With E3 officially over, I finally posted my thoughts on the winners of categories such as "Best Video," "Best Game Company," and "Best Announcement." Come check out Ani-Gamers' E3 Wrapup, and make sure to come to the forums to discuss the show with fellow Ani-Gamers members in our E3 2007 thread. Save This Page   Slashdot It!   |Share on Facebook|

E3 is, of course, one of the best conventions to get new video footage from. The major game companies did not disspoint this year, with major trailers and game footage from such games as Super Mario Galaxy, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Halo 3. Below are Ani-Gamers' picks for the best and most important game videos of E3, courtesy of E3 Insider and GameTrailers.

Halo 3 Trailer (360)
Arms Race (Halo short film) (N/A)
Resident Evil 5 Trailer (360)
Wii Fit Trailer (Wii)
Reggie Unveils Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Super Mario Galaxy Trailer (Wii)
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Trailer (Wii)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Trailer (PS3)
Killzone 2 Trailer (PS3)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Trailer (PS2/PS3/360/DS)
Portal Developer Walkthrough (PC/360/PS3)
Rock Band Trailer (360/PS3)
Sakurai's Surprise 15-second Brawl Video (Wii)

Phew. There were a lot of good videos, but I personally suggest the MGS4 and Resident Evil 5 Trailers, as well as the Super Mario Galaxy one. Happy E3 everyone! Save This Page   Slashdot It!   |Share on Facebook|

This is one of those moments where you really wish you were at E3. I'm getting conflicting reports from multiple sources involving the recent PS3 not-so-price-drop. When asked about David Reeves' comments on the American price drop, a Sony spokesperson said this:

"Those quotes from David Reeves are not accurate. He said that if they had lowered the price in Europe, that territory would have run out of their current inventory by the end of July... As announced this week, SCEA's product offering in North America consists of a 80GB PS3 available in August at $599 and a 60GB PS3 available now for $499. We have will have ample supplies of both models to meet the needs of our consumers for the foreseeable future."

Forseeable future. This could mean multiple things. It could mean what it sounds like, (but c'mon, you know that these companies never tell you it straight) or they could be ceasing 60GB production in July and simply planning on using their remaining stock in the "forseeable future."

[UPDATE 1] Joystiq got clarification from Sony just a few minutes ago, when Sony explained that the 60GB unit has a lower price, and will go out of production. However, Sony will continue to sell its remaining stock, which they expect to last for "several months to come." This is essentially the same thing as what Reeves claimed, except that Sony will not cease all sale of the 60GB come August. Officially, Sony is not going with a 2 SKU strategy. The 60GB PS3s are only being sold until they run out, and will not be a part of Sony's marketing plan.

Anyone with any news tips on this matter, please send them to anigamers.contact@gmail.com. This post will be updated with any changes.
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In an interview with SCEE president David Reeves, GamesIndustry.biz uncovered a disturbing bit of information about Sony's lauded PS3 price cut. It turns out that the $499 PS3 will only be available in America until the end of July, when its stock will run out. From then on, SCEA will only sell the previously mentioned $599 80GB Motorstorm bundle. I'm sure the picture on the right describes the image going through every gamer's mind as they hear this news.

When asked about SCEA dropping the PS3 price, Reeves replied,

"Well, they're not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game. [...] All they're doing is taking their stock in trade that they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July."

So essentially, the $499 60GB is nonexistant, and Sony simply put more features into the existing $599 model. Those of you hoping to get a PS3 for cheap(er), get going to your local game stores ASAP!
[via GamesIndustry.biz] Save This Page   Slashdot It!   |Share on Facebook|

At Disney's E3 press conference, (yes they do have one) they announced a new social networking system for their DS titles called "Dgamer." The system will allow players to chat with friends, track high scores, and create and customize online avatars. Certain features will only be unlocked by playing certain games or beating certain challenges in said games.

The feature will be usable on DS, but players can also access their Dgamer account through the Dgamer section of Disney.com. The first game to utilize Dgamer will be Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Obviously, Dgamer will only be used in Disney-branded games.

Indeed, this does sound a whole lot like Xbox Live. In addition to that, it begs the question: If Disney can do it, why not Nintendo? With all of their other social networking features on the Wii, you would think gamers would get something like this.
[via Joystiq]

Another semi-major announcement from Nintendo's press conference, which I forgot to report, is the confirmation of the previously nicknamed "Mii Popularity Channel" for North America. It will be called "Check Mii Out," and is assumed to be a free download, like other Wii Channels. There is no official date, but we will be getting it "sometime soon."

The channel was originally Japan only, but now Americans (and Canadians and Mexicans and everybody else) will be able to compare their Mii charicatures with each other, and vote on the best ones. Though I don't really think I'll use this too much, Check Mii Out is another huge step for Nintendo towards social networking on Wii.
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Joystiq had a chance to speak to Fable 2 developer Peter Molyneux about his upcoming game for the Xbox 360. They decided to ask about that classic neverending sleep we call death. Apparently, in Fable 2, when you "die," in video game terms, you will instead be given a scar from your enemy. These will not affect gameplay, but may change how people view your character. If you want to avoid getting your pretty face cut up, you can pay to stop your enemies from scarring you. This sounds pretty cool, and it follows Molyneux's goal of making his sequel as in-depth and interesting as possible.
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A few days ago, Konami sent out this cryptic invitation to their press conference, and got the gaming press into a mildly interested buzz:

What better way
to end your day
at Konami's media briefing collecting ...
News for a major announcement
you were not expecting.

While some may argue that this was Kojima's announcement, most tend to believe that it was the announcement that Silent Hill V (that's 5) will release on PS3 and Xbox 360. No dates yet, but Konami promises more news on the game in the near future.
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After presenting an amazing Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer to the eager gaming press, Hideo Kojima relayed the bittersweet news about the latest entry in the Metal Gear series: He is done with the games, and as far as he is concerned, Metal Gear Solid 4 is the final game in the series. For this reason, Kojima will reveal all of the secrets and plot threads that he has left dangling throughout the course of the games. This is not to say that Metal Gear is officially over, but the father of the series is leaving, so it will definitely not be the same. And what better way to leave a series like this than with what looks like a spectacular game, and your character in the hugely popular Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

(And in case anyone was wondering: Yes, MGS4 is still a PS3 exclusive...for now)
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Following the huge success of the Nintendo DS lite, Sony has finally confirmed the existence of a redesigned PSP. The new model looks generally the same, but Kaz Hirai claims that gamers will immediately notice the difference when they get their hands on it. For one thing, the already compact PSP is now 33% lighter. More importantly, the machine has the capability to output high-quality video to TVs, computer monitors, and other screens so that players can share their media with friends and family.
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As you can see, Reggie Fils-Aime is being told that he is overweight by his Wii. In Nintendo's final segment of their press conference, Reggie and Miyamoto announced "Wii Fit," a game which follows the "active-play" style of Wii Sports. This time, though, the game is all about fitness, and monitoring your health. From excersises to sports to games, Wii Fit intends to get you into shape, you lazy, Cheetos-munching nerd. The game also comes packaged with the "Wii Balance Board," a pressure sensitive two-panel board that will be able to sense the weight each of your feet puts on it. (that is assuming that you don't have three feet of course)

Though this seems like just another minigames title by Nintendo, all fanboys' fears were put to rest when Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned that this was the game he was looking forward to the most. For shots of the press conference, game, and Balance Board, check out Joystiq, which has a very respectable gallery of them.
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At yesterday's press conference, Nintendo officially announced release dates for two of the "big three" Wii franchises. Super Mario Galaxy releases on November 12, 2007, while Super Smash Bros. Brawl releases on December 3, 2007. Since Metroid Prime 3: Corruption's date was announced a few weeks back as August 27, that means that the big three are finally dated for the North American market.

In addition to the dates, Nintendo also released trailers for Galaxy and Corruption. The Galaxy trailer clearly shows the ability to transform into other creatures, like bees and Boos, and the Corruption one shows the traditional new enemies and such along with a scene from the Ridley fight. View the new Galaxy and Corruption footage here and here, respectively.
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Mario Kart is officially coming to Wii, and it's online to boot. During Nintendo's E3 press conference, Reggie showed off footage from the new game, along with the new peripheral that will be packaged with it: the Wii Wheel. As usual, Reggie hinted us that the game would have a large roster of characters, but he also mentioned that the game will not be "your father's Mario Kart." Riiight. This one is all edgy and violent, because Nintendo is all about the new generation. According to the Regginator, the Wii Wheel should "level the track for beginners." (yep, pun intended) Check out the new screens on Nintendo's Mario Kart page
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One year after Nintendo's first mention of the Wii Zapper attachment, it has returned in its new form at Nintendo's E3 2007 press conference. This time, the controller peripheral allows both the Wiimote and Nunchuk to attach into it, making it a two-handed gun. Reggie Fils-Aime, during the conference, called the Zapper the "first offspring of the Wiimote and the Nunchuk," and announced new games that will use the attachment, including Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Medal of Honor, and Ghost Squad.

Personally, I never liked the Zapper, and my opinions stands even more firmly than before. It is a useless add-on that doesn't enhance functionality and will only make games harder to play. After all, Nintendo had always described the Wiimote-Nunchuck style as "freehand." Why tie up our hands with a hard-to-use gun like this?
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Peter Moore, always the man to bring us steaming hot Halo news, has announced details on the previously discussed Halo film, and shown Halo fans a new model of Xbox 360.

The new live action short film, titled "Arms Race," is a collaboration between Bungie and Weta Studios. The video shown in the press conference showed preparations for battle and various technology from the Halo universe. You can catch both the Arms Race and Halo 3 trailers here. Please note that Arms Race is a standalone short film, and that the shown trailer is the entire thing, not just a preview. Director Neill Blomkamp intends to use the film not only as Halo 3 marketing, but also as a way to get producers interested in his Halo film.

On the gaming side of things, Moore also showed off another new Xbox 360. This one is colored Spartan green, while the disc slot and other parts are painted with the orangeish-gold of Master Chief's helmet. You'd think that they'd quit making new 360s and just drop the price already. I really don't care if it's green, black, or lightish-red. Just make it cheap.
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After repeatedly assuring us that Gears of War, Epic's critically acclaimed Xbox 360 shooter, would not be moving from the 360 anytime soon, Microsoft yesterday announced at their E3 press conference that Gears and Viva Pinata, both bestselling 360 titles, would be ported to PC, and the Games for Windows platform.

In addition to these two games, new games were announced for Games for Windows, including such titles as Stranglehold and Blacksite: Area 51. Luckily for those who have not made the switch yet, (i.e. the lucky ones) Gears and Viva Pinata will run on both XP and Vista. Gears for PC will also come with "five new levels, a new editor, and 'some very big surprises.'" (Joystiq)
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BioWare's highly anticipated game Mass Effect was given a release date during Peter Moore's Microsoft press conference yesterday. The game will release on Xbox 360 this November, with an unconfirmed exact date.
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Hot on the heels of AnimeNEXT and AnimeExpo, the gaming world is throwing the Electronics Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, at us. This year's "Min-E3" is downsized, but the big name companies are still feeding us juicy information. Today, I'm going to slave over my computer to bring you as much E3 coverage as possible. The news will be posted in the general order that it was announced, and then the highlights will be summed up at the end. Get ready for Min-E3! Save This Page   Slashdot It!   |Share on Facebook|