A year ago, I wrote a reactionary post about Microsoft's E3 Press Conference introducing Project Natal, and how the disabilities I was burdened with from birth would make enjoying it an impossibility. I felt like that article could use a little follow up. This year, the conference was once again all about Microsoft's new 3D wonder camera, now named Microsoft Kinect. I feel a little better then I did last year about it, as the games shown look like either Wii ripoffs or the kind of drek that entertains you at Innoventions at Epcot. It was prefaced with a great trailer for both Gears 3 and Halo Reach, which I'm sure will be spinning in my 360s for years to come.
But man, does Microsoft want you to love Kinect don't they? Several of the speakers talked of controllers being outdated and over 50% of the show was dedicated to people flailing around in front of their TVs. Also a really creepy demo with a kid playing with animals, which I'm sure will go over with the under 3 set. But seriously, compare this year's conference to last years.
LAST YEAR
Game announcements
Halo Reach
Tony Hawk Ride
Final Fantasy
Shadow Complex
Joy Ride (Never came out, now a Kinect Title)
Crackdown 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Forza 3
Halo Reach
Metal Gear Rising
Game previews
Beatles Rock Band
Modern Warfare 2
Splinter Cell Conviction
Halo ODST
Alan Wake
Other Annoucements
Last.FM
Facebook
Twitter
Netflix Update
SKY for UK
Natal
THIS YEAR
Game Announcements
Codename Kingdoms
Kinect games (Kinect Sports, Kinectamals, Star Wars Kinect, etc.)
Game Previews
Halo Reach
Fable 3
Gears 3
Metal Gear Rising
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Other announcements
Xbox 360 Slim
ESPN
Even if I listed out the Kinect games, this year pales in comparison to last year unless you're excited about exercising or running around your living room. As someone who has a nerve disease that limits my physical activity, I'm worried that Xbox is putting all it's eggs in one basket. Like what happened when Pixar made those great movies. Disney, Dreamworks, Fox, everybody made 3D movies all of a sudden and most of them failed. Yet Pixar is still standing. In this humble gamers opinion, Wii is Pixar, and Xbox will be back to selling us core games next year. Cause that is what Xbox does best.
O and WTF is with no Hulu Microsoft? Serriously...
-If you need me, I'll be on the couch, playing games WITH a controller.
Pudge
