E3 2008 Rundown: Wednesday, July 16th’s Events

Tuesday completed all the announcements for the big guys at E3 (Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft) but Wednesday had its handful of surprises straight from the developers. And I’m here to relay the GotGame in absentia coverage of E3 2008. Some big, big news, and more details on the games coming out.

Biggest info of the day:

-Final Fantasy XIII. Square Enix announced (after Microsoft had already covered this early on Monday) that FFXIII will be released on the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3. Japan will get it first for the PS3 only, but the U.S. and E.U. will have simultaneous releases on both platforms.
-Halo Wars. Developer Ensemble stated that the Covenant will be a playable force in the RTS game coming out for the 360. No word if the Flood will also be playable.
-Rockband 2. Developers showed off an unlockable “no fail” option. It’s an invention, and it makes non-stop rocking possible.
-Home. Sony reveals public places will be region-locked. Basically, you won’t run into anyone outside your home inside Home.
-Spore will likely allow users to port created creatures, “3D modeling/animation program Maya.”
-Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. “Good” superheros will not have fatalities. And the game will have downloadable content, possibly additional characters.
-I Am Alive. Possibly the sweetest game coming out on any of the consoles, care of Jade Raymond. Ubisoft only showed a CG trailer. But the concept seems fresh, and the art design is ridiculously raw, real, and gritty.
-Geometry Wars 2. Bizarre Creations showed off the sequel to XBLA’s original Geometry Wars. Improvements include co-op modes, graphics, and a variety of challenge modes.

Capcom:

-MotoGP ‘08. The trailer looked gorgeous, but seemed to be nothing more than a hardcore racing game.
-Flock. I have no idea what the goal of this game could possibly be, but UFO’s screwing around with sheep and cows is always funny to me. Look for it as arcade DLC for XBLA and PSN.

For Nintendo:

-We Cheer. Basically a rhythm game for the Wii, but with cheerleaders. Managed to miss the whole point of putting cheerleaders in anything… hot women.
-Pikmin. Nintendo’s Miyamoto said that a Pikmin sequel will be made. No other facts were divulged in the developers conference.
-Naruto: Clash of the Ninja. Made for the Wii, but noticeably worse looking than Naruto: Rise of the Ninja for 360, and with no apparent other redeeming qualities.

Konami Press Conference:

-Rock Revolution. …really?! It’s the same damn thing Guitar Hero and Rockband are doing? There’s really nothing special about it.
-Castlevania, Judgement-. Essentially a fighting game with all the classic Castlevania characters battling each other. The game will be released this fall.

One more day to go: let’s hope it’s a big one.