E3: My Take on Sony’s Press Conference
Did I save the best for last? Hardly. Let’s do this snooze-fest real quick. 80gb PS3 for $399 in September. What is that, their tenth SKU now? I’ve lost count. It’s nice that the price continues dropping but PlayStation 3 is still the most expensive console, still without enough killer apps and a long ways from mass market appeal.
The firmware updates have added a lot and the new video service and PlayStation-Network-on-PC really expand their presence but their biggest community offering, PlayStation Home, is beginning to lose its power over me. I do enjoy virtual interior design and all the branded game spaces they showed off (bonus for Uncharted 2D platformer), but I think Microsoft may have one-upped them with their simpler, integrated Avatars.
Home has been delayed so many times now it’s starting to feel old hat and there are still a million questions. How well can it be integrated into the PS3’s interface? Can it really replace the XMB? Will I ever wait long enough for it to boot up just to check my in-game PSP to see if there’s a new demo? I’m tired of all these questions, they just need to get the Beta up and running and get this virtual show on the road and patch it up later. They can even tell people that they’re really listening to their input. Let’s jump from the PS3’s biggest non-game to the actual games.
God of War 3 = snooze. Resistance 2 = booooooRing. Killzone 2 = meh. Ratchet & Clank = Zzzzz. Motorstorm: Pacific Rift = total apprehension. About the only game I really care about is LittleBigPlanet that looks more enthralling and exciting every time I see it. The way they used it to present their boring financial data was brilliant. If LBP can turn PowerPoint slideshows into a fun platformer, imagine what we’ll be able to make out of it! MAG sounds promising but as someone mentioned I’m wincing thinking about 256 whiny, homoerotic boys spouting off all at once. InFamous is lookin’ better than ever and Buzz! Quiz TV should be lots of multiplayer fun. Unfortunately, Afrika remains tucked away in its prairie dog burrow somewhere on the plains of the Serengeti.
The PlayStation Network fared much better. PixelJunk Eden will be released on July 31st to my mellow satisfaction. Fl0wer looks downright breathtaking and — dare I say — moving in its gorgeous simplicity. That said, I still have no clue how much of a game it’ll be. That horrid Rat Race episodic office “comedy” game got canned. Fat Princess sounds fun and looks like a colorful mix of strategy, action and… Tower Defense? Crash Commando looks like PSN’s answer to the Xbox 360’s Undertow; take that as you will. Ragdoll Kung-Fu: Fists of Plastic will hopefully replace the horrendous control of the original with Smash Bros.-esque party fighting.
And then there’s the sad little PSP. While everyone gets all excited over Resistence: Retribution and Super Stardust Portable (both of which do next to nothing for me) I’m looking forward to LoccoRocco 2, No Gravity, Buzz! Master Quiz, and of course, Yumi’s Odd Odyssey. I’m also always excited about new firmware updates as the PSP’s tend to be pretty major… except for that one that just added the Google search. Oh, and I’m still bummed that rhythm-strategy-action game Patapon and it’s newly-announced sequel really turned me off. By all rights I should love it, but I just… don’t.
Overall it was a pretty meager showing from Sony. There was plenty of horn-tooting from the head honchos but I was definitely not marching to their tune. LittleBigPlanet, some PlayStation Network games, and a very select few PSP titles are all that are keeping my Sony flag limply flapping in the stiff breeze.
