In the center of the E3 show floor in the Los Angeles Convention Center's South Hall, Microsoft gave attendees demonstrations of Kinect games in transparent rooms, outside of which visitors routinely clustered to watch participants haltingly jump, squat and flail.
The expressions of the onlookers were often rapt, periodically puzzled, and at times amused -- although those expressions were most likely directed at just how bizarre players looked angling their bodies uncertainly in communication with the device.
Kinect for Xbox 360 promises to make "you" the controller, but rather than the fluid physical recognition hinted at in demonstrations, the device needs broad, decisive gestures. Rather than naturalistically simulating real-life movements, players seem more to be communicating with Kinect in some kind of full-body sign language.
It's not without its moments of absolute joy; it's fun to be silly with friends. The sense of wonderment when, in Kinectimals, a positively adorable creature comes bounding up to the screen in the response to a hand gesture hints at the promise in a device that places no barrier between the human being and the interactive entertainment experience.
But it remains to be seen whether Kinect experiences can truly offer players something markedly more compelling than what the Wii interface and games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit have already handily mastered. Because of the deliberate gesture clarity required of Kinect, playing even stunt driving games or dance titles is enormously athletic -- more than one demo recipient broke a sweat on their tour through the booth.
This is enormously promising for fitness software, especially Ubisoft's Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, which employs the company's "player projection technology" to display a direct, responsive body scan of the user. But it's a lot of work to put in for a simple driving game.
There are limitations, too. A product whose ideal applications are clearly primarily aimed at a more casual audience must be able to offer a party experience -- four players can easily play New Super Mario Bros., for example, but can four people easily fit in the range of Kinect's camera eye? Developer sources Gamasutra spoke to throughout the event aren't so sure, and even if so, is everyone's living room big enough? The "party" would probably be over if one player caught an elbow in the eye from another player standing directly beside her.
Despite Microsoft's tack that sees controllers as a barrier to immersion, it seems gaming experiences are still most intuitive and most comprehensive with an object in hand -- media seemed to respond more positively to Sony's PlayStation Move games, and certainly the pleasant, glow-topped controller appears at least for now to be much more easily oriented to a wider variety of gameplay experiences.
Both Sony and Microsoft have positioned their motion control solutions as a mid-cycle "refresh" for their consoles, and both will now have to go all in with their respective initiatives. The major takeaway from the E3 show floor regarding motion controls is that it's really too early to answer two key questions: will the most likely target consumer -- whom before now we called "The Wii Audience" -- find these experiences new or compelling enough? And will they offer a value proposition that the traditional consumer desires or understands? Marketing will be key, and 2011 will act as a proving ground.
With motion controls arguably at the center of E3 2010, it's important to conclude that our first contact with these solutions raised more questions than they answered -- they haven't launched the battle, only seeded the field.
Another core pillar of E3 was 3D; some gawked at startlingly immersive stereoscopic looks at Killzone 3, others seemed overwhelmed. Such rich visual depth could change the way consumers think about gaming, but there's clearly a constituency that won't be sold.
However, Nintendo's 3DS was widely perceived by analysts and fans to be one of the biggest winners at an event with few surprise announcements -- except, of course, those that came out of Nintendo. The company has had something of a curious media strategy nearly since the launch of the Wii, making gangbuster successes with its evergreen casual titles, but stirring resentment from its long-term fanbase.
This year, rather than present a puzzling presentation of executives riding Wii Balance Boards and strange peripherals like the Vitality Sensor, Nintendo was in top form, virtually concussing core fans with a barrage of announcements of beloved properties, from Zelda and Kid Icarus to Kirby. The booth was swamped, and smiles were plentiful.
E3 hasn't been Nintendo's show in years; in fact, last year some even joked that the company should stop presenting here and instead stick to toy fairs. This year, the company was far and away the clearest winner, delighting the hardcore consumer with brand-new title announcements and the exciting 3DS while the other two platform holders looked to be clamoring for marketshare Nintendo has been dominating for the past few years.
The showfloor was at its finest form in years, however -- after a few years of wiggling for a sweet spot, the event seemed to strike a perfect balance between glitz and glory and cool professionalism, despite the fact that there were relatively few titles on display of which fans weren't already aware (except those from Nintendo, of course).
Sony and Microsoft have clearly begun something new here, just as they intended to, and Nintendo looks like a company flowering, coming back into its own after putting down solid, if unglamorous roots in party games and fitness software. The main takeaway from E3 2010 seems to be that among the Big Three, the playing field's been leveled, and the next few years are anybody's game.
Finally heard good things about the Move, but Kinect is something I have absolutely no interest in. I'll likely buy the Move for my PS3 (eventually), but Kinect fails to impress me. I'd just as soon buy a Wii and have all three current-gen consoles than add that to my 360.
And I know the price isn't technically 'official' as far as I know, but Amazon's taking pre-orders at $149.99 USD. That's pretty darn expensive for what you get, if you ask me.
Spot on analysis. "Kinect", funny enough, is too much of a disconnect from the expected visceral sensations of actually using a physical object to interact with a virtual environment. "Move" is going to be good for Sony. I doubt that it will by any means "defeat" Nintendo, as I get the unfortunate feeling that the device will be treated as a mere accessory and not receive the full-on support from marketing and software development, but it's a much more sound approach to competing with Nintendo than "Kinect".
As for Nintendo "winning" E3 this year, it's an understatement. Microsoft's presentations, with all their obviously pre-rendered and poorly choreographed demos, were out-right embarrassing to core gamers everywhere. Sony did okay, with Killzone, Gran Turismo and a few other key products showing off clearly and I think Sony is smart for trying to jump on the 3D band-wagon, but this might prove to be just a little premature: how long will it be before the same technology that Nintendo is so successfully demonstrating with the 3DS make its way to our desktop monitors and living room televisions? Don't quote me on this, but I think the 3DS could be to portable/mobile gaming (and possibly video gaming in general) what the DS originally was all over again: a beautiful and innovative revolution that competitors will struggle against for another decade (and by then, Nintendo will have simply have "done it again" anyway). Everything (almost... I'm still not 100% sold on Skyward Sword's art style.... it's a little too "World of Warcraft" for my tastes) about Nintendo's show this year made me smile and feel like I was eight years old all over again and restored my faith in the company's ability to deliver quality entertainment experiences to a broader audience than any other media company in the world. Sorry for the wall o' text and all the cheese. Can't help it; as a gamer and developer, myself, I just really think Nintendo absolutely hit it out of the park this year.
@Kale Well, I suppose I'm not a core gamer, but I thought Microsoft's presentation was quite a bit better than Sony's.
I might also be in the minority with regards to the Move vs Kinect debate, but I was completely pro-PS3 and pro-Move above all other motion devices before E3, even though I only own a Wii. After E3 I have zero interest in the Move but am quite interested in the 360 - partially because of Kinect. Did anyone else see Dance Central? Sorcery what?
Unless things have changed Kinect should cost $80 though they might have a $149 with game included.
It and move better have demo software included because if not i'd have 2 sony wands and a sony sub controller and nothing to do but scroll the xmb-bad idea.
While not motion talk i'd love to get a 360 slim but want to know if there's a reach 360 slim all decked out and shiny. Don't go the halo 3 edition route as the orange was ugly and green unflattering.
Currently i have reach on order at amazon and could grab a slim this year but i want a reach edition slim.
I like my sports games and have a Wii with the Wii motion plus, which I'm still a little disappointed with. I really want an experience that's closer to the real thing. I'm cautiously optimistic about Kinect.
Kinect will be a failure for now, but the tech is pretty cool as a replacement to TV remotes. For gaming, the experiences available are just too limited and it will take developers years to figure out how to support the thing in real games. The dancing and fitness games will be solid.
To me, I think Kinect was the most impressive technology on display at the show. The Move is cool and it works really well, but Sony hasn't shown me anything that I haven't seen on the Wii already. Kinect is different though and is set to revolutionize the way we interact with all media content in the future, not just games. I'm very curious to see how Microsoft prices Kinect; currently $150 seems to be the target and after seeing Sony price the Move, I think 150 is a pretty fair price point. Afterall, you only have to buy one Kinect for all players to enjoy. With the Move, if you wanted four players, you're looking at $200 on just the main controller. Throw in a camera and sub controller or DS3 for everyone and you're looking at about $400.
There are definitely some pitfalls with Kinect, but it's a necessary step on the way to the holodeck. :)
Not a whole lot of surprises out of the show. Even Nintendo didn't surprise me with Kid Icarus and Donkey Kong... I've been waiting 4 years for the announcement so I can't rightly call myself surprised. Now I'll have to buy my wife a Wii, though, she's been obsessed with DK since she was 5 years old.
I actually thought all the big providers came out strong. Unsurprising, but strong. I don't really enjoy any of the Nintendo franchises, but I can appreciate the quality and care they take when developing their games and I'm happy for everyone out there who finally gets some more of their core properties. The 3DS may finally get me to buy a handheld for when I need to travel. The HD consoles both have a nice line up of games coming out, so good for the core fans. The motion controls are still in an early state (software wise) so it's too early for me to make a call on those. I see some exciting possibilities for both, though.
Honestly, I think the big winner at E3 was the PC crowd. There are more great games coming for the PC over the next year than we've seen in quite a while. Some interesting new MMO stuff on the way if you're into that, Shogun 2, Civ 5, Fable 3, Portal 2, Rage, Medal of Honor, Deus Ex, Witcher 2, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2. I know a few of those are console bound as well but the fact that PC versions haven't been cut is great.
There look to be a ton of great games coming in the next year so I guess I'm just plain excited.
Yeah, Stephen, that's where I'm seeing the most exciting possibilities for Kinect. Using it to augment the traditional control paradigm instead of replacing it could be really powerful.
PC IS THE WINNER! EVEN WHEN YOUR OS IS MAC-OSX! (and probably, Linux too... Guessing from some Valve behavior, hirings, and leaked files on Steam...)
For those that will say: "PC is windows" and MAC is not PC... Sorry, but that is not the case, it never was for PC being windows (maybe, when it was DOS... and Linux don't existed...), and not anymore for Macs (unfortunately, because I think that PPC is a superior architecture... Maybe this is why all three consoles are PPCs...)
I thought Kinect's most impressive features were the non-game related media aspects, such as the "living room as communication hub" concept and watching movies while video chatting with friends on one screen. The games seemed to be focused only on the casual and were mostly recreations of Wii games. I think we'll have to wait and see what sorts of creative things can be done with it (Child of Eden looks interesting.)
Move struck me as more interesting, but that was mostly on the strength of the games themselves and not necessarily the technology. Sorcery seems very interesting, so again I am eager to see what developers create for the controller.
I would have to agree with the buzz that out of the big 3, Nintendo won the show. While 3D is certainly going to be making it into living rooms, it will do so at an initially high premium, so something like the 3DS, where Nintendo is committing to the technology in a small-scale way, is exciting. What struck me most though, is that the introductions of most of Nintendo's games were done by game designers, talking about their game design ideas. Warren Spector impressed me by describing his process that led to Epic Mickey. When you look at Kirby: Epic Yarn you can see that the designer is developing a platformer where players can explore the properties of fabric and yarn foremost, and using Kirby adds to the fun.
I agree with the gallery. Once again Microsoft is the big loser at E3. The Kinect demos all looked pretty weak and uninteresting. Microsoft is making a big mistake not going with a motion controller or 3D. No one is going to pay $150 bucks for their controller either. The big winner at E3 was without a doubt Nintendo with Sony a close second. It looks like it is a two horse race from here out because Microsoft has clearly dropped out of the running. Oh well, no big loss.
I was hoping MS would have a game, or at least a technology demo that showed the possibilities of head tracking, gesture control, and camera use in a core game. Sony's Sorcery demo was the most core motion control game I saw at E3, and I don't understand why MS didn't at least have a tech demo showing us the possibilities of Kinect in a core game.
If I was MS, i would have paid bioware to do something with the Mass effect engine and Commander Shephard. Kinect seems to perfect for that kind of game.
Not to mention a mechwarrior, flight sim, Space sim, FPS, music game, or even an adventure game that you could touch items to inspect them. A device like kinect could bring back the adventure game genre if done in a unique way.
Instead, the games suffered from wii-itis, a raft game, Sports game, eye-toy like games, etc.
I know kinect can be so much more than what we were shown.
I played Kinect, and it was a lot of fun. I have very little interest in the Move; Sorcery seemed just like any Wii game. It brought very little new to the table, while Kinect has tons of possibilities, especially if paired with traditional controls.
The 3DS is definitely a day-one buy though, even if I don't much care for more retreads of old nintendo franchises.
I wasn't able to attend this year, but from reading this article and a slew of others from around the Web, I will stick with my assessment/first impression when I heard about Natal: "In the future, we will all become mimes." Progressing the controller-less, stand-up-only environment of Kinect past pure gimmick entries will be an even bigger design challenge than making games for the Wiimotes has been; and as any Wii fan knows, even with those low-fidelity controllers and simple movements, games for that platform are mostly misses. The idea of manipulating a millisecond-precision, high-fidelity game like Need for Speed by just holding up two hands and pretending to turn the wheel is laughable - look at Tony Hawk Ride, that was a *physical* controller and they still couldn't come close to reproducing the experience of mirroring body movement to game movement for a high-precision sport.
As I have discovered with the Wii MotionPlus, adding precision to the movement input is surprisingly unpredictable and upsetting to the experience. While shooting the bow and wakeboarding are great fun, when you add MotionPlus precision to the old standbys of golf and bowling something ironic happens: you begin to suck as bad at the virtual versions of those sports as you do in real life! I was dismayed to see my infamous golf slice replicated beautifully by the new precision of the Wiimote, and even more horrified to see the 220s and 250s I averaged in Wii Bowling fade to 110s and 120s. Just as auto-aim helps FPS players on consoles feel precise with the analog sticks, the Wiimote's software "enhancement" of my player data made me feel like a good or better player of sports; without those aids I've got to learn a new level of precision that is rigorous enough to be discouraging. The frisbee-toss in particular is surprisingly unforgiving, especially considering that I am no slouch at tossing the disc in real life.
Thus, Move's idea that they are bringing motion-control to "core" gamers is no shoe-in, IMO. There is nothing that leads me to believe that people who excel at small motor-movement dexterity in their hands and thumbs are also going to be good at drawing virtual bows, sighting down virtual gun barrels or holding a sword and shield. Core gamers have rejected the Wiimotes not because they aren't precise enough, but because they want to play hunched over on the couch with the controller in their lap for hours at a time.
Did anyone at the show experiment with hiding the glowing orb on top of the controller (blocking the line of sight with the camera)?
Throw another voice into the chorus. I think Kinect is the most interesting technologically, but as far as gameplay goes I'm unconvinced. In the vast majority of games, movement through an environment is a pivotal play element. But with Kinect I can't see any way that the player would be able to navigate with an avatar while also controlling their actions. Also, as was said above, physical feedback of some sort is actually pretty important. I know it's only a small difference, but swinging a Move to represent a sword just seems so much more gratifying than swinging my arms through the air to represent a sword, and I could repeat that same idea with all sorts of potential actions.
While Sony did show a pretty nice array of games, Nintendo was the winner for me. However, I say that largely on account of how excited I am about the 3DS rather than the Wii. It still seems like there's just about nothing coming out for the Wii that's worth owning that's made by 3rd party developers. This is the area where Sony pulled ahead of Nintendo in the PS1/PS2 days, and I think it still holds true.
The one thing I'm really taking away from this year's show is that no one seems to be developing AAA games anymore that aren't shooters (both first and third person). Where are my RPGs, my platformers, my adventure games, my action games that don't involve shooting things in the face? All on the 3DS, I guess, and I'll definitely be buying one, but I'd love to see that kind of thing on my HD consoles. One of the reasons I still play my PS2 is that there was such a great array of games in an assortment of genres, but it really seems like everything now is either a shooter or a casual game.
I was amazed at how many hard-core Nintendo-loathing HD-console bigots from the big hardware/gadget sites came away whispering breathless praise for the 3DS - when you can make the jaded gadget-hounds flip their lids, you must really have something special to show.
*If* you can use a standard controller with the Kinect, I see this as having the best of both worlds.
Imagine playing Fallout and the the NPC asks if he's boring you when you look away from the TV.
Or playing Silent Hill and having to open doors by making the movement with one of your hands. This sounds simple until you realize that, with only one hand on the control, you've lost the ability to shoot or aim (depending on the hand).
Natal has potential, but it will not live up to what core gamers expect. This is the biggest disappointment for me. Sony, on the other hand, have shown that Move can be for both core and casual gamers, and yes, while plenty will say that it's Wii, I think of it like this: I have a PS3 that plays PS3 games, and a PS3 that will play Wii games. I'm not saying all Wii games will come on to PS3 via Move, but do you understand my point? It also means I can choose to play with my DualShock or with Move for the same game (for Killzone, Socom). This is a big thing for me. And the pricing is better than what I expected. Especially since I'll only really need 2 wands, 1 nav controller and a PSEye, so my brother can play with my, this works out to price well for me. I'm disappointed, that Kinect is deciding to focus only on the Wii market with it's casual games. It has tremendous potential, but I'm thinking that it'll turn into an Eyetoy, where it'll fade into nothingness.
As for Nintendo, they took top spot with their 3DS. I've had moments where I wanted a DS, and I hate 3D, but the reports show that the 3D is immersive, and the bonus that it's glasses free may make me buy one. It's the price point they'll have to work on now.
So yeah. That's my rant/procrastination from my exams.
my only wish is that their booth wasn't as busy :) it felt like 6 flags.
I waited over an hour to play 20 minutes of 3DS and if I had more time.... I would stand in line again :)
And I know the price isn't technically 'official' as far as I know, but Amazon's taking pre-orders at $149.99 USD. That's pretty darn expensive for what you get, if you ask me.
As for Nintendo "winning" E3 this year, it's an understatement. Microsoft's presentations, with all their obviously pre-rendered and poorly choreographed demos, were out-right embarrassing to core gamers everywhere. Sony did okay, with Killzone, Gran Turismo and a few other key products showing off clearly and I think Sony is smart for trying to jump on the 3D band-wagon, but this might prove to be just a little premature: how long will it be before the same technology that Nintendo is so successfully demonstrating with the 3DS make its way to our desktop monitors and living room televisions? Don't quote me on this, but I think the 3DS could be to portable/mobile gaming (and possibly video gaming in general) what the DS originally was all over again: a beautiful and innovative revolution that competitors will struggle against for another decade (and by then, Nintendo will have simply have "done it again" anyway). Everything (almost... I'm still not 100% sold on Skyward Sword's art style.... it's a little too "World of Warcraft" for my tastes) about Nintendo's show this year made me smile and feel like I was eight years old all over again and restored my faith in the company's ability to deliver quality entertainment experiences to a broader audience than any other media company in the world. Sorry for the wall o' text and all the cheese. Can't help it; as a gamer and developer, myself, I just really think Nintendo absolutely hit it out of the park this year.
I might also be in the minority with regards to the Move vs Kinect debate, but I was completely pro-PS3 and pro-Move above all other motion devices before E3, even though I only own a Wii. After E3 I have zero interest in the Move but am quite interested in the 360 - partially because of Kinect. Did anyone else see Dance Central? Sorcery what?
It and move better have demo software included because if not i'd have 2 sony wands and a sony sub controller and nothing to do but scroll the xmb-bad idea.
While not motion talk i'd love to get a 360 slim but want to know if there's a reach 360 slim all decked out and shiny. Don't go the halo 3 edition route as the orange was ugly and green unflattering.
Currently i have reach on order at amazon and could grab a slim this year but i want a reach edition slim.
There are definitely some pitfalls with Kinect, but it's a necessary step on the way to the holodeck. :)
I actually thought all the big providers came out strong. Unsurprising, but strong. I don't really enjoy any of the Nintendo franchises, but I can appreciate the quality and care they take when developing their games and I'm happy for everyone out there who finally gets some more of their core properties. The 3DS may finally get me to buy a handheld for when I need to travel. The HD consoles both have a nice line up of games coming out, so good for the core fans. The motion controls are still in an early state (software wise) so it's too early for me to make a call on those. I see some exciting possibilities for both, though.
Honestly, I think the big winner at E3 was the PC crowd. There are more great games coming for the PC over the next year than we've seen in quite a while. Some interesting new MMO stuff on the way if you're into that, Shogun 2, Civ 5, Fable 3, Portal 2, Rage, Medal of Honor, Deus Ex, Witcher 2, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2. I know a few of those are console bound as well but the fact that PC versions haven't been cut is great.
There look to be a ton of great games coming in the next year so I guess I'm just plain excited.
For those that will say: "PC is windows" and MAC is not PC... Sorry, but that is not the case, it never was for PC being windows (maybe, when it was DOS... and Linux don't existed...), and not anymore for Macs (unfortunately, because I think that PPC is a superior architecture... Maybe this is why all three consoles are PPCs...)
Move struck me as more interesting, but that was mostly on the strength of the games themselves and not necessarily the technology. Sorcery seems very interesting, so again I am eager to see what developers create for the controller.
I would have to agree with the buzz that out of the big 3, Nintendo won the show. While 3D is certainly going to be making it into living rooms, it will do so at an initially high premium, so something like the 3DS, where Nintendo is committing to the technology in a small-scale way, is exciting. What struck me most though, is that the introductions of most of Nintendo's games were done by game designers, talking about their game design ideas. Warren Spector impressed me by describing his process that led to Epic Mickey. When you look at Kirby: Epic Yarn you can see that the designer is developing a platformer where players can explore the properties of fabric and yarn foremost, and using Kirby adds to the fun.
If I was MS, i would have paid bioware to do something with the Mass effect engine and Commander Shephard. Kinect seems to perfect for that kind of game.
Not to mention a mechwarrior, flight sim, Space sim, FPS, music game, or even an adventure game that you could touch items to inspect them. A device like kinect could bring back the adventure game genre if done in a unique way.
Instead, the games suffered from wii-itis, a raft game, Sports game, eye-toy like games, etc.
I know kinect can be so much more than what we were shown.
The 3DS is definitely a day-one buy though, even if I don't much care for more retreads of old nintendo franchises.
As I have discovered with the Wii MotionPlus, adding precision to the movement input is surprisingly unpredictable and upsetting to the experience. While shooting the bow and wakeboarding are great fun, when you add MotionPlus precision to the old standbys of golf and bowling something ironic happens: you begin to suck as bad at the virtual versions of those sports as you do in real life! I was dismayed to see my infamous golf slice replicated beautifully by the new precision of the Wiimote, and even more horrified to see the 220s and 250s I averaged in Wii Bowling fade to 110s and 120s. Just as auto-aim helps FPS players on consoles feel precise with the analog sticks, the Wiimote's software "enhancement" of my player data made me feel like a good or better player of sports; without those aids I've got to learn a new level of precision that is rigorous enough to be discouraging. The frisbee-toss in particular is surprisingly unforgiving, especially considering that I am no slouch at tossing the disc in real life.
Thus, Move's idea that they are bringing motion-control to "core" gamers is no shoe-in, IMO. There is nothing that leads me to believe that people who excel at small motor-movement dexterity in their hands and thumbs are also going to be good at drawing virtual bows, sighting down virtual gun barrels or holding a sword and shield. Core gamers have rejected the Wiimotes not because they aren't precise enough, but because they want to play hunched over on the couch with the controller in their lap for hours at a time.
Did anyone at the show experiment with hiding the glowing orb on top of the controller (blocking the line of sight with the camera)?
While Sony did show a pretty nice array of games, Nintendo was the winner for me. However, I say that largely on account of how excited I am about the 3DS rather than the Wii. It still seems like there's just about nothing coming out for the Wii that's worth owning that's made by 3rd party developers. This is the area where Sony pulled ahead of Nintendo in the PS1/PS2 days, and I think it still holds true.
The one thing I'm really taking away from this year's show is that no one seems to be developing AAA games anymore that aren't shooters (both first and third person). Where are my RPGs, my platformers, my adventure games, my action games that don't involve shooting things in the face? All on the 3DS, I guess, and I'll definitely be buying one, but I'd love to see that kind of thing on my HD consoles. One of the reasons I still play my PS2 is that there was such a great array of games in an assortment of genres, but it really seems like everything now is either a shooter or a casual game.
too many rehashes and sequels as well.
Imagine playing Fallout and the the NPC asks if he's boring you when you look away from the TV.
Or playing Silent Hill and having to open doors by making the movement with one of your hands. This sounds simple until you realize that, with only one hand on the control, you've lost the ability to shoot or aim (depending on the hand).
As for Nintendo, they took top spot with their 3DS. I've had moments where I wanted a DS, and I hate 3D, but the reports show that the 3D is immersive, and the bonus that it's glasses free may make me buy one. It's the price point they'll have to work on now.
So yeah. That's my rant/procrastination from my exams.