You know what happens after hours and hours of writing, follow-up, and more than a month after a big conference or expo? You forget things. Well, YOU might not, but I sure did.
Almost 2 months ago we hosted our first ever staff E3 predictions game, with the winner receiving a prize. Here’s how we did, and who won.
The winner was… Mike McGarrigle, successfully adding up 5 points (and barely edging out Ryan’s 4.5 points). Using the “safety net” approach of stating the obvious and already confirmed, the tactic wins Mike a snazzy new SQ t-shirt. Great job! For a complete breakdown, read on below.
Microsoft
– Big push for Natal, obviously +1
– XBox360 Slim: BluRay option, 3D HD option -1Nintendo
– Wii HD (Possible BluRay option, but that might be a stretch) with Netflix HD streaming built-in (rather than a disc) -1Technology
– 3D tech: Judging by the clamor at CES, I’m going to say that 3D output is going to be the catch-all for the week. Many of the major display manufacturers are streeting 3D hardware already, and just about all of them have at least one 3D offering planned for before the Christmas rush (half of them buy their panels from Samsung, anyway, amirite?). +1
Total: 0 points
Microsoft
– Natal to be “less” exciting after more extensive showcase at E3, nothing “core” will be shown +1
– New bundle at $299 price point with Natal and Core 360 (no HDD) +1
– MS will not go 3D, as it is still very cost-prohibitive (special TV, glasses). The 360 may not be technically capable of 3D that can match the PS3′s quality. Plus, the 360 can’t play 3D movies, which is a point in Sony’s direction. +1Sony
– Move to be “more” exciting than initially thought, may show better than Natal at this years E3, and “win” in that respect +1/2
– Sony will be only maker pushing 3D on the console, will see PS3-branded glasses w/ integration with other Sony products, (auto turn on and off when 3D capable blue ray is put in PS3 and similar Bravia line) +1/2
– Will have a 3D bundle option with glasses, separate from “Move” bundle -1
– Sony will have same pricing problems with the PS3+Move that we saw with PSPgo last year +1Nintendo
– They will bring the 3DS out at aggressive price point (if they declare price) -1
– We will see Zelda playable and Pikmin 3 will be touched on in some way shape or form +1/2
– They will announce a unique launch title for 3DS with a franchise that seems unexpected +1
– Nintendo will get serious about online offerings for the 3DS, possibly with an app store approach (recently, Iwata took aim directly at Apple as future competition) -1
– Unexpected media playback features to be included in 3DS, may get into content business with movies/shows +1
– The Vitality Sensor will be exactly as expected: Expanded audience -1
– Nintendo will not say anything about “Wii 2″, as their opinion is that the current Wii still has lots of life +1PC Gaming
– Totally wishful thinking, but… Steam client on Linux -1Individual Publishers
– The Bungie team will unveil their new project w/ Activision -1
– The COD well may be dry, and with Treyarch up to bat next it may be “meh” at the sho -1/2
Total: 2 points
Jon Kehoe
Microsoft
– 360 Slim / Natal bundle debuts this Christmas, Natal also sold separately of course. +1
– Full Fable 3 trailer plus Natal integration shown. +1/2
– New Viva Pinata game for use with Natal. -1
– Full scope of LIVE on Windows mobile revealed, including cross-compatibility with XBox LIVE games for leaderboards, etc. -1
– Rock Band Led Zeppelin (will be revealed at presser, though this is multiplatform) -1Sony
– Sony unveils 3D gaming compatible with the PS Move. Unfortunately it’s mostly casual/minigame fare. +1
– Details on Uncharted movie, starring Nathan Fillion! -1
– Infamous 2 and Killzone 3 announced. +2
– PSPGo price cut “RIGHT NOW” -1Nintendo
– 3DS is fully unveiled, launch titles are include Nintendogs 3DS, Brain Age 3DS, Donkey Kong Country 3DS and a bunch of Artstyle downloadable dames. +1/2
– Pikmin 3 -1
– “Zelda Plus” is finally revealed, with Motion Plus implementation demoed to many oohs and aaahs. +1
– Yet another Wii Fit iteration/sequel that uses the Vitality Sensor -1PC
– Torchlight 2 announced -1 (too early!)Individual Publishers (Activision, EA, etc)
– THQ announces Red Faction Guerilla 2, Darksiders 2 and some more original IPs. +1/2
– Valve shows trailer for Half Life 2 Episode 3 and also announces co-op mode in Portal 2 with the new trailer. +1/2
– Teaser Trailer for BungiVision project, with little to no details. -1
– Teaser trailer for Infinity Ward project, with little to no details. -1
Total: -3 points
Microsoft
– Huge Halo:Reach push (it’s gonna be all about the numbers) +1
– They’ll show how Natal ties in with games we already own and new ones like Fable 3. -1
– They’ll show hints for Mass Effect 3 -1
– Natal, Natal, Natal +1
– No other hardware announcements. -1
– No price drops -1/2
– Lots of numbers about how awesome they are. +1/2Sony
– 3 new exclusives +1
– 2 IPs that WERE exclusive to Xbox are now multiplatform -1
– Sony Move will have new games announced, BUT majority won’t be interesting (casual) -1/2Nintendo
– Zelda +1
– Pikmin 3 -1
– More. Casual. Games. -1/2Other publishers
– Activision will blaze out da gate with a Bungie project -1
– Another new Call of Duty +1
– EA will pimp their sports games… again +1
– Ea will also have 3 new awesome IPs +1/2
Total: -1 1/2 Points
Microsoft
– XBox Slim w/ Natal for $250, internal memory of up to 4GB? +1/2
– Natal by itself for $100 -1
– XBox Arcade to $179.99, XBox Elite to $250 -1
– Mass Effect 3 debut trailer -1
– Mass Effect MMORPG -1
– Natal in Fable 3 0
– Major NXE interface update +1/2
– Natal sports pack-in game +1
– Natal health game +1
– Halo:Reach push +1
– New Halo game teased -1
– Minimal 3D gaming push (“Hey look, we can do it too. But you don’t want it, anyways.) +1/2Sony
– PSP2 (Will be $200 PSP with hard drive, can still accept UMD, and have second thumb stick) -1
– PSPgo price drop to $150-$175 -1
– Final Fantasy XIV push +1
– Final Fantasy Versus XIII to be released in 2011… still PS3 exclusive -1
– Gran Turismo 5 to have MOVE compatibility and be released in October (finally) +1
– Uncharted PSP debut trailer -1
– Little Big Planet 2 +1
– PS3 MOVE combo system = $350 -1
– PS3 MOVE with mostly casual games revealed. Potentially show a God of War MOVE demo-type-thing as the one “killer” core game… maybe Kratos will be in that Motion Fighter game that they have coming +1/2
– Major interface update, to include better PSN integration, more “social” PS3 features -1
– Infamous 2, Killzone 3, Resistance 3 +1/2Nintendo
– 3DS debut +1
– Star Fox game for 3DS debut +1
– “Killer app” 3DS game will be a brand new IP -1
– $199 3DS to have small hard drive, SD card slot, bigger screens than DSi, GameCube/Wii-level graphics, motion-sensing, rumble +1/2
– 3DS online store to be more like iTunes store, with more focus on apps and games and the 3DS marketed as more than just a games system -1
– New menu/user-interface update for the Wii -1
– New Donkey Kong game (perhaps retro-style, like New Super Mario Wii) +1
– New Mario game… Not Galaxy or NSMBWii, but completely different and perhaps casual-influenced. +1
– Vitality Sensor games: WiiParty, Pikmin 3, WiiFit 2 (or similar health game) -1
– New Legend of Zelda +1Other Publishers
Valve
– Giant push for Portal 2, Half Life 2 Episode 3 0
Activision
– Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay to debut during XBox press conference +1
– Another Call of Duty game (MMO? Third-person action game?) -1
– Next Tony Hawk game to include snowboarding +1/2EA
– Madden, NBA, Fifa to have some type of physical fitness training included (like EA Sports Active on Wii, but included in games) -1
– New SSX game -1Rockstar
– Grand Theft Auto 5 teaser… will take place in foreign country (maybe Europe?) -1
Total: -3 1/2 Points
Microsoft
– Project Natal will be reveled with pricing for standalone unit from $75 to $99. It will come bundled with the new Slim 360 for $299. +1/2
– More updates to the dash board. Friend count will be increased and group support will be shown. Update to come on or before Slim 360/Natal ship this fall. +1/2
– We’ll see a partnership with a major ISP (probably Comcast) to bring some On Demand TV to the 360. +1/2
– A Zune Marketplace subscription will be announced. -1
– They’ll highlight integration of the 360, PC, and Windows Phone 7. -1
– No Blue Ray player (sorry Nathan) +1Sony
– Focus on Move and first party games. Move will retail at $99 and the bundle will be $349. +1/2
– We’ll see a paid subscription model coming in the near future. +1
– Kevin Butler will make a stage presence. +1
– PSP will get a new model at same price. -1
– PSPgo will drop to $199. -1
– Gran Turismo 5 SHOULD be dated and hands on, BUT it won’t be. (Please note: I really hope it is, but I lost faith long ago. I will be happy to get this one wrong). -1Nintendo
– There will be no Wii HD. +1
– New Zelda will be shown off. +1
– New Metroid will have hands on. +1
– More first party games will be announced. Third party and more hard core game will continue to be ignored. +1/2Publishers
– We’ll see nothing from Respawn and EA, but I’m sure they will be there and hinting at something big to come in the future. +1
– Activision will be trumpeting their partnership with Bungie and we’ll get a teaser of what’s coming from them. -1
– Ubisoft will continue to crank out Tom Clancy branded game. We’ll see Rainbow Six, Advanced Warfighter, and Hawx, but they won’t be playable. +1/2Technology
– 3D… will be there, with little support behind it. +1/2
– On Live will be there, but have nothing really new to show. +1/2
Total: 5 points
Microsoft
– More information on Natal including a better idea of price and a vague release scheduled for holiday ’10 +1
– Rare’s next project revealed -1
– Showing off more of Halo: Reach. Maybe playable campaign on the show floor? +1
– Fable 3 gameplay presentation narrated by Molyneux +1
– Halo HD for XBLA -1Sony
– Move demonstrated with an actual game, not just tech demos – release date announced +1/2
– new Home-related announcements -1
– Infamous 2 teased +1
– Killzone 3 teased +1Nintendo
– 3DS talked about, maybe show a prototype. Not playable. +1/2
– Vitality sensor dated/priced, possibly bundled with an exercise game -1
– New Zelda for Wii +1
– Pikmin 3 makes an appearance in some fashion -1PC
– …there are PC games? -1Individual Publishers
Activision
– Announcement of new project with Bungie, possibly a description (unnamed) -1
– COD: Black Ops shown off +1
– (Blizzard) StarCraft 2 somethingorother +1/2EA
– Mirror’s Edge 2 teased -1
– Dead Space 2 new footage, possibly playable (will at least show gameplay) +1/2
– Madden ’11 +1 (it was a gimme!)
UbiSoft
– AC: Brotherhood shown off +1
– More shown of Beyond Good & Evil 2 (It’s not dead!) -1Suda51/Grasshopper
– New project -1Technology
– Some kind of new force feedback gear: a helmet, gloves. Created by an indie team or collegiate group. Electrodes are likely to be involved. +1/2
Total: 1 1/2 points
General
– “Noticeable” amount of iPad games at booths (noticeable = at least 3) +1
– Microsoft wins E3, but most interesting announcements are 3DS-based -1/2Microsoft
– Big Halo: Reach push +1
– Lots of playable Natal crap (some kind of shooter, sports) +1
– Xbox 360 slim mention with 250GB HDD + Natal, priced at $350 +1/2
– Big wows from Peter Moleyneux’s Milo -1
– New New Xbox Experience w/ Natal’s release +1/2Sony
-Sony Move, playable w/o price point +1
-PSP2 named, no UMD for it, all downloadable content -1
-New Playstation UI experience +1/2Nintendo
– 3DS named +1
– No Wii HD +1
– More on Wii Zelda, nothing playable for attendees +1/2
– Metroid Other M playable +1
– Mario for 3DS shown +1/2
– New Super Mario Bros 2 (DS) -1
-some game that will require a new peripheral for the Wii that will make people mad -1Individual Publishers
Square Enix
– Big push for FFXIV +1
– FF Versus XIII downplayed, not mentioned at all, or jettisoned into the deepest depths of space +1
– A few new IPs that are not FF +1
– FF 4, 5, 6, and Chrono Trigger to be put out in some downloadable form on Wii, 360, or PS3 +1/2EA
– Mirror’s Edge 2 shown -1
– Dead Space 2 shown and/or playable +1
– No mention of Mass Effect 3 yet +1
– Mentions of Dragon Age stuff -1
– Star Wars: The Old Republic shown -1/2Capcom
– MvC3 playable (a few characters only) +1
– New Resident Evil game shown for PS3 and 360 -1
– Some arbitrary Mega Man stuff in-booth -1Ubisoft
– Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood shown +1
– Far Cry 3 -1
Valve
– New Team Fortress -1
– Portal 2 playable +1/2
– Half Life 3 announcement/demo/mention -1Activision
– Very short movie about Bungie’s new IP -1
– Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay shown, not playable for attendees +1
– A variety of sequels from existing IPs +1Sega
– Some new Sonic stuff +1
– Playable Alpha Protocol mission for attendees -1
–Virtua Cop Wii! -1
Total: 4 1/2 points
Microsoft
– CoD Black Ops is shown, just as MW2 was at the 360 conference last year. +1
– Natal, duh +1
– 360 Slim, double duh +1
– Lots of Numbers, triple duh +1/2
– Renewed push for Xbox Originals -1
– Mirrors Edge 2 in-conference announcement -1****OK, heres the one insane prediction I allow myself each year****
Are you ready for this? Are you?……….. Steam. For Xbox. Valve just added Steam to Mac, and the people working on that conversion could have started working on another conversion right after that. Yes, it would fragment a bit of the downloadable games market on 360, but lets not kid ourselves, Xbox Indie Games isn’t really going anywhere at the moment. They need another push. They’ll want a piece, or at least their name on the front. Steam. Steam For Xbox 360. Believe. +1/2 (it went to PS3 instead)Sony
– New Little Big Planet +1
– Gran Turismo 5 is still going to be awesome… whenever it comes out! “Trust us!” +1
– PSP2 will not be called PSP2, and may not carry the PSP name at all -1
– “Sorry about Linux” -1
– 3D BluRay update coming for PS3 +1Nintendo
– 3DS, half a dozen launch titles shown/playable +1 1/2
– SOMETHING about F-Zero, not for 3DS, sooner than that. Possibly a DSi-ware version of the original game -1
– Wii Vitality Sensor makes a comeback, bundled with some new title -1
– Metroid Other M big push +1
– New No More Heroes (WiiMotion Plus functional) -1General
– Bigger iPod/iPad presence than any past years, as companies like Activision and EA will have a lot of the devices on display +1/2
Total: 3 points
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