No one’s a winner in E3’s console wars

[22 July 2008]

By Victor Godinez

The Dallas Morning News (MCT)

Worst. E3. Ever.

I wasn’t expecting much, but what transpired in Los Angeles at the annual video-game conference last week was a pretty big waste of time.

MICROSOFT

Microsoft scored some points by confirming:

  • The rumor of Netflix video streaming coming to the Xbox 360 later this year.
  • The upcoming ability to copy an entire game to your console’s hard drive so it loads faster and plays quieter.
  • “Final Fantasy XIII” will be a simultaneous release in the U.S. with the PS3 version. This one was a coup, but the game probably isn’t coming out for a year or more.

But the price drop on the Xbox 360 Premium from $349 to $299 is misleading, since the drop is really a clearance sale. When the 20-gig Premium is sold out, a 60-gig version will take its place ... at the original $349 price.

NINTENDO

Nintendo is in peak form right now, and taking a victory lap at E3 would be understandable. Too bad for gamers that’s exactly what the company did. There was no announcement of a new “Mario,” “Zelda” or “Metroid” title for the Wii. Instead, we got “Animal Crossing.” Blah.

The MotionPlus add-on for the Wii remote looks intriguing. The device supposedly allows the console to more accurately track how you swing the controller.

A fencing game displayed proved that the one game every gamer has pined for since the Wii was unveiled may finally be feasible: a “Star Wars” lightsaber game. Unfortunately, such a game was not even officially discussed at the show.

SONY

Nearly a total catastrophe on every level.

First off, Sony seems to think that a $400 game console is a good thing. Yes, the 80-gigabyte PS3 system is $100 less than the original 80-gig model. But memo to Sony: The PS3 is still way overpriced.

A video download service? It would have been awesome a year ago. Now it’s just a day late and a dollar short.

“Home,” the “Second Life”-like virtual world for the PS3, remains in limbo and seems increasingly pointless. Has any gamer in history ever hankered to walk around a virtual mall looking at Nike billboards?

Sony’s “MAG” (Massive Action Game - placeholder name, presumably, hopefully) was the only product mentioned that left me with even a slight pulse. The game will supposedly allow 256 human players to duke it out on a single battlefield in eight-man teams.

A recipe for unbridled chaos? Sure. But a melee this size (assuming the PS3 can support such epic confrontations without keeling over) is guaranteed fun.

Part of the problem for all three of these companies might be that the show was simply held too late in the year. All the big games coming out before Christmas (“Gears of War 2”, “Resistance 2”, “Ghostbusters”, etc.) were announced weeks ago, in order to get the marketing campaigns ramped up.

Perhaps if E3 had been held in May, as it traditionally was until last year, those games could have debuted at the show and created some buzz.

In its current form, though, E3 was basically D.O.A.

+ + +

‘GRID’

Grade: A-

For Xbox 360 (also on PS3, PC and Nintendo DS). Rated for all ages. $59

TURN AND BURN: Grid has been out for several weeks, but the buzz about this racing game has been slowly building, and I wanted to finally see what all the fuss was about. Wow. The game is sort of the brilliant love child of the stately Gran Turismo franchise and the destructive adrenaline rush of the Burnout series. If you’re any kind of a fan of racing games, Grid is a must-buy.

SPEED KILLS (AND REWARDS): While the Burnout games reward pure mayhem by seeing how many other vehicles you can detonate in as short a time as possible, Grid takes a slightly more strategic approach. Ramming and disabling other cars can give you an edge, but your car also eventually disintegrates (or explodes in a fireball). But, unlike Gran Turismo, you don’t have to win most races to collect the biggest rewards.

EARLY UPGRADE: One of the biggest complaints with most racing games is that they force you to earn your stripes in boring econo-cars before you can scream in a Lamborghini. Not so with Grid. Your first ride is a Dodge Viper, and you’re piloting all sorts of exotic rides almost from the get-go.

BOTTOM LINE: Grid is one of the unexpected gems this year.

 
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Comments

Ok the moron that wrote this articler is really a moron. He said a 400 dollar ps3 who cares about that?!?! What are you nuts, its a blu ray player with built in wireless and free online game play you fool for 400 bucks, shows how much you know.To get what comes with Ps3 on xbox u would spend well over 500 dollars so WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?!?!?. And no titles for PS3???Where are there anouncments for God Of War 3, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Tekken 6 , Little big Planet amd way more downloads through the PS network. Looks like this journalist is a hater and definitly not doing his job right.  Learn your facts, stop taking a side, thats not doing your job correctly.

Comment by JOIJO from U.S. — July 22, 2008 @ 7:07 am

Grid ? This moron thinks grid is good?!?!? GImme a break, this game is so fake and easy and corny. There is nothin hard about the game and to top it off its graphics are average.Where the hell do you get your info?!?!Play a real driving game like Gran Turismo or Forza.That shit Grid is childish. Shows how much you know again.I think you should be fired. I could definitrly do a better job then you speaking the truth about articles. The only reason you favored grid in your eyes is because its a new release that was advertised well with half way descent graphics. In my opinion we dont need more then one unrealistic racing game so leave them to E.A.I good unrealistic racing better let me drive wherever i want and do what i want not keep me stuck on a track with cars that feel like there light as a feather. BORING.

Comment by jojo — July 22, 2008 @ 7:14 am

I can understand being disappointed with E3. The show is in shambles and needs help. However, to say that no no one came out a winner makes it look like you’ve just read post-show headlines or blogs about it instead of seeing what actually went on. Yeah, Nintendo’s show was bad—their target audience probably thinks E3 is akin to the Eee PC. Microsoft was Microsoft (the photocopiers are alive and strong). And let’s not forget Sony, who was obviously compensating for a lack of something. Out of all 3, Sony and Microsoft actually had interesting news and developments, with Sony delivering the top presentation.

And yeah, the PS3 is overpriced at $400, but here’s a newsflash: the 360 is the same price when you factor in $50 for the first year of Live, and then way more expensive over the long-run as those $50 pile up to become hundreds. They’re both expensive, which is one of the reasons the Wii sells like hotcakes.

Comment by BigDragon from York, PA — July 22, 2008 @ 7:26 am

How do these idiots get paid to write articles, when clearly they have no clue what they are talking about.  Victor, to start off you are definitely a moron like JOIJO says you are.  E3 was an amazing event, obviously you didn’t download any of the content that XBOX and Playstation put on their online networks.  Nor did you watch the happenings on G4TV or did you go to the event yourself.  First, the WII doesn’t have to work very hard at its current pace and the E3 event isn’t primarily for this Japanese based empire.  They don’t care about E3. 
Second, for the Xbox there was an unbelievable amount of new games confirmed and the Netflix is a very big deal, I wish they would bring that to the PS3, although the PS3 is getting video download and rentals starting the VERY DAY that it was announced.  Netflix still hasn’t been released on Xbox yet, so how was that a high point for Xbox.  So what if they are putting on a clearance sale or the old Premium Xbox, that is a smart idea.  They definitely don’t want to lose any more money putting out a better Xbox for less money.  Microsoft has lost money putting the console out just as PS3 has.  The Final Fantasy thing is most likely a coup, but not in the way you see it.  It will not take a full year to come out afterward, and it’s not like the Xbox will be able to handle the game anyway.
Third, the Playstation “Family” put out all kinds of stuff.  It’s not just PS3 over there, that have a huge market in the PS2 and PSP.  Putting out an 80gig model of the PS3 for 400 dollars is freaking amazing.  There are not many Blu-ray players out there for that cheap, not to mention now you can download movies and store them on your 80gig hard drive.  How is that ‘still way overpriced’.  Home will be a very cool thing no matter when it finally comes out.  It is FREE and you will be able to interact with other PS3 users to trade content.  MAG will redefine the online FPS and you don’t have to pay to play online.(What a novel idea)  Sony can do this because they have a marvelous infrastructure in place for online gaming that they started 7 years ago with the PS2.  Also, GRID looks retarded, it is just another Need For Speed or Burnout.  Think before you write such nonsense Victor.

Comment by Chance from Spain — July 22, 2008 @ 7:33 am

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