440°

Microsoft E3 Press Event Underwhelms

Microsoft wrapped up their E3 press event today and aside from the members of the audience who went home with a free, newly redesigned 360 the rest of us were left to wonder “Where’s the beef?”

Microsoft started the event with gameplay footage of Treyarch’s multiplatform Call of Duty title, Black Ops. After the demo Microsoft announced a new, exclusive partnership with Activision for the Xbox 360 to receive all map packs first for the next 3 years. The use of the word “exclusive” was odd. Generally, when referring to something as being exclusive that would indicate that you’ll only find the item on one console.

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smgamers.com
Anon19745064d ago

Halo/Gears/Fable - we knew these were coming. Kinect does video chat and allows you to yell at your tv to pause video playback. Thanks, but my remote works fine.

The rest was all about the same 5 or so Kinect games we saw yesterday with nothing for the hardcore gamers whose hard earned money put the 360 where it is today. And did you see the lag on Kinect Adventures? That guy had to jump well in advance of the obstacles on screen to compensate for the delay. Clearly he practiced that for the demo. His buddy was all over the place.

Even the new, quieter 360 with a bigger harddrive and wi-fi at the old price still seems to be playing catch up with the PS3 - but without the bonus of a Blu-Ray player.

This has to be the worst Microsoft showing at E3 in memory. Can anyone think of anything good that came out of this? Other than showing Gears 3 and Halo reach, I got nothing out of this - and I don't think anyone needed to be sold on those two games. I still planned on buying them even if they were a no show at E3.

N4GAddict5064d ago

IMO, there weren't any surprises and way too much of Kinect.

Trollimite5064d ago

has anyone ever tried to use voice reconition software before? its such a hassel

imagine watching i movie with your family, you say "pass the pop corn"

kinect hears "start the rough porn" you are **cked!!!!! lol

presto7175064d ago

Some things never change.

MorganX5064d ago

Wireless-N surpasses the PS3, but the lack of Blu-ray really hurts the Xbox. Maybe not movies as much, but games, yes.

WhittO5064d ago

They showed like 3 good games, really? for the year?

It was awful, they were supposed to have a separate Kinect conference weren't they ? So everyone was hoping this 1 would be all about GAMES.

Elimin85064d ago

Start the rough porn.... LOL.. Really!?

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5064d ago
Cold 20005064d ago

There were no surprises except for Kingdoms and the fact the Kinect actually works. Dunno about you guys but Kinect actually convinced me. Not to the point where I would pay 150$ but lest say I wouldnt mind having one of those.

Either than that, I couldnt believe my ears and eyes when the guy said the show was over I was like "but you forgot the show some games".

Redempteur5064d ago

oh they forgot to show them that's for sure ...

fable trailer was nice but i didn't know it was too much to ask to show some gameplay ..

butterfinger5064d ago

I wasn't really impressed with any of the Kinect games (Forza might be a buy for me), and they didn't really show anything that we didn't know about already. Even the Crytek announcement was drab without any footage of the game or other information. Microsoft's 09 Keynote >>>>>>>&g t;> Microsoft's 10 Keynote

Panther527995064d ago (Edited 5064d ago )

personally, i like my 360, however, after watching the MS "conference", i am now wondering if MS is going to throw in the towel.

i have never been so stunned. the lack of really any games was amazing to me. sure there was the games that we all knew were coming, but that was like 4 and then the rest to kinect?

i truly am saddened by MS today. thankfully gaming is my hobby and not my life haha

gaffyh5064d ago

Woah, be careful Cold 2000, you seem to be losing your fanboyism in your old age.

On topic - Yeah I agree, Kinect delivered on some parts, namely the fact that it works, specifically the voice control and hand movements. But there was still noticable lag and jitter during the games.

The first 35 mins of the conference was great, then it was 1 hour of crapness, plus I really hate that guy with the sunglasses (the "you wanna see what an Avatar's shoe looks like, BAM"). The slim announcement MAY have redeemed the show, IF it wasn't leaked, but it was so predictable that he was going to lift up that 360 case and reveal it.

rezzah5064d ago

theyre showing them tmw, i saw the schedual on the IGN list, lmao Sony has like 20 (or more?) nameless games to show. I already say like 5 games with the titles included. Othere than that, expect great things from Sony.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5064d ago
ico925064d ago

everyone looked like they didnt wanna be there , kinectimals was laughably bad,in fact Kinect as a whole was a joke, Gears 3 looked like a Gears 2 expansion pack, the audience sounded bored, i also noticed how small there confrence hall was, and who the HELL wants to see a woman do Yoga, not even nintendo would show that, this was a new low for M$

ViciousBoston5064d ago

I don't know...i've seen some pretty hot girls. I'd love to watch some hot girls do some yoga.

princejb1345064d ago

ms noticed the audience aint wanna be there thats why they gave them xb360 to put a smile on their face after that horror show they just did
but the new xb360 looks freaking sexy
i want it=]

Killjoy30005064d ago

Yeah, except it looks like they completely ripped off the design of the old PS3. That system should've been the one they launched 5 years ago.

- Ghost of Sparta -5064d ago

The conference was utterly laughable. I wouldn't have the balls to admit I actually purchased an Xbox 360 after that, hence the free 360's at the end of the show.

marinelife95064d ago (Edited 5064d ago )

That was a funny article It had me rolling.

Bzone245064d ago

Did you watch the conference? Your second paragraph of the article you rip on them for the use of the word exclusive and say they should have said “exclusive for at least a little while”.

Just watched the conference and about the map packs and addons he said "First on Xbox in 2010, first on Xbox in 2011 and first on Xbox in 2012. He said first, not exclusively on Xbox.

The only time he said exclusive was about the agreement. Which I am guessing is right. Does Sony have an agreement to release the map packs first on the PS3? You can only have one exclusive agreement for being first.

Didn't read the rest of your "article".

Willio5064d ago (Edited 5064d ago )

Kinect’s voice recognition was also shown off during video playback. “Xbox! Pause!” Here’s a quick tip. You know what else can pause video even quicker? The pause button on your remote, and it won’t cost you an extra $150-$200.

Perhaps “exclusive for at least a little while” would be a more appropriate phrase. To understand fan’s reaction to this announcement, I suggest Microsoft employees try using “we’ll be exclusive for a little while” on their girlfriends or wives and report back to us to let us know how well that goes over.

Microsoft has spoken loud and clear this E3.

Unfortunately that message is “Yeah, we got nothin’.”

ThanatosDMC5064d ago (Edited 5064d ago )

^MS created the stupid "exclusivity" debate. Apparently if it's also on the PC, it doesnt count.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 5064d ago
T9X695064d ago

Even EA's conference was better, and EA sucks a big one.

zireno5064d ago

agree 100% EA's was better because you know, they showed real games :)

AEtherbane5064d ago

3 games in 2 hours?
And two of them were fitness games?

Microsoft Xbox 3605064d ago

Bulletstorm was actually amazing. IMO better than Crysis 2.

waterboy5064d ago

talking bout crysis 2 is the best on consoles, well that wouldnt include ps3

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5064d ago
mark35745064d ago

more then happy with microsoft!!

Redlogic5064d ago

what did you like the most?

jack who5064d ago

who cares Need For Speed Hot Pursuit nuff said

Somnipotent5064d ago

how many N4G articles do we need on this? oh yeah, i forgot where i'm at.

morganfell5064d ago (Edited 5064d ago )

Oh look, the top of the page has an address bar and you can surf away. You think this is bad? It's one day. One day.

Try coming here with 2 years of "PS3 is teh doomed" articles.

This is called a comeuppance where the press stops protecting Microsoft because their offerings at E3 were disappointing. And I mean a shambles.

Microsoft has their own Giant Crab and his name is Kinect.

Narutone665064d ago

Even though I hate MS, I feel sorry for them and their fans.

morganfell5064d ago

I don't, not one bit because I haven't forgotten the way they have been acting for years.

Somnipotent5064d ago

you guys disagreed with me for speaking the obvious truth? what part of that was opinionated? did i come across like a microsoft fanboy? bah hah hah hah, that's a good one.

morganfell5064d ago (Edited 5064d ago )

But that is it, you were not speaking the truth. Sites have a right to express a particular opinion about the show. And offer the facts to support their view.

This isn't the same thing as reporting the price of Kinect listed by Gamestop. That is your error. It isn't a matter of truth but of policy.

k2d5064d ago

Granted, Sony had THE. BIGGEST. downperiod of Playstations lifetime with the launch of PS3, but now it seems as if the tides are turning.

Kinect is little more than a well advertised adrenalin shot.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5064d ago
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100°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

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theverge.com
darthv7212h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

purple1011h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos47m ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

XBManiac3m ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

130°

Why Monopolies In Gaming Must Not Be Allowed

As of right now, there are no monopolies in the games industry, and for the sake of the medium as a whole, they never should either.

thorstein10h ago

Shouldn't be allowed in any field.

Inverno6h ago

And yet the biggest tech companies in America are essentially that. They buy up all the small comps only to kill them off and steal what they have, and if they can't buy em they bleed them to death.

jwillj2k45h ago

Eventually they’ll realize the value is with the employee not the company. Buying an IP means nothing if the people who contributed are let go. They’ll get it one day.

MrCrimson4h ago

tech is different because they buy threats and then kill them. Twitter bought Vine and did nothing with it. Despite people seemingly liking it. Could've had tiktok a decade before bytedance. go figure.

Zenzuu6h ago

Monopolies shouldn't be allowed regardless. Not just for gaming.

MrCrimson4h ago

They buy IPs not talent. That's why these buyouts never work and the IPs die. Right now it's too expensive to develop games - but I expect that to shift maybe as AI tools can make it easier. The best games have been indie games for awhile as big developers fuck their ips to death with "games as a service" -

130°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

ChasterMies12h ago

Some of these low paid video game “news” writers weren’t born before 2007.

just_looken7h ago

Here here

Those that were around before 2000's i am sure are like me that think we entered a world of non readers or those that follow without question.

I can not wait to see fallout 3 a goty game even though it was about water with non content until you add the dlc/updates then you got the performance/crashing

CrimsonWing6923h ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker23h ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo23h ago(Edited 23h ago)

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing6922h ago(Edited 22h ago)

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos19h ago(Edited 19h ago)

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

Gameseeker_Frampt10h ago

Just about every year in the 7th generation was great and something we most likely won't experience again.

2009 for example had Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Halo 3: ODST, Killzone 2, Borderlands, Bayonetta, and Demon's Souls to name a few.

just_looken7h ago

It still amazes me we got over 7 rockstar games ps2/ps3 but 3 for the ps3/ps4/ps5

Dragon age 1-3 and mass effect 1-3 in 7ish years what a generation.