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We approached E3 2010 like a kid approaches Christmas Day, tearing into the cornucopia of gaming goodness, grinning ear to ear at what surprises lay within. After the fun and spectacle abated, we caught our breath and took a good look at how this show set the table for further growth within the gaming industry.

With analysts quick to pronounce gaming on the decline, E3 came roaring out in defiance of this speculation, showcasing the “something for everyone” attitude gaming has taken in the face of new gamers. Social games, accessible games, motion-controlled games, and downloadable games all had their day in the sun next to the usual slate of blockbuster titles, each vying for attention on a diverse showfloor. Between Nintendo’s 3DS, Microsoft’s Kinect, and Sony’s Move, each company had new tech to reintroduce gamers to their platforms, while also turning to classic franchises to reinvigorate a gamer base anxious for the next big thing.

We’ve been told time and time again that this generation of gaming was going to be an extended one. Whether the economy, console feature sets, or business strategy have dictated this fact, the results are showing across the gaming industry. Both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 trumpet new firmware updates and features like full-on upgrades and redesigns to their consoles, while Nintendo releases a new iteration of their DS console every year or so, shrinking and growing based on the desired purchase demographic.

This year, new life was infused into both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 through the addition of motion control peripherals with Sony’s Move and Microsoft’s Kinect (formerly Project Natal). Both companies turned the spotlight on these systems in their press conferences and on the floor of E3, heralding them as entirely new ways to enjoy their aging consoles. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s newest entry in the DS line, the 3DS, brings 3D imagery to the handheld space. Sony also showcased the 3D capabilities of their lineup, albeit through the traditional setup of a 3D TV and glasses. The interesting aspect was not how the companies were iterating their hardware, but the directions they took in delivering what gamers of every demographic would want, developing a unique, competitive play for players’ attention and dollars this fall.

For Sony, the Move echoes the controller-based motion gameplay of the Wii, where the player holds a wand in one hand and an optional joystick in the other. Coupling this gameplay with their camera, the PlayStation Eye, however, adds more depth and a better sense of the player’s movement, allowing for deeper interaction with the game space and augmented-reality based experiences like Eyepet. Move will launch with a $99 bundle pack that includes the key peripherals, with additional controllers costing $30 – $50. Sony also previewed their new first-party titles Killzone 3 and Gran Turismo 5 with 3D HDTV displays, again hoping to bring even more immersive gameplay to players who’ve invested in the necessary gear. Similar to the PS3’s launch, when Sony was pushing Blu-ray as the next best thing in home media, their 3D upgrade and motion control initiatives resemble the cross-promotion of HD discs, hoping gamers will invest in Sony-built gear to experience the latest in gaming, while also inviting new gamers, familiar with the Wii’s control scheme, to check out their console via the play style they’re used to.

Microsoft continued their quest to control the living room, albeit in a somewhat sneaky manner, through the introduction of Kinect, a camera-based motion control system that promises controller-free gaming. The former Project Natal came out with a family-friendly slant, showcasing a virtual pet title with Kinectimals, a sports party game in Kinect Sports, and a dance game with Harmonix’s Dance Central. While the gaming aspects of the device were clearly set to draw in the family demographic, the media capabilities of Kinect provide a much more interesting look into Microsoft’s plans for the Xbox. One of the key features of Kinect is the ability to control the media functions on the Xbox 360 with motion and voice, meaning a wave of your hand or a vocal request can playback, rewind, and search for media outside of games. The 360 already offers a robust library of HD content and, coupled with signing exclusive content partnerships, like ESPN, Microsoft is hoping gamers and families alike consume all their media via Xbox 360. The initial reaction to Kinect has been somewhat mixed, what with the family-driven, derivative launch lineup and possible price point exceeding $100. Still, if Microsoft has their way, you’ll be ditching not only your game controller, but your remote control and your cable boxes as well.

The evolving nature of consoles is uncharted territory for a growing games industry. The iterative nature of firmware means more risks and experimentation are taking place within the consoles, but these latest hardware add-ons signal new directions for each respective company. Overall, though, as gaming becomes universal across demographics, these new, additional technologies are working to cater to every type of gamer, from families to enthusiasts.

Certain gaming franchises are burned into the memories of gamers; from arcade classics like NBA JAM and Mortal Kombat, to console mainstays like Sonic the Hedgehog and Donkey Kong Country. Since their release in the early ’90s, gamers have watched these legendary franchises humbled into obscurity by unnecessary additions to their core gameplay, saturation of the IP, or publisher’s bankruptcy. An interesting aspect to the resurgence of gaming in an older demographic, however, is the rekindling of these franchises due to simple questions like, “Hey, whatever happened to Mortal Kombat?” Answers abound at this year’s E3, where older franchises came roaring back, reveling in what made them famous in the first place while utilizing new trends in gaming to bring a fresh, reborn feel to the classics.

The key prospect about these franchises is their uniform return to their core appeal. and NBA JAM both debuted their latest titles sans roman numerals or adjectives like “Extreme” or “Next-gen.” Ed Boon, creator of the original Mortal Kombat, called the new MK a “refreshed look at what made the first three games great,” ignoring the not-so-well-received lineup of sequels, while NBA JAM made sure to bring Mark Turmell, the creator of the arcade basketball smash, back into the fold to share what made the original NBA JAM play so well and remain so memorable. Even Sonic, a yearly franchise entry from Sega, is coming back in its original, basic form, where Sonic runs left to right, jumps over spike pits, and collects rings. No 3D, no extra characters, just everything right from the original.

Despite working around the core principles of success, new-gen gaming trends are still helping re-introduce these franchises. Nintendo’s approach to classic titles like Kid Icarus, Donkey Kong, and Kirby all work with their respective console’s feature sets. Donkey Kong Country Returns looks and feels like its predecessors, but uses motion control to simulate smashing open barrels with a heavy ground slap. , a long-awaited, fan-adored franchise, is launching alongside the 3DS, delivering classic gameplay to a new technology and generation of players. For Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is going from a cartridge to a downloadable, episodic title on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and even the iPhone.

As the gaming industry starts to mine its rich past for new direction, much like the film industry, gamers are demanding nothing new from their beloved classic titles. Previous relaunches of classic franchises have often fallen hard, usually due to an overzealous approach to reinvention, ignoring the core aspects of what made the franchise work in the first place. Developers have taken note and, in this year’s crop of franchise rebirths, lapsed gamers with memories of arcades and cartridge-based consoles are welcomed back into the fold with familiar faces, and classic gameplay they’ll immediately remember. Through this renaissance, the gaming industry is welcoming new gamers not only from the casual market, via Wii and social games, but also lapsed, older gamers, reintroduced to classic titles of their youth.

No genre of gaming shifts as much as the music gaming space. What started as a simple rock-along-with-(coverband)-hits franchise in Guitar Hero has evolved into a lucrative platform for both musicians and developers. Rock Band has become a party staple for gamers of all demographics while also allowing indie bands to find new audiences through its Rock Band Network. Guitar Hero has transformed from a simple play-along game to a full-featured band-based title that celebrates the culture and attitude of rock ’n’ roll. However, as the market became saturated with these releases, profits shrank and analysts were quick to proclaim the genre falling on hard times.

With this trend in mind, Harmonix has gone all out on their next two titles, transforming the music genre from a tribute tool for wanna-be rockers into an educational tool, with games focused on learning how to play actual instruments and also, in partnership with Microsoft’s Kinect, learning to dance like a pro. Rock Band 3 uses a MIDI-based guitar and a new interface to teach players how to position their fingers and hands to play along with rock songs in the most realistic way possible. Dance Central, Harmonix’s Kinect title, uses the camera-based control to watch players dance along to moves demonstrated by the game, highlighting every arm swing and leg kick accurately, giving deeper criticism to a dancer’s moves and, hopefully, improving their form.

The music genre was slowly waning with too many releases and too little innovation. Coupled with the criticism by real musicians that the games don’t measure up to a real instrument (ie: South Park), the genre’s survival depends on an almost total shift in new directions, hoping to attract those unwilling to rock out with plastic instruments. Adding to the fun of rocking out and dancing crazy in the confines of the living room, Harmonix has taken technological advances like Kinect and their own improvements to Rock Band and created something that teaches just as well as it parties. Other genres, like fitness and sports, are making small steps toward real-world application of in-game skills, but none so much as Harmonix with Rock Band 3 and Dance Central. Through this, Harmonix has breathed new life into music games and, quite possibly, moved games even farther from the living room and into wholly new environments.

Coming out of this year’s CES, we all had our opinions on how 3D would go over with consumers. The technology has finally entered the marketplace and gaming is playing into the evolution and direction of the space in a big way. The three console makers have all taken steps toward a three-dimensional future for gamers, but in markedly different ways which could impact the overall consumer use of the technology.

Microsoft hasn’t divulged any plans for 3D on the Xbox 360, but third-parties like EA, with titles like Crysis 2, are bringing the tech to the console despite this stance. Some would argue that Kinect makes for a small step into 3D with its sense of motion coupled with depth, but, Microsoft’s Director of Product Management, Aaron Greenberg, noted that they’d “probably take more of a pull than a push approach” and see how consumer demand played out.

Sony pushed 3D gaming just as hard as they did at CES. Granted, they’re hoping for PlayStation gamers to purchase Sony-built 3D gear, but the effort shown by their developers proved that they believe strongly in the big-screen, 3D experience. Games like Killzone 3 and Gran Turismo 5 used the 3D space to draw gamers deeper into what already were immersive, first-person experiences, while their MLB title, The Show, brought the clutter of the UI offscreen and into 3D space, offering a wholly new way to experience a sports title. Despite the need for an upgraded set and glasses to play, Sony has upgraded the PS3’s firmware to turn every console into a 3D-ready multimedia machine, again using gaming as a lead to technological evolution like they did with Blu-ray for the PS3’s launch.

Nintendo, however, came out with one of the most impressive pieces of hardware at the show; a handheld gaming device that projected 3D images without the need for glasses. The Nintendo 3DS was announced back in March to skepticism; how could Nintendo, a gaming-centric company known for putting fun and gameplay over graphical innovation, solve for 3D’s largest problem, the need for glasses, with a handheld? The reveal of the 3DS answered that question in a big way, impressing all who saw it with glasses-free 3D tech, a result of using a smaller screen that does the work that a pair of glasses usually handles. Nintendo furthered the surprise by announcing the support of some big-name franchises like Metal Gear, Assassin’s Creed, and Resident Evil, along with the return of beloved franchises like Kid Icarus and StarFox. In addition to the gaming aspects of the console, Nintendo promised 3D film content from studios like Disney and Dreamworks would be available for the handheld, taking big-screen 3D movies on the go. For the notoriously partner-agnostic company, this represented a bold move into added content for their devices, as well as a commitment to changing the way consumers interact with 3D.

The current trends behind 3D content all revolve around the big screen experience. HDTVs, coupled with extra gear, are working to replicate the new, 3D theater experience at home, much like they replicated the standard movie experience with HD movies and surround sound. Sony is banking on this standard for their gaming platforms, but without sinking extra resources into the technology by offering 3D as an add-on to their console. Their lineup of games still looked (and played) very well, but the enhanced 3D options were a great showcase for their lineup of 3D home media add-ons. Meanwhile, Nintendo is working to alter the perception of 3D as a big-budget experience by putting everything a viewer needs into a relatively inexpensive handheld device. In doing so, 3D content becomes incredibly personal and, because the 3DS has 3D as a standard feature, means games developed for the device will be able to use 3D as a gameplay feature instead of solely as a media perk. Also, making the device accessible to consumers at a friendlier price-point means some people will be exposed to 3D via handheld, potentially creating new behaviors in how people view 3D content.

Despite the 3D competition at hand between Sony and Nintendo, their divergent plans for the tech, paired with sports broadcasting’s “be there” evolution and the film industry’s Avatar-enabled push, at least ensure that 3D is becoming a commonplace feature in media. While folks were quick to look to consumer electronics like television to decide the future of 3D, it’s worth one’s while to consider gaming as a viable test bed for this new media dimension.

E3 has been a gaming enthusiast’s source of happiness and wonder since its early days as part of the Consumer Electronics Show. As gaming continues to add participants from diverse demographics, that diversity extends to the expo as well, sometimes even in the same booth. Hardcore gamers tend to ignore games like Kinectimals, Your Shape, and Carnival Games, or even claim that the accessible nature of these titles takes attention away from the standard E3 fare of shooters, RPGs, and fighting games. Previous years have even seen backlash affect how press conferences and showfloor booths introduce new product, sometimes saving the accessible titles for smaller events in the future.

This year, however, we saw a change in how companies are showcasing their games. Publishers were very quick to dedicate space to any and every title if it merited attention, regardless of demographic. Publishers like 2K Games and Ubisoft devoted their booths to both accessible and enthusiast releases, with Ubisoft’s booth focusing one corner on the Ghost Recon and Assassin’s Creed franchises, while family-friendly hits like Just Dance and Your Shape saw equal attention paid throughout the booth. 2K’s Mafia II had gamers lined up just as deep as a sequel to the Wii classic Carnival Games did on the other end.

The crazy thing is that the enthusiast gamers didn’t seem to mind at all. Given the mix of titles on the floor and the proximity between them, more often than not one could see a gamer step off of Medal of Honor to check out NHL Slapshot (a Wii hockey game that uses a plastic hockey stick), smile intact. Publishers are quickly seeing the larger audience in gaming allows for games to be specifically targeted toward a demographic or gamer mindset rather than fans of gaming overall. Diversity in the types of gamers flocking to consoles means diversity in games and, of course, financial viability for these once-risky ventures into family entertainment. Microsoft even devoted much of its attention for Kinect to family-friendly titles that rely on cooperative play, not once talking about the possible core gaming benefits of the peripheral. Despite this shift, there was plenty of action to keep gamers hooked in the Xbox booth, from Halo: Reach to Dead Rising 2. As gaming’s audience grows, expect publisher offerings to resemble Hollywood studios, with a variety of entertainment crafted with certain demographics clearly in mind.

For a downloadable PDF version of our recap, click here for the E3 2010 Edition of PLAYED, which also includes the games we think will be grabbing gamer’s attention for the near future.

 

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