E3: Day Zero / Day One

The Day Before E3:

From inspiration, to procrastination, to implementation, to anticipation, to action; an unusual path for me in acting on any project. I never have trouble boarding the train at the station, but inevitably I ask for an early exit long before reaching any ultimate or useful destination. And so, as I believe IÂ've mentioned before, the undertaking of a trip to E3 was a lovely idea last year when it was first conceived, but it seemed all too unlikely. And yet, here I sit some several miles above the impenetrable flatness of Nebraska drifting on metal wings toward the West Coast.

Certis is also on this plane, though our initial plan of trading barbs to pass the time and miles has fallen through. Or rather, I sabotaged it. ItÂ's nothing personal, I assure you, but when it came down to loyalty or comfort I chose the more base, and so I sit content in the great expanse of an exit row while he languishes toward the back of the plane. I hear the occasional squall of a distressed child from his section of the flight over the dulcet voices of my nearby friendly travelers who have not once broken into sudden violent tantrum. I do not regret my choice one bit.

It is an odd thing first meeting someone with whom youÂ've had some kind of relationship for going on two years. There is a strange disjointed element between the oddity of ascribing a body to what has, until now, been words on a computer screen, and the familiarity of the personality within that person. ItÂ's hard to even put a first impression on that sort of thing, because it is at once unusual and perfectly normal. ItÂ's not like I can just picture him as a box on a screen anymore, now heÂ's corporeal, substantive, and crammed into a seat some dozen yards behind me. ItÂ's really quite strange.

And yet, we managed to be quite peaceable toward one another for nearly an hour already, not having had the impetus to act either in a violent nor offensive manner. ItÂ's easier for me, of course, because IÂ'm a much taller man than he, and so itÂ's understood that I could kick his ass from one end of the plane to the other. And yet, even as I write that, and prepare to post it, I know now that I have a person to answer to for my irresponsibly cavalier commentary. Not that IÂ'm worried, itÂ's just kind of weird.

I have the sense that the strangeness will pass soon enough, probably about the time we arrive to meet Pyro and Sway who will introduce an entirely new level to the absurdity of it all, and we can all pass neatly into the kind of surrealism I suspect will just make everyone much more comfortable. And with that, we will deliver to you, from LA, our perspectives on the conference.

A child is squalling at the back of the plane, and as I stretch all six foot four of me comfortably across this gulf of a row, I donÂ't hesitate to feel completely satisfied in my seat change.

Naturally the child reminds me of my own son, not so much because of the crying, but because the crying reminds me how much more fantastic my boy is than everyone elseÂ's. Certis was actually the first to point out that this will be, by far, the longest IÂ've gone without being beside my son since his birth. Because I know Elysia will be looking at these journals over the week, I hope you will pardon me for participating in a moment of completely personal commentary: you were right, I do miss him more than I thought.

Everyone else can gag now, and weÂ'll move on again together, shall we?

 


The flight ended after a number of hours that passed easily for me. I had a friendly conversation with a young lady who looked vaguely like Carrie Anne Moss. Between friendly banter, and some occasional light reading the time flew [sic] by. Certis, however, enjoyed the company of a man who snored. Again, I do not regret my choices.

Pyro and Sway were waiting at the hotel when we arrived and after a few moments of stilted small talk in which we resolved the issue of our all being both real and fleshy, we proceeded to the room. After some degree of conversation on the matter we all agreed that the entire night would be better facilitated by some food followed by alcoholic beverages. This proved a sage decision.

Mexican food was eaten, and so in kind we purchased twelve packs of Dos Equis and Corona.The results of a dangerous gastric mingling are best left unspoken, as are the details revolving around a disturbing game of Hearts. At some point weÂ'll talk about it, but now is neither the time now place. Thwarted by some draconian theft prevention devices on the hotel television we were unable even to play the Gamecube brought by Sway. There was some brief talk about Sway purchasing a television specifically for the Gamecube and then trying to return it later, but so far no action has been taken. WhatÂ's important is that we seem a compatible enough group even in the most frustrating situation of having no gaming options to pass the time.

Los Angeles itself is the fifth wheel of our strange group, and is perhaps the strangest of all. Here in Westwood where we have taken up temporary residence, nobody drives cars of lower stature than BMWs and Mercedes. Why they even drive these cars remains a mystery to me as there is absolutely no available parking within several hundred miles. ItÂ's bizarre that in this technologically complex metropolis the best way to get from one point to the other may very well be to just hoof it. This is some information I might have preferred to know earlier.

Much of the night was spent noting that it was much later in our native time zones, and making disturbing out of context remarks that simply are best left undocumented. Corona does strange things to four gamers in a hotel room the night before E3.

Strange things indeed.


E3: Day One

Â"If big were blue, it would be very very blue.Â" SwayÂ's description of E3

After day one of E3 my perspective is even more strained and twisted than it was just last night, and thatÂ's saying something. Today has been a cavalcade of moments that startled and amazed me within the cacophony of the E3 floor. ItÂ's a dizzying mind bending display, where never ending sound assails you from all sides. Describing it so freshly in my memory is not an easy task, waves of people, a constant swarm of noise and light, and the omnipresent number of closed doors for VIP access that never ceases to remind us that weÂ're barely of worth enough to walk among the throng.

It was a surprising pleasure to get direct contact with the gents and ladies making the games I will most certainly come to play. Although, they were already hollow eyed and speaking a monotone rhetoric by the end of the first day, they were pleasant enough and happy to tell me that they didnÂ't have the answers to my questions. Today was widely about getting a feel for the floor, taking in the big games and announcements, and tasting everything as though from a giant digital buffet, whereas tomorrow will be more about spending time with individual titles.

ThatÂ's not to say I didnÂ't get a good look at a few choice titles.We sat in on a Half-Life 2 demo, and though it would be well and good to be jaded and skeptical about ValveÂ's offering, I just canÂ't do it. I still want it bad, maybe worse because it feels tangible and near. There was some footage of Counter-Strike delivered via the Source engine, but it wasnÂ't nearly as notable as some might make of it. We also got some time in on Tribes 3, and thatÂ's looking quite promising, seeking to revisit what made the franchise notable in the first place.

Additionally, I got to chat with one of the developers working on the latest Madden, and after some play time color me stoked. The guy I talked with happened to be working on the element IÂ'm most interested in, namely the numerous enhancements to MaddenÂ's franchise mode. Finally youÂ'll be able put draft positions on the table when wheeling and dealing trades, an addition IÂ've long desired. Additionally, individual players will have personalities that directly affect their performance and even their desire to stay with the team or leave. That means that if T.O. doesnÂ't get enough catches, maybe T.O. doesnÂ't play as hard next game, or even demands to be traded. The main focus this year is turned onto defense, including the addition of a Â"˜hit stickÂ' where you can tweak the controller and increase the power and accuracy of your tackles.

At some point Certis will point out his last minute 2 point conversion for a win. I ask that you ignore him.

I spent twenty minutes talking to a developer – one of the nameless many I spoke to – about Peter MolyneuxÂ's latest effort, The Movies, and for a pre-alpha build I found myself quite impressed. LionheadÂ's latest effort looks to be innovative, and flush with level upon level of customization. More than just a movie making simulation, Lionhead seems to have spent quality time taking an original idea and actually making a fun game out of it. You can spend as little or much time as you want crafting individual movies in between managing staff, sets, and stars. For those with the time and inclination you can even put your own spoken voice scripts and MP3 soundtracks into your movie, and then export those movies to share with friends if you have the kind of friends dying to see your homemade video game movies.

I will leave it to Certis to describe at some point precisely why he returned from a demonstration of Rome: Total War giggling like a school girl, and exactly how tingly he felt getting fifteen minutes of quality time with Warren Spector. Though, you can imagine our enthusiasm when Spector confirmed to us that Deus Ex 3 was to be made, and that he would be much more deeply involved with the next version.

Thief looked mighty good, but I was not used to the controls and wandered aimlessly into the sight of some random guard who chased me down and cut me but deep. This wouldnÂ't be particularly notable were it not for Warren Spector barking orders at me about what I should have been doing, and with the implied concern that I was playing his game wrong. IÂ'll say this for the game god, he has great enthusiasm for his game, and I swear Warren, IÂ'll never make that mistake again!

I guess I should say something about the Phantom, so let me say this. Just because you brought a box to the show doesnÂ't make you the belle of the ball. The more I saw of the Phantom the more I found the concerns IÂ'd always held about the system justified. It still seems like a bad idea, with a mediocre implementation, and an unnecessary addition of a fee to buying games. You canÂ't play the games you download unless youÂ're connected to the service. New games will cost essentially the same as if you just bought them in the store, except that you wonÂ't actually have any reasonable possession of them, and you get to pay a fee. The demo units had strange graphical flicker issues, and we saw at least one blue screen of death in our short stay at InfiniumÂ's booth. The only thing we really got definitively from them was a release date for the system. I donÂ't recall off hand what that date was, I didnÂ't bother to write it down.

But, letÂ's not dwell on the bad. The big event of the show for me today had to be the pleasant surprise that was NintendoÂ's showing. I may just have to get a Gamecube after all. Metroid Prime 2, Advanced Wars Underfire, Paper Mario 2, Resident Evil 4, Pikmin 2, and Starfox just to name a few. Nintendo came to the show with some big guns, and did what Nintendo does best: placed a premium on quality above quantity. While SonyÂ's booth certainly had more games, my first impression is that Nintendo had the best showing of the big three.

What I can tell you is that my feet hurt, my head is a little swimmy, and my eyes feel like theyÂ're covered in cat fur. ItÂ's a heady experience, and IÂ'm looking forward to day two, but the above is about as coherent and cogent a series of thoughts as I can form at this time. ThereÂ's also the constant pressure from Sway and Certis to go downstairs and drink instead of writing content for the site. ItÂ's starting to sound look a good idea.

A very good idea.

- Elysium

Comments

I hope you will pardon me for participating in a moment of completely personal commentary: you were right, I do miss him more than I thought.

I can only hope the strippers will soften the pain.

Bring news of the next Zelda game!

Though, you can imagine our enthusiasm when Spector confirmed to us that Deus Ex 3 was to be made, and that he would be much more deeply involved with the next version.

You all decided to take a nap? That'd be my reaction.

Mex wrote:
I hope you will pardon me for participating in a moment of completely personal commentary: you were right, I do miss him more than I thought.

I can only hope the strippers will soften the pain.

Bring news of the next Zelda game!

And also tell us about the one game that you were just so horribly embarrassed for the developer to even be showing. The most wretched of the show must be named!

You can't play the games you download unless you're connected to the service.

Interesting. I thought it was impossible for me to care less about the Phantom than I did before, but man, here you go.

Spunior wrote:
You can't play the games you download unless you're connected to the service.

Interesting. I thought it was impossible for me to care less about the Phantom than I did before, but man, here you go.

I think the only audience that might consider buying this, would be the audience that already plays MMORPGs and then only those that have the kind of money to blow on a system like this. Also only the people that have a good online connection will consider buying it. Already you have cut down the potential buyers so low, it almost is incomprehensible for it to last long. I theorize it will go the way of the Sega CD and Virtual Boy, without the profit.

Elysium wrote:

Thief looked mighty good, but I was not used to the controls and wandered aimlessly into the sight of some random guard who chased me down and cut me but deep. This wouldn't be particularly notable were it not for Warren Spector barking orders at me about what I should have been doing, and with the implied concern that I was playing his game wrong.

LOL! I can just imagine how that went...

(Cue harp music and water-ripple picture effect with crossfade)

Elysium: Ok, the guard is hitting me. I hypothesise that this is not desirable.

Spector: Hit him back! Hit him back!

Elysium: My compunction to do so is only strengthened by the fact that I find the controls vague and unfimiliar.

Spector: Don't let reality get in the way! You're supposed to be having fun!

*Elysium's character dies*

Spector: You have insulted me.

(Apologies to all if the above is distinctly unfunny.)

The unattending masses also demand to know if there has been any inappropriate touching already? Other than that, awesome report :D. Please send more!

(Apologies to all if the above is distinctly unfunny.)

Nope. It is about the same type of unfunny that I read everyday on this website.

The unattending masses also demand to know if there has been any inappropriate touching already?

That's a silly question. Of course so. When he says "Hearts", it actually refers to playing a game of grabass in their boxers. If you don't believe me, replace "Hearts" with "grabass" and tell me if you don't see what I'm talking about.

I've thought that the experience of the site authors finally meeting each other could only result in one of two situations: The site content gets better because they become closer, or the site dies because they all realize how much they hate each other. Only time will tell. Lord_Xan, that scene was *exactly* how I saw it in my head as well

I really can't wait to hear about Certis' experience with Total War:Rome and more importantly his schoolgirl-esque giggling.

Hmmm if the phantom comes with a free gold bar or something I might buy it.... Or if it say can be reformatted and be turned into a media center PC at half the price or something

painthappens wrote:

Or if it say can be reformatted and be turned into a media center PC at half the price or something :D

That's what I'm waiting for!

I've thought that the experience of the site authors finally meeting each other could only result in one of two situations: The site content gets better because they become closer, or the site dies because they all realize how much they hate each other.

It's entirely possible to get on very well with someone you've spoken to online, get on famously with offline and then have a friendship evaporate for no apparent reason.

The site isn't safe just yet.

Also please upload pictures of the spooning for blackmail purposes

Cool, thanks for the first hand report! I look forward to the other guys as well, it would be cool if you wrote your stuff up Elysium then the other three appended their impressions to it so we can get the other points of view and what they saw.

1Dgaf wrote:
I've thought that the experience of the site authors finally meeting each other could only result in one of two situations: The site content gets better because they become closer, or the site dies because they all realize how much they hate each other.

It's entirely possible to get on very well with someone you've spoken to online, get on famously with offline and then have a friendship evaporate for no apparent reason.

The site isn't safe just yet.

Hell I met my wife online and we've been happily married for 3 years and have a son now Although in her case she wasn't a guy named Certic, Pyro, Sway or Elysium so she had that going for her

I had a friendly conversation with a young lady who looked vaguely like Carrie Anne Moss

Lucky bastard. Are you getting a lot of good swag?

There was some brief talk about Sway purchasing a television specifically for the Gamecube and then trying to return it later, but so far no action has been taken.

As the true signs of a gamer

Much of the night was spent noting that it was much later in our native time zones, and making disturbing out of context remarks that simply are best left undocumented.

Uh-huh. I think we all know what's really going on: Pillow fights... doing each other's hair... giggling about boys... disappearing into the closet for games of "7 Minutes in Heaven"...

Uh-huh. I think we all know what's really going on: Pillow fights... doing each other's hair... giggling about boys... disappearing into the closet for games of "7 Minutes in Heaven"...

Come on. These guys are adults. When they go into the closet, it's for at least half an hour.

ralcydan wrote:
Uh-huh. I think we all know what's really going on: Pillow fights... doing each other's hair... giggling about boys... disappearing into the closet for games of "7 Minutes in Heaven"...

Come on. These guys are adults. When they go into the closet, it's for at least half an hour.

I really needed that picture in my head, thanks tons.

The unattending masses also demand to know if there has been any inappropriate touching already?

Thoughts of inappropriate touching were sand blasted right out of my mind when it was revealed that mexican food and quantities of beer were consumed on the first night. That comment alone sent a shiver of apprehension up my spine. I'm sure the digestive effects of that combination dampened thoughts of romance in the air that night.

Incredible article. Having to connect a body, face, set of mannerisms to words on a screen seems like it would be incredibly disconcerting. What would be even crazier is having to get used to everyone's real names. What did you guys do, Elysium? Just call each other by your screen names, or did you use Jeff or Billy or Bob or whatever?

I would like to see a commercial version of Thief with an optional soundtrack of Warren Spector barking at the player when the player screws up. Sort of like a director's commentary track for video games.

slambie wrote:
The unattending masses also demand to know if there has been any inappropriate touching already?

Thoughts of inappropriate touching were sand blasted right out of my mind when it was revealed that mexican food and quantities of beer were consumed on the first night. That comment alone sent a shiver of apprehension up my spine. I'm sure the digestive effects of that combination dampened thoughts of romance in the air that night.

hey, hey, no knocking other peoples aphrodisiacs, mmkay?? Some people are allergic to oysters you know.

as are the details revolving around a disturbing game of Hearts

Wow, you guys are par-T animals!! Hearts. Now that is one bad-ass way to spend your first night in LA with a group of buddies. Some guys would go out carousing -- others might wake up in the tank, wondering who they beat up the night vefore -- but the real adventurers hunker down for a game of Hearts maybe even Mahjong if they're feeling crazy.

slambie wrote:
The unattending masses also demand to know if there has been any inappropriate touching already?

Thoughts of inappropriate touching were sand blasted right out of my mind when it was revealed that mexican food and quantities of beer were consumed on the first night. That comment alone sent a shiver of apprehension up my spine. I'm sure the digestive effects of that combination dampened thoughts of romance in the air that night.

And you were saying you couldn't be disturbed by what gets posted around here.

Uh-huh. I think we all know what's really going on: Pillow fights... doing each other's hair... giggling about boys... disappearing into the closet for games of "7 Minutes in Heaven"...

Come on. These guys are adults. When they go into the closet, it's for at least half an hour.

That's funny. I was thinking that these guys are guys; the closet only takes 2 1/2 minutes...

EDIT: Unless the other 27 1/2 minutes is for the nap.

That's funny. I was thinking that these guys are guys; the closet only takes 2 1/2 minutes...

See the thing is, is that Pyro takes that little blue pill. And he forgot it probably. So he won't be in the closet longer than 30 seconds before he comes out looking disgruntled and disheveled.

A true gamer would of found a hotel that had an Xbox service. I forget which hotel it was that had it, but when I was in FL you could order up a game, like a movie.

I hope someone's taking pics to go with this great commentary.

I want to point out that I encouraged the other guys to post something. Pyro even pulled out his laptop and poked it with a stick for a while. Certis and Sway went to the nearby EB, bought Gameboy games and laughed about all the content they weren't posting. I think you'll be getting impressions from them later, so no worries.

Lord_Xan, I want to know how you got the transcript for my conversationg with Warren, because that was pretty much word for word.

Also, I'm posting this here from the media center at E3. I just say that so you guys know how painfully cool I am!

What did you guys do, Elysium? Just call each other by your screen names, or did you use Jeff or Billy or Bob or whatever?

We kind of alternate, I think nick names are getting more play than real ones so far.

We just left the SEGA booth and it was scary, I almost fell asleep in there after Elysium and I finished playing ESPN football (I wasted him) and looked at the rest of their games. If it wasn't for the Phantom SEGA may have had the most depressing presence at the show. You just wait for my Phantom report, despair hangs over that area like a noxious cloud.