Nintendo at E3 2009

Nintendo held their E3 press conference this morning, for which I dragged myself out of bed. While I hold no grudge against the other two-thirds of the "big three," I couldn't be bothered to get up for Microsoft's showing yesterday, and only half-heartedly stuck around for Sony. I'm not a journalist, so here are my completely biased impressions:

(Warning: The following contains extensive spoilers about Nintendo's press conference, obviously. If you want to see it for yourself, don't read ahead.)

The conference started out slow, with the boring Cammie Dunaway taking the stage first. With the direction Nintendo has been taking the past few years, I think we all expected a heavy emphasis on casual, which is exactly how the show began. We got to see Wii Fit Plus, which is basically non-game Wii Fit with a few more features. In the same vein, a lot of time was spent on Wii Sports Resort, which is being used as a vehicle for Wii MotionPlus. Nintendo acted like the device was an announcement, but of course it's been common knowledge for a while. It promises true 1:1 motion sensing for Wii games, which (Reggie assures us!) will faithfully recreate your every mistake and flub in-game! Just like REAL sports!

Of all the casual news, however, the best was definitely the Wii Vitality Sensor. The Vitality Sensor is a pulse oximeter that... well, actually, that's it. Yes, a peripheral that does nothing but take your pulse was actually one of Nintendo's major hardware announcements. While there are some interesting opportunities here (horror and rhythm games?), it may not be practical for anything really cool, given differences in physiology and play style.

On to the good stuff. First of all, NEW GOLDEN SUN?! I don't think anyone was expecting that. Nintendo have been so focused on pleasing casuals at one end of the spectrum, and pacifying hardcores with big-name franchises at the other that this was, to me, mind-blowing. Aside from the sheer surprise of it, I have nothing to say except: thank you, Nintendo.

In second place, OTHER M. A new Metroid isn't too surprising in itself (though it is certainly very pleasing), but everything about this game is unexpected. First off, Retro Studios are out of the picture; this project is a partnership between Nintendo and Team Ninja. A very unusual choice, given that TN are known for Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, and nothing else. Fortunately, former studio head Tomonobu Itagaki is no longer with the team, so at least we won't be seeing J-cup Samus. Which brings up another point: practically no Zero Suit Samus in the trailer. Samus has been getting a much more sexual image lately, contrary to her "empowered woman" roots. So it's awesome to see her in full power suit, throwing out God of War-style action. Another surprise was the inclusion of Adam, Samus' former CO. ("Any objections, lady?")

Lastly, not one but TWO new Mario games coming to Wii. New Super Mario Bros Wii is a side-scroller like its DS counterpart, but allows up to four players on the screen at a time. Even better, it would appear that the original Koopa Kids have finally returned. Hopefully this will be a permanent replacement of the poor substitute that is baby Bowser. It looks to be a fun, classic Mario game with the potential for party game status as well. Secondly, Super Mario Galaxy will be getting a much-needed sequel, which will include much more Yoshi. Nothing innovative, but I don't think the novelty of Galaxy has worn off yet. Expect both games to sell like hotcakes.

That's about it; everything I cared about at E3. No apologies from Reggie regarding the fate of Fatal Frame 4 or Another Code R, nor even a single appearance from Miyamoto. It wasn't a total loss, however, with far less casual news than I expected to hear. Four major titles I'm excited about, with a couple more we already know (Spirit Tracks!) to fill in the gaps, and enough casual content to keep the big N running strong.

Left in the Dust

Barely more than six months ago, Valve released Left 4 Dead, a first-person, zombie-shooting game characterized by the quality the developer is known for. Players choose one of four characters, and make their way to saferooms located throughout the city, aided by the game's AI, known as "the Director." The AI decides the position and number of enemies, weapons and items throughout a level, ensuring a completely different (and never boring) experience each time you play. Perhaps what makes L4D most unique, though, is the depth of the co-op experience. Even playing solo, you rely on your fellow survivors to free you from the grasp of certain zombies, pull you up from a ledge or share their supplies when you're starting to drag.

Though an exhilarating experience, the game's content was scant upon its release: four campaigns, each about an hour long, only two of which were available for play in "versus" mode. However, this didn't stop L4D from receiving praise left and right; bare bones games are a hallmark of Valve, who prefer to gradually add new content throughout a game's lifespan. This kind of multi-course delivery serves to keep players playing, and allows the developers to respond to fan feedback. The formula has proven especially effective for Team Fortress 2, another Valve title released a little over a year before L4D, and still thriving on periodic content updates.

Which is why many gamers are shocked at the recent E3 announcement that a Left 4 Dead 2 is in the works, and due out this year. So far, we've been told that a new cast of survivors (which seems to include Fresh Prince's Uncle Phil) will star, making use of new weapons, items and maps, and even facing new zombies. A generation ago, this might have made sense: a better, shinier sequel featuring everything you couldn't fit into the original.

But the nature of the upgrades, and especially the timing, have everyone scratching their heads. Left 4 Dead is still incomplete, and this is exactly the kind of content that it needs to flesh it out. Further, the highly-successful game is probably still years away from petering out; there is no demand, let alone any need, for a sequel just yet. The most likely explanation would be a financial one, but Valve is alive and thriving, and have never been known to abandon a game with such a large user base.

So why? Why is Valve, a successful and beloved developer, brushing off a flourishing game six months after release to deliver an unwanted sequel? Why isn't this content being put into L4D, where it's desperately needed? E3 is supposed to answer questions and pique our curiosity, not raise suspicions and cause mass confusion. With any luck, fans will receive reassurance following further news on L4D2, and this won't just be one big let-down.

New World

I've moved all my "life" posts to a new world so I can just use this one for essays and stuff. The whineblog can be found at: http://www.theotaku.com/worlds/felxiecogs

Mott

Being so absorbed in the latest installation in the Animal Crossing series, the game has been on my mind. I've been working on an essay that may or may not be posted, but in the meantime, here is a short anecdote.

One of the most interesting encounters I've had in Animal Crossing involved a lion by the name of Mott in my City Folk town. Mott was a resident of Ecclesia when I moved in, and I took quickly to the big cat. We became fast friends, but in the days -- and eventually weeks -- that I had been living there, I had never seen the inside of Mott's house. My curiosity grew, but I could never seem to catch Mott while he was inside. I played at all hours of the day, but he was always out running around, fishing pole in paw.

Then one day, out of the blue, the incredible happened: Mott invited me to his "pad." He was the first animal to do so, making the occasion even more momentous. As the time approached, I paced outside, trying to picture what kind of house such a cool guy would have. Modern furniture? Maybe a Robo theme?

I knocked. The door opened.

I stood in that house for what must have been a full minute, staring. Paralyzed by incredulity. Mott, at the time my coolest animal neighbor and best non-human friend, was living... in a bathroom. Bath Tile, Bathhouse Wall, not one but TWO washbasins, a shower, and a steaming, blue bathtub right in the middle of it all. He even had a bucket.

Needless to say, I got the hell out of there.

I still talk to Mott when I see him around, but things have changed between us. I can't even look at him anymore without shuddering and thinking, "where does he sleep?"

Gentlewomen and Electronic Merrymaking

For gamers who have been around the Internet long enough, there are few phrases* more enraging, on a fundamental level, than "yes, I'm a girl." These four simple words have instantly shattered the reputations of countless "gamer girls" who may otherwise have avoided my fiery, spewing fury. The only (ONLY) situation in which any female gamer should ever utter these words is immediately following an inquiry of "are you a girl?" from some other person, perhaps confused or startled by your voice/breasts/amazingly-accurate Yoko Rittona cosplay.

*Those few being "EA buys out Square-Enix, Atlus and Capcom" "Microsoft no longer replacing red-ring consoles," and "Nintendo to devote all development teams to Wii Nosepicking"

This phrase, always spoken (typed) with a hint of sarcasm, a touch of "you can stop staring," has one purpose: attention. That "stop staring" attitude is usually code for "stare more, I'm special!" We live in an age of gaming; one that not only includes women, but counts them as a market share equal, almost, to that of men. Yes, many of those girls are playing Cooking Mama and Wii Fit, but these are gateway drugs. It is not at all uncommon for those same girls to borrow more "hardcore" games from friends, or buy them on a whim, and soon become entrenched gamers themselves.

The point, obviously, is that female gamers are not uncommon, and, ergo, unexceptional. Pedestrian, even. But the stereotype persists that gaming is a man's sport (or, if you ask some sensationalist reporters, "man-child"), and so these women feel they have to be tsundere about the whole ordeal. To be honest, I can't even blame them for yes-i'm-a-girl-ing, because I understand why they do it. They know it's incredibly hot to see an attractive young miss with a controller in her hands, and women never pass up an opportunity to be treated like a queen (GENERALIZATION). Many, if not most, do it unconsciously, or think they have another reason for it.

Similar to the gaijin phenomenon, girls like to be the only girl playing on the boys' team. They like being the only female in the lives of all their drooling, nerdy gamer friends, even though this delusion is often untrue. To put it more clearly, ladies don't like competition, and getting in close with "the guys" makes them way cooler than any non-gaming girl.

Of course, I am well aware of the existence of girls who play games and (!) don't brag about it. They can be very hard to notice, because they don't go around with neon signs on their foreheads. They play games, read Kotaku, carry around a dice bag and discuss all of these things on the same level as everyone else. They like what they like, and don't think it comes with a trophy and red carpet.

Gaming ladies of the world, please be more like this. I want to like you, but you have to realize that you are not alone! You are not the first girl to play Shadow of the Colossus, you don't have to be a buxom elf for guys to play D&D with you, and you do not need to let everyone know you're a girl. In fact, it's cooler when you don't point it out, because you fit in that much more easily. Using that miserable phrase doesn't make you a bad person, but it will make every gamer worth his salt in a fifty-foot radius cringe with rage. Especially the kind with breasts.