Which company "won" E3 this year?

[Dobie]

So... which of the "big three" came away on top this year?

Without any fanboy ranting/raving, please!

I'd have to say Nintendo came out on top for me. I went into this week really not interested in the Wii. I planned on buying one, but I was looking forward to other things first. A Wii purchase was an "if its available" status for me. But after seeing the system in action for a bit, hearing about some of the games, and just general buzz, I gotta say that a Wii purchase went from "maybe" to a launch-day "most definitely." The only thing that could spoil the party would be price. But I'm not expecting that to be a factor.

Sony just didn't impress me. The games looked good, but I just didn't come away EXCITED about the system like I was with the Wii. Not what I was expecting. I thought this week would make me want to get in line for PS3 NOW. I've kinda gone more into a "wait and see" mode.

Microsoft did what it had to do. They showed some good game titles, some interesting peripherals (wireless headset!), and the E3-specific downloads on Live really added a lot to the buzz factor. I was able to see their trailers in full HD glory instead of a small, low rez computer stream.

What did others come away with? I'm interested to hear what other people thought.

[badinsults]

Wouldn't this poll be more appropriate when E3 is over?

[Dobie]

Well, I'm assuming we've heard all the "big" announcements by now. Usually the last couple of days aren't as information-packed.

[Gapporin]

My vote goes to Coleco.

[Vinnysdad]

Nokia by far. Go Ngage!

[Ed Oscuro]

hey, did you hear that Nintendo announced that *spoiler start* they're going to start selling games on TAPE!? SERIOUSLY. maybe even disks! This will be pretty revolutionary for bringing low-cost games to the people!

[hezeuschrist]

Nintendo here.

For me, E3 has always been more about the annoucements and the unknowns than about the games. This year was the PS3/Wii annoucements and all that and the actually getting something solid to stick that ridiculous name to is the best part for me.

Sony had some suprises, but nothing too unexpected. High price, but the tilt control was pretty much outta left field. We all knew they'd take it sometime, just thought they would have waited for the technology to prove itself before they jump on the bandwagon.

Microsoft had a good showing with a really strong lineup of very anticipated titles, but the new hardware is where all the interest is for me. I'm definitely geeked for Halo 3 and Gears of War, but I've also got 300 games behind me I haven't touched.

[mr_pollock]

Nintendo, except for the 4-5 hour lines. =)

Luckily the DSs were not (super) packed.

[Ed Oscuro]

SONY! And Sega! (http://youtube.com/watch?v=c_4InHXPHvs&search=PS3%20freezes) xD

[GrandAmChandler]

Is this really necessary? It's quite obvious that Atari was the big winner at this year's E3.... :P

[vahn401]

I've had about the same expectations for both ps3 and wii. But after Sony did their announcement, I was kinda ticked off. I just feel that sony doing a motion-sensored controller was an obvious "we stole the idea of nintendo". And although I was stoken about the new MGS4 and FFXIII, Nintendo blew me away with mario galaxy, Smash Bros. Brawl (feat, Snake!), Metroid, along with all the new DS games.

[njiska]

Wouldn't this poll be more appropriate when E3 is over?

That's what i thought.

Although so far my thoughts are:

MS
- Best press conference
- Solid 06 line up
- Live Anywhere is amazing
- The clear better of the 2 graphics powerhouses based on price, graphical equality, live, and the games

Nintendo
- A very close second to MS for best press conference. It was fun but needed to be tighter
- 06/07 line looks very strong
- Wii fun factor and predicted low price will make it a must own second to the 360. Both should cost you less then a barebones PS3
- There are concerns about the space required to play. No more sitting on the couch
- DS was under played but still has many great titles coming

Sony
- Long, boring press conference
- GT4 isn't very impressive, basically just 1080i GT4 in progressive
- Heavanly Sword looks cool
- MGS4 still looks amazing but is way too far off
- Painfully steep price
- Insulting to European players

[chrisbid]

with the prices of next gen consoles and games going up, id say gamers are the big losers at E3

[nik]

with the prices of next gen consoles and games going up, id say gamers are the big losers at E3

Should think before you speak.
Back in the Sega Genesis days Phantasy Star IV cost 99$. USD.

PS1 when I bought it at launch cost me 500$, but thats Canadian, and PS2 at launch for us was 449.99.

Systems seem to be going up a bit this round, but not much, and the games are sitting the same they always have.

[Lothars]

Wouldn't this poll be more appropriate when E3 is over?

- The clear better of the 2 graphics powerhouses based on price, graphical equality, live, and the games


this is the main thing I will disagree with mainly because we don't know really how the PS3 will turn out because it hasn't launched yet

not to say that Microsoft hasn't done a damn good job of making an awesome console but there's still alot up in the air

to say it's the clear better of the 2 systems it's really to soon to tell, and the games on the 360 they are good but other than graw and oblivion most other titles are still pretty meh nothing really amazing exclusives mainly because if a game is out on PC it's not technically an exclusive IMO

that being said Gears of War looks amazing and easily one of the best games shown at e3 along with MGS4

it should really be interesting to see what will happen

on the topic of Gears of War I could see it being on both PC and PS3 eventually as well.

[chrisbid]

with the prices of next gen consoles and games going up, id say gamers are the big losers at E3

Should think before you speak.
Back in the Sega Genesis days Phantasy Star IV cost 99$. USD.

PS1 when I bought it at launch cost me 500$, but thats Canadian, and PS2 at launch for us was 449.99.

Systems seem to be going up a bit this round, but not much, and the games are sitting the same they always have.

youre going to compare the upper crust of 16 bit games to the entire new lineup of next gen games? the costs of games now are based on licenses to the big three, not on cart production costs

systems did not cost this much, and the reason the costs are up is not entirely gaming enhancements... its a matter of convergence. half the cost of the PS3 goes toward the blue ray drive that really isnt needed for this generation of gaming. standard DVDs are cheap enough to produce if the 9GB threshold is surpassed.

[Snapple]

with the prices of next gen consoles and games going up, id say gamers are the big losers at E3

Should think before you speak.
Back in the Sega Genesis days Phantasy Star IV cost 99$. USD.

PS1 when I bought it at launch cost me 500$, but thats Canadian, and PS2 at launch for us was 449.99.

Systems seem to be going up a bit this round, but not much, and the games are sitting the same they always have.

Phantasy Star games have always been crazy expensive, and are no way indicative of the average game price. That's part of why Phantasy Star is where it is today, while Final Fantasy is where it is today. SNES and Genesis games were mostly like $50 US if I remember right, but they were also on a format that was more expensive to produce than discs.

I got a PS2 for a very reasonable price. The PS3 costs twice as much for just the bare bones model, without HD, without WiFi, without the bigger HDD. What Sony is doing with the PS3 can't be called "normal." If it were, the 360 and Wii wouldn't be undercutting them so significantly.

For a system that's supposedly so much more powerful to be worth the price, the PS3 doesn't look any better than the 360 graphically to me.

Now, even though Nintendo hasn't given any final price points yet, they're making it sound like the Wii and Wii games are not going to be expensive. So gamers may not be "losers" from a price gouging perspective if they follow that route.

[njiska]

Wouldn't this poll be more appropriate when E3 is over?

- The clear better of the 2 graphics powerhouses based on price, graphical equality, live, and the games


this is the main thing I will disagree with mainly because we don't know really how the PS3 will turn out because it hasn't launched yet

not to say that Microsoft hasn't done a damn good job of making an awesome console but there's still alot up in the air

to say it's the clear better of the 2 systems it's really to soon to tell, and the games on the 360 they are good but other than graw and oblivion most other titles are still pretty meh nothing really amazing exclusives mainly because if a game is out on PC it's not technically an exclusive IMO

that being said Gears of War looks amazing and easily one of the best games shown at e3 along with MGS4

it should really be interesting to see what will happen

on the topic of Gears of War I could see it being on both PC and PS3 eventually as well.

I chose to make that comment based on several factors.

- The words of John Carmack
- The PS3 games that were shown where on par with what we've seen from the 360s launch which means Sony has not shown enough to justify the PS3
- This seems to be the concensus amongst the industry including journalists and designers like Carmack and Wright.

[Lothars]

well that is true, I am reading Bill Harris thoughts on it and he makes some really good points

but can someone tell me in the US is the xbox 360 retailing at 399 and 499 or is it 399 and 299?

the reason I though it was 499 is mainly because that's what the price is here in canada,

I would honestly be surprised though if sony keeps up the current price of 599, I think they should have the price of 499 and 399 but we will see.

I am currently looking at a 360 and a Wii though I definitly get a PS3 especially for the RPG factor.

Should be still an interesting generation

[Lord_Magus]

I think this poll should be changed to something a bit more realistic, such as:

[Poll] How hard did Nintendo kick ass at this years E3?

A) Very hard


But seriously, there wasn't really anything that was extremely surprising at E3 this year. Sony came out to announce they'll be charging us a left arm for their new "groundbreaking" system, Microsoft reminded us that they have the smarts (but much more the power\money) to seriously compete in the industry, and Nintendo once again is set to revolutionize the gaming world with its innovative ideas.

Most importantly, there seem to be plenty of awesome games on their way for all systems... Definitely a great time to be a gamer :)

[njiska]

well that is true, I am reading Bill Harris thoughts on it and he makes some really good points

but can someone tell me in the US is the xbox 360 retailing at 399 and 499 or is it 399 and 299?

the reason I though it was 499 is mainly because that's what the price is here in canada,

I would honestly be surprised though if sony keeps up the current price of 599, I think they should have the price of 499 and 399 but we will see.

I am currently looking at a 360 and a Wii though I definitly get a PS3 especially for the RPG factor.

Should be still an interesting generation

$399/299 USD

Honestly, i don't think Sony can fiscally afford to lower the PS3 anymore then it already is. The company isn't rich.

[WiseSalesman]

My vote goes to Nintendo.

I think they've allayed many of the masses' fears about the workings of the new controller, the new Smash Bros. looks amazing, and one of the trailers for Mario Galaxy actually had me audibly gasp "wow", while watching it. In addition, they had 27 Wii games playable on the floor, which was a big surprise to me, and I think a lot of people who have no interest in dishing out $500 or $600 for a console are going to be looking in Nintendo's direction.

Simply put, Nintendo had the announcements, they had the games, and they had the products. They stole the show in my opinion. Every piece of news I hear from the other big two is followed by two pieces of news from Nintendo's camp.

[pacmanhat]

I seriously can't believe someone actually voted for Sony in this poll. LOL

My vote goes to Nintendo, though MS was amazing as well.

[Raedon]

I'm actually a little suprised! I was expecting something like ps3>360>Wii

[GrayFox]

I would've tied Nintendo and Microsoft, but I just picked Nintendo.

Microsoft had a fantastic conference. Gears of War in real time was a good move by them.

Nintendo seriously blew me away with all the new DS games coming out, and the Wii is lookin' extremely fun.

Sony would be behind them, mainly because of their conference. Borrowed ideas, Gran Turismo HD, and the price point killed it for me. But hey, games like MGS4 just look fantastic.

And damn, I can't wait for Sonic Wild Fire and Sonic Next Gen :P

[Rev. Link]

Simply put, Nintendo had the announcements, they had the games, and they had the products. They stole the show in my opinion. Every piece of news I hear from the other big two is followed by two pieces of news from Nintendo's camp.

I second that. There were some cool looking things shown for PS3, but the price has completely put me off. 360 looks like it'll finally be getting enough good games to warrant me buying one once the price comes down.

But Nintendo just blew me away. I knew I wanted a Wii, but seeing all the games announced, seeing Pit finally included in SSB (and Snake, of course), and all the great DS titles, they really overwhelmed my expectations. On top of that, new 2D Mario for GC!

[Trebuken]

I reluctantly voted for Nintendo. I liked their innovation with the controller, espeacially the apeaker, and the retro-controller, but the games were all current gen. It looks like Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, and Zelda were all meant to be Gamecube title, but were held back for thw Wii. Few games announced for the Wii.

Not a Grand Theft Auto Fan but that Microsoft did good getting that license. HD-DVD was mildy interesting (where's the specs?). Gears of War looked great but it's last year's news.

Sony didn't disappoint me, I expected the price to be at least $599, and I am excited about the bluy-ray (I don't think many people care or appreciate this drive). Backwards compatibility at a potential 1080P makes me giddy. PSP integration is sweet. Tough to tell how much of the game footage was authentic...Unreal Tournament is mind-blowing...

Was hoping to see a Microsoft handheld...and news on PS1 on the PSP...


Later,
Trebuken

[Yago]

My vote goes to: Infinium Labs' Phantom!


The company is set to launch a cutting edge online gaming service. The Phantom® Game Service will be delivered online over any broadband network and will offer a broad library of games designed to appeal to both the avid gamer as well as the casual player.


I really like Nintendo this year, but it was M$ that stole the show. I do find personal attacks against competitors to be very 3rd class. Sony sounded like politicians. If they spent more time focusing on the PS3 instead of trying to put down M$, they would be far better off. Sony talked a lot, but never really said anything. I don't care for any of the PS3 launch titles so far. The games look good. But a game that looks good can't compare to a game that looks good and is fun to play. It all depends on your personal interests in games. Gears of War looks like a blast. Wireless headsets, yeah, just what I need, MORE radio waves passing through my little brain. I am going to short curcuit one of these days. I'll be picking a set up. :D So, with that 1)M$ 2) Nintendo Weeeeeee 10) Sony.

[meancode]

The Big N, by far.

[jdc]

I dunno......none?

Since I own a 360, I'm already "there" when it comes to next gen gaming. It was nice to see more info on the games that I will buy.

Sony? I'm not planning on buying one....nothing wrong with the system, I made a vow to only choose one this time. I spent too much money last round. I therefore haven't paid much attention to it. The price is steeper....but people will line up in droves to buy it anyways, just like they've done before. My friend is choosing the Sony anyways, so I'll be able to play it.

Ditto Nintendo. I'm just not interested in Nintendo consoles anymore. Their handhelds are a different story. IF the new system is remarkably affordable AND as unique as the DS gameplaywise, that will change my mind towards Revolution/Wii. I need more information on this machine. I want to know more on how the controller(s) will work. I won't know until I physically try it. It has a good chance of ending up at my house.

It's E3 and this year everyone wants you to believe that their machine is the best. Big whoop. I guess I don't get excited over the E3 circus anymore. It's all smoke and mirrors. The important part is what ends up on the store shelves.

[Joker T]

My vote goes to: Infinium Labs' Phantom!

They have been showing that thing for years now x_x

anyway..

Both Nintendo and Microsoft did a great job.

[Slate]

Although i won't vote until E3 is over for this year, So far it looks like nintendo is the winner.

At first i thought i may aswell get a nintendo wii, But now i have considered preordering one.

[Joker T]

Although i won't vote until E3 is over for this year, So far it looks like nintendo is the winner.

At first i thought i may aswell get a nintendo wii, But now i have considered preordering one.

E3 is over.

[Slate]

Although i won't vote until E3 is over for this year, So far it looks like nintendo is the winner.

At first i thought i may aswell get a nintendo wii, But now i have considered preordering one.

E3 is over.

Thought it ended tomorrow, Looks like i was wrong.

Anyway, nintendo is the winner for me. :)

[tylerwillis]

I was there. Nintendo owned E3.

[Tamashii Sensei]

I think this year, E3 was actually "Wii3" and that Sony and Microsoft were "Nintendowned". I may come off as a fanboy, but I don't care; Nintendo has "come back" in full force, and I absolutely love it. They truly showed what gaming should be (and is) all about about: exciting, new, innovative, and fun(-looking) products that appeal to everyone.

[njiska]

Me Meancode and Juganawt where discussing this the other night and decided to do a podcast on the matter.

We did the podcast as a test and we recorded it over it over live so it's not of the highest quality, but it's about E3 so you guys may want to check it out. Let us know what you think.

http://www2.istop.com/~suprnova/DP/E3.mp3

[Mr Mort]

Well, I think MS did a good job this year. They focused on Live, their upcoming games, and emphasised how Live is community-driven and what can be done through the Live Marketplace. Putting game demos & footage on Live was a great idea too. I played the Cold Planet demo, and it seems to be a solid game.

Sony was kind of "meh" to me. Nothing really substantial. Sure they revealed their online structure a bit, it's free, and it looks ok, but it doesn't seem as well laid out as Live (at least not right now), and who knows how easy it will be to actually get online & set up a game, and how good the connections will be.
I honestly don't care at all that the controller is tilt sensitive. It almost seems 2-dimensional next to the Wiimote. The MGS4 demo was very impressive, but is that running in real-time?
Obviously, the price point has turned a lot of people off...

Nintendo had the best showing, IMHO. After seeing the controller and system in action, and seeing how you can use the controller to interact with various games, I'm excited. I'm excited to try it out and play it. As cliche as it sounds, they really have found a way to innovate and change video games as we know it. Their showing has got me very excited about the Wii.


On a side note, I have a retarded theory about Sony, the PS3, and Blu-Ray. I think Sony is being greedy. I believe their acutal goal is to win the next-generation format war and make Blu-Ray the next home movie media standard. If that happens, Sony will be rich beyond their wildest dreams. Could you imagine, Sony would get royalties for every movie, documentary, anime, anything ever printed on the Blu-Ray format. Think about that for just a minute, how much money that would be...
To that effect, they are using the PS3 to attain that goal, to get Blu-Ray players into as many homes as they can to sway the media format wars to their favor. To Sony, I believe the PS3 itself is secondary to standardizing the Blu-Ray format. Sony is going to use the PS3 to "shove" Blu-Ray down our throats. They've been trying for years to get a proprietary media of theirs standardized with mini-discs, betamax, UMD's, and they're trying again with Blu-Ray.

In any case, it's just a theory I have, take it with a grain of salt.

[Ed Oscuro]

Alright, I've finally voted for Nintendo, despite my continued slight misgivings about the console.

I haven't ever visited E3, but I get the impression that Nintendo has worked extra hard to make sure their recent launches have had playable materials for E3. This was true of the DS, and it was true this time as well. I wouldn't say that Microsoft and Sony weren't taking things as seriously, but their hype has been lacking.

[badinsults]

Although I have heard that MS did a really great job with their presentations, the media spin has really caused this to be the show of Nintendo. Sony lost it instantly when they announced their console costs a minimum of $500. But let's face facts, I am all about the 2D platformer, and Nintendo announced Super Paper Mario for the Gamecube, and Yoshi's Island 2 for the DS. That wins it for me, regardless of what other people think. The new shots of Too Human on the 360 look absolutely amazing, and I certainly hope that the gameplay follows up on it.

[Ed Oscuro]

Sony lost it instantly when they announced their console costs a minimum of $500.
Nah, E3's all about making the pigs fly. The problem is, they got outshone by Nintendo, MGS4 and motion-sensing Warhawk or no.

[sabre2922]

Nintendo really kicked ass and did just about everything right with showing what the Wii was all about , I have to say the the new Mario and Metroid Prime 3 has me very excited.

Metal Gear Solid 4 continues to amaze me 8-) If there is ONE game that would make me buy a PS3.

Sony fucked up with the overpriced PS3 I have NO interest at all until it drops at LEAST a couple hundred $$$.

It looks like the 360 and Wii will be the first next gen consoles for me especially if the 360 has a price drop within the next 12 months.