FEATURE
E3 2007: The Top 10 Showstoppers
The biggest little spectacle on earth might be over, but the future of video games is brighter than ever.
We've compiled a list of the top 10 essential things to take away from this year's show:
1. It will be the best holiday ever.
...this is according to Microsoft honcho Peter Moore, but we're not going to argue. The bulk of the games shown at E3 07 are due out within the next six months, including a dizzying array of triple-A blockbusters. No matter what console you own or plan on buying this holiday, there's bound to be a game or five easily worth your Christmas bonus. Check out ten of the best:
Halo 3
Cancel every appointment and unplug the phone - you'll get to finish the fight when Halo 3 ruins your social life on September 25th.
Grand Theft Auto IV
We have a feeling something big might go down in Liberty City this October.
Madden NFL 08
It might come out in August, but EA's football juggernaut looks poised to hurdle past countless chumps on its way to another holiday TD.
Super Mario Galaxy
The great Super Mario 64 finally gets a worthy sequel in this gravity-defying platform masterpiece.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Mascot mania reaches a fever pitch when this action-packed fighting game sucker punches its way into the season at the beginning of December.
Mass Effect
The minds behind Knights of the Old Republic set their sights on outer space, and the results are indeed out of this world. Awesome.
Guitar Hero III
Activision's second encore features wireless Les Paul guitars and an epic set list.
Rock Band
Uh oh, looks like a battle of the bands!
Assassin's Creed
Sneak through Jerusalem and, we think, time itself in Ubisoft's agile crowd-pleaser.
Heavenly Sword
Sony's goddess of war exacts exclusive revenge in September.
2. Sony fights back.
Sony made quite an impression with their quietly confident press conference. It was the favorite among those who also attended Microsoft and Nintendo's briefings, and the positive reception has already helped turn back some of the backlash against Sony and the PS3.
While the other two hardware companies focused more on numbers and describing their influence, Sony unveiled several new games, like InFamous from Sly Cooper creators Sucker Punch and intriguing new PlayStation Network games like Echochrome and Everyday Shooter. Sony seems to realize that great games are the fasted way to legitimize the PS3, and steps have obviously been taken to deliver them.
In addition to obvious first-party exclusives (Gran Turismo, Heavenly Sword, Warhawk), Sony came out ahead of Microsoft and Nintendo with respect to third-party exclusivity. The company has made a deal with popular PC MMO company NCSoft (Guild Wars, City of Heroes) to create exclusive content for the PS3. Could we see Tabula Rasa or a brand new MMO property on the system soon? Unreal Tournament III will also make its console debut only on the PS3 (an Xbox 360 version will eventually follow) and for the time being Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4 is also a Sony exclusive.
The only real letdown was the unveiling of the new PSP. Now, the new system is actually quite nice. It's thinner, lighter and powered by a better battery than the original, though it lacks the one feature many hoped for: a second analog stick. But bundled with a game and 1GB memory stick for $199, the October release is a much better buy than the first generation handheld, and could provide crucial competition for Nintendo's DS.
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Posted: 13 Jul 2007