DA's E3 2010 Coverage *Full Coverage*

[Black Widow]

all the new stuff looks so damn great i love that new kinect looks so damn good

[Vance]

new NFS and Dead Space 2!

[Punisher]

EA really impressed me this year. Need for speed looks crazy, and Medal of honor looks crazy

[DA]

Crytek 2 To Support 3D

Killzone 3 is no longer the only FPS game to boast of support for stereoscopic 3D. At EA's press conference, Crytek co-founder and CEO Cevat Yerli has confirmed that Crysis 2 will support stereoscopic 3D across all platforms (meaning PC, PS3, and XB360) before showing a new 3D-specific trailer.

Yerli comments that Crytek has been researching 3D technology for the past three years, and that actual 3D support was first implemented about a year ago. He promises support for any and all types of 3D technology (he throws out names like "Dolby3D" or "RealD"), as opposed to requiring a specific type of 3D glasses or hardware. If your PC or console has some sort of 3D hardware, Crysis should be able to talk to said hardware.

Similar to Killzone 3 and even parts of movies like Avatar, the 3D effect mostly adds a lot of depth perception tricks to the game. A potted plant near you looks closer and "juts out" compared to the soldier patrolling a few meters away. Tracer fire from enemy weapons seem to pop a bit, as well as the blood spatter on-screen; the latter is explained by the fact that you're wearing a nanosuit, so both your HUD and other visuals like the blood look as though they're suspended right in front of your eyes. Crytek will probably showcase some more 3D demonstrations at E3 itself, and look out for more impressions during the show.

BioWare Announces Personal Starships, New Species, and PvP For Star Wars: The Old Republic

Much of BioWare's messaging in presenting Star Wars: The Old Republic is that it contains the depth and feel of a BioWare RPG. That is, it looks and feels like a Knights of the Old Republic game, but it just happens to take place online. While the dialogue and combat feel like KOTOR, today is when BioWare announces some MMO-specific features for the game.

Producer Blaine Christine summarizes the new features as ones that, "show ownership for players." That is, they give players something to call their own and to show off and socialize with. The first of these ownership/MMO features is the fact that, in Christine's words, "every player has his or her own personal starship." He continues, "It's your hub of operations; it's your home within the game world. It's where you come back to after a mission; it's where you have deeper interactions with your companion characters; it's where you store your gear or equip yourself out before adventuring again. But since this is a massively multiplayer game, it's also a place where you can bring your friends." Christine then shows a short video detailing examples of player ships: a Corellian transport for a Galactic Republic player, and a "Sith Interceptor" for Sith Empire players.

Christine also acknowledges that gear progression is a big part of MMOs, and to this effect, he demonstrates with a video showing off various bounty hunter armor sets. The initial set is pretty bare-bones, and as expected, as the player grows, so does the gear get more fanciful. The top-tier gear (the kind meant for Player-versus-Player combat, which comes a bit later) will be the sort of thing that resembles iconic character classes the most -- for example, the top-tier bounty hunter gear is the stuff that looks like Mandalorian Battle Armor.

Christine then goes into announcing additional playable species for specific classes (previously, the Rattataki was announced as a species choice for Bounty Hunters). Without any additional details, he notes that Imperial Agents can play as Chiss, while the Smuggler can be a Twi'lek.

Finally, Christine provides some elementary details for TOR's PvP. The PvP feature he introduces is called "warzones," which are specific team-vs.-team scenarios that will, "fulfill that fantasy of the Imperial Soldier fighting against the Republic." The first announced warzone will be on Alderaan, and we're assuming more warzones and additional details might be coming forth during E3.

New GoldenEye for Wii

A leaked box cover for a new GoldenEye game recently surfaced and suggested that Activision was at work on a new Bond game for Wii. While many people believed it was a fake, a trailer (via IGN) has now been released and confirms that a new GoldenEye game is headed to Wii this November.

It features split-screen and online multiplayer and eight well-known Bond characters, including Scaramanga, Jaws, and Oddjob. Multiplayer game options include classics like paintball, melee only, and You Only Live Twice (you only have two lives, natch). From the trailer, it looks like many of the signature moments from GoldenEye will make it into the game, including the dive off the dam and sneaking through a vent to surprise a guard in a bathroom stall.

With Daniel Craig starring as Bond, this clearly won't be exactly the same game you remember playing on N64, but it does look like it could be the first decent Bond game in quite a long time.

- Arrives Holiday 2010

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Expansion Set In Vietnam

Electronic Arts' Battlefield franchise is going back to Vietnam, as they announced a new Vietnam expansion pack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at their E3 press conference today.

And...that's about all we know about this expansion, as it's just about all EA said about it. We know it's coming in winter later this year, and they showed off a very brief, CCR-fueled teaser trailer (above), but that's it. Of course, this will be the second time the Battlefield franchise has taken its combat to the fields of 'Nam, following Battlefield: Vietnam in 2004. When more details pop up, we'll pass them along.

Ubisoft Presents Battle Tag

At this evening's press conference, Ubisoft unveiled a new game that takes place mostly away from the TV. Called Battle Tag, the game uses a console as the hub to tally scores, but is mostly a throw-back to the old laser tag games you might remember from the 1990s. Players don a real-life sensor harness and carry guns with ammo refill packs. After the console hub is used to establish teams and sync the sensors, players can choose a game type -- we saw a Deathmatch and tagging race in action. Afterwards, the hub is used to tally scores and determine a winner.

The company didn't mention platform or price specifics, but it did mention that the game is due this fall. The package will include two guns, four ammo packs, one syncing connector, and two harnesses. We'll take a look around the E3 show floor and see how the laser tag reboot strikes us.

Rabbids Set To Travel In Time

If the two constants in life are death and taxes, we're fast approaching the point that we need to amend "Rabbids games" to the old adage. Ubisoft used this evening's press conference to announce another one in the line-up. In Rabbids Travel in Time, the Rabbids use a time-traveling dryer for trips to eras like the prehistoric, classic Egyptian, and medieval times.

The game is again a Wii exclusive, and is due out on November 9. All we've seen so far is a CG trailer, which we'll have up as soon as possible. Keep it here for more updated news from E3.

Ubisoft Unveils "Innergy"

Ubisoft took the wraps off Innergy, a brand new, relaxation-themed PC game, at their press event this evening. The game uses a Vitality Sensor-like peripheral as its sole means of player interaction, using heart rate data to affect the gameplay.

Very little was shown of the game, but host Joel McHale gave a short minigame a spin onstage at today's media briefing. It's not the easiest demonstration to describe, but McHale had to control his breathing so that a small, fish-like creature could stay in the center track of a giant, rainbow-colored wave.

It makes a lot more sense once you've seen it in action -- we promise. We'll try to get more images and info up as soon as it's available.

Ubisoft Announces Rayman Origins

After years out of the spotlight, a new Rayman is finally on the way. Ubisoft announced Rayman Origins at the company's press conference this evening.

Using a new toolset developed by Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil designer Michel Ancel, a team of just five people are putting together Rayman Origins. The game looks to be a return to the platforming franchise's roots, with extremely detailed, 2D environments and some seriously beautiful animation.

From the looks of the trailer, Rayman also won't be going this one alone. We're not sure of the gameplay implications, but at some point Rayman befriends a large, beast-like thing that appears to join him on his adventure.

Expect to see Rayman Origins as a downloadable title through Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

Thanks to 1UP for the Massive Update on Ubisoft and EA

[DA]

Nintendo's E3 Press Conference

Nintendo's E3 press conference this year came out swinging, with the debut of the new 3DS hardware, and even several software surprises. The 3DS, apparently the official name, received the largest focus of the show, including word of new first-party and eventual third-party titles planned for the platform. Nintendo's usual focus on sales charts was kept to a minimum, as the conference was stuffed with new game announcements that helped build a steady momentum. Check below for everything that came out of the conference.


First Look at the 3DS Hardware

Though we all knew Nintendo was planning to unveil the 3DS, they actual device had been shrouded in mystery until now. This actually came at the end of the show, but since it got most of Nintendo's attention, it got most of ours as well. The device itself looks almost exactly like the current DS model, though it sports a 3.5 inch top screen and a "slide pad" for analog control. It also comes packaged with a motion sensor and accelerometer -- but as not to interfere with the 3D effect, only the bottom screen is touch sensitive.

The device also comes equipped with two cameras on the outside, which will allow users to take 3D pictures. And though Nintendo wasn't sharing many details yet, they claim it can also display 3D movies. The company mentioned partnerships with with Disney, Warner Bros., and Dreamworks. And of course, as a selling point for the system, all of these functions (including the movies) could be viewed without the use of 3D glasses.

Finally, the device is equipped with some form of "always on" functionality. Iwata teased that it's a lot like what we've seen on the Wii and former DS, but is more automatic. As a result, it can download new data like ghost races from other 3DS systems without the player even realizing it.


3DS' Ambitious Game Plans

Fortunately, Nintendo also recognized that while hardware is all well and good, gamers care about the games. The 3DS already has a pretty massive number of games announced for it, including 3rd-person action game Kid Icarus Uprising and Nintendogs + cats. Third-party support is no slouch either, as the company showed off a number of partnerships. Square Enix (Kingdom Hearts), Activision, Level 5, THQ, Electronic Arts, Tecmo Koei, Capcom (Resident Evil), Warner Bros., Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed), Namco Bandai, and Konami (Metal Gear Solid) were all announced for the device.

Shortly after the conference, Ubisoft announced its six planned titles including Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell. Only a few moments after that, we discovered a gigantic list of planned games, including new additions to Star Fox, Pilotwings, Paper Mario, and Mario Kart. It's simply too massive to mention them all here, so check out the full list for details.


MotionPlus Zelda Coming 2011

While Nintendo's 3DS was the big finish, the company tried to put their best foot forward at the beginning as well. The show opened with the announcement and live stage demonstration of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The look of the game borrows from both the more realistic Twilight Princess character art, and the Wind Waker cel-shading. It's been announced for a release sometime in 2011.

Players use a MotionPlus-equipped Wii remote to control Link's sword, and the nunchuck to control his shield. The game seems to put heavy emphasis on angle of attack, since most enemies have protection from certain sword swipes. The sword can be charged for a beam of energy, and when out of combat mode Link can run and climb over small obstacles. Unfortunately, the demonstration was riddled with technical problems, which Nintendo chalked up to "wireless interference." They claim the game will work perfectly in hands-on demonstrations, so we'll report back our own findings.


Nintendo's Colorful Cast Graces the Wii

Nintendo has used a lot of its cast of characters on the Wii, but today's show reminded us that the well hasn't run dry. The company announced that Retro Studios, fresh off its Metroid titles, is making the side-scrolling action title Donkey Kong Country Returns. It looks every bit an updated follow-up to the SNES classics. Kirby's Epic Yarn was also announced at the show, featuring a unique visual style that stitches the elements together from bits of fabric and yarn. Finally, Nintendo showed a gameplay trailer for Mario Sports Mix, featuring the Mario cast playing volleyball, hockey, dodgeball, and basketball.


The Other Tidbits

Of course, not everything could be a surprise. We saw a gameplay demonstration of Epic Mickey, which showed off the 3D platforming along with a 2D stage. We couldn't tell if it got a graphical overhaul, which means it probably didn't. The new Golden Sun received the subtitle Dark Dawn. And short trailers were shown for Metroid: Other M, coming August 31, and the new Goldeneye.

Conspicuously absent was any mention of the Vitality Sensor. We expected Nintendo to finally show off their plans for the device, but now we have to wonder if they're still planning to release it at all. And while the 3DS debut was nice, no price or release window was mentioned, so we're still mostly in the dark.

Thanks to 1up for the update

Ok on my eyes guys.

Parties

3rd Place: MS
2nd Place: Nintendo (Everyone was saying that nintendo would be #1 but who proved them wrong? I TOLD YA'LL!)
1rst Place: Sony (Kevin Butler, Move and 3D? Win oh and 'What you talkin about Willis?')

[DA]

Sony's E3 Press Conference

Sony decided to take a different approach to its competitors, saving all of its major game demos for last. Instead, they chose to headline their press conference with 3D compatibility and Move, introducing the new game Sorcery along the way.

Major surprises include Portal 2 and Twisted Metal, the latter of which is exclusive. Sony also announced plenty of exclusive limited edition exclusives for games like Medal of Honor, along with the new PlayStation Plus.

Here's the complete rundown.


PS3 3D: Killzone 3 in Action

Kaz Hirai was Sony's first speaker, and he started off by talking about 3D while various supported games were shown in the background.

"2010 will most likely be remembered as the year the PlayStation brought 3D to the gaming industry," he said.

The centerpiece of the demonstration was Killzone 3, which was given a live demo on stage. Helghast troopers were shown attacking with jet packs on an ice planet. After the foes are dispatched, the main character grabs the jet pack for himself. There's also a rail shooting segment that puts the player behind a chaingun.

After the Killzone 3 demonstration, Sony confirmed that Gran Turismo 5, MotorStorm Apocalypse, The Sly Collection. Crysis 2, Mortal Kombat, Shaun White Skateboarding, Ghost Recon Future Soldier, Tron Evolution and NBA 2K11 will all feature 3D support.

Killzone 3 will be available February 2011, and will be fully compatible with the PlayStation Move at launch.


The PlayStation Move: Sorcery, Tiger and Heroes on the Move

Having shown off the Move, Sony's Peter Dille came out to talk about the PlayStation Move. Dille's emphasized that it will appeal to both casual and core gamers, bringing new experiences for both.
One of the new games introduced by Sony is Sorcery, which pits a younger sorcerer against the "Nightmare Queen." The demo is spent exploring a large dungeon, with actions with the wand affect spell power and trajectory. Sorcery is due Spring 2011.

EA Sports head of worldwide development Andrew Wilson demonstrated the Move's compatibility with Tiger Woods PGA Golf. Unfortunately for Wilson, his shots kept going in the sand bunkers, so his primary focus was demonstrating the peripheral's 1:1 motion support as he tried to save par. Support for the Move will be added as a downloadable update when the peripheral arrives later this year.

Finally, Sony showed a trailer for Heroes on the Move. Designed specifically for the Move, it features Jax, Sly Cooper, Ratchet and others working together for the first time.

Move will be available for $49.99, with the Navigation Controller being available for $29.99. The bundle will include the controllers plus Sports Champions for $99.99, with standalone games being priced at $39.99.

Look for Move on September 15 in Europe and September 19 in North America,


The PSP: Invizimals, Ghost of Sparta, Patapon 3

After unveiling an ad campaign starring "Marcus," Sony announced Invizimals, which will use a special camera to introduce a new layer of interaction.
They also unveiled a new trailer for God of War: Ghost of Sparta, which strongly hints that it will be an origin story for Kratos, putting it even further back than the original Chains of Olympus.

Sony is promising to continue its support for PSP, releasing more than 70 games by December. They include Valkyria Chronicles 2, The 3rd Birthday, Patapon 3 and a PSP version of EyePet.


Little Big Planet 2

Alex Evans demonstrated Little Big Planet 2, showing off the competitive scoring mode. Examples include an Air Hockey-like minigame, which was created using the physics and tools within the game. Another game lets players put a hat on Sackboy, allowing him to shoot things like rockets.

Media Molecule also invited the top creators and let them run wild over the course of 24 hours. The result was everything from a Tempest-like 3D shooter to a full real-time strategy game. It's also possible to create custom HUDs and other mechanics using the in-game tools.

Little Big Planet 2 is due this fall.


PlayStation Plus

The new subscription package will be called PlayStation Plus, giving users an exclusive suite features. They include early demos, full PSN games, themes and minis, discounts on the PlayStation Store, and automated downloads that will send a continuous stream of content to the PS3.

The subscription will be priced at $49.99 for a year, or $17.99 for three months. In addition, the first three months will be available free, with the first month featuring WipeOut HD, a trial for inFamous, Field Runners, Age of Zombies and Rally Cross for the PS1. You will be able to keep all of the content for the duration of your subscription.

It will be available later this month.


Exclusive Content: Dead Space 2, Medal of Honor, Assassin's Creed Beta and Mafia II

Sony announced a number of exclusive deals, including limited editions for Medal of Honor and Dead Space 2. They also confirmed that the Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Beta will be available exclusively on PSN with a special pack of missions, and that Mafia II will feature exclusive Day 1 content for free.
Both limited editions will feature exclusive pack-ins. Medal of Honor will get an HD version of Medal of Honor: Frontline, while Dead Space 2 will feature a Move-compatible Dead Space: Extraction.

Medal of Honor will be available October 12, with the Assassin's Creed beta available later this year.


Portal 2 Coming to PS3

Portal villain GLaDOS was on hand to make the next announcement -- Portal 2 will be coming to PS3. Gabe Newell then came on the stage to introduce the game, and address some of his previous comments.
"I've been pretty outspoken in my comments about next-generation game consoles. So I would like to thank everyone at Sony for their gracious hospitality and not repeatedly punching me in the face," Newell joked.

Newell said that the PS3 version of the game will be the "best version on any console," featuring Steam cloud support.

It will be available in 2011.


Gran Turismo 5

After years of development, Gran Turismo 5 finally has a release date. Following a new gameplay trailer, Sony confirmed that it will be fully playable in 3D, with both versions available on the Blu-ray disc.
More importantly, it will available for November 2, making it a pillar of Sony's fall lineup.

Fully playable in 3D. Both gameplay modes on Blu-ray disc. November 2, 2010. It will include a collector's edition, featuring a 1:43 scale diecast model of a Nissan GT-4R Spec V and other goodies. It will available for $99.99.


Twisted Metal

To finish off the show, Sony confirmed what has been speculated on since last year -- David Jaffe is indeed making a new Twisted Metal game, and it will be available exclusively for the PS3.
After an intro trailer, mascot Sweet Tooth actually drove onto the stage as Jaffe introduced his game. It will feature air combat for the first time, and will throw in elements like motorcycles.

The centerpiece was the new mode "Nuke," which is team, objective-based mode. The factions that were featured were based around characters Sweet Tooth and Dollface, with the goal being to capture the faction leader. The new game will also feature a full campaign mode. No release date was given.


The Other Tidbits

Also on display were inFamous 2 and Final Fantasy XIV, which received new trailers. The former is due in 2011.

Darksiders 2 Confirmed for 2012

Not all of the game announcements from E3 are being unveiled at large press conferences. CVG reports that a sequel to Darksiders was confirmed last night at a THQ analyst meeting. "Darksiders 2 is coming," said Core Games VP Danny Bilson. "We've green lit that. It's well into production now, it's out two years from now."

Bilson also addressed how he plans to build the brand throughout the burgeoning series' sequels. "[Darksiders] did about twice as much as Red Faction. It's done pretty well. I believe that franchise building isn't about a zillion units out of the gate, it's about building a fan base, building a community of people that dig it, listening to them, doing what you think is good. The second will be twice as big as the first one and the third one you get to big numbers. That's my strategy."

So if you want more of War and the apocalypse, you only have to wait until 2012 when the actual end of the world comes. We know it's true because we saw it in a John Cusack movie.

First Look at the New Silent Hill

At E3 today Konami showed the first trailer of its next Silent Hill game, with the working title of Silent Hill 8.

The game is scheduled to launch in 2011 on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and promises to be "a next generation horror game that fans truly deserve," according to a statement released today by Konami.

The game stars prison inmate Murphy Pendleton, who escapes from a prison transport vehicle and finds himself stranded in Silent Hill. From the glimpses we've seen in the trailer, Pendleton will have to deal both with the supernatural horrors of Silent Hill and with the cops, who are on his trail.

"Silent Hill 8" YouTube Trailer

All of this is via 1up

---

Ok so kids, what did we learn here today?

SONY ALWAYS WINS!

[Travicity]

Sony dosent always win.

[W-OLF]

Gran Tourismo 5 ..THAT IS ALL !!!!

[W-OLF]

E3 2010 Day 3 Wrap-Up

* By Giancarlo Varanini, GameSpot
* Jun 18, 2010 5:58 pm PT


Three and out--E3 2010 has officially come to a close.

E3 2010 is now officially over. If you haven't had a chance to check out all of GameSpot's coverage of this year's whirlwind of a show you can always go here for previews on the biggest games as well as extensive coverage on Sony's PlayStation Move and Microsoft's Kinect motion control system. If you don't have time for that sort of thing, scroll down for a look at some of the biggest news stories, previews, and movies from the final day of the show.

News

* E3 2010 attendance hits 45,600, E3 2011 dated
* Retailers agree on $150 Kinect - Retail Radar
* 3DS supporting software installs - Report
* 3D possible for Wii successor - Report
* Xbox 360 slim can't red-ring by design
* Brink falls off 2010 release calendar
* Ice-T chilling Gears of War 3
* Xbox 360 Medal of Honor MP beta delayed

Stage Show Demos

* Red Faction: Armageddon
* Rage
* Splatterhouse
* Crackdown 2
* Portal 2
* Spider-Man: Shattered Dimesnions
* Hunted: The Demon's Forge
* Fallout: New Vegas
* Test Drive Unlimited 2
* The Witcher 2
* Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
* Fear 3
* Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
* Gran Turismo 5

Movies

* The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Interview: Eiji Aonuma
* Silent Hill 8 Trailer
* Fable III Showcase Demo: Combat
* Devil's Third Interview
* Civilization V Interview
* E3 2010 Floor Check-in - Into the Pixel
* E3 2010 Floor Check-in - Activision/Treyarch
* E3 2010 Floor Check-in - Sega, Part 2
* E3 2010 Floor Check-in - WB Games
* E3 2010 Floor Check-in - Namco Bandai
* E3 2010 Floor Check-in - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
* Sony Booth Tour
* Phil Spencer (Microsoft) Interview
* E3 LiveCam Highlights Day 2
* Dead Space 2 Interview
* Tonight On The Spot - Halo: Reach

Previews

* Fallout: New Vegas Hands-On
* Gears of War 3: Beast Mode Hands-On
* God of War: Ghost of Sparta - First Look
* Sniper: Ghost Warrior Hands-On
* Professor Layton and the Unwound Feature Hands-On
* Splatterhouse Hands-On
* Lost in Shadow Hands-On
* PilotWings Resort Hands-On
* Front Mission Evolved Hands-On
* Time Crisis: Razing Storm Hands-On
* Babysitting Mama Impressions
* Bomberman Live Battlefest Hands-On
* Top Gun Impressions
* Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos Hands-On
* Blacklight Tango Down Impressions
* Twisted Metal Updated Impressions
* Dead Space 2 Update
* LittleBigPlanet 2 Updated Impressions
* Patapon 3 Hands-On
* Kung Fu Riders Hands-On
* Lionheart: King's Crusade Hands-On
* Test Drive Unlimited 2 Hands-On
* Steel Diver Hands-On
* Two Worlds II Hands-On

Features

* Kinect: What You Need to Know
* PlayStation Move: What You Need to Know
* Gut Reactions: Nintendo 3DS - E3 2010

[Travicity]

When they gonna put REC on XBL damn it.