The Extended Project Milo Demo

One of these is the “Mark & Execute” feature allowing Sam to tag an opponent or object and fire at the target automatically. Using logical AI you will prioritize targets, for example, if you enter a room that has two enemies along with a light source and you can target both the light and an enemy. AI will have Fisher eliminate the light source first thing thus preventing the other enemy from detecting your character and provide you the opportunity of taking out the first enemy. There is also the “last known position” feature, that comes into play when you’ve been spotted and breaks the line of sight with the enemy. This produces a silhouette outlining Sam’s last known position that the enemy saw him, allowing him to alter his actions accordingly. Additional new abilities will allow you to shoot while hanging, as well as interrogating enemies using the various environmental objects, such as smashing an enemies head into a mirror.

These new features are detailed in the following video:

Maxime Beland, the creative director of Splinter Cell Conviction said this, “I want people to play my games and finish them. We’re going to have the normal mode for normal gamers, who are going to spend 12 hours playing our game.” Realistic mode will up the difficulty significantly, “You’re going to need stealth, two bullets is going to kill you, the enemies are going to be super-lethal.”

Behind Closed Doors:

Splinter Cell Conviction

Zero Punctuation: Sims 3

“This was a unique opportunity to team with a smart, sophisticated publisher like Bethesda Softworks where the interests of the studio and the publisher will be fully aligned in the development and marketing of our titles. In addition, we will now have financial and business resources to support the future growth of id Software, a huge advantage which will result in more and even better games for our fans.”
Todd Hollenshead, id CEO

As well as creating Doom and Quake, the id team is currently working on new IP Rage along with multiplatform game engine id Tech 5.

“This puts id Software in a wonderful position going forward. We will now be able to grow and extend all of our franchises under one roof, leveraging our capabilities across multiple teams while enabling forward looking research to be done in the service of all of them. We will be bigger and stronger, as we recruit the best talent to help us build the landmark games of the future. As trite as it may be for me to say that I am extremely pleased and excited about this deal, I am.”
John Carmack, founder and technical director of id

id Software will continue to operate as a studio under the direction Carmack and the developer was keen to stress the operating structure of the company will not be changed.

“We, along with many others, consider id Software to be among the finest game studios in the world, with extraordinary design, artistic and technical capabilities. They have demonstrated, repeatedly, that rare ability to create franchise properties that are critical and commercial successes. Our intention is to make sure id Software will continue to do what they do best – make AAA games. Our role will be to provide publisher support through Bethesda Softworks and give id Software the resources it needs to grow and expand.”
Robert Altman, ZeniMax Media group

[source]

ZeniMax Media acquires id Software

Modern Warfare 2: G4 direct-feed E3 gameplay

God of War III

Installation Instructions

================================
Ravaged Zoey Mod – With Easy Install by RootOverload v0.0.9
================================

After a bit of researching I finally managed to get a modified Zoey model in the game. After much zombie fighting, the zombies
have finally ripped almost all her clothes off.

This mod works online.

Easy Install

1. Extract zip contents to your left 4 dead folder wherever that may be.. usually “C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead\left4dead”
2. Run the game and oogle at Zoey.

If you want to restore your original files… rename “pak01_dir.vpk” to “pak01_dir.nzo” and rename “Copy of pak01_dir.vpk” to “pak01_dir.vpk”

Advanced Installation

(For compatability with other mods and updates)
BACKUP pak01_dir.vpk BEFORE MODIFYING/REPLACING IT.

1. Download Notepad++ if you don’t already have it.
2. Open pak01_dir.vpk which is located in your left 4 dead folder with Notepad++.
3. Press Ctrl+F to search for “survivor_teenangst”, then change it to “survivor_beenangst”. You should do this 4 times.
4. Search for “zoey_color”, only change it to “boey_color” if it is on the same line as “vertexlitgeneric” or “patch”, you should have changed 2 occurances total. Save and close Notepad++.
5. Extract “zoey_color.vmt”, “zoey_color_it.vmt”, “zoey_nuder.vtf”, and “zoey_nuormal.vtf” to your left 4 dead/materials/models/survivors/teenangst folder.
6. Extract “survivor_TeenAngst.dx90.vtx”, “survivor_teenangst.mdl”, “survivor_TeenAngst.phy”, “survivor_teenangst.vvd” to your left 4 dead/models/survivors folder.
7. Enjoy Ravaged Zoey!

NOTES

• Due to the way shadows are cast in the game, dark vertical shadow lines will appear on Zoey’s skin when shining the flashlight on her. To fix this, either set your shader detail to medium or your effect detail to low. This will disable shadows. Turn them off if you don’t want to see the lines on Zoey.
• She has no facial animations for the time being.
• This mod works online.

Leave questions and comments, and look for updates at www.rootoverload.org

[DOWNLOAD]

Left 4 Dead: NSFW Nude Zoey

Lost Planet 2: 4 player co-op mode

“a Metroid game unlike any you’ve ever experienced before… It will take you deeper into Samus’ story, and further into the Metroid universe.”

Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America president

The trailer switches between 2D and 3D and appeared to show gameplay in both first and third-person perspectives.

According to the Big N at E3 2009:

“Nintendo showcased a trailer for a new instalment in its acclaimed Metroid franchise for the Wii console. Metroid: Other M marks an unprecedented collaboration with world-renowned developers Team Ninja, and provides fans with high-energy, action-packed game play as it delves deeper into the back story of famed deep-space bounty hunter Samus Aran. This game is scheduled for release in 2010.”

[source]

Metroid: Other M

Hardware sales in May (ranked by units):

1. DS - 634K407K (-39%)
2. Wii - 290K50K (-15%)
3. Xbox 360 - 175K — 175K (0%)
4. PS3 - 131K4K (+3%)
5. PS2 - 117K55K (-32%)
6. PSP - 100K16K (-13%)

Here are the top 10 games of May (ranked by units):

1. UFC 2009 Undisputed – Xbox 360 – THQ – 679.6K
2. Wii Fit w/ Balance Board – Wii – Nintendo – 352.8K
3. EA Sports Active Bundle – Wii – EA – 345.8K
4. UFC 2009 Undisputed – PS3 – THQ – 334.4K
5. inFamous – PS3 – Sony – 175.9K
6. Pokemon Platinum Version – Wii – Nintendo – 168.9K
7. Mario Kart w/ wheel – Wii – Nintendo – 158.3K
8. Punch Out!! - Wii – Nintendo – 156.9K
9. X-Men Origins Wolverine Uncaged edition – Xbox 360 – Activision Blizzard – 120.7K
10. Wii Play w/ remote – Wii – Nintendo – 109.8K

[source]

May 2009 Hardware & Software Sales

But Forza 3 is more than just 400 cars from 50 manufacturers and 100 tracks, it’s developer Turn 10’s attempt to bridge the gap between racing sim and arcade racer without leaving anyone behind.

“Our goal is to turn gamers into car lovers and car lovers into gamers,” Greenawalt said. “To deliver approachable and thrilling gameplay.”

That’s a tricky proposition when you have one group of gamers that worry over the nuance of car physics and handling, dismissing any game that doesn’t match the real world, and another group that feels lost in a game that is too real, instead opting for arcade fun.

Turn-10’s solution is to have a robust selection of assists which can be turned on or off on the fly. At its easiest, Forza 3 even brakes for you, leaving the gamer to hold down the gas and keep the car on the green line which shows the best approach to every turn. At its hardest, Forza 3 mimics the behavior of every vehicle, given each it’s own distinct physics and feel.

The Xbox 360 exclusive also features a new rewind button. At any point you can press the back button on your controller and go back in the race five seconds. There are no limits to when or how often you use this feature in a race. It’s there, Greenawalt said, so perfectionists don’t have to restart an entire race after one small mistake.

Even with the help provided rookie drivers, Greenawalt still believes “when you turn all the assist off, it’s the ultimate simulator, that no other racing game can come close to.”

And for both the hardcore and arcade race fans there are the graphics and the spectacular damage modeling.

“Part of our perfectionism is how we capture the cars,” Greenawalt said. “We are car freaks, we want to capture that, we want to show these cars off, we want to worship them.”

Forza Motorsport 3 features ten times more polygons in each car model and four times the texture resolution than found in Forza 2 he said. The game delivers these astonishing realistic graphics while calculating physics at 360 frames per a second.

“Our new graphics engine pushes the 360 in new ways, ways it has never been pushed before.” Greenawalt said.

To create the setting for the game’s tracks, like the three set in Montserrat, Spain that were being shown at E3, Turn 10 take thousands of photographs at the scene, including aerial shots. The team also worked to meticulously capture the cockpit of every car included in the game.

Damage modeling for the cars, all of the cars, is also carefully detailed. And in Forza 3, all 400 cars now include the ability to completely roll over in a race, something no racing game has ever tried before, Greenawalt said.

Getting permission from the 50 manufacturers for this unheard of level of damage modeling was a matter of talking to each individually.

“We go to a manufacturer and say we’re a sim and as a sim, cars roll over,” Greenawalt said.

Greenawalt also mentioned that Forza Motorsport 3 has a “strategic partnership” with Audi.

“We saw the brands meshing really, really well,” he said. “You will hear a lot more about that in three months.”

“My ultimate goal is to connect people, turn gamers into car lovers but car lovers into gamers,” said Dan Greenawalt, the lead producer of Forza 3.

Turn 10 Studios, the game’s developer, does this by adding a series of assists to drivers, including auto braking and the aforementioned rewind. During turns, the car will automatically slam its brakes to keep players on course. All they need to do is navigate their vehicle.

Auto braking makes a big difference. The driving feels much easier when focused solely on navigating your sports car. The rewind feature is equally interesting. If a player wipes out or makes a costly decision during a race, they can hit the rewind button, taking them back to any previous point.

Even with the help provided rookie drivers, Greenawalt still believes “when you turn all the assist off, it’s the ultimate simulator, that no other racing game can come close to.”

Look for Forza Motorsport 3 in stores this October for the Xbox 360.

[source & source]

Forza Motorsport 3

Zero Punctuation: inFamous

Facts and Figures

• Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, started off the presentation with the usual facts and figures.
• There are an expected 464 titles coming out on PlayStation platforms this year. In 2008 PlayStation broke prior records by grabbing 30 percent of total of retail hardware sales in the U.S.
• The PS2, which is now retailing for $99, outsold all next-gen systems in April 2009, illustrating their successful ten-year system lifetime. The PS2 is currently in its ninth year. However, Tretton confirmed that they don’t intend to see an end to the PS2 next year. Instead they will keep supporting it until fans are ready to move on. The PS2 will boast nearly 100 new titles this year alone.
• The PlayStation Network scored 24 million registered accounts in 55 countries and Home has attracted 6.5 million people worldwide, 85% of which are returning users.
• Using Infamous as an example, Sony called out several of the 35 exclusive titles their platforms will host this year.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Next Sony showed off Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Recently they divulged that competitive multiplayer and co-op have been added to the title. This time they showed off the single-player campaign.

• The demo started with Drake and his new partner traversing a war-torn city. As we would expect, everything was beautifully rendered. At the top of a tall building you could see for miles.

• Drake shimmied across a beam between two buildings only to have a helicopter open fire as he dangled far above the ground. The action initiated a scene with Drake and Chloe running and gunning their way through the collapsing building.
• The voice acting is still superb, with the two bantering back and forth as the ground beneath them crumbled. The scenario highlighted the massive action upgrade that Uncharted 2 has received.

MAG: Massive Action Game
Moving on, the team at Zipper interactive treated us to the first live gameplay footage of MAG.

• MAG boasts massive action, obviously. Up to 256 players can engage in battle at a time. In our demo, all 256 players were engaged live back in the Zipper office.
• The demo began with an overhead view of the battlefield in order to give us a better understanding of how to approach the skirmish. The camera followed the squad leader of a team of eight. The massive spread of blue dots on the field represented our team. Red players were undetected at the early point in time.
• Squads are given particular missions for each battle. The mission was to take out bunkers and anti-aircraft weaponry so that support could be called in. Squads get bonus points for working together in achieving goals within the larger mission.
• Once the bunkers were taken out helicopters arrived and acted as spawn points for the team. Even the pilots in the helicopters were real players. More on MAG later in the show.

PSP Go
Next Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., took the stage to introduce “the worst kept secret of E3.”

• Hirai unveiled the PSP Go, positioned to be the next step in the PSP line. PSP Go is for gamers who don’t need tangible products or UMD devices to enjoy games.
• The handheld is much smaller and fit easily into his shirt pocket. It is 50 percent smaller, 40 percent lighter and flips open to access buttons and the analogue nub.
• PSP Go includes 16 gig of internal flash memory and boasts built in WiFi to allow for easy downloading of games.

• Hirai explained that the PSP Go is not intended to replace the PSP 3000 or the UMD. Sony sees the audiences as different and diverse from each other.
• Sony is also introducing a new application to access PSN on your PC. The idea is to make content transfer easier. Sony then introduced a new application called Sense Me, which will analyze your music library and create a playlist based on your selected mood.
• PSP Go will launch for $249.99

Gran Turismo PSP
Keeping with the PSP focus Sony next introduced Gran Turismo PSP

• Gran Turismo PSP is the first time the franchise has made it to the handheld system.
• We were reassured that it isn’t a shrunken subset of the series; instead it’s a full-scale GT title, running at 60 frames per second.
• The game will feature 800 cars, 35 tracks and 60 layout variations. Ad Hoc tech will let you race with up to four other players.
• The game will allow you to trade and share cars through your garage. Since all 800 cars would be difficult to obtain on your own, the game fosters interaction with friends.
• Gran Turismo PSP will launch October 1 to help celebrate the launch of PSP Go.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Kojima Productions has been busy. Yesterday they announced a new Metal Gear title for the Xbox 360. Today they introduced another work-in-progress within the franchise for the PSP.

• We were assured that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is in development by the main MGS4 team and that it’s not a simple spinoff or side story.
• Peace Walker takes place ten years after Metal Gear Solid 3 in the 1970s.
• Little other details were given, aside from the fact that Solid Snake is the protagonist.
• Peace Walker is expected to debut in 2010.

Resident Evil Portable

• No real details were given about the title, other than that it exists and is currently in development.

Agent
After depleting their PSP news cache, Sony moved onto their bread and butter, the PS3.

• First to be announced was a new Rockstar North property – Agent. All that was disclosed about the title is that it will be exclusive to the PS3 and involves espionage and assassins in the 1970s.

Assassin’s Creed II

• Next we were treated to a demo of Assassin’s Creed II. The main mantra of the new title is to give players more options in all aspects of the game. Diversity in play is key this time around.
• Assassin’s Creed II takes place in Italy during the renaissance, the birth of the modern world.
• The protagonist is a Florentine noble named Ezio Auditore di Firenze who is out for vengeance. Strangely enough, Leonardo da Vinci is his own personal inventor. Da Vinci will make gadgets and tools for Ezio, such as a flying machine we witness first hand. The gliding contraption would gain altitude from drafts of fires burning throughout the city. The glider is one key example of new variation in gameplay.

• While Ezio now has more assassination techniques, there are also new AI archetypes such as “the Seeker” that will make hiding a bit less safe.
• You can now disarm enemies and use their weapons against them. Over thirty will be available to choose from.
• The demo ended with Ezio sneaking away under the cover of a smoke bomb, another one of his new tools.
• Assassin’s Creed II is slated to hit store shelves this holiday.

Final Fantasy XIV Online

• Yep, we are only beginning to unravel the mystery that is Final Fantasy XIII and the next sequential installment is already on the horizon. Even better? The Final Fantasy MMO is slated to launch next year.

Motion Controller Prototype
It’s almost easy to feel bad for Sony, with Microsoft stealing the thunder yesterday with their introduction of Project Natal. Appearing to be the last on the bandwagon isn’t really Sony’s fault, as they have also been working on a motion controller for some time.

• The best way to describe the controller’s appearance is similar to a Bingo dauber. Essentially it’s a short, hand-sized column with a glowing sphere on the end. Buttons are included but from our vantage point we couldn’t see much. We were told that it the controller is a very early prototype.
• The controller can be used alone or as part of a pair. The controller works in tandem with the EyeToy and the result is a one-to-one replication of your movements and gestures on screen. The Eye Toy camera even can swap out the controller with random items such as a tennis racquet, a sword, a mace and a fan. Moving into a first person perspective we were shown the potential for the technology to be used in shooters.
• We watched two tech demos, the first highlighting a digital representation of the presenter trading blows using a sword. Eventually he switched to a bow and arrow, replicating the movements and even dropping down to one knee to get a more steady shot.
• Little more was said, but it appears that the technology will be debuting spring of 2010.

ModNation Racers
Moving along, we were introduced to a game following in LittleBigPlanet’s footsteps under the newly established “play, create and share” genre.

• ModNation Racers is a cart-style racer complete with boosts and weapons that has heavy aesthetic roots in the vinyl toy culture. The game allows you to completely customize your character and your cart.
• However, the real customization comes from the process of designing your own tracks in the Track Studio. You start by laying down a basic outline of the track. The program is smart enough to add elevation if you double back on yourself. From there you can change the texture of the track, add mountains, forests, lakes, villages and more. You can even place weapons and objects where you desire and change the time of day. The items we saw were all contextual to the rural setting of the demo, but the potential for unique tracks is endless.

The Last Guardian
An extremely pleasant surprise, Sony revealed the last in Fumito Ueda’s trilogy comprised of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

• No details were given; instead we watched a several minute long trailer to get the general premise of the game.
• The game stars a young boy and a rather bizarre looking griffon/dog amalgamation. The creature is giant and the pair appears to look out for each other and solve puzzles together.
• At one point in time it appeared that some soldiers were chasing the young boy, and the guardian put his life on the line to save him. If one thing is sure, the first time you look at the Guardian’s ugly but completely endearing mug you will be hooked.

God of War III
Sony ended the briefing with a bang by giving us a glimpse of God of War III.

• The demo was brief, but what we saw was visceral beyond comprehension. In Kratos’ mission to exact revenge on the gods he leaves a rather large wake of destruction and blood.

• A good example came from a chimera baddie. A few seconds into the fight and Kratos had already cut off the snake-like tail, leaving it a bloody stump for the remainder of the fight. A few moments later Kratos broke off one of it’s towering horns and impaled the beast with it in one blow. We also witnessed Kratos completely eviscerate a centaur. It was grizzly.
• God of War III is slated for a March 2010 release.

Sony E3 Recap

Metroid: Other M

• Brand new Metroid title from Tecmo’s Team Ninja and Nintendo.
• Much, much edgier Metroid title, something you could expect from Tecmo.
• Looks like a lot of influence from the Ninja Gaiden series with the action gameplay.
• Huge focus on story and digging into the character of Samus.
• Lot’s of melee attacks and jumping around.
• Scheduled for 2010.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

• First time a Nintendo console has had a second 3D Mario title.
• Returns to the Mario Galaxy style but with an all-new title.
• Yoshi makes a comeback in full force in SMG 2.
• The worlds looked larger than the pervious title.
• The trailer showed Bee Suit, giant Chomps, ice skating and more.
• Very little info on the title.

New Super Mario Bros.

• Not to be confused with the previous DS title, this is an all-new game on the Wii.
• First drop in, drop out classic style Mario title and includes 4 player co-op.
• The main game mode is playable both single and multi.
• Gameplay style allows players to play as a team or for score.
• All-new levels and items including a new propeller suit to fly around.
• Launching Worldwide Holiday 2009

Wii Fit Plus

• Something between an expanded version of the original and a new game.
• New tech follows the player much closer to find and fit the best workout.
• Now tracks calories and other additional info.
• Workout with Mario for the first time including jogging.
• Players can now omit the interludes so workouts keep flowing.
• Original Wii Fit has sold more than 15 million units surpassing some game consoles.

Wii Vitality Sensor

• Very little was shown on this.
• Small finger trap device that senses the players vital.
• A few hints about maybe working with Wii Fit.

Wii Motion Plus & Wii Sports Resort

• We got to see some of the same stuff as last year and some new.
• Bill Trinen demoed the archery gameplay which seemed to work despite how shaky it looked.
• Bill and Reggie went one-on-one in a 3 point basketball shootout demo. Reggie won.
• We also saw the intro game which was skydiving using the remote.
• Very little new info about Wii Motion Plus since last year.
• Red Steel 2 is first major game to require the device.
• Tiger Woods, Smash Court and Virtua Tennis all shipping with the WMP unit.

New DS and DSi Titles

• A plethora of new DS titles were announced including:
• Golden Sun DS – first title in 6 years.
• Mario & Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story, a new RPG feat. Mario and Luigi micro sized and inside Bowser. Launches fall 2009.
• James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club – new mystery story from famed writer from THQ.
• Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! – has a level creator that can be shared and it’s a DSi Ware only title going live on Monday.
• C.O.P. The Recruit – new title from Ubisoft about a rookie undercover cop with a “gritty” storyline.

Nintendo E3 recap

• Microsoft kicked off the program with the opening cinematic of The Beatles Rock Band. The game looks phenomenal, contrasting flat animations with 3D graphics as the songs become more and more psychedelic. They really seem to have captured the essence of The Beatles, down to the masses of screaming fans.
• Next they moved on to show the game live. The in-game graphics look similar to the other Rock Band titles. Demoing the game were three vocalists, one guitar and a bass. The vocalists received bonuses for harmonizing.
• The Beatles Rock Band will launch 09.09.09

• Next they announced ten of the tracks included in the game: “I Saw Her Standing There,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “I Feel Fine,” “Day Tripper,” “Taxman,” “I Am the Walrus,” “Back in the U.S.S.R,” “Octopus’s Garden,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “Get Back.” The songs span The Beatles’ entire career and their avatars evolve as their careers do the same.
• Additionally, new music will be available as full album DLC, the first being Abbey Road. Also, “All you need is Love” will be an Xbox exclusive track with all proceeds donated to Doctors without Borders.
• After seeing the game in action, we were treated with an appearance by Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney themselves. They agreed that while the game and graphics look good, they are great. And we agree. This is one case where the music makes the game.

Tony Hawk: Ride

• Next we moved onto Tony Hawk: Ride. Hawk himself was on hand to show off the finalized board peripheral. The board has two accelerometers and four IR sensors that will translate your movements onto the screen. He then introduced a video showing off the board in use. The board is available to play on the show floor and we plan on getting our feet on it later this week.

Modern Warfare 2

• After Hawk exited the stage we were treated to a new Modern Warfare 2 trailer. As everyone would expect, the game looks fantastic.
• Jason West and Vince Zampella took the stage next to show a live demo of the game. The demo began with us following captain MacTavish as he traversed a slippery cliff using ice picks.
• Once atop the cliff we began to pick off opponents, relying on their heat signals to see past the blinding snow. The stealth approach soon went south forcing us to move to plan B, blow everything to hell.
• While a somewhat morbid thing to notice, blood spray and snow mingle together on the camera crating a wet pink mist. Nice attention to detail Infinity Ward.
• Realizing the need to retreat, familiar music played as we escaped down a hill, taking out snowmobiles in hot pursuit and even using a snow axe to remove a passenger at one point in time. Hopping on the ride MacTavish informs us that stopping is instant death. But with trees toppling from explosives in front of us, neither option looks particularly good.
• After the demo ended and we learned that two Modern Warfare 2 map packs will debut first on Xbox Live.

Final Fantasy XIII

• Next onto Final Fantasy XIII, the big upset of last year. We really didn’t have a chance to see much, other than characters Lightning and Sazh fighting. They did however highlight four active time gauges implemented in the battle system. These gauges will allow consecutive attacks and wider tactics.

• They also revealed Odin for the first time and the summon made quick work of the boss they were fighting.
• Final Fantasy XIII is targeting for a spring 2010 release.

Xbox Exclusives and Debuts

• After checking out the cross-platform titles, Microsoft moved onto their exclusive brands. First they welcomed Epic staff onto the stage to talk about their next title, Shadow Complex. Their first downloadable title, Shadow Complex appears to be a platforming shooter that features tons of exploration, combat and collectables. Boasting ten hours of play, the game will hit XBLA this summer.
• Joyride was next on the agenda, a free downloadable title that will put your Avatar behind the driver’s wheel. Premium content will be available to purchase. The game plays like a cart racer and will hit XBLA this winter.
• Next Microsoft confirmed Crackdown 2 with a brief trailer.
• Without losing steam, Left for Dead 2 debuted and looks even bloodier. Melee weapons such as a chainsaw have been introduced. The game is expected to hit retail November 17.
• Also confirmed was Forza Motorsport 3, which Microsoft is boasting as “the definitive racing title of this generation.”

Splinter Cell: Conviction

• According to Microsoft, the Sam Fisher we know is dead. He is now on a quest to revenge his daughter’s death.
• The game has changed quite a bit from when it was last seen. Now the narrative and objectives unfold in real time and are projected onto Fisher’s surroundings. As he beats a man for information on his daughter’s murderer we see the location he speaks of illustrated on the wall. It’s a very interesting mechanic.
• Each environment is built like a small sandbox, allowing Fisher to choose how best to infiltrate and execute his mission.

Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach

• We next got a brief demo of Halo 3 ODST. Here we saw how the game will transition between characters in order to get the whole story. We were also told that new equipment and weaponry have been introduced to the title that are specific to the ODST..
• Just when we thought they were done, Bungie unveiled Halo: Reach which is expected to hit retail in 2010. A multiplayer beta for Reach will be included with the purchase of ODST. No other details were given.

Alan Wake

• Proving that Alan Wake is still in development, we were shown a demo of the title.
• Alan Wake is an author who goes on a vacation with his wife to get his creative juices flowing. However, she soon disappears and he realizes that his latest novel is coming to life. Considering that the work is a supernatural thriller, the things that await him aren’t very pretty.
• As Alan progresses in the story he narrates everything out loud. In a different context this could be annoying, but somehow it seems fitting.

• Little was disclosed about the dark force in the game that was born from his writing. Armed with a shotgun and a flashlight, we watched Alan search for lost manuscript pages that hold clues to his wife’s whereabouts.
• Alan Wake is expected to release spring of 2010.

Several new additions are coming to Xbox Live. The first is a partnership with Last.fm which will allow gold level subscribers to stream music for free.

• Additionally, Netflix will be refined so that you can browse movies and add them to your queue directly from your Xbox.
• Full 1080p HD video service will be implemented, and all movies and TV will be playable immediately, following the mantra “no disc, no download, no delay.”

• Next, you will be able to watch movies and TV with friends via Live parties, with your friend’s avatars sitting on a couch at the bottom of the screen.
• Facebook will also be coming to Xbox Live. Microsoft has created a “Facebook Experience” from the ground up for the new service. Users will be able to look at profiles, check out images, view news feeds and all the other standard Facebook features.
• Twitter will also be coming to Xbox Live, using a simple interface that refreshes instantly. Both Twitter and Facebook on XBL will debut this fall.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising

• Hideo Kojima then took the stage to announce that Metal Gear is coming to the 360. In doing so he also announced the next game in the franchise, Metal Gear Solid: Rising. Rising will star Raiden as the main protagonist.

Project Natal

• The last and potentially most significant announcement was the debut of Project Natal. Natal is project codename for a camera that uses movement and voice recognition to play games and navigate interfaces.
• The goal of the project is to make you the controller. In the debut trailer we witnessed several potential uses. One player fought an opponent on screen using their full body. Another held their hands on an invisible wheel to play a driving game. Another skateboarded on a phantom board.
• The camera also recognizes faces and voices, automatically loading your Xbox profile for you.
• Two tech demos were highlighted to show off the new technology. Ricochet had a player throwing balls to try and knock down blocks at the end of a long hall. The camera recognized every movement and translated it on screen surprisingly well. Next we saw a second demo that involved painting on a large canvas with full body gestures.
• Last, Peter Molyneux took the stage to show off how they have been playing with Project Natal. The demonstration featured a digital boy named Milo. In the demo a living woman interacted with the boy through the camera. Milo could detect intonation changes in her voice and would react to them. He even threw her a pair of goggles and waited for her to mime putting them on before progressing. At one point the woman drew Milo a picture and handed it to him in the digital world by holding it up to the camera.
• Steven Spielberg even took the time to stop by and express his interest and faith in Project Natal, saying that they only way to truly create an accessible product is to make the technology invisible and banish the learning curve.
• Little in terms of a debut window or price range is known yet, but we were promised that Project Natal will work with all prior and future Xbox 360 systems.

Post-Conference

• After the two-hour conference, Microsoft still had a few items to clean up. Microsoft will begin to integrate Avatar unlockables into games and introduce a premium Avatar store. Game-specific Avatar items will also be available to purchase, such as Halo ODST armor.

• They also announced that August will see the introduction of retail games on for purchase on XBL. These games will still be full price, but will allow the player the instant gratification of playing them without a trip to the store. Games slated for release include BioShock, Assassins Creed, Mass Effect, Lego Star Wars, Crackdown, Oblivion, Dirt and Call of Duty 2. A total of thirty games will be available at launch. It will be possible to purchase games with credit cards instead of Microsoft Points.
• Lastly, Microsoft will also be introducing Xbox Live landings for Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Lips.

Microsoft E3 conference recap

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The PSP go System is due this fall (October 1st, 2009) at a MSRP of $249.99.

PSP go System due this fall for $250

Uncharted 2 : Among Thieves

Check out the trailer for Joy Ride that was shown at E3:

Joy Ride

E3 2009: Big 3 Highlights