EA knows some dudes - E3 2011 Press Conference Summary

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.

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Curt Schilling took the stage following some currently jobless NFL players (Ray Lewis of the Ravens, Payton Hillis of the Browns, and Clay Matthews of the Packers). Curt Schilling, as you may have heard, is the former MLB pitcher who opened 38 Studios to pursue his passion for games. His team has been hard at work with top-tier talent (i.e. R.A. Salvatore of Forgotten Realms fame) for years now building a fantasy MMO known as Copernicus. In the pursuit of that game, they’ve brought us another title as a prequel, I believe - “Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.” We saw a trailer that failed to impress - generic fantasy without any real substance, but hopefully there’s something there.

SSX exists. The trailer was good. It’s coming January 2012. I enjoyed SSX on Gamecube, and it’s one of those franchises that can be associated with a certain level of quality. The genre no longer holds my interest, but the game looks promising.

Need For Speed: The Run is a story-heavy NFS involving a race across the country and a story that attempts to bridge the genres action and racing. Characters jump out of their cars to continue the flow of race to race pattern, giving players an exciting Michael Bay series of quick time events to get the driver to his next car. In fact, SSX may be on the path of a similar genre-bend as Peter Moore pushed the importance of characters following that trailer. NFS can be hit or miss, but this approach is at least unique.

Battlefield 3 closed out EA’s presentations with a series of video showing off realism and precision. Modern Warfare 3 has a true competitor in BF3 which introduces new types of gameplay amidst the typical war zone presence. There’s first person tank operation, thermal imaging... laser targeted air strikes... It could be cool. October 25!

Madden 12, Fifa 12, sports sports Sims Social - simsville I guess.