Microsoft

As my primary console I couldn't wait for Microsoft's press conference. The Xbox 360 is the console to beat for hardcore gamers and Microsoft isn't about to let that change. Their entire conference was great showing stuff for both casual and hardcore gamers as well as showing off the new Xbox 360 interface. They showed off live demos for Resident Evil 5, Fable 2, Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2 which were all amazing to watch. I loved the Resident Evil 5 demo but I found its gameplay looked dated. After watching the insane Left 4 Dead footage, I expected a little more from RE5. Fable 2 looked great and the coop play looks like it will change games. But by far the best game I saw during E3 was the insane demo footage for Gears of War 2. This game just blew my mind with the new enemies, weapons, finishing moves, and abilities (meat shields). The multiplayer also looks amazing with fixed balancing issues, great multiplayer modes, 5 player vs. Locast coop, and parties. After this Microsoft showed off some casual games like Lips, Movie Maker, and a new Scene It which should help sell more consoles and reach out to the casual market. They then announced some new arcade games like Geometry Wars 2, Portal, and Banjo Kazooe as well as talk about exclusive GTA 4 content, timed exclusivity of Rock Band 2, and exclusive Fallout 3 DLC. They then showed off avators and the new Xbox 360 interface, which I had a mixed reaction at first about, but has grown on me since. It looks like a great idea and the ability to party up in groups and look at pictures, movies, and play different games yet still chat with everyone is amazing. And to end it off they dropped a huge bombshell at the end when they announced that a former Sony exclusive was coming to the Xbox 360 as Final Fantasy 13. Overall Microsoft's E3 conference was great and had something that everyone could enjoy; I just wish they released more demos on Xbox Live for E3 other than just Too Human. Also a little Halo/Bungie anything would have been nice.

A

Nintendo

Nintendo is by far the best first party developer around. Releasing amazing games like Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy (2007 Game of the Year), Zelda TP, and this year's Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Although the third party titles have been lacking these first party titles have been some of the best games I've ever played. Not to mention that the Wii is the best party console out there and is always a hit when I have friends over since we can all play games like Wii sports, instead of just me and the guys playing some Halo split-screen. Coming into this year's E3 I couldn't have been more excited about Nintendo's press conference knowing they would unveil this hardcore game Reggie has been talking about. I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing it would be to see a trailer for a new Zelda game built from the ground up on the Wii, and how it would be played. With the conference now starting I watch as a soccer mom takes the stage and begins showing off casual game after casual game for the Wii. Although it was interesting to see what they were doing with the Wii balancing board and how they're using it in games like Shawn Whites Snowboarding, I felt that it was all aimed at a younger audience. The new Wii pro attachment looked good and the new Wii sports looks like it could be fun with friends but it all looked so very casual. This was followed by Wii Music which has to be the most casual and zero skill requiring game I've ever seen. With some one button instruments like the saxophone and some lame shake the controller instruments like the guitar. After all this we get to this big announcement and it turns out to be...... Animal Crossing!!! I was in shock, has Nintendo forgot about the hardcore gamer, or do they just not care anymore?!?! What makes me even madder is that in an interview on Gametrailers that soccer mom says in response to the hardcore gamers being disappointed in Nintendo's E3 "Keep playing Smash Brothers and Mario Kart." What the hell does that mean? She basically said wait till E3 2009 which shows Nintendo doesn't care about us. It looks like SSBB will be the only game I'll buy for my Wii in 2008 and looking at what's coming out for the Wii it could be my last.

C-

Sony

With many people saying this was the year of the PS3, Sony had a lot to prove at this year's E3, and for the most part I think they did. They showed a great selection of games throughout the conference with demos of Resistance 2, Little Big Planet, and Fallout 3. Resistance 2 looked very good with a good looking campaign, multiplayer, and 8 player coop! The PSP version also looks great and I can't wait to hear more about it. The Little Big Planet demo was great and a perfect/less boring way to show sales numbers as well as show off the game. LBP shot to the top of my E3 list with its unique and creative approach to platforming. They also showed off a lot of PSN arcade games like Fat Princess that look like a lot of fun to play, as well as some more info on Home. I felt they should have showed more about the new Socom, MoterStorm Pacific Rift, Killzone 2, and The Agency, but the montages were pretty good to remind you what the PS3 has this year. They then ended strong with a God of War 3 teaser trailer and a game I'm dying to hear more about MAG. The PS3 has an amazing line up of games coming out this year, and were now finally seeing what the PS3 is capable of.

A-

I've never really been a hardcore Medal Gear Solid fan. I've been playing it since the begining with some friends but never really got that into it.But after getting caught up in the hype and reading the reviews for MGS4 I had to go and pick it up. The Xbox 360 is my primary console so this was the first PS3 game i've bought since getting my PS3 a few months ago. After downloading an update and installing it on my hard drive I was ready to play and was dying to see how amazing this AAAA game is. The starting cinematics are great and really got me excited to play as they brought me into Snakes world. With guns blazing, people dying, and explosions everywhere it really made for an intense starting level. The graphics are almost photo realistic and this game has some of the best voice acting i've seen although they can go a little over the top sometimes. I've played the game for two hours and 45 minutes so far and I don't really know what to say. For at least half of that time i've been watching cinematics. I mean I watch this long cinematic then leave the room I was in and then another cinematic... It really slows down the game for me and some of those slide shows are so boring. I've felt many times well playing that i'm watching a movie and every so often I get to sneak around a few guys to see what happens next. It's still been pretty great so far but it seems that the coolest things happen when i'm watching. I don't know if i'm being to harsh, but I wasn't expecting being a little bored with an overkill of cinematics in a game that got 10/10. I'm hoping its just a slow start as the gameplay is pretty great so far, and i'm loving his camo suit.

* Since then I've made it to Act 3 and its really starting to pick up, most of my early complaints are gone, and I'm getting an idea what RE5 will be like to play. (Tank scene) The cut scenes are also getting better and less frequent which is great and the boss fights are a blast. One thing that does bother me though is the humor. It really takes away from the story for me. Like why must they burp after every sip of that Cola? Whats with the hairless monkey?(He needs to be shot) And don't get me started on that diarrhea guy. (This might be ok in Japan but they should have changed it for North America).

** I'm on Act 4 right now and i'm loving this game, unlike before i'm on the edge of my seat for the cinematics and some pretty crazy things are happening. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone but this looks like the perfect final game for a MGS fan. I can't get over the graphics as they are the best i've ever seen on console, and i'm finally seeing why so many people are giving this game 10/10. I have to study for exams a bit longer and then its time for some more MGS4!

*** Well my exams are over, and I can finally get back to finishing MGS4. Its been amazing so far and I can't wait to see how it ends. I'll write a review for it once I finish MGS1 again and beat MGS4 again on a higher difficulty.

I was asked the question if I wanted to see Sony win this gen, and it made me think about how arrogant Sony was at the start of this gen. You can't really blame them coming off the PS2, but I still found myself wishing they'd fail. I've always loved Sony since Crash Bandicoot on the PS1 but they were just too arrogant at the beginning. Here's a few funny Sony quotes I found. And do you guys feel the same?

"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
- Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's president of global digital business, responding to the outcry over Sony's DRM Rootkit spyware uncovered on its music CDs

"You can look at the software that they sell. All their licensed kid stuff. So, what we're doing with the PlayStation Portable is really establishing a new marketplace, and establishing, frankly, a new beachhead."
- Peter Dille, Sony US Senior Vice President of Marketing, on comparing PSP to DS

"The idea of a handheld rivalry with Nintendo is an irrelevance. Those formats don't appear in our planning. It's not a fair comparison; not fair on them, I should stress. That sounds arrogant, maybe, but it's the truth. With the DS , it's fair to say that Nintendo stepped out of the technical race and went for a feature differentiation with the touch screen. But I fear that it won't have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick - so the long-lasting appeal of the platform is at peril as a direct result of that."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, on comparing PSP to DS in an interview with MCV

"It's probably too cheap..."
- Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the $499 to $599 price point

"(the PS3) is not a game machine..."
- Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the machine's beefy hardware architecture

"The name of the game is not market share, it's how fast we (Sony) can grow the industry."
- Ken Kutaragi, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo

"...for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."
- Ken Kutaragi, explaining their marketing goals for the PS3

"We do not care."
- Kaz Hirai, current President of Computer Entertainment, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo

"I don't think the battle would be any different with or without Grand Theft Auto... I don't think it (losing Grand Theft Auto would) hurts us. No, I really don't."
- Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO

"If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1200 bucks for it."
- Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO

"The first five million are going to buy it (PS3), whatever it is, even [if] it didn't have games."
- David Reeves, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO

"Microsoft does not concern us. Microsoft is not a technology company."
- Nobuyuki Idei, Sony chief corporate adviser in an interview with BBC NEWS

"A bit pricey."
- Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, speaking about Nintendo Wii in an interview with the age.com.au

"We have a lot of respect for Nintendo, but with a December launch, how much stock are they going to get at a AU$400 price point? What is the consumer offering? So I don't think anyone will do more units than a PS2 this (Christmas)."
- Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, regarding the launch of Nintendo Wii

"Sorry you didn't have the opportunity to buy a PS3 this year, but I'm sure it beats lining up in a queue for hours on end only to be told the store has sold out."
- Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Australia in an interview with the age.com.au

"There's this sort of misunderstanding that the Blu-ray disc player for movies is somehow burdening the console with unnecessary cost. That is completely not true... Once we had that storage capacity on Blu-ray Disc, adding the movie playback functionality was extremely cost-effective, [the cost] is actually non-existent."
- Phil Harrison, regarding the wholesale cost of the system's Blu-ray player

"Nobody will ever use 100% of PS3's capability"
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment's Worldwide Studios speaking with MTV news.

"The PlayStation 3 is a computer. We do not need the PC."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, in an interview with GameSpot

"I have no concerns about the competition."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Worldwide Studios speaking at the Game Developer Conference

"I don't think we're arrogant."
- Phil Harrison, regarding consumer perception of Sony

"We're certainly not interested in Gimmicks."
- Kaz Hirai0 E32k6, right before showing off Eye of Judgement.

"Nintendo knows its target audience, because it has really narrowed that down; and it's pretty much defined by a boy or girl's ability to admire Pokemon."
- Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment's Worldwide Studios

"But I fear that it won't have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick."
- Sony executive Phil Harrison cuts to the chase with his incisive analysis of the Nintendo DS in gaming paper MCV.

"Consider the US with its massive land and cheap people. Then you look at the UK - a little island where rent and rates are at an absolute premium, and the cost of people is a lot more."
- Sony's take on the consumers, as told by UK Managing Director Ray Maguire to website gamesindustry.biz