Riley here, and as you all should know, E3, the biggest gaming expo of the year, is happening right now in Los Angeles, California. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have all given their keynote speeches, and have all announced a lot of cool, new stuff. But who had the best keynote? That's what we're going to talk about today.
First up is Microsoft, since they gave the first keynote. For the past few years, Microsoft has had great keynotes, unveiling a lot of cool stuff, like the Xbox 360 S, the Kinect, and all sorts of games. This year, Microsoft kind of fell short. Don't get me wrong, it was a great keynote, just not as great as past years. There were a lot of trailers and demos for games like Mass Effect 3, Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, and even the new Tomb Raider. There's just one problem with that. We already knew that those games existed. There just weren't enough new games shown off at the keynote. In terms of brand new, never heard of games, the library was very Kinect-heavy. Microsoft's mission this year is apparently to get more games out for the Kinect. Honestly, I can't blame them. The Kinect only has a handful of games out right now, and only a fingerful are good. But hopefully, the likes of Kinect Sports 2, Dance Central 2, and Star Wars Kinect will fix that. Also, many games were announced to have Kinect features, most notably Mass Effect 3. Minecraft, the hot-shot PC game that's still in beta, was unveiled to be coming to the Xbox 360 later this year. It will also have Kinect features, but Kinect will not be required. One of the biggest things announced at the Microsoft keynote was the new update to the Xbox dashboard, coming this fall. It will add a complete Kinect-friendly user-interface which will allow you to access anything with Kinect. The biggest addition to the dashboard is none other than YouTube, so that you can search for the latest meme video without leaving your chair. At the end of the Microsoft keynote, one last game was shown off. None other than Halo: CE Anniversary, a remake of Halo 1, using the Halo: Reach engine. This game has been known about for a couple months, but never shown off. As a fan of the original Halo, I'm gald to see it put on the 360 with better graphics, online play, and best of all, achievements. At the very end of the Halo: CE Anniversay trailer, the screen went black, and then two words showed up that made millions cry for joy. Halo 4. That's right, Halo 4 is coming. Not only that, but it was announced that Halo 4 is the start of a new Halo trilogy, which means that there will be a Halo 5 and 6. Not much is known about these games, except that the Master Chief and Cortana make a triumphic and action-filled return.
Now for Sony. I was proud of Sony's keynote this year. They focused on a lot of really big games, such as Ressistance 3. Sony also announced a few games for the first time. I am most looking forward to a new Sly Cooper game entitled Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. But games weren't all Sony had on their mind. For a few months now, it has been widely known that a new PSP type device would be coming out at the end of this year. At E3, Sony announced it's official name, the Playstation Vita (Vita means life in latin, representing that gaming is life). The Vita is about the same size as a PSP but is much much nicer. It's screen is a much higher resolution than the PSP's, capable of putting out near HD graphics. The screen is also a touch screen, and there is a touch pad on the back of the Vita. The biggest addition to what might as well be called the PSP 2 is a second analog stick, allowing for better controls, especially in first-person shooters. It also features a much more robustonline function than the PSP had, sporting a friends list and voice chat. Several games for the Vita, such as LittleBigPlanet 2, Modnation Racers, and Uncharted: The Golden Abyss, were shown off as well. The Vita will be arriving this Holiday season in 2 models. A wi-fi only model will cost $250, while a wi-fi/3G model will cost $300. The 3G network for the Vita will be that of AT&T. While I am excited for the Vita and glad they showed it off, I was very dissapointed that Sony did not announce a Playstation 4. I believe that one is needed, due to the low security of the PS3. This was shown by the Playstation Network being taken down on April 20 of this year, and being kept down for a month. Hopefully a new Playstion home console will be announced next year.
Rounding up the pack is Nintendo, but just because they spoke last, certaqinly doesn't mean they did the worst. Nintendo started its keynote by talking about this year being the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. They then announced that every single one of its main systems will recieve a Zelda game this year. The 3DS will be receiving two free downloads of past Zelda games, and The Ocarina of Time 3D, while the Wii will be receiving the next main Zelda game, Skyward Sword. The next segment of the keynote was focused entirely on the 3DS, and several new games coming out for it this year, including Starfox 64, Mariokart, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Super Mario 3D, and even a sequel to Luigi's Mansion, Luigi's Mansion 2. I am excited for each and every one of these games, but first I have to get a 3DS :P After the 3DS talk was done, it was time for the big reveal. For a couple months now, it has been known that Nintendo was working on a new console, and that the controller for said console would have a touchscreen. But that's it. That's all that was known. But now was time to tell everyone what Nintendo was hiding. The WiiU! Yes, I know it isn't the coolest name, but never judge a console by its name. The WiiU itself looks like a hybrid of the Wii and the 360, but it's the controller that matters. The WiiU controller is a tablet about two thirds the size of an iPad. The center of the controller is a 6.8" screen which displays in stunning HD. On either side of the screen are analog sticks, with a d-pad on the left side, and face buttons on the right. There are also two trigger, and two shoulder buttons. The controller also sports nifty front and back cameras which allow for picture and video taking, and even a video chat reminiscent of Apple's Facetime. Now then, for the cool part. The controller interfaces in games in very unique ways. For example, a Zelda game was shown (which looked great in HD), and your inventory was shown on the controller's touch screen, allowing for quicker item changes by simply tapping on an item. A Madden game was also shown. Picking plays was done entirely on the controller's touch screen, so they didnt cover up the football field, allowing for a more immersive experience. The WiiU controller's coolest function is to take a game off of the television screen and place it onto the controller's screen. What that means is that if you're playing Mario Kart on the tv, but someone changes the channel, you can keep playing on the controller's screen. That's right, the WiiU offers portable home console games. And speaking of games, the WiiU won't be dredged in terrible family-friendly games like the Wii was (I'm looking at you Babysitting Mama). Actually, there will be some hardcore M-Rated games on the WiiU. I'm talking about Darksiders 2, Battlefield 3, Assassins Creed, Arkham City, Metro: Last Light, and even Ninja Gaiden 3. And these aren't toned down ports. These are the same games you'll see on the 360 and PS3. That's enough to make me want to buy the console right now. I would love to play some Battlefield while lying in bed, and I'd be able to do that with this fancy new controller. There was one more big announcement at the Nintendo keynote, and that was a new Smash Bros. game. Personally, I love the Smash Bros. series, and can't wait to get the next one. It'll be coming to both the 3DS and the WiiU, and both versions will somehow work with each other in tandem, but details on that aspect were kept secret. The WiiU is also backwards compatible with all Wii games, including downloaded virtual console and WiiWare games, and even utilizes WiiMotes. The WiiU will be coming out next year. I just wish it was out right now. Nintendo closed out their keynote with a sly easter egg. The screen showed numerous logos all at once as people left the theatre. Most of these logos were titles of games that were just announced. However, others were of unnannounced games such as Kirby Wii, and a new Rhythm Heaven. I wonder when these games will be officially announced. Hopefully, they are real.
Now then, I think we can all agree that the keynotes of this E3 were pretty amazing. But who won? Well I'll have to say that Microsoft and Sony tied this year. The Vita is about as exciting as the Kinect. But both companies talked about great games, such as Resistance 3, and Modern Warfare 3. They also both had huge reveals (i.e. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, and Halo4). I think it's obvious who had the best keynote though. Nintendo. The WiiU is just revolutionary, and that's what Nintendo does best. They were the first to utilize motion controls, dual screens, and 3D without glasses. In fact, I don't think I've ever been as excited for a console as I am with the WiiU. If only it had a better name...
