Cody Musser vs Internet: Take Two!

Well, with the big three conferences here and gone, E3 this year may not be quite over yet, but in terms of announcements that tremble the hearts of nerds and leave jaws agape, I think it's safe to say Goodnight. The announcements that did come? Some amazing -- some not quite -- some veer towards the thin line that separates plain stupid from mental retardation. Regardless, predictions were made, so let's discover how well I can estimate the future of the games industry.

Nintendo -



1. Colored Wiis - Maybe not "colored" but a black Wii was announced for Japan. Whatever, I'm counting it.
2. New Super Mario Bros. 2 - I said that this could happen on the Wii. It might not be called a direct sequel, but even still, this is close enough to what I imagined. Actually, it's even better -- props Nintendo, props.
3. Downloadable Virtual Console for DSi - I don't understand why this is so hard for Nintendo to commit to. Not a mention at all of this, what could be a killer service.
4. Pikmin - It exists. Did Nintendo remind everyone of that? No.
5. No New Accessories - If I believed in God, I'd curse him at this point. Damn Vitality Sensor. I'll let my treadmill measure my pulse (If I had one), thank you very much.

Predicted Grade: C-
Actual Grade: C+ - Don't worry, I'm still not in love with the backwards direction Nintendo is heading in terms of many things I love, but a new Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and even Team Ninja's Metroid: Other M deserve some praise. The more I look into this Metroid they're making, the more I think it might not be bad.

Microsoft -



1. The Motion Camera - Project Natal, eh? It has potential to be unique and interesting. I don't ever see it lending itself to hardcore games, but I won't write it off before it is fully realized.
2. New Halo - Halo: Reach. I hit the nail on the head (the rumors helped). Still, I'd rather it be a third-person shooter in the Halo-verse. That needs to be done.
3. Metal Gear Solid - Victory!
4. XBLA Gets Serious & 5. "New Game" from... hmm, I'll say Epic Games - I got them both right, I just didn't know they'd be the same game. Shadow Complex looks great, and I'm always for another Metroidvania.
6. Special Extra Prediction - New game from Rare - Wrong.
7. Special Extra Prediction 2 - Project Offset - So wrong.

Predicted Grade: A-
Actual Grade: B - That was unexpected. Perhaps the mystery hype behind Microsoft's announcements actually hurt them here and resulted in a backlash. What they actually did reveal was in many places awesome, however in others it was actually tame and expected. Who didn't know Crackdown 2 was coming? Great conference, but not earth shattering.

Sony -



1. PSP Go! - It didn't really count that I knew this one -- but whatever, I'm a cheater. What I couldn't have guessed was the price-point. $250.00? Come on Sony, what the hell are you thinking?
2. Metal Gear Solid - I should have guessed two Metal Gear's for Sony. That would have been a little more impressive.
3. Price-Cut then PS3 Slim - I'm not sure how Sony plans to sell systems this fall without making either of these announcements. Rest assured, I'd bet a lot that they're both coming, although, who knows when?
4. Gran Turismo 5 - Maybe Gran Turismo PSP was the GT darling with a serious focus, but we did see Gran Turismo 5 on stage... and guess what? The cars? YOU CAN DAMAGE THEM! Way to go Polyphony! That only took you 10 years or so to deliver.
5. New Syphon Filter - This was an absolute guess on my part. Shows what I get for making absolute guesses.

Predicted Grade - B
Actual Grade - B - I think Sony's conference was actually right around the B range. With some serious announcements lacking -- particularly the ones that would help them get console sales, they otherwise performed well in terms of surprises and interesting game announcements. I, for one, will admit to being hyped by ModNation Racers. Then there's always that Final Fantasy XIV...

Third Party -



1. Valve - Half-Life Episode 3 - Wrong.
2. Capcom - Viewtiful Joe on Wii - Wrong-er.
3. Konami - WiiWare Castlevania - Wrong-est.
4. Square Enix - Kingdom Hearts Wii - Super Wrong.
5. Ubisoft - Prince of Persia - I'm not very good at this.

I think I'll leave third party guesses for someone else next year.

THE GRAND TALLY: 10 correct predictions out of 22
GRADE: F

Nintendo Percentage Correct: 40%
Microsoft Percentage Correct: 71%
Sony Percentage Correct: 60%
Third Party Percentage Correct: 0%

That's that for the E3 crystal ball this year. Next post will be best of show awards.

I know it's been a while since I've posted, and were it not for the fact I'm running out of time I probably wouldn't be making a new post. However, it's pretty much the beginning of the last day before E3, and as is the tradition around here -- predictions need be made. There is of course a system to my madness. I'll allow myself five official predictions for each of the big presenters at E3, and then five third party predictions, and lastly a grade for each showing at the conference. Then, post convention, I'll consider how well I did. So, without blathering on... let's get to it.

Nintendo -



Oh, Nintendo. No one really expects much from you. You're sad, and you hurt me with your inability to create compelling software for your hardcore fan-base. I could complain all day, but it's not like it would change anything, and it's definitely not like I actually expect it to happen. Anyways, what do I think Nintendo could actually deliver for E3 this year? This:

1. Colored Wiis - Long rumored and even seen, I think this E3 is when Nintendo will announce the release of colored Wiis. It's part of their ridiculous strategy of boosting sales when they start to get sluggish by infusing their hardware line with the power of the rainbow.
2. New Super Mario Bros. 2 - What? I'm willing to go out on a limb for something I actually want. It's long past time, and it's been rumored that Nintendo is announcing a Mario game this year. I think this is the one that we'll see -- or at least I hope it is, instead of Mario Math or Mario and Luigi Teach Shit.
3. Downloadable Virtual Console for DSi - I'm just saying ... Gameboy, GB Color, GB Advance games. It'd be cool. I think they can do it. I'm saying they'll do it. I'm probably wrong.
4. Pikmin - It will be there. I don't think anyone is doubting that? Will I care? Not really, no.
5. No New Accessories - Not technically a game, but I'll call this an important prediction. I'm going to say that with Wii Motion Plus not quite out yet and the balance board not even realized for much more than Wii Fit and gimmicks...excuse me, I meant to say just gimmicks, I believe this will be the first Nintendo conference in a while where they don't introduce some new piece of unique, but mostly uninteresting technology. Yippee! Wii Fit Plus, on the other hand? Totally expect that.

Overall Prediction - I apologize for not holding back my general disdain and lack of willingness to believe Nintendo can provide more than their, albeit awesome, key franchise games and other, not so awesome and generally terrible, reaches toward the casual market.
Predicted Grade: C- (If only for New Super Mario Bros. 2)

Microsoft -



Do I liken Microsoft to Jesus Christ these days? Yes, I'll admit it openly from the start. Microsoft is succeeding so admirably at their goals that I can't honestly say many negative things. I turn my Xbox 360 on every single day. I don't even play games that often, and still, between Netflix and other stuff, it's on. Damn I have high regard for this company right now. So, what makes this interesting is that Microsoft, according to the majority of game journalists, has an E3 lineup of absolute mystery. Well then, lots of crazy guesses to follow:

1. The Motion Camera - A bummer I know. This is the thing everyone expects Microsoft to be revealing and I agree. The sad thing? I don't care that much. I can't see how it will work effectively with the majority of good games on the console, so it can only pander to new, casual games -- oh. how. fun.
2. New Halo - Is Halo: ODST enough? I don't think it is. I'm pretty sure Microsoft will be announcing a new Halo to rile up the fans. Will it be Halo: Reach? Probably. It could be something else, but expect two Halo titles this year. I guess that's cool -- I personally hope one is a bad-ass third-person shooter.
3. Metal Gear Solid - Pie in the sky?! I think you'll see Kojima on stage. New game, or MGS4 ported? No idea... but Kojima on stage. 'Nuff said.
4. XBLA Gets Serious - What is the exact game that will make people say, "Oh my... XBLA is going to be awesome." I couldn't even say for sure. However vague it might be, I'm saying there will be more than a simple XBLA montage this year. This year Microsoft will feature an XBLA game in their conference, and it will be sexy.
5. "New Game" from... hmm, I'll say Epic Games - I think it's time for Epic to give a little shout along the lines of, "Yo guys... we do more than Gears." I haven't heard anything that said it could be true, and Gears is keeping them on top of the world right now, but eh, It's a guess. I feel it. So, let's see. I'm thinking they'll go back to a first-person game too. Let's see if I get that one right.
6. Special Extra Prediction - New game from Rare. I say so.
7. Special Extra Prediction 2 - Project Offset - Montage or no -- we'll see it.

Overall Prediction - Well, I'm stoked for this whole affair. Particularly stoked since it's only a little more than 12 hours away. Even my guesses don't seem to cover what would be the "mystery" that Microsoft is touting they have in store and how it's going to change the game forever. Unless of course, they're banking it all on that damn camera. We'll all know soon. On the other hand, Zune HD on stage though? Sounds good to me.
Predicted Grade: A- (Sad, sad camera brings down the hype.)

Sony -



It's so strange to me that everyone is saying that Sony seems like they could have the best E3 of all the consoles. I mean, maybe. They have a somewhat strong lineup of games coming this fall, so it's a possibility. However, in my mind, the winning of E3 is about the new announcements, not what we already know. So, in terms of that - what could Sony bring to the table?

1. PSP Go! - Alright, I'm cheating. This has been announced. It is coming. Well, I don't care. I was going to predict it anyways, so if it hadn't leaked I'd have just been right. It's about time for a new PSP. did Sony change it enough to dent Nintendo's market-share? I'm not even sure. I hope it goes over well though. A killer new PSP would be pretty cool.
2. Metal Gear Solid - Yeah, so Kojima on stage at the Microsoft conference? I said yes. Kojima on stage at the Sony conference? I said yes. If Microsoft gets a ported MGS, Sony will get a new one... and Lords of Shadow. The MGS? I think it'll be on PSP.
3. Price-Cut then PS3 Slim - I'll even go as far as to throw them into a single prediction. I think Sony will announce a price-cut on their current hardware, to push the stock for the new PS3 Slim that also gets announced. It's pretty weighty to expect both, but eh.. I'm that kind of guy.
4. Gran Turismo 5 - I'm not even sure racing games like GT are that big of an announcement anymore, but perhaps I'm biased. I do think however that Gran Turismo 5 will be announced, and in it, the cars will be very shiny. They might even be damageable... or they could take that feature out at a later date.
5. New Syphon Filter - Has it been announced? I'm not even sure. I think we'll see this one though. It's one of the few series that Sony has that isn't currently being employed and if I remember correctly does actually have a good fan base.

Overall Prediction - Sony is undoubtedly going to focus on some great games. God of War 3, Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, and then of course there is the new PSP Go!. These things are in the bag and they'll make it a good conference. But the juicy stuff? The unknown factor? I just don't know if it's quite as exciting as what Microsoft could possibly have in store.
Predicted Grade - B

Third Party -

No super long explanations here -- just five third party predictions off the top of my head.

1. Valve - Half-Life Episode 3 - I heard they weren't showing it. I don't care. It's time.
2. Capcom - Viewtiful Joe on Wii - The mystery game? I think that'd be it.
3. Konami - WiiWare Castlevania - Another DS Castlevania? Sure, I love 'em. WiiWare? Now that'd be interesting.
4. Square Enix - Kingdom Hearts Wii - Was this announced? Well, it will be.
5. Ubisoft - Prince of Persia - The movie tie-in game? It has to exist.

That's about everything from me. Happy E3! I could talk on and on about the things I know, 100% will be at the conferences, but that'd be no fun at all.

PS: Wow, I noticed in making this post that my HTML is so rusty. I'm getting terrible.

I apologize. No lengthy explanation. All should be apparent. I'll make amends soon; I promise. Until then, know that I have been doing something at least:

Sudokuro Preview - Nintendo DS - Modojo

Where games like Sudoku Gridmaster seemed to pale in comparison to the add-on Sudoku in Brain Age, Sudokuro is at least launching with some hindsight, and hopefully will be presenting a fully featured puzzler's heaven of mathematical content. If not, then Brain Age is always hanging back somewhere in the catalog of a serious portion of DS owners, and Toondoku is still looming right beside Sudokuro on the horizon. The competition is stiff, but if nothing else, this one's got a budget pricetag of $19.99, and of course, the freaking dragons.

Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom Preview - Nintendo DS - Modojo

A couple years later and hindsight offers us the chance to look back upon the release of Death Jr. with the knowledge that despite the games unique storyline and interesting setting, gameplay mechanics and camera issues doomed what was a potentially brilliant IP into mediocrity. Even the sequel to the game never quite proved itself as the savior of handheld 3D platforming, and that is where Death Jr. seemed to be heading, down the road of being another platforming attempt that just failed to capture audiences like the big hitters, namely Mario and even the PSP's own Daxter. However, Backbone refused to allow Death Jr. to slip softly into the night, and thanks in part to the success of Nintendo's handheld machine, they've decided to give Death Jr. a shot on a device that is a little more geared to the audience they were initially reaching towards.

Valhalla Knights Preview - Sony PSP - Modojo

The vastness of the fantasy wold in Valhalla Knights is second only to the vastness of character customization within the game. Every single wearable item in the game doesn't only affect the character and his abilities, but they are all also viewable on the character model. As far down as rings and necklaces, everything can be seen. That is a truly impressive achievement for any game, on any platform, and it will surely inspire players to explore the appearance of their character.

Puzzle Quest Roundtable - Nintendo DS/Sony PSP - Modojo

I definitely noticed more RPG than I was expecting. Actually, it felt a lot like Heroes of Might and Magic. More than a lot, a TON like Heroes of Might and Magic. I'd have to imagine that was the mold they were facing when they chose to go down this design path. Of course, they removed the battle elements and replaced them with puzzly ones, which is why the game is so damn unique.

I noticed how ridiculously robust the game was when I was building my town up and using the structures (stables, mage tower, etc.) to gain abilities. Starting there, and moving onward, I just kept saying, "Jesus, this is in here too?"

Lost in Blue 2 Review - Nintendo DS - Modojo

There could be, in some way, a niche market that finds the grueling experience that is Lost in Blue 2 enjoyable. Diehard survivalists or the kind-of too old Boy Scouts with a seriously concerning collection of Merit Badges could be right at home with this game. Or maybe not, there's always that girl/relationship element in there, and I hear these guys are scared of those strange girls. Their strange smells and strange breast things tend to freak them out and make them lose their focus on the kindling and rabbit traps. Yeah, I lose focus too guys, nothing to worry about.



Hit the links for the whole written ordeal, not just an excerpt. Now imagine that I've also been doing tons of schoolwork, handling Modojo's scheduling, editing and uploading of reviews and previews, and working four days a week at Barnes & Noble. AND taking the time to (get ready for this one) exercise almost every day.

I'm owning the 24 hours in a day.