Archive: May 2006
E3 in Today's Print Post: Sunday
What Press Pass? At E3, a Convergence of Card-Carrying Bloggers by Jose Antonio Vargas...
By Bob Greiner | May 14, 2006; 10:27 AM ET | Email a Comment
Photo Gallery 2
Photos by Chris Barylick for washingtonpost.com (click images for larger versions). Statue of a villain from Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Attendees test out the newest Nintendo DS wares at the Nintendo booth. Players try out virtual-reality goggles in multiplayer games on the show floor. An attendee tests out a racing...
By Bob Greiner | May 13, 2006; 9:15 AM ET | Email a Comment
Final Thoughts
The final numbers are in and 60,000 people attended this year's show. It was crowded, but it definitely didn't seem as crowded as last year, which had over 70,000 attendees. You couldn't walk from booth to booth in the South Hall last year. I think one thing that's changed in...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 6:55 PM ET | Comments (1)
Video: Everybody's Golf
Footage of Everybody's Golf, an upcoming game for the PlayStation 3 that's a version of the popular PSP title also known as Hot Shots Golf. var movieSrc = "http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/player2.swf?whichMode=normal&justify=center&playad=yes&mediatype=stream&postdir=technology&postvideo=051206-5v&cuesfile=none&autoplay=no&starttime=0&endtime=0&largerver=none&image=051206-5s&playlistxml=none" ; //URL OF WHERE .SWF MOVIE IS PUBLISHED var movieWidth = "427" ; //FLASH MOVIE AND BACK-UP GRAPHIC WIDTH var movieHeight...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 6:40 PM ET | Email a Comment
Windows Vista Aims to Get Gamers' Attention
Microsoft is doing something for Windows Vista that is usually only done with consoles -- releasing game titles concurrently with the new operating system. They're calling them "spotlight titles" -- when Microsoft releases Vista (whenever that is; it's been delayed quite a few times), it will apparently have a lot...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 6:15 PM ET | Email a Comment
Video: Resistance: Fall of Man Footage
Footage of Resistance: Fall of Man, an upcoming game title for the PlayStation 3. Editor's Note: This video contains graphic images....
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 6:08 PM ET | Email a Comment
Answer: Splinter Cell
From a blog comment: Any thoughts on the new Splinter Cell? It seems to be a "choose your own adventure" plot. Mike Musgrove responds: Right you are, says Derek Chan, who is on the Ubisoft team developing Splinter Cell. In the game, government agent Sam Fisher infiltrates a terrorist group....
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 12, 2006; 6:06 PM ET | Email a Comment
My Top 10
1. Gears of War 2. Assassin's Creed 3. Mass Effect 4. Bioshock 5. Command and Conquer 3 6. Rainbow Six: Vegas 7. Mercenaries 2 8.Justice League Heroes 9. Crysis 10. Virtua Tennis 3 -- Tom Ham...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 5:40 PM ET | Email a Comment
Visit to Wisteria Lane
I had an interesting experience in the Disney booth at Buena Vista games. Since it was Disney I expected to run into Mickey Mouse and things like that, but instead I broke into someone's house, stole stuff to sell later, and got caught because I made too much noise. I...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 5:35 PM ET | Email a Comment
Lost in Space
This is how you know it's getting near the end of the last day of E3. You're playing a sci-fi shooter game, right? With a bunch of other people? You ask what console the game is on, and then realize something: You are holding an Xbox 360 controller. You are...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 4:57 PM ET | Email a Comment
Answer: Final Fantasy
From a blog comment by "Blepcots": How about some thoughts on Final Fantasy 12 (when is the actual U.S. release?) and also 13, since I've actually seen a few screenshots this week? John Breeden II replies: Most of the Square Enix booth is devoted in one way or another to...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 4:39 PM ET | Email a Comment
People Who Aren't Real Will Phone You
Nokia is working on a new immersive RPG for the N-Gage (although N-Gages pretty much look like regular phones now, so I don't see why it couldn't be on other phones, other han licensing). The game, called Shadow Born is coming out in the second half of '07. The graphics...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 4:21 PM ET | Email a Comment
Waiting to Play Wii
The line at the Nintendo area is the longest in this whole hall. When I walked around it, I felt like I was running the mile. I talked to two guys toward the end of the line -- Kevin Dowell, 19, and Paul Pao, 20, both students at USC. They...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 4:05 PM ET | Email a Comment
Shhh, It's Getting Loud In Here....
Scott Steinberg, Sega's vice president of entertainment marketing, said he had to call conference security to get the folks in the neighboring NCSoft booth to quiet down, as per new E3 rules requiring that booths keep the decibels down. "I think there's a rule," he said. "The less good your...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 12, 2006; 4:04 PM ET | Email a Comment
Is Will a No Show?
Ran into Will Wright five minutes ago, the world's most famous game designer, a guy who has made zillions of dollars for game publisher Electronic Arts. Wright, looking exhausted and panicky, was trying to find lunch in the 27 minutes he had till the next showing of his upcoming game...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 12, 2006; 3:55 PM ET | Email a Comment
Microsoft Everywhere
Spent a lot of time in the Microsoft booth ... Talked to Todd Holmdahl, corporate vice president for the Xbox and gaming platform group. He showed me an app that could be a key for Microsoft when it takes on PS3 later this year. Holmdahl typed in my Xbox Live...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 3:38 PM ET | Email a Comment
Video: Final Fantasy XIII Trailer
Trailer for Final Fantasy XIII, the next new installment of the best-selling series for the PlayStation 3. var movieSrc = "http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/player2.swf?whichMode=normal&justify=center&playad=yes&mediatype=stream&postdir=technology&postvideo=051206-4v&cuesfile=none&autoplay=no&starttime=0&endtime=0&largerver=none&image=051206-4s&playlistxml=none" ; //URL OF WHERE .SWF MOVIE IS PUBLISHED var movieWidth = "427" ; //FLASH MOVIE AND BACK-UP GRAPHIC WIDTH var movieHeight = "300" ; //FLASH MOVIE AND BACK-UP GRAPHIC...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 3:08 PM ET | Email a Comment
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Pandemic says "right now only on PS3" ... The game looked freaking awesome. The demo I saw showed the processing power of the PS3. The game takes place in Venezuela. Lush jungles, cool vehicles - I was duly impressed. Another cool feature: A co-player can join any time during a...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 3:03 PM ET | Email a Comment
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
The ultimate MK game. Total of 60 characters. If you've seen them in an MK game, they're here -- including bosses and sub-bosses. Air combos are new. Customizable fatalities were pretty cool, too. Huge single-player game and online play as well. Coming out October this year. I had a lot...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 2:53 PM ET | Email a Comment
Quotes From the Floor
Despite being the last day, the floor is still packed. Prior to the staff's opening of the doors, the crowds lined up outside, ready to rush in at the first possible moment. At 9 PT, the moment arrived and the group surged forward like the Running of the Bulls. Some...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 2:48 PM ET | Email a Comment
Video: Xbox 360 Samples
A roundup of several upcoming games for the Xbox 360 game console. var movieSrc = "http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/player2.swf?whichMode=normal&justify=center&playad=yes&mediatype=stream&postdir=style&postvideo=051106-10v&cuesfile=none&autoplay=no&starttime=0&endtime=0&largerver=none&image=051106-10s&playlistxml=none" ; //URL OF WHERE .SWF MOVIE IS PUBLISHED var movieWidth = "427" ; //FLASH MOVIE AND BACK-UP GRAPHIC WIDTH var movieHeight = "300" ; //FLASH MOVIE AND BACK-UP GRAPHIC HEIGHT var backupGraphic = "no"...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 1:40 PM ET | Email a Comment
Unreal and Stranglehold
Unreal Tournament 2007 -- coming early 2007. New tech, built from the ground up. Four main modes, new vehicles (shipping with three times more than previous game), new weapons and upgrades and firing modes. This game is going to rock. For PC and PS3. John Woo Presents: Stranglehold -- Starring...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 1:32 PM ET | Email a Comment
Answer: Assassin's Creed
From a blog comment by "Mid-LifeCrysis": Do you have any insight on whether "Assassin's Creed" is going to be a PS3 exclusive game? There's lots of inconsistent information out there on the Web. The game looks so spectacular that I think many console purchasing decisions would be influenced by the...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 1:22 PM ET | Comments (7)
Mobile Game Outlook
Mobile gaming is a growing business, but E3 is not the best venue for those games. There are game makers and carriers at the show, but many of them are hidden away in Kentia Hall. CTIA, which happens twice a year, is the show for everything mobile, so a lot...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 1:11 PM ET | Email a Comment
Video: Metal Gear Solid 4
Trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4, the latest installment in the epic series for the PlayStation 3. (Editor's Note: This video contains graphic images.)...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 12:57 PM ET | Email a Comment
Hearing the Buzz
Sometimes it pays to just sit down for a few minutes in an area and listen to the buzz. I was at the "Into the Pixel" art exhibit (they have comfortable chairs) and I heard some people talking about the show as it closed for the day Thursday. One of...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 12:34 PM ET | Comments (26)
Photo Gallery 1
Photos by Chris Barylick for washingtonpost.com (click images for larger versions). E3 visitors catch their breath at the Microsoft booth. Attendees try out the latest gaming hardware at Fatal1ty's booth. Post staff writer Mike Musgrove plays Guitar Hero on the Gibson tour bus....
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 12:02 PM ET | Email a Comment
E3 in Today's Print Post: Friday
Pixels Put on a Par With Paintings: Video Games Show Off Their Artistic Side in Exhibitions by Jose Antonio Vargas Narrated gallery of images from the "Into the Pixel" exhibit Gallery of wire photos from E3...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 11:57 AM ET | Email a Comment
Answer: Mobile Gaming
From a blog comment by "M. Mortazavi": I'm also hearing from other sources that games on mobile phones and devices are even a greater focus of attention this year at E3. I'm not there but I imagine this analysis to be capturing a significant trend. I've not read much in...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 11:27 AM ET | Email a Comment
Video: Halo 3 Trailer
Teaser trailer for Halo 3, the next installment of the best-selling science fiction shooter series for the Xbox 360 game console. var movieSrc = "http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/player2.swf?whichMode=normal&justify=center&playad=yes&mediatype=stream&postdir=style&postvideo=051106-11v&cuesfile=none&autoplay=no&starttime=0&endtime=0&largerver=none&image=051106-11s&playlistxml=none" ; //URL OF WHERE .SWF MOVIE IS PUBLISHED var movieWidth = "427" ; //FLASH MOVIE AND BACK-UP GRAPHIC WIDTH var movieHeight = "300" ; //FLASH...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 11:19 AM ET | Email a Comment
Heading Into Day 3
My main goal today is to stay upright and conscious. I have two high-profile meetings today -- one with Activision where I'm assuming they will probably show me and maybe let me play Call of Duty 3, then another appointment with Microsoft. I'd like to get their take on the...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (1)
Random Bits
I love the language of the video game industry sometimes. NCSoft is showing off its latest game. "We're going to shut off the god mode and show you death," says the game's producer, who was going hoarse, like everybody else, by the end of Day Two. ================ Most years, you...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 10:04 AM ET | Email a Comment
We Take Requests
There's just one day left at E3, and we're interested in hearing what games, devices or issues you'd like us to write about that we haven't so far. We can't fulfill all requests, and of course they should be polite and reasonable, but we're listening. We will also try to...
By Bob Greiner | May 12, 2006; 7:51 AM ET | Comments (7)
Reflections on Celebrity
While Xbox Live had Jenny McCarthy, the band Panic Member and Method Man come by their booths at E3 this year, it seemed like there were less celebrity appearances this year from game companies. Paris Hilton isn't really "technically" a celebrity, yet she drew a crowd at the Gameloft booth...
By Kyle Balluck | May 12, 2006; 12:03 AM ET | Email a Comment
Atari's Chief Surfer
Atari chief executive Bruno Bonnell said the Xbox 360 is a "super telephone," the PlayStation 3 a "muscle car" and the Nintendo Wii a "wonderful toy." The company is in difficult financial times, and there is no surefire hit in sight for these guys. But it had the most pleasant...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 10:13 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Paris Event
Throngs gather near the Gameloft booth to get a glimpse of Paris Hilton. (Chris Barylick for washingtonpost.com) So, I just came from the Paris Hilton appearance on the show floor. Amid a crush of reporters, photographers and fans, she emerged in a green dress to sign autographed cards for...
By Kyle Balluck | May 11, 2006; 8:30 PM ET | Email a Comment
A Real Workout
Kind of an interesting product from SDW Games ... One thing I got a demo of was virtual kickboxing -- you strap two sensors to your leg and put on two boxing gloves, and then you box and kick the person on the screen, and basically fight them. They also...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 5:57 PM ET | Email a Comment
Rocking Out at E3
The Guitar Hero guys showed a taste of their next version of the title, due out in November. Publisher Red Octane, which was just purchased by Activision, is putting a few tweaks on the next installment, such as a new type of cooperative playability. At the Sony booth, attendees test...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 11, 2006; 5:52 PM ET | Email a Comment
Franchises Roll: Star Trek and Pirates of the Caribbean
Bethesda Softworks' meeting room was the nicest I've been to so far; it's like sitting in a movie theater. It's on the second floor of their booth -- four rows of plush seats, complete with cupholders. Nothing says "geek" like Star Trek, and geeks have been waiitng a very long...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 5:32 PM ET | Email a Comment
From Swords to Phasers
Bethesda is trying to follow up on its hit Oblivion using the Star Trek franchise to do it. September will mark the 40th anniversary of the original TV series, and to commemorate Bethesda is releasing a game called Star Trek Legacy. In this real-time tactical/stragety game, you can command every...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 5:16 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Madding Crowd
Complete mayhem on the PS3 floor, which is packed with wall-to-wall people. My closed-door meeting with Ted Price was a complete contrast, a nice relaxed atmosphere. Still, there's a huge contrast between the South Hall, where we have Sony and Nintendo, and the West Hall, with everyone else. It's much...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 4:58 PM ET | Comments (2)
Console Comparisons
I've gotten a lot of looks at the PS3 this week ... When Xbox launched in 2001, a year after the PS2, there was a definite differentiation between the graphics. As far as the PS3 visuals i'm seeing now, while they are great next-generation visuals, they are about on par...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 4:50 PM ET | Comments (26)
Bioshock on Xbox 360
This is the spiritual sucessor to the classic System Shock 2. Incredibly atmospheric, moody and some pretty disturbing looking enemies. Coming out in 2007. The demo was freaking rad. -- Tom Ham...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 4:12 PM ET | Email a Comment
Long Look at Resistance: Fall of Man
Just left the Sony PS3 booth where I had a behind-closed-doors meeting with Ted Price of Insomniac Games, who game me and three other people a one-hour walkthrough of Resistance: Fall of Man. The game takes place in an alternate 1951 universe in which World War II never occurs. Instead...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 4:08 PM ET | Email a Comment
Waiting for Paris -- or Not
Happened to be over by the booth for French mobile game maker Gameloft, which has a Paris Hilton jewel game. The PR people were going crazy wondering whether she would show up on time. In the queue for getting a picture taken -- Hilton's scheduled appearance was about a half...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 3:52 PM ET | Email a Comment
The Darkness for PS3 and Xbox 360 for 2007
First-person shooter action-adventure based on a comic by Top Cow. Players will use conventional weapons in addition to magical powers. Wicked-looking summoned creatures, lots of violence, compelling storyline. The game looks promising. -- Tom Ham...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 3:40 PM ET | Comments (2)
Every Kid a Game Designer?
Gamesweet.com is touting PC software that lets kids design their own video games. You can take objects like trucks or people, put them on the screen and define the rules of the world -- i.e., it's a combat game and you're supposed to kill enemies, or a racing game where...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 3:39 PM ET | Comments (1)
Hellgate: London
PC action RPG. Incredibly deep and robust. Think Diablo in London with wicked monsters and futuristic weapons. And speaking of Diablo, over 15 people who worked at Blizzard on Diablo are working on this game. It's going to rock. It has been in development for 2 1/2 years. Hopefully will...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 3:07 PM ET | Email a Comment
Gamer's Necessity: A Cold Can
Another cool gadget from Kentia Hall. Coolitsystems.com has a product calledl the Coolit Chiller, which solves a need that all gamers have: keeping beverages cold (gamers drink a lot of soda). It looks like a little hot plate almost -- it has a USB interface that you plug into your...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 2:56 PM ET | Email a Comment
Tekken: Dark Resurrection for PSP
Over 30 different characters and 19 stages. Without a doubt the best fighting game on a handheld. Exclusive PSP features: Tekken Dojo in single-player mode, ad hoc network play. Plays incredibly fast and smooth. Visually stunning. -- Tom Ham...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 2:32 PM ET | Email a Comment
Piano Wizard Mac Version; Guitar Wizard on the Way
Kentia Hall never ceases to amaze me with the innovation they have down here. Piano Wizard has a unique way of teaching children -- or anyone, really -- to play piano. It's $200 and comes with a keyboard with multicolored keys that you set in front of your laptop or...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 2:30 PM ET | Email a Comment
Assassin's Creed
Remember I said Gears of War was Best Action Game of the show? Well...I might have to change that. More after I spend more time with this one. -- Tom Ham...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 1:51 PM ET | Comments (1)
Justice League Heroes
Checked out Snowblind Studios' Justice League Heroes, an isometeric, top-down action game for the Xbox. You can play as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern and many others. I blew off a meeting so I could keep playing this game. Watch for it this fall. -- Tom Ham...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 1:35 PM ET | Email a Comment
Nintendo Chatter
So Nintendo has offered something strange -- and it might actually work. So far, feedback on its wireless controller and directional "nunchuk" has ben overwhelmingly positive. The controller feels comfortable in almost any hand and can be turned sideways as a more traditional controller, the rectangle in your grip harking...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 12:49 PM ET | Comments (3)
Same Old Weirdness at E3
It was oen of those classic E3 moments. I'm standing in a crowded open hallway on the second floor of EA's booth waiting to see Army of Two. It's hot as Hell up there with all of the people and computers. And I look across the hall to Activision's booth...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (2)
What's New in the Basement?
I have a couple of high-profile meetings this morning -- my first one is with LucasArts. But then I plan to spend the rest of the day in Kentia Hall. The Convention Center is set up with two big halls -- the West and the South -- but there's another...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 11:30 AM ET | Email a Comment
Vargas Web Chat
Blog contributor and Post Style staff writer Jose Antonio Vargas, whose profile of enigmatic Electronic Software Association head Doug Lowenstein appears in the paper today, will take reader questions at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). You can submit questions in advance, or read the transcript after the chat....
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 9:44 AM ET | Email a Comment
E3 in Today's Print Post: Thursday
Shadow Player: The Face of the Video Game Industry Steps Into the Spotlight at Electronic Entertainment Expo by Jose Antonio Vargas (Here is an audio clip from Jose's interview with ESA head Doug Lowenstein.) At Expo, Games Are Played and Opinions Aired by Mike Musgrove...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 9:41 AM ET | Email a Comment
I Would Play Sega With Harrison Ford ...
Game publisher Capcom threw a neat party last night in an art gallery on trendy Melrose Avenue that features an exhibit of art inspired by vintage video games, called Gallery nineteen eighty eight. The show's co-curator, Jon M. Gibson -- a freelance writer who pens cartoon shows and video game...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 2:59 AM ET | Comments (1)
Handling the Wii
So I went to Nintendo right before the show closed for the day. I wanted to really spend some time with the Wii controller. I have mixed impressions. It is cool. On games like Metroid -- which fully utilizes the "nunchuck" controller, it really adds another dimension to the gameplay....
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 2:27 AM ET | Comments (2)
Feeling Some Euphoria
The thing that most impressed me as I walked back to my hotel (I always like to be within walking distance of the convention to avoid LA's nasty traffic) was the Euphoria technology that LucasArts was demonstrating in their booth. In essence, the licensed technology allows game makers to create...
By Bob Greiner | May 11, 2006; 12:05 AM ET | Email a Comment
Wii's Wider Appeal
I saw Robin Williams late Monday afternoon getting a booth tour from Electronic Arts executive Bing Gordon. The only thing was that Williams was at the Ubisoft booth. A die-hard gamer, Williams is one of many celebrities that attend E3 annually to see the latest games. I also saw Williams...
By Bob Greiner | May 10, 2006; 11:59 PM ET | Email a Comment
We Mention a Skating Bulldog
Todd Hollenshead, chief executive of Id Software (the Doom and Quake guys), what are you looking forward to seeing? "Saturday." And the Nintendo Wii. The show has been chaotic for him, partly because Id's co-founder, programmer John Carmack, got stuck on a plane that was grounded for having a mechanical...
By Bob Greiner | May 10, 2006; 9:42 PM ET | Email a Comment