Sony E3 Press Conference Recap
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Sony's E3 press conference revealed many things, most importantly the PlayStation Vita.
We're Sorry
The press conference began by showing a 3D (to those in attendance) montage of select games. After the video ended Sony's Jack Tretton took the stage and immediately offered up an apology to all PlayStation Network users around the world for the snafu that took place late April until the end of May.
It may not have been the most sincere of apologies but it was damn near required considering it was the largest network intrusion to a game's or gaming platforms server in history.
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After the apology Tretton announced that Cinema Now television would be coming to the PlayStation 3 in the form of streaming live television. Tretton also announced that the Netflix application on the PS3 accounts for nearly 30% of all the video streams.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Naughty Dog took the stage to give a live demo of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, the demo started with Drake on a ship in the rain. It was easy to see that the water mechanics in the game had drastically improved as the rain looked insanely life like and the depth of the drops was outstanding. The demo then took drake into the ship where some stealth gameplay was showcased which then turned quickly into a gun fight. Several explosions later the ship is filling with water and Drake must out run the flooding cabins to no avail. Overall the demo was clearly put together to show off the developer's attention to detail with the water, lighting, and cover system.
Resistance 3 Demo
Insomniac took the stage next to show off their upcoming title, Resistance 3. The demo was played entirely in the 3D with the crowd being the only ones able to view it that way. The demo featured a massive gunfight against the Chimera where gameplay was pretty spot on and the shooting mechanics looked to be improved from the second title. A "Doomsday Edition" of the game was announced which will include the Resistance 3 game, the PS Move gun, and the PlayStation Move kit for $150.00. The bundle will be available at the game's launch in September.
God of War Origins Collection
After the Resistance 3 demo, Sony announced that a God of War Origins Collection would be coming to the PlayStation 3. The Collection will include remastered versions of the PSP titles God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Both will feature 1080p graphics and 3D support. The collection will be out later this year. Also confirmed was the Team ICO Collection - ICO & Shadow of the Colossus for the PlayStation 3, also releasing later this year.
3D For Us All
In order to get more gamers on their 3D bandwagon, Sony has decided to incorporate more 3D technology in our lives by announcing the PlayStation branded 24" 3D LED television. The television will feature unique split screen technology utilizing Sony's PlayStation branded 3D glasses allowing up to two players to see different screens through the glasses instead of the traditional actual split screen. Sony announced that it will be bundling the 3D TV together with a pair of 3D glasses, a 6" HDMI cable, and the Resistance 3 video game for $499.99. It will be available in the coming months. It's a smooth move by Sony to offer such a good deal on emerging technology without breaking the bank. It's also a great way to get gamers on board with 3D gaming.
The Black Mamba Plays NBA 2K 12
2K sports then took the stage to introduce "2K On The Move" which is NBA 2K 12 with PlayStation Move support. To showcase the tech they brought the Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant on stage to play the game. Everything was Move operated using the motion controller's wand alone. Passing the ball was done by pointing the Move's cursor at the player you wanted to pass the ball to, shooting was done by just pressing the button, and dribbling up the court was done by just motioning the wand in the direction you wanted to take your player. Personally, I don't think Move has any place in a basketball sim, but if it gets more people involved in playing the game then so be it.
The game will be releasing on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 4.
BioShock On The Move
After the announcement of some exclusive in-game PlayStation 3 content, Irrational Games boss man Ken Levine took the stage to announce that BioShock Infinite would be incorporating move support into the game, which releases at some point in 2012. A trailer for the game was shown showcasing the world of the cloud city where the game takes place. Levine also announced that Irrational Games are currently working on a BioShock title for the PlayStation Vita. Nothing else was announced for the game.
Exclusive PS3 Content
It was announced that Battlefield 3 for the PlayStation 3 would include Battlefield 1943 on the same Blu-ray disc at launch. It was also announced by Irrational's Ken Levine that the PS3 version of BioShock Infinite would contain the original BioShock title on the same Blu-ray disc for free.
EA announced that it's upcoming snowboarding title SSX would contain an exclusive PS3 run on Mt. Fuji that won't be available on any other console.
PlayStation Vita Unmasked
Sony's Kaz Hirai took the stage to unveil the name of Sony's upcoming new handheld, which was revealed as the PlayStation Vita (something that had been rumored before the conference took place). Hirai announced that the Vita would have a "Party Room" feature that would allow for in-game chat with other players of the same game. Also announced was the "Near" feature which goes down as a social networking tool to keep player connected with other players, trophies, and statistics.
Hirai also announced that the Vita would come in two different models; a wifi-only enabled model and a 3G model. The 3G model will be exclusive to AT&T in the US, which was met by boo's and laughter from the crowd. The wifi-only device will cost $249.99 and the 3G device will cost you $299.99.
PlayStation Vita Gets Launch Titles
Sony Bend took the stage to show off their PSV launch title, Uncharted: Golden Abyss. The game was shown to have PS3-level graphics and the gameplay looked as good as it can get for a handheld title. The lighting, graphics, and gameplay mechanics were all fantastic. The game also sported a touch panel feature that allows you to touch the screen to fight enemies in hand to hand combat.
Other titles that were shown off for the Vita was the game "Ruin" which is a dungeon inspired title that features a cloud-type save system where you can save your game on the Vita and then resume playing the game on the PlayStation 3 via the cloud.
ModNation Racers was featured as well with full level editor controls via the handheld's touch panel and nearly perfect graphics. Capcom's Street Fighter X Tekken was shown as well featuring inFamous' Cole which will be a PlayStation Vita exclusive.
Where Does Sony Go Now?
Basically Sony revolved its show around the PlayStation Vita and as great as a new handheld is and as spectacular as it looks with a great price point, it's disheartening that we did not see more PlayStation 3 exclusive titles. I was expecting the mention of a new God of War title, more footage on Twisted Metal, perhaps some news on The Last Guardian, or even perhaps a brand new IP. Something...anything! Nothing.
The show gets a B+ for me mainly because the PlayStation Vita looks to seriously vault Sony to the forefront of handheld gaming but the lack of core titles for the PlayStation 3 prevents the presser from getting an "A" grade from me.