So, E3 '08 has come and gone - and what did we learn? Well, for one thing, we learned that the event really is a shadow of it's former self. While last year, there was still some of that old excitement attached to the event, I think just about everyone who followed the coverage this year will agree - it just wasn't that exciting.
Now, I've heard a lot of the arguments, and yes, I'm sure that holding E3 in July was one of the factors behind the lackluster showing - it's hard to generate excitement when you don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said. However, while the show was originally designed for the industry and retailers, over the years it grew to include a lot of the general public who found their way in - and that was actually to the show's advantage. What we're seeing now is what the show would be like when only held for the industry and a few other insiders. It's become a board meeting with a little extra panache.
While that may be what the ESA and it's member companies wanted, I don't think they've realized what else that means. While it certainly is cheaper, by making it dull, by excluding the people who genuinely get excited about this kind of thing and by excluding the front line retail sales force, they've pretty much also killed much of the enthusiasm the public felt over E3's announcements. As it was, I actually had to remind several of my friends that it actually was E3 week…
Look at the last two sets of press conferences - in both 2007 and 2008, the audiences were deadly quiet - because as members of the media and industry insiders, nothing announced was really new to them, nor did many of them genuinely even care about their competitors products.
Now you can say "So?", but human nature is such that when we draw cues from our surroundings. In the past, when E3 was more a spectacle than an excuse for businessmen to get away from their kids, many of the games shown off would have met thunderous applause - which subconsciously makes us excited too. Now when that dead silence at a press briefing hits, we really just think "meh". Despite the cost of the old E3, I really do wonder how much more effective it was than other forms of advertising. If the old saying that you only get once chance to make a first impression is right, then as a marketer, which would you rather have - 200 30 second spots across various networks where those who may or may not even be interested in your product are watching, or one 30 second spot where you're guaranteed to be speaking directly to your customer base while they're already excited? Yeah. That's what I thought too.
Anyway, it's time to talk about the big three and their press briefings - you've (I hope) read our breakdown of each presser, seen them on your own or read about them, so that you have some frame of reference to work with here. If not, you may not be able to truly understand how underwhelming this year seemed to be.
Microsoft Press Briefing
Microsoft managed to put on the best show of the big three, because their show was still someone geared towards those who would be watching at home. They focused, for the most part, on their upcoming games by showing live demonstrations of the titles - all while managing to still one-up the competition at Sony with both the announcements of the partnership with Netflix and the announcement that Final Fantasy XIII would be coming to the 360. (I think the Mii-like 360 avatars didn't one-up anything -in fact, while I'm on the fence about most of the new dashboard improvements, I'm already hoping you can leave those avatars off and just stick with your old gamerpics.)
It wasn't all roses for Microsoft though, as the leak that a new Halo title from Bungie was supposed to be shown, but was left off the program at the last minute went over like a stick to a hornet's nest. In addition, I would have hoped that Microsoft had learned from last year's Rock Band demonstration debacle that singing on stage for extended periods of time never goes over well. I'm talking to you, Lips. People love to play along with music games, but let's face it, they're a drag to just watch other people play - especially if we're talking people who aren't particularly good at it. Next time, stick with just the trailer and skip the live exhibition, ok?
Finally, the "Bringing it Home" campaign on Xbox Live this year felt completely phoned in. Did anybody at Microsoft care about it this time around? I'm thinking not, and it showed. Throw us a bone, guys. Seriously.
Nintendo Press Briefing
Train wreck. Utter, complete and total train-wreck. I don't even think the most hardcore of the Nintendo faithful came out of this one happy. Before the briefing began, I joked that all Nintendo should really do is have their executives come out and roll around in piles of money. Well, that's basically what they did.
In a presentation that didn't just come off as a board meeting, but as a bad board meeting, Nintendo focused on how well their systems were doing while showing precious little of the games that are in the pipeline. Sure, Animal Crossing and WiiSports: Resort are sure to be big sellers, but where was that innovation that Satoru Iwata spoke about in his own introductory speech?
If the briefing would have just stayed dull, it would have been bad - but then came WiiMusic… Anything about how bad those live music game demonstrations of Microsoft's were these last two years instantly flew out the window when I finally got a chance to see the footage. How anyone could have thought this was a good idea to spend that much time showing is beyond me.
While I've said that I've stopped doubting Nintendo when it comes to their odd ideas because they've proved me wrong so many times before, I meant it - yet, I still have to say that WiiMusic, as I understand it, may rank right up there with the VirtualBoy as far as bad ideas come to fruition. It was utterly painful to watch, and I'm still not sure I get the point of the game… I mean, okay - you get 50 instruments that you play with a combination of the wiimote, nunchuck and balance board - but hitting notes on time or how you play the instruments has no bearing on the game? So… does this just mean that you jerk along spasmodically to a pre-recorded song and nothing you do has any effect? I don't think I need a Wii to do that on my own.
Finally, the WiiMotion add on, while giving the Wii much needed accuracy in tracking, seems to me to be something that should have been part of the Wii from day one.
Sony Press Briefing
Sony took the middle road with their press briefing, neither going too high or too low. There certainly were high points, such as the reveal of MAG, but really, there were just too many times were Sony told us to wait. Guys, some of us have been waiting since November of 2006 - and save a few games, haven't seen much that makes that wait bearable.
What happened to White Knight? Wipeout HD? The PlayStation Network games? Not to be cruel, but I would have been excited about all the time they spent on Resistance 2 if it weren't for the fact that Resistance: Fall of Man was so underwhelming. It's like shouting "We have a sequel to a mediocre game - and it's gonna be great!"
I also get the feeling that Sony was blindsided by the Microsoft / Netflix partnership announcement. It's kind of hard to get people excited about paying $6 for a movie rental when your competition just announced that not only do they still have their pay service, but for the $17 or so Netflix charges per month, can get free rentals from over 10,000 choices. Kudos to Sony for getting their video store going, but they still wound up looking like they were playing catch-up in the end.
So there you have it - the rundown from a completely forgettable E3 - and I'm not just saying that because I wasn't invited. Let's hope some of the other shows later this year can pick up the slack left from this one.
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