one of them
07-14-2008, 09:21 AM
Ok, here is how the Conference went down.
10:30: The Microsoft press conference is like a rock concert: Probably 1000 games professionals and journalists types in a massive hall, waiting for word from on-high about what's up with Microsoft.
Kicks off with a bang! A Fallout 3 trailer featuring a live action section that quickly turns into a demo of the post nuclear shooter.
* Third or first person view.
* Hacking of terminals
* Huge open world
* "Perks"-- character custimization option--Example: Bloody mess; enemies die in ridiculously bloody way
10:43: Live Resident Evil 5 demo!
* Online Co-Op mode confirmed. Second character a woman. Sheva. Another member of the BSA.
* Friday March 13, 2009--Worldwide release.
10:50: Peter Molyneaux shows off Fable 2.
* Fable 2 allows you to create custom world, that responds to what you've done. But there is co-op. You invite friends in to share your world and interact with it.
* Game allows you to raise children, have a wife. Get pregnant. The whole nine.
* Oct 2008 release.
10:55: Cliff Bleszinski shows off Gears of War 2 co-op.
* Sinkhole level. Graphics look Amazing. Fire effects are by far the best looking we have ever seen.
* New mode: "Horde" 5-player co-op where players take on "wave after wave" of locusts
* Nov 7th release.
11:05: We take a look at some PowerPoint slides that prove Microsoft is awesome.
* Microsoft declares they will win the console war. They say they will sell more consoles this generation than the PlayStation 3.
* Consumers have spent more than a billion dollars on Xbox since 2005. That's billion with a "B".
11:09: John Shafter, head of Live, takes the stage.
* This fall, a brand new dashboard will be released. New interface is simpler to use. It looks a little like iTunes.
* Avatars: Wii-style cariactures that allow you to make a digital reprentation of yourself. Change your pants, hair and face. Whatever. It's happening this Fall.
* The avatars are meant to not be just toys. They'll be seen "in games, on the web." To me they look like the exact middle between a Mii and the PlayStation Home avatars.
* "Live Party" allows you to party up with friends to either play games, share photos, just hang out. Stream photos to the entire party.
* Xbox live Primetime allows you to play gameshow style games. First example: 1 vs. 100 over Xbox Live.
* "Combines the best in television and the best of games." It's "for the whole family." There are prizes. Like real prizes.
11:18: New Arcade titles:
* Geometry Wars 2 announced
* Sequel to Galaga, Galaga Legions announced.
11:23: Portal Still Alive coming in the Fall! It's a 360 exclusive.
11:24: Netflix partnership announced! The Netflix library available on Xbox at no additional cost. Plus, you'll be able to "share" movies with your friends and watch at the same time.
11:25: Shane Kim takes the stage. Shows off Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts trailer.
* Very stylized graphics seem like an ode to the cartoons of the 40s.
* Release of orignal BK on Live.
11:29: Scene it: Box Office Smash trailer is shown.
* First game with avatars.
11:30: You're in the Movies shown.
* Game allows you to make movies with your friends.
* Group of Xbox execs are brought out to test it.
* Make "short, campy" movies where you and your friends are the stars.
* Uses camera to play mini-games. then the footage of you running/jumping/dancing is edited into an unrelated parody movie. Kind of interesting... but we wonder if we'd play it more than once.
* An editorial note: Just watching these executive play camera-enable mini-games is awkward. I can't imagine how they must feel.
* Comes with a Live Vision camera.
11:39: Kai Huang from Red Octane takes the stage to talk Guitar Hero World Tour
* More than 85 songs at launch.
* Xbox 360 users will be able to download three new REM songs before anyone else.
* Metallica will release their "Death Magnetic" album on the Guitar Hero platform simaltaneous with "real" release of the ablum.
11:43: We see commercial for Lips, the Xbox's upcoming karaoke game, with shiny microphone. Keiichi Yano, creator of Elite Beat Agents, takes stage.
* Lips allows you to "sing songs from your own collection."
* Microphone is motion-sensing, so interactive dancing is possible.
11:45: Pop songstress Duffy takes the stage and sings "Mercy," her own song using Lips.
11:49: Alez Rigopolous of Harmonix takes the stage to talk Rock Band 2.
* Guns and Roses "Chinese Democracy" tracks available on Rock Band 2.
* Full songlist announced.
* Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue"
* AC-DC is coming to Rock Band 2!
* Everything is "forward compatible" so original tracks and DLC from the first game will be playable in RB 2.
* There will be "over 500 songs" by 2008.
11:54: Head of Square Enix takes the stage.
* Infinite Undiscovery available Sept 2 in North America. September 5th in Europe. Sept. 11 in Asia.
* Star Ocean: the Last Hope in Spring 2009.
* The Last Remnant: Available this holiday season. Trailer shown. Release: November 20th, 2008. Available in Games for Windows, too.
12:00: Final Fantasy XIII announced!
* Amazing looking trailer! Huge, bright open worlds landscape in the trailer.
* First FF game on the 360.
That pretty much covers it.
10:30: The Microsoft press conference is like a rock concert: Probably 1000 games professionals and journalists types in a massive hall, waiting for word from on-high about what's up with Microsoft.
Kicks off with a bang! A Fallout 3 trailer featuring a live action section that quickly turns into a demo of the post nuclear shooter.
* Third or first person view.
* Hacking of terminals
* Huge open world
* "Perks"-- character custimization option--Example: Bloody mess; enemies die in ridiculously bloody way
10:43: Live Resident Evil 5 demo!
* Online Co-Op mode confirmed. Second character a woman. Sheva. Another member of the BSA.
* Friday March 13, 2009--Worldwide release.
10:50: Peter Molyneaux shows off Fable 2.
* Fable 2 allows you to create custom world, that responds to what you've done. But there is co-op. You invite friends in to share your world and interact with it.
* Game allows you to raise children, have a wife. Get pregnant. The whole nine.
* Oct 2008 release.
10:55: Cliff Bleszinski shows off Gears of War 2 co-op.
* Sinkhole level. Graphics look Amazing. Fire effects are by far the best looking we have ever seen.
* New mode: "Horde" 5-player co-op where players take on "wave after wave" of locusts
* Nov 7th release.
11:05: We take a look at some PowerPoint slides that prove Microsoft is awesome.
* Microsoft declares they will win the console war. They say they will sell more consoles this generation than the PlayStation 3.
* Consumers have spent more than a billion dollars on Xbox since 2005. That's billion with a "B".
11:09: John Shafter, head of Live, takes the stage.
* This fall, a brand new dashboard will be released. New interface is simpler to use. It looks a little like iTunes.
* Avatars: Wii-style cariactures that allow you to make a digital reprentation of yourself. Change your pants, hair and face. Whatever. It's happening this Fall.
* The avatars are meant to not be just toys. They'll be seen "in games, on the web." To me they look like the exact middle between a Mii and the PlayStation Home avatars.
* "Live Party" allows you to party up with friends to either play games, share photos, just hang out. Stream photos to the entire party.
* Xbox live Primetime allows you to play gameshow style games. First example: 1 vs. 100 over Xbox Live.
* "Combines the best in television and the best of games." It's "for the whole family." There are prizes. Like real prizes.
11:18: New Arcade titles:
* Geometry Wars 2 announced
* Sequel to Galaga, Galaga Legions announced.
11:23: Portal Still Alive coming in the Fall! It's a 360 exclusive.
11:24: Netflix partnership announced! The Netflix library available on Xbox at no additional cost. Plus, you'll be able to "share" movies with your friends and watch at the same time.
11:25: Shane Kim takes the stage. Shows off Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts trailer.
* Very stylized graphics seem like an ode to the cartoons of the 40s.
* Release of orignal BK on Live.
11:29: Scene it: Box Office Smash trailer is shown.
* First game with avatars.
11:30: You're in the Movies shown.
* Game allows you to make movies with your friends.
* Group of Xbox execs are brought out to test it.
* Make "short, campy" movies where you and your friends are the stars.
* Uses camera to play mini-games. then the footage of you running/jumping/dancing is edited into an unrelated parody movie. Kind of interesting... but we wonder if we'd play it more than once.
* An editorial note: Just watching these executive play camera-enable mini-games is awkward. I can't imagine how they must feel.
* Comes with a Live Vision camera.
11:39: Kai Huang from Red Octane takes the stage to talk Guitar Hero World Tour
* More than 85 songs at launch.
* Xbox 360 users will be able to download three new REM songs before anyone else.
* Metallica will release their "Death Magnetic" album on the Guitar Hero platform simaltaneous with "real" release of the ablum.
11:43: We see commercial for Lips, the Xbox's upcoming karaoke game, with shiny microphone. Keiichi Yano, creator of Elite Beat Agents, takes stage.
* Lips allows you to "sing songs from your own collection."
* Microphone is motion-sensing, so interactive dancing is possible.
11:45: Pop songstress Duffy takes the stage and sings "Mercy," her own song using Lips.
11:49: Alez Rigopolous of Harmonix takes the stage to talk Rock Band 2.
* Guns and Roses "Chinese Democracy" tracks available on Rock Band 2.
* Full songlist announced.
* Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue"
* AC-DC is coming to Rock Band 2!
* Everything is "forward compatible" so original tracks and DLC from the first game will be playable in RB 2.
* There will be "over 500 songs" by 2008.
11:54: Head of Square Enix takes the stage.
* Infinite Undiscovery available Sept 2 in North America. September 5th in Europe. Sept. 11 in Asia.
* Star Ocean: the Last Hope in Spring 2009.
* The Last Remnant: Available this holiday season. Trailer shown. Release: November 20th, 2008. Available in Games for Windows, too.
12:00: Final Fantasy XIII announced!
* Amazing looking trailer! Huge, bright open worlds landscape in the trailer.
* First FF game on the 360.
That pretty much covers it.