Not surprisingly, Yahtzee was not amused by almost anything at E3. I can understand that; there were a lot of promises made which have yet to be followed through on (probably some never will) and a lot of rehashing of old stuff that was never particularly original to begin with. It was a fun show and I look forward to a lot of the games we saw demoed, but I have to share his perspective on a lot of this stuff, although I may just give Final Fantasy XIV a try.

Sure Shigeru Miyamoto is a god in the pantheon of game manufacturers but he’s always up for a little competition. Look at how he’s eyeing the PSP Go. He looks like he’s thinking about buying one.

Or maybe he wants to go work for Sony. Naw…

We’re live at Konami’s press conference at E3 in Los Angeles…

• 6:15 PM: Doug Aamoth Just a moment and we’ll be underway…
• 6:19 PM: ThePeterHa And here we go.
• 6:19 PM: ThePeterHa I’d like to say that T-Mobile’s network stinks.
• 6:20 PM: ThePeterHa Konami promises that we won’t leave this press conference disappointed.
• 6:20 PM: ThePeterHa
• 6:21 PM: ThePeterHa Sony is adding MGS 4 to their list of greatest hits on June 16th
• 6:21 PM: ThePeterHa I think that’s what the Konami exec just said.
• 6:22 PM: Doug Aamoth
• 6:22 PM: ThePeterHa Something from Kojima is coming
• 6:22 PM: ThePeterHa Looks like the Raiden teaser we’ve all been seeing.
• 6:22 PM: ThePeterHa Hideo Kojima is now on stage
• 6:22 PM: ThePeterHa Oh boy
• 6:23 PM: ThePeterHa Kojima is talking about the economic recession and swine flu
• 6:23 PM: Doug Aamoth Metal Gear: Swine Flu?
• 6:23 PM: ThePeterHa Four new titles from Kojima
• 6:24 PM: ThePeterHa Metal Gear Arcade!
• 6:24 PM: ThePeterHa Coin ops MGS!
• 6:25 PM: ThePeterHa
• 6:25 PM: ThePeterHa Special goggles will be worn for 3D gaming
• 6:26 PM: ThePeterHa Kojima is aiming to launch in Japan this year
• 6:27 PM: ThePeterHa The second title is….
• 6:27 PM: ThePeterHa
• 6:27 PM: ThePeterHa Trailer first
• 6:27 PM: ThePeterHa “Nuclear deterrants”
• 6:27 PM: ThePeterHa “Cuban missile crisis”
• 6:27 PM: ThePeterHa 1974 in Costa Rica
• 6:28 PM: ThePeterHa Now we’re in Colombia
• 6:29 PM: ThePeterHa “The Legendary Missing Link” in the Metal Gear Saga
• 6:29 PM: ThePeterHa “Outer Heavens”
• 6:30 PM: ThePeterHa Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
• 6:30 PM: ThePeterHa coming in 2010
• 6:31 PM: ThePeterHa Snake is back on the PSP
• 6:31 PM: ThePeterHa But we already knew that
• 6:32 PM: ThePeterHa
• 6:32 PM: ThePeterHa Naked Snake is back with clones (at least that’s what was in the video), takes place 10 years after MGS3.
• 6:32 PM: ThePeterHa Kojima has taken full control of the project
• 6:33 PM: ThePeterHa
• 6:33 PM: ThePeterHa The team from MGS4 is currently working on MGS: Peace Walker for the PSP.
• 6:33 PM: ThePeterHa The next trailer is…
• 6:34 PM: ThePeterHa What we saw during the Xbox 360 press conference
• 6:34 PM: ThePeterHa Rising
• 6:34 PM: ThePeterHa For PS3 and Xbox 360
• 6:35 PM: ThePeterHa This title is for the next gen consoles as the next series for MGS
• 6:36 PM: ThePeterHa Kojima is creating Rising in the style of the NA and European studios
• 6:36 PM: ThePeterHa Rising is being built by the “young bloods” at Kojima Productions
• 6:36 PM: ThePeterHa Rising is also coming to PC
• 6:36 PM: ThePeterHa Here comes a surprise
• 6:37 PM: ThePeterHa The mask that was on the Kojima site is now being revealed
• 6:37 PM: ThePeterHa Patrick Stewart voice over
• 6:37 PM: ThePeterHa Robert Carlyle
• 6:38 PM: ThePeterHa Jason Isaacs
• 6:38 PM: ThePeterHa Castlevania, I think
• 6:38 PM: ThePeterHa Natasha McElhone
• 6:38 PM: ThePeterHa Gabriel is battling all manner of beasts
• 6:38 PM: ThePeterHa including giant werewolfs
• 6:39 PM: ThePeterHa huge spiders
• 6:39 PM: ThePeterHa a giant ice creature
• 6:39 PM: ThePeterHa Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
• 6:39 PM: ThePeterHa 2010
• 6:40 PM: ThePeterHa “2010 reborn”
• 6:41 PM: ThePeterHa This particular Castlevania title will be like nothing we’ve seen before
• 6:42 PM: ThePeterHa
• 6:42 PM: ThePeterHa Spanish dev mercurysteam is working with Kojima Productions on this upcoming Castlevania title
• 6:42 PM: ThePeterHa Xbox 360 and PS3
• 6:43 PM: ThePeterHa
• 6:44 PM: ThePeterHa Dave Cox from Konami Europe is heading up the project
• 6:44 PM: ThePeterHa Kojima has full faith that Cox will deliver
• 6:44 PM: ThePeterHa Sounds like there will be multiple Castlevania titles from Dave Cox and mercurystream
• 6:44 PM: ThePeterHa *mercurysteam
• 6:46 PM: ThePeterHa “Forget what you know about Castlevania…this game will deliver on what you’d expect from a next gen console Castlevania”
• 6:46 PM: ThePeterHa Kojima intentionally added lots of stormy images and lightning on his site because that’s the current state of our world
• 6:46 PM: ThePeterHa “We’re in an era of economical crisis and as entertainers we’re here to clear up the storm”
• 6:47 PM: ThePeterHa That’s it for Kojima
• 6:47 PM: ThePeterHa Trailer for the Saw game
• 6:47 PM: ThePeterHa Doesn’t appear to be anything new since the title has been on the show floor
• 6:48 PM: ThePeterHa Bell is here
• 6:52 PM: ThePeterHa He’s creepy in person as well
• 6:52 PM: ThePeterHa Not just as Billy or Jigsaw
• 6:52 PM: ThePeterHa Bell has been working closely with the folks at Konami to create a perfect addition to the Saw franchise
• 6:53 PM: ThePeterHa He’s thanking all the folks involved with Saw
• 6:53 PM: ThePeterHa Fun fact: I’ve never seen any of the six Saw movies
• 6:54 PM: ThePeterHa or however many there have been
• 6:55 PM: ThePeterHa Saw the game is coming out in October
• 6:56 PM: ThePeterHa John Williamson, the producer of the Saw game is now on stage discussing the game
• 6:56 PM: ThePeterHa The reverse bear trap, which was showcased in the first movie is the first contraption in the game
• 6:56 PM: ThePeterHa “Every room and every hallway will have clues”
• 6:57 PM: ThePeterHa Mini games are abundant and allow you to progress through the game
• 6:58 PM: ThePeterHa Throughout the game you’ll encounter characters from previous Saw movies
• 6:58 PM: ThePeterHa Xbox 360, Ps3 and downloadable for the PC
• 6:58 PM: ThePeterHa Karaoke Revolution is up net
• 6:58 PM: ThePeterHa *next
• 6:58 PM: ThePeterHa I think we’re about done with Konami
• 6:59 PM: ThePeterHa ROFL
• 7:00 PM: ThePeterHa Looks like my text is being delayed
• 7:00 PM: ThePeterHa Saw will be on the Xbox 360, PS3 and downloadable for the PC
• 7:00 PM: ThePeterHa Karaoke Revolution will be available for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii
• 7:00 PM: ThePeterHa A robust selection of 50 remastered tracks
• 7:01 PM: ThePeterHa Like those from Pat Benatar and Lady Gaga
• 7:01 PM: ThePeterHa Customizable avatars
• 7:01 PM: ThePeterHa “lavish stages, like a rockabilly themed stage”
• 7:01 PM: ThePeterHa oh jeez
• 7:02 PM: ThePeterHa “hardcore social gamers” can play with up to 16 players
• 7:02 PM: ThePeterHa “highly anticipated release”
• 7:02 PM: ThePeterHa No thanks, buddy.
• 7:02 PM: ThePeterHa DanceDance Revolution
• 7:03 PM: ThePeterHa Too bad I’m stuck in the middle of my row or I’d bail right now
• 7:04 PM: ThePeterHa My BioShock 2 demo awaits!
• 7:04 PM: ThePeterHa DDR will blow our minds, people!
• 7:06 PM: ThePeterHa Oh yay
• 7:06 PM: ThePeterHa You can use the balance board in DDR for the Wii
• 7:07 PM: ThePeterHa OMG
• 7:07 PM: ThePeterHa get me out of here
• 7:08 PM: ThePeterHa Mr. DDR Producer please stop dancing
• 7:08 PM: ThePeterHa enough with the hip thrusts
• 7:09 PM: ThePeterHa Even his translator is mimicking his movements
• 7:10 PM: ThePeterHa and he’s not even on a balance board

See:

I don’t hold it against him, though. Maybe he was thinking of RC Pro Am or something. They need to have more tournaments with games like that, instead of dirty Counter-Strike and that sort of thing. We’ll see what we can do about getting a pair of those headphones to review, they sound cool.

Of course, I fall down a couple holes, but that’s expected. Notice Peter gets ansy a little way into his camera time and starts meandering around looking at girls. I guess I did too later… I shall return, blond one with an accent.

By the way, for the record that’s the game getting all blurry, not my camera.

The sword controls are more “gesture” than “one to one,” which was how it was (probably mistakenly) described to us earlier. I talked with Lead Game Designer Roman Campos Oriola for a few minutes about the game and his ambitions. He said that early on the idea of a 1:1 control scheme had to go out the window, as much as he wanted to please the swordplay nuts (himself, if his laugh was any indication). Still, he felt (and I agree) that the current scheme is workable and fun, and you do get the feeling that you’re swinging the sword, even though it’s pretty exaggerated . One enjoyable thing was that you really have to swing the sucker to get a solid “strong” hit in, so if you’re a flicker like the guy in front of me, you’ll need to adjust your style somewhat.

So what do we make of Final Fantasy XIV? The game, which will be an MMO à la Final Fantasy XI, was announced at some point during Sony’s 18-and-a-half hour press conference at E3. The trailer is available online, but I haven’t yet figured out a way to grab it and put it here. Oh, well.

I think the main issue people are having is this: where is Final Fantasy XIII? How about Square Enix release that game before it goes and announces the next one?

And unless Final Fantasy XIV is demonstrably better than Final Fantasy XI, to say nothing of that pesky game called World of Warcraft, I can’t see too many old school RPG fans giving it much of a chance. That was literally my reaction: “Oh, it’s online? Never mind then.”

To Square Enix’s credit, the game is scheduled for a worldwide simultaneous release sometime in 2010. Komoto, the director of Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy XI, will direct the game. And Akihiko Yoshida, of Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII fame, is in charge of art direction.

While the call of the open E3 show floor left us with nobody in an actual seat at Sony’s two-hour-long press conference, we have eyes and ears everywhere. Everywhere.

Here are some highlights from Sony’s presentation.

Jack Tretton —  President and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America

• 364 games coming out on PlayStation platforms this year
• “In 2009, if you want to have the ultimate gaming experience, you need a PlayStation.”
• Committed to PlayStation 2 as long as consumers see value in it
• 100 new titles for the PS2 this year
• What consumers really care about: great games
• 35 exclusive PlayStation titles in 2009

Evan Wells — Co-president, Naughty Dog

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves “sets the new gold standard in limit-pushing”
• Multiplayer beta launches at midnight tonight
• Gameplay demo shown: graphics look great; think Gears of War meets Far Cry.

Andy Bowdoin — Zipper Interactive

• Live 256-player MAG multiplayer first person shooter battle shown — wow, that’s a lot of people. Controlled mayhem.
• Game debuts on PS3 this fall

PlayStation Portable

• Looking to expand into tween market
• Hannah Montana bundle with lilac-colored PSP this July
• Content from Disney and Nickelodeon

Kaz Hirai — President, Networked Products & Services Group; President & CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment

• Officially announces PSP Go
• Two names for the device: The PSP Go, and “The worst-kept secret of E3″
• PSP Go will NOT replace the PSP-3000
• More than 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the original PSP-1000
• Downloads from PlayStation Network via Wi-Fi
• New PC application for PlayStation Store called “Media Go”
• New PSP application called “Sense Me” for building smart music playlists
• PSP developer toolkit price will be reduced by 80%
• All services, features, and functions will work on PSP Go and PSP-3000
• PSP Go for $249 on October 1st in North America and Europe
• Video delivery service now available natively on the PSP — direct downloads, etc.
• New content from Showtime, E!, G4, HDNet, UFC, Magnolia, and more.

Kazunouri Yamauchi — Polyphony Digital

• Announces Gran Tourismo PSP
• Full-scale, runs at 60fps on PSP Go
• 800 cars, 35 tracks, 60 track layout variations
• Not a shrunken-down version of the series
• Ad-hoc multiplayer (up to four nearby players)
• Trade and share cars with other players, cooperative car unlocking
• Video shown: graphics look amazing

Hideo Kojima — Kojima Productions

• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker announced for PSP
• Setting is ten years after MGS 3, in the 1970’s, so it’s a true sequel
• Kojima will be “deeply involved” as will the team of MGS 4, so it’s not a spin-off
• Set in Costa Rica

Jack Tretton

• Resident Evil coming to PSP next year
• Coming to PSP this year: Little Big Planet, Socom, Monster Hunter, Hannah Montana, Harry Potter
• Adding 50 PS1 titles to PlayStation store, Final Fantasy 7 added today
• PlayStation Home has 6.5 million people worldwide, with 85% return users — looking to add more content from partners (EA, Ubisoft, etc.)
• New PS3 exclusive from Rockstar: Agent set in the late 1970’s. Cross the globe, espionage, assassins, etc.

Ubisoft

• Demo for Assassin’s Creed II shown
• Gameplay looks good, similar to the first game
• Set in the Renaissance period, uses Leonardo Da Vinci’s inventions; a flying machine in some parts — kind of like a hang glider, etc.
• Over 30 different weapons in the final game, six additional weapons if you play the game on PSP and connect it to your PS3
• On store shelves by the holidays

Square Enix

• Video of Final Fantasy XIII shown, looks amazing
• Coming in 2010
• Video of Final Fantasy XIV Online shown. PlayStation exclusive in 2010. “A new online epic begins.”

Motion Contoller

• Working to create a much more realistic experience
• Pulls out what looks like a black Wii-mote with a glowing ball on the end of it
• Glowing ball is tracked by PlayStation Eye, true 1:1 tracking
• If you pick up a virtual tennis racket, you’ll see yourself onscreen, EyeToy-style, holding a tennis racket.
• In a first person shooter, you can actually move around the room and your on-screen character will move where you move in 3D
• Drawing, painting, etc. tracked with sub-millimeter accuracy
• Looks like a souped-up version of the Wii
• Still an engineer’s prototype, launches spring 2010

Little Big Planet

• Costumes coming from Disney — Jack Sparrow, etc.

ModNation Racers

• Kart racing: create and modify cars, characters, and tracks
• “Unlimited number of combinations”
• Gameplay looks like Mario Kart with PS3-level graphics
• Track editor looks pretty simple: drive out the track in front of you using driving controls and then lift terrain, spray dirt, add trees, etc. Sort of like SimCity 3000.

The Last Guardian

• Looks like The Neverending Story set in ancient Greece: a kid rides a giant flying chicken-cat around
• Graphics and animation look stunning — superb lighting and shadows
• Exclusive to PS3

Gran Tourismo 5

• I can’t tell if I’m watching HDTV or a video game, so that’s probably a good sign
• Exclusive to PS3

God of War 3

• Graphics look good, pretty gory. Dude ripped out a minotaur’s intestines. Lots of blood. Stabbed some horned beast in the eye with its own horn after ripping it off its head.

Jack Tretton

• “This will be the biggest year in PlayStation history.”

We’re skimp on details until we hit the Nyko booth, but we have images of Nyko’s upcoming accessories for this year. They all seem to be pretty straightforward. So without further ado, I present to you the DSi Zoom Case, PSP Charge Grip Flex, and the Wii Type Pad Pro. There’s the Speakercom 360, but there aren’t any images of it yet. No release dates or prices have been announced, but we’re told that they are coming out this year.

We’re live at Nintendo’s press conference at E3 in Los Angeles…

• 10:50 AM: Doug Aamoth Conference starts at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern. Stay tuned for live updates…
• 12:03 PM: Doug Aamoth and away we go…
• 12:04 PM: Doug Aamoth various shots being shown of people playing Wii bowling, DS(i), etc.
• 12:04 PM: Doug Aamoth “Every generation, the game in everyone, everyone’s game — Nintendo”
• 12:04 PM: Doug Aamoth Cammie Dunaway takes the stage
• 12:05 PM: Doug Aamoth everyone here at E3 has one thing in common — a professional connection to video games
• 12:05 PM: Doug Aamoth how are we trending?
• 12:05 PM: Doug Aamoth last year video games were just as big as home video, toys, and music + movie box office put together
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth video games are different now
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth maybe you’ve noticed a woman on the plane playing the DS, or your uncle asking you for tips
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth it’s now “everyone’s game”
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo’s goal: create, surprise
• 12:07 PM: Doug Aamoth today we will bring you innovation in the next leap forward in game control and surprises in games where you may have thought there was no surprise left
• 12:07 PM: Doug Aamoth video playing showing old NES, Super NES, footage
• 12:07 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth Everyone remembers Mario in 3D
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth we admit we haven’t quite figured out how to move Mario into the fourth dimension
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth but the number four is the key to Mario’s next adventure
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth Myamoto is working on new Super Mario Bros for Wii
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth all new
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth more players
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth four people holding Wii-motes take the stage
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth simple play control
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth one to four players, item boxes generally produce one item for each player
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth looks like a sidescroller, like Mario 1 or 3
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth seriously, looks like Mario 1 with Wii graphics
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth warp pipes, coins, etc.
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth players are holding Wii-mote sideways
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth like old school NES controller
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth you can play single player or co-op with up to four players
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth new item: propeller suit
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth shake Wii-mote to go up in the air
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth screen zooms out if players spread out
• 12:12 PM: Doug Aamoth propeller suit makes players look like Teletubbies
• 12:12 PM: Doug Aamoth flagpole at end of levels
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth launches holiday 2009
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth “New Super Mario Bros. Wii”
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth seriously looks like four-player Super Mario 1 for the NES
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth now onto the Wii Balance Board, Wii Fit
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Fit best selling fitness game in the world
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth 15 million Balance Boards sold
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth looking at ways to make Wii fit more attractive to household
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Fit Plus
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth next version moves in added direction from “something for everyone”
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth main menu, you enter Locker Room
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth six new strength and yoga activities
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth key is how you mix and match individual elements
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth can omit interludes between exercises so your routine can move fluidly
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth (thank god)
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth looks more like an extension to Wii Fit, not an entirely new game
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth 15 new balance games
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth juggling, skateboarding, one called “perfect ten”
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth swing hips between numbered balls to equal “10″
• 12:17 PM: Nicholas Deleon Nicholas/Carlos here, just checking in. I’ll add color commentary where appropriate.
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth one game where you leap from platform to platform dodging swinging balls
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth “so you can feel what it’s like to be Mario”
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth available as package with Balance Board or standalone for current Wii owners
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth no price given
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth Fall 2009
• 12:18 PM: Nicholas Deleon There really should be a drinking game revolving around the word “innovative”
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo is great, etc.
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo has good word of mouth
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth the interface is key
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii-mote and nunchuck changed the game
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth Balance Board has opened up a separate path for millions of players
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth the next advance in game control is…
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii MotionPlus
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth new sense of realism in gameplay
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth Not one that looks more real, but feels and plays more real
• 12:20 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii MotionPlus adds precision control
• 12:20 PM: Doug Aamoth video demo showing spinning Wii mote with MotionPlus adapter
• 12:20 PM: Doug Aamoth ping pong player hitting slo-mo ball
• 12:21 PM: Doug Aamoth basketball player taking slo mo shot, ball turns into Wii mote
• 12:21 PM: Doug Aamoth samurai sword turns into Wii mote
• 12:21 PM: Doug Aamoth as a Wii owner and an Xbox 360 owner, Microsoft is winning so far
• 12:22 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario looks like a dumbed down movie remake, Wii MotionPlus has already been announced
• 12:22 PM: Doug Aamoth more slow mo sports shots for Wii MotionPlus
• 12:22 PM: Doug Aamoth video over, polite applause
• 12:23 PM: Nicholas Deleon Very polite applause
• 12:23 PM: Doug Aamoth golf claps, really
• 12:23 PM: Doug Aamoth some guy here to demo Wii MotionPlus and Wii Sports Resort
• 12:23 PM: Doug Aamoth “it knows all there is to know about where and how you’re holding your controller.”
• 12:24 PM: Doug Aamoth shot of a Mii on an airplane getting ready to skydive
• 12:24 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii MotionPlus superimposed over Mii
• 12:24 PM: Doug Aamoth I can position my Mii to grab other skydivers, twist, etc.
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth guy is using Wii mote as Mii, tilting, tipping, spinning, etc.
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth “as you can see, it’s a lot of fun”
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth it does not, in fact, look that fun
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth I own a Wii and like it, by the way
• 12:26 PM: Nicholas Deleon Who else got all the gold metals in Pilotwings 64 in 1996?
• 12:26 PM: Doug Aamoth so if I come off as negative, it’s because I want the Wii to be awesome. If I were a parent right now, I’d be saying to my kid (named Wii), “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.”
• 12:26 PM: Doug Aamoth demo of guy shooting bow and arrow
• 12:26 PM: Doug Aamoth even minor shakes push the arrow off target
• 12:27 PM: Doug Aamoth showing that the MotionPlus is very accurate
• 12:27 PM: Doug Aamoth “it’s not about learning the control, it’s about doing what comes naturally”
• 12:28 PM: Doug Aamoth Fils-Aime and the demo guy are “vamping”
• 12:29 PM: Doug Aamoth now they’re going to play basketball together
• 12:29 PM: Nicholas Deleon That’s an incredible amount of awkward laughter right there
• 12:29 PM: Doug Aamoth three point contest
• 12:29 PM: Doug Aamoth shooting with Wii mote in hand like a basketball
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth Reggie wins 19-17
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth for those of you keeping score
• 12:30 PM: Nicholas Deleon And yet not as fun as NBA Jam was
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth I would let my boss win, too, though
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Sports Resort launches on July 26th
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 demo coming up
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth I have high, high, high hopes for this one
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth Grand Slam Tennis will use MotionPlus, too
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth Sega’s Virtua Tennis will have MotionPlus, too
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth “every little mistake you make in the real world will be faithfully reflected in the game”
• 12:32 PM: Doug Aamoth “you’ll mutter the same bad words in real life”
• 12:32 PM: Nicholas Deleon And as we all know, Virtua Tennis was a fine, fine game for the Dreamcast
• 12:32 PM: Doug Aamoth available in the next few weeks
• 12:32 PM: Doug Aamoth Red Steel 2 will only work with MotionPlus (Ubisoft)
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth RPGs coming up
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth Square Enix
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth Final Fantasy
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth exclusively for Wii
• 12:34 PM: Doug Aamoth Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers
• 12:34 PM: Doug Aamoth Kingdom Hearts to DS on September 29th (exclusive to DS)
• 12:34 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look pretty good for DS
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth shot of Bowser
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth “Bowser really does suck, and I mean that in a good way”
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth Bowser’s Inside Story: Mario RPG
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth for DS
• 12:36 PM: devin Hmm
  Signal is blowing it. Pictures incoming.

  /sent from my G1

• 12:36 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario and Luigi go to work exploring Bowser’s pipes
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story available this fall
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth in North America and Europe
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth one more piece of important news for RPGs
• 12:37 PM: Nicholas Deleon I’d like to see a Mario plumbing simulator. Dealing with homeowners, paying unions dues, etc.
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth a franchise that’s been gone for quite a while…
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth Golden Sun DS
• 12:38 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look great
• 12:38 PM: Doug Aamoth demo over, more money talk
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth DS is a great platform, lots of people have it, good money, etc.
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth October 13th, James Patterson interactive novel
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth Why join a book club when you can join the Women’s Murder Club?
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth uncover hidden clues, analyze evidence
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth you play a lady detective of some sort
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth for Nintendo DS
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth new stuff from Ubisoft…
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth Cop: The Recruit for DS
• 12:41 PM: Doug Aamoth young NY cop forced undercover to unravel the conspiracy that’s gotten his partner in trouble
• 12:41 PM: Nicholas Deleon And, really, who doesn’t love grittiness?
• 12:41 PM: Doug Aamoth looks like GTA
• 12:42 PM: Nicholas Deleon That woman’s pants are straight out of Saturday Night Fever
• 12:42 PM: Doug Aamoth run your own boutique, customize your shop
• 12:42 PM: Doug Aamoth works with DS Wi-Fi
• 12:43 PM: Nicholas Deleon I can’t imagine too many of you guys are interested in a clothes/modeling simulator
• 12:43 PM: Doug Aamoth “Style Savvy”
• 12:43 PM: Doug Aamoth should have called it Teen Girl Squad
• 12:43 PM: Doug Aamoth no onto the DSi
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth interviewing tweens, etc.
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth “it’s a very on-the-go system”
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth “the internet’s gonna be awesaaahme”
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth lots of middle schoolers drawing out their vowels
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth the camera is greeeaaate
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth etc.
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth DSi sales have surpassed one million units since launch
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth plus 400,000 DS lites
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth the lady speaking has a handsome pantsuit
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth it’s all white
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth nice two-button blazer, white bell-bottom pants
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth okay, back to business
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth animation game for DSi
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth simple movie maker
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth FlipNote Studio
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth like a flip animation video maker
• 12:46 PM: Nicholas Deleon Oh God, enough with user-generated content
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario Donkey Kong level creator
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth yeah, DSi = personalization basically
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth available only as a download on DSi on June 8th
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth “that’s right, this coming Monday”
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth WarioWare DIY
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth “as in, do it yourself”
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth every element is user controlled
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth characters, storyline, meaning, etc.
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth when your micro game is completed, you can share it with other WarioWare owners
• 12:49 PM: Doug Aamoth DSi camera
• 12:49 PM: Doug Aamoth automatic photo uploads to Facebook coming this summer
• 12:49 PM: Doug Aamoth because if you have an electronic product, it MUST connect with Facebook
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth new game
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth The Legend of Zelda, Spirit Tracks
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth playable on the show floor this week
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth but little information beyond that
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth the crowd is eerily subdued, your thoughts Nicholas?
• 12:51 PM: Nicholas Deleon Everyone’s game indeed
• 12:51 PM: Nicholas Deleon I’m trying to think if this woman has improved over last year
• 12:51 PM: Doug Aamoth Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president takes the stage
• 12:51 PM: Nicholas Deleon Because she was dire last year
• 12:52 PM: Nicholas Deleon Now this guy I like, Iwata
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth the global gaming population has greatly expanded
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo has been doing a lot of research
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth three population groups
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth active game players, people who say they’ll never play, and people who say they might play
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth future growth has to come from the “maybes”
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth 295 million active players
• 12:53 PM: peterha
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth in Japan, US, and six European countries
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth 149 million “maybes”
• 12:53 PM: Nicholas Deleon That may be, but you’re annoying your Active fans with all this casual hogwash
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth you don’t like Cooking Mama?
• 12:54 PM: Doug Aamoth “we still have a long way to go to expand the gaming population”
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth previously the best games were considered those that required the most advanced skills
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth makes it harder for newcomers to join, though
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth if we lower the bar, we won’t satisfy highly-skilled players, though
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth hard to determine experienced player vs. novice
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth we were all new gamers once, though
• 12:56 PM: Doug Aamoth need to be intuitive enough to be enjoyed by everyone
• 12:56 PM: Doug Aamoth make both skill levels happy simultaneously
• 12:57 PM: Doug Aamoth MarioKart with Wii Wheel is a good example of a game that’s easy to pick up yet appeals to experienced gamers as well
• 12:57 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Sports Resort will be a similar game
• 12:57 PM: Doug Aamoth “Everyone’s game”
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth Brain Age and Wii Fit have attracted the most new players
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth what’s next? sneak peek…
• 12:58 PM: Nicholas Deleon mind, body and soul?
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Vitality Sensor
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth you put your finger in it like a pulse monitor
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth is it April Fool’s Day?
• 12:59 PM: Nicholas Deleon I dare him to test the audience’s vitality!
• 12:59 PM: Doug Aamoth measures nervousness
• 12:59 PM: Doug Aamoth the sensor, on any audience member, would register outrage
• 12:59 PM: Doug Aamoth use the Vitality Sensor to achieve greater relaxation
• 1:00 PM: Doug Aamoth so fire up the Wii, stick the sensor on your finger, and try to get your stress level to fall
• 1:00 PM: Doug Aamoth I’m assuming there’d be some sort of breathing exercises
• 1:00 PM: Nicholas Deleon Unless Nintendo has a game where Link and Abraham Lincoln team up to race the Indy 500
• 1:00 PM: Doug Aamoth that’s all we get to see, though, just the Vitality Sensor
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth lady back on stage
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth “We still have some stimulation to show you.”
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth there’s more Mario news…
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth for the first time ever…
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth a SECOND FULL 3D MARIO TITLE
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth on a single Nintendo console
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth this one looks much better than the first one they showed
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth more like Mario Galaxy
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth may be Mario Galaxy 2, there’s a fair amount of space stuff
• 1:02 PM: Nicholas Deleon Well this is more like it
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth running sideways across globes, etc.
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth similar to Mario Galaxy
• 1:03 PM: Doug Aamoth wait for it… wait for itttttt.
• 1:03 PM: Doug Aamoth Super Mario Galaxy 2
• 1:03 PM: Doug Aamoth Reggie Fils-Aime back on stage
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth SMG 2 looks a lot like the first one
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth but the first one was a good game, so that’s okay
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth “I read the blogs, too” — Reggie
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth people are saying “I want more”
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth and more is generally publishers not named Nintendo
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth exclusive titles from third-party publishers
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth three weeks: The Conduit – Sega
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth first person shooter
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth was that Will Smith’s voice?
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth The Conduit
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth looks like a futuristic, apocalyptic FPS
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look superb
• 1:06 PM: Nicholas Deleon Does Leon punch boulders? I think not
• 1:07 PM: Nicholas Deleon Yeah, this looks pretty good
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth guns + Wii MotionPlus = good
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth Deadspace…
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth Dead Space Extraction
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth exclusive to Wii
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth kind of a prequel to Dead Space
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look great
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth people finally clap
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth politely, again
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth end of third-party publisher announcements
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth an edgy game coming from Nintendo? absolutely says Fils-Aime
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth preview of…
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth Team Ninja + Nintendo
• 1:10 PM: Doug Aamoth yama hama, this looks nice
• 1:10 PM: Doug Aamoth Metroid: Other M
• 1:10 PM: Doug Aamoth a grittier, darker Metroid
• 1:10 PM: Nicholas Deleon Satisfied, hardcore gamers?
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth I still didn’t see any blood
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth maybe in the future, people don’t bleed
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth coming 2010
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth people finally clapping normally
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth sort of
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth “Passionate Metroid fans may have found surprise in that trailer” — Reggie
• 1:12 PM: Nicholas Deleon Speculate: what does M stand for?
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth deeper into Samus’ story
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth MURDER, muwahahahaaaa
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth no idea
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth Mintendo
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth MotionPlus?
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth Myamoto?
• 1:12 PM: devin /sent from my G1
• 1:12 PM: devin
• 1:12 PM: peterha
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth “We remain committed to making Nintendo everyone’s game.”
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth thank you and good bye
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth wow, that was… um… not all that great
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth where’s the Wii Zelda?
• 1:13 PM: Nicholas Deleon They should have just showed the last 10 mins
• 1:14 PM: Nicholas Deleon Instead of all that other nonsense that I’ve already forgotten about
• 1:14 PM: Doug Aamoth they should have had James Cameron come out and talk about his new movie for an hour and a half
• 1:14 PM: Nicholas Deleon Oh that was really great
• 1:14 PM: peterha
• 1:14 PM: Doug Aamoth okay time to wrap it up, thanks for stopping by everyone
• 1:14 PM: Nicholas Deleon With his Meryl Streep haircut
• 1:15 PM: Doug Aamoth we’ll let all of Devin and Peter’s late-ass photos trickle in
• 1:17 PM: peterha
• 1:18 PM: peterha
• 1:18 PM: peterha
• 1:20 PM: peterha
• 1:20 PM: peterha
• 1:21 PM: peterha
• 1:22 PM: peterha
• 1:24 PM: devin
• 1:26 PM: Doug Aamoth Quick Update: Super Mario Galaxy 2 won’t be available until 2010

Are any of you ardent Sony PS3 supporters concerned with the way things have turned out? You lost Final Fantasy exclusivity (well, outside of Japan) at last year’s E3, and Metal Gear this year. Those are two of the biggest franchises that made PlayStation what it is today. Or what it was yesterday, as it were. I’m just trying to think, if I were to buy a PS3 today, what’s in it for me?

I can think of a few reasons why you’d spring for a PS3 over an Xbox 360 before looking at each system’s respective library:

• You hate Microsoft or love Sony.

• You don’t want to pay for Xbox Live, so you opt for the free PSN.

• You just so happen to want a machine that can play games as well as Blu-ray discs.

Keep in mind that plenty of big games are multi-platform, if unequally so (that is, no DLC for the PS3 version, or just a long Xbox 360 timed exclusivity). You’ve got Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter, GTA IV, Fallout 3, Modern Warfare, etc. Hundreds of stuff.

But PS3-exclusive? How many of those are left? God of War, Uncharted, maybe Gran Turismo if it ever comes out… I can’t really think of too many PS3-exclsuive games that would make me want to shell out $400, especially when I’d be be able to buy a 360 for $200.

To be fair, are there any Xbox 360-exclusive games that make my mouth water? Eh, not really. Fable II was fun, sure, but it would not have made me buy the system just to play it. Same thing with Halo: fun, yeah, but not something I’d go crazy over.

Come to think of it, maybe the days of platform-exclusive games are long gone? Development costs are so high these days that publishers can only break even by putting the game on as many systems as possible. Why else would Konami “join the dark side”?

I don’t know, it just seems like Sony’s in a weird position right now. Let’s hope it all turns out for the best.

Flickr

Seriously, though, it looks pretty cool. I think they’ve sacrificed immersion for a more cinematic approach, and of course stealth has kind of gone out the window in some ways, but it still looks like a really compelling game.

I mentioned this during the live blog, but it really does look and feel a bit strange for this franchise to have no blood. I don’t want to sound ghoulish, but seriously, if you’re going to have what amount to fatalities (cutting throats, stabbing in the back, etc), why should the blood thing matter? The Soul Calibur-esque sparks are okay, but seriously, let’s get choppin’.

Raise your hand if you thought Microsoft’s press conference was a bit of a bore this morning? Aside from Natal, I wasn’t all that impressed by any of the upcoming titles (except for Conviction and maybe The Beatles Rock Band) or the updates to Xbox Live. Lionhead really stole the show when they unveiled a little AI boy named Milo.

Built around Natal, Lionhead Studios has created an immersive and shockingly human-like AI that you can interact with and that recognizes tone of voice and your face. Of course, the demo was filmed a while back at Lionhead Studios (after countless takes, I’m sure), but who knows what other developers will do with Natal. Microsoft really hit it out of the park today and I’m crossing my fingers that Natal is all it’s cracked up to be.

Oh, and Milo creeps me out.

Hard to tell anything specific about the game other than that part of it takes place in picturesque Venice (hopefully one of several locations you can again ride to), but the addition of having a gun does seem to change some of the core gameplay elements.

Fancy a ODST wireless Xbox 360 controller? Well, it’s going to cost you $99 when Halo 3 ODST drops on September 22, but don’t worry that includes the game as well.

This, if you haven’t already seen it on G4 or whatever, is the début trailer of Splinter Cell: Conviction. Sam has gone rogue!

Anyway, not much to add here. You can shoot grenades in mid-air now, so that’s neat.