The E3 Expo runs every summer in Los Angeles. It is where game developers such as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony reveal their latest projects for the first time to the public's view.
Wii U was one of the first announcements to come from E3 as reported by
David Silverberg. New information indicates that the Wii U will only come with one controller because the system will only function with one WiiPad while friends will have to use the generic Wii Remote for multi-player games. Nintendo's senior managing director Shigeru Miyamoto told
News.com.au in an interview, "Our basic premise is that you can use one with a system. If we got to an idea of having multiple (controllers) it might be just more convenient for people to use their Nintendo 3DS and have a way to connect that. That being said, we are doing research about if someone brings their controller to their friends house and they want to play together on Wii U to whether or not something like that would be possible."
Miyamoto's announcement confirmed rumors that the WiiPad would not be sold separately since there'd be no point in getting more if the system can only handle one, but fans are worried about what to do if the WiiPad needed to be replaced.
Microsoft didn't have a new system to showcase, but it announced some big plans for its Xbox 360. The
Washington Post reported that the Microsoft corporation plans to bring live television to Xbox 360 consoles in the United States. The company also has ideas for its motion sensing Kinect technology. According to marketing vice president Mike Delman Microsoft wants to offer more through Kinect. “For example, in ‘Forza,’ you’ll be able to tilt your head to see different angles from the driver’s seat," he said.
Sony revealed its newest hand-held: the PlayStation Vita. GameSpy reviewer Ryan Scott
said that the system's graphics were comparable the PlayStation 3. The most important thing to know about PlayStation Vita is that it will use physical media, unlike the failure that was the PSP Go. Evidently the system won't use UMDs like the PSP, but there is no information as to what the cartridges will look like.
Games
Many franchises are getting new additions. Bioware said that Mass Effect 3 will be released on March 6 of 2012, and 2K Boston plans on releasing BioShock Infinite in 2012 which won't be a sequel to the previous game but instead an entire new story. The setting will be a floating island rather than in the familiar underwater ruins.
Microsoft announced
Halo 4 which will be the start of a new trilogy taking place in the aftermath of Halo 3.
Other familiar titles receiving sequels are Assassin's Creed,
Silent Hill, the
Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy,
Soulcalibur,
Call of Duty, Ninja Gaiden, and Battlefield.
Some classics such as
Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, and Halo are being remade with upgraded graphics to be played on the current generation of systems.
Strangely the largest third-party developer
Activision didn't hold any press conferences although they were present at a booth. Even more noticeable was the complete
absence of Hideo Kojima, Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment and creator of the Metal Gear series. Kojima's absence was because of his new project called Transfarring. Transfarring is the ability to transfer a save file from the PlayStation 3 to the PSP, and
Kojima says he first plans on using it with the Metal Gear series including the HD versions of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Peacewalker.