Microsoft @ E3 2013 - Conference Rundown

So the Microsoft E3 conference has just finished and boy what a result. I said in a previous post that their 90 minute timeslot needed to focus on the software for their next console and we get a glimpse of nearly 20 games coming out over the next 12 months. The main focus was on the Xbox One product but we also got some nice information for the current Xbox 360 users, which means we aren’t being neglected after the launch of the new system.

The conference itself was slightly behind schedule and kicked off about 5:36 GMT. Several people were using twitter to explain that the large floor stands had pitted Microsoft and Sony next to one-another which was a slightly strange choice.

The show opened with a stealth game based in what appears to be an open world desert, the protagonist appeared familiar and several people were pushing forward the prospect of another Red Dead game as the hero was shown rushing into a desert on horseback. As the trailer played through we got examples of dynamic weather effects, including a large sandstorm which effected the visual distances easily, as well as gameplay choices that analyses the player’s actions and takes weaknesses through the in game AI. As the trailer progressed we got introduced to the characters which slowly broke down to the likes of Big Boss and Ocelot – it was the first showing of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

A great opportunity taken by the American company as Hideo Kojima’s universe had mainly become a Sony exclusive and one that has easily caught fans unaware. It was the main exclusive title from the Sony camp that everyone had always hoped would make the console transition.

The conference then directed itself towards the Xbox 360 fanbase with the announcement of two free monthly games, for Xbox Live Gold Member, that are downloadable following the Xbox One launch – the first of these sets is due to be Assassins Creed 2 and Halo . Still it’s not really the competition for the PlayStation Plus that I was expected. Still it’s a pleasant surprise for games and a good opportunity for people to get into the franchises before the new instalments are released.

Next up came an ‘XBLA’ version of World of Tanks which actually looked quite visually impressive and fast paced enough to be a strong pick-up-and-play title. The announcement game with it the information that the game would gold 15 vs. 15 combat – I played this title on PC a few years back at Eurogamer and while it was an early build of the original game it was still a lot of fun to play.

We then heard from Press Play who are producing another Xbox 360 exclusive in the form of ‘Max (something something) which I completely missed the full name off – my bad. It’s a side scrolling adventure game that has the same style animation as Pixar Films. It’s backdrops look nice and this also appeared to be an XBLA game although I didn’t hear an announcement.

Finally in the Xbox 360 section was a new gameplay trailer for Dark Souls II. Perhaps due to be the last great Xbox 360 game it still surprises me that this has been announced for the console generation leap. It still looks gritty and the monsters are very visually interesting. I just hope it’s as tough as the last one.

The conference then turned its attention to the Xbox One console and kicked things off with the new gameplay trailer of Ryse (now dubbed Ryse: Son of Rome). Interestingly, and as per general rumours, this game appears to have moved from the Kinect functionality previously shown and into a controller based affair. The gameplay appears to be fairly linear but with visceral combat like the Batman Arkham games. The only thing that did worry me was the heavy use of QTE’s which I’ve never really been a big fan of. It seemed, from the trailer, that every major enemy is killed with these events a bit like the Force Unleashed games which is always a bit of a shame. It also had the Kameo feel to it from the Xbox 360 E3 event as they showed off various sections with masses of enemies on screen at once.

Perhaps one of the shock reveals of the night was the next announcement of the Killer Instincts franchise reboot. The original game still has a massive hardcore community and people have been petitioning for a new instalment ever since the original. I must say visually it wasn’t massively impressive but it looked like a well put together beat-em-up. I loved Sabrewolf on the original and I can see myself plugging in several hours trying to perfect him again,

Another surprising addition to the developer crew came in the form of Insomniac. The team behind the loveable platform genre over at Sony, which included a favourite of mine in Ratchet and Clank, brought to the table Sunset Overdrive. Although we didn’t see any in-game footage the game appeared to mix the hilarity of Borderlands with the movement of Assassins Creed and the art style of Brink. It looked good as well even showing off a gun that fired Vinyl’s at the enemies – tongue in cheek fun I’d say – maybe a throwback to ‘Shawn of the Dead’ as the game features zombie style monsters.

The next game had already been announced at the Xbox Direct event a few weeks ago but gave Microsoft the opportunity to show us some more information for their new driving simulator, Forza 5– even going as far as putting a McLaren on stage. The main selling point appears to be the graphics which are pretty much photo realistic as well as the Driveatar feature (yes you did read that correctly). Driveater as it has been dubbed records the subtle play-style of you as a gamer, taking into account breaking times, bumping, and acceleration styles which it then uploads this onto the cloud. The cloud then makes an AI representation of you as a gamer and allows other players around the world to play against an AI car with your abilities as a player to increase the human feeling of the action. It’s an interesting concept and surely one that will catch on should it be a success.

Minecraft was then announced, by Phil ‘the turncoat’ Harrison, which will feature large maps for bigger multiplayer and better customisation. To be honest it looked no different but if you like the original XBLA version then this will only perfect the game you love.

We then go another CG trailer for Quantum Break. The trailer showed the protagonist pulled a girl from an explosion after stopping time. Effects wise it looked good but without some in-game action I’m never convinced. It looks like an interesting concept though and will certainly be plugged my Microsoft for months to come. The best feature appeared to be the clear and intelligent facial expressions – obviously this will be a heavily story driven game.

D4 was then released to rapturous applause as this is coming from the mind of Swery65 who brought us Deadly Premonition. The game looks like it could be using Kinect and has a Cel-shaded visual style. D4 is also set to follow the Telltale games structure of episodic instalments that follow a murder mystery,

New up came the Minecraft competitor in the form of Spark. It’s another game creator that has a quick to make, tough to master style to it. The game looked good visually and showed off action sequences involving multiple enemy types and also introduced us to our first look at how SmartGlass will impact gameplay. One player may assume the role of a character while the other manipulates the world around them – raising mountains or lava pits. It was an interesting example of opportunities for the console and genuinely got my excited about game creation again. I’m not sure if you can create RPG’s or just warfare titles but I’m sure we will hear more about this Xbox exclusive as the week goes on. Plus given the creative opportunity people have designed some amazing things in Minecraft so god only knows what they could do without square edges.

SmartGlass was also shown to monitor achievements and game progress tracking as well as video, screenshot uploads and game clip editing. Recording commentary over Kinect on DVR footage seemed to work well. Perhaps the best bit about this is Microsoft have signed Twitch.tv up as an application provider which can record directly from your Xbox for streaming worldwide. My only concern is how any 3^rd party players can keep up with them now.

 

 

My favourite announcement of the night (except the second to last game shown) was the face the Microsoft have done away with their online point purchasing system. On Xbox One everything will have a real world monetary value and that’s what you’ll pay.  No longer will I need to but 800 points for a 240 point upgrade.

We then go a quick trailer of Prince & Dragon which is a fantasy flight game. There was no sound but the visuals were ok – if it is an XBLA game.

Next up came the gritty looking, and thoroughly unexpected Dead Rising 3. Set with a new protagonist the game appeared to be much more open world than either of the previous instalments. Car, makeshift weapons and over the top opportunities as still in play but the game did appear to be much more grounded. Visually it was good with strong depth perception and draw distances and with 300 plus zombies shown on screen at once the game did very well not to get jerky. It was all real in-game footage too. It also features SmartGlass integration as an artillery strike was shown using the application.

We also got a good glimpse at the recently announced Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Set to be the first bit fantasy RPG to hit next generation system this game was both gorgeous and followed the same pattern as previous games in the franchise. Lots of blood, nudity and swearing – it’s about the closest thing you’ll come to a good Game of Thrones video game. It was enormously atmospheric and probably topped Dead Rising 3 for best graphics until….

Battlefield 4 took to the stage. Firstly, well done to Patrick Soderlund who had to keep the audience’s attention for 4 minutes while the footage would not run. The game itself looks as gorgeous as can be expected with massive set pieces and large explosions. It had a strong Call of Duty action presence to it than previous iterations but the set pieces were far larger in size and the background warzones gave an immersive deliver. The gameplay footage was set aboard as battleship that was carrying planes. The environment was easier to manipulate and the sea was especially well done. I always find that I need water to feel like it should and act as it should and this was probably one of the best examples I had ever seen – boats chopped the current while waves crashed against everything.

Xbox One will also get timed exclusivity to the Battlefield 4 Map Packs – and due to the excitement I completely missed what Black Dusk Studios were up to.

Next on the agenda was a game I had anticipated for E3 ever since the new hardware systems were confirmed. Halo 5 is coming to Xbox One in 2014. Ok so it won’t be a day one release game but it looked ok, from a CG perspective at least and the cloaked version of Master Chief was pretty cool. I’ll be marking out for this until it’s released. No combat was shown and it was very much as the same as early teasers go. Obviously it’s exclusive too.

Microsoft then made a big deal about pricing and release, which I also expected on my E3 predictions article. I appear to be £29.00 off on the UK prices though. Major Nelson confirmed that the console will be available in 21 countries from November for £429, 499 Euros and $499 respectively.

The final game/section of the conference showed us a new IP called Titanfall which was an FPS in the same vain as Halo. It was quite visually impressive and appeared to be a mainly online combat game with mech style combat options and dropship packages used to affect the gameplay. Balancing appeared strong and even an infantry solider can take down a mech suited enemy. It was quite fast paced but seems to have the opportunity to follow the large scale warfare of the Battlefield series. It’ll be very interesting to see how this one pans out.

Anyway that’s my rundown of the Xbox Conference @ E3 2013. Let me know your feeling in the comments section below, especially if you can fill in the gaps.