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Geek Tuesday: My Thoughts on E3 2012

E3 2012

Image Courtesy of Forbes Blog contributor, John Gaudiosi

Every year, the first week of June, marks the world’s largest gamer geek nerdgasm. It is the annual video game conference and show at the Los Angeles Convention center. It is the venue for all the computer and console gaming companies (from Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, to Ubisoft and EA) to attempt to wow the gaming crowd with their newest secret projects.

This year. Well, let’s just say, I was left a tad bit disappointed. First of all, I missed every single press release live webcast. But what I did manage to see left me listless. There were no real hard-core WOW moments that got my blood pumping and skin crawling.

I had been waiting to see more about Halo 4. I’ve been playing Halo since the first day. We got the xBox when it first came out and Halo was our very first game. And when xBox Live came out in Beta, we managed to secure a spot on their test panel and Halo was the game they used to test their Live option. We own every release of Halo since. So, Halo has a special place in our hearts.

Last year gave us the teaser trailer for Halo 4. We’ve been wondering how 343 Studios will handle the Halo story. Will they do it justice? Will they butcher it? I mean, it was Bungie’s baby, right? But damn, after watching the E3 2012 Live Action Trailer…

We’ve had bits and pieces of live action before (Birth of a Spartan), so this isn’t new. But it still hints at a full length movie. They scrapped the first one and used the set for District 9, saying it was too expensive to produce. I’m sure they would more than make up for it in sales when the fan boys and girls would go see it over and over again! It would probably be THE. BEST. live action game to movie movie ever made! But, that’s my opinion. 🙂

PS: Everyone loves Master Chief. Well, I like him and all. But I fawn over Cortana! I’m such a fangirl! They BETTER NOT kill her! I will be devastated!

So, yeah, I think this one is going to play well, and live up to the story. Here’s a link to the Official Gameplay video Microsoft released at E3 this year.

The only other game I am totally excited for, Ubisoft’s Assassins Creed 3. I started with this story a little late. I bought my Assassins Creed used, about a year and a half after its initial release. But once I played it, I was totally hooked. The gameplay was different from FPS. And I loved the challenges of stealing/killing without being seen or caught.

But, the thing that hooked me the most was the story! OMG! Amazing! Historical accuracy, mixed with fictional scenarios. It was like I was playing a book! I have an affinity for history. And, since I am a writer, I do love me a good story! I fell in love with Altair. Then, I helped birth Ezio Auditore da Firenze. He grew up, and I helped shape his character. I killed along side him. I became him.  I spent an entire lifetime with the man, helping to further his cause. And then, I watched him die.

But that’s only half the story. Desmond is in the here and now. He is the one controlling the memories. He is the one who will inevitably be the one to solve the puzzle. And you are him as well. Although we’ve finished both Altair and Ezio’s stories, there are still so many questions left unanswered. And now, Ubisoft will be transporting us into a part of the American Revolution we have never seen, through the eyes of Connor (and Desmond).

Ubisoft has been working on a new game engine for the last 3 years and will be releasing it with Assassins Creed 3. I so cannot wait! I still get chills watching this! (maybe I am weird, but I don’t care. I love the history, AND the story!)

Ubisoft also released a new assassin, a girl. Assassins Creed III: Liberation will only be released with the Playstation Vita. This makes me incredibly sad because I refuse to buy a system for only one game.

The only other announcement I found remotely fascinating was Microsoft’s Smartglass technology.

Microsoft has always been known to be behind in releasing new technology. In my opinion, they’ve been WAY TOO FAR behind. For example, their Zune and their Windows Phone came out so far after the iPod/iPhone that Apple  held the majority of popularity. When they finally came out with their versions, well, they couldn’t garner any support and quickly shelved it (at least the Zune. I am sure the Windows Phone won’t be far behind). I’m sad. I own 2. I like the Zune. I used to like my Windows Phone, before they made it so…just so blah. I went to Android when the latest Windows Phone OS became available.)

But maybe it’s because I am anti-Apple? I don’t know. My husband says that’s the reason. Who knows. I mean, we have an iPad. But I rarely use it. I’ve ported Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich OS on my HP Touchpad. 🙂 I think I have always had an aversion to mainstream hype. (I never did like the teenage heart throbs when I was younger either. Never understood all the hype!)

I am pleasantly surprised that Microsoft will now open up the xBox for iPads, iPhones, and Android devices through the free smartphone app (Smartglass). At least, they didn’t wait until 2 years from now. 🙂

So, are you a gamer? Did you watch the E3 coverage? What was your favorite?

LadyJai

7 Comments

  1. Ping from Leigh Caroline:

    I used to be a LOT more into gaming in middle/high school. It fell by the wayside though once I started writing, I couldn’t really juggle the two. Except now, I get absorbed by casual games *cough*facebook*cough*.

    • Ping from LadyJai:

      Funny, I never gamed in High School! All we had was Space Invaders and Galaga and I HATE dying! 🙂 I didn’t get into computers or gaming until my hubs gave me my very own…it was “the other woman” in my opinion. Then, when I had my own, I joined him! Before I started back in with my writing, I was all over the games. MMORPGS on the computer took up all my free time. Until The Boy came along. And then the big burn. I played occasionally on the xbox. But Hubs started hogging it all the time. So we bought a 2nd one. My time in gaming is not as much as you would think. I do maybe 2 hours a week. It’s how I manage to play Assassins Creed for 9 months! LOL So, when I’m stuck, or unable to write at home because everyone else is demanding my attention, what better way to spend the time than in a game we can all play together…or at least, everyone likes to watch. 🙂

  2. Ping from Becca:

    I hadn’t seen the official Halo 4 trailer yet – oooo! I CAN’T WAIT.

    And Assassin’s Creed is freaking awesome. It’s just so different and…well, pretty. It looks like The Man and I now have two internet-ready Xboxes in the house. It’s time to DO THIS.

    • Ping from LadyJai:

      OMG! I’m still waiting on you to add me to your friends list! 😀 It’d be cool to play some Halo with you. I give myself an anxiety attack playing multiplayer Assassins Creed LOL

  3. Ping from Cheryl Sonnier:

    I was excited about the Elder Scrolls Online, as you probably guessed. But yes, E3 was a bit ‘meh’ this year.

    I also am anti-Apple. I don’t like the control they try to keep on their product once you own it. I also like the fact that with Android, I have a whole range of phones to choose from, rather than just one. Much like the PC versus the Mac. I like choice, and variety, and Apple doesn’t give us any of that. It’s more ‘buy this because it’s Apple’. Bah!

    I did own a Windows phone at one point, and it was a HTC, but I gave up on it because it was such a pain. It would crash every time I got an incoming call and even one window was open. Every. Single. Time. I don’t know if the fault was the OS or the phone itself but it put me off. Loving the Androids though.

    • Ping from LadyJai:

      Yeah, I have issues with anyone telling me what I want in a product too. That’s my biggest problem with Apple. I like choice! 😀 I forgot about Elder Scrolls online, but since I am not a fangirl, well…it’s just meh. I haven’t played computer games since 2002 when I got burned on an MMORPG. Haven’t been back since. I’m still waiting on them porting a MMORPG to the console…more specifically, the xBox. 🙂

      • Ping from Cheryl Sonnier:

        I like the xBox too 🙂 Don’t have one right now because we got rid of it during the move to England that didn’t happen as it should have. So our computers are all we have!

        Sorry you got burned on an MMORPG. I love them (perhaps a little too much LOL), but I do love a good console game too. I love RPGs and the Tomb Raider games.

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