Apple Keynote - E3 2013
Apple's keynote for E3 2013 began with Steve Jobs taking the stage and thanking everyone in attendance. He then began to talk about the Apple Virtua and how it was one of the most successful console launches of all time, with enormous sales all over the world and amazing critical reviews for its biggest games. He then said that there's a lot more in store for the Virtua, the Gemini, and everything else Apple in the years to come, and that this year's presentation would show how Apple is about to change gaming forever. He then introduced John Carmack to the stage. Carmack thanked Jobs, who then left, and Carmack then launched into the next part of his presentation, where he introduced a dear friend of his, Tom Hall, to discuss his newest game for the Apple Virtua. Upon Hall's introduction, fans seemed to have a pretty good idea where this was going next, and cheered wildly. Hall then talked about Ion Storm's signature series, Commander Keen, discussing the recent spinoff games for mobile platforms, but noting that there hasn't been a proper full console game since the Reynard spinoff in 2010, or going back further, Billy's Brave Odyssey in 2008. Hall introduced a trailer for a brand new Commander Keen game, which started off by showing Billy playing with his new virtual reality game console, only for Becky to do something to cause Billy to get sucked in. Meanwhile, Reynard, who had been competing with Billy online, gets sucked in as well, much to the surprise of his friends Brianna and George. Billy, Becky, and Reynard end up in a mysterious virtual world, where they are forced to compete against other players, including Hardcore2001, a hardcore gamer who seeks to defeat everyone. However, in this world, defeat means death, forcing Billy and Reynard to work together to survive. At the same time, Billy and Reynard's friends and allies look for a way to get into the game themselves, and the two also look like they'll be meeting new friends and foes as well. The game's title is introduced as Commander Keen: Adventures In Virtual Reality, and is set for release on the Virtua sometime next year. Hall then shows off numerous features of the game, including the ability to transform and warp in mid-battle, to execute some fierce new moves by utilizing motion controls, and also introducing a massive amount of new collectibles that are necessary for powering up Billy and Reynard and making progress in the game. While the game is still early in the development stages, there's a playable demo available on the show floor, and we had quite a bit of fun with it when we got a chance to play. After the announcement of the new Commander Keen, Carmack then went immediately into the next trailer, which appeared to show off a new Pixelworld expansion... then, as the game's graphics began to transform from 8-bit into 16-bit, and entirely new gameplay mechanics began to reveal themselves, we got the sense that this wasn't an expansion... and the crowd went wild as it was revealed to be a trailer for a full-blown Pixelworld sequel, with a new story mode along with a vastly expanded creative suite. The game will allow people to import their old objects and creations from the original Pixelworld, and will also allow players to create platforming, RPG, and adventure games that can be fully experienced and lived in by other players. The game's release window was given as 2014, and then one last announcement appeared on screen: “Buy and register an Apple Virtua console before January 1, 2014 and you'll be able to download Pixelworld 2 for free at release.” This caused the crowd to cheer loudly, though it also led to some murmurs as people realized that anyone who bought a Virtua in 2014 would have to pay full retail price for the game. Carmack then invited a few of the game's developers to show off the new Pixelworld 2 features, and we got about a five minute demo of some of the game creation suites and new graphical power being shown off, along with motion controls to pick up and move around objects. Apple's E3 2013 began with two blockbuster announcements, but there was still about 45 minutes left to show off more.
We first got a quick gameplay and story presentation for a new exclusive third person shooter game called Neutralizer Alpha, centered around the leader of a combat team in the near future, tasked with putting down criminal gangs and terrorists. The hero is depicted as an everyman-type figure who's morally conflicted about his job and cares deeply about his team, while the story snippets introduced plenty of interesting characters, giving the protagonist a pair of love interests: a tough but emotionally vulnerable teammate and a somewhat shy bureaucrat who doesn't agree with the squad's goals. The combat was also shown to be quite fluid and realistic, and the control scheme, which gives players the option to use the Virtua motion controls, was actually quite intuitive, and could send players rolling and crouching when this game's released in November. Neutralizer Alpha is a great example of the power and potential of the Virtua, but before we got to see the next big Virtua game, we got a quick little trailer from Capcom about a Gemini beat 'em up starring Chun-Li. Called Chun-Li Rising, the game features a sort of hybrid between Devil May Cry and Street Fighter controls, and tells the heroine's origin story. It looks plenty fun, and we'll enjoy playing it sometime early next year (Japan actually gets it in November). Then, we got a presentation for the next game in the acclaimed Phantasy Star series, Phantasy Star IX: Between Fact And Fiction. The game takes place on a space colony in the distant future, in which a set of storybooks are some of the last surviving artifacts of an ancient world. When the storybook starts interacting with the real world as the people of the colony explore and search for a new home, things take a strange twist, and adventure begins. The new Phantasy Star game will feature an action-RPG battle system that takes place in real time, with seamless battle transitions quite similar to titles such as Final Fantasy XII. The graphics look absolutely gorgeous and it looks like we'll be exploring numerous worlds in this one. After this segment, we got an announcement that Phantasy Star Online 3 is in development for the Virtua. Then, we saw another quick Gemini preview, showing off Duality Twin, the sequel to the popular iTwin game Duality. It features similar gameplay and stars the protagonists from the first game, but puts them in all new situations and features a new twin mode in which characters are able to duplicate themselves. This Duality sequel should be one of the top Gemini games of the year, and it's coming in November. Next, a preview for the Star Wars fighting game, Star Wars Masters. This game, which was announced last year at PAX West, is coming out for the Virtua next month, and plays much like the old Masters Of Juyo game for the SNES-CD. Of course, this one isn't developed by Rare, but instead by Capcom, so there are some notable differences. Some of the new characters from Episode VII show up, along with more than 20 favorites from previous entries in the series. Notably absent is Ahsoka Tano from the Clone Wars games, who's in Super Smash Bros. but not this. Then, we saw a preview video of a new platforming adventure game for the Virtua, called The Spectacular Rocket Ryde. Featuring a girl hero who uses a jetpack to fly around a big city and fight bad guys, this is a somewhat silly superhero game, and will probably draw a lot of comparisons to Miraculous Ladybug, though this game is a more straightforward action brawler. Its aesthetic can best be described as “cotton candy”, and its heroine, voiced by Lacey Chabert, is extremely bubbly and energetic. Girls will love this game for sure, especially if the gameplay is strong.
After this string of previews, Carmack slowed things down a bit to discuss one of his favorite classic Sega arcade games, House Of The Dead. He talked about how much he loved playing the game back in the day when he was working on games like Quake and its sequel, and expressed disappointment that modern games don't live up to the horror and fun of the original back in 1996. He then said that with the Virtua, it's finally possible for Apple to make a game that lives up to the original, and that he's more excited for this game than he is any of the other games during today's presentation. He then shows a preview video that shows the game's familiar light-gun gameplay, but then after the player is attacked, they're thrown off the rails and forced to explore a terrifying mansion in first person, zombies attacking them on all sides. The trailer ends with a horrifying scene of the player being overrun, and then Carmack brings up a new production team, Studio Sever, that worked on the game for Apple. The Virtua's House Of The Dead, scheduled for release in October, will combine arcade-style rail shooting with 3-D exploration, and will utilize the Virtua's motion controls to allow for realistic movement around the mansion. The game will force the player to go off the beaten path and into scary situations to rescue hostages and learn the mystery of the house, and the segments have a time limit as well, forcing the player to stay constantly on their toes. House Of The Dead is set for release in October, and will actually be a budget-priced game at $29.99, indicating that it might be somewhat shorter than the typical Virtua title. After this, we got a preview for a brand new Capcom game... a remake of 1995's Victory, in a full 3-D view rather than the top-down original. The game will expand upon the storyline of the original game, with hero Nash Grieves forced to rally his old war buddies to fight a covert alien invasion. The game introduces new characters and some new mechanics, meaning that even for those who loved the original, there's definitely something here for players to enjoy. The remake Victory comes exclusively to the Virtua next year. We then got a trailer for Alpha Protocol 2, another 2014 title and a sequel to the original game. The events from the previous game can be carried into Alpha Protocol 2, and even if Michael died in the original, it will still be possible to play the game somehow, though the trailer didn't state how that would be possible. Alpha Protocol 2 looks beautiful graphically, and the plot looks quite intriguing, though the trailer didn't give us a huge amount of information and it's clear Apple's waiting for a future show to give us more information about this game. Then, another quick trailer, showing off... Downhill, for the Virtua! The popular motion controlled skiing game is coming to the Virtua with a slew of new features, improved graphics, and the ability to ski with just your body. The game is coming in January of next year, and we later found out that it'll be released at $29.99, another budget priced game. Then, we saw a preview trailer for Namco's later game in the Ace Combat series, coming exclusively to Virtua. Called Ace Combat: Infinite Skies, it's another gorgeous game, with incredible graphics, riveting combat, and a slew of new characters and missions. In fact, the game looks to be the most cinematic and story heavy Ace Combat game yet, making the stakes for the player even higher than ever before. Infinite Skies is coming next year. Next up, another Gemini preview, this time for a new game in the Aerio series. It looks like the series will be continuing exclusively on the Gemini from this point forward, and it picks up where the last game left off, with Aerio, now alive and more powerful than ever before, teaming up with a slew of old friends and new friends to battle a powerful new evil. The action looks spectacular, with Aerio slinging off a ton of spells, and not just wind elemental ones, but energy spells and fire spells too. This game looks like a nonstop action adventure thrill ride that's perfectly made for showing off the Gemini's gorgeous graphics, and we'll be seeing this one next year.
After this segment, Carmack ceded the stage to some Apple programmers, who briefly discussed the iPhone and iPad and their newest updates for gaming. We saw a very Nexus-like feature for the iPhone, allowing players to use their iPhone as a controller, but without the second screen functionality of the Nexus (we did get some second screen features for certain games, but it's nothing compared to what Nexus titles are capable of). We learned about Apple's new augmented reality game Person People, in which players could generate avatars of themselves to explore and battle in various real world locations, and we also saw the introduction of a new achievement tracker/walkthrough tool for the iPhone designed to work in conjunction with SegaNet (yep, that's still a thing as the Virtua's official online service). Players can give each other hints in real time for tricky sections of games, and can also share their achievements and post videos to the service. The segment was pretty good at showing how Apple's other devices can be used to enhance certain games, but the crowd didn't seem as into this one as they were for the games themselves. Fortunately, John Carmack returned to save us by introducing Hideki Kamiya to show off an early in-progress action RPG title called Scalebound that would be exclusive to the Virtua. Scalebound will feature a man and a dragon roaming a vast world together, fighting enemies and gaining strength. Scalebound is somewhat reminiscent of Dragonwar, but much more combat focused, as is par for the course for a Platinum title. We didn't get much of this one, even a release window, but a demo was available on the show floor, and despite being quite basic was also quite fun. The next preview consisted of a story trailer for Land Of Enchantment 2, the sequel to Apple's 2011 hit cinematic action game. The trailer showed the game taking place in the early 1950s, and instead of getting the atomic bomb, the Soviet Union acquires something far more dangerous: alien supertechnology, just as the alien defectors from the first game feared. Arabeth is abducted into a future where Earth is ruled by the Soviet Union, which has morphed into something very similar to Oceania from 1984, and the other heroes must venture through time and space to save her. This new sequel, just like its predecessor, features incredible graphics, and the trailer promised that the game would take full advantage of the Virtua's motion controls as well. After the Land Of Enchantment 2 trailer, we got one more quick teaser trailer for an upcoming Virtua exclusive, a first-person shooter which seemed to combine elements with MMORPG-type gameplay, and featured a massive, and I mean massive, array of players (256 at once, perhaps?). The game was identified only as Project Echo, and Carmack promised more about the game at a later date, but that it will be an experience that will only be available on the Virtua. He then thanked the attendees, and that wrapped Apple's E3 presentation for 2013. Apple's presentation seemed much heavier on 2014's games than 2013, promising perhaps a lean rest of the year for Apple, though Neutralizer Alpha and Phantasy Star IX both seemed quite strong. It's great to see Commander Keen back, and we know Sonic 7 is coming to the Gemini, but where's the news about a Sonic Virtua game? We're expecting to hear news of Virtua Sonic sooner rather than later (it's rumored that a potential iTwin/Virtua Sonic title intended for the Virtua launch was scrapped after the unexpected success of Sonic The Hedgehog 6 and the disappointing sales of Elemental Friends), but the longer fans have to wait, the more restless they're going to get.
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*A woman in her early-20s wearing punk inspired clothes is standing with some game developers who are showing off an interesting looking rhythm game.*
Woman: What's up, this is Jagged Angel here at E3 2013, and I'm with the developers of the all new rhythm game Modern Beats, coming to a console near you. Guys, this game is really special, and that's all because of this right here *she points to a peripheral with a screen in the middle and two large haptic pads on either side* that will help you play this really fun game, what is it?
Developer: This is called the Beatbox, and it actually differs depending on what console you're playing the game on. This one's for the Reality version of the game, but we actually have a slightly different one for the Virtua, and then on the Nexus, it doesn't have a screen because you can use your phone as the screen.
Jagged Angel: That's really cool. I've already played this game and had a killer time with it, but for my viewers, show me how to play.
Developer: You'll be using these pads here in conjunction with the screen, and as the song plays, you'll be tapping the pads, but you'll also be interacting with the screen to change up the song. You can use this screen to remix the song to flip across the stage, or you can use the screen to switch to an entirely different song.
*Jagged Angel is shown playing the game herself, and the interface shows a game combining elements of titles such as DJ Hero, Amplitude, and Dropmix, with the player's performance transforming the stage that the player is interacting with and also changing up the song, giving the appearance of conducting a symphony as the icon moves back and forth. It's full of visual and auditory stimuli, and the points rack up quickly, making the game fun both to watch and to play.*
Jagged Angel: I'm really loving how the controls actually help the player get more into the music as they're playing, I can feel myself swaying and rocking back and forth to the song as I'm playing the game. Now, I have a question for you, why bring out a rhythm game at a time when rhythm games like Guitar Hero are way down?
Developer: We think the new consoles and their different approaches to controlling games really help to make games like Modern Beats possible. The flexibility in their control schemes allows us some flexibility when coming up with the Beatbox accessory.
Jagged Angel: I've gotta say, this is more fun than playing a guitar. I feel like some kind of music wizard!
Developer: *laughing* That really is the idea!
Jagged Angel: What's cool is that this game isn't just going to have songs from modern music, it'll have its own unique songs and will also let players create their own songs just by playing with this device! That's really cool.
Developer: Players will be able to share their creations too.
Jagged Angel: This sounds better and better.
-from the Videocean series Girlpunk Games, posted to Videocean on June 14, 2013
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Alex Stansfield: Now for a very, VERY special guest with me here at E3 2013, it's my good friend and former GameTV co-host, Brittany Saldita!
Brittany: *sitting next to Alex and smiling quite happily* Hey there, everyone!
Alex: Are you having fun at E3 this year?
Brittany: I am, I am, this is probably the most fun E3 I've ever been to!
Alex: Now, you're here at E3 to promote the new Assassin's Creed, which you're a part of, but are you allowed to talk about other games with me? Are you allowed to play the other games?
Brittany: *laughing* Yes, Alex, I am allowed to talk about other games with you today, don't worry. I've actually been having a really good time here, I've gone around and played lots of games. Corona del Sol looks amazing, and then Squad Four: Betrayal....
Alex: We'll talk about Squad Four: Betrayal, because that's the one I really do want to talk about, but what did you think of Corona del Sol?
Brittany: I think it's going to be my RPG of the year. It's such a deep game from what I played, the combat is really great, you can use swords or guns or magic, you can customize... pretty much everything, and go pretty much everywhere from the get go. Complete freedom in how you build your character and interact with the world, I could see myself spending a lot of hours on it for sure.
Alex: I was really impressed with Corona del Sol too, I liked the combat, and I liked the level of interactivity and all the crazy dialogue trees. I can't imagine how hard they must have worked on this game.
Brittany: It's not like Elder Scrolls, it almost reminds me of Neverwinter Nights or Baldur's Gate in the level of interaction there is. It's incredible.
Alex: So I gotta ask, before we talk about Squad Four: Betrayal, how are you feeling this week?
Brittany: Well, I'm a bit tired, probably some of that is from promoting Assassin's Creed IV, some of that might be from the medicine and the chemo, I dunno. It's a thing, I'm always having people coming up and asking me how I'm doing, and it's good to have people who are concerned about me, but, I mean, at the same time, I'm here, I'm having fun, I'm doing okay. *smiles* how are YOU feeling this week?
Alex: I'm surrounded by video games, how do you think I'm feeling?
Brittany: *laughs* Yeah, Chris is here doing his features for The Nerdist, and right now I'm pretty much just hanging out and playing games, taking notes so maybe I can do an article or two later.
Alex: Let's talk about Squad Four: Betrayal.
Brittany: Well, it looks amazing. The combat is really fun, I do notice they slowed things down a bit from Protectors...
Alex: I noticed that too! It's a lot more deliberate now, it's not just hack and slash, you have to really think.
Brittany: The combat animation is jaw-dropping. Whoever is in charge of the animation for this game deserves an award, because I've never seen something so realistic and so energetic at the same time. It's not just the Reality, because F-Zero: FIRESTORM looked great but wasn't nearly as good as this. This is like, I mean... *chef's kiss* it's spectacular.
Alex: So, who do you think is the traitor?
Brittany: I mean, Marcus is too obvious, right? I think it's gotta be Lane, who'd ever suspect the little dorky guy?
Alex: Do you think it's a betrayal for real, or do you think they're pulling something?
Brittany: I think... I mean, it can't be FOREVER, right? It's Squad Four, not Squad Three, so either they'd have to replace one or it's got to be a red herring.
Alex: That's why I'm thinking maybe it's Rebecca, so they can replace her with Raquel.
Brittany: Have we even seen Raquel?
Alex: Wouldn't that be cool though, Rebecca betrays the team and we get this big blow-up fight between her and Raquel?
Brittany: But women gotta stick together! I hope it's not her. Actually, I'm HOPING it's Shad, because that would be amazing, the leader betraying his teammates and they have to take him down.
Alex: Honestly, I'm hoping it's Shad too. But who would they replace Shad with?
Brittany: Raquel. Give us the team we should've had all along!
Alex: I am so excited for this game.
Brittany: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it too. Also looking forward to Grand Theft Auto III.
Alex: You auditioned for it, right?
Brittany: Um... yeah hold on. *checks her phone* Okay, yeah, okay, I can tell you.
Alex: You were under an NDA?
Brittany: I actually was until Rockstar's presentation, then they actually sent me something saying I can tell people I auditioned because they revealed that Camille Guaty actually is playing Lalaine. So yeah, I did audition in early 2011, but I had to pull out because of my diagnosis. The game has a lot of motion capture for Lalaine, so yeah, I couldn't do that with the heavy chemo I was doing at the time. I don't think I would've gotten the part though, if you've seen Camille she is REALLY good, so yeah, I don't think I missed out.
Alex: Well, you're still gonna play the game though, right?
Brittany: Of course! A Latina protagonist, are you kidding me? Lalaine looks like a badass too, I'm gonna have so much fun pulling massacres with her.
Alex: *laughs* So, do you already have the Nintendo Reality?
Brittany: Been playing FIRESTORM and Wipeout like crazy. That's the good thing about living in LA, I can just go home tonight and play with my kids. Arturo's probably playing it right now. Regan, I dunno, I think she's playing Terra Mystica with her friends. She's been playing less and less video games since she's gotten old enough to play some of the really complex board games.
Alex: Well, at least your kids won't be fighting over the Reality!
Brittany: That's true!
-from a video posted on Games Over Matter on June 14, 2013
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E3 2013 was focused on showcasing the games of the next generation, and ended up being one of the most game-heavy shows of all time, with all the focus devoted toward some of the biggest games of the next couple years. Nintendo, Apple, and Google were all eager to reveal new installments of their biggest franchises, and none of the three presentations disappointed, save for Sonic fans upset that their favorite blue hedgehog was a no-show.
Nintendo's presentation on Monday, coinciding with the launch of their Reality console, was chock-full of big announcements, from the first formal reveals of the upcoming Selene and Squad Four games to in-depth looks at their next generation Pilotwings and Velvet Dark games, Nintendo gave attendees a look at just what's been cooking at their studios, and the promise that immersive VR will deliver. However, like Apple with Sonic, some of Nintendo's biggest franchises, including Mario and Zelda, were conspicuously absent. No doubt that Nintendo is working on the newest games in both of their biggest franchises, but their absence left a hole that even Squad Four couldn't quite fill. There was a slight consensus that Nintendo had lost E3, but the launch of the Reality overshadowed that somewhat, and the reception for Squad Four: Betrayal was such that most Nintendo critics kept their mouths shut this time around.
Google's presentation was fairly short compared to the other two, but showed off lots of high quality content, and confirmed that third party studios and licensees really like working on Nexus games. Joss Whedon was a surprise guest who stole the show with the reveal of his Buffy game, and games like Miraculous Ladybug continue to look better and better, while Techno Angel: Sabine showed that yes, like it or not, the Nexus is the Xbox successor, with enough Microsoft exclusives to displaced Xbox fans. The tease of a promising new Bungie IP was also intriguing, and Google found themselves in an excellent position to steal the latter half of 2013.
Apple continued to be, well, Apple, with Steve Jobs showing up just long enough to brag and boast about the Virtua's shockingly successful Japanese launch and some new iPhone gaming features. The games themselves weren't overly shocking, just a solid lineup of future titles, including a fun looking new Commander Keen and an exciting new Platinum Games title about dragons and fantasy and... wait, why not just let them work on the Dragonwar sequel? Apple's E3 presentation may have been the least exciting of the three, but it might have been the most effective, with a stronger lineup of games than Nintendo and a much bigger one than Google's.
On the PC front... Half-Life 3 and a CONFIRMED release date were the biggest stories of the week, but many were also enchanted by Corona del Sol, and we can't forget the new Wolfenstein game that could end up challenging Valve's blockbuster for the title of the year's best shooter (don't forget Joanna Dark in that mix). The week also proved to be a good one for mobile games, and not just original IPs, but spinoff titles such as Star Trek: Federation Command, Sailor Moon Music Idol, and the Android exclusive The Covenant: Ashfall.
We're now living in a next-gen world, and with the Sapphire and iTwin's lifespans dwindling down and the new consoles rising, we've now got a pretty clear picture of what all three new consoles are bringing to the table. For the most part, people who attended E3 liked what they saw, and now the only thing left to do is wait for these games to get into the hands of the people buying up the consoles. E3 2014 will likely see Mario, Sonic, and Link finally make their debuts on the eighth generation stage, but will the trends that have emerged already in this newest generation render the old guard obsolete? That could become the defining question of this generation of games.
-from IGN's summary of E3 2013
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Game Critics Awards E3 2013
Best Of Show: Grand Theft Auto III
Best Original Game: Neutralizer Alpha
Best Console Game: Grand Theft Auto III
Best PC Game: Half-Life 3
Best Handheld Game: Duality Twin
Best Peripheral/Hardware: Modern Beats Beatbox
Best Action Game: Grand Theft Auto III
Best Action/Adventure Game: Pilotwings: Freeflight
Best Role Playing Game: Corona del Sol
Best Racing Game: Vintage Speed Super
Best Sports Game: Madden NFL 14
Best Fighting Game: Star Wars Masters
Best Shooter: Half-Life 3
Best Party Game: Modern Beats
Best Online Multiplayer: Pixelworld 2
