Despite Greenberg describing the line-up as “E3-like,” it wasn’t. If it had been, these titles would have been held back for the mammoth LA showcase in June. But it was an impressive display of high quality games that have largely had their time in the PR spotlight, and will now exit stage left until release. There’s a sense — a confidence — that Microsoft is happy to demonstrate a handful of triple-A 360 games now because there’s more to come during the year.
Firstparty titles Halo: Reach, Crackdown 2, Fable III, and Alan Wake led the charge, ably supported by Splinter Cell: Conviction, Final Fantasy XIII, Lost Planet 2, Dead Rising 2, and DLC for Left4Dead 2. But the likely standout for the US market, understated though it was, was Game Room. Sure, playing classic games on 360 has been tried and tested with ports and reinterpretations (like Jetpac), but the Game Room format means that hundreds, if not thousands of games from Atari, Intellivision, Konami, and others will be available. Aside from generating revenue from games that enjoyed a heyday over 20 years ago, the 30 announced launch titles hit most of the high notes you’d expect.
No Pac-Man? Not today. But if that’s what you demand, that’s how the portfolio will expand. Seven games will come online every week, a game each day. If Centipede doesn’t do it for you then maybe Tempest, Red Baron or Scramble will. It’s a format that should reveal which classic games have retained their appeal.
Dressed in their original format - the overlay of the Atari 2600 to manage modes and switches is great, but should really be transparent over the play field – delivers quite the nostalgia hit, while challenging a friend to Combat showdowns could be a tremendous experience, albeit for about five minutes. However authentic the graphics look, the smack-talk opportunities suggest a huge audience for the US$3 purchases (US$5 if you want to play on your PC as well, and 50c to give the game a one-time try).
As for tomorrow’s games, listening to Peter Molyneux is still an intoxicating experience, even if you’ve been burned by his quotes in the past. Such is the case with Fable III, which introduces its world to an industrial revolution, and its control scheme to a new “touch’ mechanic. Molyneux’s personal gravitas seemed to make a believer out of most in the room, though Remedy Entertainment could arguably use it most. Finally confirmed for May 21, Alan Wake is a taut survival horror where your appreciation of the detailed locations depends entirely on whether you buy in to the premise.
The excitement over Halo: Reach was predictable (it played well, looks good and fills out a universe the fan base will love), but the attention afforded Crackdown 2 suggests better returns than the first game’s. Lead developer John Noonan showcased a larger Pacific City, refined character progression and significant multiplayer enhancements, including 4-player co-op. Splinter Cell: Conviction, Final Fantasy XIII, Lost Planet 2 and Dead Rising 2 reminded everyone of 360’s strong external support, but you couldn’t help feel that this whole event was an entrée, a warm-up to a more satisfying meal in June in LA.