Microsoft E3 2007 press conference in Santa Monica, California
What is it?
The Microsoft E3 Press Conference
Why should I care?
Xbox 360. Games For Windows. Halo 3.
Where did it take place?
Santa Monica High School.
Opening act:
Corporeal, a Halo-inspired rock band. The kids were all right.
First game shown:
Harmonix-MTV-EA's Guitar Hero killer, Rock Band, featuring Harmonix founders Alex Rigopoulos and Greg LoPiccolo jamming with Xbox chief Peter Moore.
High point:
Playthrough of a new level from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Olive green never looked so good--or so lethal.
Here we are now, entertain us:
Cliff "Cliffyb" Bleszinski, showing us Gears of War on PC. As Paris would say, that's hot.
Underwhelmaton:
The
live-action Halo 3 teaser directed by Peter Jackson protege Neil
Blomkamp. If this video-y looking clip is the best he can do, no wonder Fox and Universal backed out.
Sincerest form of flattery:
Microsoft's Scene It? controllers look an awful lot like Sony's Buzz! controller.
Stat of the night:
Two-thirds of all third party games since November 2006 were sold on Xbox 360.
Best line (rated E for Everyone):
"Surprise!" Microsoft Game Studios boss Shane Kim, introducing the not-so-secret Gears of War PC port.
Best line (rated M for Mature):
"We're going deep, and we're going hard." Infinity Ward co-founder Grant Collier, discussing the "variety" on Call of Duty 4.
Oh-no-he-didn't:
Xbox marketing guru Jeff Bell code-switching
from deliberate enunciation salesman to droppin' his "g"'s when running
back Reggie Bush takes the stage. Sample line: "Don't look at what I'm
doin.'"
Tastes great:
Disney animated movies like "Hercules" and "Atlantis" coming to Xbox Live Marketplace.
Less filling:
No Pixar movies. No "Beauty and the Beast." No "Lion King."
Head scratcher:
No Halo 3 single-player demo to bring the
house down, just a trailer that jams together gameplay clips without
telling a real story? Yep, that's why the applause was muted at the end.Most unexpected:
Marathon: Durandal for Xbox Live Arcade. Steve Jobs am cry.
Most welcome:
A November 2007 release date for Mass Effect. Stick to it, eh.
Smartest move:
Focusing on 2007 titles to throw Sony's "10-year-life cycle" talking point, aka "coming soon," into relief.
Elephant in the room:
The Red Ring of Death hardware flaws.
Snap judgement:
B+ (would have been an A- had they shown a Halo 3 single-player demo.)
