Microsoft E3 Press Conference Recap
Kick It Off With Modern Warfare 3
MS' presser began with a nearly 10 minute gameplay demo for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The demo showed off a group of specialists going through a submerged access tunnel in New York City moving about with propelled handheld submarines. As the player goes through the water you will have to dodge mines placed in the water as well as watch the sonar HUD on your handheld submarine for mines and enemies. Once you make it through the mines you will surface out of the water to a view of a destroyed NYC skyline. It was a bit of a breathtaking shot as some of the buildings were recognizable. As the camera pans you see that there are dozens upon dozens of warships firing upon the city.
You make your way out of the water and onto a nearby surfaced submarine where you will have to take out enemy forces atop of the sub and infiltrate the inner workings of the vessel. Once inside the sub you will have to make your way to the bridge where you take control of a command console and launch missiles at an unknown target. After launching the missiles you'll have to make your way back out of the sub and to a waiting u-boat that you will have to take control of to escape the bay.
Overall the demo didn't shown anything ground breaking that will be available upon playing but it was a very polished demo and the graphics were outstanding. The controls looked to remain the same with gun control remaining relatively the same.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is out on November 8.
Tomb Raider Gets Rebooted In Demo
Crystal Dynamics then took the stage to show off their Tomb Raider reboot which began with Lara Croft hanging upside down in a cavern tied up. She then has to free herself using fire from a torch below. Croft then falls and impales herself on what appeared to be a piece of metal lying on the ground. The rest of the level is Croft trying to escape the cavern. One of the main gameplay elements that were shown off was the fact that onscreen hints will help you along the way. This could be a welcome addition to some gamers but most "hardcore" gamers will scoff at the idea of a hint system built into such a well known franchise. Other gameplay options taking place in the demo were QTE's (Quick Time Events) when having to climb walls or sliding down slopes.
The graphics for the demo were top notch and showed that Crystal Dynamics had really taken the time to get the environments around Lara Croft looking spectacular. Once out of the cavern you really see the attention to detail that the developers took to shape Croft's world.
The game was revealed for a fall 2012 release.
EA Sports Goes To Kinect
EA's Peter Moore took the stage next to announce that EA Sports would be bringing four well known sports titles to the Kinect, including Madden NFL 12, FIFA 12, Tiger Woods PGA Golf, as well as one unannounced title.
Mass Effect 3 To Include Kinect
BioWare's Ray Muzyka then took the stage to announce that Mass Effect 3 will include Kinect support via voice commands and squad based tactics. The demo shown included Command Sheppard as well as Mordin from ME2 as dialogue was exchanged the player had to use voice commands via the Kinect to progress through the game. Once the voice commands ceased the player had to use squad based voice commands to tell your squadmates what to do in battle.
More on how Mass Effect 3 will utilize Kinect will be unveiled during Electronic Arts' E3 press conference.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Uses Kinect
After we collected our jaws from the floor following the Mass Effect 3 demo using Kinect, Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot took the stage to announce that all future Tom Clancy titles will use Kinect in some way, shape, or form. We also saw a nice trailer for the game as the GR unit utilized that "future soldier" technology to defeat some middle east enemies. Following the trailer a demo of how Kinect would be utilized was shown. Players will be able to customize their weapons and randomize them using the Kinect's voice commands. The Kinect will also allow the player to use their hands to shoot and and reload their weapons.
It was definitely an interesting feature to include in a shooter and it remains to be seen just how the Kinect will hinder or help the game as far as gameplay goes. Body tracking will also be used in the game meaning that you will be able to control your entire character with the Kinect.
Kinect To Take Over The Xbox 360 Dashboard
Microsoft's Don Mattrick took the stage after the Future Soldier demo to announce that the Kinect enabled Xbox 360 Dashboard would be fully optimized and revamped for various Kinect controls. One feature that will be coming to the Xbox 360 Dashboard is YouTube support, however it remains to be announced in just what form YouTube will be included.
Also announced for the new Xbox 360 Dashboard was Microsoft Bing support, search engine and all. You will be able to search everything from your favorite TV shows to your favorite movies using the program's search engine.
Live TV was also announced to be making its way to the Xbox 360 Dashboard that will allow you to instantly DVR or watch live your favorite TV shows. There was no word on whether or not any of these new features will require a paid subscription.
UFC Partners Up With The Xbox
After Don Mattrick was done on stage, Dana White of the Ultimate Fighting Championship took the Microsoft stage to announce that the UFC brand would be teaming up with Microsoft's Xbox 360 to allow seamless integration with watching UFC matches and title fights.
It was not announced if this would be a part of the Gold subscription and whether or not (if it was a part of the Gold subs) you would get to watch UFC fights for free.
Kinect For The Hardcore?
After Dana White finished up with UFC, Phil Spencer of Microsoft Studios then took the stage to announce that from here on out (during the presser) everything shown will be exclusive to the Xbox 360.
Cliff Bleszinski then took the stage to introduce Gears of War 3's co-op campaign mode along side long time rapper and actor Ice-T. A demo of the co-op campaign was then shown and looked quite polished and looked as seamless as the previous GoW titles. However, one new inclusion in Gears of War 3 was the introduction of controllable mechs in the game. You apparently use them as weapons, obviously.
After the Gears of War 3 demo, a medieval Kinect title "Ryse" was shown and was announced that the game will utilize the Xbox 360 controller as well as the Kinect for motion controls.
After Ryse, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was announced with high definition graphics, revamped multiplayer, and the return of classic maps. It will be hitting retail shelves this fall, as of November 15, only for the Xbox 360.
Forza MotorSport 4 was then shown off using direct in-game footage for their trailer it was announced that the game would be the most realistic Forza title ever and will utilize Kinect. The game looked very polished although it didn't look quite as realistic as Gran Turismo 5. Which was disappointing.
Forza MotorSport 4 will be out on October 11.
After Forza's introduction ended Lionhead's Peter Molyneux took the stage to announce Fable: The Journey exclusively for the Xbox 360's Kinect. The game will be an on-rails type of game where you will go through the game in the first person. The demo that was shown showed off you being able to control horse drawn carts with Kinect as well as cast spells.
I don't know how I feel about a first person Fable title controlled via the Kinect.
Also announced coming to the Kinect was the indie massive hit, Minecraft.
Kinect Goes To The Kiddies
Disneyland Adventures was shown off as an exclusive title for Kinect that will take you through the most popular theme park in the world as well as some of the world's more popular Disney rides. It's obviously aimed for the younger Xbox audience, much like Kinectimals was when it was announced last year.
It actually looks like a replica of Kinect Adventures, but with Disney themes. Disneyland Adventures is out this holiday season.
Star Wars Kinect was then shown, and to be honest, from the demo that was introduced, it did not impress me at all. It appeared to be an on-rails type game that took you from place to place and the controls looked to lag behind and appeared to be very clunky. This could be just an early build of the demo and it might turn out better, but from what was shown, it didn't appear to be very good.
Tim Schafer from Double Fine then took the stage to introduce Seasame Street: Once Upon A Monster, which actually looked like a genuine family title. The controls were quite responsive and the gameplay looked very fun.
No release date was announced.
Kudo Tsunoda for Kinect took the stage to announce Kinect Fun Labs as a tech demo hub for the Xbox 360's Kinect. The Kinect Fun Lab will free to all Xbox 360 users and will feature tech demos such as motion capture and full body recognition. Finger tracking was also announced for 3D picture taking.
Kinect Fun Labs is currently available now.
Kinect Sports 2 was then revealed to include golf, tennis, football and more. Dance Central 2 was also announced with the revelation that all your songs from the original Dance Central will be able to be transferred to Dance Central 2. The sequel will also include over 100 songs at launch. Multiplayer dancing will also be introduced.
Master Chief Returns
To close out Microsoft's E3 press conference was the announcement and first teaser trailer for Halo 4 being developed by 343 Industries.
The trailer included Master Chief returning right where Halo 3 left off. It was announced for holiday 2012.
MS' presser began with a nearly 10 minute gameplay demo for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The demo showed off a group of specialists going through a submerged access tunnel in New York City moving about with propelled handheld submarines. As the player goes through the water you will have to dodge mines placed in the water as well as watch the sonar HUD on your handheld submarine for mines and enemies. Once you make it through the mines you will surface out of the water to a view of a destroyed NYC skyline. It was a bit of a breathtaking shot as some of the buildings were recognizable. As the camera pans you see that there are dozens upon dozens of warships firing upon the city.
You make your way out of the water and onto a nearby surfaced submarine where you will have to take out enemy forces atop of the sub and infiltrate the inner workings of the vessel. Once inside the sub you will have to make your way to the bridge where you take control of a command console and launch missiles at an unknown target. After launching the missiles you'll have to make your way back out of the sub and to a waiting u-boat that you will have to take control of to escape the bay.
Overall the demo didn't shown anything ground breaking that will be available upon playing but it was a very polished demo and the graphics were outstanding. The controls looked to remain the same with gun control remaining relatively the same.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is out on November 8.
Tomb Raider Gets Rebooted In Demo
Crystal Dynamics then took the stage to show off their Tomb Raider reboot which began with Lara Croft hanging upside down in a cavern tied up. She then has to free herself using fire from a torch below. Croft then falls and impales herself on what appeared to be a piece of metal lying on the ground. The rest of the level is Croft trying to escape the cavern. One of the main gameplay elements that were shown off was the fact that onscreen hints will help you along the way. This could be a welcome addition to some gamers but most "hardcore" gamers will scoff at the idea of a hint system built into such a well known franchise. Other gameplay options taking place in the demo were QTE's (Quick Time Events) when having to climb walls or sliding down slopes.
The graphics for the demo were top notch and showed that Crystal Dynamics had really taken the time to get the environments around Lara Croft looking spectacular. Once out of the cavern you really see the attention to detail that the developers took to shape Croft's world.
The game was revealed for a fall 2012 release.
EA Sports Goes To Kinect
EA's Peter Moore took the stage next to announce that EA Sports would be bringing four well known sports titles to the Kinect, including Madden NFL 12, FIFA 12, Tiger Woods PGA Golf, as well as one unannounced title.
Mass Effect 3 To Include Kinect
BioWare's Ray Muzyka then took the stage to announce that Mass Effect 3 will include Kinect support via voice commands and squad based tactics. The demo shown included Command Sheppard as well as Mordin from ME2 as dialogue was exchanged the player had to use voice commands via the Kinect to progress through the game. Once the voice commands ceased the player had to use squad based voice commands to tell your squadmates what to do in battle.
More on how Mass Effect 3 will utilize Kinect will be unveiled during Electronic Arts' E3 press conference.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Uses Kinect
After we collected our jaws from the floor following the Mass Effect 3 demo using Kinect, Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot took the stage to announce that all future Tom Clancy titles will use Kinect in some way, shape, or form. We also saw a nice trailer for the game as the GR unit utilized that "future soldier" technology to defeat some middle east enemies. Following the trailer a demo of how Kinect would be utilized was shown. Players will be able to customize their weapons and randomize them using the Kinect's voice commands. The Kinect will also allow the player to use their hands to shoot and and reload their weapons.
It was definitely an interesting feature to include in a shooter and it remains to be seen just how the Kinect will hinder or help the game as far as gameplay goes. Body tracking will also be used in the game meaning that you will be able to control your entire character with the Kinect.
Kinect To Take Over The Xbox 360 Dashboard
Microsoft's Don Mattrick took the stage after the Future Soldier demo to announce that the Kinect enabled Xbox 360 Dashboard would be fully optimized and revamped for various Kinect controls. One feature that will be coming to the Xbox 360 Dashboard is YouTube support, however it remains to be announced in just what form YouTube will be included.
Also announced for the new Xbox 360 Dashboard was Microsoft Bing support, search engine and all. You will be able to search everything from your favorite TV shows to your favorite movies using the program's search engine.
Live TV was also announced to be making its way to the Xbox 360 Dashboard that will allow you to instantly DVR or watch live your favorite TV shows. There was no word on whether or not any of these new features will require a paid subscription.
UFC Partners Up With The Xbox
After Don Mattrick was done on stage, Dana White of the Ultimate Fighting Championship took the Microsoft stage to announce that the UFC brand would be teaming up with Microsoft's Xbox 360 to allow seamless integration with watching UFC matches and title fights.
It was not announced if this would be a part of the Gold subscription and whether or not (if it was a part of the Gold subs) you would get to watch UFC fights for free.
Kinect For The Hardcore?
After Dana White finished up with UFC, Phil Spencer of Microsoft Studios then took the stage to announce that from here on out (during the presser) everything shown will be exclusive to the Xbox 360.
Cliff Bleszinski then took the stage to introduce Gears of War 3's co-op campaign mode along side long time rapper and actor Ice-T. A demo of the co-op campaign was then shown and looked quite polished and looked as seamless as the previous GoW titles. However, one new inclusion in Gears of War 3 was the introduction of controllable mechs in the game. You apparently use them as weapons, obviously.
After the Gears of War 3 demo, a medieval Kinect title "Ryse" was shown and was announced that the game will utilize the Xbox 360 controller as well as the Kinect for motion controls.
After Ryse, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was announced with high definition graphics, revamped multiplayer, and the return of classic maps. It will be hitting retail shelves this fall, as of November 15, only for the Xbox 360.
Forza MotorSport 4 was then shown off using direct in-game footage for their trailer it was announced that the game would be the most realistic Forza title ever and will utilize Kinect. The game looked very polished although it didn't look quite as realistic as Gran Turismo 5. Which was disappointing.
Forza MotorSport 4 will be out on October 11.
After Forza's introduction ended Lionhead's Peter Molyneux took the stage to announce Fable: The Journey exclusively for the Xbox 360's Kinect. The game will be an on-rails type of game where you will go through the game in the first person. The demo that was shown showed off you being able to control horse drawn carts with Kinect as well as cast spells.
I don't know how I feel about a first person Fable title controlled via the Kinect.
Also announced coming to the Kinect was the indie massive hit, Minecraft.
Kinect Goes To The Kiddies
Disneyland Adventures was shown off as an exclusive title for Kinect that will take you through the most popular theme park in the world as well as some of the world's more popular Disney rides. It's obviously aimed for the younger Xbox audience, much like Kinectimals was when it was announced last year.
It actually looks like a replica of Kinect Adventures, but with Disney themes. Disneyland Adventures is out this holiday season.
Star Wars Kinect was then shown, and to be honest, from the demo that was introduced, it did not impress me at all. It appeared to be an on-rails type game that took you from place to place and the controls looked to lag behind and appeared to be very clunky. This could be just an early build of the demo and it might turn out better, but from what was shown, it didn't appear to be very good.
Tim Schafer from Double Fine then took the stage to introduce Seasame Street: Once Upon A Monster, which actually looked like a genuine family title. The controls were quite responsive and the gameplay looked very fun.
No release date was announced.
Kudo Tsunoda for Kinect took the stage to announce Kinect Fun Labs as a tech demo hub for the Xbox 360's Kinect. The Kinect Fun Lab will free to all Xbox 360 users and will feature tech demos such as motion capture and full body recognition. Finger tracking was also announced for 3D picture taking.
Kinect Fun Labs is currently available now.
Kinect Sports 2 was then revealed to include golf, tennis, football and more. Dance Central 2 was also announced with the revelation that all your songs from the original Dance Central will be able to be transferred to Dance Central 2. The sequel will also include over 100 songs at launch. Multiplayer dancing will also be introduced.
Master Chief Returns
To close out Microsoft's E3 press conference was the announcement and first teaser trailer for Halo 4 being developed by 343 Industries.
The trailer included Master Chief returning right where Halo 3 left off. It was announced for holiday 2012.
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