E3 2011: Ubisoft Conference

What a... weird presentation, no James Cameron boring people to death, but... yeah.

Rayman Origins
- Live demo shown, has co-op
- Looks fun!

Driver: San Francisco
- Hyperactive man says dick jokes on stage
- New trailer shown

FarCry 3
- They didn't even say what this was for the first 5 minutes of this trailer/gameplay
- Doesn't seem that exciting…
- "THE surprise of the show" I beg to differ

Brothers in Arms: Furious 4
- Looks a bit cartoony
- Oddly doesn't show swastikas despite calling the bad guys Nazis
- Probably has Left 4 Dead inspired gameplay

The Adventures of Tintin: The Game
- Spielberg and Jackson talk about the game based on their film (in a trailer of course)
- Trailer shown, 2D/3D gameplay

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
- Live demo shown, with a controller this time

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online
- Free to play web version of the franchise

ManiaPlanet
- Trackmania 2 for PC releases in September
- Shootmania and Questmania also coming

Rabbids: Alive & Kicking
- I can't believe this franchise is successful…
- Exclusive for Kinect
- Share photos from the game on Facebook
- Comes out November 8, 2011

Just Dance 3
- Another franchise I don't get why its popular
- Not only on Wii, now on Kinect and PS Move

Rocksmith
- Another use-a-real-guitar music game
- Coming Fall 2011

Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012
- I'm just bored now

Assassin's Creed Revelations
- New trailer shown
- Features Ezio and Altaïr
- Live demo shown
- Releases November, like every other big game...

E3 2011: Microsoft Conference

A summary of Microsoft's E3 Press Conference. Media will possibly be added later.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Live demo shown, with controller hiccups too!
- Graphics/animations look better
- Releases November 8th, 2011

Tomb Raider
- Origin story (if you didn't already know)
- Live demo, looks totally different, more cinematic
- Releasing Fall 2012

EA
- Tiger Woods PGA, Madden, FIFA, and another game will support Kinect
- Sims 3: Pets and other EA titles also using Kinect

Mass Effect 3
- Uses Kinect for voice commands
- Speak Shepard's speech choices as opposed to just pressing a button…
- Tell party members what to do in battle

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
- New trailer, clearly not in-game footage
- Uses Kinect for… everything. Seems, odd.
- All future Tom Clany games will use Kinect

A new Xbox user interface, streamlined for Kinect
- Very much like Sony's Xross Media Bar
- Will support YouTube (which Wii and PS3 have done with browsers for years)
- Bing to search Netflix, Hulu, XBL Marketplace
- Live TV support with voice controller
- Launching in Fall

UFC
- Brofest 360
- watch live events, check stats, play trivia, for an added fee of course

Gears of War 3
- Ice T live demos with Cliff B.
- Ice T's band Body Count will have a new song in the game...

Ryse
- Formerly Codename: Kingdoms
- Trailer shown
- Kinect based Roman first person combat

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
- Rerelease and remake of Halo 1
- Releases November 15, 2011

Forza Motorsport 4
- New trailer
- Releases October 14th, 2011

Fable: The Journey
- Trailer shown, pre-rendered footage
- In-game demo, uses Kinect
- Releases 2012

Minecraft
- Exclusive console debut in winter for 360 and Kinect

Kinect Disneyland Adventures
- No longer give your kids a vacation, tell them to stare at the TV
- Actually a mini-game collection
- Awful child actors not included

Kinect Star Wars
- Actually looks like a real product now
- Yet another mini-game collection basically

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster
- From DoubleFine
- Uses Kinect
- Comes out this Fall

Kinect Fun Labs
- Being added to the dashboard
- Scan your body and make an Avatar
- Drawing in 3D space
- Scan in your real life items
- Goes live TODAY

Kinect Sports: Season Two
- More Wii Sports in HD
- Skiing, Tennis, Golf, Football, Baseball, something with a stage?

Dance Central 2
- Because no one wants plastic instruments, but shaking like a fool is fun.
- Import songs from the first game, like Rock Band did.

Halo 4
- Teaser trailer shown, still no personality
- "Start of a new trilogy"
- Not by Bungie
- Fall 2012

E3 10: Microsoft Conference

E3 2010 has begun! And Microsoft is here to kick of this years show yet again. Sadly, no one from VFH will be in attendance at E3 like Zach was last year, but as usual, here's a recap of this afternoon's press conference, in order of appearance.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
- New trailer shown, and then went right into live gameplay.
- And that was it, no talking, no details, just gameplay
- New deal: all Call of Duty add-ons will release on Xbox Live first for the next three years. So now you can not only pay for online gaming, but now you get to pay up the ass to play its add-ons earlier too.

Project Natal = Kinect

Metal Gear Solid: Rising
- New trailer
- Swordplay action game
- Looks as good if not better than MGS4
- Seems to use Kinect

Gears of War 3
- First gameplay shown, 4-player co-op
- Can now play as females
- Will be unveiling new mode called "Beast," but didn't say what that'd be exactly.

Fable III
- Releasing October 26
- New trailer shown

Codename: Kingdoms
- New game from Crytek
- Live action trailer
- Looks Greek/Roman themed

Halo: Reach
- New campaign trailer, in-game footage
- Space dog fights

Kinect + Xbox 360 Interface
- Browse menu in a Wii Channel like interface
- Speech controls/commands
- Use hand as a cursor, control movie playback, etc
- Works like Microsoft's Sync technology in cars

Video Kinect
- Use Kinect to video chat with people on Xbox Live and Windows Live Messanger (PC)
- Share Bing video features such as TV, movies, news, etc.
- Kinect can do face-tracking if you move around

ESPN on Xbox 360
- Yawn...
- Watch live/on-demand sports crap in HD
- Use Kinect for voice commands for replays, etc.
- If you don't care about sports, its completely useless
- Available to Gold members too

Kinect Launch Games
- Launches in North America on Nov. 4th with 15 launch titles
- No price given
- Games ship in purple cases
- Kinectimals: play with cats... looks like Nintendogs/EyePet
- Kinect Sports: exactly what you think it is
- Kinect Joy Ride: same game from last year, but now with motion control
- Kinect Adventure: on rails, coin collecting game. Upload photos to Facebook

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
- Kinect exclusive
- From Ubisoft, sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved
- Live body tracking, even clothing its tracked when removed
- If you've played Wii Fit, it's like that...

Dance Central
- Kinect exclusive
- From Harmonix
- Tracks your dance moves in-sync to music
- Will have DLC
- Coming Holiday 2010

Star Wars Kinect
- Trailer shown
- Microsoft Game Studios/Lucasarts collaboration
- Coming 2011

Forza Kinect
- Can't tell if it's a new game or a Forza 3 update
- Use hands to drive in first-person
- Head tracking to look around
- Play with and inspect cars with gestures
- Coming 2011

New smaller Xbox 360 model
- 250 GB Hard drive
- Glossy black finish, like Kinect
- Not exactly the prettiest thing...
- Built in wifi 802.11n (finally!)
- Ships today(!) for $299
- Everyone in the audience gets one, Oprah style!

Overall, I'm not as amazed as I was last year when Kinect (then Project Natal) was revealed. The reveal and potential of the device was truly shocking... but now, seeing all the Kinect branded titles showcased, it comes across as a glorified Eye Toy, and that's a PS2 accessory. Sure the voice and gesture commands for menus and movie playback look like something out of science fiction, but I'm sure that'll lose it's appeal soon after you've watch one film, and you'll grab your remote again. And no price on the device? Really? I don't think Microsoft did a bad job, but I definitely wasn't amazed like I was last year. Nintendo, you're next!