General Thoughts on E3 So Far

Filed in archive News on July 15, 2008

E3 is always a big time of year for game industry wonks like myself, so I thought I would share my thoughts on "the other guys," since some of you definitely own the other systems.

Microsoft's presser is already in the books, and most of the chatter is Microsoft's Avatar system and "casual" gaming overtures: all of which are blatant Wii ripoffs. The avatars, developed by Rare, fail to have the iconic look of Miis, and are of course totally late to the party. Let's face: The Japanese are far better at cuteness than a UK based game developer.

These overtures have, in fact, angered many Xbox fans. You have to remember that the 360 is supposed to be the hardcore gamer's console of choice. Hence the now famous "Wii60" moniker: that is, owning a Wii to get that unique, new experience, while owning a 360 to get traditional games, or "hardcore" games.

However, what is missed by many is that, despite Sony gaining incredible ground this year (the PS3 is here to stay, no doubt- I even went out and bought one), the PS3's slow start has cost them, big time: final fantasy xiii is now a cross platform title- Sony loses another exclusive title.

Really, Microsoft should have focused all of its efforts in declaring itself the "winner" amongst the hardcore. But the problem is, Microsoft has never been intent on having the best game console. Instead, it wants to dominate the living room, and it wants your console and your PC talking to each other in an epic entertainment hub.

Ironically, Nintendo, by making a console that was simple and fun, have in fact grabbed all that extra audience Microsofit (and Sony) were hoping to get. That isn't a fad, that's a fact of this generation, and the identities have been set. The good news for Microsoft, though, is that they are winning the early war for the hardcore gamers, but they are squandering that with silly avatar system announcements.

Overall, I'd say the Microsoft presser is a microcosm of their whole situation in the industry right now: they have inherent advantages, but make many small mistakes that limit their success.