Games

Nintendo’s E3 press conference took place last week during E3, where the company revealed its new console the WiiU. Production is said to be commencing this October, leading us to expect a 2012 release as early as late Spring. Additionally, we can guess from its graphics chip that it will be at least slightly more powerful than its competitors the PS3 and Xbox360. What sets it apart, in theory, is the controller.

Somewhat larger than an iPad, the WiiU controller is a 10.5 by 6.8 inch block of plastic featuring a 6.2-inch 16:9 touch-screen (without multitouch) and traditional buttons (A/B/X/Y, D-Pad, analog sticks, shoulder and trigger buttons). One can only hope the final design of this device is not yet settled, as those two analog sticks (“circle pads” to Nintendo) are positioned above the buttons... quite unusual for at least the right side where we’ve been tuned by every controller since last generation to reach for the secondary analog below the buttons. This controller has an accelerometer, gyroscope, rumble, camera, microphone, speakers, wii remote sensor bar, and it’s rechargeable! It’s definitely a big bag of features.

The console supports up to 1080p with its custom Radeon GPU and IBM multi-core processor. It will offer backwards compatibility to Wii games (but not Gamecube), supporting all Wii-era peripherals and controllers like the Balance Board and classic controllers (not Gamecube controllers). WiiU games use proprietary 25GB discs, somewhat smaller than a single layer BluRay, but respectable. There’s internal flash memory, SD card support, and 4 USB ports that can connect to external hard drives (not Gamecubes, though). Online options remain vague, but developers have been talking as though there are no friend codes and the services provided are more on par with Xbox Live. At least it’s better than the Gamecube’s modem.

First party games already confirmed include Pikmin 3, Smash Brothers, and a new New Super Mario Brothers. Third parties are on board, too, with titles like Arkham City and Darksiders 2 already confirmed for launch. During the WiiU’s presentation, a wide variety of developers including Irrational’s Ken Levine and EA’s John Riccitiello expressed excitement for the console.

Nintendo’s press conference was packed with information that would make for an extremely long wall of text summary, so I’m splitting it up. I cannot escape my Nintendo bias in this process, so forgive me as I start with my beloved Zelda.

February 22 marked the 25th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda franchise, yet it came and went with little fanfare. Miyamoto delivered on his promise to honor his epic series at this year’s E3 with news of four distinct Zelda releases and various fun things to buy. Note that I’ve put myself into a media blackout towards Skyward Sword following the latest trailer, details there will be minimal.

Skyward Sword has been confirmed as a release for Holiday 2011. I suspect this means mid-November, but you may want to hold off on your pre-order until bundle details are shared. One of the anniversary collector’s items is a golden Zelda-branded Wii Remote, though purchasing details were not shared. Since Skyward Sword requires Wii MotionPlus, a relatively under-adopted peripheral among the hardcore consumer, this golden remote will likely be bundled with the game and sold for a $60, give or take $10. Note that the peripheral is still sold separately, but all new Wii remotes have the technology built-in. The bundle will still provide a good deal on a new Wii remote, which are being carried over to the WiiU, so it’s probably worth your money anyway.

Link’s Awakening (DX) is the first title coming to the 3DS Virtual Console for GB and GBC games, available now for $5.99. This particular title is rather dear to me as my second Zelda game ever and the inspiration for this site’s (former) name. Remember, there’s a special ending if you play without dying once, THIEF.

This September, Four Swords, the game originally packaged with Link to the Past GBA is coming to DSiWare for free. This precursor to the Gamecube standalone Four Swords Adventure is regrettably the only Nintendo-made Zelda game I haven’t played and with the demise of the GBA, that has become rather impossible to fix. The problem with the game was its expensive entry-level, requiring friends with GBAs, the game, and link cables, but by providing it on the DSi and 3DS, it becomes at least capable of local multiplayer. It is unclear whether or not there will be online support (squee). The game itself is on par with any Zelda title in terms of quality and fun.

And of course, Ocarina of Time 3DS is still coming June 19. Previously vague details of the game were shared at Nintendo’s press conference. Master Quest will be included on the cartridge with actual ramped up enemy difficulty and a mirrored Hyrule, making it harder to navigate. I’m not particularly excited about that “feature,” having played both the Gamecube and Wii versions of Twilight Princess - it’s not exactly harder, just a little confusing. There’s also a boss challenge feature that keeps track of your completion times. The game is great. And now, it’s available for a wider audience!

Miyamoto also announced performances of Zelda music by an orchestra around the world. Few further details were given regarding locations, but that information should be provided soon. An apparently limited release of the Ocarina of Time soundtrack will be provided as a gift to the first OoT3DS owners to register the game on Club Nintendo. Following that, an album featuring recordings of the Anniversary Orchestra will be made available. Music is great.

Part of the WiiU demonstration video included footage of an HD Zelda, a demo reel with connections to Twilight Princess. We can assume there will be a Zelda title for WiiU at some point, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume such a game is in progress already. Certainly don’t expect it at launch, but look forward to the UI advances and HD glory. The demo’s presence at E3 is merely a demonstration of the WiiU’s screen swapping (playing on either TV or controller) and UI management capabilities.

In the wake of the PSN outage, there’s not a whole lot Sony can do to save face except swallow their pride. And that’s what Jack Tretton did as he took the stage this year. Almost immediately he addressed the “elephant in the room,” and tossed around just the right words to just the right people to get everyone into good spirits. He even ventured for joke to lighten the mood. He thanked the developers for their support and understanding and the retailers and service providers for their patience, and he apologized to the users for any “anxiety.” He concluded his apology by reassuring viewers that Sony is still doing well and continues to lead in several areas. Good job, Jack Tretton. You got it done.

The “NGP” has officially received its name - Playstation Vita. The handheld device will feature dual analog sticks, a multitouch screen, sixaxis tilt sensors, an OLED screen, and a plethora of other features to make it as shiny as possible. There’s two models planned - one WiFi only at $249 (€249) and the other with 3G/Wifi at $299 (€299). Sony has partnered with AT&T to bring 3G services, though pricing remains elusive on those plans. I would suspect existing AT&T customers will have an easier time with it. The device will go on sale for the holiday season of this year. They showed Uncharted: Golden Abyss on it - and it looked amazing. The multitouch screen in combination could be used in combination with the traditional controls. For example, supposing there’s a large jump to make in Uncharted, one could either manually move Drake and jump with the buttons, or tap the place you want to jump and he’d do so automatically. More than 80 titles are in development for the Vita, a number probably inflated somewhat by app store shovelware. But at least one is set in the Bioshock universe, so there’s more than a few games to anticipate.

Also shown for Vita was a new ModNation Racers game with Vita-specific track editing features such as using the front and back touch screens to carve or push terrain. Wipeout allows for “crossplay” multi-platform multiplayer and content sharing between PS3 and PSP users. LBP will have a similar suite of new level editing and gameplay features plus the ability to share costumes with the PS3 version. Street Fighter X Tekken will be on Vita and Cole from Infamous will appear as a guest character. There was a “social action RPG” AKA cooperative dungeon crawler a la Torchlight/Diablo called Ruin.

More on the rest of their showing on the full page.

Ideally, I would write an article for Ubisoft as thorough as those I did for EA and Microsoft and will do for Nintendo and Sony. Unfortunately for Ubisoft, I don’t want to. The conference was not terribly interesting, and there’s really only three games to come out of it worth our time. Those were Farcry 3 (which is a series known for its quirk, and nothing was offered of interest in that vain other than a trailer), Gearbox’s Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 and Assassin’s Creed: Revelation.

Ubisoft’s strongest asset this year was their presenter - Aaron Priceman - AKA Mr. Caffeine or not-Joel-McHale. In past years, McHale offered his C game to the conference, rarely managing to get more than a murmur from the audience. He just didn’t get humor for game enthusiasts. This year, they cut their budget back significantly by not hiring such an unnecessary celebrity presence. In his place was Aaron Priceman - Wayne’s World apologist, 8bit hipster poser, and dreadfully stale Aaron Priceman. The most successful thing about his act was his tenacity - he just would not give up his shticks in spite of how horribly they performed. And thanks to our Mr. Priceman, we have a new gold mine of ridiculous things to laugh about in the coming months, a la “one million troobs, RIIIDGE RAACERR,” and the like. And herein lies the true genius of Ubisoft - they gave us someone so horrible that we can’t help but remember what he had to say. And we’ll talk about it for months, and indirectly, he’s provided us with a longer lasting humor than any one liner could. Of course, now that I’ve explained it, really, the joke is lost. God, what a horrible host. “Poop on your toothpaste.” “Dick jokes.” “Sharing.” "Tom Cahlancy." I suppose there’s something left.

More about the actual games on the full page.

EA was strong this year - the show reflected their business strategy by leaning heavily upon their new high-profile partners like Bioware and Insomniac. Many of their upcoming games are shaping up to become powerful contenders in the market. Check back later for more links to relevant video footage and such.

Leading the presentation, as with Microsoft, was Mass Effect 3. There was a new teaser, followed by a gameplay demo, followed by a real trailer. We’ll be getting the game March 6, 2012, more than 2 years after Mass Effect 2. That’s a respectable development cycle, so problems like those with Dragon Age 2 are certainly less likely to appear. The showing for ME3 was varied - they showed the third person combat we expect, plus a new melee knife attack, mixed in with massive set pieces and new forms of gameplay. The story has taken us to earth to battle the reaper threat, with plenty of familiar faces (including Legion!) to assist your efforts.

I am concerned for PC owners of Mass Effect 1 and 2 who could find themselves without a way to transfer their saves to ME3 if this new EA distribution service Origin severs the tie among save data. They pushed the service often, referring viewers to the website at the end of each presentation. Since Bioware remains separate from EA, this is a slim possibility, but it can be hard to tell when a big publisher like this gets excited about a new service.

Bioware’s showing included Star Wars: The Old Republic in a mini-presentation. Every time this game is shown the strongest emphasis is placed upon story, and this time was no different. There was a new trailer, with some bits of footage mixed in from the movie we had last year. It teased story and character variety - there was a guy with a cowboy hat! I wonder though, if story is enough to carry an MMO; so few today actually bother that it’s hard to tell.

Insomniac Games, traditionally exclusive Sony partners, took the stage to announce a new cross-platform IP: Overstrike (pictured). The words to describe the appeal of this game are elusive without having seen the trailer. Insomniac introduced it as a shooter with a “touch of humor.” That humorous edge is certainly an appealing one, relying upon a balance of archetypal traits and wit to bring what appears to be a familiar yet fresh experience. Voice acting regular Steve Blum can be heard in the trailer, though not as any of the main characters, his presence brings to mind an atmosphere almost like the lighter moments of Cowboy Bebop. I’ll be looking into this game more as the show continues. It's a 4 person co-op action game, by the way, with each character specializing in different types of combat.

Of course, more in the full page.

Microsoft’s E3 conference went by predictably and smoothly. Few surprises, apart from maybe Halo 4, but not an overly offensive show either. The actors they put on stage were.. entertaining (pictured). Anyhow, here’s a list of what they covered, in order of most surprising or interesting, or really, whatever. Check back with this article later to find links to any trailers or demos that might grab your interest.

Minecraft’s console release is coming this winter, exclusive to Xbox and Kinect. It’s unclear whether or not this is a timed exclusivity deal, but I would assume that it is, based on the approach Mojang is taking with its mobile versions (exclusive to Xperia Play first, then other platforms).

Halo 4 is coming Holiday 2012 with the return of Master Chief. A teaser was shown with the man himself waking up to Cortana’s voice, prodding him from slumber to deal with the wreckage of his ship. Bungie will not be working on this game - Halo: Reach was their last approach to the series. It will be interesting to see how the new Halo studio "343 Industries" handles the IP. They’re going to have a hard time bringing a unique approach to the increasingly stale genre. Also in Halo news, the first Halo is getting an HD update with a bit more than updated textures - some remodeled environments along with other aesthetic changes and enhanced multiplayer offerings. These changes can be toggled between old and new, and the game will cost $39.

Mass Effect 3 on 360 will have Kinect support in the form of voice recognition. It seems like Microsoft handed Bioware a pile of money to bring relevance to the Kinect and make the 360 version somehow special, but the features seem like a waste. You can respond to dialog options by speaking your response, then have Shepard take over the conversation with his own voice. Also, during combat, you can call out your special abilities to use them instantly. There was a female Krogan in the footage they showed. Also Mordin.

The new Tomb Raider game is coming in Fall 2012, telling Lara’s origin story. There was a gameplay demo showing her get all sorts of beat up and panicky. If this game's story can effectively transition her from this loud, distressed girl to a hardened “tomb raider,” it might be worth some time - otherwise listening to her constant cries of pain might get annoying. The demo environment did a good job tapping into the nostalgia of old Tomb Raider games - somehow it captured that same ambience.

More, of course, on the full page.

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As Koholint transitions into BossKey, our approach to E3 will not change much. As secondary participants of the event, each one of us as members of this community has the same level of access to information coming out of E3. Depending on your dedication to games as a hobby, keeping an eye on this information can be a challenge, as there's so much to see and miss. Information provided by BossKey will be prompt and thorough, but focused, so that our audience can see the most interesting information first. Look forward to summaries of each press conference and followup articles regarding important announcements. Go here for a complete list of video coverage during the event, or go to the bottom of this article for a quick, time zone-friendly list of each press conference.

E3 2011 is shaping up to be a particularly heavy year. There are likely few surprises in store, but news is already oozing from the seams of its June 6-9 timeframe. Nintendo is showing Project Cafe, Sony is showing their next PSP (NGP or "Vita"), and Microsoft is showing... games. EA and Bioware have a lot of quality games to show off, as do many other companies. Unfortunately, Valve will not be in attendance at all, unless we've been lied to.

Continue reading for more detailed speculation on what you might want to keep an eye out for this year.

The weekend before last, I had the opportunity to attend Nintendo’s 3DS demo event in Chiba’s Makuhari Messe. My primary motivation for attending was the chance to see Ocarina of Time 3DS in action. Also, check out this video showing a member of Japanese superband Arashi as he reacts to the 3DS. Hilarious.

Before I get into the specifics of the games I played, I’ll remark on the 3DS in general. It’s a good handheld. It’s easy to use, it’s very DS-like. It works as advertised! 3D movies have been frustrating for me in these past few years, as I always have a hard time focusing on movement and individual elements of the movie screen. I feel like I’m in a crowded room of visuals, and my eyes don’t know where to look. Visuals can crowd the field between your seat and the screen with those cheap effects like “Oooh look, that thing jumped at your face.” The nature of the 3D technology of the 3DS moves the field of 3D away from your face and onto the front of the device, so all of the 3D effects happen underneath that screen. This combined with the small size of the screen, allow you to easily focus on individual elements of action. There’s a slider for the 3D effect I had expected to turn off completely, but in fact I has it set to maximum depth the whole time.

The slide pad analog stick felt smooth. It takes a moment to adjust to its low angle, but this did little more than mess up my timing for swinging at Deku Babas. The included stylus is metal and extendable, making its total length about 1.5 times longer than the DS Lite’s. The power button is in a very awkward place, especially for games like Kid Icarus that have you controlling your aim on the touch screen - my hand rested directly on the power button, and I did in fact turn it off accidentally.

Truth be told, although the 3DS appears to be full of potential, there are several design concerns that make me wonder if it can penetrate the mass market as thoroughly as its predecessor. Say what you will about dual joysticks and their utility in modern games, I don’t think they’re necessary for a handheld. However, a game like Kid Icarus requires 3 different points of input, using the slide pad for movement, the touch screen for targeting, and the triggers for shooting/attacking. A left-handed person would have trouble with this, unable to switch hands on the stylus with the slide pad in the way. Then there’s power button, as mentioned before - simply a poor design choice.

The 3D effect is temperamental at best. It requires you to look straight on at the DS from a specific distance at all times. If you should shift the DS at all during play, you’re treated to an eye strain comparable to crossing your eyes.

Lastly, it’s region locked! What a bummer! I guess the issues aren’t all that bad, given the fact the 3D effects are an optional feature, and not all games will make it so difficult for lefties. Still Nintendo is preemptively covering their asses with all sorts of warning that prompt all sorts of concern.

Continue reading for more details on specific games!

I’ve been putting off real updates for the redesign, which is coming as soon as there’s an extended gap in my schedule - I just need to have the right day and the right amount of drive to finish it off. However, in the past few days, there has been a plethora of news that I would be completely and thoroughly sad to miss out on posting.

First off, there’s the game announcements from the Spike VGAs. As I’ve already indoctrinated many of my readers to the awesomeness of Mass Effect, I’ll start there.

Mass Effect 3, teased some weeks ago, with a blurb leaked some days ago, will be arriving Holiday 2011 for at least 360 and PC, with a PS3 version very likely. PS3 owners can expect a slightly beefed up version of ME2 (compensating for a lack of ME1 on the console) on January 18 in NA, January 21 in Europe. Check out ME3’s first teaser here.

Next we have a real trailer for Arkham City, with what appears to be a new primary villain for the game. Hugo Strange gets all villainous in this very pretty CG movie. The game is scheduled for release late in the third quarter of 2011 for PC/360/PS3.

Bethesda announced the next game within their major IPs, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It’s scheduled for a release date of 11/11/11, although I would be very surprised if they actually make the date, or the year. Thankfully, they’ll be dumped the Gamebryo engine that they’ve used since Morrowind in favor of a new proprietary engine. This, assuming competence, will hopefully lead to less bugs! So, let’s enjoy a teaser for now.

Last thing I must mention is Uncharted 3. It’s out November 1, 2011, and here’s a trailer! This is a game series I haven't had the opportunity to play very thoroughly, but it's definitely something I recognize as very good.

Note that I have not mentioned a single thing about the awards themselves UNTIL NOW. Though I may agree with some of the winners, much of the awards are biased towards sponsors and partners. I don't really fault that kind of deal, it's just that you can't really put any stock in their choices beyond "this winner will generate the most buzz for the show or for the game." For example, in the voice acting categories, the only winners were semi-famous actors in their own right, though their performances were rather lack-luster within the games themselves. NPH is cool, but, shit.

This isn’t actually the last post I’ll make before the redesign, in all likelihood. There’s a lot I want to say about FFXIV soon, especially with all the changes afoot. The director was dumped in favor of new talent, and the free trial period has been extended indefinitely. Lots to say, but I’ll say that for the next article.

By Alistair

FFXIV was released last week in the form of a collector's edition in which the lucky (or those with disposable income) were able to procure. I was excited to take home the large box and immediately install my game. The box itself is pretty gorgeous and it's got some nice cover art. The collector's edition includes:

• A security token which adds an extra numerical password that changes frequently for extra protection.
• The code for an "Onion Helm", which is sort of ugly but recalls past final fantasy traditions. It drops the KO sickness you get after dying by a couple minutes. It's handy for tougher guildleves.
• A "journal", which seems pretty fancy. It has some official artwork inside and provides a nice place to write down craft recipes or anything else you need.
• A buddy pass. You can invite a friend to play for free for 30 days but they'll need to borrow your disc to install the game.
• 30 days of free play for yourself.

The package is really nice and I love displaying it. Apparently the Japanese version comes with a large tumbler that can't actually contain anything but water, so I don't feel like I'm missing much.

The game itself took not to long to install. The updates, however, were sort of a hassle because they were lengthy. However this was quickly remedied by downloading the patch from Megaupload.

Moving past the installation and into character creation: the features are all the same from beta, though it's been said that players will be able to change their hairstyles in-game as well as adding all new styles.
Our Linkshell started on the Lindblum server, which was one of the most populated. Since then we've received several downtimes as a result. We considered moving to another, which wouldn't have been too hard, but I decided not to because of the extra members I had invited. Hopefully, even with the Standard Edition being released today, the server might eventually be fixed.

More after the jump.