Redefining Splinter Cell: Conviction

One of the games that impressed me the most from E3 that I truly didn’t expect was Splinter Cell: Conviction. The last couple of times we saw this game (years ago), it didn’t seem to have a whole lot going for it, but after some revamping and retooling, the game seems to be getting along just swimmingly. Here’s a new behind the scenes video that shows off the mindset that went behind the game’s attractive new design, and some of the new gameplay elements.

Who else thinks this game looks awesome?

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Game of E3?

e3As I’ve said before in other places, E3 really is the pinnacle of the gaming year. It’s a magical time where gamers get to find out what they can expect for the next year and a half or so, gaming-wise. We’re able to speculate, drool and generally get excited about all the things we love.

The week saw a lot of crazy things. There’s Project Natal from Microsoft which actually looks to show some promise despite my earlier misgivings about it. There’s also the Team Ninja Metroid and Final Fantasy XIV for the PS3. Halo: Reach was a pretty big announcement, as well. On top of that, we got to see some gameplay for things coming out soon, like Assassin’s Creed 2, Mass Effect 2 and Modern Warfare 2.

My favorite game of the show though was probably Uncharted 2 or Splinter Cell: Conviction. I wasn’t expecting much from the next Splinter Cell at all, but they’ve really overhauled the gameplay since the last time we saw the game, and for the better.

So what about you guys? What was the most impressive E3 thing you saw this week?

Modern Warfare 2 Interview

So far, Modern Warfare 2 is one of the more impressive titles I’ve seen at E3. The cliffhanger demo from the Microsoft presser was a joy to watch, particularly the snowmobile ride as well as the sneaking gameplay. Here’s a video interview with the community director at Infinity Ward, with some neat details about the gameplay as well as the story. Who else is even more pumped for this game after E3?

Left 4 Dead 2 E3 Gameplay

In a surprising move, Valve announced the sequel to last year’s much-loved zombie shoot-em-up Left 4 Dead. Even though not much time has passed, Left 4 Dead 2 will come out this November. To be honest, while I love the first game, I’m not really sure how I feel about this. Valve is usually the kind of company that supports their games with years of free content (see Team Fortress 2), so this seems like a weird move coming from them. Regardless, the gameplay looks fun as ever, even if it is the same kind of stuff.

Anywho, enjoy this clip of off-camera gameplay from E3. What do you guys think? Fair/foul of Valve?

SWTOR Trailer is Badass, Has Lightsabers

Wow. See, they should have just let Bioware make the Star Wars prequels. If this new ridiculously awesome trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic is any indication, this game is going to be epic beyond belief. I mean, hundreds of jedi and sith squaring off? Seriously, this is just cool. Maybe the best trailer out of E3 so far. Thoughts?

Rumor: New Mario Game to Be Unveiled at E3

mario2Well, get your rumor counters going, because they’re going to be running wild for the next day or so. Since the first E3 press conference is tomorrow (Microsoft), things are going to be flying off the Inter-tubes left and right.

Some fresh news just broke from Japan as a news service printed that a new Mario game is scheduled to be shown by Nintendo this week at E3, and will release in Japan as soon as the end of this year. Let’s hope it’s a proper Mario game and not a new Mario Party or something like that. Considering Mario Galaxies was such a hit with the Mario alumni out there, this is definitely some exciting news. Now I’m just holding on to my hopes that a new Zelda game will be shown as well, since it’s been even longer since the last one of those.

So who’s excited about a new Mario Wii game?

Source- 1Up

E3 2009 Predictions: Place Your Bets

e32I know we’ve already had a topic similar to this in the past, but now that E3 is just a few days away, I couldn’t resist. Rumors are starting to fall on video game sites about possible hardware releases (such as an upgraded PSP), and firm dates on games like Splinter Cell: Conviction and so on. There are even rumors surrounding an announcement of a new Mario/Zelda game for the Wii, with Nintendo’s promise that this year’s presser will be focused on games.

While E3 wasn’t a big deal last year, this year, they’re going to kick it up a notch. I figured that in light of this awesome event, we’d place some bets on things that we think are going to happen, and we’ll try to keep score of who got the most right.

So, put down 7 predictions for E3, and we’ll see who comes out on top. The more specific, the better!

Last Year’s E3 Promises

e31We all know what E3 means. It’s the time of year when we get sandwiched by video game news galore, and announcements from every corner of the gaming kingdom. Not only do we hear from the developers we enjoy, but also from the big 3 of the console wars: Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Each year, they regale us with tales of things to come. So how truthful are they?

A writer over at Kotaku took the time to analyze last year’s E3 promises from each of the major console makers, in order to see who told more fibs and who did the biggest exaggerations. Surprisingly enough, it seems that all of them did a pretty good job at predicting the things to come. See for yourself:

  • Microsoft E3 2008 promises
  • Sony E3 2008 promises
  • Nintendo E3 2008 promises
  • So, how do you think they all did? And who had the best year? Personally, from the looks of it, it seems that Sony may have edged out the competition in terms of truth-telling, and they’ve even given us several great reasons to pick up their new console since then. Thoughts?

    Source- Kotaku

    GameCop Vs LameCop #6

    GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, playing the role of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. We switch roles each time. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.

    This week, we tackle several issues including multiplayer in single player games, Nintendo’s lackluster GTA: Chinatown Wars sales and E3 predictions.

    Continue reading GameCop Vs LameCop #6

    E3 2009 Predictions

    e3Now that we’re already halfway through the month of April (seriously?), that means the whole gaming realm inches closer to E3 2009, which takes place the first week of June. While the event isn’t quite the spectacle that it used to be, gaming studios take the few days with the press fairly seriously, and bring out their big guns, especially in terms of announcements.

    We are now starting to hit that gaming news drought that comes in the month or so leading up to E3 where studios pull up the protective turtle shells and wait to unleash their megaton announcements all at once. In years past, we’ve gotten to see first glimpses of things like Halo, MGS, GTA, Zelda, and the like.

    So what do you think we’ll hear at E3 this year? Any big and bold predictions? Personally, I think that one of the big 3 is going to mention a new console. They probably won’t be unveiling it or showing it at this point, but it wouldn’t shock me to get a tease of some kind. Also, I’m thinking we might see an announcement regarding a new Zelda game as well as something new from the Halo franchise.

    What do you guys think? Make your predictions!