Tuesday, June 02, 2009

E3 2009: Sony's Press Conference

Sony PSP Go! Console


E3 2009: Sony's Press Conference opened with a demo of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The stage was then crowded as MAG (Massive Action Game) was demo'ed with multiple players. Next was "E3's worst kept secret": the new Sony PSP Go! console was officially announced. The long-awaited Gran Turismo for Sony PSP was showcased and finally given a release date: October 1st 2009. PlayStation 3 games previewed included: Assassin's Creed 2, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy XIV Online will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3 Console in 2010. Sony revealed & demo'ed its new hand-held motion controllers currently in development. Another Sony PS3 exclusive game, Mod Nation Racers looks like a cross between Mario Kart and LittleBigPlanet, with highly-customisable characters and race tracks. A teaser trailer for Gran Turismo 5 was shown, then the show concluded with a demo of God of War 3


Video: Sony's Kaz Hirai demo's PSP Go! console


E3 2009 Game Trailers - PlayStation blog


Motion Controller for PlayStation 3

Motion Controller for PlayStation 3

The Wii Console included motion controllers at launch. Yesterday, Microsoft unveiled Project Natal: a motion-sensing array for the XBOX 360 Console that tracks full-body movement, without the need for any controllers. Today at E3, Sony have just revealed that they are developing their own hand-held motion controllers for the PS3 Console. The prototype motion controllers are wand-like devices with a glowing sphere that changes colour, and the PlayStation Eye Camera is used for 1:1 tracking and player image capture. See the video below for the live on stage demonstration of various applications, from on-screen painting to first-person combat. Sony say the motion controller is due early 2010...



Nintendo's E3 2009 Media Briefing

Wii Fit Plus for Nintendo Wii

Nintendo’s Media Briefing at E3 today showcased two major Mario titles coming soon to the Nintendo Wii Console. Side-scrolling platformer New Super Mario Bros. Wii can be played in either single player or four-player co-op and competitive modes, and there's a sequel to the best-selling 3D Mario Wii game with Super Mario Galaxy 2. The "game" that introduced us to the Wii Balance Board also gets a sequel: Wii Fit Plus offers several new activities. Wii Sports Resort, which includes the Wii Motion Plus controller add-on, was demonstrated showing sky-diving, archery and basketball. Other games for the Wii Console included: the open-world RPG Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, Dead Space: Extraction, The Conduit and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. The conference closed with a preview of Metroid: Other M


Monday, June 01, 2009

E3 2009: Microsoft Press Conference

The Beatles Rock Band

E3 2009: Microsoft's Press Conference kicked-off today with surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on stage to promote
The Beatles Rock Band, to be released on the 9th September. Steven Spielberg announced the XBOX 360's controller-less full-body motion-sensor: Project Natal. Tony Hawk
demo'ed the wireless skateboard controller for his latest endorsed game: Tony Hawk Ride. Infinity Ward demo'ed Modern Warfare 2, and there was a preview of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII. Console exclusives for the Microsoft XBOX 360 included Crackdown 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Alan Wake, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Forza Motorsport 3, HALO: ODST and HALO: Reach...

Project Natal for XBOX 360 Console

Project Natal for XBOX 360 Console

Definitely the biggest announcement at Microsoft's E3 2009 Press Conference was Project Natal: the codename for a motion-sensing accessory for the XBOX 360 Console that tracks full-body movement in three dimensions, and enables the control of games without a physical controller. Project Natal has a video camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and its own custom processor. The Project Natal sensor will also feature face and voice recognition. Steven Spielberg was on the stage to enthusiastically talk about the sensor's possibilities, followed by live demonstrations of the controller-free system. A demo called Ricochet showcased the full-body motion-sensing in a 3D Breakout-style game. Lionhead Studio's Peter Molyneux then introduced a video of Milo: a computer-generated boy who seems to naturally interact and converse with the user via the Project Natal sensor. There's no release date yet, but Natal developer kits are being sent out to the major game studios...




HALO 3: ODST and HALO: Reach

HALO: Reach for XBOX 360
One of the highlights of today's Microsoft Press Conference at E3 2009 was a preview of the HALO 3 prequel HALO 3: ODST, and the announcement of a new HALO game in development, HALO: Reach

(Right-click & “Save Target As...” to Download)

HALO 3: ODST is set in the year 2552, a couple of weeks before the start of HALO 3. You play as a member of an elite squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, sent into the Covenant controlled city of New Mombasa. Released on the 22nd of September for XBOX 360, Bungie promises that HALO 3: ODST will deliver "new twists and turns... new weapons, new technology, and new game modes". Bungie's presentation showed the opening scenes of HALO 3: ODST, revealing that you will experience the main campaign from the viewpoint of the other ODSTs in your squad during the game. Bungie also released a new ODST trailer, featuring more in-game action...

(Right-click & “Save Target As...” to Download)



"Another team at Bungie has been hard at work on a top secret project..." HALO: Reach is a prequel to the entire HALO series. Apart from a teaser trailer, few other details were disclosed, except that an invitation to the multiplayer beta of HALO: Reach will be included with ODST. HALO: Reach is due "Fall 2010", exclusive to the XBOX 360 Console

(Right-click & “Save Target As...” to Download)