E3 2011: Sony

Before the PSN network outage, E3 looked to belong to Sony this year. Then, Sony mistakenly declared war on hackers, and lost. For a month, there was no online. They lost money, the second-party companies that use PSN lost money, and everyone was just generally pissed off. So instead, Sony walks into E3 humble, and with a big elephant in the room.

And they dealt with it wonderfully. Right off the bat the CEO comes out, and gives a long, very heartfelt apology to everyone (except the press, who he says "You're welcome" to). It felt sincere, was just long enough to not feel like a throwaway, but was just short enough not to distract from the line-up of awesome they had in store. So bravo, Sony.

Of course, after that, what better way to start the show than with Uncharted 3. If you played Uncharted 2, you remember the train section. Well get ready to have that blown away by by the boat section they showed off. Dynamically shifting with the waves, a bit of stealth, lots of action...Uncharted 2 set a bar for action adventure games, and this looks to surpass it. Waiting with bated breath for November 1st.

Blockbuster #2: Resistance 3. So far Insomniac had only shown off a section on a boat, which looked...well, it didn't sell me. This section, an ambush on a dropship, looked much more intense, using more of the cool gadgets and weapons expected from an Insomniac game. Unlike the rest of the world, I didn't enjoy the first Resistance game, and I haven't played the second, so I'm keeping my reservations about the third, but there's no doubt that for FPS fans, Resistance 3 is going to stay true to its traditions of gritty, high action combat with innovative tech. But to top it all off, they announced a new PS Move bundle, which will come with Resistance 3, the PS Eye, a Move controller, a navigation controller, and the sharpshooter peripheral, all for only $150. So if you're ever going to get Move, this will be the way to do it.

Sony has been pushing the 3D train along whether people want it or not, possibly (okay, definitely) because they also sell the 3D TVs. Both Uncharted and Resistance will have 3D, but then they also announce that the God of War Origins collection (the 2 PSP games remastered for PS3) AND the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus collection will both be coming this September, and both will be fully playable in 3D. But all this 3D doesn't really matter if a TV is going to cost you a ridiculous amount of money right? So they introduce a PS branded 24" 3DTV, with a special tech that allows two players to see two distinct images on the same TV set instead of having to do split screen, AND the 3D glasses are going to be less expensive. So what does all this actually come to? The TV, a pair of glasses, and HDMI cable, and Resistance 3...$500. Glasses alone...$70. While I still wince at the glasses price, taking into account the cost of Resistance and the glasses, that makes the TV cost only about $370, which is a steal. Though, it also seems to me that if you really want to spend the money on a 3DTV, you're going to want more than 24". Still, at least Sony has caught on to the fact that if you really want 3D to take off, you're going to need to make it more affordable.

From 3D we move to...the Move. The first title they show is NBA 2K12, where using the Move you can easily just point and click at the person you want to pass to, or while on defense click the guy you want to block. Now, the thing about it is it looks like you can pretty much let the game play itself, as Kobe Bryant shows when he comes up on stage and seems to not really play the game at all (watch the cursor on screen). Plus it's a sports game so I already don't care.

Next up is Medieval Moves: Dead Man's Quest. From the same makers as Sports Champions, this quirky title looks to do away with an inventory system while still allowing you access to three weapons: sword and shield, bow and arrow, and throwing stars. Depending on the motion you make, that's the weapon you use, and the switch is really quite seamless. It seems a game that would work much better with two Move controllers, but they only showcased one. Still, it looks to be a fun use of Move, and it's coming this Fall.

Trailer for Infamous 2 that reminds me I need to review it...heehee. Whoops. But there's also the announcement that later this year they will be adding Move functionality to both Infamous 2 and adding more Move functionality to LittleBigPlanet 2.

Trailer for Starhawk, which while it was a little unclear about what the gameplay will be like, has received nothing but good buzz from its showing on the show floor. A mix of ground combat, air combat, and some kind of system where new units/equipment is dropped from space? Sounds cool to me.

Teaser for Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. Never did play the originals or get the Sly collection, though I've heard nothing but good stuff about it. Time to get the collection?

Now here's something I don't know what to make of. Dust 514 is going to be an extension of EVE Online, a massive space MMO, but it's going to be exclusive to PS3 and focus on ground combat. Yet, it will still link somehow with EVE. Not only that, but it will have Move support, a space in Home, and will extend to the NGP (yes, it finally gets a name, more on that in a bit). Guess we have to wait until Spring 2012 to see what it's all about.

Get your saliva glands ready, it's Bioshock Infinite. Only a trailer, but still, the more I see of this game the more I NEED IT. But then Ken Levine, head of Irrational Games steps up. And he looks kind of nervous. And then he starts talking about how he did this interview a while ago doubting motion control and how he said some disparaging things about the Move. And all I could think was Gabe Newell last year announcing he was wrong about Sony and how the PS3 version of Portal 2 would be the best one. So Ken keeps going and says Sony heard the interview, and sent him a Move and talked with him about it and basically said "Just try it." And he did, and he liked it. So Bioshock Infinite will have Move support. And if that isn't a reason to get it I don't know what is. Then to top it all off, he says there's another Bioshock game that has been mulling around in his head for a long time and it's still in the very early stages, but it finally found a home...on the NGP. Oh, and after that, the PS3 version of Infinite will also have a free copy of the original Bioshock. On the same disc. Good....god. It's like Christmas came early.

Brief mention of an exclusive game mode for Saint's Row the Third coming November 15th.

Here's something interesting, a co-op third person shooter based on the next Star Trek film that actually looks good? And it's fully compatible with Move, and will have a phaser peripheral. And it comes with a prequel exclusive to PSN. Rock on.

Some exclusive offers from EA: race down Mt. Fuji in SSX, 7 additional supercars for Need for Speed: The Run, Battlefield 1943 for free and on the same disc as Battlefield 3, along with other unmentioned support for the NGP.

Speaking of, it's finally time! Well, first an odd and very vague announcement about Playstation Suite, which will allow PS certified Android smartphones access to the "playstation experience". What this means is anyone's guess, especially since they talked about it as people using it to get a taste of Playstation which will bring them running to the PS3.

Now it's time! The NGP is officially called...the PS Vita. Front and back touchscreens, dual analog sticks, front and back cameras, a multitouch 5" OLED screen, and six-axis. This thing is a freakin powerhouse. Then they mention a 3G version with an exclusive contract with the nation's fastest network...and you can tell everyone is wondering who the hell they think that is...and then they say it. The bad word. AT&T. And there's an audible groan throughout the audience. After all the complaints about AT&T with the iPhone, how Sony could turn to them and not expect backlash is beyond me. Oh well, moving on they're finally introducing cross-game chat which PSN users have been complaining about not having (since it's on Xbox) for a while now, along with something they're calling Near, which sounds like a way to connect with other PS Vita users near you.

But new tech means nothing without good games to go with it. So what do they roll out but Uncharted: Golden Abyss. And...wow. Just wow. The graphics are easily as good as the first Uncharted. Then on top of that, the touch screen controls not only look somewhat useful and interesting, but in case you don't care for them they're also completely optional. Whaaaaat.

Next up is Ruin, a top-down action RPG that looked an awful lot like Torchlight/Diablo. However, there's apparently this system whereby during the course of the game you create your own lair that rivals you encounter on PSN can attack, and you can attack theirs as well to earn better loot. Sounds interesting, as long as it's implemented well. But then the real kicker comes in that you can seamlessly transfer between playing on the Vita and playing on the PS3. Just save your game to the Cloud, load it on PS3, and there you go. I certainly won't complain about a portable Diablo clone I can also play at home.

ModNation Racers is back with a Vita specific version that allows you to craft a track in much less time using the touch screen. By touching the back you can add mountains, by touching the front you can draw the line of the track, add jumps and banks with a flick of your finger, and even create dents and lakes in the scenery just by pressing on an area. Again, racing games and creating tracks aren't really my thing, but I can certainly see the appeal, especially as all 2 million tracks and cars from the previous versions will be available from day 1.

Also no big surprise, Little Big Planet is coming to Vita, also with new functionality and sharing between it and the PS3 (at least in costumes, that's all they showed in the trailer).

Street Fighter X Tekken will have a PS Vita version, which really isn't surprising considering Street Fighter came to the 3DS. What is surprising is that Cole from Infamous will be in the game, which is awesome, and a short demo showed the graphics to easily be up to par for a PS3 Street Fighter title, despite still being in like alpha phase.

But now comes the important part. The price. There are two models, one just WiFi, and the other WiFi+3G. WiFi only will be *drum roll*....$249. WiFi+3G will be $299. This is frankly shocking, as not only is it the same price as the, sorry, technologically inferior 3DS, but it's also the same price that the PSP launched at. Now, it's arguable the PSP launched at a far too high price, but it's now just as easily arguable that the Vita is launching at a low price point considering all the tech inside. I've never owned a handheld before, but the Vita is making a strong case for being the first. Great launch titles, impressive tech, connectivity with PS3, and a stomachable price point means this thing is going to sell like hotcakes.

Sony looks to be coming out of this E3 stronger than ever, with a great showing in terms of blockbuster games, new Move support, and the PS Vita. Despite the PSN outage, Sony's rolling on, and looking to wow everyone. Well done.