E3 2007: The Big Three: Who "Won" E3?

Thursday July 12, 2007 10:18 am

E3 2007: The Big Three: Who “Won” E3?

Posted by Edie Sellers Categories: Casual, Corporate News, E3, Editorial, Hardware, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360

E3 2007 winner It always seems a bit silly to declare a “winner” of E3. It’s just so juvenile. This is a complex industry that can’t be distilled down to the simple question of “who beat whom.”

But we just can’t help it, can we?

Comparing the three keynotes this year, however, really is a grab-bag of possible outcomes. All three offered something interesting, and picking a single “winner” this year more than ever depends how you define “winning.”

My rundown is after the break.

Microsoft
Grade: B

Coming out of the gates first and hitting a news cycle that ensured at least 10 full hours of exclusive media attention was a brilliant move for Microsoft.

Why? Because it really offered very little startling information about its lineup.

No new games were announced, and no significant changes to the console were revealed. Sure, all but one game featured during the show will be available in 2007 (which, don’t get me wrong, is pretty impressive), but it seemed a bit underwhelming to have so much ado made of what amounts to nothing more than what we already knew.

Even the biggest announcement from an industry standpoint - Microsoft’s partnership with Disney Entertainment - sounded better the night-of rather than the morning-after. Yes, it will be offering an immense amount of downloadable Disney films in HD, but it’s all Disney’s crappy movies. No Disney Classics (“Snow White,” “Dumbo,” et al). No Pixar properties (“Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” etc.). Who really cares all that much to see “The Emperor’s New Groove” again… in HD, no less?

Microsoft seemed to also misgauge its audience for this new E3 format. In past years, Peter Moore could introduce with much bravado a Halo Collector’s Edition Xbox 360 (read: a 360 painted green) and expect at least a little enthusiasm from the audience. But this was an amphitheater full of hard-baked journalists who aren’t that easily impressed, and they saw through the paint job.

Cue the “Yawn Heard ‘Round Santa Monica.”

That moment might have been the most chuckle-inducing of the night had it not been for the near abysmal showing from Assassin’s Creed, with floating-body bugs, bad tracking, muddy graphics and clunky gameplay. Knowing this is set for November release, I’m already wondering if it won’t be the first of these titles that won’t see shelves until 2008.

Yes, the big titles on tap for this holiday (Halo 3, GTA IV and Madden 08) will probably make for a huge sales season for Microsoft this holiday, but only because they are tried-and-true franchises that guarantee record sales.

Sony
Grade: C

This is very hard for me to truly evaluate, since I and dozens of other legitimate attendees were turned away at the door, so I did not see it live. Others who made it into the event were moderately impressed with what Sony had to offer. The new puzzle game, echochrome, is a stripped down little noodler that many said they liked a lot. Phil Harrison described it as being “possibly the least graphics and most gameplay of any title you are going to see this week.”

One word, Phil: N. Indy game. Barker Hanger. Way in the back. Coming to XBLA. You should check it out.

Beside that, there was the coolness of the expanded PlayStation Home functionality. Coming soon to a PS3 near you, you and people standing around you in Home will be able to launch easily and simultaneously into any game of your choosing—including previously released titles. That is slick, but there doesn’t seem to be any plans to deal with the numerous user complaints of the way most PS3 games work in multi-player mode. Sure, it’s cool you can jump into these games, but shouldn’t someone work on getting the connectivity fixed first?

Finally, the big news. The coup de gras: A thinner, lighter PSP in two new colors. Now, a year ago, with an audience full of sycophant fanboys, this may have been pretty momentous. But, again, this is a different E3. And this audience is full of reporters and industry insiders who know too well that the PSP isn’t what one might call the dominant force in the portable device biz. Had this announcement been made last year, before the PSP fell so far behind in sales versus the Nintendo DS because of its thickness, heaviness and price, this may have made a difference. So, instead we have a thinner, lighter third-place portable device.

Last, but not least, is a little detail I gleaned from being denied access to Sony—something that I know larger media outlets missed.

I was one of many who didn’t pass muster, but with me were dozens of others. I’m used to this. I’m press. Everyone else left outside Sony’s gates were hedge-fund advisors and investment analysts from some of the world’s largest funds.

I shared a cab with a couple of them, since Sony wasn’t kind enough to provide return transportation from Century City back to Santa Monica for those who were turned away. First words out of their mouths: “Sell Sony.”

Now, this may not mean much to you because you don’t care about finance, but consider this: Sony needs money to spur game development and improvements in the PS3 (which, by no means, is what one might call a “runaway success” just yet). This is primarily important when it’s losing money for every PS3 it sells. When you piss off the people who determine exactly how hundreds of thousands of investors spend billions, if not trillions, of dollars in cash, you’re almost asking to fail.

Overall, Sony was underwhelming and may have done enough damage in the PR department that it might actually have begin exercising its near dormant “humble muscle.”

Nintendo
Grade: A-

Gamers and hardcore gamers might disagree with me, but Nintendo ran away with E3.

Last year, when everyone was talking 360 vs. PS3, I predicted at E3 that Nintendo would own Christmas 2006. And it did. And this year I predict that Nintendo will overtake Microsoft in console sales in the near future.

Bold, I know, but here’s my reasoning: While Sony and Microsoft are fighting over an enthusiastic, but limited, amount of existing gamers, Nintendo has created new gamers where none existed previously. That’s why it’s sold so many consoles and is effectively sold out months after release. Gamers will get a Wii and an Xbox or PS3. A large amount of Wii households, however, will buy only one console and more family members will use it.

Add in that Nintendo makes the number one and number two handhelds, and you have a pretty huge force to reckon with.

The titles Nintendo previewed at the event show exactly how it intends to keep bringing more non-gaming gamers into the Nintendo family and keep them hooked in and buying more stuff. A vision training game, Flash Focus, is set for translation to the US from the Japanese market. My Word Coach will help users expand their verbal lexicon. My Life Coach will help you steer your life to… I’m assuming a better life (Miyamoto offered no details).

This may not make you squeal with delight, but your mom, your grandma, your dad and grandpa, and your little brother and sister probably love the idea.

Then, there’s the peripherals. The Wii Zapper, a cradle for the Wiimote and Nunchuck to convert it to a gun (so your mom can hold it), is a no-brainer. It should have been done last year. There’s no tech to it, and it’s cheap. The Wii wheel controller evens the field for those who haven’t played Mario Kart (like your mom) so they can compete with veterans.

And finally, the Wii balance board, with the Wii Fit software that essentially becomes a yoga coach, aerobics trainer and family entertainment console all in one.

I affectionately call it “The Money Printing Machine.”

Conclusion:
While all of this may have you scratching your head and wondering what the hell Miyamoto is thinking, the 80 percent of the non-gaming world have no idea how much they will want these games and peripherals, and, if they don’t have it already, the console. And while you may think the balance pad is stupid, trust me. Once you get on it and try to head-butt soccer balls, you will find yourself more engaged than you’re willing to admit.

As you can see, deciding who is the clear winner of E3 is really the classic apples-and-oranges scenario. Some of us, who play more traditional hardcore games and fans of certain titles will probably think Microsoft has a better offering. If you own a PSP or PS3, you’ll probably consider Sony the best offering. If you’re looking purely at numbers and market penetration, Nintendo is going to eat the other two’s lunch.

As usual, winning is a matter of perspective.

Comments:

7/12/07 11:39 am

Someone is obviously bitter about not being let into the PS3 event.

There was significant news for the high end PS3
exclusives everywhere
The original PSP is so sexy, the original DS was terrible and in diar need or a re-design.

Video out completely ligitimizes UMD’s, whereas before they were useless ouotside of the PSP.

Now they are movies for your television.

Does video out mean that now you are able to play PSP games on your tv?, because that would be huge.
The best graphical games ever were shown at Sony.
Killzone 2, and Metal Gear, both better than Gears of War (graphically), and both exclusive to PS3!

So before you consider yourself a member of the press, as Sony rightfully doesn’t, - consider the facts.

7/12/07 12:42 pm

Seriously bitter.. and pathetic.. It great you can still grade their presentation in spite of knowing nothing about it at all. Maybe you can watch the coverage from someone who actually has a significant audience and get a clue.

What I do know about finance is that anyone who puts their ego over there client’s financial welfare doesn’t belong in the business.

7/12/07 3:36 pm

I find it strange how you go a head and bash Sony’s presentation without even seeing it, not mentioning the highlights and the games they showed off, and how your article is contradicted by another on this site… http://games.gearlive.com/playfeed/article/q107-e3-2007-sonys-press-conference-recap-and-impressions/
I suppose someone took that rejection personally.

7/12/07 3:47 pm

Wow. What a Bozo article.

It is universally agreed that the Microsoft presentation was the least exciting, least visionary and just plain boring of three presenations.

Sony has generally been awarded the best showing of event. They unveiled a new PSP, the most new exclusives and timed exclusives, showed the most amazing and dazzling FPS ever seen in the history of gaming, demonstrated their social networking online environment (Home) with major enhancements and cell phone connectivity, plus very innovative Playstation network games. Overall a class act with several surprises.

Nintendo was the solid runner up with a decent showing and new products attempting to broaden the appeal of their platform and gaming in general to broader public.

I have to agree with the other comments on this article that you are either bitter, biased, or in my opinion just plain insane.

7/12/07 9:54 pm

E3 was revamped to eliminate much of the competitive blatancy and in-your-face posturing that participating companies took way over the top. So someone writes an article this year about “who won E3.” YEAH, WE CAN’T HELP IT!! HIGH FIVE… morons.

7/13/07 6:05 am

I have an interesting take as an Elctro/Computer engineer. I bought stock in Nintendo and Microsoft the moment Sony entered the ring with the Cell. Why, because programing properly for a single thread is hard enough, so instead of polishing games, from what I’ve seen, Sony is rushing. If you want to, check out the 2006 Killzone and compare it to the E3 2007. 2006 had CG particle effects, great layers…I personally owned a playstation one when everyone thought an audio company should stick to speakers and amps so I hate to say it, but anyone who programs at a core level or works in 3D animation professionally would say hand’s down, the PS3 better pick up the pace, because those demo’s, when compared to things already seen in the PS2 and 360, show struggling developers trying to balance what is possible to create with how long they can go without putting the game out and getting income. For me, PS3 had a great showing, but it was the worst.

On the brighter side, the 360 has made some mistakes. Playing Forza, the developers focused on frame rate, but left out the anti-alising, so the cars don’t look anywhere near what they could. Dropping the framerate would’ve helped with reflections and jagged edges that WILL NOT be in GT5. Sony has some chances to learn from the mistakes the 360 and Nintendo are making. Get some good development software that cuts the development time and Sony has a chance. As for forza, cars you win should be sold for their worth, not pennies because you have to blow money on Live Gold and get screwed on auctions. SHAME ON YOU Turn 10 and Microsoft, who I heavily favored until forza. Sad really. Microsoft is getting the hang of shows, but showing Halo 3 the first day…even as an engineer you have to tease a bit to sell, let the press drool as they wait. They get second place for me.

So that leaves Nintendo. First place, momentum, tons of possibility, but most analysts and critics I’ve noticed aren’t dealing with a bunch of kids. As my sister teaches piano and I violin during free moments in the work week at an institute, I have had more than fifty parents that I helped secure a Wii tell me that their kids have just stopped playing. The adults seem to be happy with bowling and I personally would love a better version of that game alone, but why aren’t great games like Zelda, Mario Party 8 (despite reviews) and Paper Mario, grabbing these kids. All they say is they want to play lego starwars or sports, even some as young as five. To me this is a red flag that although the games may seem completly engaging aren’t right for Nintendo’s main market. Still, its nintendo and this is no new thing for them. Clear winner although I hope they start watching the numbers. As for me, I hope they do very well.

Last of all, to those angry with the press-guy’s review, keep in mind that with a press pass, he may know more than the people who saw the entertainment. Would you rather see a show, or go back and spend time with many members of the team. Also, any stock suggestion, from anyone, is bad if you don’t understand the market. I wouldn’t sell Sony now because I took them short a while back before the PS3 launch. It was a good play, but even with the cell, Sony still has a monopoly on movies we can do nothing about because of they are an international company. Had Microsoft owned five of the major movie houses and tried to push their own format, lawyers would be squirming all over them…point is simple. Sony has dipped and although I would never recomend buying stock, I can safely say that I fell, and hope, that they come back. It only makes all the systems better. So be gentle and realize, some of us have owned all three systems, or four whenever they came out. I’ve owned every system made and this is the first time I’ve been impressed by all. Those who dislike Microsoft or Sony are missing out.

I will be buying a PS3 when the ps2 chip is removed. Less heat and proof that Sony is getting the hang of it.

3.Sony
2.360
1.Wii….......as for the show.

7/13/07 6:27 am

Dear TECHNOHOW,
Quite a big claim to say better than Gears of War, for you saw a small section of gameplay built from a direct storyboard. It was realtime, but their were problems with clothing, shadows, interactions with static objects and although it is getting close to a game that maxed out a particular system like Gears of War, it was, in my professional opinion, both amazing and sad at the same time to watch their demos.

Read up on 3D lighting, shadow, polygon interaction and you’ll understand what I mean. They are MINOR errors, yet like a good book or movie, it only takes a few bad moments or flaws for you to lose interest.

Again, I will own all three, so I don’t care and these errors will most likely be fixed when the games are released. I hope they do surpass Gears of War, but as it stands, I have yet to see anything comparing to the smooth gameplay.

Also, Sony has lost a majority of its exclusives, encluding their largest grossing game, GTA. Square is talking about multi-platform Final Fantasy and if you think people like Metal Gear, it doesn’t compare to Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts, both games that were top sellers. Don’t forget Halo either, for as far as exclusives go, it doesn’t get any better.

Just something for you to look at as we all watch the demos, excited to play the games we love. It’s too big a market now for exclusives, but that is also what makes them so valuable.

Take care to everyone here.

Chris Pereira 7/14/07 8:02 pm

I don’t agree with Edie’s overall view on things, but I think she is absolutely correct about one thing - Nintendo, whether you like you it or not (and if you’re on a videogame website, you’re probably on the “not” side), had an excellent showing in the sense that they’re going to make an *insane* amount of money off this stuff. Wii Fit and Tough Generation games, in addition to all the other casual stuff, basically mean the US Mint should provide Nintendo with a machine so that it can save itself some time and just print out all the money that’s headed its way itself.

7/16/07 8:05 am

Obviously, you are a tad bitter that you were not invited to the party. Obviously, whatever footage you got from Sony’s E3 must have been edited. You failed to mention the first in-game trailer for Killzone 2 and MGS4, as well as Kojima confirming that MGS4 was a PS3 exclusive. You didn’t mention Haze or UT3 being timed exclusives. Not to mention the other upcoming killer titles coming in 2007 and 2008.

It is unfortunate that articles like these are allowed to be considered “legit”. Pretty much everyone else on the internet has said that Sony had the most impressive E3 by far. Even sites that are labeled as biased were impressed by the PS3 and Killzone 2 in particular. If one little Gamestop in Fort Worth Texas is any kind of indicator, The PS3 is more popular than ever right now. There were lines of people trading in their PS2’s and Xbox 360’s to get one.

Considering you will most likely get snubbed again next year, I suggest you check out G4’s live feed of the event before you write another bogus article.

Also, what makes you think that Sony owes you cab fare if you were not even invited?

7/16/07 1:51 pm

Are you a total idiot? Microsoft and Nintendo got totally owned by Sony at this year’s E3.

Sony had the most to gain, granted, but it was near perfect, plenty of games, new exclusives UT, Haze, Killzone, $100 price-drop on PS3, slip PSP..

I suggest giving up the drugs..

7/18/07 7:30 pm

Let me guess, you own a PS3.

7/19/08 9:57 pm

Worst. E3. Ever.

I wasn’t expecting much, but what transpired in Los Angeles at the annual video-game conference this week was a pretty big waste of time.
Microsoft, But excluding a dashboard face lift and Avitar creator

Microsoft scored some points by confirming:

■ The rumor of Netflix video streaming coming to the Xbox 360 later this year.

■ The upcoming ability to copy an entire game to your console’s hard drive so it loads faster and plays quieter.

■ Final Fantasy XIII will be a simultaneous release in the U.S. with the PS3 version. This one was a coup, but the game probably isn’t coming out for a year or more.

But the price drop on the Xbox 360 Premium from $349 to $299 is misleading, since the drop is really a clearance sale. When the 20-gig Premium is sold out, a 60-gig version will take its place ... at the original $349 price.
Nintendo

Nintendo is in peak form right now, and taking a victory lap at E3 would be understandable. Too bad for gamers that’s exactly what the company did. There was no announcement of a new Mario, Zelda or Metroid title for the Wii. Instead, we got Animal Crossing. Blah.

The MotionPlus add-on for the Wii remote looks intriguing. The device supposedly allows the console to more accurately track how you swing the controller.

A fencing game displayed proved that the one game every gamer has pined for since the Wii was unveiled may finally be feasible: a Star Wars lightsaber game. Unfortunately, such a game was not even officially discussed at the show.
Sony

Nearly a total catastrophe on every level.

First off, Sony seems to think that a $400 game console is a good thing. Yes, the 80-gigabyte PS3 system is $100 less than the original 80-gig model. But memo to Sony: The PS3 is still way overpriced.

A video download service? It would have been awesome a year ago. Now it’s just a day late and a dollar short.

Home, the Second Life-like virtual world for the PS3, remains in limbo and seems increasingly pointless. Has any gamer in history ever hankered to walk around a virtual mall looking at Nike billboards?

Sony’s MAG (Massive Action Game – placeholder name, presumably, hopefully) was the only product mentioned that left me with even a slight pulse. The game will supposedly allow 256 human players to duke it out on a single battlefield in eight-man teams.

A recipe for unbridled chaos? Sure. But a melee this size (assuming the PS3 can support such epic confrontations without keeling over) is guaranteed fun.

Part of the problem for all three of these companies might be that the show was simply held too late in the year. All the big games coming out before Christmas (Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, Ghostbusters, etc.) were announced weeks ago, in order to get the marketing campaigns ramped up.

Perhaps if E3 had been held in May, as it traditionally was until last year, those games could have debuted at the show and created some buzz.

In its current form, though, E3 was basically D.O.A.

Person 4/7/09 6:38 pm

360 beats all…if it dont got halo.. it suks

Bob 4/7/09 6:43 pm

Man u a retard… u freakin think sony owns all…. the only good game it has is skate 2 pretty much… i mean… halo 3 is a game no one will get board of… it keeps improving with map packs and has over 6 million different players on…... A DAY….

Dude 6/2/09 5:19 pm

What are you talking about? Microsoft one upped Sony and Nintendo this year.

Everything Microsoft announced was a joygasm. They further extended the Xbox live experience. They finally dropped the MGS bomb that has only been rumored up to this point. And they showcased hardware that could potentially change the way we view gaming. I really think Sony and Nintendo fanbois really need to see MS as the gaming giant it has become.

I personally own all three consoles and was really hoping for a reason to turn on my Wii again. Nintendo’s conference was an utter dissapointment. How could you give them an A-??? And sony showcased a new PSP model, umm yay, I guess?. Until you can give us two analogs, that thing will always be garbage. I cannot stand to play that damned thing, which is exactly why I sold it.

Who needs a blu ray? Instant streaming 1080p seems pretty sweet to me.

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Thursday July 12, 2007 10:18 am