Sony E3 2009 Keynote Thread

[Nesh]

Yeah but I need to see the complete hardware to get the total cost. Not sure if additional equipments are needed yet (in the final version).

As I mentioned, with a controller in hand, you can sense hand pressure too for the added immersion (depending on how they choose to do that).

My disappointment so far is they didn't show the "Fish" tank follow up. I'd love to see how that has progressed. Being able to draw something and see it comes to life will excite my kid and myself to no end.

Personally my disappointment regarding the motion sensing controller was that they didnt show much.

Sony in my eyes didnt come prepared well at this conference. MS on the other hand seemed to have prepared heavily on the marketing aspect for a LOOOOOONG time.

All the important and great elements of a successful presentation and impacting marketing were there.

Sony didnt make special videos to pass the message. They talked too much. They were too technical. MS? They went with aesthetics, short to the point messages followed by very good examples to illustrate the vision.

Sony still hasnt achieved the appropriate integration between features. This is where MS excels. Software unites hardware and features. This is what MS is good at.

MS illustrated better the experience. Sony needs some lessons. This is something they fail to communicate well compared to MS recently

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Interesting, I feel almost the other way as MS at least announced a rough release date/schedule for most of the games that were shown.

[edit] forgot to quote this was in reply to Brimstone.

Regards,
SB

 

[tha_con]

After seeing the EA conference with Need For Speed: Shift and now the Sony conference with Gran Turismo, NFS: Shift looks way more better.

When NFS: Shift runs at 60fps and can output at 1080p, you can call me. In no way do I think NFS: Shift looks better, at all. Quite the opposite.

 

[Asher]

Maybe we should just all be thankful that none of the presentations were filled with pie charts and bar graphs.

I do like having conferences showing games coming out this year, rather than anything else. That's the whole point of E3 for me...what's coming out by Xmas?

 

[patsu]

Personally my disappointment regarding the motion sensing controller was that they didnt show much.

Sony in my eyes didnt come prepared well at this conference. MS on the other hand seemed to have prepared heavily on the marketing aspect for a LOOOOOONG time.

All the important and great elements of a successful presentation and impacting marketing were there.

Sony didnt make special videos to pass the message. They talked too much. They were too technical. MS? They went with aesthetics, short to the point messages followed by very good examples to illustrate the vision.

Sony still hasnt achieved the appropriate integration between features. This is where MS excels. Software unites hardware and features. This is what MS is good at.

MS illustrated better the experience. Sony needs some lessons. This is something they fail to communicate well compared to MS recently

Such event requires lot's of thought and preparation. I don't think they are unprepared though. We won't have so many videos if so. The demoes were smooth too (no hiccups even for the prototype segment).

E3 is originally a trade event, so I don't mind them talking about the technical details and numbers (because they are hard to come by). For showmanship, I am not a fan of Tretton's style too.

 

[obonicus]

Maybe we should just all be thankful that none of the presentations were filled with pie charts and bar graphs.

I do like having conferences showing games coming out this year, rather than anything else. That's the whole point of E3 for me...what's coming out by Xmas?

This. All three conferences were actually good this year, that's a net positive.

 

[Cornsnake]

I found it a bit strange that some games got so much airtime, while other like Heavy Rain and Ratchet & Clank got so little.

Overall it was a good show. God of War 3, The Last Guardian, and Uncharted 2 were the highlights for me.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Overall good. I have no interest in PS2 or PSP, but I'm interested in the footage of Uncharted 2, MAG, God of War 3, that kid and his flying cat/rat game and the motion controller stuff. Final Fantasy can blow me.

 

[RobertR1]

Nice to see all the conf's stick to game. I'm very excited about Uncharted 2. That's about it. Maybe GoW3.

 

[Brad Grenz]

Sony didnt make special videos to pass the message. They talked too much. They were too technical. MS? They went with aesthetics, short to the point messages followed by very good examples to illustrate the vision.

These is really ironic, given how much grief Sony has gotten in the past for producing target renders and other marketing materials designed to illustrate their experience. You know that whole Natal montage? All target renders. The Milo video, basically bullshit.

As for the live demos, with Natal you can throw buckets of paint on the wall. With the PSMC (Playstation Motion Controller) you can write your name. With Natal you can stick your arm out to hit a ball. PSMC can put a racket or bat or gun in your hand and you can aim it exactly. PSMC can still capture full body motion with the PS Eye, but it also gives you buttons and 1:1 object tracking like the Wiimote. It's the best of both worlds. Oh, and it does not appear to have the severe lag of Natal. Natal may be useful for simple, hands free interaction with the system, but PSMC actually has far more demonstrated potential for fun games.

 

[Nesh]

Such event requires lot's of thought and preparation. I don't think they are unprepared though. We won't have so many videos if so. The demoes were smooth too (no hiccups even for the prototype segment).

E3 is originally a trade event, so I don't mind them talking about the technical details and numbers (because they are hard to come by). For showmanship, I am not a fan of Tretton's style too.

Let me clarify: They werent correctly prepared


We have to see what E3 stands for now, who watches it, who reads about it, and to what audience the media outlets are they mainly directing the information to.

The conference is a huge event where the companies can bring out their executives and the people from the industry and address the consumer in a more "personal" level.

See what MS did? They did the correct thing. They emphasized on the experience. The typical consumer that doesnt care about the business perspective does not understand "sales targets", "number comparisons", "adhoc connectivity", "digital distribution" well.

He understands "fashion", "being the best", "playing with friends", "having great fun everywhere". These are better alternatives to the same words mentioned above. They are more interesting and the consumer, who buys a product to enjoy, not to increase sales and money for a company, can identify with.

 

[Sigfried1977]

I was really impressed with the MGS game for the PSP actually. Looks like a true MGS title, production values and all (no signs of little comic panels to flesh out the story like in Portable ops, but real in engine cinematics instead)
I'm also very excited about Assassin's Creed2 now. Shame that R&C was nothing more than a footnote, though. Insomniac deserves better than that.

 

[Nesh]

These is really ironic, given how much grief Sony has gotten in the past for producing target renders and other marketing materials designed to illustrate their experience. You know that whole Natal montage? All target renders. The Milo video, basically bullshit.

As for the live demos, with Natal you can throw buckets of paint on the wall. With the PSMC (Playstation Motion Controller) you can write your name. With Natal you can stick your arm out to hit a ball. PSMC can put a racket or bat or gun in your hand and you can aim it exactly. PSMC can still capture full body motion with the PS Eye, but it also gives you buttons and 1:1 object tracking like the Wiimote. It's the best of both worlds. Oh, and it does not appear to have the severe lag of Natal. Natal may be useful for simple, hands free interaction with the system, but PSMC actually has far more demonstrated potential for fun games.

I agree totally with you, but it is how the company presents the products that matter more in a conference like this.

For example, I can tell you that the games Sony showed and have in store in general were more interesting. At least for me. Despite that when I watched MS's conference, the presentation could pass an excitement that Sony did not manage to communicate as well to me. Regardless of the actual products presented.

 

[Scott_Arm]

This new motion control battle between Sony and Microsoft will be settled by software, not hardware. I'm not convinced that either will have software worth buying. It all depends on what is bundled with the accessories, and if there are any other announced titles that look good once the unit is on sale. I bought the Wii on the promise of great software. Usually I don't buy things based on potential. I'm wouldn't say I'm entirely let down by the purchase, but somewhat. Motion Plus may turn things around a bit. As I see it, there's no reason for me to burn more hundreds of dollars on potential again. Show me the software Sony/Microsoft!

 

[patsu]

See what MS did? They did the correct thing. They emphasized on the experience. The typical consumer that doesnt care about the business perspective does not understand "sales targets", "number comparisons", "adhoc connectivity", "digital distribution" well.

He understands "fashion", "being the best", "playing with friends", "having great fun everywhere". These are better alternatives to the same words mentioned above. They are more interesting and the consumer, who buys a product to enjoy, not to increase sales and money for a company, can identify with.

Yes and no. E3 is originally a trade event. Regardless of what MS said, it's still an opportune time to release figures and details, depending on their needs.

I do agree that MS's event is better structured whereas Sony's event is less so (e.g., Can't tell easily what's exclusive and what's not. Then again, MS lists the Metal Gear game after the non-exclusive segment which is technically incorrect). Sony is also showing many realtime stuff today -- more chances to go wrong, and therefore more preparation and backup needed behind the scene.

I also agree that Jack Tretton's and Kaz's sentences are too long.

...stuff about the motion controllers...

The ultrasonic controller does seem very precise and responsive. It will complement PS Eye's limitations. Look forward to try it.

 

[Sigfried1977]

I agree totally with you, but it is how the company presents the products that matter more in a conference like this.

For example, I can tell you that the games Sony showed and have in store in general were more interesting. At least for me. Despite that when I watched MS's conference, the presentation could pass an excitement that Sony did not manage to communicate as well to me. Regardless of the actual products presented.

You really think so? I think most people who watch these PKs are core gamers, and core gamers generally care mostly about games, preferably new ones. Sony had a lot of those, and even quite a few new ones too. I don't give a damn about McCartney or James Cameron on an E3 PK personally.

At least Tretton didn't make any weird jokes about dead actors this year.

 

[Xenus]

GT could flip over in 1 and 2 on the high speed ring so I'm not sure why people care much about flipping other then the whole it makes an awesome burnout style wreck.

 

[tha_con]

I agree totally with you, but it is how the company presents the products that matter more in a conference like this.

For example, I can tell you that the games Sony showed and have in store in general were more interesting. At least for me. Despite that when I watched MS's conference, the presentation could pass an excitement that Sony did not manage to communicate as well to me. Regardless of the actual products presented.

Forgive me for sounding harsh, but that sounds ridiculous.

You can totally buy off on what is essentially a mock up presentation because it looks nice, but actual content doesn't get you excited?

I'm not following.

 

[catisfit]

I thought it was a good conference.

Uncharted 2 looks immense. I think it would have been cooler if they announced the MP beta at the show for added effect, but I'll be joining in tomorrow regardless.

MAG, I guess that's the first time a loading screen got a round of applause I couldn't really see much on the video feed I had, but it looks like they are focusing on the squad dynamic. I'm hoping for a Battlefield vibe (which strangely I didn't get from Bad Company), so it's one I'll need to play before passing judgement I think.

Don't really have much opinion on the PSP Go. I think the most important announcement there was the 80% reduction in price for developers, bringing PSP development within reach of (dedicated) individuals and small independent teams. I guess they want to keep it a bit more exclusive and quality-driven than the App Store, and I like it.

The info on PSP GT was jaw dropping and strongly hinted at being a launch title for PSP Go? October 1st? If so that's a day 1 for me.

Interesting points made by Kojima, stressing he was writing and producing Peace Walker, along with the MGS4 team, and that it was the "real continuation of the MGS franchise"...

I'm not a fan of Rockstar North, but Agent (is that what it was called?) sounded intriguing if only for my interest in the Cold War. I don't hold out much hope that they can do that setting justice with the espionage thriller that I badly want to play.

FFXIV, 2010, exclusive? Wow. Didn't expect any of those three points. FFVII on the Store today?

GT5, car damage, WRC license (awesome), NASCAR license (which I can take or leave). Not much more to say, it's always been a day 1 for me just like GT4, GT3...

The Last Guardian piqued my interest, need to see more.

GoW3 looks good but hack and slash isn't my thing. NetWhatever Racers looked very... erm... PSN to me.

The motion controller. It looked incredibly accurate (enough to point, write, or hold a skeleton head up with your outstretched sword ) and also lag free. It also looked like it could be a minor change for a developer to add support for this in PS3 versions of titles already coming out on Wii (I'm thinking Tiger Woods and Pro Evo, for example, I would definitely be interested in picking those up for PS3 with Wii motion control coupled to HD graphics).

Like Natal, it's a camera so it does just the same EyeToy stuff as Natal did. But for exactly the same reason, and just like Natal, it didn't really do anything that impressed me beyond what I mentioned above.

Thanks again Arwin for writing up the presentation as it happened.

EDIT: I tried to keep this short and to the point but I guess there was a lot of content

 

[Brad Grenz]

Frankly, you're telling me style over substance. I just wasn't taken in my Microsoft's lies. I thought Sony's live demos were fantastic and the audience was clearly excited. I think everyone went in to the Sony Conference expecting a me too waggle and instead were shown something actually working, for real that blew away both competitor's solutions. MS can show me the bottom of an avatar's shoe, and have me guilt some kid into doing his homework. Sony put a fucking sword in my hand and let me shoot zomies in the face. Slick Marketing produced videos these days make it seem like you have something to hide.