The E3 Thread! Who will come out on top?

[Titanio]

This still dances around my questions. And the wording of that PR doesn't make it sound like it does what I would consider the bare minimum.

Are you supposed to sit and wait in your apartment?

For what?

Do you mean for your friends, to go on and play something?

The first time you get together in a given 'session' of gaming, your friends will all have to come together into one spot. But thereafter, from how I read it, you can go into games together, and when you leave games you'll be back together again in Home (you won't have to wait to find each other again).

Physical proximity in Home may not even be necessary, so you may not need to wait for everyone to come together in one place. I'm guessing you go into your PSP, can select some friends, and initiate a game launch - your friends may get invites to join that game launch on their psp, wherever they are in Home. But that's just my speculation..

Re. in-game messaging and Home, if in-game phone calls are to be there as rumoured, I would say in-game 'sms' (i.e. text) would be too..but take with a grain of salt for now, I don't think that's been confirmed yet.

 

[Tap In]

yes but...T, can you receive a message from someone who is in HOME that they want to play while you are in another online or offline game and can you then read and or reply to the message without leaving your game? If so can you then hit one button to say you want to join, change discs and have the game boot you directly into the lobby where you buddies are?

that's what XBL does and what I will expect from Home. That would be a big deal.

 

[Cryect]

It seems to me their goal was to reinforce the idea that Wii sales are due to an expansion of the market and I'm still unaware of any evidence that supports that claim.

Did you skip the first 20 minutes of the Nintendo conference where thats exactly what they set out to prove? If you did I wouldn't blame you since it was well quite dull (and the video montages to try to convince you of the same thing every 10 minutes got stupid after the first one).

Nintendo's Presentation Basically went

1. We're expanding the market and here is the proof
2. Third Party Games are selling and Publishers are supporting the Wii
3. Here's some games we've discussed in the past and they are coming out this year
4. Here's the new game which will sweep the World, set new records, and expand the market.

Then add in 1 minute video montages every so often saying Nintendo is awesome and expanding the market.

Anyways they all just plain kinda sucked though nothing was absolutely horrible.

 

[pipo]

For what?

Do you mean for your friends, to go on and play something?

Yup. Can you see in Home that I'm playing game X when you sign in? Can you send me a message or join me while I'm already playing?

That's all I'd really like to know.

 

[Titanio]

yes but...T, can you receive a message from someone who is in HOME that they want to play while you are in another online or offline game and can you then read and or reply to the message without leaving your game? If so can you then hit one button to say you want to join, change discs and have the game boot you directly into the lobby where you buddies are?

Yup. Can you see in Home that I'm playing game X when you sign in? Can you send me a message or join me while I'm already playing?

That's all I'd really like to know.

I'd like to know these things too. I'm hoping someone will ask the questions at E3. I've heard rumours your Home mobile phone being accessible in games, but they're just rumours. And I agree, this would be a big deal, but I also think the stuff they talked about at the E3 press conference is a big deal if it works as advertised.

 

[pipo]

And I agree, this would be a big deal, but I also think the stuff they talked about at the E3 press conference is a big deal if it works as advertised.

You and me both. I just think the first 'big deal' is a lot bigger.

If the unified messaging (I'm not even talking about chat) turns out to be true, I'd consider Sony the winnar (tm) as they would have made a substantial leap towards XBL functionality.

But I'm not sure as I think Phil would have made a bigger point from that...

 

[scooby_dooby]

For what?

Do you mean for your friends, to go on and play something?

The first time you get together in a given 'session' of gaming, your friends will all have to come together into one spot. But thereafter, from how I read it, you can go into games together, and when you leave games you'll be back together again in Home (you won't have to wait to find each other again).

Physical proximity in Home may not even be necessary, so you may not need to wait for everyone to come together in one place. I'm guessing you go into your PSP, can select some friends, and initiate a game launch - your friends may get invites to join that game launch on their psp, wherever they are in Home. But that's just my speculation..

Re. in-game messaging and Home, if in-game phone calls are to be there as rumoured, I would say in-game 'sms' (i.e. text) would be too..but take with a grain of salt for now, I don't think that's been confirmed yet.

It's really simple Titanio: people don't want to have to sit around in home waiting to start games. It's just not fun, it's boring.

Ideally you would be playing a game on your system, and be able to see all your friends online at anytime. That way, when you want to launch a multiplayer game, you can just send out a message or an invite, and away you go.

Without a universal friends list, and ingame messaging, it's still not an ideal solution at all imo.

 

[pipo]

Without a universal friends list, and ingame messaging, it's still not an ideal solution at all imo.

It's one of those concepts you have to experience before you know you can't live without it.

 

[Titanio]

But I'm not sure as I think Phil would have made a bigger point from that...

I think they're clearly not showing everything, and some stuff is still being tested and beta-ed before they detail them publically.

Now that I recall, 'in-game phone calls' was in fact listed on the beta roadmap publicised to Home beta testers:

From what I'd heard previously, it would work a little like this - I'm sure you've probably seen screens with avatars on cellphones..that's not just for show. Your cellphone will enable voice 'calls' (i.e. voice chat) with others not in your immediate vicinity, and also text messaging ('sms'). Now, that roadmap would appear to suggest 'in-game' phone calls. If that's true, and extended to 'sms', it would take care at least of the issue of being contactable from Home within your game. If it could be further extended to accepting game invites/launching from within another game, then I think that would satisfy what you and Tap In are talking about. If it could be extended AGAIN so that people in one game could 'call' a person in another game, via Home, then you'd have your universal voice chat and messaging also.

There's some jumps there, of course. But 'in game calls' seems to be on the cards at least - or was - in terms of Home-to-game-to-Home connectivity, and it may not take a huge leap of imagination to extend that. But there's always caveats with in-development software, things can change, just trying to give some foundation to build optimism on re. this stuff

scooby - I agree, it would be ideal to be 'accessible' from Home no matter what you're doing on the system. Although if restricted to Home for accessibility, there is stuff to do therein..it's not like you'd have NOTHING to do while waiting for a friend But I agree it would be nice to be 'connected' to Home within games, and I'm hoping that's what they're working toward.

 

[inefficient]

As far as I know the universal friends list thing is now a problem of a past on PS3

I don't know of any relevant online game that still does not make use of it. Most of the big ones like Resistance and Motorstorm that shipped with out that support have now patched it in. And all new and upcoming games have it. R6 Vegas, Warhawk etc.

 

[betan]

As far as I know the universal friends list thing is now a problem of a past on PS3

I don't know of any relevant online game that still does not make use of it. Most of the big ones like Resistance and Motorstorm that shipped with out that support have now patched it in. And all new and upcoming games have it. R6 Vegas, Warhawk etc.

Very unfortunate I would say .

 

[Arwin]

Very unfortunate I would say .

Huh? He's saying that all these games support the universal friends list now. How is that unfortunate?

 

[Tap In]

As far as I know the universal friends list thing is now a problem of a past on PS3

I don't know of any relevant online game that still does not make use of it. Most of the big ones like Resistance and Motorstorm that shipped with out that support have now patched it in. And all new and upcoming games have it. R6 Vegas, Warhawk etc.

are you saying that you can see friends playing other games on the friends list (it tells you what he is playing and allows you to join) when you are in a different game? If so can you then contact them via message to join your game and have them read it (or talk to you on the headset) without dropping out of their game?

if that is true, then they are making progress but to call it Universal is a stretch until it covers all aspects of the system including letting you have access to the friends list (and voice or messaging) at all times including when you are watching a movie or playing an arcade game an offline game or browsing the store etc.

 

[betan]

Huh? He's saying that all these games support the universal friends list now. How is that unfortunate?

I want to have game-buddies that are not part of my xmb contact list.
It not only gets crowded, but also has privacy issues.

So the best solution would be some kind of hierarchical structure in XMB contact list with limited permissions for game-buddies, and ease of upgrade.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

I think it's pretty clear that MS and Sony both had very average E3's. I prefered MS's content and Sony's presentation.

 

[AntShaw]

I think it's pretty clear that MS and Sony both had very average E3's. I prefered MS's content and Sony's presentation.

My feelings exactly.

The main thing I was looking for from ALL 3 were games, and games now. The only one that came through was MS. I'm tired of seeing 'potential' and want something tangible.

 

[Arwin]

My feelings exactly.

The main thing I was looking for from ALL 3 were games, and games now. The only one that came through was MS. I'm tired of seeing 'potential' and want something tangible.

How were Sony's games not tangible this E3? Have you seen how many games were playable? And do you realise how many are actually coming out between now and December 31st? While I agree that in the last half year there could definitely have been more games (and content), that obligatory lull after the launch of a console definitely seems over, starting August 14th.

 

[expletive]

How were Sony's games not tangible this E3? Have you seen how many games were playable? And do you realise how many are actually coming out between now and December 31st? While I agree that in the last half year there could definitely have been more games (and content), that obligatory lull after the launch of a console definitely seems over, starting August 14th.

I agree with Arwin here. "Potential" was when Sony was going on and on about Cell, RSX, and Blu-Ray, "tangible" is playable games and theyre now providing them. I think Home is still more potential than tangible but the games are finally starting to arrive.

EDIT: Is Lair really coming on 8/14? Odd for something not mentioned in the press conference...

 

[wco81]

BTW, isn't there a Gamepro conference which is more open like E3 was?

Like it's the same venue that E3 has been held at all these years before this year?

 

[scooby_dooby]

How were Sony's games not tangible this E3? Have you seen how many games were playable? And do you realise how many are actually coming out between now and December 31st? While I agree that in the last half year there could definitely have been more games (and content), that obligatory lull after the launch of a console definitely seems over, starting August 14th.

Since you bring it up, I think Sony did an admirable job of hiding teh fact they have barely any big titles coming in 2007.

So, what are the notable exclusives in 2007? Now that MGS has slipped I can see:

- LAIR
- Heavenly Sword
- R & C
- UT 2007

Anything else?