Apple Keynote - E3 2006
Apple's keynote began with Reggie Fils-Aime thanking everyone for attending and also thanking everyone who's supported Sega and Apple over the years. He stated some facts about the Katana and that it has been one of the longest running consoles of the last 20 years. He then introduced Steve Jobs, who took the stage to massive applause. He briefly discussed his reasons for getting into the game business, then said that Apple once considered making a game console in the 1990s but had decided against it, and that it was now the time for Apple to enter the console race in earnest. He introduced the iTwin, a rectangular white box that was a bit smaller than the Katana, mostly an inch or two shorter, with a similar footprint. He showed off some footage of iTwin games, mostly ports of existing titles, along with some intriguing new games that included the upcoming Assassin's Creed and Soul Calibur III. The iTwin's graphics were comparable to those of the Xbox 2, with a bit less detail in some games, but the demonstration clearly showed that the iTwin was a true next-gen console capable of playing most of the same games the Xbox 2 could and displaying high definition graphics. He said that the true revolution of the iTwin is in its controller, or rather, its controllers, and showed off a pair of controllers to demonstrate what he meant. The controllers look somewhat like two halves of a Katana controller. They're identical, with an analog stick and four directional/ABXY buttons on each, with a shoulder button and trigger button as well. Jobs claimed that the controllers can be paired and used together, or can be used as individual controllers for certain games or with certain control options, and that one of the controllers can be handed to a friend and held horizontally. Jobs then revealed another feature: motion control, where the controllers can be shook or moved around or pointed at the screen like a wand to move a cursor, or used for any number of different functions. He claimed that these controllers have revolutionary new "HD motion", allowing for a flawless virtual reality experience that can't be found on any other console. He then claimed that while motion controls would be incorporated into many iTwin games, there would always be a traditional control option, and to reiterate that, he showed off a traditional iTwin controller that looked much like the Katana controller with a bit more polish that would be sold as a separate accessory. Jobs engaged in a bit of self-deprecation, saying that Apple hasn't always given its consumers the most choice in the market, but with iTwin, players would have more choices about how to play their games than ever before. He then discussed the iTwin's other functionalities, including online (Seganet 3.0 would be launched with the iTwin), and an updated marketplace. He said that the iTwin would have retro gaming available on day one, and that all games purchased on the Katana or iPod Play would be on the user's iTunes account and could be downloaded to the iTwin for free. He claimed that the iTwin would eventually have every single Katana game release available for purchase on its digital store eventually (but didn't mention that the iTwin wouldn't have backward compatibility with any previous Sega console's discs). The iTwin would also be able to play movies and music purchased on iTunes, and that the iTwin would have a 50GB hard drive right out of the box. He then said that the iTwin would have an "unprecedented level of connectivity" with the iPod Play and with future Apple devices, which might some day allow players to play their portable games on the iTwin and vice versa. He finally revealed the iTwin's price at $399.99, and its release date, March 16, 2007.
After the iTwin's reveal, Jobs remained on stage to discuss the game that he said would be packed in with every iTwin at launch. The screen showed a vast, empty white space, but then Jobs pressed a few buttons, and using the iTwin's motion controls, began to fill the screen up with blocks and objects. It appeared that Jobs was creating a world out of thin air, and as he continued to make things appear on the screen, the crowd got more and more intrigued. In less than a minute, Jobs had a fully functional landscape on screen that looked like something out of a digital fantasy: glowing hills, futuristic houses, and strange robotic creatures. Soon, Jobs' avatar appeared on screen and the creatures were attacking him, but he conjured up a lightsaber to fight the creatures off. One of the creatures began to set his house on fire, and he used his sword to kill that creature and then an ice gun to put out the fire. After that little adventure, Jobs introduced the game as Pixelworld, and said that it was an infinite world of infinite possibilities that exists only on the Apple iTwin. Jobs moved his character to demonstrate the infinite nature of the world, that seemed to create itself as he walked. After showing off the game's single-player functionality, Jobs asked Reggie to join him and Reggie created his own character and began exploring the world that Jobs created, before destroying a few of the houses and building a virtual fort, prompting Jobs to attack Reggie's avatar with a bazooka. Jobs claimed that once Pixelworld was up and running, millions of players would be able to explore its virtual landscape. He then said that Pixelworld was and would always be free to play online, no paid SegaNet subscription required, prompting loud cheers from the crowd. Pixelworld looked to be one of the show's most buzzed about games, and the choice to package it with every iTwin could pay amazing dividends in the future. Jobs then thanked the crowd and left the stage, and Reggie showed off the next iTwin game to be announced, Virtua Soccer, which not only featured a vast selection of teams from around the world, but would allow players to re-enact the recent World Cup as well, with any international team of their choosing. Reggie praised Virtua Soccer as the most exciting soccer sim to date, and the graphics looked excellent as players moved around the field. Reggie demonstrated both the game's traditional controls and its motion controls, which allow players to use the iTwin's motion controls as their player's legs so to speak. The next game was another sports title that takes heavy advantage of the iTwin's motion controls: Downhill, a skiing simulator featuring more than 30 different virtual slopes, with the motion controls used to work the player's skis. Downhill looks like a really fun skiing game that looks incredibly easy to get into and very hard to put down, and Reggie looked like he was having a blast playing it.
The next game to be shown off was the long awaited reveal of Phantasy Star Online 2. The trailer revealed that the game takes place in a universe plagued by strange black holes that have destroyed many settlements, and casts the player as a treasure hunter seeking to reclaim civilization while discovering the cause of the black holes. It's implied that the black holes are actually gates to the past, and it's eventually revealed at the end of the trailer that the black holes can be navigated into, and open the door to an incredible and prosperous fantasy realm. Reggie claims that Phantasy Star Online 2 will be the biggest online adventure ever, and will be available at launch for the iTwin. He also promises that the game will require no additional subscription other than the standard yearly SegaNet fee. Phantasy Star Online 2 features updated real-time combat and a treasure-hunting system that allows players to band together on certain daily missions to earn rare loot. The game looks gorgeous on the iTwin, though the graphics are somewhat less detailed than a few of the other games we've seen on the console. The next title was a game that Reggie explicitly introduced as an iTwin exclusive, then a trailer played and soon revealed that it would be a Mega Man game: Mega Man Next 2, in fact, the sequel to 2004's game that took the classic Mega Man series into full 3-D. The trailer revealed that Cognus, the villain from the original game, had returned, and that the game boasted more weapons, levels, and secrets than ever before. Mega Man Next 2 looks spectacular, and could be one of the big killer apps for the iTwin's first year. The next trailer that played was much darker than previous trailers, showing off a motorcycle-riding badass and blending action-adventure gameplay with motorcycle riding and gunplay across a post-apocalyptic landscape, a sort of wild west Mad Max kind of deal. The game's title was revealed as The Life And Death Of A Renegade, and the crowd applauded when it was done, louder than the applause for anything since the Pixelworld trailer. This could be a marquee title for the console, showing that the iTwin isn't just going after the family crowds, but mature gamers as well. Up next, another sequel reveal, this one for the third Aquila game. Called Aquila: Blue Sky, this game takes its gunplay and aerial combat into the clouds, featuring spectacular midair battles and making heavily use of the iTwin's motion controls. The shooting looks very intuitive, with players able to point their controllers at the screen to fire, and showing off the controllers' rumble functionality as well, with the controllers shaking as the mech accelerates or takes damage. Battle Engine Aquila 2 was an amazing game, and Blue Sky may very well follow closely in its footsteps.
We next got a couple of teasers of games in development for the iTwin but that probably won't see release until 2008 or later. The first looks to be an updated version of Sega Rally, boasting itself as the first true next generation racer, featuring graphics that blow Gran Turismo 3 and Forza Motorsport out of the water, and boasting dozens of tracks and more than 1000 different vehicles. The new Sega Rally looks to combine the best features of classic arcade racers and modern racing sims, and could be one of the biggest games for the iTwin when it's eventually released. The next trailer truly blew us away, showing off gorgeous dragons racing through dark and foreboding skies and battling monsters of epic proportions, with one monster appearing to be the size of a continent. The Panzer Dragoon logo appeared at the end of the trailer, revealing that yes, this series will be making its way to the iTwin, and Reggie said that it will incorporate motion controls in both shooting and maneuvering to give players the feel of piloting a real dragon. Reggie then said he had one last game to reveal for the iTwin, and invited Steve Jobs back on stage to show it off. Jobs returned to the stage and helped Reggie introduce a brand new Sonic the Hedgehog game. At first it looked like it was just Sonic, but then Tails joined in, and Jobs was using the iTwin controllers to control both of them at once, with Sonic moving around while Tails collected coins, and Jobs swung the controller to make Sonic do his classic spin dash. It looked quite easy for Jobs to control both Sonic and Tails at once with the two controllers using the motion controls, though Jobs then demonstrated he could also do so without motion controls by using the triggers on the controllers to make Sonic do the spin move, holding down the button and moving Sonic in whichever direction Jobs wanted him to go. The game itself looks like a classic Sonic side-scroller in 3-D, but then Tails discovered a hidden room and when Sonic went inside, the game became a 3-D platformer, with the game then shifting back to 2-D platforming once Sonic and Tails left the room. Jobs said that he was having a lot of fun but that he needed a buddy to control Tails. Reggie offered to take one of the controllers, but Jobs told him no and said that he needs a "real" buddy, making Reggie sad. Someone else then took the stage, and the crowd absolutely exploded like I've never, ever seen them do at an E3 before: Steve Wozniak came on stage, gave his old buddy Steve Jobs a hug, then took the other controller and began controlling Tails as Jobs controlled Sonic. The two Steves made their way through the level and even beat a Robotnik mid-boss, completing the level to massive cheers from the audience. After that was wrapped up, a trailer played that briefly showed off the plot of the game, which focuses on Sonic and Tails as they work together to save their friends and the world from Dr. Robotnik, taking the series back to its roots. The game's name was revealed as Sonic Duo, and after the trailer was finished, Wozniak remained on stage as Jobs began to speak. He revealed that Steve Wozniak has been working on the iTwin with Apple for the past year and that he's the mastermind behind the iTwin's controllers. He thanked Wozniak, and the two shared one more hug before Wozniak left the stage to a loud ovation from the shocked and overjoyed crowd, who chanted "Woz!" over and over again as he was leaving and even after he left, making for one of the most truly magical moments at any E3 in history.
The crowd finally died down a bit, and Steve Jobs said "don't stop cheering yet", before holding up an iPod Play. He talked about the iPod Play's continued sales success, then revealed that the iPod Play would finally be getting a price cut...effective immediately, reducing the price of the 5GB iPod Play to $199 and the 10GB model to $299. He then revealed that there would be a Gen 2 iPod Play released later in the year, that would include slightly more RAM and an updated interface. The old iPod Play would be able to play all the games the new one would. The 2nd Gen iPod Play would come in a 10GB model at $299 and a 20GB model at $399. After this reveal, Jobs left the stage and Reggie took center stage once more to discuss some upcoming iPod Play titles. The first title to be introduced was a new Konami game, a sequel to the classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors series. Called Zombies Ate Everyone, the new game would feature four video game and movie obsessed kids who must travel the world to beat back a zombie apocalypse in hilarious fashion, and would feature the classic top-down run and gun gameplay of the original games, with an option for online multiplayer. The next game was a procedurally-generated adventure title, once again utilizing the music in the player's iPod Play, but also taking advantage of the device's on-board microphone to listen to the sounds around the player to create its worlds. Called Mixolydia, the game promises a different experience every time one plays, using the "sound of the world" to populate the game. One of the most unique and intriguing titles of the show, Mixolydia could be a hit if the gameplay lives up to the premise. Coming up next, a sequel to the Aerio series in which the titular character, who was "killed off" in the previous game, is trapped between the worlds and must find her way home, battling underworldly denizens and conversing with her fellow prisoners in limbo all along the way. The iPod Play's first Aerio game, Aerio: Find The World looks absolutely gorgeous and doesn't seem to lose any steps from the mainline series on the Katana. The next game to be revealed was an updated port of the classic Starcraft, boasting both an expanded single player campaign and online gameplay. Starcraft on a handheld is an interesting proposition and possibly a difficult one considering the game's controls, but it may be fun to see how Apple pulls it off. Up next, a gritty multiplayer-focused FPS title called Merciless, in which players must work as part of a squad to accomplish their missions. The gameplay looks fun, but only time will tell whether enough people sign up to make online play truly worth it. We then saw a preview of a beat-em-up game by the creators of Toejam and Earl and Z-Stomper: it's Stank, a game with a heavy focus on humor and a hip hop soundtrack. Stank looked interesting, and beat 'em ups with proper online multiplayer have a lot of potential. Next up, a cryptic teaser for the first Shadow Ocean game to come to North America, an RPG called Shadow Ocean: Seek And You Shall Find. It looks like a quality title, but may be the type of game where only hardcore Shadow Ocean and RPG fans need apply.
Then we got a trailer for Deva Station 2, sequel to the 2004 launch window title featuring a group of action girls fighting crime and saving the day in a futuristic city. The game features all the playable characters from the original, while looking to add at least two more, including a baker girl who throws exploding pies, and a mysterious and silent cyborg sword wielder. Like many sequels of its type, Deva Station 2 looks like it'll ramp up the action of the original game, with more of pretty much everything that worked in the last one. It probably got more cheers than any other iPod Play title revealed at the show, though of course not as many cheers as the iTwin was getting. The final iPod Play game to be revealed was Final DOOM, billing itself as the "definitive" version of the original game. Not only does it combine DOOM and DOOM II into a seamless experience, it boasts heavily updated graphics, all new cutscenes, 20 additional levels, the ability to make your own levels, and online deathmatch gameplay. Final DOOM was only announced for the iPod Play, but it seems like a given this game will be coming to other platforms down the road, and seems like a strange, albeit fun title to end Apple's admittedly excellent presentation on. Still, it seems that the iPod Play will be going strong well into the future, and the iTwin definitely stole the show from the impressive Xbox 2.
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While the hardware keynotes definitely got the biggest headlines at E3, a number of third party software companies held keynote addresses of their own, showing off more footage of games revealed at the big hardware keynotes and also showing their own unique titles as well, including multiplatform games.
Activision showed off plenty of games, leading off with Call Of Duty 4, which sees a return to the World War II setting, this time depicting the Battle of Iwo Jima and featuring an entire campaign of "island hopping", with intense fighting between American and Japanese soldiers. The game will also include a North African campaign. Call Of Duty 4 will be the "last" World War II-focused game in the series according to Activision, but producers didn't say where the series might be headed next. Activision also showed off Guitar Hero II, which has quietly become one of the year's most anticipated games, and revealed several of the songs that will be appearing, including "Lithium" by Nirvana and "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. There was also plenty of Thrillseekers at the Activision keynote, with previews of the upcoming Winter Challenge and Waveriders, where it was revealed that Waveriders will be the first game in the series for the iTwin. However, the "big Thrillseekers announcement promised at the show was saved for last, where it was revealed that there would be a Tony Hawk and Thrillseekers crossover game in 2007. Tony Hawk and Avril Lavigne appeared on stage together to promote the game, and had a friendly argument about who was the better skater.
Ubisoft had a huge keynote as well. In addition to showing off more gameplay from Beyond Good And Evil 2, the company previewed its next generation Rayman titles, introducing the Rabbids, a bunch of wacky troublemakers who would serve as the villains of an upcoming game. Ubisoft then revealed a new franchise: Assassin's Creed, which would be coming exclusively to next generation consoles. Assassin's Creed is an open-world game in which you play as a man who enters the mind of a legendary assassin in order to discover the secrets of his past. It looked absolutely beautiful, perhaps the best looking game of the show from a graphics standpoint, and will be released for the Xbox 2 and iTwin in late 2007. Nothing was revealed about the new Nintendo console, but it was implied that it will eventually be ported to that as well.
Electronic Arts mostly showed off their new sports games, including Madden 2007, which of course will have different exclusive features on each individual console. The company also previewed Encounter 2, one of E3 2006's most anticipated games. Encounter 2 features humanity taking its fight to the aliens, with Elizabeth Buckley, now aged 19, taking the lead as the game's main playable character, though she's joined by a mysterious space marine figure who has been fighting the aliens for many years, implying that humans may be living elsewhere in the cosmos other than Earth. The game was shown off for Xbox 2, though it'll be hitting the Wave and Xbox first a few months earlier. It looks spectacular on Xbox 2, with detailed graphics depicting a strange kind of world ship that the main characters have seemingly found themselves on. Encounter 2 will also boast an online multiplayer mode that looks as fun as any Call Of Duty or Cyberwar, though we didn't get much of a chance to go hands on with it.
Take-Two Interactive had only a brief show, where they exhibited the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: London Stories, but also showed off the highly anticipated horror title The Lobotomized. Taking place in an abandoned asylum, the game switches between multiple character perspectives and even multiple gameplay genres, while promising to play upon its players' darkest fears. It looked to be one of the best games of the show, and when we finally got to play it, it literally made some of us jump. The Lobotomized is shaping up to be possibly the best horror title of 2006, and maybe even one of the best games overall.
-from an article on Gamespot.com, posted on May 18, 2006
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Brittany Saldita: Obviously, I know you two have been at every single E3 since the very beginning, but this is only the second time that the station's sent me down here, after GameTV ended I didn't get to experience it from 2001 to 2004. So drawing on your knowledge of past E3s, is this the best one ever?
Alex Stansfield: You know, it's definitely ONE of the best I've been to. I got to play with two new consoles, there were a ton of great games from Nintendo...it was a good one for sure.
Ted Crosley: It was great! It was great to see that Sega's back, even if it's just Apple...
Alex: *laughing* Have you finally accepted that Sega is gone and Apple's all that's left?
Ted: Hey, as long as Sonic is part of Apple, it'll always be Sega!
Brittany: Speaking of Sega, what did you guys think of Sonic Duo? I got to try it out after waiting in line for about two hours and it was amazing. It's so easy and fun to control Tails, teaming up with another player is great- *as she talks, footage plays of Ted and Brittany playing Sonic Duo at the Sega booth together is shown* The gameplay really does bring together the best of classic and new Sonic, I think I'm more excited for Sonic Duo than I have been for any other Sonic game since Sonic 3.
Ted: Oh, new Sonic was awesome, and I've got to say, it was great getting to play video games in an official capacity with you again.
Brittany: *laughing* Yeah, and no rust on you at all.
Ted: I've been working for a video game network, if anything I've gotten way better!
Alex: Sonic Duo was awesome, but I thought the real star of the show for Apple was Pixelworld. It looks so promising, just the sheer creative possibilities there, and the idea of roaming around in a massive world building and destroying things, it's like World Of Warcraft but with total freedom.
Brittany: Pixelworld is beautiful. I can't wait to play that one with my kids.
Ted: Oh yeah, that'll be a hit with families for sure. I could see Pixelworld being the first video game that a lot of parents give to their kids to play.
(...)
Brittany: Aside from Bruce Willis, what'd you guys like about the Xbox 2 presentation?
Ted: The shooters.
Alex: There were a lot of good shooters on there. I'm gonna say Team Fortress 2 looks like the best one on there. *imitating the Heavy* "Cry some more!" *laughing*
Ted: That looks like a joke game, is it gonna really be a serious online multiplayer shooter?
Brittany: I loved the first one, didn't you play it?
Ted: I don't remember that much of it.
Alex: Oh, come on!
Ted: I must not have liked it much because I don't remember it!
Alex: Team Fortress is a classic!
Brittany: This is why I hated you! *laughing*
Alex: You know what, Pacific Fleet: Power Projection... oh my god that game looks awesome.
Brittany: Yeah it does. We gave the original a perfect score on GameTV back in the day.
Ted: That I do remember. Oh, what about Memory Hole?
Brittany: If it's anything like Junction Point it's going to be amazing. It looks so mysterious and creepy.
Alex: Did either of you guys notice how similar the plots of the new Runner Mike game and Memory Hole are? Explorers stumbling upon an ancient underground city, finding futuristic tech...
Ted: Yeah but the difference is that Runner Mike is about actually finding the tech. You don't find it right away. In Memory Hole, it's already there.
Brittany: Memory Hole looks like a much better game.
Alex: Yeah it does.
(...)
Alex: I really hope they pull off the escort mission in Sage's Knight properly. If it's a pain in the ass-
Brittany: Oh, you can't say that on here. It's local morning TV on the weekend, kids are watching. *laughs*
Alex: Oh, oh-
Brittany: It's okay. *giggles*
Ted: I knew that, Alex.
Alex: See, I'm surprised that Brittany, because she always swore the most on our old show-
Brittany: Zzt, zzt, shhh, shhh! *lunges across the table and playfully covers up Alex's mouth with her hand* Shhh!
Ted: It's true though Brittany. *snickering, he puts his hand over her mouth as she continues to lean over* You swore so much on GameTV-
Alex: *covers up Ted's mouth with his hand and the three of them kind of look at each other for a moment before all of them start laughing hysterically, Brittany falling back into her seat and continuing to laugh*
Brittany: My producer was worried about this if we got together, he asked me "if we put you guys in the same room together are you gonna behave yourselves?" *laughing along with Ted and Alex*
Alex: What were we even talking about again?
Ted: Um, the Supernova Zelda game?
Alex: That, yeah, the escort mission, if it's a pain in the- *Brittany glares at him* butt, uh, it's gonna make the game... *he laughs again* not...not so good.
*Ted and Brittany start laughing too*
Brittany: Have I told you guys how much I love talking about video games on TV with you again?
(...)
Brittany: Okay, real quick before we wrap things up, moment of the show?
Ted: Wozniak.
Alex: Wozniak.
Brittany: *rolling her eyes* I knew you two frickin' nerds were gonna say that! Besides Steve Wozniak, what was the moment of the show for you?
Alex: Probably playing Pixelworld at the Apple booth, I couldn't get enough of it.
Ted: Well, I loved seeing SEGA Rally come back, that one looks really awesome, but also I have to say that getting a really good chance to spend a lot of time with Necrocracy, the new game from Bioware coming out next year, that game was really fun. I got to spend a whole hour and a half playing it and I really didn't want to put it down. The character advancement is really intuitive, the controls are great, and the plotline, the idea of the world being ruled by the dead and having to revolt against the dead in the name of the living, that has a lot of potential. We could be looking at 2007's game of the year.
Brittany: For me, it was probably a tossup between Final Fantasy XI and Sonic Duo. Final Fantasy XI was my favorite RPG of the whole show, unfortunately there weren't many RPGs but there was that and it was great, but Sonic Duo was amazing and I'm saying that as a lifelong fan of Sonic. It felt like playing Sonic 2 all over again, back in college with my roommate, letting her be Tails even though she didn't know what she was doing.
Ted: Okay, let me ask you a question, who's better at video games, Regan at 21 months old or your college roommate?
Brittany: Regan. *laughing*
Alex: See, that was back when games were still a "nerd" thing. Now, you know, everyone plays them, that's why we got invited on the show today.
Brittany: And I had a wonderful time talking to the two of you, as always. *smiles* A big thank you to my guests, Ted Crosley from the G4 television network and Alex Stansfield from the website Games Over Matter, my former GameTV co-hosts, my friends for life- *they playfully pull Brittany over to the couch and she sits between them as she keeps talking* -my extra pair of brothers, my two favorite chumps to beat at video games... *she wraps her arms around them and pulls them close* always welcome to come back on here whenever my producer decides to put up with our shenanigans for a half hour on Saturday morning.
Ted: Always a pleasure, Britt. *smiling and leaning on her shoulder*
Alex: Thanks for having us on!
-from an interview with Ted Crosley and Alex Stansfield on the May 20, 2006 edition of LA This Weekend on KABC
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Game Critics Awards E3 2006
Best Of Show: Apple iTwin
Best Original Game: Pixelworld
Best Console Game: Sonic Duo
Best PC Game: Necrocracy
Best Handheld Game: The Legend Of Zelda: Sage's Knight
Best Peripheral/Hardware: Apple iTwin
Best Action Game: Sonic Duo
Best Action/Adventure Game: Beyond Good And Evil 2
Best Role Playing Game: Horseman
Best Racing Game: Mario Kart: Crash Course
Best Sports Game: Downhill
Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter IV
Best Shooter: Aquila: Blue Sky
Best Party Game: Guitar Hero II
Best Online Multiplayer: Pixelworld
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E3 2006 was a tale of two consoles: Microsoft's technically impressive Xbox 2, and Apple's brilliantly innovative iTwin. Both wowed attendees with impressive game lineups and features, but it was Apple's iTwin that came out on top, with massive lines for the duration of the week and an incredible amount of buzz from nearly everyone at the show. The iTwin boasted a pair of dual controllers with motion-sensing technology, and the technology was exhibited perfectly in games such as Sonic Duo and Pixelworld that showed off every bit of the new console's capabilities. Microsoft's Xbox 2 overwhelmed attendees with more than 50 games, both exclusive and multiplatform, playable at the show, and while there were plenty of gems, including Dead City Beat and Memory Hole, there were also some games that seemed like they were just there to pad the numbers. Still, it was comforting to see that the Xbox 2 would have no shortage of games during its launch window, and looked poised to make a major splash as the first next-gen console out of the gate.
Nintendo, on the other hand, spoke not a word of whatever they were planning for their highly anticipated Wave successor. Instead, they focused on games, plenty of games for plenty of properties, including first party titles such as Star Fox, Kirby, Metroid, Yoshi, and Wave Race, and third party installments in the Final Fantasy and Beyond Good And Evil franchises. Nintendo wanted to show that while the Wave was about to become outdated, it was still a strong console with an impressive lineup of upcoming games, and there did seem to be enough quality titles to tide players over until the next one, with Nintendo making a case for its loyal fans not to spring for the Xbox 2 or iTwin, but to instead wait for the inevitable console to come. Konami did offer up a cryptic teaser at its booth for a potential next generation Metal Gear Solid title, but said nothing about the Wave successor when pressed.
In an E3 that saw plenty of celebrities take the stage, including Bruce Willis and Tony Hawk, it was perhaps Steve Wozniak that got the biggest reception of all, joining Steve Jobs on stage during the Apple presentation to play a little Sonic Duo and reveal that he had helped work on Apple's first ever game console. How Jobs ever got Wozniak to work with him again, neither would say, but it's a story we'll inevitably hear at some point.
This year, it was Apple's show, though Microsoft made its presence known. Next year will almost certainly see Nintendo announce its Wave successor, but will Nintendo be taking the stage amidst the most successful console launch windows of all time, or will its big reveal be what slams the nail in its coffin of one or both of its American competitors? That would be the biggest question going into E3 2007.
-from IGN's summary of E3 2006 (based on this page summarizing the event IOTL: http://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/E3_2006 )
Apple's keynote began with Reggie Fils-Aime thanking everyone for attending and also thanking everyone who's supported Sega and Apple over the years. He stated some facts about the Katana and that it has been one of the longest running consoles of the last 20 years. He then introduced Steve Jobs, who took the stage to massive applause. He briefly discussed his reasons for getting into the game business, then said that Apple once considered making a game console in the 1990s but had decided against it, and that it was now the time for Apple to enter the console race in earnest. He introduced the iTwin, a rectangular white box that was a bit smaller than the Katana, mostly an inch or two shorter, with a similar footprint. He showed off some footage of iTwin games, mostly ports of existing titles, along with some intriguing new games that included the upcoming Assassin's Creed and Soul Calibur III. The iTwin's graphics were comparable to those of the Xbox 2, with a bit less detail in some games, but the demonstration clearly showed that the iTwin was a true next-gen console capable of playing most of the same games the Xbox 2 could and displaying high definition graphics. He said that the true revolution of the iTwin is in its controller, or rather, its controllers, and showed off a pair of controllers to demonstrate what he meant. The controllers look somewhat like two halves of a Katana controller. They're identical, with an analog stick and four directional/ABXY buttons on each, with a shoulder button and trigger button as well. Jobs claimed that the controllers can be paired and used together, or can be used as individual controllers for certain games or with certain control options, and that one of the controllers can be handed to a friend and held horizontally. Jobs then revealed another feature: motion control, where the controllers can be shook or moved around or pointed at the screen like a wand to move a cursor, or used for any number of different functions. He claimed that these controllers have revolutionary new "HD motion", allowing for a flawless virtual reality experience that can't be found on any other console. He then claimed that while motion controls would be incorporated into many iTwin games, there would always be a traditional control option, and to reiterate that, he showed off a traditional iTwin controller that looked much like the Katana controller with a bit more polish that would be sold as a separate accessory. Jobs engaged in a bit of self-deprecation, saying that Apple hasn't always given its consumers the most choice in the market, but with iTwin, players would have more choices about how to play their games than ever before. He then discussed the iTwin's other functionalities, including online (Seganet 3.0 would be launched with the iTwin), and an updated marketplace. He said that the iTwin would have retro gaming available on day one, and that all games purchased on the Katana or iPod Play would be on the user's iTunes account and could be downloaded to the iTwin for free. He claimed that the iTwin would eventually have every single Katana game release available for purchase on its digital store eventually (but didn't mention that the iTwin wouldn't have backward compatibility with any previous Sega console's discs). The iTwin would also be able to play movies and music purchased on iTunes, and that the iTwin would have a 50GB hard drive right out of the box. He then said that the iTwin would have an "unprecedented level of connectivity" with the iPod Play and with future Apple devices, which might some day allow players to play their portable games on the iTwin and vice versa. He finally revealed the iTwin's price at $399.99, and its release date, March 16, 2007.
After the iTwin's reveal, Jobs remained on stage to discuss the game that he said would be packed in with every iTwin at launch. The screen showed a vast, empty white space, but then Jobs pressed a few buttons, and using the iTwin's motion controls, began to fill the screen up with blocks and objects. It appeared that Jobs was creating a world out of thin air, and as he continued to make things appear on the screen, the crowd got more and more intrigued. In less than a minute, Jobs had a fully functional landscape on screen that looked like something out of a digital fantasy: glowing hills, futuristic houses, and strange robotic creatures. Soon, Jobs' avatar appeared on screen and the creatures were attacking him, but he conjured up a lightsaber to fight the creatures off. One of the creatures began to set his house on fire, and he used his sword to kill that creature and then an ice gun to put out the fire. After that little adventure, Jobs introduced the game as Pixelworld, and said that it was an infinite world of infinite possibilities that exists only on the Apple iTwin. Jobs moved his character to demonstrate the infinite nature of the world, that seemed to create itself as he walked. After showing off the game's single-player functionality, Jobs asked Reggie to join him and Reggie created his own character and began exploring the world that Jobs created, before destroying a few of the houses and building a virtual fort, prompting Jobs to attack Reggie's avatar with a bazooka. Jobs claimed that once Pixelworld was up and running, millions of players would be able to explore its virtual landscape. He then said that Pixelworld was and would always be free to play online, no paid SegaNet subscription required, prompting loud cheers from the crowd. Pixelworld looked to be one of the show's most buzzed about games, and the choice to package it with every iTwin could pay amazing dividends in the future. Jobs then thanked the crowd and left the stage, and Reggie showed off the next iTwin game to be announced, Virtua Soccer, which not only featured a vast selection of teams from around the world, but would allow players to re-enact the recent World Cup as well, with any international team of their choosing. Reggie praised Virtua Soccer as the most exciting soccer sim to date, and the graphics looked excellent as players moved around the field. Reggie demonstrated both the game's traditional controls and its motion controls, which allow players to use the iTwin's motion controls as their player's legs so to speak. The next game was another sports title that takes heavy advantage of the iTwin's motion controls: Downhill, a skiing simulator featuring more than 30 different virtual slopes, with the motion controls used to work the player's skis. Downhill looks like a really fun skiing game that looks incredibly easy to get into and very hard to put down, and Reggie looked like he was having a blast playing it.
The next game to be shown off was the long awaited reveal of Phantasy Star Online 2. The trailer revealed that the game takes place in a universe plagued by strange black holes that have destroyed many settlements, and casts the player as a treasure hunter seeking to reclaim civilization while discovering the cause of the black holes. It's implied that the black holes are actually gates to the past, and it's eventually revealed at the end of the trailer that the black holes can be navigated into, and open the door to an incredible and prosperous fantasy realm. Reggie claims that Phantasy Star Online 2 will be the biggest online adventure ever, and will be available at launch for the iTwin. He also promises that the game will require no additional subscription other than the standard yearly SegaNet fee. Phantasy Star Online 2 features updated real-time combat and a treasure-hunting system that allows players to band together on certain daily missions to earn rare loot. The game looks gorgeous on the iTwin, though the graphics are somewhat less detailed than a few of the other games we've seen on the console. The next title was a game that Reggie explicitly introduced as an iTwin exclusive, then a trailer played and soon revealed that it would be a Mega Man game: Mega Man Next 2, in fact, the sequel to 2004's game that took the classic Mega Man series into full 3-D. The trailer revealed that Cognus, the villain from the original game, had returned, and that the game boasted more weapons, levels, and secrets than ever before. Mega Man Next 2 looks spectacular, and could be one of the big killer apps for the iTwin's first year. The next trailer that played was much darker than previous trailers, showing off a motorcycle-riding badass and blending action-adventure gameplay with motorcycle riding and gunplay across a post-apocalyptic landscape, a sort of wild west Mad Max kind of deal. The game's title was revealed as The Life And Death Of A Renegade, and the crowd applauded when it was done, louder than the applause for anything since the Pixelworld trailer. This could be a marquee title for the console, showing that the iTwin isn't just going after the family crowds, but mature gamers as well. Up next, another sequel reveal, this one for the third Aquila game. Called Aquila: Blue Sky, this game takes its gunplay and aerial combat into the clouds, featuring spectacular midair battles and making heavily use of the iTwin's motion controls. The shooting looks very intuitive, with players able to point their controllers at the screen to fire, and showing off the controllers' rumble functionality as well, with the controllers shaking as the mech accelerates or takes damage. Battle Engine Aquila 2 was an amazing game, and Blue Sky may very well follow closely in its footsteps.
We next got a couple of teasers of games in development for the iTwin but that probably won't see release until 2008 or later. The first looks to be an updated version of Sega Rally, boasting itself as the first true next generation racer, featuring graphics that blow Gran Turismo 3 and Forza Motorsport out of the water, and boasting dozens of tracks and more than 1000 different vehicles. The new Sega Rally looks to combine the best features of classic arcade racers and modern racing sims, and could be one of the biggest games for the iTwin when it's eventually released. The next trailer truly blew us away, showing off gorgeous dragons racing through dark and foreboding skies and battling monsters of epic proportions, with one monster appearing to be the size of a continent. The Panzer Dragoon logo appeared at the end of the trailer, revealing that yes, this series will be making its way to the iTwin, and Reggie said that it will incorporate motion controls in both shooting and maneuvering to give players the feel of piloting a real dragon. Reggie then said he had one last game to reveal for the iTwin, and invited Steve Jobs back on stage to show it off. Jobs returned to the stage and helped Reggie introduce a brand new Sonic the Hedgehog game. At first it looked like it was just Sonic, but then Tails joined in, and Jobs was using the iTwin controllers to control both of them at once, with Sonic moving around while Tails collected coins, and Jobs swung the controller to make Sonic do his classic spin dash. It looked quite easy for Jobs to control both Sonic and Tails at once with the two controllers using the motion controls, though Jobs then demonstrated he could also do so without motion controls by using the triggers on the controllers to make Sonic do the spin move, holding down the button and moving Sonic in whichever direction Jobs wanted him to go. The game itself looks like a classic Sonic side-scroller in 3-D, but then Tails discovered a hidden room and when Sonic went inside, the game became a 3-D platformer, with the game then shifting back to 2-D platforming once Sonic and Tails left the room. Jobs said that he was having a lot of fun but that he needed a buddy to control Tails. Reggie offered to take one of the controllers, but Jobs told him no and said that he needs a "real" buddy, making Reggie sad. Someone else then took the stage, and the crowd absolutely exploded like I've never, ever seen them do at an E3 before: Steve Wozniak came on stage, gave his old buddy Steve Jobs a hug, then took the other controller and began controlling Tails as Jobs controlled Sonic. The two Steves made their way through the level and even beat a Robotnik mid-boss, completing the level to massive cheers from the audience. After that was wrapped up, a trailer played that briefly showed off the plot of the game, which focuses on Sonic and Tails as they work together to save their friends and the world from Dr. Robotnik, taking the series back to its roots. The game's name was revealed as Sonic Duo, and after the trailer was finished, Wozniak remained on stage as Jobs began to speak. He revealed that Steve Wozniak has been working on the iTwin with Apple for the past year and that he's the mastermind behind the iTwin's controllers. He thanked Wozniak, and the two shared one more hug before Wozniak left the stage to a loud ovation from the shocked and overjoyed crowd, who chanted "Woz!" over and over again as he was leaving and even after he left, making for one of the most truly magical moments at any E3 in history.
The crowd finally died down a bit, and Steve Jobs said "don't stop cheering yet", before holding up an iPod Play. He talked about the iPod Play's continued sales success, then revealed that the iPod Play would finally be getting a price cut...effective immediately, reducing the price of the 5GB iPod Play to $199 and the 10GB model to $299. He then revealed that there would be a Gen 2 iPod Play released later in the year, that would include slightly more RAM and an updated interface. The old iPod Play would be able to play all the games the new one would. The 2nd Gen iPod Play would come in a 10GB model at $299 and a 20GB model at $399. After this reveal, Jobs left the stage and Reggie took center stage once more to discuss some upcoming iPod Play titles. The first title to be introduced was a new Konami game, a sequel to the classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors series. Called Zombies Ate Everyone, the new game would feature four video game and movie obsessed kids who must travel the world to beat back a zombie apocalypse in hilarious fashion, and would feature the classic top-down run and gun gameplay of the original games, with an option for online multiplayer. The next game was a procedurally-generated adventure title, once again utilizing the music in the player's iPod Play, but also taking advantage of the device's on-board microphone to listen to the sounds around the player to create its worlds. Called Mixolydia, the game promises a different experience every time one plays, using the "sound of the world" to populate the game. One of the most unique and intriguing titles of the show, Mixolydia could be a hit if the gameplay lives up to the premise. Coming up next, a sequel to the Aerio series in which the titular character, who was "killed off" in the previous game, is trapped between the worlds and must find her way home, battling underworldly denizens and conversing with her fellow prisoners in limbo all along the way. The iPod Play's first Aerio game, Aerio: Find The World looks absolutely gorgeous and doesn't seem to lose any steps from the mainline series on the Katana. The next game to be revealed was an updated port of the classic Starcraft, boasting both an expanded single player campaign and online gameplay. Starcraft on a handheld is an interesting proposition and possibly a difficult one considering the game's controls, but it may be fun to see how Apple pulls it off. Up next, a gritty multiplayer-focused FPS title called Merciless, in which players must work as part of a squad to accomplish their missions. The gameplay looks fun, but only time will tell whether enough people sign up to make online play truly worth it. We then saw a preview of a beat-em-up game by the creators of Toejam and Earl and Z-Stomper: it's Stank, a game with a heavy focus on humor and a hip hop soundtrack. Stank looked interesting, and beat 'em ups with proper online multiplayer have a lot of potential. Next up, a cryptic teaser for the first Shadow Ocean game to come to North America, an RPG called Shadow Ocean: Seek And You Shall Find. It looks like a quality title, but may be the type of game where only hardcore Shadow Ocean and RPG fans need apply.
Then we got a trailer for Deva Station 2, sequel to the 2004 launch window title featuring a group of action girls fighting crime and saving the day in a futuristic city. The game features all the playable characters from the original, while looking to add at least two more, including a baker girl who throws exploding pies, and a mysterious and silent cyborg sword wielder. Like many sequels of its type, Deva Station 2 looks like it'll ramp up the action of the original game, with more of pretty much everything that worked in the last one. It probably got more cheers than any other iPod Play title revealed at the show, though of course not as many cheers as the iTwin was getting. The final iPod Play game to be revealed was Final DOOM, billing itself as the "definitive" version of the original game. Not only does it combine DOOM and DOOM II into a seamless experience, it boasts heavily updated graphics, all new cutscenes, 20 additional levels, the ability to make your own levels, and online deathmatch gameplay. Final DOOM was only announced for the iPod Play, but it seems like a given this game will be coming to other platforms down the road, and seems like a strange, albeit fun title to end Apple's admittedly excellent presentation on. Still, it seems that the iPod Play will be going strong well into the future, and the iTwin definitely stole the show from the impressive Xbox 2.
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While the hardware keynotes definitely got the biggest headlines at E3, a number of third party software companies held keynote addresses of their own, showing off more footage of games revealed at the big hardware keynotes and also showing their own unique titles as well, including multiplatform games.
Activision showed off plenty of games, leading off with Call Of Duty 4, which sees a return to the World War II setting, this time depicting the Battle of Iwo Jima and featuring an entire campaign of "island hopping", with intense fighting between American and Japanese soldiers. The game will also include a North African campaign. Call Of Duty 4 will be the "last" World War II-focused game in the series according to Activision, but producers didn't say where the series might be headed next. Activision also showed off Guitar Hero II, which has quietly become one of the year's most anticipated games, and revealed several of the songs that will be appearing, including "Lithium" by Nirvana and "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. There was also plenty of Thrillseekers at the Activision keynote, with previews of the upcoming Winter Challenge and Waveriders, where it was revealed that Waveriders will be the first game in the series for the iTwin. However, the "big Thrillseekers announcement promised at the show was saved for last, where it was revealed that there would be a Tony Hawk and Thrillseekers crossover game in 2007. Tony Hawk and Avril Lavigne appeared on stage together to promote the game, and had a friendly argument about who was the better skater.
Ubisoft had a huge keynote as well. In addition to showing off more gameplay from Beyond Good And Evil 2, the company previewed its next generation Rayman titles, introducing the Rabbids, a bunch of wacky troublemakers who would serve as the villains of an upcoming game. Ubisoft then revealed a new franchise: Assassin's Creed, which would be coming exclusively to next generation consoles. Assassin's Creed is an open-world game in which you play as a man who enters the mind of a legendary assassin in order to discover the secrets of his past. It looked absolutely beautiful, perhaps the best looking game of the show from a graphics standpoint, and will be released for the Xbox 2 and iTwin in late 2007. Nothing was revealed about the new Nintendo console, but it was implied that it will eventually be ported to that as well.
Electronic Arts mostly showed off their new sports games, including Madden 2007, which of course will have different exclusive features on each individual console. The company also previewed Encounter 2, one of E3 2006's most anticipated games. Encounter 2 features humanity taking its fight to the aliens, with Elizabeth Buckley, now aged 19, taking the lead as the game's main playable character, though she's joined by a mysterious space marine figure who has been fighting the aliens for many years, implying that humans may be living elsewhere in the cosmos other than Earth. The game was shown off for Xbox 2, though it'll be hitting the Wave and Xbox first a few months earlier. It looks spectacular on Xbox 2, with detailed graphics depicting a strange kind of world ship that the main characters have seemingly found themselves on. Encounter 2 will also boast an online multiplayer mode that looks as fun as any Call Of Duty or Cyberwar, though we didn't get much of a chance to go hands on with it.
Take-Two Interactive had only a brief show, where they exhibited the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: London Stories, but also showed off the highly anticipated horror title The Lobotomized. Taking place in an abandoned asylum, the game switches between multiple character perspectives and even multiple gameplay genres, while promising to play upon its players' darkest fears. It looked to be one of the best games of the show, and when we finally got to play it, it literally made some of us jump. The Lobotomized is shaping up to be possibly the best horror title of 2006, and maybe even one of the best games overall.
-from an article on Gamespot.com, posted on May 18, 2006
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Brittany Saldita: Obviously, I know you two have been at every single E3 since the very beginning, but this is only the second time that the station's sent me down here, after GameTV ended I didn't get to experience it from 2001 to 2004. So drawing on your knowledge of past E3s, is this the best one ever?
Alex Stansfield: You know, it's definitely ONE of the best I've been to. I got to play with two new consoles, there were a ton of great games from Nintendo...it was a good one for sure.
Ted Crosley: It was great! It was great to see that Sega's back, even if it's just Apple...
Alex: *laughing* Have you finally accepted that Sega is gone and Apple's all that's left?
Ted: Hey, as long as Sonic is part of Apple, it'll always be Sega!
Brittany: Speaking of Sega, what did you guys think of Sonic Duo? I got to try it out after waiting in line for about two hours and it was amazing. It's so easy and fun to control Tails, teaming up with another player is great- *as she talks, footage plays of Ted and Brittany playing Sonic Duo at the Sega booth together is shown* The gameplay really does bring together the best of classic and new Sonic, I think I'm more excited for Sonic Duo than I have been for any other Sonic game since Sonic 3.
Ted: Oh, new Sonic was awesome, and I've got to say, it was great getting to play video games in an official capacity with you again.
Brittany: *laughing* Yeah, and no rust on you at all.
Ted: I've been working for a video game network, if anything I've gotten way better!
Alex: Sonic Duo was awesome, but I thought the real star of the show for Apple was Pixelworld. It looks so promising, just the sheer creative possibilities there, and the idea of roaming around in a massive world building and destroying things, it's like World Of Warcraft but with total freedom.
Brittany: Pixelworld is beautiful. I can't wait to play that one with my kids.
Ted: Oh yeah, that'll be a hit with families for sure. I could see Pixelworld being the first video game that a lot of parents give to their kids to play.
(...)
Brittany: Aside from Bruce Willis, what'd you guys like about the Xbox 2 presentation?
Ted: The shooters.
Alex: There were a lot of good shooters on there. I'm gonna say Team Fortress 2 looks like the best one on there. *imitating the Heavy* "Cry some more!" *laughing*
Ted: That looks like a joke game, is it gonna really be a serious online multiplayer shooter?
Brittany: I loved the first one, didn't you play it?
Ted: I don't remember that much of it.
Alex: Oh, come on!
Ted: I must not have liked it much because I don't remember it!
Alex: Team Fortress is a classic!
Brittany: This is why I hated you! *laughing*
Alex: You know what, Pacific Fleet: Power Projection... oh my god that game looks awesome.
Brittany: Yeah it does. We gave the original a perfect score on GameTV back in the day.
Ted: That I do remember. Oh, what about Memory Hole?
Brittany: If it's anything like Junction Point it's going to be amazing. It looks so mysterious and creepy.
Alex: Did either of you guys notice how similar the plots of the new Runner Mike game and Memory Hole are? Explorers stumbling upon an ancient underground city, finding futuristic tech...
Ted: Yeah but the difference is that Runner Mike is about actually finding the tech. You don't find it right away. In Memory Hole, it's already there.
Brittany: Memory Hole looks like a much better game.
Alex: Yeah it does.
(...)
Alex: I really hope they pull off the escort mission in Sage's Knight properly. If it's a pain in the ass-
Brittany: Oh, you can't say that on here. It's local morning TV on the weekend, kids are watching. *laughs*
Alex: Oh, oh-
Brittany: It's okay. *giggles*
Ted: I knew that, Alex.
Alex: See, I'm surprised that Brittany, because she always swore the most on our old show-
Brittany: Zzt, zzt, shhh, shhh! *lunges across the table and playfully covers up Alex's mouth with her hand* Shhh!
Ted: It's true though Brittany. *snickering, he puts his hand over her mouth as she continues to lean over* You swore so much on GameTV-
Alex: *covers up Ted's mouth with his hand and the three of them kind of look at each other for a moment before all of them start laughing hysterically, Brittany falling back into her seat and continuing to laugh*
Brittany: My producer was worried about this if we got together, he asked me "if we put you guys in the same room together are you gonna behave yourselves?" *laughing along with Ted and Alex*
Alex: What were we even talking about again?
Ted: Um, the Supernova Zelda game?
Alex: That, yeah, the escort mission, if it's a pain in the- *Brittany glares at him* butt, uh, it's gonna make the game... *he laughs again* not...not so good.
*Ted and Brittany start laughing too*
Brittany: Have I told you guys how much I love talking about video games on TV with you again?
(...)
Brittany: Okay, real quick before we wrap things up, moment of the show?
Ted: Wozniak.
Alex: Wozniak.
Brittany: *rolling her eyes* I knew you two frickin' nerds were gonna say that! Besides Steve Wozniak, what was the moment of the show for you?
Alex: Probably playing Pixelworld at the Apple booth, I couldn't get enough of it.
Ted: Well, I loved seeing SEGA Rally come back, that one looks really awesome, but also I have to say that getting a really good chance to spend a lot of time with Necrocracy, the new game from Bioware coming out next year, that game was really fun. I got to spend a whole hour and a half playing it and I really didn't want to put it down. The character advancement is really intuitive, the controls are great, and the plotline, the idea of the world being ruled by the dead and having to revolt against the dead in the name of the living, that has a lot of potential. We could be looking at 2007's game of the year.
Brittany: For me, it was probably a tossup between Final Fantasy XI and Sonic Duo. Final Fantasy XI was my favorite RPG of the whole show, unfortunately there weren't many RPGs but there was that and it was great, but Sonic Duo was amazing and I'm saying that as a lifelong fan of Sonic. It felt like playing Sonic 2 all over again, back in college with my roommate, letting her be Tails even though she didn't know what she was doing.
Ted: Okay, let me ask you a question, who's better at video games, Regan at 21 months old or your college roommate?
Brittany: Regan. *laughing*
Alex: See, that was back when games were still a "nerd" thing. Now, you know, everyone plays them, that's why we got invited on the show today.
Brittany: And I had a wonderful time talking to the two of you, as always. *smiles* A big thank you to my guests, Ted Crosley from the G4 television network and Alex Stansfield from the website Games Over Matter, my former GameTV co-hosts, my friends for life- *they playfully pull Brittany over to the couch and she sits between them as she keeps talking* -my extra pair of brothers, my two favorite chumps to beat at video games... *she wraps her arms around them and pulls them close* always welcome to come back on here whenever my producer decides to put up with our shenanigans for a half hour on Saturday morning.
Ted: Always a pleasure, Britt. *smiling and leaning on her shoulder*
Alex: Thanks for having us on!
-from an interview with Ted Crosley and Alex Stansfield on the May 20, 2006 edition of LA This Weekend on KABC
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Game Critics Awards E3 2006
Best Of Show: Apple iTwin
Best Original Game: Pixelworld
Best Console Game: Sonic Duo
Best PC Game: Necrocracy
Best Handheld Game: The Legend Of Zelda: Sage's Knight
Best Peripheral/Hardware: Apple iTwin
Best Action Game: Sonic Duo
Best Action/Adventure Game: Beyond Good And Evil 2
Best Role Playing Game: Horseman
Best Racing Game: Mario Kart: Crash Course
Best Sports Game: Downhill
Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter IV
Best Shooter: Aquila: Blue Sky
Best Party Game: Guitar Hero II
Best Online Multiplayer: Pixelworld
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E3 2006 was a tale of two consoles: Microsoft's technically impressive Xbox 2, and Apple's brilliantly innovative iTwin. Both wowed attendees with impressive game lineups and features, but it was Apple's iTwin that came out on top, with massive lines for the duration of the week and an incredible amount of buzz from nearly everyone at the show. The iTwin boasted a pair of dual controllers with motion-sensing technology, and the technology was exhibited perfectly in games such as Sonic Duo and Pixelworld that showed off every bit of the new console's capabilities. Microsoft's Xbox 2 overwhelmed attendees with more than 50 games, both exclusive and multiplatform, playable at the show, and while there were plenty of gems, including Dead City Beat and Memory Hole, there were also some games that seemed like they were just there to pad the numbers. Still, it was comforting to see that the Xbox 2 would have no shortage of games during its launch window, and looked poised to make a major splash as the first next-gen console out of the gate.
Nintendo, on the other hand, spoke not a word of whatever they were planning for their highly anticipated Wave successor. Instead, they focused on games, plenty of games for plenty of properties, including first party titles such as Star Fox, Kirby, Metroid, Yoshi, and Wave Race, and third party installments in the Final Fantasy and Beyond Good And Evil franchises. Nintendo wanted to show that while the Wave was about to become outdated, it was still a strong console with an impressive lineup of upcoming games, and there did seem to be enough quality titles to tide players over until the next one, with Nintendo making a case for its loyal fans not to spring for the Xbox 2 or iTwin, but to instead wait for the inevitable console to come. Konami did offer up a cryptic teaser at its booth for a potential next generation Metal Gear Solid title, but said nothing about the Wave successor when pressed.
In an E3 that saw plenty of celebrities take the stage, including Bruce Willis and Tony Hawk, it was perhaps Steve Wozniak that got the biggest reception of all, joining Steve Jobs on stage during the Apple presentation to play a little Sonic Duo and reveal that he had helped work on Apple's first ever game console. How Jobs ever got Wozniak to work with him again, neither would say, but it's a story we'll inevitably hear at some point.
This year, it was Apple's show, though Microsoft made its presence known. Next year will almost certainly see Nintendo announce its Wave successor, but will Nintendo be taking the stage amidst the most successful console launch windows of all time, or will its big reveal be what slams the nail in its coffin of one or both of its American competitors? That would be the biggest question going into E3 2007.
-from IGN's summary of E3 2006 (based on this page summarizing the event IOTL: http://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/E3_2006 )