amazing, the graphics are intense, and the explosions are well, action packed. The game will be coming to consumers February 2011, exclusively for the Playstation 3 (sadly not in time for the Holidays). Killzone 3 will also be fully compatible with Playstation move functionality at launch.
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Kazuo Hirai returns to us to list some of the games that will also be released that will be 3D compatible; Motor Sport Apocalypse, Killzone 3, The Sly Collection, and Gran Turismo 5. Other publishers in association with Playstation 3 will also be adding an assortment of 3D based games such as; Crysis 2, Mortal Kombat: Fatality, Shaun White SkateBoarding, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Tron Evolution, and NBA 2K11. The 3D with also be integrated with the Playsation Move for title such as; The Fight: Lights Out, EyePet, Tumble, and MLB 10: The Show.
Follow the light introduction to the games that will be available in 3D, Kazuo Hirai introduced one more 3D based video for the crowd to watch. In this video, it was shown that television, movies, and games will all be 3D and available for the Playstation 3. There were also gameplay and videos from the various titles that will also be in 3D, giving the crowd a chance to see what the games will be like when they play them in 3D. They were the games I mentioned in the previous paragraph (such as Killzone 3, Eyepet, and Crysis 2).
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Jack Tretton entered the stage once again and gave us a very important and quite relevant piece of information. As Jack Tretton put it, "it is no longer of how long you can be relevant in people's lives, but in how many ways you can be relevant in people's lives. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the playstation and the 10th anniversary of the Playstation 2. A very interesting (and oddly used) statistic is that, the Playstation 2 is the second most played console of last year. Which is something to be proud of but it is not a very good thing to say since it tells us that; 1) Playstation 2 is being played more then Playstation 3, and 2) That even though the Playstation 2 is being played more then the Playstation 3, it is still not first, either of them. If taken what was said in heinsight, it may not have been the best of things to say.
After a long discussion on what the Playstation network is being used for and various other comments that do not really matter too much, we move on to the Playstation Move. This was not the first it has been shown to the public, so it was not brand new in that respect. It was shown at the GDC three months ago. The point of interest, and the point that will be made that will be there platform against Microsoft is realism. to go into more details about the Playstation move, the stage was given to Peter Dille, Senior Vice Presidence of Marketing & Playstation Network. What makes the Playstation Move so unique is the combination of the playstation icamera and the move controller that give 1:1 motion control. To illustrate the point further, we were shown a video of interviews where the presidents of various gaming companies explain why the Playstation Move is so essential. As Kevin sarcastically mentions (as an insult toward Microsoft), "plus Playstation Moves crazy precise but also got what we int he future call buttons, which turn out to be pretty important for those handful of millions who enjoy playing shooters and platformers, anything that doesn't involve catching a big red ball". This is a trend in the conference, not so much trying to compete against Nintendo but instead, competing against Microsoft. One important note to make is that since the reveal at GDC, Playstation has accumoiated over 40 publishers and developers that will work with the Playstation Move. So now, we will move on to some new games and not games that has already been introduced. The first game that will be shown is called Sorcery.
Introduction to Sorcery is done by Christian Busic, Creative Designer from the Workshop. Sorcery is a third person action adventure game designed specifically for the Playstation Move. Sorcery is one of the highlights of the Sony Conference and been the talking point for one of the strength at this years E3. I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of Sony's conference. Sorcery looks to be the type of game people have wanted to play when it comes to using wands. The 1:1 motion ration allows for precision aiming and shooting of the wand. We are shown various abilities in the game that I will go into further later on. By flicking of the wrist, much like you would expect to do when using a wand, you can attack. The menu for selecting attacks is very simple and highly accessible. If you know which type of attack you desire, it will take but a second for you to select it. There will also be various potions for you to you. One potion shown is the polymorph rat potion, which allows you to transform into a rat so you may get to areas where normally you would not be able to. Before using the potion, you have to select it and shake it (with the motion controller) and it will glow when it is ready. You tilt your motion controller back as if you were to drink from it in real life. The skills you can choose are Arcane bolt 1 (which I assume will be upgradeable later on), Flame barrier, Frost Shard, Whirlwind, and Mending. The interface allows for to skills (for which we can consider is a quick bar) where you can select from the two. This is essential since in the game, you are allowed to mix spells. The whirlwind allows for us to make a whirlwind and control its movement. The fire barrier can be shot forward like a wave in the air, or shot on the ground to make a firewall. This is where Christian Buric illustrates the mixing of skills. With the fire on the ground, we can use whirlwind and create a whirlwind of fire. There is also a powerful effects skill where you charge it up in the air and bring it down, very powerful but costly. Sorcery will be out in Spring of 2011.
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The next installment that will give us a taste of the Playstation Move is the game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011. The live demo helps show us just how the game feels and what a 1:1 motion game and gulf looks like.. Unlike other games, there is much more detail to just how you hold the club. You can turn the club either face up or face down. It is very sensitive, you even have to lower yourself to even make contact. This will make playing the game to some degree, more difficult (while at the same time, more realistic). We will have to put more emphasis on being in control and concentrating. I wonder though, if there will be some sort of strap for the Playstation Move. We have all seen those youtube videos of someone throwing their Wii remote into a large plasma screen television (either real or not). This is a concern I have, especially for gulf. Since there is more realism to the game, you will have to put more effort into the swing. Which in consequence, gives us a higher possibility of it accidentally slipping.
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The next game that was shown to us is a Playstation Move exclusive, the culmination of many of Playstations most iconic figures. The game is called Heroes on the Move. These iconic characters are; Ratchet, Jak, Sly, Bentley, Clank, and Daxter. We did not really see too much of the game. We saw them all in action for a few seconds. The trailer was very short but it was not an enormous part of the conference. Later on in the year, we will undoubtedly hear more about the game. Would be nice to see what tools will be at our disposal with all the characters. There aren't any real nice pictures of the game so here is a link to the short trailer for the game: Heroes on the Move
Follow the game we get to hear from the one and only, Kevin Butler. There could not be a Sony conference without him. Something about him just makes you feel great to being a gamer. I will be commenting a few points of interest, portions that need to be mentioned. "Gaming is having a ridiculously huge tv in a tiny one bed apartment", "and its girls who knows the way to a mans heart is through a melee attack".
Now, for something a little different. Pricing
The Playstation Move Controller will be $49.99
The Playstation Move Navigation Controller will be $29.99
The Playstation Move Sports Champions Bundle will be $99.99 (Playstation eye, Sports champion, and Move controller).
Playstation 3 Sports Champions Move Bundle will be $399.99 (all the before mentioned bundle but including the Playstation 3)
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We can expect fifteen to twenty titles on day one and over forty titles during the holiday selling season for the Playstation Move. Such Franchises as Socom 4, Time Crisis: Raising Storm, NBA 2K11, Ruse, Killzone 3, Singstar + Dance, Echochrome ii, eyepet, and a variety of products that will support Playstation Move (through software upgrade) such as ToyStory 3, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Heavy Rain, Resident Evil Golden Edition.
Jack Tretton wanted to make it clear that they are not forgetting about the PsP so there is going to be a push toward making it even stronger. So they will be introducing Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Tron, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Toy Story 3, The Third Birthday. In total, there will be 70 new titles being introduced by December.
The next anticipated game to be shown on the floor is the Little Big Planet 2. There were ample types of games that we were shown. One was to test people's dexterity by pressing certain buttons that are shown. I must admit, I wouldn't mind trying it out. The next was a kart like sumo wrestling where you are in a version of bumper karts trying to knock people out. Finally, they showed us a single level where you try to shoot other users with rockets. I was very disappointed overall with this showing of the game. In concept, it was neat. But I do think they could have added a lot more to it. The videos of games being made in 24 hours were pretty entertaining, especially the hamster races. There was even an RTS version. But, I do not believe we were shown the level of awesomeness that is Little Big Planet 2. When we were shown the first teaser commercial for the game, it was amazingly done and very creative. It truly made you want to play, much like with the very first installment. Sadly, this was very rushed, the speaker was in a hurry, and it was not given the time or effort to really awe us. I hope this is not a taste of things to come with the game upon release, but we will see.
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We were introduced so the Playstation Network Plus. It is a paid subscription where users can get free content, themes, automatic downloads, and a wide range of downloads, such as free full length PsP games. It will be available for a year subscription of $49.99 and three month for $17.99. Also, for a limited time only, users will get three months subscription free.
We move to one of the very hyped up, and quite frankly, amazing looking game from EA. Medal of Honor (no subtitled title for it yet) will be the next installment for the franchise. The focus of this installment is the current war in Afghanistan. We are shown quite a few interesting pieces, but the game without a doubt looks amazing. We are shown an Apache helicopter and nighttime battles. We are not shown too much beyond that, for we do not even know the name of this installment. But one important aspect shown to us is that we were given a release day. October 12, 2010. On June 28th, EA will be releasing videos of the people who helped advise and create this game. We are shown one of the multiplayer maps for the game, beginning with a predator missile. We see an assortment of weapon, the M4 with rocket launcher, an rpg, sniper rifle, fully automated machine guns, and a few other guns. There will also be an exclusive limited edition for the Medal of Honor for Playstation which will include an HD version of Medal of Honor: Front Line series.
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Deadspace has had a great run. It was a very dark and eerie game that lead many gamers wanting more. Well, they now got their wish with the new Installment of Deadspace 2. This game continues to be as dark and frightful as the previous installment. Battling your way with your trusty suit and gun, but this time, fighting a new breed of monsters. There was also not a whole lot shown, just a brief video of a live demo. We are also given the chance to purchase the limited edition bundle (as with Medal of Honor) that includes Dead Space Extraction.
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Now, what came to follow would be in my opinion, my favorite of all releases for the Playstation 3. it is here, at the Sony Conference, that we were introduced to Portal 2. Yes, Portal 2 will be coming to the Playstation 3. We were given a short peek to the new installment to the game. The voice that follows sends shivers down my back as I recall the trials we all went through in beating the first Portal game. We will be given another chance to face those trials, with new obstacles, and new puzzles that will give us a run for our money. The game mechanics are the same, for the most part. With the addition of a few added mechanics and tools at our disposal. I am anxiously awaiting this game after playing the first one. I have no doubt in my mind that we will have a blast once again. The one disappointment I have had is that, there were no Half Life 2 chapter news or news on an all new Half Life installment.
The end of the conference nears, and with that, we are given many trailers so an assortment of games. One of the games is the new Final Fantasy installment, Final Fantasy XIV, an MMORPG. The world is large, the areas are stunning, and we are given a vast array of races. There is no doubt in my mind that when the game releases for the PC and PS3, there will be countless hours of fun with many layers to be at your side. Following that, we were shown Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, a short CGI of the multiplayer version. Although it is only a trailer and no gameplay, we are shown quite a bit. There will be a vast array of different characters with unique abilities for each of them. Some can create mirror images of themselves, others can appear to be something for which they are not, like a blond woman. Without a doubt, there will be many moments of rooftop chases and dangerous alleyways.
In the final stretch, Jack Tretton gives us a peek into the up and coming games that we all should look forward to.
Socom 4, Killzone 3, Medal of Honor, Dead Space 2, Mafia II, Madden 11, NBA 2k11, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Sports Champions, The Fight: Lights oujt, NCAA Football II, Eye Pet, Start the Party, Littler Big Planet 2, The Shoot, Echocrhome ii, Heroes on the Move, Gran Turismo 5, Mod Nation Racers, Motors storm Apocalypse, True Crime, Marval vs Capcom 3, Shooter 2, Morktal Kombat 2, Castvalnia, Dead Nation, Sorcery, DC Universe, The Sly Collection, Tron Evolution, Final Fantasy XIV, and Infamous 2.
Before it was over, we were given a last treat. A very interesting way to end the show. We watched as two cab driver chat, and one drives off after flicking his cigar. In the background, we begin to hear music coming from an Ice-cream truck. There has been only one Ice-cream truck that has ever struck as much fear and entertainment as the one from Twisted Metal. We are given a live demo of the newest Installment, Twisted Metal Nuke. In this new one, we are given fractions for which we choose. Two of the fractions we are shown are the Sweet Tooth, and the Dolls (inspired from Doll face). While watching what one of the goals is, I could not help but think of battlefield 2142. In the new Twisted Metal installment, we are to seek out the faction leader and bring them to a set of rockets. Once there, you must hold onto the leader until a set time period and then you throw them into well, the rockets which get sent off. You control the rockets midair while it flies, you must avoid enemy fire while trying to hit their giant mascot. This is similar to Battlefield 2142 in that, your goal is to go against time and launch from missile silos giant rockets toward the enemy spacecrafts in the air. The game looks very fast paced and as dark as ever. Some of the explosions and destruction looks very, last gen. And I feel that the controls may be very clunky and not as smooth as we would hope. Which is the same problem the past installments suffered from. I hope the controls have been done better and feel a lot better.
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My Verdict and Final Thoughts
Majority of my blog has been mostly about what was shown and just the facts of the conference. I have been told that I need to be more opinionated and make it my own. On the other hand, I know of some people who my previous blog has helped in terms of material, so I decided to do it this way. For the most part, I thoroughly enjoy Sony;s conference. I do think they were quite repetitive in their title selection, having mentioned the same titles over three times throughout the conference. I feel that, their time allocation was not well thought out. There was a lot of repetitiveness and I think if they did away with those portions, we could have had more time for releases such as Little Big Planet, Assassins Creed, and Dead Space 2. Of course, it is up to the publishers to choose just how much they will show, but I found that in many areas, it felt quite rushed. The problem I felt was that, Sony tried to shove in as much information as they could which ruined quite a few moments of it for myself. Since they had such a long time (compared to the other conferences), I think they were in a position to truly take advantage of it, but they went to the extreme.
As for the games, I am quite excited for the releases. There were not many surprises that truly shocked me, or that I had not already guessed or heard rumors of. A lot of what surprised me was some of the quality of the products, especially the graphics. For the games like Killzone 3, Dead Space 2, and Medal of Honor, they simply took my breath away. Where as Nintendo is entertainment for playing the games for fun, Sony is entertainment for the sheer shock value and movie like experiences. Just imagining playing those games with surround sound, a large television, and lights off, just makes me feel like a child again. You are not playing a game until your neighbor is banging on your door telling you to turn down the movie.
As for the Playstation Move. Now, this is a tough one. When I first glanced at the product, I had my doubts. It just seemed so, weird. But I must admit, I have grown to love the little guy. Something about it just seems right. I think what really blew my mind was the game Sorcery. Seeing how responsive it could be, and just how fluid playing it could be, I was in awe. It was something that I truly wished to get my hands on. I am not sure how I feel about the Sport Champion game. I think it acts more so like a game manual, teaching us how to use it and become accustomed to playing it in that manner. It shows of the possibilities and mechanics that can and probably will be added later to different games. I am excited, but at the same time, worried. I just hope that when I play it, it will feel seamless and quite intuitive. I do not expect to master it at first. But I want it to feel as if the games were built around the concept, and not simply added in as an after-thought (like with my opinion with 3D). I believe it has quite a lot of potential behind it, it just needs to be integrated well. the only problem I have is that, although it is true, 1:1 motion ratio is amazing. It does not do away with the fact that we are not holding the item. We cannot feel the gulf club in our hands. We cannot feel the weight of the gun, or the rotation of the swing. These are essential pieces that are problematic (but I do not see any remedies for it in the near future). The thing that bothers me is that, both Microsoft and Sony are fighting each other for the motion throne.
I think this is wrong. Although it is true, they both are working with motion technology. They are two different products. I think the two both of potential, but they are not one in the same. They are to some degree, apples and oranges. The dancing sort of games, I'd much rather play with the Kinect, while any game where you hold something like a sword or what, not, I'd rather use the Playstation Move Motion controller. I find that, overall. Looking at the larger picture, I would find myself using the Playstation move more so for games then with Microsoft's products. But, I think in terms of integration with music, movies, being able to control menus with your hands is quite amazing and would be nice to use in place of buttons. I think a mix of the two would be amazing, but I do not foresee that happening anytime soon.
As for the 3D, well I love the idea behind it. I love how it an look (if done properly). I think it would look amazing (especially for games such as Killzone 3). What worries me is what is happening with movies. The aspect of 3D is well, it is the new in thing. People advertise movies as if the only reason we are going to see the movie is because it is in 3D. And most of the time, it is not even true 3D. it is a movie that was turned into a 3D movie, which truly destroys it. I do not want to see every new game turning into a 3D experience. Some games it can be great, some not. Not every game needs it. And that is what i fear, that companies will try to jump on the bandwagon and turn games that really do not need to be in 3D into a 3D game. But people need to remember, having 3D is great and all. But we purchase games for their entertainment and fun value. Just because someone slabs a 3D label on it, does not necessarily mean we will play it. Another problem I foresee are the costs. yes, it has been said over and over, it will be costly. No one denies the fact that purchasing a new television that has 3D abilities will cost a chunk of money. Although, I do see the lighter side of it. It is like analog versus digital. At the time, they were expensive. And there were things coming out for digital that did cost more. But overtime, digital has become the norm. And I think in time, 3D capable televisions will become the norm. Of course, not everything will be in 3D. But they will have the ability to produce 3D images. We can see it with Blu-Ray as well. So yes, I do agree it is costly, and it is a hassle having to get a new television for the sake of using 3D games. But in time, it will not be so bad.
As for which of the conferences I enjoyed more. Well, that is a question that will have to wait to be answered. For I have one more conference to review, the Microsoft conference. if anyone has read through all of this, I thank you, and hope you enjoyed it. Also, if anyone liked this, I am glad. If a single person took something from this, I will be happy.
