E3 2007: What were the big three thinking?

 

The E3 Trade Show has been the gaming industry’s most revered gathering since it started way back in 1995. The traditional format was a series of larger than life events for everyone to drool over. For most people, this setup was one that worked well, but industry insiders may have been thinking otherwise all along.

In July 31, 2006, E3 organizers announced that the marquee event would be reconstructed and a new format was revealed in October 13 of the same year. What we witnessed in E3 2007 was a sleeker, harder to access, less hectic, and more professional E3 Business and Media Summit.That’s not to say that there was anything wrong with the new model. It may not be as flamboyant as it was before, but all the big announcements along with spectacular sights and sounds were there, and that’s good enough for most of us.

Taking a look back now at everything that transpired in the few days of gaming heaven, we saw some amazing stuff coming from the three big players of this generation’s console cycle. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo Company Ltd. all had their chance to deliver their pieces, and what we got was a nice mix of corporate and strategic mindsets reflected in the content and manner that the three dished out.

Let’s take them one at a time. Just click on the Full Article and read on.

The E3 Trade Show has been the gaming industry’s most revered gathering since it started way back in 1995. The traditional format was a series of larger than life events for everyone to drool over. For most people, this setup was one that worked well, but industry insiders may have been thinking otherwise all along.

In July 31, 2006, E3 organizers announced that the marquee event would be reconstructed and a new format was revealed in October 13 of the same year. What we witnessed in E3 2007 was a sleeker, harder to access, less hectic, and more professional E3 Business and Media Summit.That’s not to say that there was anything wrong with the new model. It may not be as flamboyant as it was before, but all the big announcements along with spectacular sights and sounds were there, and that’s good enough for most of us.

Taking a look back now at everything that transpired in the few days of gaming heaven, we saw some amazing stuff coming from the three big players of this generation’s console cycle. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo Company Ltd. all had their chance to deliver their pieces, and what we got was a nice mix of corporate and strategic mindsets reflected in the content and manner that the three dished out. Let’s take them one at a time, shall we?

 

Nintendo: “I am HAPPY!”

There’s a lot of ways to say it but Nintendo of America chief Reggie Fils-Aime put it best using seven words when he said, “I am Reggie and I am happy.” The night may be young in this generation’s console war but there’s no doubt that Nintendo is looking very confident at this early point. Ever since the Nintendo Wii was announced, the Kyoto-based firm has been doing things its way and it’s been very successful at it.

We all know that Nintendo is racking up big sales figures using content that’s tearing the market wide open and letting casual and non-gamers into the mix with quirky and simple content that appeals to all. That strategy has been criticized as one that will send the Wii fizzling out in time like all fads do but Nintendo doesn’t seem to agree.

In fact, all indications point out that Nintendo believes it can expand the market even more. With the introduction of Wii Fit and its new Balance Board, the firm wants families to start trimming down collectively while having fun. Some analysts believe that this could rival the success of titles such as Wii Sports and Brain Age. They could very well be spot on.

Along with Wii Fit and Balance Board, two more new accessories were confirmed. The Wii Wheel is slated to ship along with the much-anticipated Mario Kart Wii and the “offspring of the Wiimote and the Nunchuk” called the Wii Zapper seems to suggest that we’ll be seeing more shooting action on the platform. That’s scary because Nintendo is showing that it wants to cater to both the core and casual crowds, and firing on all cylinders is never a bad thing.

The software front is also looking good for the Shigeru Miyamoto’s boys as strong first party releases Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros Brawl have been dated at November 12 and December 3 of this year respectively. Metroid Prime 3 was also demoed, but a slight bummer was that there would still be no online duels. Third party biggies Contra 4 and Soul Calibur Legends also caused quite a stir as they looked fantastic coming into E3.

 

Sony: “Wait ’til we get to 2008….”

Sony had a lot of things to show us in E3 2007 both in terms of pricing and content. Before the party even got started, the PlayStation 3 price cut that everyone clamored for in the past was granted. In addition, the 80GB version of the PlayStation 3 was confirmed for the US, heralding the phase-out of the existing 60GB models.

Critics, of course, were not impressed so a call for more high-profile games was made. Sony responded well as E3 rolled out with trailers of Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5, Resident Evil 5, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – all of which showcased the power of the console’s hardware to the delight of the Sony faithful.

Other PS3 upcoming big guns were demoed and the press wasn’t disappointed with what it saw. the much-hyped Killzone 2 by Guerrilla Games was able to meet expectations with the graphical detail that it exhibited. Heavenly Sword, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, and Burnout Paradise had a share of the demo action, too. Strangely enough, nothing big was recorded of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII.

It’s hard to disagree with anyone who concludes that this roster is a bonafide powerhouse. However, pundits point out that most of the good things that Sony has in store won’t make it in time for the holidays. The focus for Sony is obviously geared toward the future, and if you still don’t have a PS3, early 2008 should be the height of temptation. We’ll leave it to you to speculate on how that affects the strategy as far as the console is concerned.

The PlayStation Portable, on the other hand, is getting a redesigned version that’s not only slicker, it also packs in more video functionality.

 

Microsoft: “We’ll take today over tomorrow”

Microsoft was probably the most defiant of expectations among the big three in this year’s E3. First, it proved wrong the many forecasters who said that it would lower the Xbox 360’s retail price in response to the PS3 price drop. Analysts still say that it’s just a matter of time before Bill Gates and his firm gives in, but for now Microsoft is holding its ground and looks very confident as it still has the biggest user base.

When you really think about it, Microsoft is playing this one very smart. It’s no secret that the bulk of Sony’s big games are still at least six months away. Seeing no immediate bogeys on the horizon, Microsoft is sticking to its gravy train and it makes all the sense in the world.

Examining the titles and their scheduled releases in E3, you’ll see another reason why prices aren’t dropping just yet. A compelling roster is due out late this year just in time for the holiday wallet bust-out period. We all know that the looming juggernaut that is Halo 3 is inching closer and closer and when the announcement in E3 echoed the words that Halo 3 will be “the biggest entertainment launch of all time,” we couldn’t help but feel the aura of a champ walking to the ring.

Other big titles like Halo Wars, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, and Assassin’s Creed were also there to wow the audience. We can see from here that the FPS genre is still firmly the bread and butter of the platform, but other game types are also coming in strong. It looks like the pleas for diversity was the one request that Microsoft did apply and it looks sweet looking ahead.

European Xbox fans were given a lot of attention as the Xbox 360 Elite hits the region next month. Not only that, the immense success of the Xbox Live network is spilling over as the video marketplace arrives in Europe late 2007. Disney, in addition to other Hollywood icons, is fielding in more DLC for fans to enjoy.