E3 2013 Wrap Up

It's hard to imagine that only about a year ago people were still having debates about what the next Nintendo system was going to be called. Fast forward to today and not only has the WiiU been out for a number of months, but not we have new consoles from Microsoft and Sony on the not so distant horizon. It's pretty crazy to finally be approaching the start of a new generation (and by extension the end of another, though with games like GTA V, South Park: The Stick Of Truth, and even tomorrow's The Last Of Us still not out it's kind of hard to call it the end of one as well) after going through the longest console generation so far. But as E3 showed us once again this year, whether or not you're planning to upgrade consoles at launch or sticking to the older systems (original Wii not withstanding), there should be plenty to look forward to before we are here once again next year building the hype all over again.

Microsoft Press Conference Wrap Up

Though Microsoft led off this year's E3, it came without the sort of fanfare I had hoped for. Though the company had already stated that there were no plans to discuss new consoles at this year's show, I'm not sure I was prepared for what would equate to an all around dull media briefing. Though games and features were showcased, there was a noticeable lack of excitement both by the presenters and the audience throughout the presentation, which caused an ominous atmosphere that put a damper on the whole affair.

E3 Alerts 2012 - South Park - UPDATED

Not much was shown of the new title South Park: The Stick of Truth during Microsoft's event aside from a stunning trailer that perfectly captured the television show's aesthetic. We know it will be an RPG, you play a new character who you can customize, and Matt Stone and Trey Parker were brought out on stage to assure that they will have a guiding hand in the creative process.

Though details are still a little scarce about the title, it did show that along many faces from the show will be present. Butters, Jesus, and the Goth kids are some of the individuals you will be running in to during the main quest.

Not much else is known, but if it's lovingly injected with references from all of South Park's storied history and combines that with even standard RPG gameplay all should be right in the world.

Is this the most exciting game shown at Microsoft's press conference?

UPDATE: The game is currently slated for launch on March 5th, 2013.

E3 Alerts 2012 - Splinter Cell: Blacklist

After taking a little bit of time off it seems that Sam Fisher is ready to return in the Ubisoft's latest installment of its long running stealth franchise. While no date solid date was given (Sping 2013) for Splinter Cell: Blacklist, it was said that Sam the game will have all the bells and whistles one would expect in a quasi-stealth game. You can play co-op, multiplayer, and Spys vs. Mercs makes a return.

The footage from the demo also features Sam stringing together kills in a matter of slow motion seconds that seems more reminiscent of a fighting game or Ninja Gaiden. The game definitely looks fluid, so it will be interesting to see how it actually feels when we can finally get some hands on time with the game.

Presumably Sam Fisher also drinks heavily and beats up terrorists.

Time to Wake Up: The Darkness, Reflections on Comics and Games

So I'm a bit behind schedule, but also finished Lost and picked up Naruto today, and I have finally finished my reflection on the video game adaptation of the comic series The Darkness. For future reference, I will be using the comic series in Italics and the video game in Bold.

A long time ago, when I was just a sperm concerned with getting inside a vagina to bring forth new life, the comic book industry thrived along with the arcade industry. The two cultures began to mesh as the arcade industry died down and some of the steam of mainstream comics began catering to a more devoted crowd. Flashing forward a little more than 18 years, one will notice very few of the things previously mentioned have changed. The video game industry continues to grow each year, Comic-Con and other festivals expand audiences yearly, and I am still primarily concerned about spreading life. However, both cultures continue to share one trait in common: comics and video games are niche markets. On a mainstream level the fans are sterotypical nerds and geeks who dress up as imaginary characters and rarely leave the home, only for D&D night, to wait in line for the next Star Wars film, or to LARP all over someone's face. The problem is, as most gamers/comic readers will tell you, that these stereotypes are flawed and very wrong. The casual fan is just as important to each industry, and with the influence of comics in other mediums the pairing of these two previously intertwined cultures seems obvious.