E3 2014 Thread!

[0098386]

Nintendo is such an afterthought at this point which is sad.

They make some of the most fun games out there but I think the average video gamer has changed from when we were as kids (my age at least 35) as well of course the environment of video games in general.

News sites are torn between Sony and Nintendo "winning" so I wouldn't call it an afterthought (unless you personally don't like Nintendo ).

Love the recap from Huffington Post;

Xbox: "Futuristic guns… Cars… Cars… Shooting Monsters… Killing French Soldiers… Dragons… Madcap guns… Madcap zombies… Dancing… Admittedly cool-looking fun RPG… Halo… Halo… Halo… Halo… Halo… Apocalypse New York… Dragons"

PS4: "Gruff man… Victorian guns.. Guns and axes… Platformer… Island guns… Magic guns… Zombies… Remastered zombies… Cops 'n' robbers… Platformer.. Tetris.. Cars"

Nintendo: "Paintball squid firing paint like Call of Duty meets Nickleodeon.. fighting toads and plumbers and elves.. a clay pink thing floating about on a touch screen… a weird elf shooting laser arrows.. a little Toadstool hunting for treasure.. some kind of fighting game.. money-making toys… a draw your own adventure Mario game.. dinosaur thing made of wool for some reason swallowing wool for some reason.. "

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/11/nintendo-won-e3_n_5484592.html

As mentioned by Metro it was really good to see actual gameplay. Thinking back to Sony's show and only live game I recall seeing was LBP3 (which looked outstanding).

Edit: Kotaku poll here.

 

[Cnasty]

I honestly havent stayed updated on Nintendo since maybe the original Wii?

I converted over to Playstation and Xbox as I got older and felt Nintendo was very kiddy. Not in a bad way at all as their games are very fun but I dont see commercials, many people talking about in my circle of friends, or even walking into a Best Buy I never see a Wii U set up.


Not knocking Nintendo at all as I am about to buy an XB1 and if I had the cash, I'd love to try Nintendo again but I dont know how many awesome games they have, if they are possibly releasing a new console soon, or anything else about the system at this point.

I guess out of sight, out of mind for me.

 

[crzdcolombian]

Nintendo is such an afterthought at this point which is sad.

They make some of the most fun games out there but I think the average video gamer has changed from when we were as kids (my age at least 35) as well of course the environment of video games in general.

They are Microsoft of the video game world and pissed off a lot of people.

They survive because of Mario(MS office). But to say graphics and online play don't matter is crazy. Maybe not to a 7 year old but to everyone else it does. Every Mario game gets close to a 10 because of review nostalgia. They are basically the same game. Mario Maker looks pretty interesting. If they can make a little big planet with Mario in it they will make crazy money

 

[0098386]

They are Microsoft of the video game world and pissed off a lot of people.

They survive because of Mario(MS office). But to say graphics and online play don't matter is crazy. Maybe not to a 7 year old but to everyone else it does. Every Mario game gets close to a 10 because of review nostalgia. They are basically the same game. Mario Maker looks pretty interesting. If they can make a little big planet with Mario in it they will make crazy money

They survive because of popular IP's, oh no let's take away Halo from Microsoft, Gran Turismo from Sony, iPhone from Apple.

Mario games score high because they're great fun and work as both deep levels and palate cleansers, not many games do that. People I know who grew up on Sega and Sony love that new Mario 3D World.

Where are they saying graphics don't matter? Because I'm looking at that new Zelda and thinking "why isn't there anything on PS4 or Xbox with art this good?" .

 

[Liquorpuki]

I honestly havent stayed updated on Nintendo since maybe the original Wii?

I own all 3 platforms and 3D World and Mario Kart 8 are 2 of the best next-gen games out there. The whole they only make games for kids thing is overblown. I'm in my 30's and their games are still fun and from all the E3 hype, Smash Bros looks like it's gonna be another must own.

They are Microsoft of the video game world and pissed off a lot of people.

Only people Nintendo's pissed off are investors and mobile gamers who want Nintendo to stick their IP on their phone for free.

 

[MRU]

I don't get the whole 'Nintendo for kids' either.

So every game doesn't involve zombies and shooting people ... Considering the amount of zombies & shooters at e3 that saturated all the other conferences; I'm glad ....

I'm not a kid, and I need more 'fun' in my gaming experiences than a constant onslaught of violence / decaptitations / zombies & the undead / first person shooters.

If anything this years E3 shows were the goriest ever ... Indeed I find that to be juvenile. Seems like that appeals mostly to teens rather than mature gamers.

Mature gamers have likely been there, done that and are now open to a wider range of gaming experiences, and ones that don't require mindlessly shooting or slashing hoardes of the undead or terrorists.

Nintendo's titles may not have a dark aesthetic (thank god, not every game has to be full of brooding protagonists walking through eerily lit dark worlds) but they do pose a great cdifficulty challenge. Mario Kart 8 100 & 150cc cups can be very challenging, the later levels in Mario World 3D likewise. Even New Super Mario Bros & especially Luigi levels can be very tough too.. Donkey Kong Country is very difficult also. Hardly kid games...


We've come a huge way from Barbies Horse Riding Adventure. Even family friendly games now that are indeed aimed at children don't have to be just for kids. I'm a massive Skylander fan. Stick that game on hardcore difficulty and it can be as much if a challenge as surviving a level in Diablo 3. A great game, packed with surprising amount of depth and hidden content, but just so happens to have a fun aesthetic (it's beautiful on next gen) and packed full of personality..... I take fun, great aesthics and personality over more nazi zombie robots any day of the week ...

 

[Cnasty]

Great points and I think you hit it on the head that it is quite the opposite of kids games.

I think anytime Mario is mentioned, they think kid. Or if there are bright colors and no blood, its kids. I think I have been there done that as you have mentioned and still enjoy the blood and gore and shooters and all that but not every single game.

I am not very good at FPS games and it seems that the market is saturated with nothing but those games sometimes and its frustrating. That is why Nintendo offers that breath of fresh air in their platforming games and bright landscapes and amazing art.

That is why I love the flexibility of multiple systems and why I am considering the Wii U now.

 

[blesscheese]

I converted over to Playstation and Xbox as I got older and felt Nintendo was very kiddy. Not in a bad way at all as their games are very fun but I dont see commercials, many people talking about in my circle of friends, or even walking into a Best Buy I never see a Wii U set up.

Not knocking Nintendo at all as I am about to buy an XB1 and if I had the cash, I'd love to try Nintendo again but I dont know how many awesome games they have, if they are possibly releasing a new console soon, or anything else about the system at this point.

I guess out of sight, out of mind for me.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with what you said there, but it does show the effectiveness of the Microsoft and Sony marketing and advertising divisions. I remember reading somewhere (can't find it now) that the initial Sony PS1 marketing was based on focus groups where they determined equating Nintendo with "kiddie" basically killed any desire for teenagers to own a Nintendo.

The marketing of the consoles is fascinating, esp. the "guerilla" marketing and attempts to initiate viral campaigns (esp. interesting when they both work and don't work--see:
Fony Fail
M$ succeeds -- scroll down to year 2002

I don't think there is anything wrong buying what your friends buy, esp. with the cost of consoles, but when you are ready, feel free to branch out and try something new sometime.

 

[Cnasty]

Agreed and that is why I made myself open up and actually do some research on the Wii U and change my closed mindedness and media build of what Nintendo is.

After hearing from some great people here and watching some youtube videos of the games,I am very intrigued!

 

[2nyRiggz]

I don't think Nintendo is "kiddie" but I am tired of Mario and friends. I grew up with Mario but I hold no nostalgia for him or any of his friends (Peach, Yoshi, Wario etc.) I've always been a Zelda/Metroid player but unfortunate for me Nintendo is focused on Mario.

I'm happy to see Survival Horror genre get some serious love this generation. Alien Isolation looks to be a return to form for Alien games, SOMBA looks awesome while adding that "The Abyss" type horror to the mix and to a lesser extend The Evil Within(I don't like gore fest but I'll allow it)...Screw Resident Evil.

My Game(s) of show is Bloodbourne and Rainbow 6


Bless

 

[MRU]

I don't think Nintendo is "kiddie" but I am tired of Mario and friends. I grew up with Mario but I hold no nostalgia for him or any of his friends (Peach, Yoshi, Wario etc.) I've always been a Zelda/Metroid player but unfortunate for me Nintendo is focused on Mario.

I'm happy to see Survival Horror genre get some serious love this generation. Alien Isolation looks to be a return to form for Alien games, SOMBA looks awesome while adding that "The Abyss" type horror to the mix and to a lesser extend The Evil Within(I don't like gore fest but I'll allow it)...Screw Resident Evil.

My Game(s) of show is Bloodbourne and Rainbow 6


Bless

I daren't get excited about Alien Isolation

 

[SilentPanda]

I don't think Nintendo is "kiddie" but I am tired of Mario and friends. I grew up with Mario but I hold no nostalgia for him or any of his friends (Peach, Yoshi, Wario etc.) I've always been a Zelda/Metroid player but unfortunate for me Nintendo is focused on Mario.

I would guess that Mario games are easier to pump out which is why they seem more frequent. Create a few new mechanics, create a bunch of levels, done. Zelda and Metroid require story and to some extent consistency within the storylines.

My Wii U is arriving tomorrow...

 

[Cnasty]

Let me know your impressions as well as a new buyer.

If you see my other thread I am contemplating and most likely grabbing one very soon with the MK8 pack.

 

[mandoman]

Here's my take on the press conferences:

Microsoft: Did EXACTLY what they needed to do, focus 100% on games (no mention of kinext or media features).
Standout reveal: Halo Master Chief Collection - The four numbered Halo games for the price of one, you can't beat that! I haven't played Halo since the first one on original XBOX. After last E3, I said no way I'd buy an XB1, but MS did a really good job, I might re-consider eventually. I think their only misstep was no mention of xbox 360 support in the future.

EA: Very boring overall. Only standout for me was Dragon Age Inquisition. I haven't played DA games before, but this one looks good with your choice of combat system.

Ubisoft - Sorry, I don't like Aisha Tyler as host - she swears too much, and that coming from a guy that swears like a mother f'r. Standout - Far Cry 4 looks awesome! Assassin's Creed also look interesting. Worst-in-show goes to Dance Central - waiving around your cell phone dance game = lame.

Sony - I'm sorry, but their show REALLY dragged in the middle. They should not have bothered with media studio original programming segment, and they could have kept the PS Now and PS TV details a bit shorter, but they did save it with the Uncharted 4 and GTAV reveal. I miss Jack Tretton. 1886 looks somewhat interesting if you like cinematic games, but looks like gameplay may be a bit too linear. Standout for me is Bloodborne. I haven't tried Demon/Dark Souls game yet, i might have to try those first. PS TV looks interesting = basically allows to stream your PS4 to another room of the house, plus opens up vast collection of PS Now games = this could be a sleeper hit.

Nintendo - Not a live segment, but the Robot Chicken segments were funny. Zelda and Smash Brothers looks good, even though I am not a fan of either. Standout for me was Splatoon - that looks new and innovative. The other games (Yoshi, etc), meh. Second worst-in show for their NFC figurines - just a money grab, but I guess kids will love it.

Multi-platform games revealed in one above press conference:
Division, Rainbow 6, Destiny = Same old FPS really, now with Co-op play. All looked good, but probably skip on most of these.

To sum up:
MS probably did best, though Sony has better exclusives for my taste. Worst goes to EA. Ubisoft and Nintendo just ok. There are alot of other games I did not mention, means they were probably forgettable.

Biggest Positive Trends:
Co-op play
HD remakes: Others might disagree, but I dig this. GTAV, Last of Us, Halo, Tomb Raider. Now PLEASE release Skyrim in HD to tide us over until ES6, because ES Online sucks donkey balls.

Biggest Neutral Trend:
Early Access Beta Play

Biggest Negative Trend:
On-line only games = Destiny (and already released Titanfall). Sorry, please keep single player campaign, please!

Biggest Disappointment: No Fallout announcement.

Titles I am most looking forward to:
Witcher 3 (Console seller must own for me) and Far Cry 4

That sums up my take.

 

[iMacFarlane]

I don't think Nintendo is "kiddie" but I am tired of Mario and friends. I grew up with Mario but I hold no nostalgia for him or any of his friends (Peach, Yoshi, Wario etc.) I've always been a Zelda/Metroid player but unfortunate for me Nintendo is focused on Mario/QUOTE]

I was a hardcore Sega guy back in the nineties, until I had a friend who let me borrow his SNES and his Super Metroid cartridge. Since then, I have bought a Gamecube, GBA, and Wii just to play the next Metroid. The "Other M" didn't do it for me, so I really hope that Nintendo produces a new game at the "Prime" level of quality. I would buy a Wii U along with the game without a second thought.

 

[Jovian9]

I don't get the whole 'Nintendo for kids' either.

So every game doesn't involve zombies and shooting people ... Considering the amount of zombies & shooters at e3 that saturated all the other conferences; I'm glad ....

I'm not a kid, and I need more 'fun' in my gaming experiences than a constant onslaught of violence / decaptitations / zombies & the undead / first person shooters.

If anything this years E3 shows were the goriest ever ... Indeed I find that to be juvenile. Seems like that appeals mostly to teens rather than mature gamers.

Mature gamers have likely been there, done that and are now open to a wider range of gaming experiences, and ones that don't require mindlessly shooting or slashing hoardes of the undead or terrorists.

Nintendo's titles may not have a dark aesthetic (thank god, not every game has to be full of brooding protagonists walking through eerily lit dark worlds) but they do pose a great cdifficulty challenge. Mario Kart 8 100 & 150cc cups can be very challenging, the later levels in Mario World 3D likewise. Even New Super Mario Bros & especially Luigi levels can be very tough too.. Donkey Kong Country is very difficult also. Hardly kid games...


We've come a huge way from Barbies Horse Riding Adventure. Even family friendly games now that are indeed aimed at children don't have to be just for kids. I'm a massive Skylander fan. Stick that game on hardcore difficulty and it can be as much if a challenge as surviving a level in Diablo 3. A great game, packed with surprising amount of depth and hidden content, but just so happens to have a fun aesthetic (it's beautiful on next gen) and packed full of personality..... I take fun, great aesthics and personality over more nazi zombie robots any day of the week ...

Very well said. I've had a more difficult time with New Super Mario Bros. U than I ever had with any Halo, CoD, or Gears of War game from the last generation. Just b/c a game is not dark and full of guns/zombies/etc. doesn't mean it's a "kiddie" game.

I believe Nintendo's main problem is marketing. Sony and Microsoft (and the 3rd party companies that make lots of games for them) will spend tons of money making you believe from commercials that whatever game they are advertising is the best thing since sliced bread. Nintendo will barely even advertise great games like Super Mario 3D World.

When the company responsible for this stuff does not do enough to promote it and an entire generation of gamers gets in line believing Sony and Microsoft in that they are "real" systems it's hard for people to fork out the money towards Nintendo's products. We are in a social media information age. People believe anything they hear and they just do not hear enough from Nintendo.

With that being said. I've owned EVERY Nintendo system (even the Virtual Boy) and just picked up the WiiU and a 3DS this year. Loving these two so far.


As far as E3 goes:

I enjoyed Microsoft and Nintendo's presentations. Lots of games to look forward to and I'm strongly considering an Xbox One now (with Kinect as I used the Kinect a lot on my 360 as did my kids).

I don't mind remade HD games as long as they are games that have been out for a few years. I did play quite a bit of Halo 2 and some Halo back in the day but was never a huge fan (always preferred Gears of War to Halo or CoD) but the Halo pack has me pretty excited.

Sony still doesn't interest me. I think their E3 presentation was fine but nothing to convert me. I never owned a PS1 (my roommate did though). We played it quite a bit (especially FF7 and Tekken). I bought a PS2 after it had been out for awhile but didn't play it much (already had a DVD player). I bought a used PS3 and had it for about a year and almost never used it for gaming. Watched a few Blu-Rays on it. I used it so infrequently that every time I turned it on I had to wait on updates. Honestly, if Sony would just reveal a new controller design I'd probably bite and give it a chance. I have just never liked their controllers and they are not much different now (form wise) than they were with the PS1. They just don't agree with my long hands.

 

[mandoman]

Per Nintendo thread, I think they have the only must own next-generation title in Mario Kart 8. There is just nothing compelling right now on XB1/PS4, though that will change in the fall. Unfortunately, that is not enough for me to buy a Wii U, cause Zelda and Mario just don't do it for me. Splatoon looks really good too, but still not enough.

Original Wii was good in it's day, but after the motion games novelty wore off, meh. I just sold off my original Wii, so sad to say no more Nintendo in my household. Maybe I will pick up a Wii U down the road just for the two above titles after the next price drop.

----------

Per Virtual Reality thread, you naysayers should read this month's Wired magazine covering the Oculus Rift, you might change your tune. This is really amazing stuff, and all coming from Palmer Lucky (he's only 21!). With John Carmack leaving ID software to back him up (you know, the guy that pretty much invented 3d FPS) and Facebook's 2 BILLION dollar investment, i think this is going to take off. With Sony entering the game breeding a little healthy competition, this may very well be the next great thing...

 

[SilentPanda]

I think EA's major issue is that if you like their sports games, their hour is probably interesting to you. If you don't, a good 30 minutes is boring as crap.

EA was overall a waste for me. Microsoft was okay but didn't impress me all that much. Ubi and Sony were probably a smidge above Nintendo for me.

I currently own all the systems (well the Wii U is en route!) and mostly play on the XBox One at the moment. PS3/4, 360, XBox One, Wii, Vita, and 3DS all sitting here at the moment... I have no self control.

 

[0098386]

Per Nintendo thread, I think they have the only must own next-generation title in Mario Kart 8. There is just nothing compelling right now on XB1/PS4, though that will change in the fall. Unfortunately, that is not enough for me to buy a Wii U, cause Zelda and Mario just don't do it for me. Splatoon looks really good too, but still not enough.

I think Ground Zeroes is amazing IF you can get it for cheap. It's a great show piece for PS4, as is Second Son. But that's all they are. Mario Kart is just pure addiction. It has its faults (I wish it was easier to see friends times and race their ghosts easily, like Mario Kart Wii) but it doesn't stop it being simply great. 150CC is the best thing since Dark Souls.

[/COLOR]Per Virtual Reality thread, you naysayers should read this month's Wired magazine covering the Oculus Rift, you might change your tune. This is really amazing stuff, and all coming from Palmer Lucky (he's only 21!). With John Carmack leaving ID software to back him up (you know, the guy that pretty much invented 3d FPS) and Facebook's 2 BILLION dollar investment, i think this is going to take off. With Sony entering the game breeding a little healthy competition, this may very well be the next great thing...

I could not be any more excited for VR! It's the future, the leap is bigger than the jump to 3D we had in the late 90's. Personally I've felt there hasn't been a real jump for a very long time. We've been refining polygonal games for a while now, but being immersed in them is something incredible.

I simply cannot wait to see what the gaming landscape will be like in 20-30 years time.

 

[mandoman]

I think Ground Zeroes is amazing IF you can get it for cheap. It's a great show piece for PS4, as is Second Son. But that's all they are. Mario Kart is just pure addiction. It has its faults (I wish it was easier to see friends times and race their ghosts easily, like Mario Kart Wii) but it doesn't stop it being simply great. 150CC is the best thing since Dark Souls.

You are the second person that told me Second Son is surprisingly good, perhaps I should give it a shot, thanks. Never could get into Metal Gear Solid stealth games, I like to go in with guns blazing! I will say that the upcoming Phantom Pain trailers look epic.

Yeah MK8 is nagging me. Groupon had a refurb deal for $180 Memorial Day where I almost pulled the trigger but just missed out on the deal. That game can wait though, I got a huge backlog of PS3 games to play.

 

[SilentPanda]

Never could get into Metal Gear Solid stealth games, I like to go in with guns blazing!

There was a Metal Gear game (probably PS1 or PS2) that I was playing where the only way to beat the boss was to plug your controller into the player 2 slot. Once I found that out (I had to look it up after many hours of frustration), I turned off the game and never touched a Metal Gear game again.

 

[mandoman]

I think EA's major issue is that if you like their sports games, their hour is probably interesting to you. If you don't, a good 30 minutes is boring as crap.
.

Agreed. Funny thing is, I love to watch sports, especially football (go Niners!), but those sports sims controls are just too complicated nowadays. The last one I enjoyed was FIFA on 3DO way back when. I prefer arcade style sports games (NES Tecmobowl, Arcade/SNES NBA jam) with simpler controls and faster gameplay, but those kind of games rarely come out nowadays.

EA's sports games are just very small increments from the previous version and why those presentations are so lackluster, but I guess that is all they can muster given the pressure to release an updated version every year. Madden (improved defensive play) and FIFA (player emotion update) looked pretty good in the press conference for you sports playing fans, just not my bag.