Thread: 360 kicks off E3 2009

FFXI (MMORPG) is available now for 360.

Lost Odyssey is a traditional RPG developed by Mistwalker, a studio owned by the creator of Final Fantasy. Beautiful graphics, memorable characters, turn-based combat (ala FF7-X) all in an epic world. The game is huge spanning 4 discs. Highly recommended if FF is your game.

I want more Wii games...
I am disappointed.
Hmm..
Red Steel 2
The Conduit 1&2
Wii Sports Resort
Super Mario Galaxy 2
That's all I have to look forward to.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

FFXI (MMORPG) is available now for 360.

Lost Odyssey is a traditional RPG developed by Mistwalker, a studio owned by the creator of Final Fantasy. Beautiful graphics, memorable characters, turn-based combat (ala FF7-X) all in an epic world. The game is huge spanning 4 discs. Highly recommended if FF is your game.

I love Lost Odyssey. I borrowed it from friend and am just starting Disc 4. it reminds of of FF VIII the most, Sed even has an Axe gun!

Final Fantasy XI was the only MMORPG I ever played and I was addicted to that damn thing. I had like a level 70 Paladin but good god you just sat around waiting for a group for 3 hours, then it was a minimum 3 hours before you would level up on a grind. Not enough action.

Originally Posted by CrazyHorse

I want more Wii games...
I am disappointed.
Hmm..
Red Steel 2
The Conduit 1&2
Wii Sports Resort
Super Mario Galaxy 2
That's all I have to look forward to.

N got too fat and made a boatload of profits, now they're focusing on their next biggest profit, the DSi. At least it seems this way. With Sony and MS committed to having a lifespan until 2015 for their consoles, I don't see the Wii lasting that long.

It's all a business anyway to them and what will make the most money.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

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It's all a business anyway to them and what will make the most money.

And Microsoft and Sony aren't doing this?

I meant all of them, but to me N clearly has shown a neglect to a large base of their supporters and their customers.

I think Sony has clearly made some mistakes (as did MS) with the PS3, but they've supported their PS2 for so long without abandoning it. If they stopped support tomorrow nobody would blame them.

Natal Will 'Revolutionise Home Entertainment'
'We want to reinvent the industry' say Microsoft.
By Martin Robinson, IGN UK

June 10, 2009 - Microsoft's Project Natal will 'reinvent the industry and revolutionise home entertainment', according to the company's corporate vice president for Xbox Shane Kim.

'If we'd just come out with something that looks and feels like the Nintendo Wiimote, I think you could have fairly criticised us and said it was derivative,' said Kim in an interview with gamesindustry.biz, 'That's not the path we wanted to go down. We could have done that, but we wanted to reinvent the industry and revolutionise home entertainment. That's what we will achieve with Project Natal.'

Project Natal debuted at last week's E3, and impressed our own editors with its responsiveness and innovation. There's no word on when to expect it, although Kim stated in the same interview that it won't be in 2009.

Meh... wasn't it the Wii was supposed to 'revolutionize' the industry? The prototype I think was called Revolution.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

I meant all of them, but to me N clearly has shown a neglect to a large base of their supporters and their customers.

I think Sony has clearly made some mistakes (as did MS) with the PS3, but they've supported their PS2 for so long without abandoning it. If they stopped support tomorrow nobody would blame them.

Just wanted to get some clarification. It was starting to sound like you were putting Sony and Microsoft up on a pedestal.

No I wasn't. MS screwed up by abandoing the XBox so fast and the RROD issue on the 360s, even though they fix them for free. Sony's PS3 is so expensive for some people it holds back sales, and there is a lack of some games but they're making headway in that department. I think they both do a better job of getting out diverse games that longtime gamers want to play that aren't aimed exclusively at children, kids, pre-teens or moms like the Wii has. Both platforms offer games of all genres.

IGN's Overall Best of E3 2009 Awards
After one of the best shows in years, we pick the greatest games of the bunch.
by IGN Editorial Staff
June 12, 2009 -

The 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone, but the games shown at the conference still loom large in our minds. From big-budget blockbusters to scaled-down surprises, there was something for every gamer at this year's E3.

As the conference unfolded at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 2-4, we kept a running tally of our favorite games on a big white board in our IGN E3 Command Center. When a new title blew us away, we wrote it down. When something surprised us, we wrote it down. When a behind-closed-doors demo made us want to get our wallets out and buy the game right then and there, we wrote it down.

The games on that list eventually became our nominees for the best games of IGN E3 2009, and from there we narrowed it down to pick our final favorites. These are the games that got the IGN editors talking last week and haven't been able to shut up about since. So keep reading to find out which games wowed us most at E3, and make sure to read the individual channel awards by clicking on the links above. And if you want to see the biggest games from the show be sure to click on the links to the many demos, trailers, and gameplay clips we captured at the convention.



Best Action Game
Alan Wake
Xbox 360
Release date: Spring 2010
No one was certain what to expect from Alan Wake, a game long described as being a story-heavy survival horror title. But Alan Wake is actually an action title with a heavy dose of eerie atmosphere. The debut at the MS press conference revealed Alan Wake's clever use of lighting and fast-paced combat; the behind closed door sessions showed off the intense story elements that add depth to the action.

Runners-Up

Brutal Legend
God of War III
Splinter Cell Conviction
Uncharted 2

Best Fighting Game
Tatsunoku v Capcom
Multiplatform
Release date: Winter 2009
Capcom has released a number of cross-over fighting games in the past, ranging from the bonkers Marvel series to the more classical Capcom vs. SNK games. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom falls somewhere in between, with nutso aerial raves and oversized super moves balanced by a pace that's more sedate and calculated. We dig the compromise, and the multi-thousand billion damage combos.

Runners-Up

Dissidia
King of Fighters 12
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Tekken 6

Best Music/Rhythm Game
DJ Hero
Multiplatform
Release date: Fall 2009
At a time when many of us are starting to feel tired of music games, DJ Hero stands poised to recapture our interest. It's at once both familiar and new, presenting Guitar Hero-like gameplay with a fantastic, all-original tracklist of remixes and mash-ups. We have a feeling we'll be making room for one more plastic instrument when the game is released in October.

Runners-Up

Beatles Rock Band
Def Jam Rap Star
Karaoke Revolution

Best Platforming Game
LittleBigPlanet Portable
Playstation Portable
Release date: TBA 2009
LittleBigPlanet was nothing short of a breakthrough title on the PlayStation 3 thanks to the coupling of incredible creation tools and physics-based gameplay. The PSP version looks to bring the same experience to Sony's handheld, featuring the same great, simple controls with inventive level design and tons of stickers and objects to collect. We're about to be hooked all over again.

Runners-Up

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
'Splosion Man

Best Puzzle Game
Scribblenauts
Nintendo DS
Release date: Winter 2009
In Scribblenauts, you've got a simple task: collect a star token placed in a strategic location, like on the top of a tree or on the other side of a dirt wall. If only you could call upon a vast assortment of items to assist you. Oh, wait, you can! If you can think of an item, chances are it's in Scribblenauts. If you want to burn down the tree with a torch and a puddle of gasoline, go right ahead. Half the fun of Scribblenauts is trying to stump the game's enormous database of stuff and trying to solve problems in ways that you'd never in a million years consider doing in other games.

Runners-Up

Critter Crunch
Echochrono
Trash Panic

Best Racing Game
Forza Motorsport 3
Xbox 360
Release date: October 2009
Microsoft is keeping many of the new additions to its premier racing franchise under wraps, but what we've seen so far is already impressing car aficionados. More cars and more tracks with improved visuals are just the start. The livery editor is returning, backed by an in-game video editor to make your own highlight reels. And that is only the beginning.

Runners-Up

Dirt 2
Gran Turismo PSP
Mod Nation Racers
Need for Speed Shift

Best Role Playing Game
Mass Effect 2
Xbox 360
Release date: Spring 2010
Mass Effect 2 is a refinement of one of the best Western RPGs ever made. The choices made in the first game have a major impact on the sequel, creating a level of dynamic storytelling never before seen in gaming. The visuals are already superior to the original and the action has been streamlined to create a more immersive experience.

Runners-Up

Alpha Protocol
Dragon Age
Final Fantasy XIII
White Knight Chonicles

Best Shooting Game
Call of Duty- Modern Warfare 2
Multiplatform
Release date: Fall 2009
The Call of Duty franchise has set standards for first-person shooters since early 2000, and Infinity Ward is continuing that tradition with the highly-anticipated Modern Warfare 2. As the first official sequel game, MW2 drew crowds at the Activision booth this year, but only a select few had a chance to see the stealthy arctic espionage and high-speed snowmobile chases live behind closed doors. Holding a steady 60 frames per second and pushing the cinematic shooter to new heights, Modern Warfare 2 blew us away… even if that is starting to be par for the COD course.

Runners-Up

Halo: ODST
Left 4 Dead 2
Lost Planet 2
Red Steel 2

Best Sports Game
Fight Night Round 4
PS3/360
Release date: Winter 2010
The series that defined this generation of gaming is finally making its triumphant return to the ring. Fight Night Round 4 brings all-new physics-based fighting that takes into account every aspect of real boxing strategy. You'll need to both float like a butterfly and sting like a bee as some of the sports' greatest icons if you want to emerge as the champ.

Runners-Up

FIFA 10
Madden NFL 10
Tiger Woods Wii
Wii Sports Resort

Best Strategy Game
Supreme Commander 2
PC/Xbox 360
Release date: TBA 2010
Expanding on the scale and incredible battles of the first Supreme Commander would be a daunting feat. However, Gas Powered Games has managed to redesign just about everything in Supreme Commander 2. New AI, tech trees and path finding are merely the tip of this strategy game iceberg, which looks like it will dwarf its predecessor's considerable high standards.

Runners-Up

East India Company
Hearts of Iron 3
Order of War
R.U.S.E.

(continued)

Best Downloadable Game
Shadow Complex
Xbox 360
Release date: August 2009
When it arrives as the finale of this year's Summer of Xbox Live Arcade, Shadow Complex could be one of the most impressive downloadable games to date. A mix of Metroid, Castlevania, and Bionic Commando, this beautiful 2D effort is a retro fan's wet dream. Its appeal should reach beyond just old school gamers, though.

Runners-Up

Fat Princess
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Pixel Junk Shooter
Splosion Man

Best Graphics Technology
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Playstation 3
Release date: Fall 2009
The first game still looks great to this day, but Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a show-stopper. The new procedural animation system is simply incredible (characters' hands fluidly move from ledge to ledge, for instance) and it plays naturally into the massive environments that shift and crumble as you take down the pirates. And let's not forget the lush foliage, massive environments and incredible attention to detail. Amazing.

Runners-Up

Assassin's Creed 2
Alan Wake
God of War 3
Mass Effect 2

Best Artistic Design
The Last Guardian
Playstation 3
Release date: TBA
It would not be a stretch to say that the developers at Team ICO are masters of their craft. The real-time trailer of The Last Guardian shown at this year's E3 was a brilliant artistic work. Putting aside the fact that the game's visuals are already stunning, you'd be remiss not to note the atmospheric cinematography, the beautiful (yet softly muted) use of color and the achingly poignant connection between the nameless young boy and his gentle companion.

Runners-Up

Assassin's Creed 2
Brutal Legend
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
The Saboteur

Best Multiplayer Experience
Left 4 Dead 2
Xbox 360
Release date: November 17, 2009
Sure, Left 4 Dead 2 is coming on the heels of last year's thrilling four-player co-op shooter, but the multiplayer experience remains unparalleled. There's nothing quite like running and gunning through a city full of zombies, your buddies at your side, and plenty of yelling, screaming, and laughter along the way.

Runners-Up

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Halo 3: ODST
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Wii Sports Resort

Achievement for Technological Excellence
Project Natal
Xbox 360
Release date: TBA
20 years ago we were all watching Fred Savage in the movie The Wizard as we collectively thought that Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Power Glove were the epitome of technical excellence. And now we have a 3D camera that can recognize whether you are happy or sad, track your motions in three dimensions, and virtually transport you into fantastical worlds that you can explore without even holding a controller.

Runners-Up

MAG
Milo
Splinter Cell Conviction
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Special Achievement for Innovation
Scribblenauts
Nintendo DS
Release date: Winter 2009
Though Scribblenauts is considered a puzzle game, you'll quickly forget the core task of the title when you realize what makes the game so original: hidden inside the cartridge are tens of thousands of items just waiting to be conjured up by typing their name. Write werewolf, basketball, trophy, jetpack... and those items will show up instantaneously. Every item has a property or behavior, and many items can be combined and used in a variety of ways, and it's clear that, in our short time with the demo at E3, players are going to lose hours simply toying around the title screen seeing what random items they can call up and utilize just by writing down the words. The sheer size of the word database is incredibly impressive, even moreso when you realize that artists and programmers have created items for every word in the game. The concept is too unbelievable to think a game like this even exists. But it does.

Runners-Up

DJ Hero
Invizamals
Milo
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction

Best Hardware/Peripheral
Project Natal
Xbox 360
Release date: TBA
Microsoft has finally shown how it will enter the motion control market with Project Natal. The catch is, there isn't any controller at all. This camera will follow your motions in three dimensions, recognize your facial expressions and voice and a whole lot more. Whether you're a casual gamer or hardcore shooter fan, you have to be excited about the possibilities.

Runners-Up

DJ Hero Turntable
PlayStation Motion Controller
Wii MotionPlus
PSPgo

Best Non-playable Presentation
The Last Guardian
Playstation 3
Release date: TBA
Despite the fact that an early version of the trailer for The Last Guardian leaked a week or so before E3, the first official showing still wowed us. The artistic and cinematic vision here is astounding, and despite only being a couple minutes long, we already have a great sense for the love between the boy and the creature. It was essentially only a tease, but we can't wait to find out what it's actually all about.

Runners-Up

Crackdown 2
Gran Turismo 5
Metroid: Other M
Super Mario Galaxy 2

Biggest Surprise
Kojima's Castlevania
PS3/360
Release date: TBA 2010
That Konami announced a new Castlevania game isn't a shocker, but for the past decade the franchise has been kept under the wing of producer Koji Igarashi. At E3 2009, Hideo Kojima, renowned for his Metal Gear series, announced that his team is heading development on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Despite teasing the announcement in the weeks before E3, we still think this came outta f'n' nowhere.

Runners-Up

Left 4 Dead 2 Revealed
Metroid: Other M Debuts
Metal Gear Solid: Rising Coming to Xbox 360
Project Natal and Milo Storm the Show

Best Console Game
Mass Effect 2
Xbox 360
Release date: Spring 2010
Think Empire Strikes Back. Think Godfather, Part 2. Think about all the great middle chapters in your favorite story trilogies. That's what Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be. BioWare blew us away with its promise of an incredibly dark second act in its epic sci-fi trilogy, along with plenty of dazzling visuals, intense firefights, and stunning moments.

Runners-Up

Alan Wake
God of War 3
Modern Warfare 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Handheld
Scribblenauts
Nintendo DS
Release date: Winter 2009
Even with ambitious and visually impressive games like Little Big Planet, Jak & Daxter, and Gran Turismo being shown off for Sony's PSP, an unknown, original Nintendo DS game like Scribblenauts managed to wow attendees with an incredibly ambitious and creative concept: the ability to write the word of any item and have it pop into existence…and being able to use these items in a variety of different ways. You're supposed to use these items to solve puzzles, but that task might take a backseat to simply dicking around the title screen to see what crazy items you can come up with. You'll have a hard time stumping Scribblenauts as its database is chock full of thousands upon thousands of words to write, with useable items attached to each one of these words in the library.

Runners-Up

Gran Turismo PSP
Half Minute Hero
LittleBigPlanet Portable
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Best PC Game
Star Wars: Old Republic
Release date: TBA 2010
What do you get when you mix together Star Wars, BioWare and the MMO genre? One of the most intriguing and ambitious games on any system. BioWare's firing on all cylinders with this one, creating a game that has great story and setting, lots of player freedom, thrilling combat and a compelling social aspect. The developers made a lot of promises about how great this game will be and this year's showing proves them right.

Runners-Up

Dragon Age: Origins
Left 4 Dead 2
Mass Effect 2
Supreme Commander 2

Overall Game of Show
Scribblenauts
Release date: Winter 2009
If you're surprised by a DS game winning Game of the Show this year you haven't played Scribblenauts yet. 5TH Cell's innovative "write anything" game went head to head with one of the best E3 rosters to date, but in the end innovation won out. When did the tide turn towards Scribble? Somewhere between writing down God and Cthulhu and watching them go head-to-head in battle, or typing in Keyboard Cat and seeing the damn thing show up. If you write it, it will spawn.

Runners-Up

Alan Wake
Mass Effect 2
Modern Warfare 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

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