With E3 in full swing, it’s time to check in with some pictures of the event, specifically the shots from Nintendo’s press conference yesterday.
So, without further ado, the first gallery:
Tag: Metroid
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E3 2010: The Nintendo press conference gallery
Killing time with trivia… If you were wondering where you were… Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage. Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto demoes the new Zelda: Skyward Sword with his own sword and shield. The new Zelda in action. Mario Sports Mix gets underway during the Nintendo event. Perfect for World Cup season… Some images, they're just iconic… Reggie Fils-Aime introduces Golden Sun for the Nintendo DS The new Goldeneye 007, as greeted by a roaring auditorium. Ok, this might be more iconic than Mario… Nintendo executives unveil Epic Mickey for the Nintendo Wii. Epic Mickey in action at the Nintendo press conference on Tuesday. Let's face it: you can't hate Kirby. The first images of the new Metroid: Other M title. The first images of the Nintendo 3DS handheld. The first gameplay footage of Kid Icarus: Uprising. A battle sequence from Kid Icarus: Uprising -
E3 2010: Into the breach
By Joshua Simmons
E3 Day 1 Conference Impressions:
Nintendo:
This was clearly the year of the Nintendo come back after several previous lackluster E3 presentations. There were no vitality sensors, no fashion runway games for DS, and no Wii Music. What we did get started with a bang when Shigeru Miyamoto himself came out on stage to debut the new Zelda Wii title, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Using motion plus technology, Miyamoto demonstrated the possibilities of sword and shield play as well as several new items at Link’s disposal. The two most unique items would have to have been the beetle launcher, which sent a controllable beetle flying off of Link’s arm to collect far off items, and the whip, capable of cutting grass and grabbing items. As if a new Zelda wasn’t enough, we also got Mario Sports Mix, Epic Mickey, Golden Sun Dark Dawn for DS, a new Wii Kirby, and more footage of Metroid Other M. It was clear that Nintendo intended to deliver to its core demographic today and they did just that. Big surprises were also in store with a Goldeneye remake exclusive for Wii starring all previous Bonds, as well as a new retro remake of Donkey Kong Country.Nintendo’s biggest gun this E3 was the much anticipated 3DS unveil, and it did not disappoint. Although, we in the audience were unable to get a sense of the much touted “No glasses” 3D tech, we did get an understanding of the handheld’s power with a glimpse at the surprise announcement, Kid Icarus. Other 3DS features included two front facing cameras for taking 3D photos, 3D effect adjustment dial, an analog stick, and the ability to play 3D movies on the device. Nintendo’s E3 2010 press conference was very impressive, and I’m sure hardcore Nintendo fans worldwide are quite satisfied.
Sony:
Although the surprises were in few this year, the Sony conference managed to consistently deliver exciting new prospects for the future with their lineup. They kicked things off with a special look at two Killzone 3 levels, presented in 3D to the audience which was met with hollering and cheering as Sev leaped to the air in a jet pack. The visuals were fantastic, and the game really conveyed the potential for Sony’s 3D tech. We also got news of several titles that will include 3D in the future such as Gran Turismo 5, Mortal Kombat, EyePet and more. Shifting from 3D to the Playstation Move, we were treated to a premiere demo of Sorcery. Sorcery uses the Move controller to guide a young apprentice through a castle as he battles goblins by flicking the Move to send spells from his wand. The 1:1 tracking of the Move was impressive as the wizard’s arm accurately reflected what the player was doing; it also demonstrated different movements to achieve varying abilities. We were also treated to a demo of Tiger Woods 2011, also used impressive tracking to register the player’s movement as he would swing the club.After a surprise, and hilarious, appearance by Kevin Butler, Sony shifted the conference to the games. Although it was pleasant to see Little Big Planet 2 demonstrated for the audience, the biggest announcement came in the form of Portal 2 for Playstation 3. However, I personally was the most excited when the grand finale of today’s event turned out to be the unveiling of Twisted Metal for Playstation 3. Typically, we only get these kind of unveils in the form of a teaser, or small clip, but after driving out onto the stage in a replica Sweet Tooth truck, we were treated to a live demo of the game’s multiplayer modes.
These two conferences have left me quite excited for the year to come in gaming, and I’ll be sure to write deeper impressions in the days to come as I get to try out all the great games shown today in person on the show floor!
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E3: Nintendo Briefing Notes
Nintendo just wrapped its media briefing on this end and the results are strange, encouraging and mixed:
-Nintendo’s Cammie Dunaway announced that this year’s theme will be “Everyone’s Game”. There’s something for everyone and Nintendo intends to address this.
-“New Mario Brothers” Wii was announced, the title featuring beautiful graphics as well as co-op and competitive play for up to four players at once wherein players can help each other or compete for points. Other features include a neat ability to switch to another player (such as from Mario to Toad to Luigi) at any point in time. The title will launch over the holidays.
-Nintendo is moving to introduce WiiFit Pus, which will work to find a workout program appropriate for the user and add 15 new balance games such as juggling and skateboarding. The title will arrive this fall and will also be able to be purchased and downloaded as a standalone item.
-Nintendo President and Chief Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aime spoke about Nintendo’s interface, then introduced the Wii Motion Plus, a new controller that will function as a more advanced version of Nintendo’s current Wiimote. The controller will apparently have to be purchased on its own and no price point was mentioned for the unit.
-Nintendo’s Bill Trinen detailed the Wii Motion Plus, highlighting an increased ability to detect position and angles relative to the Wiimore, which can then be applied to a game. Trinen commented that Nintendo is looking to make this a more natural experience, that the unit will launch in the Americas on July 21st and that the improved motion sensor technology will be supported in assorted EA Sports titles as well as RedSteel 2.
-Nintendo will launch Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers as well as an exclusive version of Kingdom Hearts (Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days) to the Nintendo DS this September.
-Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story will hit in North America and Europe later this fall. Here, Mario and Luigi have to fight within Bowser’s body a la “Inner Space”.
-Nintendo will be resurrecting the Golden Sun RPG series with Golden Sun DS in 2010.
-Beginning on October 13th, James Patterson’s books will be available as an interactive novel/game (“Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion”).
-COP: The Recruit will play as a Ubisoft title. This seems to be a mix of Grand Theft Auto and an interactive novel.
-Nintendo will launch its Style Savvy title, wherein users design outfits, run your own boutique, supports wireless networking.
-Nintendo announced the the company has currently sold over one million DSi units. Representatives then highlighted that it will focus on user-generated content and sharing.
-Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again will allow users to create their own levels, then upload levels to friends. The title will be available as a download beginning June 8th.
-WarioWare DIY: Allows players to create their own levels and games themselves.
-Beginning this summer, the DSi will allow photos to be edited and uploaded to Facebook.
-Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced that Nintendo’s research has divvied their game market into “active”, “maybe?” and “never”. In the survey, there are 295 million active players, 149 million “maybe” players and a given number of people who will never play games. Iwata then cited that the company is trying to open its markets and provide something for everyone.
-Perhaps the strangest thing of the briefing: Iwata then announced the Wii Vitality Sensor, a device that takes your pulse, analyzes data such as tension, etc. and returns biometric information. This can be used as a relaxation technique, per Iwata, but no release date or titles were mentioned for such a device.
-Nintendo then showed demo footage for Super Mario Galaxy 2, complete with beautiful environments, classic stuff, imaginative settings.
-Other games announced included The Conduit, an apocalyptic sci-fi title developed by Sega and exclusive for the Wii. The game will be available this June.
-Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is en route and will function as Resident Evil with a first-person shooter perspective.
-Dead Space: Extraction is exclusive for the Wii and, complete with beautiful graphics and awesome sound via the demo, will function as a prequel to Dead Space.
-Team Ninja and Nintendo are developing Metroid: Other M, which will function as a Metroid prequel of sorts and help flesh out Samus Aran’s back story and personal history.
The title is being offered with a 2010 release date.