E3 2006: in which I try to hate the games industry
![[I'm always excited about brand new IP.]](http://toase.net/gfx/mass-effect-promo.jpg "[I'm always excited about brand new IP.]")
The gaming mob is fickle.
The novelty of E3 continues to wear thin, for me at least. I'd rather selectively watch coverage on the internet than be stuck in line with a bunch of people who are probably not even supposed to be there. It's become an amusement park. A giant, throbbing, noisy commercial for games that might not even see release, but we're going to get super happy excited about anyway. How much can you really glean from a game's trailer or 5 minute playtest that's been built up after waiting for two hours? The software isn't even complete. Is it to say you've played it first? I'm having a hard time figuring out my former longstanding desire to attend an E3. The gaming mob is fickle.
Remember when Nintendo announced the Nintendo DS a couple of years ago? Nobody knew what it would look like or what it would be capable of doing, and yet we all took turns kicking Nintendo in the balls. I did it, because I didn't know any better. I'm glad I've learned since. And not just that the Nintendo DS is the best gaming handheld available. Yes, a handheld that is designed to play games.
Remember when Nintendo announced their new controller last year? I didn't go out of my way to say anything, because it's a controller. I didn't know what it did yet. It looked a bit unconventional, sure. Who am I kidding, it looked like a TV remote in delightfully trendy iPod white. But who was to say what Nintendo had in store?
Remember when Nintendo announced the name of their new console? It wasn't "Revolution", but "Wii". A hideous pun that was driven so far into the ground that I'm glad it will remain buried for eternity. With the dinosaurs. Was Nintendo making a mistake?
Now everyone wants to be Nintendo's best friend. "We have a winner!" the people proclaim, proudly predicting the results of the Next Generation War after viewing Nintendo's presentation at their press conference and overall showing at E3. I'd prefer to continue my cautious interest. Microsoft is staying their course and is proving everyone wrong after the early release of their hardware with a solid set of second wave releases. And how the mighty Sony has fallen. A tilting controller? Please. I'm glad to see that gamers are wising up to the diversion that graphical fidelity has become - polygon pushing processors don't ever make up for bad game design.
The good thing about this year's E3 was that there wasn't a shortage of things to read about. There were many games that made their first appearance; some I hadn't even heard about until the E3 coverage. What I've noticed, though, are the amount of titles that are being developed for the XBox 360 and PS3. Next to the PS3's ridiculous pricing schemes, what incentive does a person have to get one? The 360 is even getting a simultaneous release of Grand Theft Auto IV! I didn't see a single mention of the PS3's online functionality. I was going to get a PS3 if only to have access to three generations worth of the excellent games that I've missed. Now I might just buy a PS2 when the price drops even further later this year.
Of course, there were some particular games that stood out in my mind (both good and bad):
Chris Taylor's Gas Powered Games appears to be picking up where Total Annihilation left off. This has a lot of RTS fans in a slavering frenzy. If you haven't played Total Annihilation, you probably don't like RTS. That really is the only excuse.
Dawn of War has one of the best opening videos I've ever seen in a game, even next to Diablo II. And yet Mark of Chaos comes along with something so astounding that makes it me want to play the game immediately. From the footage I have seen the game is taking the epic Total War approach to battles, with each faction in the game starting with a stronghold to launch a campaign across a contintental map. This is probably the game I am most excited about, based on the limited information available.
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Call of Duty 3
Why do I continue to follow this genre like a lost puppy? It doesn't seem to change much, and yet my thirst for the same Nazi-slaying action remains unsated. Hell's Highway tackles Operation Market Garden, while Call of Duty 3 seems to be er...still streetfighting somewhere in Normandy. Except you can wrestle guns from your opponents now. The most troubling news about Call of Duty 3 is that it's not being made for the PC. After experiencing the low-level tactics of Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers, I am expecting a lot more from Brothers in Arms.
This game sounds like Dawn of Sorrow's Julius Mode, where you can switch between Julius Belmont the whip-wielding vampire hunter and Yoko Belnades (magic user). The third dimension is being introduced, curdling the blood of any Castlevania fan. It supposedly "adds depth" to the game world, but see for yourself how out of place the 2D sprites look on a 3D backdrop. I'm also disappointed at the the lack of any "collecting" system that has been at the core of the three GBA titles and Dawn of Sorrow. Is this to be a straightforward side scrolling action game? It's a disappointing step backward.
Um. Is that 3rd person action I smell? I can see Microsoft taking a beloved tabletop RPG and using its licensing power to market a mediocre shooter. Sounds like another Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
More family fun from Sid Meier! I'm anxious to try this thing if only for the implied historical content, though I'm not sure about those chunky looking graphics. Railroad Tycoon for kids? I hope the economic complexity of the Tycoon series holds up in this "reimagining" of sorts. I don't think Firaxis will be able to get away with another remake like Pirates!, a game that actually made me feel bad for not being able to dance. But the plunder!
Bioware's latest RPG for the XBox 360 appears to go one step further than the Knights of the Old Republic series. Oblivion's speechcraft system seems only half-realized; the dynamic conversation options in Mass Effect sound incredible in comparison. The action system is carried over from the KOTOR series in that it takes the party-based, pause to issue commands approach. Though using a brand new universe and story isn't unfamiliar to Bioware, as one only has to look back at the well received Jade Empire. Nevertheless I'm very, very interested in what the game potentially offers. My only question is, what the fuck happened to Dragon Age?
Not sure about this one. All this talk about "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2 is getting a little annoying. It is, after all, being made for a console and from the sounds of it eliminating interface conventions of the CRPG experience (Oblivion is guilty of this as well). I get the sense that the story will be the discerning feature of this game, because to me they're simply trying to make another System Shock 2.
Likely the only PS3 game I'm looking forward to. There's a lot of talk of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in the previews when describing the main character's movements throughout the game world. I don't want an action game, though, because the medieval setting and the themes presented are easily suited for the stealth gameplay pioneered by the Thief series.
I love this character. I've played every Indy game there ever was. And yet something has happened over the years where the adventure is gone and the action has become the focal point. In most of the PR material, LucasArts is flogging "euphoria", a kind of environmental awareness AI that allows the creation of unique animations during fistfights. Which sounds great, except that this does little to convince me I'm going to be getting an Indiana Jones adventure. Besides, using this new engine seems like asking for Havok's amazing circus-like death poses that break immersion through sheer physical impossibility.
This will be launching with the Wii. And it sounds like the controller is well suited to the series' style. Like Hunters on the DS, Nintendo is quietly revolutionizing first person shooters for the console. I am glad that at least one console manufacturer is listening to PC gamers.