Monday, July 21, 2008
02:40 PM - July 21, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
If something doesn’t exist in the real UFC, then it won’t exist in UFC 2009 Undisputed. If something does exist in the real UFC, then it will exist in Undisputed. In other words, realism appears to be the motto of THQ and Yukes when it comes to creating the upcoming UFC video game.
If you’ve seen the initial trailer or any of the screenshots for UFC 2009, you’ll notice just how serious Yukes is when it comes to living up to that motto. In fact, the authentic nature of the game is a reason why the game lacks a HUD, and why there's such true-to-life TV-style presentation.
The announcing is what stood out to me the most when I saw the initial trailer, so I asked how the development team made the announcing so lifelike. I was told that the actual dialogue from the real-life fights was taken from the real-life fight and put directly into the video game. So if two UFC fighters went at in real-life, it’s very possible that the announcing from that fight will in some way be brought over to the game. Now that doesn’t mean Rogan and Goldberg aren’t recording new audio, because they are, and plenty of it from what I understand.
In order to push the realism, a new engine was created for this game -- rather than use the Smackdown vs. Raw engine, which is Yukes’ other main series. By doing this they’ve been able to build in a new damage engine that makes up for the lack of a health meter. If your face gets smashed up you won’t gush blood but you will get cuts above your eyes; if your body gets worn down your fighter will start to bruise in the right spots and so forth.
Another important aspect to the engine is the moves. Obviously it’s tricky to create a game about a sport that is so varied in terms of styles and techniques, and so the controls and the variety of moves are big development issues. It seems like Yukes is trying to keep it somewhat simple, so the moves will change depending on your location in relation to your opponent. That means a button may do one type of move when near the feet of a grounded opponent, but will change if you’re near the midsection of the same grounded opponent -- or at least that’s how it appears the system will work at this time. (I didn’t get to touch the controller after all.)
Signature styles obviously also play into the realism angle. There will be various fighting styles in the game, and also signature moves and celebrations (Rampage’s scream for example). It will be important to dodge certain fighter’s big moves or face the consequences. But at the same time stamina plays a big part in the game. You can’t go into a fight and simply mash buttons or go for one signature move the whole time because you will get tired and leave yourself open for abuse.
Fights also appear to be very dynamic, so everything from a Flash KO eight seconds into the fight all the way down to a last-second submission will be a possibility. By keeping the fights organic rather than formulaic, the hope is that the same surprise and excitement of a UFC fight will be brought over in video game form.
Yukes isn’t talking much about a career mode or create-a-fighter at this point, but it seems like the same realism rules will apply. You won’t be fighting in tournaments, and you won’t be dressing your guy in a ridiculous attire. However, you will still be able give him tattoos, pick his fighting style, pick his trunks out, and so forth.
UFC 2009 Undisputed has a TBA 2009 release date, which is encouraging considering how polished the game looked, graphics and otherwise, when I saw it last week. The game appears to be on the right track, and we are eager to see how the game continues to develop in the coming months.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
05:38 AM - July 17, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
TNA Impact (PS3)Before checking out TNA Impact for the first time, my biggest worry was that the game would be a fighting game rather than a wrestling game. I worried about that because previously Midway Studios LA made a Mortal Kombat game. Once I played the game though, I realized it certainly had a fighting game feel, but that it was a big strength and a big weakness.
The fighting game feel is a big strength because it makes the action feel more organic and twitchy than a standard wrestling game. There's a frenetic pace because there's more quick grapples, punching, and reversals. The reversals are probably the most impressive part of the gameplay to me because basically any move can be reversed if you time the R1 button press right. Obviously TNA Impact isn't the first game to wave that flag, but unlike Smackdown, reversals are way more timing-based and you reverse grapples and punches/kicks the same way. The other added bonus is that those reversals can basically all chain together for some RVD-vs.-Lynn-circa-ECW-days-type moments. Not all moves will lead to reversal after reversal, but the idea is that an unlimited amount of reversals could conceivably happen after a single initial move.
The fighting game feel is a negative because the game seems to lack a proper amount of signature styles and wrestling moves. There's apparently three different styles depending on the type of TNA wrestler you are, but as I tried out various wrestlers I saw a lot of overlapping moves. In general it seems like there are less moves that each wrestler can do when compared to Smackdown as well. I also couldn't do any grapples on a wrestler once he was resting against one of the turnbuckles, which was odd.
Moving beyond the fighting game yin and yang, I feel like the other great aspect of TNA is the fact that basically every move can be interrupted. During a free for all match, if I see a wrestler going to pick up another wrestler for a body slam, I can punch the one wrestler and stop that move from happening. One big thing that is always bothersome in Smackdown is the fact that you can't interrupt long animations.
The TNA wrestlers look great graphically, and in general I had a good time playing the game. But replay value and signature styles will be the issues moving forward.
Biggest Positive: The reversal system is simple yet rewarding.
Biggest Negative: There's tons of overlap when it comes to move sets.
Biggest Question: This game won't have the replay value of a Smackdown, so will the gameplay be good enough to win wrestling fans over?
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009 (360)
I witnessed the new Inferno Match, and had some hands-on when it came to testing out the new-and-improved tag-team wrestling. The Inferno Match seems to be another one of those mini-game oriented gimmicks (I don't mean gimmick in a negative way). Honestly it doesn't personally excite me, but at least lighting was rather impressive in that match type.
The tag-team mechanics I really wanted to check out because tag-team wrestling has never been really enjoyable in Smackdown games. So therefore the development team's focus was making sure that the tag teams work together more, and make it so being on the apron is somewhat enjoyable.
So while on the apron for example, you can now pull down on the ropes or kick a wrestler in the back who bounces off the ropes near you. Another thing you can do now on the apron is build up a "hot tag" (you get one a match), and if your partner tags you in a mini-game of sorts occurs. As you approach each of your opponents a little on-screen button appears, and if you hit that button in time you hit that opponent and go for the next one. If you mess up the quick-time event, then you lose the hot tag. (In case non-wrestling fans are reading, a hot tag just means someone who has the adrenaline pumping and as soon as he hits the ring he takes out everyone in his sight.) Unfortunately the hot tag only lasts for a very short time. I was thinking that since you only get to use it once a match, why not have it last a bit longer?
During my playtime the THQ guys also said that matches would no longer end with a simple body slam or sleeper hold. So now true to life, wrestlers will win matches with big finishers or painful submission holds.
Outside of the ring, the thing I saw was the Create-a-Finisher. I didn't get to play around with it, but there can be up to 10 steps to your finisher. That doesn't mean at each step you can do a ridiculous maneuver though, since if you do one of the moves listed as a finisher before step 10, that ends the CAW process.
Biggest Positive: The load times are finally good.
Biggest Negative: It doesn't seem like thee "hot tag" lasts long enough.
Biggest Question: What's going on with the online modes this year?
WWE Legends of Wrestlemania (hands-off)
If you were simply expecting a Smackdown game that had a roster full of legends, then well, you were wrong. Legends of Wrestlemania is a more simplified version of Smackdown, built with an all-new gameplay engine that only requires the four face buttons and the analog stick for movement. Each face button does something different: one grapples, one strikes, one Irish whips, and one causes reversals.
The other new mechanics here deal with the appearance of a life meter, and the three-tiered level for moves. If your life meter runs out it will obviously be very hard to kick out of pins. You can gain health back in a few ways though. The one I saw was when Andre the Giant walked over to Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Bobby was momentarily on the apron) and The Brain whispered some sweet-nothings into Andre's ear.
You get to the next tier of moves by being successful. Conceivably that means pulling off a rapid amount of strikes and grapples in quick succession, moving your way up the three tiers and pulling off a finisher within the first few minutes. That might turn some people off since matches could end very quickly. But since the game is more casual this time around it seems like getting in and out is sort of the idea.
I should mention that the point of the game is to relive, rewrite, or redefine key matches from Wrestlemania history. The match that was shown during the demo was Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III. You can relive Hogan's body slam and leg drop; you can rewrite the moment by having Andre pull off the win; or you can redefine the moment by putting the wrestlers in a steel cage etc.
The Wrestlemania Tour Mode will be the place where you do most of these type of things, as there are supposed to be matches from the first 15 Wrestlemanias.
The game is supposed to release right around the time of the next real-world Wrestlemania.
Biggest Positive: The game looks amazing graphically. Hogan and Andre weren't technically in the Silverdome, but the lighting and the arena really gave off the feeling that you were actually at Wrestlemania 3.
Biggest Negative: Not sold on the new gameplay mechanics, such as the life meter and tiered level of moves.
Biggest Question: Will the common Smackdown gamer care about this more simplified version of wrestling?
Right off the bat, I wanted to see how the players were moving and interacting this year. This was at the top of my list because last year, the fluidity and rigidity of the players really turned me off. During dunks it seemed like guys were being pulled up in a straight line, as if they were on invisible strings. When going up for rebounds or blocks all the players' arms went straight up in the air, like they didn't have elbows.
I came away partly impressed by the strides being made. The new dunk/layup animations that I saw appeared to be much more natural, as players smoothly take off and don't just get tractor beamed to the rim anymore. The blocking animations also looked much better, since now the players remember they have shoulders and elbows, and thus swat the ball.
However, it seems like Live is falling into a bit of a trap that 2K struggles with as well. By making player movements more smooth, the players get stuck in animations -- namely dribble animations -- too often, and at points I just didn't feel in control of my player. This happens most often during times when Lockdown Control is in effect. For those that don't know, Lockdown Control is the new defensive method in Live this year. You body up the ball handler by pushing the analog stick towards him initiating a "lockdown." Then as the ball handler dribbles -- assuming you guess what direction he goes -- you stop his progress. It's at those moments when player progress is stopped that it becomes more about watching hopelessly, rather than playing and reacting.
Passing was another sore spot when it came to Live 08. It was too slow, the defense didn't react well enough, and the analog passing wasn't always exact enough. On top of all that, it didn't help that the alley-oop button was also the icon passing button. I'm less enthusiastic about the strides being made here to this point. It still doesn't feel like you can quickly swing the ball around the perimeter, and analog passing is still not very exact. For instance I'd sometimes be on one baseline and want to pass it to the post, only to have the ball go to some player on the other side of the court.
But at least the icon passing button is mapped correctly this year, and now it's easy to always have it active. (Simply hold the RB/R1 to keep icon passing active after a pass.) The other positive is the defenders now react better to passes close in proximity to them -- clearly there's some new animations where defenders reach out and tip balls or intercept them.
The final gameplay thing I'll talk about for now (I do plan to discuss the game again in the future since there's more to say) deals with post play. Live's system is a rock-paper-scissors approach, but much like last year, the offense seems to have the advantage. It still feels too much like I have to block the ball or the post player will score on the little turnaround shots. Once again though it seems like the post play animations, like the other animations I've mentioned, are more varied and improved.
I'd be amiss if I didn't talk about Dynamic DNA, and what it's all about. To be clear, Dynamic DNA breaks down into: player DNA, team DNA, and player tendencies. (I broke it down incorrectly during the EA Press Conference, which I apologize for.) The player DNA is how the player likes to score; the team DNA has to do with how the players on the team play together; and player tendencies deal with percentages, obviously. The player tendencies facet is the one some people seem to be misunderstanding; it deals with a player's hot zones AND the player's tendencies. So for example, let's say Paul Pierce is standing in a blue "hot zone," but the player tendency indicates that he shoots from there a lot. Just because his player tendency indicates that he shoots from there a lot, doesn't mean he makes that shot a lot.
The bottom line with Dynamic DNA though is it's essentially a quick game-type feature. The Dynamic DNA won't play into the Dynasty mode for one. (It's your dynasty so real-life data won't be downloading into it.) Or let's say you trade Pau Gasol to the Clippers in your dynasty. He's not going to learn to play with the Clippers squad via Dynamic DNA, so he's going to play like he did on the Lakers. Without real-life data to download, there is no "dynamic" AI. So Dynamic DNA is not some self-aware Terminator-like thing, it clearly has limits.
Returning to the original question though, has the Live 09 gameplay made the next leap? I'd love to say that it has, but I truly don't know yet. I certainly saw some improvements, namely animations and fluidity; but, saw a lot that still worried me, namely passing and player control. That's why Live is a game that I'll need to spend more time with before acquiring unfettered pessimism or wild optimism. So for now, I'll just be plain-old indifferent.
Biggest Positive: The new animations really add to the smoothness of the game.
Biggest Negative: Passing still needs some serious work.
Biggest Question: Will gameplay improve enough to make all the new features matter?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
PS, if anyone is wondering, today I saw: Tiger Woods (360), Legends of Wrestlemania, Smackdown 09 (Wii, 360), UFC, Live (only saw half of it yesterday), NBA 09 (PS3 and PSP) -- briefly, and Baja -- briefly.
E3 Schedule (all times PST)
10:30-11:30 a.m.: Take-Two Press Conference (live blog)
12-1:30 p.m.: On the show floor checking out games
2-3 p.m.: THQ meeting (Smackdown, Baja, UFC should be there)
4 p.m.: Disney Interactive meeting (Pure)
I still have impressions to write up for things I saw yesterday (Skate It, Facebreaker and TNA Impact). I'll try to get all those impressions to you today, as well as most of the games I see today. If you don't see impressions posted for all those games today, then during tomorrow and the next day you'll see them.
03:33 AM - July 16, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
This was my first-time playing the Wii version of Tiger Woods. This is also the first year the Wii version is being developed at Tiburon. Regardless, it still felt like Tiger Woods, shocker there. The Wii version still lacks some of the bells and whistles that the PS3/360 versions have, such as GamerNet; but, the Wii version does win out in other ways. For example, TWoods Wii has more courses than the PS3/360 versions.Since EA is really hyping true "one-to-one" this year (meaning what you do with the controls happens on-screen exactly the same) I was eager to see how well this all works. And thankfully for EA, mostly the one-to-one does seem to work. To check out the system I was starting a backswing and watching the screen as virtual Tiger mimicked my movements. But when I was finally ready to swing I had mixed results at the start. I struggled with getting max power on the drives and iron shots. It also probably didn't help that I was playing at Wolf Creek (one of the new courses) because the elevation changes added an extra bit of challenge.
As I played more I took it more seriously and tried to really imagine the Wii Remote was a club (I do play a good amount of golf in real life). So I slowed down my backswing and tried to use better form, thus I started to produce better results. By the end I was more successfully hitting with max power, but I still felt like it was a little hit or miss when I got to the peak of my swing.
On the green, it seems like the putting system has been simplified for the better. This year you just focus on the backswing, which does mean it's "dumbed down" I guess. But since putting is so much about feel and touch, it would be a hassle to think about as a gamer, and probably wouldn't be done very well by the developer. So now you still do all your pre-putt reads, then take your smooth backswing and just follow through normally. You can tell how much power you have by the new on-screen putting meter that basically fills up as you pull the virtual club farther back. Now you can still "cheese it up" so to speak via changing how far you pull back the club in an unrealistic way -- no one in real life pulls the club back then thinks no that's too much power and eases the club forward just a pinch to go for less power. But it's somewhat easy to accidentally have the slight forward motions be read as a putting stroke; so, it's better to take a smooth stroke, and if you aren't happy with the backswing, just stop the swing and start again.
To cap off my nine holes, I buried a putt by being really aggressive and going with a do-or-die approach. I lined up the putt, checked my power level, took a smooth backswing, hit the level I wanted on the power meter, and buried the putt. It felt rewarding in a way that doesn't always occur when playing Tiger Woods on the 360 or PS3. And perhaps that's the nicest thing I can say about Tiger Woods Wii. Unlike most sports games, the Wii version was the one I wanted to play.
Biggest Positive: The putting system now has an on-screen indicator that helps judge power better.
Biggest Negative: Had a little bit of an issue getting the right power on non-putting swings.
Biggest Question: How hard will it be to do higher-level stuff (draws, fades) due to the controls?
02:08 AM - July 16, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
Current-GenI think what should be obvious is this: If you weren't a fan of the core Madden engine before, I don't think anything the series does this year will win you over. The team can say there's this many new gameplay additions etc., but if Madden gameplay "staples" -- like the QB being able to roll out of the pocket easily on most plays -- bug you to no end, then this game just might not be for you. Like I said, that should be obvious, yet it's hard for some to figure out.
Moving beyond that, my first Madden 09 experience was at least eventful. I played one full game (five-minute quarters), which was Jaguars (him) vs. Colts (me). The game was a back and forth affair (I ended up losing 21-14), and the game was filled with some goods and some bads.
Player fluidity and the running game were certainly things that leaned more in the positive direction. As I ran up the gut on various occasions with Colts RB Joseph Addai, there were times where Addai would find the hole and make his cuts with ease; then there were other times where virtual Addai would break out of arm tackles with a well-timed move and continue on his merry way for extra yards.
Then on defense, I always felt like I needed to make sure there was more than one guy wrapping up Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew. It wasn't like I could never take him down one-on-one; but, much like real football, I just felt more comfortable when multiple guys got a hold of Drew.
Something else I noticed while Maddening it up was the game ranked me as I played. My passing ability was ranked as All-Madden for example, and my rushing ability was ranked as All-Pro. That ranking-type stuff all showed up via a simple pop-up during the game (think statistical overlay). So if I hadn't been playing head-to-head those rankings would probably play into the new fluctuating AI system.
Speaking of statistical overlays, they certainly are more prominent this time around. I saw instances where Peyton Manning's stat line came up, as well as Maurice Jones-Drew, and my one cornerback who had two interceptions. It's a small touch, but considering the series has struggled with presentation issues, it seems like EA is at least attempting to get some more TV-style presentation into the game.
A lot of the stuff I didn't like didn't have to do directly with the gameplay. For example, during the instant replay of a challenged catch, the wide receiver's foot clipped through the ground, which obviously shouldn't happen. The challenge system in general seemed questionable as well. On the play I described before the wide receiver clearly didn't get both feet in-bounds, yet the play stood as a catch after the challenge. On another play where the spot of the ball was challenged, the wide receiver clearly caught the ball beyond the first down marker; yet, the play wasn't reversed and there was a turnover on downs. Those problems could just be bugs with the build I played, but they're still worth noting.
Overall, it seemed like a good variety of things were occurring during the game. I got caught staring downfield at one point with Peyton Manning, little did I know I would be blindsided by a CB blitz. Peyton coughed up the ball and the Jaguars CB recovered the ball. There were stalled drives, sustained drives, goal-line stands, and even goofy comical moments. After a Jaguars score, the player went for a Lambeau Leap and smashed off the padding when he didn't make it, landing in a heap on the field.
At the end of the day did I have fun with the game? Yes. However, that was just one game, and it helped that it was a back-and-forth affair and there was ample amounts of trash talk flowing between myself and unnamed EA producer X. I also think it's important to add this note when it comes to a title like Madden: I readily admit that I'm not a huge football fan and I tend to lean more towards the "casual" end these days when it comes to football gaming. So that's where I'm coming from with this preview -- I can't try to be someone I'm not after all.
Wii, All-Play Style
And so with that being said, you might say well the Wii version is right up your alley! Well I did play it All-Play style and All-Play seems to be much more enjoyable than last year's Family Play. For those unfamiliar, basically Family Play played the game for you. Now this year All-Play tries to make things easier for you, not just play the game for you.
When passing for example, a little green light would light up next to a receiver when he was open, signifying you should pass to him. And now passing itself is done with an analog stick movement on the Nunchuck and a flick of the Wii Remote. So if I see an open receiver on the left side, I simply move the analog stick to the left and do a throwing motion. Where it gets a little hairy is during crossing routes and other routes over the middle. Since the game chooses for you during All-Play, there's a chance you won't throw to the guy you really want to in those situations.
On defense, you don't worry about speed burst during All-Play, but you still have the chance to do most of the defensive mechanics. The difference is, most of the motions will just be on the Wii Remote. Flick up to swat the ball for example, or go for a big hit by flicking the Wii Remote towards the ball carrier.
Outside of the All-Play stuff, the biggest aesthetic change is the graphics look a little more Wiified -- EA realizes they can't try to make the game look gritty anymore, it just comes off looking bad. So now this year the graphics are just a little crisper, and the colors are a little sharper and brighter. You aren't going to get those "realistic" graphics on the Wii, so now at least it all looks clean.
Biggest Positive (360/PS3): The running game.
Biggest Positive (Wii): I could see myself using All-Play over the normal controls.
Biggest Negative (360/PS3): Seems to be some issues with the challenge engine.
Biggest Negative (Wii): The game felt a little slow.
Biggest Question (360/PS3): How much will all the supposedly new gameplay elements add to the gameplay experience in the end?
Biggest Question (Wii): Will the All-Play passing system contextually understand which receiver you want to pass to consistently enough?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
11:04 PM - July 15, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
How much can you truly write about after watching a one-minute trailer, and a single two-minute quarter demo? Well not much really. But I know OS (and most people in general) love NBA 2K and so I can at least provide a few 2K9 crumbs for now.Mark Thomas, VP of sports development at Visual Concepts, basically said that this year he wants consumers to be blown away by the NBA 2K experience from start to finish. What that means? Who knows -- it was a very coy remark to make after all.
What I did notice during my time watching the two-minute demo though was that the graphics look even better, and are locked in at a solid 60 frames per second. Kevin Garnett was on the free-throw line at one point (the demo was Lakers vs. Celtics at the Staples Center) and he looked simply incredible. Overall it just seems like that added layer of polish has been added to the graphics, removing the somewhat plastic-textured skin of the last few years.
Also the announcing team will be getting revamped, as now Clark Kellogg, who does a lot of college basketball coverage on CBS, will be taking over for Kenny "The Jet" Smith on color commentary.
Finally at the end of the quarter, I did see a new presentation element: After the end-of-quarter whistle, some of the best highlights from the quarter played automatically. The highlights were shown from a cinematic camera view, and there was an orchestral-type score playing over the highlights. Now the two-minute demo didn't have too many eventful moments so the highlights were ho-hum; but, if the game is actually able to recognize the best moments from a quarter and play them on screen after a quarter, that's a fantastic new presentation element.
Biggest Positive: Doesn't seem like Visual Concepts is messing with something that isn't broken.
Biggest Negative: I didn't get to play the game.
Biggest Question: The gameplay in NBA 2K8 was already rock solid, but will there be a new mode this year, or will the Association Mode at least be refined and improved?
10:15 PM - July 15, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
NHL 2K8 got too complex. There was too much going on. When I picked up the controller I didn't even know how to shoot!In so many words, that's how Jeff Thomas, VP of sports development at Visual Concepts, summed up NHL 2K8. This year though, the series is now at Visual Concepts (best known for the stellar NBA 2K franchise), and the VC guys are all about bringing the "fun" back to the NHL 2K series.
Right off the bat some might be worried that "fun" doesn't mean "sim." It's something I worried about as well, and while I won't really know whether "fun" doesn't mean "arcadey" until a later date, Jeff Thomas assured me that this is still a sim series at heart. So when I inquired further about certain problems from NHL 2K8 that could be considered "fun" but "arcadey" (see: checking, final scores), he said that the checking would be toned down, and that there wouldn't be anymore 12-10 final scores.
Jeff went on to explain that "fun" means things like simplified controls that still have depth for the more experienced players. (If you liked the control scheme last year that will still be an option as well on 360/PS3.) It also means having presentation and gameplay elements that are fun to see and partake in. For example, there's an all-new fighting engine this year. Also during the playoffs you'll notice that the NHL players grow nice thick beards as the playoffs progress. Or if you win the Stanley Cup, then you can skate around holding the Cup above your head or pass the Cup off to a teammate; then when you're done celebrating you can take a team photo at the end to commemorate your Stanley Cup victory. Or it's something a little more silly, like being given the opportunity to drive the Zamboni during an intermission.
Now when it comes to Wii controls, Mark Thomas discussed how the folks at Visual Concepts spoke with Nintendo and one of the things Nintendo said was, don't get obsessed with the motion control. Visual Concepts took Nintendo's advice to heart. So what that means is you'll do things like check another person by pushing the Wii Remote and Nunchuck forward, or shoot by swinging the Wii Remote one way for a wrist shot, and another way for a slap shot, but you won't have to do insane things like make line changes by waggling your Wii Remote back-and-forth five times.
To give a more practical example, when it comes to passing you have a few options. You can either pass the more traditional way, or use the user interface and do point-to-point passing. Basically, that means there's a little cursor on the screen that you control by pointing the Wii Remote at different parts of the screen. This method allows you to chain passes together quickly by pointing at the various players.
The VC guys have also made sure that everything you can do in the 360/PS3 versions control-wise, is possible to do on the Wii version. In fact it seems like the Wii version will have everything the 360/PS3 versions do, except online play.
On the 360/PS3 front, while I didn't see anything besides the trailer, the game does look great graphically in the trailer. Visual Concepts totally redid the graphics engine this year and it seems to be paying off. Also everything will be happening in real time this year, so no more cut-scene-type moments after goals etc. And if you guys are sad about not having anymore 360/PS3 NHL 2K9 impressions, at least I can say that VC did promise that a demo will be releasing for the game in a few weeks.
At the very least it seems like Visual Concepts wants all you hockey fans back (shocker there). If the demo does release in a few weeks I would take that as a sign that they are proud of this new product, and want to give gamers a chance to realize that there's two viable hockey game products on the market.
Biggest Positive: Seems like they didn't over-waggle the control scheme.
Biggest Negative: No online play for the Wii version.
Biggest Question: Will "fun" truly mean not "arcadey"?
You guys hate me now don't you? *tear*
P.S. In the afternoon I saw TNA Impact, Madden NFL 09, and a little bit of NBA Live 09. I'm not going to write about NBA Live just yet because I only played for a few minutes -- I had a meeting to get to (it's on the show floor so I can check it out any time). Also I thought Blitz: The League II would be shown, but it seems like it wasn't ready yet, so no dice there.
Alright so I've been in meetings most of the morning into the afternoon, and also saw some more EA products then I thought I would, so hence why I've left you in the dark the last few hours.
I don't have time right now to get into most of the games, so here's just a few words on some of the games I've seen. Check back later for more fleshed out thoughts, but I have the Ubisoft press conference in a few minutes, and then I have more meetings after that.
NHL 2K9 - Saw just the Wii version, no hands-on time. Their main goal is make it "fun" again, since Visual Concepts has now taken over and they want to do away with the convoluted controls from last year.
NBA 2K9 - Saw (aka didn't touch controller) just a two-minute quarter, but it graphically looks even better, and they definitely are pushing the presentation a bit harder from what I can tell. The main focus with 2K9 is put you in the moment from start to finish essentially.
Madden + Tiger Woods Wii - All-Play was in full effect for this title, though I did play some of Tiger Woods with non-All-Play intact. I don't have any prior experience with Tiger Woods Wii but it was surprisingly responsive, though I want to see how more high-level stuff (fades and draws) controls before getting too excited. With Madden, basically All-Play has refined some of the controls, which is mostly for the better, though I do have one or two doubts that I'll get into later as well.
Facebreaker (Wii + PS3) - My personal favorite from all the games I've played so far. I especially enjoyed the PS3 version, and there's certainly some things, gameplay mechanics-wise, which differentiate the two versions -- perhaps not for the better. It's definitely more fighting game than boxing game, but that's only a negative depending on how you look at it. As a fighting game it's simple but nuanced in the right ways from what I can tell.
Skate It (DS + Wii) - Probably the sketchiest game I've seen to this point. I want to like it being a big Skate fan, but I'm not sure if I will want to put in the time to learn everything, only to still not feel fully in control due to the hardware. This might be more a Nintendo problem than an EA problem, but it still negatively changes the experience. I'll get more into that later as well.
Sorry that's all for now guys. Stay tuned for the Ubisoft live blog (starting at 2:30 p.m. PST). Hopefully they talk about Shaun White Snowboarding, or reveal some other type of new game that will excite you all.
*UPDATE* - Since Ubisoft is a public press conference, unlike Take-Two or EA for example, means there's a serious line, and since I didn't get there early (since I was writing that update) that means I have about zero chance of finding a spot to blog.
So what that means is I'm going to head back and check out the rest of EA's stuff (namely NBA Live and I believe Madden is there as well) and perhaps check out some of the other stuff in the showcase pavilion from other publishers/developers.
So apologies, but my guess is at most they touch on Shaun White Snowboarding, otherwise it will be about Prince of Persia, Brothers in Arms, and Beyond Good & Evil (among others I would guess). Awesome stuff don't get me wrong, but just not our department.
11:26 AM - July 15, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
I'm here at the Convention Center now, once again eating an obscenely priced breakfast and getting everything prepared for a rather busy day, considering it's all solo-style.It was a rough day yesterday. Amongst the early wake-up call and long flight, there was also lots of walking. I didn't sign up to use my legs at this event, just my fingers and mouth. Next time I better get the whole truth from OS HQ before signing up for such an event.
Nonetheless, my schedule for today is listed below. I'll be trying my hardest to get you guys updates during the course of today, and then here's to hoping that a podcast happens tonight, which would probably be posted in the morning.
Tuesday E3 Schedule (all times PST)
10:30 a.m.: 2K Sports meeting (NHL 2K9, NBA 2K9)
11-12:30 p.m.: EA Demo Room (Tiger, Madden, Facebreaker)
2:30-3:30 p.m.: Ubisoft Press Conference (live blog)
4 p.m.: Midway (Blitz: The League II, TNA Impact)
Monday, July 14, 2008
08:55 PM - July 14, 2008. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
If you missed the Operation Sports live blog, no worries, we're here to compress the EA Sports happenings down to one news article.The conference began around 3 p.m. local time, and the EA Sports section of the conference was led by EA Sports President, Peter Moore.
Outside the Orpheum Theatre
Peter Moore highlighted two new features during his time on the stage: "Dynamic DNA" and "All-Play." Dynamic DNA was shown in NBA Live 09 (it seems to be the only game using the system this year) and All-Play was shown via Tiger Woods 09 Wii.
Before I talk about what Dynamic DNA is, it's important to note that the DNA feature is just one facet of an all-encompassing system called "NBA Live 365." The 365 equals the amount of days in a year because EA plans to update "NBA Live 365" every single day.
From the short presentation it seems like three things play into the NBA Live 365 system: Dynamic DNA, player tendencies, and hot spots.
The Dynamic DNA portion will basically allow real-life stats and rosters to be brought over to NBA Live every day. So in a way it's a daily roster update, since ratings as well as rosters will fluctuate. It also allows players to be better represented in the video game, because if so-and-so player started driving more in real life, he would drive to the hoop more in the video game.
The player tendencies will change due to personnel. The example at the press conference was the Boston Celtics. On the current Celtics squad, Kevin Garnett posts up more, Ray Allen spots up more, and Paul Pierce drives more. If they were separated, you would see them play in different ways.
Finally there's the hot spots, which by the way are now toned down outlines of yellow, red and blue, rather than colored-in portions like in Live 08. Now when players are at certain spots on the court, not only is the hot zone shown, but the way the player approaches that spot is also shown. So if a player's tendency is to drive right, then that tendency will be expressed on the court.
It's confusing and we really don't know in-depth what all of this will mean -- not surprising considering the venue -- so for now all we can say is it's interesting.
All-Play was the other big talking point. This feature was already explained in the past, so not too much needs to be said this time around. Basically Peter Moore reiterated the fact that EA Sports wants to make sure they are expanding the market, and the Wii is a good way to do that.
LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis on-stage with Peter Moore
The point of All-Play is to expand upon "Family Play" from last year, except now the game builds you up more gradually than before. It also still levels the playing field between the "hardcore" and the newcomers as well.
Regardless of how these new features turn out, Peter Moore made it clear at the start of his presentation that moving forward, EA Sports is about moving the sports genre in new directions.
Also since EA Sports has plenty more to show off, check back over the next two days as we'll have some actual hands-on time with some of these '09 games.
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