Aside from a few gems, the whole of E3 really feels like a casual gamers convention to me. With the Microsoft press confrence being 95% kentect, also all the PS move stuff, it just seems Hardcore games are being forced into the backseat here. Ive noticed this trend in the last few years. Anyone agree?
Anyone else dissappointed with the industry as a whole?
- Thread starter Byakuya
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The Microsoft press conference was a little more pathetic than usual and yeah they are really pushing the Kenect. Sony was a little better and while they're pushing the Move, it wasn't the driving theme of their press conference.
Still this E3 is still head and shoulders above last year, where the most impressive thing in the show was the Metal Gear Solid game.
Still this E3 is still head and shoulders above last year, where the most impressive thing in the show was the Metal Gear Solid game.
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i dont see why ppl are bashing kinect so hard and microsoft for pushing it. kinect has so much potential but it seems so ppl dont want to see that potential and just bash it. the ghost recon future soldier kinect showing was really cool and just showed the tip of the iceberg for potential in core games with kinect. not just kid games and casual games things take time
Ugh. Kinect. Spell it right. (pet peeve)
Microsoft was better than Sony's for me personally. As much as some people hate the Kinect, MS is giving it some good support, and pushing for it to be more than just a gaming gimmick, but a media entertainment device (say goodbye to remotes?).
Sony.. well, I'm not huge on portable gaming devices so the Vita was a MEH for me. Not to mention that they went with AT&T for 3G support... And the PS Move, that's honestly a big letdown, as I feel the Wii and Kinect are better devices for games or entertainment.
Nintendo. Wii-U is the new console, with a 6.7 inch screen on the controller. Decade said it best: Blackberry Playbook + Sega Dreamcast = Wii-U controller. Looks like it'll have a variety of different uses, but it'll fall upon developers to make it useful (remember the Wii Vitality sensor?)
Microsoft was better than Sony's for me personally. As much as some people hate the Kinect, MS is giving it some good support, and pushing for it to be more than just a gaming gimmick, but a media entertainment device (say goodbye to remotes?).
Sony.. well, I'm not huge on portable gaming devices so the Vita was a MEH for me. Not to mention that they went with AT&T for 3G support... And the PS Move, that's honestly a big letdown, as I feel the Wii and Kinect are better devices for games or entertainment.
Nintendo. Wii-U is the new console, with a 6.7 inch screen on the controller. Decade said it best: Blackberry Playbook + Sega Dreamcast = Wii-U controller. Looks like it'll have a variety of different uses, but it'll fall upon developers to make it useful (remember the Wii Vitality sensor?)
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Yeah, they don't wanna mess up and burn out any fanbase they could have for Kinect, so its wise of them to take their time.
I actually disagree completely. Not only because - as others have said - prior E3s have been much more casual-focused, but also because of there are two big things missing from this view:
1) The press events by the big publishers are only a small fraction of what's going on at E3. You're not seeing big public spectacles from 2k, WB Games, Konami, etc. Even what EA and Ubisoft showed at their events weren't the full deal, just the names they wanted to show.
2) Most of the Kinect games MS showed off aren't pure kinect games. Sure, the kid's games are. But Ghost Recon, Forza 4, Mass Effect 3, etc, these are all games you don't NEED Kinect to play. Compare the upcoming game releases that are Kinect enabled vs those that aren't and you'll find that Kinect games make up a small portion of the total lineup.
E3 is the New Hampshire Primaries of the gaming world: people showing off what they think will make the most buzz and get them the most advertising money. What actually occurs out in the wild is very different. For instance, Red Dead Redemption was one of the biggest titles when it came out last year. There was no huge press event for it - just a passing mention at one press conference.
I can't believe people defend the Kinect. I'm open to unique ideas, but 150 bucks for a webcam with hardly any respectable titles is a bit much. Sure, a decent sized family who can gather together and play games together may enjoy the Kinect.
To all of you who play Halo, Gears of War, etc., what appeal do you see in the Kinect? Mass Effect 3 will support the feature of using the built in microphone to tell your computer controlled teammates where to move. Is that type of feature really worth 150 bucks?
Here's my rating for this year's E3.
Microsoft: C-. Microsoft is really trying to push this Kinect a bit too much.
Sony: C+. The PSVISA looks amazing, but to be honest I wanted to see Sony touch base a bit more on the security of the Playstation Network at the moment.
Nintendo: C. Welcome to the current generation, Nintendo. Unfortunately, they are a tad bit late making it to the party. By the time Nintendo releases this system, Sony and Microsoft will pretty much be halfway done developing a new system.
To all of you who play Halo, Gears of War, etc., what appeal do you see in the Kinect? Mass Effect 3 will support the feature of using the built in microphone to tell your computer controlled teammates where to move. Is that type of feature really worth 150 bucks?
Here's my rating for this year's E3.
Microsoft: C-. Microsoft is really trying to push this Kinect a bit too much.
Sony: C+. The PSVISA looks amazing, but to be honest I wanted to see Sony touch base a bit more on the security of the Playstation Network at the moment.
Nintendo: C. Welcome to the current generation, Nintendo. Unfortunately, they are a tad bit late making it to the party. By the time Nintendo releases this system, Sony and Microsoft will pretty much be halfway done developing a new system.
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OP: You can't blame them.
Hardcore gamers don't generate as much revenue for these companies as appealing to a wide range of gamers.
At the end of the day, it's all about the dollars and cents, not how happy hardcore gamers are. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, is up to debate. =/
Hardcore gamers don't generate as much revenue for these companies as appealing to a wide range of gamers.
At the end of the day, it's all about the dollars and cents, not how happy hardcore gamers are. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, is up to debate. =/
Really, that's who Kinect was made for. It wasn't designed with the hardcore gamer in mind, at least not right out the gate. It's for families and for early adopters who have disposable income.
It's untapped potential, at this point. There's neat stuff that I can forsee Kinect being used for that isn't explored right now because it's too new, and most studios don't have the investment money to take a risk on new technology. That said, though, a perfect game might use a controller for the majority of functions, while integrating voice control and gesture for squad commands, special functions such as mapping AR overlays and waypoints.
EDIT: Let me add one more thing. There's a very common perception that the big companies are "abandoning" core gamers in favor of casual gamers. This is a manifestly false view, because gaming revenue is *growing*. Companies are making more games for core gamers, and are * also* making games for casual users. It's not an either/or situation: they are making more games in general, not more games for some at the expense of others.
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I understand where you are coming from.
I am apart of a very large family so consoles that allow us to all interact is pretty good (we own a Wii). Now my friend comes from a small family and doesn't understand the Wii, he prefers the singleplayer, hardcore games - many family un-friendly. The kinect is a bit like the wii where everyone can join in.
I wonder if we will upgrade to the new Wii.
The data I've seen disagrees, at least as of January 2011. I'd like to see your sources, though - trusting any one source is a bad plan, in my opinion. From what I recall, there was a temporary crunch in 2009, but we're definitely aheady of where we were in 2008. The numbers I recall were about like this:
2006: 30 Billion
2007: 42 Billion
2008: 54 Billion
2009: 48 Billion (Yay economic crunch.)
2010: 60 billion.
Part of the issue is that tracking digital sales is tough as hell.
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I hate the kinect just for the fact that it's extending the life of the current consoles. They are spending time making all these games for kinect when they should just be releasing a new one. This in turn holds tech back, which holds PC gamers back. This current gen of consoles has been used to the max, and when you look at the specs of current gen PCs and the consoles it's insane how much tech has advanced. We need to push the tech forward.
That's a fair complaint. But by the same token, Microsoft is already working on a new console. Extending the life of the 360 was Mattrick's decision after the red ring debacle; everyone was a little gunshy about stepping into the arena again so soon after looking like jerkfaces.
Having a devil of a time finding the articles I originally read. I'll post them up again once I do, but for now:
http://www.wthitv.com/dpps/entertai...eo-game-content-flat-in-2010-nt11-jgr_3697124
http://www.cnbc.com/id/41062675/Video_Game_Sales_Drop_6_in_2010_Second_Year_of_Declines
http://seekingalpha.com/article/247116-video-game-sales-decline-in-2010
http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_110113.html
http://www.wthitv.com/dpps/entertai...eo-game-content-flat-in-2010-nt11-jgr_3697124
http://www.cnbc.com/id/41062675/Video_Game_Sales_Drop_6_in_2010_Second_Year_of_Declines
http://seekingalpha.com/article/247116-video-game-sales-decline-in-2010
http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_110113.html
You mean console gamers back, right? PC Gamers, we're not slaved to the Big Three consoles. We can upgrade our PCs whenever we want.
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I fall on both sides of the spectrum here a little. But I do see that Kinect and Move are not really a one or the other prospect. They can have benefits both for core and casual gamers. Also I don't think Kinect especially precludes development of a new console. It could easily connect for more powerful and immersive experiences on a new console. At the same time it brings in revenue and market penetration to help microsoft want to spend more money on development of the next console. Which if you believe the rumors it already is. With Kinect labs ability to scan real world items into game. What stops peripheral companies from making cool guns with a single or multiple buttons for trigger/reload and a forward thumb stick for moving around the environment that can be scanned into all your games. You could add attachments to the 1:1 item in the real world that would show up in game. That is just one idea that could be implemented.
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why are you so impatient? the kinect has barely been out a year and you are so critical of something with such potential, you mustve been bashing the ps3 and xbox 360 for the first year or two because of the lack of games. Kinect is much more than "a webcam with hardly any respectable titles." you dont understand that technology and game development on the new tech takes time, not 6 months, try a few years. big hit games take at least 2 years to develop.
if you truly think the kinect is just a webcam and a microphone, please read up on what it truly has, the webcam is just 1 small part of what is actually going on. read up on all the really cool hacks ppl have made for kinect for the pc. if you really dont think kinect has potential or any worthiness, just dont buy it. otherwise, wait a year and big title games will start coming out for it.
programming games to run on such a complex piece of technology that the kinect is tough. its not as simple as plugging it into your xbox or writing a 6 page essay. they are finally releasing the ability for kinect to scan objects into games, like skateboards, baseball bats, probably guns at some point. as time goes by, the kinect will grow into the most wanted gaming tech, just be patient. plus it wouldnt have sold 10 million copies in its first year if it wasnt worth it
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the kinect is not delaying the release of the next gen on consoles. microsoft and sony both had plans to make these current gen consoles last a lot longer than the original xbox and ps2 and ps1. both companies have been working on next gen consoles and will continue to. this is the inherent weakness of consoles, you spend $300-400 on a console that has tech in it that was already outdated within 6 months, its just how the advancement of technology works. thats also why im a big PC gamer, i dont have to wait for companies to update something, i can just do it on my own.
plus consoles not coming out every 5 years does not hold PC gamers back. PC games have all these extended features to allow them to customize how good games look. thats why PC games always look better than consoles and will continue to. microsoft said that the xbox 360 will have a lifespan of about 10-15 years so you wont see a new console till 2015 or maybe earlier if sony releases the ps4 sooner.
