Main Menu

E3 2006 - Microsoft Edition

Started by The Amstor Computer, 08 May, 2006, 09:11:36 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

The Amstor Computer

Hope no-one minds these threads, but I know there are quite a few gamers on the board & I thought it would be good to have a set of threads dedicated to the news coming out of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. I've started three separate threads so that news & discussion about one company, or games for their console, can be kept a bit clearer. For anyone unsure of what's expected this year, I've posted a brief summary of some of the main announcements expected.

MICROSOFT

PRESS CONFERENCE

May 9 @ 7.30pm (available live on xbox.com)

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Microsoft to outline plans for the Xbox 360, including any developments of their Live service.

Future revisions/additions of the 360 hardware to be announced.

The Xbox 360 lineup for 2006 to be on display or playable. Major titles like Too Human, Gears of War, Viva Pinata and Mass Effect should make an appearance. Halo 3 may be present, even if only in video form.

Announcements about titles scheduled for 2007.

Rumours of Microsoft's entry into the handheld market to be vindicated or quashed.

radiator

From gamesradar.com......

Tuesday 9 May 2006
Microsoft didn't pull any punches in its pre-E3 press conference today, as it announced that GTA IV would appear on 360 next year, showed footage of Halo 3 and announced a new multi-platform online service called Live Anywhere.

Microsoft chose the Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard for its conference and Peter Moore, Microsoft's corporate vice president of interactive business gave most of the presentation.

The biggest revelation came half way through the presentation when Peter Moore revealed a tattoo of GTA IV and then confirmed that the hugely successful Rockstar action series is on its way to 360. He even set the date for US release as 16 October 2007.

The reason Moore used a tattoo to reveal the news is due to the fact he had the much delayed Halo 2's released date tattooed on his arm in 2004 to signify that the game wouldn't be slipping any further. Before he revealed the GTA IV he had a pop at Sony's 2005 PS3 demo saying "some guys do rubber ducks, some guys do tattoos".

While the news of GTA IV was a surprise, what Moore was keen to stress was that an exclusive deal had been struck with Rockstar to offer episodic content for the game content via the Live Marketplace. Even though no firm details were given, this could mean new missions, costumes, vehicles and maybe even radio stations.

The rolling footage of Halo 3 was left right to the end of the presentation but, before then, Microsoft big chief Bill Gates took to the stage to announce Live Anywhere, a new online service that allows users to access Microsoft's Live service from a number of different platforms.

Microsoft's big idea is to bring together the whole gaming community - be it console gamers, PC gamers or mobile phone owners. As one of the few companies in the world to provide software for all three of these platforms, Microsoft is in a unique position in to integrate these three different user bases.

radiator

Tuesday 9 May 2006
Microsoft has released a Halo 3 announcement trailer via its Xbox Live online service and the potential show-winning movie is available for download right now.

Weighing in at a reasonably weighty 104MB, the trailer is accompanied with the following synopsis:

"With its defensive forces all but obliterated, Earth has fallen to the unstoppable might of the Covenant. These alien occupiers have discovered something beneath the ancient African sands - something incredible... something Forerunner."

For now - and until we download the trailer - that's all the info available. However, the mention of Forerunner is certainly interesting as this was the rumoured subtitle for the new Halo.

radiator

Halo 3 Teaser here. It's set on Earth, by the looks of it. Hooray - the earth levels were the best thing about Halo 2, but otherwise doesn't give anything away in terms of gameplay. Still, i'm a bit excited about this.

Link: http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=Halo3Announcement" target="_blank">Bungie site


Art


Bico

Simultaneous release on PS3 and Xbox 360 for GTA4.

It's good that Halo 3 is finally coming out, but I don't fancy being on any gaming forums until it does.
"Halo3 for teh win" this, and "roxxors" that - it'll be unbearable.  And if it gets less than a perfect score *everywhere*, the fanboys will melt the internet around our ears.  You daren't even suggest that having these games as launch titles might have been an idea...

radiator

if it gets less than a perfect score *everywhere*, the fanboys will melt the internet around our ears.

So? Who gives a monkey's what they think? People who argue that 'x platform is better than y platform' must have a pretty bad social life. It reminds me of the 'my dad's car is better than your dad's car' type arguments people had at PRIMARY SCHOOL.

Pete Wells

"So? Who gives a monkey's what they think? People who argue that 'x platform is better than y platform' must have a pretty bad social life. It reminds me of the 'my dad's car is better than your dad's car' type arguments people had at PRIMARY SCHOOL."

Yeah, today I watched a DVD of films from people who had been to an Apple "creativity" education course and they honestly went on like complete and utter wankers. Adults going "Oooh, PCs don't do this. With my Mac I can be creative!" Such childish bullshit.

Cocks.

Pete.

Bico

It's all very well to say that, but it doesn't change the fact that some of these people take it very, very seriously indeed.  My brother trolled the GamesRadar forums as a sock puppet called Flash Gordon, pretending to be an Xbox fanboy, and he actually got threats of physical harm through the private message system.  When he was finally kicked off the forum, he was glad he didn't have to deal with the rabid Sony fanboys anymore.
You might not give a monkeys what they think, but that won't stop them spamming your forums to absolute buggery if you slag off their baby.

GordonR

I'm obviously missing something here.  Surely GTA: Vice City was 'GTA IV', coming as it did after GTA III?

The next game will be GTA VI (or VII, depending on whether you count Liberty City Stories, or not).

Art

Hmm... I'm assuming that Vice City and San Andreas were considered varients on GTA III, as they basically had the same gameplay and engine, and that GTA IV is going to be pulling out some majr changes - changes as big as the switch to 3d for GTA III. San Andreas already changes things significantly with all the RPG style stuff though (something I have mixed feelings about).

The Amstor Computer

Nah. As I understand it, Rockstar themselves don't consider GTA:VC or GTA:SA sequels to GTA III, but rather spin-offs or refinements of that game. IIRC, there's precedent for this with their numbering of the first games in the GTA series - wasn't there a GTA: London between GTA and GTA II?

I must admit that the GTA franchise seems to be getting pushed a little too hard at the moment, and I hope GTA IV brings something really fresh to the table. By my count, the PS2/PSP editions look like:

GTA III
GTA: VC
GTA: SA
GTA: Liberty City Stories PSP
GTA: Liberty City Stories PS2
GTA: Vice City Stories PSP

I'm expecting Vice City Stories PS2, and perhaps even San Andreas Stories soon enough as well. The Metal Gear Solid series seems to be under similar pressure, with multiple spin-offs on the PSP, digital comics for the PSP, multiple editions on the PS2... It must be selling well enough to justify that kind of exposure, but it's not doing anything for my interest in the series.

Something Fishy

Looks like overall MS and Ninty have won E3 this year.

Sony seems to be gettin a pretty flat response.