Microsoft outshines rivals at E3; event reclaims former glory
From Microsoft's Project Natal to a staged religious protest, this year's annual Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) held a bit of intrigue for everyone, as more than 41,000 attendees made their way in to the Los Angeles Convention Center for the four-day event last week.
The excitement started last Monday as Microsoft pulled back the curtain on Project Natal.
Heralded by the company as being able to deliver full-body motion capture, this new technology uses a camera to allow gamers to interact with the virtual world as never before.
Predictably, many were skeptical of Project Natal's capabilities until Lionhead Studios boss and newly appointed European creative director for Microsoft, Peter Molyneux, unveiled a virtual boy named "Milo."
As Molyneux demonstrated, not only can "Milo" interact with physical movements, but it can also pick up on the subtle facial cues, which betray the user's current emotional state.
Not to be undone, Sony fired back on Tuesday with its take on a motion-sensing controller.
Lacking a name, this device works with the PlayStation Eye much in the same way as Project Natal, however it requires a controller to interact with the system much like a Wiimote.
And while it may not have generated the same level of buzz as Microsoft's offering, a more interesting query is: Why Sony would go with a whole new device when its six-axis controller already has motion sensing capabilities built in?
Thankfully this was not the electronics giant's only contribution to the event, as the company finally showed that it is heading in the right direction with a bombardment of hot new titles for the PS3.
Among the many games revealed during its annual press conference, attendees got a first look at PS3 exclusives such as "Gran Turismo 5," "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" and "God of War III."
Coming from established franchises, these titles are sure to provide a much-needed boost in sales for the system once they're released.
Speaking of releases, with two new Mario games on the way, Nintendo has ensured that no one will forget about the Wii this year in spite of underwhelming most during its media event.
However no game generated quite as much controversy as "Dante's Inferno." Published by Electronic Arts, this title is loosely based on the author's famed journey through hell.
Classical work of fiction or not, at least one group was not amused by the upcoming game, as members of SAVED, Salvationists Against Virtual and Eternal Damnation, descended upon the doorsteps of E3 to have their voices heard.
At least that's what EA wanted attendees to believe.
Complete with protest signs that read "EA = Electronic Anti-Christ" and "Hell is not a game," EA successfully tricked many into believing that the group of protesters were real.
Naturally it didn't take long before people caught on, however the stunt did get people talking and brilliantly displayed the power of viral marketing.
Nevertheless if games with fake outrage weren't enough, E3 still offered a lot more for gamers to look forward to.
Bioware's upcoming "Star Wars: The Old Republic" is really starting to pick up steam as the company launched a new teaser trailer during the event.
Based 3,500 years before Luke Skywalker and company took on the empire, this massively multiplayer online role-playing game is poised to take the gaming world by storm once it's released.
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" is another title that's sure to be a hit among fans.
This game is a direct sequel to its predecessor and has generated a lot of buzz among both gamers and analysts alike for its stunning visuals and crisp game play.
And of course you can't talk about a big media event like E3 without talking about "Halo."
Followers of the series will have their hands full as Microsoft announced two new games based on the franchise.
In the end, this year's E3 had a little bit of everything. From the reveal of new technologies to the return of some old familiar characters, it was nice to see the annual event reclaim some of its former glory.
Plans have already been announced for next year's event and most in the gaming community couldn't be happier.
