HOLY CRAP: Battlefeild 3 E3 trailer

My jaw dropped when i saw this:



MW3 is going to have some stiff competition!

VIDEO: Sly Cooper is back! Sly Cooper: Theives in Time E3 trailer!

After a long break, Sly Cooper is back and headed to the PS3. Here's the trailer:

HURRY UP AND TAKE MY MONEY: StarHawk E3 trailer

Day 1 purchase for me - no doubt about that. I really loved WarHawk and cannot wait to sink many hours into StarHawk.

VIDEO: Bioshock Infinite E3 trailer!

Here's that impressive BioShock Infinite trailer from last night:



honestly, I wish they hadn't bothered with the BioShock name for this game - it seems so radically different than the prior titles.

VIDEO: Street fighter III Third Strike Online trailer!

Here's the E3 trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter III Third Strike remake:



Yes please!!!

VIDEO: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 gameplay footage

Here's that great MW3 footage from yesterday:

VIDEO: Dead Island E3 2011 trailer

Whoa, intense! This game just keeps looking better with each trailer that comes out.

E3 2011: Sony Press Conference Digest

Ok, in the interest of full disclosure, I was not thrilled with Sony's E3 press event being held at the same time as my beloved Bruins were playing Game 3 of the Stanley Cup. But thanks to modern technology, I was able to watch the live internet stream while cheering for the Bruins.

Right off the bat it's worth mentioning Sony Computer Entertainment's Jack Tretton got up in front of everyone at E3 and personally apologized for the PSN outage. Here's what he had to say to gamers like you and I:

To PS3 players, Tretton said, "You are the lifeblood of the company. Without you there is no PlayStation. And I want to apologize personally and on behalf of the company for any anxiety we've caused.

"I know we've taken you away from what you really enjoy doing," said Tretton. "It's you who cause us to be humble and amazed at the amount of support you give to the PlayStation brand."

Moving on from that, there werent many surprised in terms of games from Sony, but the biggest news was the official naming of the NGP - It's PSVita as was rumored not so long ago. While the name hasn't really settled with me yet, the $249 price tag has. Way to go Sony - seriously. This is going to result in an impressive generation of handheld gaming with both major players priced at $249 for wifi only devices. Honestly I am not interested in the 3G PSVita as AT&T already gets enough out of my paycheck every month as it is. I was convinced this system wouldn't retail for less than $399, and I am happy to eat crow.

The other big hardware announcement was a PlayStation branded 24inch 3DTV that is said to make the entry into 3D quite a bit more affordable. I look forward to seeing the retail price for this unit, as I'm in the market for a bedroom HDTV. Sony also announced matching active shutter glasses for this set (and for any 3dTV that supports those style of glasses), again said to have a good price point to make it easy to get into 3D.

Sony announced a new God of War collection - God of War Origins - which are PS3 ports of the PSP GOW games. This is most welcome - more Kratos is ALWAYS a good thing. Sony also mentioned the US release of the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus HD pack - both collections will hit retail in September. ("Hurry up and take my money!")

The people behind EVE Online announced it's shooter title Dust 514 would be a PS3 exclusive and somehow tie into the existing MMO game. To be blunt, this game didn't seem to bring anything new to the table based on the footage we saw, but I will keep my eye on this to see what is in store.

Irrational Games then hit the stage to show off a gameplay trailer for Bioshock Infinite and to announce a Bioshock title was coming to the PSVita. It was also announced that the original Bioshock would be included on the Bioshock Infinite disk for PS3.

Was it me or did it seem like the PSVita was getting party/cross game chat? I do hope that if this is the case we also get this long-overdue functionality on the PS3.

(Up next - Nintendo!)

OOPS: Microsoft's US E3 site outs Halo 4, Halo HD

According to VG247:

Big oops. Xbox US’s E3 site just outed Halo 4, as well as a ton of other titles.

Dance Central 2, Halo: Combat Evolved HD and more are listed.

PROJECT CAFE RUMORS: Controler to include front-facing camera?

Well this is an interesting tidbit - there's a rumor going around that Project Cafe's controller will feature a DSi/3DS style front facing camera for in-game images.

An insider said the Wii 2 pad features a front-facing camera that can be used for in-game images. The person also corroborated a number of well-referenced rumors, such as the controller features a six-inch touch-screen, “possibly with a stylus”, as well as a standard button layout.

One more time... E3 can't get here fast enough!

Catching up - Kotaku has the scoop on Modern Warfare 3!

Ok, so we're still coming up to speed since the blogger downtime overnight, but the wonderful people over at Kotaku have the scoop on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Here's what they've got to say:

Multiple sources have shared details of the game's story, art, sounds and game modes with Kotaku, noting that the game will reshape the landscape of the Call of Duty franchise, bringing an impressive number of eclectic settings, deep multiplayer gaming and a story that ties up nearly all loose ends from previous titles, including the final moments of key figures in the series' history.

The game opens moments after the cliffhanger ending of Modern Warfare 2 with the U.S. struggling to stave off a surprise Russian attack. The single-player campaign will ping-pong players around the world as they take on the multiple throwaway roles as a Russian Federal Protective Services agent, SAS Operative, tank gunner, and AC-130 gunner as well as key characters from previous installments and new recurring characters. The game will feature about 15 missions, kicking off with the invasion of Manhattan by a Russian force and wrapping up with a final encounter in Dubai.

The single-player campaign, which appears to wrap up most of the unanswered questions and character fates of the first two Modern Warfare titles, also introduces new characters who appear to be destined for future Modern Warfare games, especially two Delta Force operatives codenamed "Frost" and "Sandman"

It's worth noting that Kotaku has not actually had any hands-on time with the game as of yet, but I expect a flood of information and a trailer to come out around E3.

I hope that at the end of the day, the drama between Infinity Ward and Activision hasn't affected the quality of the game - Especially a Modern Warfare game. Regardless, this will sell like hotcakes and we all know it.

E3 Wishlist/Predictions

With E3 just under a month away, I figured it might be fun to make up a sort of wishlist of things I'd like to see there. I have no actual insider knowledge, so please treat this like the fanboy speculation that it is.

First up, let's talk about Sony (we are going to ignore the current issues with PSN for this write-up):

I imagine the NGP will take center stage at Sony's keynote. I'd really like to hear a solid release date and retail price for this next-gen handheld (not to mention expected retail price of the software). In terms of games, I'd like to see the progress with the Uncharted and Resistance NGP builds. Also, it might be a perfect time to tease a God of War title for the both the NGP (this would undoubtedly create a ton of hype) and PS3 (c'mon, you don't REALLY think God of War 3 was the end, do you?! This AAA franchise isn't going anywhere).

Oh and Warhawk 2/Starhawk/whatever you want to call it - This will be a Day 1 purchase for me and some of my gamer pals. Make this happen Sony! You have no idea how much I miss playing Warhawk on the ps3....

Isn't it about time we start hearing about Grand Theft Auto 5?

I'm also really hoping that this will be the year Sony really starts to flood the US with classic PS1 games via PSN - Japan seems to get all the love.

Onto Microsoft!

I'm really starting to think MS may end up at the least - teasing a next generation Xbox. Maybe in the form of pre-recorded/rendered video - all in an effort to take a little wind out of Nintendo's sails.

Kinect may take up quite a bit of MS' Keynote (with any luck this year, Kinect will *ahem* connect with hard core gamers. Yeah, sorry about that), but I doubt it'll dominate the event like last year.

I'd really love to see a new Left 4 Dead title. I also will not be shocked if a little game called Modern Warfare 3 gets initially teased by MS due to the existing DLC agreement between MS and Activision. I wonder if we'll get any hints about the OTHER Call of Duty games Activision has in the works.

I'll be shocked if there isn't something Halo related at E3. Be it the rumored remake of Halo: CE or a proper Halo 4... E3 would be the time to let that cat out of the bag.

Oh and can we please get 5.1 audio support for the Netflix app on the 360? Please?

Anyway, On to Nintendo!

This is kind of the whole reason I started writing this piece, but as we all know by now, Nintendo is unveiling their next-generation system "Project Cafe" at E3.

From what I've gathered, this system is set to launch in 2012 and will be playable on the floor of E3.

The #1 item on my Nintendo wish list? Strong 3rd party support for Project Cafe. I want to see Epic on board with it's Unreal Engine - this will be huge and would serve to attract even more 3rd parties.

I want to see strong support for a more classic style of controls (Not that I'm wanting Nintendo to ditch the Wii style motion control, I just don't want developers to be discouraged from using a classic control scheme).

I want to see Project Cafe using a system for online game play that is at least on par with the 3DS. 3DS/Project Cafe interoperability is a must.

I'd also really love to see Project Cafe come with an on-board Ethernet port in addition to the assumed WiFi.

In terms of software - I'd like to see the usual gang at least teased - Mario, Zelda, Metroid. Smash Brothers and Mario Kart would also be really really cool.
I'm also crossing my fingers that a 3DS Advance Wars is in the works... PLEASE let this be so. More details regarding Super Mario 3DS would also be wonderful.

So there you have it, my E3 Wishlist. I'm sure I'll think of about one hundred other things just as soon as i publish this...

(One more time - this post is 100% pure fanboy speculation. I have no inside sources and do not wish to lead anyone on into thinking I do.)

PSN Outage - Update from SCEA "...at least a few more days"

Here's the latest direct from the source:

I know you all want to know exactly when the services will be restored. At this time, I can’t give you an exact date, as it will likely be at least a few more days. We’re terribly sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work through this process.

"...at least a few more days"?

Ok, I am officially confused as hell. Bloomberg first reports all services will be restored by May 31st, then Sony jumps out to calm everyone down by re-assuring us that online multi-player is the top priority and will likely come back first, and now this 3 sentence update... What in the hell is actually going on here?

At this point, Sony is painted into a corner. The community is demanding more frequent updates, but at the end of the day the only update the community REALLY wants to hear is "PSN services have been restored" - All other updates just stir up the pot even more. It's a no-win situation, but I can't really bring myself to feel bad for Sony after all this.

I don't want Sony nor the PS3 to fail (really, I don't!), but something has got to give. I don't know if anyone care actually predict the long-term damage this downtime will result in, but I can say for sure that it will not be pretty. You're under a pretty hard deadline here Sony (imo that deadline is really E3) - If PSN isn't online and 100% functional by E3, all the free PSN content in the world won't be able to change how gamers will perceive your service as weak and lesser than the competition.

HURRY UP AND TAKE MY MONEY: Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike HD

From the "no-i-cant-get-enough-street-fighter" dept - Seems Capcom is cooking up an HD remake of Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike!

Apparently they are giving it the Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix treatment, and it sounds like they are going ALL OUT:

According to VP Christian Svensson, the game is “the highest budget digital title we’ve done” at Capcom USA. That means it’s already overtaken the generous budget allocated to Super Street Fighter II HD Remix, and that money paid for a set of completely redrawn graphics.

Svensson has promised that we will be “deluged with information” in a month or so

I've said it before, and I know i'll say it again - This year's E3 cannot come fast enought!

Will a 3rd generation Xbox be teased at E3 2011?

Recently there has been a rumor spreading around that EA has next-generation Xbox development kits in-house.

EA, of course, denies this rumor (probably due to an NDA or twelve)...

However!

In March, new data revealed Microsoft was at the early stages in building the successor to the Xbox 360.

The platform owner had advertised new job vacancies such as Graphics Hardware Architect and Performance Engineer for the Xbox Console Architecture Group.

Microsoft’s new hires will be “responsible for defining and delivering next generation console architectures from conception through implementation,” the company said.

The language of the job vacancies suggested a reveal for the console is years away, but Develop’s source says a shock reveal could be weeks away.

“Why let Nintendo steal the thunder in June [At E3]? It doesn’t want to lose momentum. That’s why I think Microsoft is rushing to make an announcement at E3.”

Microsoft was in fact first out of the gate this generation, so I can understand how they may have a leg up on the next. Also worth noting is how the Xbox 360 is made up of 100% Microsoft owned IP (unlike the original Xbox) - This will be the 2nd time MS has created it's own game console from scratch and I'd be willing to bet they've learned from the mistakes of the early 360 launch.

If this rumor is true, and if MS is planning to tease a next-gen Xbox, i do wish that this new system will be fully backwards compatible with my existing 360 library. I have a feeling this might be far easier to pull off for MS compared to running original Xbox titles on the 360. I also expect some sort of simple method for moving my gamertag to this new platform - but that's a no-brainer at this point (full disclosure time: I didn't have an original Xbox for very long and never set up an original XBL account. From what I understand however, moving the original XBL account to the 360 was pretty painless).

So the big question I'm left with... How will MS make the next-gen Xbox better than the 360?

I can't wait to find out!

PSN Outage - Sony subpoenaed by New York State over attack

Bloomberg is reporting that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has subpoenaed Sony's PlayStation and SOE divisions regarding the recent theft of customer data.

Schneiderman is seeking information on what Sony told customers about the security of their networks, as part of a consumer protection inquiry, said the person familiar with the matter, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

When all is said and done, I really feel this entire fiasco will end up costing Sony dearly - both in terms of money as well as customer trust. E3 is right around the corner, and I am confident Sony is planning to really show off the NGP - but I have to wonder how receptive the gaming world as a whole will be to it at this point. I'm also starting to fear that Sony may attempt to rush out the PS4 (or whatever they end up calling it) in an attempt to counter Nintendo's Project Cafe. This would be a fairly unwise move - a rushed console helps no one (early Xbox 360 units anyone?).

New Project Cafe details

Kotaku just posted an update on Nintendo's Project Cafe system.

Here are the important bits:

The console, codenamed Project Café, will include 8 gigabytes of on-board flash-based memory, presumably for game storage.

Nintendo's disc format for the new console will hold 25GB of data

This certainly should help to make the new system very attractive to 3rd party developers. I am somewhat troubled by only having 8gigs of storage within the system, but I imagine this is an attempt to keep costs reasonable.

Thankfully however,

The system will also support saving to SD cards.

...I'd guess Nintendo will make the SD card useable much like it eventually became on the Wii, so that should make it fairly simple (and cheap) to get past the initial 8gig storage limit.

I also find it interesting that Kotaku doesn't actually say what the new Nintendo disk format is based off - this leads me to think Nintendo is again forging it's own path to limit piracy. If I were in Nintendo's shoes, I'd be looking to licensed Toshiba's HD-DVD format (good luck finding HD-DVD burners and blanks today!). I bet Toshiba would set that deal up for a song.

Anyway - again - E3 cannot get here fast enough!

CONFIRMED: Wii Successor to be released in 2012

In a rather refreshing move, Nintendo has confirmed it's next-generation home console will be unveiled at this years E3.

Today in Japan, Nintendo confirmed the upcoming release of the Wii's successor. The still-unnamed console will be revealed at this year's E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles in June.

The new console will go on sale in 2012, said Nintendo in an official statement.

Well isn't this a bold move on Nintendo's part? I can't recall a time when a new bit of gaming hardware was pre-announced like this, but with new rumors popping out every day (or so it seems), I can't see any reason NOT to feed us this little tidbit. While this does make the wait for E3 harder, I expect more rumors (and more solid rumors) to come trickling out between now and then.

PSP Go not dead in North America?

Seems the PSP Go will not be phased out in North America (just Japan and the EU for now)

Today we were told: "We are continuing production of PSP Go for North America."

Er... great? I feel keeping the PSP Go on the market is only going to sap away sales from the NGP by people who simply aren't as "in the loop" as some of us. Speaking of which, as E3 inches closer, i can't get over this feeling that the NGP will retail for $350+. Ugh.

RUMOR: Wii successor specs leaked

Well the crazy people over at IGN are claiming they've got a source who knows all about the next-gen Nintendo home console. Here is what they've got to say:

Additionally, IGN has learned that the system will be based on a revamped version of AMD's R700 GPU architecture, not AMD's Fusion technology as previously believed, which will, as previously reported, out perform the PlayStation 3's NVIDIA 7800GTX-based processor. Like the Xbox 360, the system's CPU will be a custom-built triple-core IBM PowerPC chipset, but the clocking speeds will be faster. The system will support 1080p output with the potential for stereoscopic 3D as well, though it has not been determined whether that will be a staple feature.

They are also claiming the system will retail for "anywhere between $350 and $400 based on manufacturing costs" - "will ship from Taiwanese manufacturer, Foxconn, this October, putting the earliest possible retail release anywhere between mid-October and early November."

That's quite a bit to take in, but it sounds like it'll be slightly more powerful than the Xbox 360 & PS3 - and I think that's going to be a pretty kick ass prospect. If the prior rumors of full Wii backwards compatibility are true, then this could be a massive hit. Personally, I really do hope that Nintendo goes out of it's way to court the 3rd party developers - they are going to be key if Nintendo wants to be seen as a real player in the hardcore market again. The addition and total support for a classic style controller is also very key in my opinion. I'm not saying to do away with the Wii Mote and that set up, I'm just asking that Nintendo allow the developers to pick a control scheme that fits the title (and not to fit the title around the control scheme). I'm also asking for a classic style controller "out of the box", and an on board Ethernet port would be a very nice addition as i don't care to use WiFi for gaming.

Allow me to move my existing VC and WiiWare titles to this new system - and keep the VC idea going, it's brilliant.

E3 is going to be a hell of a show this year folks. Let's hope those Mayans were full of shit, because 2012 is going to be a crazy year for gaming...