E3. Oh yes.

[Zorch]

Good God. The gaming goodness.

[Zorch]

Good God. The gaming goodness.

[Ganonator]

Amen. Glad I was able to kick it.

Pictures coming soon ;)

[Ganonator]

Amen. Glad I was able to kick it.

Pictures coming soon ;)

[Rainman]

Oh my. I'm blown away by the detail of your posts.

[Rainman]

Oh my. I'm blown away by the detail of your posts.

[Cloral]

I had to work today, but I'm going tomorrow and Friday. I'll give more details than those 2, I can guarantee that.

[Cloral]

I had to work today, but I'm going tomorrow and Friday. I'll give more details than those 2, I can guarantee that.

[*b*]

Ganonator...

hm...



damn I wish I was there right now. well, when it's open, that is. I'd be glued to the FE and Zelda demos all day... hope you got lots of pics from FE and the revolution

though, is there any word on a new SSB coming out? there seems to be hints everywhere about a new SSB game...

[*b*]

Ganonator...

hm...



damn I wish I was there right now. well, when it's open, that is. I'd be glued to the FE and Zelda demos all day... hope you got lots of pics from FE and the revolution

though, is there any word on a new SSB coming out? there seems to be hints everywhere about a new SSB game...

[Lilith]

I want to go :(

[Lilith]

I want to go :(

[Cloral]

I'm back from my first day of e3. I took pictures but they were with a normal camera so there won't be any pictures to upload for a few days.

E3 is truely a spectacle. The crowds are huge and the noise is very loud. If I could change one thing it would be to turn the sound down so I could talk to the guy next to me without shouting. Wandering around seeing things and collecting 'swag' is lots of fun.

Unfortunately, of the new consoles, only the 360 was playable anywhere. So just about everything you could see that wasn't concept footage was for the current generation. This was a huge disappointment, but there was still plenty to see. Namco had some good things to play, like Soul Calibur 3 and We <3 Katamari. Both were a blast. Also at Namco was a stage where at one point they had several actors dressed up like Soul Calibur characters doing weapons demonstrations and a mock fight. I was also happy to see that they are working on another "Tales of" title, although all they had to show was an animated sequence like is seen at the start of Tales of Symphonia.

SNK had a good size arcade demonstration, including Metal Slug 5. I almost played through the whole thing with a coworker (unlimited continues), but had to stop on the last boss since we had to register at the 2K Games booth at 11am so they could ensure we didn't just use it as a day off.

Our booth (2K Games) was the biggest surprise to me. I knew we had picked up several other sports titles like World Series Poker and Top Spin, but there are a bunch of non-sports titles now under 2K Games such as 24, Serious Sam 2, Prey, and Civilization 4. BTW, for those of you who are going, you need to see the 'public service announcement' for Civ4 they show at the top of each hour. That thing is quite funny. They were also having a poker tournament at our booth, and 2 of the guys from Kush made it into the final table, although neither won.

Capcom had a game called Devil Kings that was just a dummed down version of Devil May Cry. When my friend and I first walked past their booth, they had a countdown to showing Devil May Cry 4 on a screen. We decided to stop and see it, and while we were waiting my friend asked why they didn't just show it continuously if it was just on the screen. I said it was probably because it was nothing special and by having a countdown they were hoping to get people to stop and watch it. Boy was I right. It was about a 20 second clip that hardly showed anything. The crowd even booed as they dispersed.

I didn't see Zelda today because the line was about 2 hours long by the time I got to that end of the floor. I'm going to go there first thing tomorrow before the line gets that long.

I also saw 'Gabe' and 'Tycho' at the Ubisoft booth today, but I didn't go in the line to meet them. I'm going to take my 'Jesus is F'ing Metal' shirt with me tomorrow and get Mike to sign it.

While we were wandering around today, a woman stopped us and asked to interview us. She was just with e3, not some external media outlet. She just asked us who we were with and what we had seen that was interesting, so I talked about the Bond demo where I got to strap on a jetpack and fight a helicopter with a rocket launcher. The game really wasn't that great, but that part was cool.

Well, I think that's enough for today. I was taking the whole thing in more than looking in depth at most of the displays, so I'll be doing more of that tomorrow. I'll let you all know if I see anything else cool. And I should have pictures sometime early next week.

[Cloral]

I'm back from my first day of e3. I took pictures but they were with a normal camera so there won't be any pictures to upload for a few days.

E3 is truely a spectacle. The crowds are huge and the noise is very loud. If I could change one thing it would be to turn the sound down so I could talk to the guy next to me without shouting. Wandering around seeing things and collecting 'swag' is lots of fun.

Unfortunately, of the new consoles, only the 360 was playable anywhere. So just about everything you could see that wasn't concept footage was for the current generation. This was a huge disappointment, but there was still plenty to see. Namco had some good things to play, like Soul Calibur 3 and We <3 Katamari. Both were a blast. Also at Namco was a stage where at one point they had several actors dressed up like Soul Calibur characters doing weapons demonstrations and a mock fight. I was also happy to see that they are working on another "Tales of" title, although all they had to show was an animated sequence like is seen at the start of Tales of Symphonia.

SNK had a good size arcade demonstration, including Metal Slug 5. I almost played through the whole thing with a coworker (unlimited continues), but had to stop on the last boss since we had to register at the 2K Games booth at 11am so they could ensure we didn't just use it as a day off.

Our booth (2K Games) was the biggest surprise to me. I knew we had picked up several other sports titles like World Series Poker and Top Spin, but there are a bunch of non-sports titles now under 2K Games such as 24, Serious Sam 2, Prey, and Civilization 4. BTW, for those of you who are going, you need to see the 'public service announcement' for Civ4 they show at the top of each hour. That thing is quite funny. They were also having a poker tournament at our booth, and 2 of the guys from Kush made it into the final table, although neither won.

Capcom had a game called Devil Kings that was just a dummed down version of Devil May Cry. When my friend and I first walked past their booth, they had a countdown to showing Devil May Cry 4 on a screen. We decided to stop and see it, and while we were waiting my friend asked why they didn't just show it continuously if it was just on the screen. I said it was probably because it was nothing special and by having a countdown they were hoping to get people to stop and watch it. Boy was I right. It was about a 20 second clip that hardly showed anything. The crowd even booed as they dispersed.

I didn't see Zelda today because the line was about 2 hours long by the time I got to that end of the floor. I'm going to go there first thing tomorrow before the line gets that long.

I also saw 'Gabe' and 'Tycho' at the Ubisoft booth today, but I didn't go in the line to meet them. I'm going to take my 'Jesus is F'ing Metal' shirt with me tomorrow and get Mike to sign it.

While we were wandering around today, a woman stopped us and asked to interview us. She was just with e3, not some external media outlet. She just asked us who we were with and what we had seen that was interesting, so I talked about the Bond demo where I got to strap on a jetpack and fight a helicopter with a rocket launcher. The game really wasn't that great, but that part was cool.

Well, I think that's enough for today. I was taking the whole thing in more than looking in depth at most of the displays, so I'll be doing more of that tomorrow. I'll let you all know if I see anything else cool. And I should have pictures sometime early next week.

[Ganonator]

Ok, still no pictures, as I don't have a way to get them on the internet in the e3 'net lounge. I'll give you some inside though on the new stuff.

Playstation 3

After sifting through some advertisements, it seemed like quite a thing to behold. About 12 developers are creating CG-esque real time games with life-like physics. It's only about 20% in developement, and to be released in 2006, so we will see this in depth at e3 next year. Of the real-time rendered games I've seen, there was nothing I was dissapointed at, however, I was that Sony decided to show this off instead of some important title being worked on.

Xbox 360

As developers are getting Alpha kits for the 360, the games were looking great with games at 30% processing power. After sitting through a VIP showing of The Godfather, the graphics looked great. They can do every lighting trick, gluQuadric, shadowing, and physics right on the hardware, so the games run faster and cleaner. One game I watched being played had rendered over a thousand enemies running different AI loops at the same time, in real time. Need for Speed on the 360 absolutely blew me away, as this street racing game looked as close to real as I've ever imagined.

Nintendo DS lineup

the New SMB was my personal favorite new DS game, representing full 3-d graphics in a sidescrolling world. Imagine the side-scrolling part of SSBM only on the DS. good times. I also battled Charles "It's a me-a, Mario!" Martinet via DS wireless internet link with Mario Kart DS. You can play anybody anywhere in the country on the server, although I'm not sure how it works in-lobby. Most of the other DS games looked very promising, with Nintendogs, and Animal Crossing DS holding the next spots.

Gamecube Lineup

I received today's Show Daily, sighting Zelda: Twilight Princess as the game of show. I will say, hands down, it was the best experience I've felt playing a gamecube game, even for the short time I did. The graphics are incredibly well done, the swordplay is complete, and the 10-minute horseriding demo I played allows players to use the sword on the horse. Score!
Other games of mension were my last year's surprise pick "Odama", a cross between Civilization and Pinball. Mario Party 7 looked like it revived the series after a sad showing of MP6. Nintendo baseball was a clean sports title, and the back end was Mario Soccer, a game more in the realm of Mario's shells and fireballs than that of soccer.

On windows, Age of Empires 3 is my choice. Not only does it make the world and all it's glory come to life, it does it with clean lines, slick visuals, and solid gameplay. I'm even wearing their shirt now ;). Other titles are the Half Life 2 expansion pack, which takes lighting to the next level on PC.

I know everybody wants me to get media from the show, and I'll show you what I can. This year was more business for me than pleasure, as I was making connections at Microsoft and Atari most of the day yesterday.

On a final note, my favorite moment of this show is Square's presentation of Advent Children, Final Fantasy 12, and Kingdom Hearts 2. And for you dire PS2 fans: Owned. Final Fantasy 12 is going to be an exclusive launch title for Xbox 360.

Want media? Look it up on Gamespot, IGN, or wait for the game to come out. I'll be back in a day!

[Ganonator]

Ok, still no pictures, as I don't have a way to get them on the internet in the e3 'net lounge. I'll give you some inside though on the new stuff.

Playstation 3

After sifting through some advertisements, it seemed like quite a thing to behold. About 12 developers are creating CG-esque real time games with life-like physics. It's only about 20% in developement, and to be released in 2006, so we will see this in depth at e3 next year. Of the real-time rendered games I've seen, there was nothing I was dissapointed at, however, I was that Sony decided to show this off instead of some important title being worked on.

Xbox 360

As developers are getting Alpha kits for the 360, the games were looking great with games at 30% processing power. After sitting through a VIP showing of The Godfather, the graphics looked great. They can do every lighting trick, gluQuadric, shadowing, and physics right on the hardware, so the games run faster and cleaner. One game I watched being played had rendered over a thousand enemies running different AI loops at the same time, in real time. Need for Speed on the 360 absolutely blew me away, as this street racing game looked as close to real as I've ever imagined.

Nintendo DS lineup

the New SMB was my personal favorite new DS game, representing full 3-d graphics in a sidescrolling world. Imagine the side-scrolling part of SSBM only on the DS. good times. I also battled Charles "It's a me-a, Mario!" Martinet via DS wireless internet link with Mario Kart DS. You can play anybody anywhere in the country on the server, although I'm not sure how it works in-lobby. Most of the other DS games looked very promising, with Nintendogs, and Animal Crossing DS holding the next spots.

Gamecube Lineup

I received today's Show Daily, sighting Zelda: Twilight Princess as the game of show. I will say, hands down, it was the best experience I've felt playing a gamecube game, even for the short time I did. The graphics are incredibly well done, the swordplay is complete, and the 10-minute horseriding demo I played allows players to use the sword on the horse. Score!
Other games of mension were my last year's surprise pick "Odama", a cross between Civilization and Pinball. Mario Party 7 looked like it revived the series after a sad showing of MP6. Nintendo baseball was a clean sports title, and the back end was Mario Soccer, a game more in the realm of Mario's shells and fireballs than that of soccer.

On windows, Age of Empires 3 is my choice. Not only does it make the world and all it's glory come to life, it does it with clean lines, slick visuals, and solid gameplay. I'm even wearing their shirt now ;). Other titles are the Half Life 2 expansion pack, which takes lighting to the next level on PC.

I know everybody wants me to get media from the show, and I'll show you what I can. This year was more business for me than pleasure, as I was making connections at Microsoft and Atari most of the day yesterday.

On a final note, my favorite moment of this show is Square's presentation of Advent Children, Final Fantasy 12, and Kingdom Hearts 2. And for you dire PS2 fans: Owned. Final Fantasy 12 is going to be an exclusive launch title for Xbox 360.

Want media? Look it up on Gamespot, IGN, or wait for the game to come out. I'll be back in a day!

[Blonde799]

Microsoft getting 2 FF titles? Hell is surely freezing over.:p

[Blonde799]

Microsoft getting 2 FF titles? Hell is surely freezing over.:p

[Cloral]

Hey Ganonator, what is your position that you are spending your time networking like that? It sounds like you had a very different e3 experience from me. I spent most of my time on the floor trying out the various demos rather than looking at shows and presentations. I'd rather see and play an actual game than watch concept footage.
Sadly, I ended up not playing Zelda because the line was about 3 hours long by the time I got there at 9:15 and just got longer throughout the day. It wouldn't've been worth it to sit through that line since I'm going to get it anyway. A couple of my coworkers did play it because they managed to sneak in at 8:50 and get in the line before the wave of people showed up. They said they were standing there and just saw a wall of people running towards them, and just like that the line was over an hour.

As for FF12, I'm glad its going to be on the 360 instead of the PS2. That means it will look that much better.

On an odd note, I was interviewed again today. This time was by some Chinese guy for a tv show back home. I wouldn't exactly consider myself charismatic, so this sort of attention is very strange for me.

[Cloral]

Hey Ganonator, what is your position that you are spending your time networking like that? It sounds like you had a very different e3 experience from me. I spent most of my time on the floor trying out the various demos rather than looking at shows and presentations. I'd rather see and play an actual game than watch concept footage.
Sadly, I ended up not playing Zelda because the line was about 3 hours long by the time I got there at 9:15 and just got longer throughout the day. It wouldn't've been worth it to sit through that line since I'm going to get it anyway. A couple of my coworkers did play it because they managed to sneak in at 8:50 and get in the line before the wave of people showed up. They said they were standing there and just saw a wall of people running towards them, and just like that the line was over an hour.

As for FF12, I'm glad its going to be on the 360 instead of the PS2. That means it will look that much better.

On an odd note, I was interviewed again today. This time was by some Chinese guy for a tv show back home. I wouldn't exactly consider myself charismatic, so this sort of attention is very strange for me.

[Ganonator]

Hey Ganonator, what is your position that you are spending your time networking like that?I'm a developer and a student, looking for a job. I'm starting a company outreach program in with Digipen's Student Association, and I'm trying to get some people to help me out on this venture.

Also, I have good friends in the business that know people, and I want to exploit it as much as possible.

I did check out MLB 2K5, and it rocked. Sorry I missed you

[Ganonator]

Hey Ganonator, what is your position that you are spending your time networking like that?I'm a developer and a student, looking for a job. I'm starting a company outreach program in with Digipen's Student Association, and I'm trying to get some people to help me out on this venture.

Also, I have good friends in the business that know people, and I want to exploit it as much as possible.

I did check out MLB 2K5, and it rocked. Sorry I missed you

[vegeta1215]

On a final note, my favorite moment of this show is Square's presentation of Advent Children, Final Fantasy 12, and Kingdom Hearts 2. And for you dire PS2 fans: Owned. Final Fantasy 12 is going to be an exclusive launch title for Xbox 360.

Want media? Look it up on Gamespot, IGN, or wait for the game to come out. I'll be back in a day!

I've looked, and I can't find anything saying Final Fantasy XII is going to be on the X-Box 360, in fact most places I've checked confirm FFXII for the PS2. The only thing I could find was that Final Fantasy XI (the online one which is already out for the PS2 and the PC) will be available for X-Box 360. If you guys can link me some stuff, that'd be great.

[vegeta1215]

On a final note, my favorite moment of this show is Square's presentation of Advent Children, Final Fantasy 12, and Kingdom Hearts 2. And for you dire PS2 fans: Owned. Final Fantasy 12 is going to be an exclusive launch title for Xbox 360.

Want media? Look it up on Gamespot, IGN, or wait for the game to come out. I'll be back in a day!

I've looked, and I can't find anything saying Final Fantasy XII is going to be on the X-Box 360, in fact most places I've checked confirm FFXII for the PS2. The only thing I could find was that Final Fantasy XI (the online one which is already out for the PS2 and the PC) will be available for X-Box 360. If you guys can link me some stuff, that'd be great.

[Ganonator]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3140609



Bam!
However, Yon Nuta, Marketting director for corporate relations at Xbox, says he's met with Square and has confirmed it being a title launch. Just learn to accept it.

[Ganonator]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3140609



Bam!
However, Yon Nuta, Marketting director for corporate relations at Xbox, says he's met with Square and has confirmed it being a title launch. Just learn to accept it.

[vegeta1215]

Um... yeah. That doesn't tell me anything new, it just says what I stated above, namely that FFXI was coming to the X-Box 360. I still haven't seen anything about FFXII. Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm not a fan of Square anymore.

[vegeta1215]

Um... yeah. That doesn't tell me anything new, it just says what I stated above, namely that FFXI was coming to the X-Box 360. I still haven't seen anything about FFXII. Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm not a fan of Square anymore.

[punkonjunk1024]

OK, some douche at my school is claiming that he saw some E3 coverage claiming that "the GBA will be rereleased in an even SMALLER FORM!" Any info on this? I want to kill him it's so stupid, I can't see why nintento would make such an idiotic marketing decision.

[punkonjunk1024]

OK, some douche at my school is claiming that he saw some E3 coverage claiming that "the GBA will be rereleased in an even SMALLER FORM!" Any info on this? I want to kill him it's so stupid, I can't see why nintento would make such an idiotic marketing decision.

[VEL]

OK, some douche at my school is claiming that he saw some E3 coverage claiming that "the GBA will be rereleased in an even SMALLER FORM!" Any info on this? I want to kill him it's so stupid, I can't see why nintento would make such an idiotic marketing decision.

http://www.nintendojo.com/ This site has some info on that and also has some pics.

[VEL]

OK, some douche at my school is claiming that he saw some E3 coverage claiming that "the GBA will be rereleased in an even SMALLER FORM!" Any info on this? I want to kill him it's so stupid, I can't see why nintento would make such an idiotic marketing decision.

http://www.nintendojo.com/ This site has some info on that and also has some pics.

[Blonde799]

3 words:game boy micro. I've seen it, it's so fucking small! :odd: It's something that you can fit on a chain.

And that lack of backwards compatibility for the 360 marks it off on my list.

[Blonde799]

3 words:game boy micro. I've seen it, it's so fucking small! :odd: It's something that you can fit on a chain.

And that lack of backwards compatibility for the 360 marks it off on my list.

[Kairyu]

They have stated that it'll have full backwards compatability (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/05/20/news_6126204.html) .


Microsoft carefully parsed its words about the Xbox 360's backward compatibility by saying it will be "backward-compatible with top-selling Xbox games." So when Gamesindustry.biz published an article revealing the console's radically different hardware couldn't support current-gen Xbox games, accusation perfidy in Redmond began to fly. "The solution Microsoft has reached is apparently to recompile current-gen Xbox games so that they can be played on the 360," says G'biz. "First on the list, it says, are the best-selling Halo titles." However, Xbox owners were the only ones freaking out. The usually recalcitrant Microsoft bypassed its external public relations company, telling GameSpot directly that, "Our goal is to have every Xbox game work on Xbox 360. You will NOT need to purchase a new 'version.' Your original games will work on Xbox 360."

[Kairyu]

They have stated that it'll have full backwards compatability (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/05/20/news_6126204.html) .


Microsoft carefully parsed its words about the Xbox 360's backward compatibility by saying it will be "backward-compatible with top-selling Xbox games." So when Gamesindustry.biz published an article revealing the console's radically different hardware couldn't support current-gen Xbox games, accusation perfidy in Redmond began to fly. "The solution Microsoft has reached is apparently to recompile current-gen Xbox games so that they can be played on the 360," says G'biz. "First on the list, it says, are the best-selling Halo titles." However, Xbox owners were the only ones freaking out. The usually recalcitrant Microsoft bypassed its external public relations company, telling GameSpot directly that, "Our goal is to have every Xbox game work on Xbox 360. You will NOT need to purchase a new 'version.' Your original games will work on Xbox 360."

[Blonde799]

Well, what I meant was, the article stated that select Xbox games were the goal of being replayable on the 360. That other one says that the goal is for every old Xbox game to work on the 360, although that raises some worriness in me.

[Blonde799]

Well, what I meant was, the article stated that select Xbox games were the goal of being replayable on the 360. That other one says that the goal is for every old Xbox game to work on the 360, although that raises some worriness in me.

[Cloral]

The Gameboy micro is about as long as your thumb. The screen is tiny on it. It seemed to me more like a tech demo than anything you would actually want to buy. Although, it is so small you could keep it on your keychain, which could be a plus. Either way I wouldn't get one since the games are the same as the normal GBA.

I forgot to mention this before, but the 360's controller felt about as perfect as any controller I've ever held. They took the S controller and made several key adjustments to it. As you probably know, the white and black buttons are now on top of the controller. They are now called the left bumper and right bumper, and are in roughly the same location as the GCN's Z button. However, they are a little further back and a good bit wider, making them a lot easier to press than the Z button. They also moved the L and R triggers towards the top of the controller, making them a lot easier to press now. Select and start have moved back to the center of the controller, but with the smaller size they are a lot easier to press than they were on the original xbox controller. And of course the controllers at e3 were wired, but the fact that they were connected to the actual 360 hardware and not some beta system gives me confidence that wired controllers will be available in one form or another.

[Cloral]

The Gameboy micro is about as long as your thumb. The screen is tiny on it. It seemed to me more like a tech demo than anything you would actually want to buy. Although, it is so small you could keep it on your keychain, which could be a plus. Either way I wouldn't get one since the games are the same as the normal GBA.

I forgot to mention this before, but the 360's controller felt about as perfect as any controller I've ever held. They took the S controller and made several key adjustments to it. As you probably know, the white and black buttons are now on top of the controller. They are now called the left bumper and right bumper, and are in roughly the same location as the GCN's Z button. However, they are a little further back and a good bit wider, making them a lot easier to press than the Z button. They also moved the L and R triggers towards the top of the controller, making them a lot easier to press now. Select and start have moved back to the center of the controller, but with the smaller size they are a lot easier to press than they were on the original xbox controller. And of course the controllers at e3 were wired, but the fact that they were connected to the actual 360 hardware and not some beta system gives me confidence that wired controllers will be available in one form or another.

[Samson007]

Cant wait for the pics from E3 guys. such sweetness in the new games.

[Samson007]

Cant wait for the pics from E3 guys. such sweetness in the new games.

[punkonjunk1024]

Hm... admitting he's right is not fun, but it sounds interesting... but after GBA loses even demi-spotilight for its gamecube connectivity (revolution comes out) it will be nearly obsolete... Re-releasing it doesn't strike me as any kind of good idea. Unless its very, very cheap (>100$) I won't even consider it as a cute novelty. And better colors. I don't like silver... at all. How about red? Or some real normal colors, instead of black and wierd shiny colors? And purple... /rant
Anyhow, it does look like an interesting idea, something so discrete would be great for say... work and school. It looks neat. If anyone has more info than what was posted, links would be awesome. I <3 handhelds.

[punkonjunk1024]

Hm... admitting he's right is not fun, but it sounds interesting... but after GBA loses even demi-spotilight for its gamecube connectivity (revolution comes out) it will be nearly obsolete... Re-releasing it doesn't strike me as any kind of good idea. Unless its very, very cheap (>100$) I won't even consider it as a cute novelty. And better colors. I don't like silver... at all. How about red? Or some real normal colors, instead of black and wierd shiny colors? And purple... /rant
Anyhow, it does look like an interesting idea, something so discrete would be great for say... work and school. It looks neat. If anyone has more info than what was posted, links would be awesome. I <3 handhelds.

[vegeta1215]

I'm sure the GBA micro will be around $100. I think it would be less if they didn't have to pack so much technology into such a small space.

Nintendo has already stated the GBA Micro will have a detachable face plate so you can buy different ones (each with different colors and artwork I'm sure) to customize it. I think it's a cool idea and that it might catch on because of that, esp with the younger crowd, which is who they're aiming this device for according to Reggie.

[vegeta1215]

I'm sure the GBA micro will be around $100. I think it would be less if they didn't have to pack so much technology into such a small space.

Nintendo has already stated the GBA Micro will have a detachable face plate so you can buy different ones (each with different colors and artwork I'm sure) to customize it. I think it's a cool idea and that it might catch on because of that, esp with the younger crowd, which is who they're aiming this device for according to Reggie.

[punkonjunk1024]

Hmmm.. Interesting, but I don't know why an interchangable face plate would be more appealing. Although, an interchangable faceplate means... third party awesome customs, and creating your own... I've never done anything to a handheld besides a few stickers because it makes it unsellable. But a faceplate means SPRAY PAINT. That could actually be pretty cool. I guess we'll see, but something awesome like trading in your SP and get it for 50 or 30 or something would make me creme my jeans for it. It's damn sexy, for sure, I just don't know if I want to own a GBA, GBA SP, GBA player, a DS, and a GBAM. :shrug: A trade-in would be awesome.

[punkonjunk1024]

Hmmm.. Interesting, but I don't know why an interchangable face plate would be more appealing. Although, an interchangable faceplate means... third party awesome customs, and creating your own... I've never done anything to a handheld besides a few stickers because it makes it unsellable. But a faceplate means SPRAY PAINT. That could actually be pretty cool. I guess we'll see, but something awesome like trading in your SP and get it for 50 or 30 or something would make me creme my jeans for it. It's damn sexy, for sure, I just don't know if I want to own a GBA, GBA SP, GBA player, a DS, and a GBAM. :shrug: A trade-in would be awesome.

[vegeta1215]

Hmmm.. Interesting, but I don't know why an interchangable face plate would be more appealing.

If you think about it, they're just like the multi-colored cell-phone shells/frames people buy. It's a cool idea, but I don't think that the face plates alone would sell the system.

The unit is about as big as a cell phone (if not smaller), and I think if people play games on their cell phone screen, they will play them on this: The GBA SP is small, but it's hard to fit in my pocket cause I'm also always carrying my wallet, keys, and case for my glasses. The Micro is even smaller.

[vegeta1215]

Hmmm.. Interesting, but I don't know why an interchangable face plate would be more appealing.

If you think about it, they're just like the multi-colored cell-phone shells/frames people buy. It's a cool idea, but I don't think that the face plates alone would sell the system.

The unit is about as big as a cell phone (if not smaller), and I think if people play games on their cell phone screen, they will play them on this: The GBA SP is small, but it's hard to fit in my pocket cause I'm also always carrying my wallet, keys, and case for my glasses. The Micro is even smaller.

[Cloral]

The micro is actually quite a bit smaller than a cell phone, or at least my cell phone. And yes, it can be hard to see details on the screen as they're so small. My other concern was the small size of the buttons; your thumb could easily fit over both the a and b buttons, so it would be easy to press both by mistake.

[Cloral]

The micro is actually quite a bit smaller than a cell phone, or at least my cell phone. And yes, it can be hard to see details on the screen as they're so small. My other concern was the small size of the buttons; your thumb could easily fit over both the a and b buttons, so it would be easy to press both by mistake.

[Zorch]

I have seen the future of games. And it is good. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all released details on their next wave of console systems. Backwards compatibility and wireless capability seem to be the two big features in common with them all - besides of course being smaller construction with bigger/faster processors. The PS3 seemed to stand out above the crowd the most - the games looked the best both from a gameplay and graphical standpoint. However it seems that Sony is favoring it over the new PSP - sorry Sony fans (I hear they are releasing a patch for the PSP that will disallow 3rd party software on the memory stick *bla*). I found out later that the Xbox 360 is actually using a MAC processor! What's up with that? Isn't that like putting a porsha engine in a ford? Very little was said about the Nintendo Revolution. The only real hint of it was a prototype model that is apparently going to be even smaller than all the other systems - I did hear they are going to have a special online service with it where you can download EVERY Nintendo game ever made. And I do mean every one. Duck hunt anyone? Nintendo did also show off its new gameboy mini - its a little bigger than one third the size of an I-pod. I would say its about the size of the average cellphone.

Now, on to the games (the big part for me)! Probably the most exciting ones were Alan Wake (a gorgeous looking survival/horror type game, but very psychological), Quake 4 (Quake 2 using the Doom 3 engine), and Shadows of the Colossus (a PS2 game with no minor enemies - just 18 HUGE boss creatures. And I do mean huge - you have to climb all over them). Valve was there showing off some special High Range Dynamic Lighting techniques for the HalfLife 2 engine - this basically makes the game look even better than it did before. Tim Schafer (creator of Day of the Tentacle as well as many other LucasArts classics) was there showing off his new Psychonauts game - it looks realy fun and it has his twisted sense of humor mixed into it. Also saw a gamed called Stubbs the Zombie that might be fun. Oh! And a new Katamari Damaci game. I wish they would make that for the PC!!

I saw tons of other little things too... Tylenol had a booth where they were giving massages and "ouch" kits - full of Tylenol goodness (8hr capsules, earplugs, an icepack, breathmints in a cool little zipper case. sweet!). I also had a "Gauntlet dog". This is basically a hotdog wrapped in bacon. Mmmmmmm greasy goodness lol These belly bombers were being pushed buy... lets call them "self-starter go-getters" - pretty much a bunch of people pushing around really unsafe cooking apparatus around the side walk who kept being chased around by a fleet of bicycle police. Free entertainment ;)

Anyway, that is all the major stuff. I'll post pictures (and maybe video) on my textamreica site soon. www.tripline.textamerica.com