By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Gaming - E3 - How it's reported in the mainstream press

ferret1094 on 16 July 2008

I thought some people might be interested to see how E3 is presented to the ordinary public, away from all the fanboy ranting. If anyone has any other mainstream media articles please post them up.

These are from BBC News which is the biggest news provider in the UK. They are copied below and the original reports are at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7506927.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7508743.stm

They chose to highlight Wii MotionPlus and Xbox Live changes which shows what they believe will appeal to ordinary people rather than hardcore gamers. The Final Fantasy announcement was thrown in to the middle of a sentence.

Xbox sets sights on communities

By Darren Waters
Technology editor, BBC News website

Shane Kim on the new Xbox experience

Microsoft is hoping to woo new consumers to its Xbox 360 platform with a focus on social gaming and its blockbuster franchises.

At the E3 games summit in Los Angeles, the firm announced a re-design of its online games system Xbox Live with an emphasis on building communities.

Microsoft's Don Mattrick said the aim was to put the Xbox 360 "at the heart of the living room".

However, reports of a price cut for the console did not materialise.

'Next level'

Mr Mattrick predicted the Xbox 360 would outsell the PlayStation 3 worldwide in coming years.

He said the games industry as a whole was poised to become larger than both the music and film industries.

The news conference was dominated by talk of new titles

He said: "We knew...someday our industry would be the biggest form of all entertainment.

"That day has arrived. Today our industry belongs to everyone."

He added: "Games are now the leading driver of all industry spending, outselling music and outstripping box office revenue."

Microsoft announced a series of games and services as it attempts to emulate the success of Nintendo's Wii in attracting new audiences.

The refresh for Xbox Live takes on board some of the characteristics of Nintendo's system, with the introduction of individual avatars to represent gamers, something its rival has done through Mii characters.

The company also announced a social karaoke game, called Lips, which looks to capitalise on the success of Singstar on the PlayStation.

Shane Kim, head of strategy and business development for Xbox, denied that the firm was copying its rivals.

He said: "We're not claiming to invent music games, or avatars. But we're innovating by bringing something new to these games, and taking them to the next level."

The firm unveiled Xbox Live PrimeTime, a new service which will introduce online quiz games made in conjunction with the TV giant Endemol.

"This is a new category of games for the whole family," said John Schappert, head of Xbox Live.

The press conference in Los Angeles was dominated by news of releases of some of the console's biggest franchises.

British developer Peter Molyneux announced that role playing game Fable II had finished development and would be released in October.

Gears of War 2, from US developer Epic, is due for release in November while the latest incarnation of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XIII, will hit the Xbox 360 for the first time along with rival platform PlayStation 3.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nintendo shows off new Wii add-on

By Darren Waters
Technology editor, BBC News website, Los Angeles

Jamming with Wii Music

Nintendo unveiled a highly-sensitive motion controller add-on for its Wii system as it seeks to capitalise on its position as the global console leader.

At the E3 games conference in Los Angeles, the firm showed off its Wii MotionPlus, which it promised would add more realism and depth to games.

The company has sold more than 10 million Wii consoles and 70 million DS handheld machines worldwide.

Rival Sony has announced a larger capacity version of its PlayStation 3.

At a later press conference, Sony unveiled a film download service and an 80-gigabyte hard drive version of PS3 for gamers in North America.

Surprise success

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said innovation was key for the company.

Iwata said he wanted Wii products to provide increased enthusiasm

"Even if it is revolutionary sooner or later, people become tired of a new form of entertainment," he said.

Addressing the rapid turnaround in Nintendo's fortunes over the last two years, Mr Iwata admitted that the success of the company had taken even staff at Nintendo by surprise.

Referring to the success of the Wii, and peripherals like the balance board, he said: "Everyone had a pessimistic view of Nintendo in 2003.

"Even Nintendo employees could not have imagined that five years later the market respond so quickly that we could sell millions of bathroom scales around the world."

Mr Iwata, who was speaking to media at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, said the firm's success had resulted in a paradigm shift in the industry, with hardware sales growing in periods outside the traditional high spots, and software titles like Brain Training and Nintendogs having two-year life spans on retail shelves.

I believe we must find more ways for players to feel engaged
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata

Nintendo said recently European sales of the Wii numbered more than 200,000 each week.

But Mr Iwata did not touch upon supply issues that have continued to affect Wii sales almost two years after its launch.

Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls said Nintendo were proving to be very determined and targeted in their approach.

"They are very good at designing hardware and the production line of content; they have got a knack of producing great content and if they keep doing that, they keep innovating."

New titles to come

Launching the Wii MotionPlus, which plugs into the existing Wiimote controller, Nintendo America boss Reggie Fils-Aime said: "It renders every light shift of the wrist or arm into the gameplay."

The firm also unveiled WiiSports Resort, the first title to takes advantage of the new add-on.

Wii sports games will get a boost from the new add-on

Nintendo fans hoping to learn new details on established franchises like Mario and Zelda were left disappointed. Mr Iwata said only that the teams behind the games were "hard at work" and new titles were under development.

The company did unveil a Grand Theft Auto game in development for the DS console and a new Wii title, called Music, which sees gamers play more than 50 musical instruments by using the Wiimote motion-sensitive controller.

Mr Iwata said the success of the Wii and the DS was proof of a new form of social interaction developing.

He said: "I believe we must find more ways for players to feel engaged, different ways for them to be enriched. The overall experience from our products must be increased enthusiasm."

Online revolution

Across Los Angeles, at the Shrine Auditorium, Sony America boss Jack Tretton delivered his vision for the firm in the coming months.

He told the audience that Sony had succeeded in the business by taking a long-term view of a console's lifespan, pointing out that some of the biggest games for the previous generation PlayStation 2 were not delivered until a number of years into its cycle.

"We're well on the way to selling more than 10 million PlayStation 3s," he said.

Sony: "Bringing games to the living room"

The emphasis of the briefing was on the firm's online service, PlayStation network, which offers games, films and TV content.

Unveiling the new film download system, he said: "Just as our (online) game store serves all game publishers, the PlayStation Network video delivery service is open for business for all studios and networks."

Users will be able to download titles to their PlayStation 3 or PC, and transfer them to a PlayStation portable console.

"It's a huge step towards advancing the PSP and PlayStation 3 value. The PSP is part of our overall strategy to bring movies and games to the living room."

A number of new games were unveiled at the press conference, including MAG, a massively multiplayer online first person shooter. Up to 256 gamers will be able to do battle in teams of eight across the PlayStation Network.

PS3 game for hundreds of players

Mr Tretton said it would "revolutionise online gaming".

God of War 3, a sequel to the popular Sony franchise, was announced for the PS3 and the audience was shown new footage of titles like first-person shooter Resistance 2 and action-platform game LittleBigPlanet, which has an October release date.

Mr Harding-Rolls said Sony's briefing delivered the most excitement in terms of announcements for gamers.

"The video store has been coming for a long time. But the download-to-own aspect of content is a coup in comparison to the rental model on Xbox Live.

"They are also more varied in their strategies for digital distribution of premium gaming content than their rivals."



Around the Network
PS360ForTheWin on 16 July 2008

lol, youre suprised that the BBC panders to casual gamers?



Rock_on_2008 on 16 July 2008

Sony clearly pwned E3. Better luck next time other two companies.



YoppaDo on 16 July 2008

All I've heard from the British Media so far is Newbeat, on Radio 1....perhaps one of the worst news sources under the BBC's reigns.

The main story by them has been a misquoting of Jack Tretton. Apparently 'we're just scratching the surface' means 'our games aren't any good'. Ugh.



megaman79 on 16 July 2008

"emulate" nice way to say theft



“When we make some new announcement and if there is no positive initial reaction from the market, I try to think of it as a good sign because that can be interpreted as people reacting to something groundbreaking. ...if the employees were always minding themselves to do whatever the market is requiring at any moment, and if they were always focusing on something we can sell right now for the short term, it would be very limiting. We are trying to think outside the box.” - Satoru Iwata - This is why corporate multinationals will never truly understand, or risk doing, what Nintendo does.

Around the Network
ferret1094 on 16 July 2008
PS360ForTheWin said:
lol, youre suprised that the BBC panders to casual gamers?

Er, no I'm not surprised. What gave you that impression? The BBC reports on events assuming (usually correctly) that the audience has little or no knowledge of the subject. The majority of people who play games are not hardcore gamers and do not read gaming websites. This is the way most people who play games in the UK will see E3. No screaming about Final Fantasy (almost no-one outside of the hardcore remotely cares), no ZOMG NinTenDO FaILez!!! The things presented in this article are the things that matter to most people who play games. I'm also interested to see how E3 news is presented in other countries, so if anyone has articles please post them.



The Fury on 16 July 2008

There was a short news bit about Microsoft's press conference on Radio1s newsbeat, it literally said the same thing above about 'emulate'.

They made a fuss about it as the 360 in this country is seen as the shooting console. (still is by msot the general public).

Final Fantasy wasn't even mentioned in the report (although short that it was). Although they did mention the new look and 'Avatars' which they said was odd mix of Wii's Miis and Home.



Hmm, pie.

Sullla on 16 July 2008

Here's an article from the New York Times. He wasn't particularly impressed with either Nintendo or Sony.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/arts/16games.html?scp=4&sq=E3&st=cse

Nintendo and Sony Underwhelm at E3

 

By SETH SCHIESEL

 

Published: July 16, 2008

LOS ANGELES — The Japanese video game titans, Nintendo and Sony, announced wide-ranging, if not entirely breathtaking, constellations of new games and services at the E3 convention here on Tuesday, but did not appear to significantly alter their overall strategies in the fast-growing game market, as Microsoft did on Monday.

Nintendo — which is riding high on the gangbusters popularity of its DS handheld game unit and its Wii home console — continued to aim largely at children and the mainstream consumers who have adopted gaming in recent years, propelling the industry and the hobby beyond its historical base of young male players. Sony, which is finally generating some traction and excitement around its PlayStation 3 console after initial stumbles, directed most of its new offerings at more traditional gamers, as well as at movie buffs interested in the company’s high-definition Blu-Ray disc format.

While far from disappointing, the combined showings from the two companies appeared to leave some of the cognoscenti a bit underwhelmed.

“They didn’t need to show a lot and so they didn’t show a lot,” Brian Crecente, managing editor of Kotaku, a leading game blog, said of Nintendo. “I’m a little disappointed that Nintendo didn’t make good on their promises of earlier this year that they would have a big new title for hardcore gamers. People were expecting a big new Nintendo Wii game, like another Mario game or Zelda, or a big new intellectual property for core gamers. And what they got was more casual games, and not a lot of them. As for Sony, they did have to show a lot. They met the minimal expectations but they didn’t blow it out of the water.”

Ben Schachter, a game company analyst for UBS Securities, echoed that thought but held out hope that the so-called “third-party” publishers scheduled to present their wares later Tuesday, on Wednesday and on Thursday could generate a bit more excitement.

“Both Nintendo and Sony were somewhat playing it safe,” he said. Referring to the Microsoft and Electronic Arts showcases on Monday, in addition to Nintendo and Sony, he added: “Through the first four press conferences there hasn’t been a real ‘Wow’ moment yet. They seem to be covering their bases, showing a little bit of something for everyone, but there hasn’t been anything totally spectacular yet.”

Mr. Schachter pointed out that many of the more intriguing rumors in the game industry leading into E3 had not come to pass, such as Nintendo announcing a new version of the DS or Sony or Microsoft showing new motion-sensitive controllers (Microsoft did say briefly on Monday that the microphone for its coming karaoke game Lips would include some motion-sensitivity, but that was a relatively minor development).

Despite the criticism, both Nintendo and Sony did announce plenty of new products.

Nintendo opened its briefing at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood with Shaun White, the Olympic gold medalist, demonstrating his upcoming snowboarding game, in which a player stands atop the sensitive balance board Nintendo has shipped with its new Wii Fit fitness system. Shaun White Snowboarding, to be published by Ubisoft of France and shipped this fall, appears to be one of the first third-party games to take advantage of the board.

Nintendo unveiled two new peripherals on Tuesday. The first is a microphone for the Wii called Wii Speak, which will be available as an option for a new version of Animal Crossing, a sort of virtual zookeeper, this holiday season. The second is an attachment for the Wii controller that is meant to make it even more sensitive to being physically twisted and turned than it already is. Called the Wii Motion Plus, the unit will be packaged with a new compilation called Wii Sports Resort, which includes mini-games such as sword fighting and throwing a Frisbee-like disc.

In terms of third-party games, the surprise announcement from Nintendo was that Take-Two’s Rockstar studio is creating a version of the Grand Theft Auto series for the DS called Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. It is unclear whether that game will be aiming for an M for Mature rating (roughly equivalent to R for movies) or T for Teen (akin to PG or PG-13).

To finish, Nintendo’s star designer Shigeru Miyamoto showed off Wii Music, which will allow players to mimic playing any of about 50 instruments.

“I hope everyone came away with the understanding that we are continuing to drive innovation to appeal to the mass audience in addition to the core,” Reginald Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s president and chief operating officer, said in an interview Tuesday. “Our focus is on having the breadth to drive enjoyment for the consumer.”

Responding to the criticism voiced by Mr. Crecente of Kotaku and others, Mr. Fils-Aime pointed to Animal Crossing as a game that would appeal to core gamers. He also reiterated a statement from the presentation that the teams responsible for the famous Mario and Zelda franchises are currently working on new installments in those series.

For its part, Sony kicked off its presentation with a stunning demonstration of Resistance 2, the high-octane first-person shooter under development by Insomniac Games. Ted Price, the studio’s president and chief executive, impressed the crowd with his demonstration of combat against a 300-foot tall leviathan rampaging through an urban landscape.

Building on the PlayStation 3’s popularity as a Blu-Ray movie player, Sony announced that on Tuesday it had opened a movie download service over the PlayStation Network. Differentiating that service from a similar Microsoft offering, Sony said that consumers who buy or rent movies over the Sony service may also transfer those films to their PlayStationPortable handheld game units to watch on the road.

In terms of new games, Sony offered a first look at its coming superhero-themed multiplayer game called DC Universe Online and confirmed the long-suspected rumor that a new installment in its blockbuster God of War series is in the works for the PS3.

Sony did not offer specifics in terms of when the long-awaited Home upgrade for its online network would become available. Home is meant to allow players to socialize over the system outside of particular games.

The company did, however, exhibit a high level of artistic and technical ambition in playing a trailer from a new game in the works called MAG, for Massive Action Game. MAG is meant to allow up to 256 players to simultaneously occupy one continuous modern-combat battlefield. Currently, most console games do not allow more than 40 or 60 players to compete at once. Sony did not say when it hoped to release MAG.

 



My Website

End of 2008 totals: Wii 42m, 360 24m, PS3 18.5m (made Jan. 4, 2008)