



Five things I learned from E3 2012

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2) Not Enough Has Changed

Let's face it, overall this may have been one of the most disappointing E3 conferences of all time. Yes there were a handful of standout games, but there was a distinct lack of huge announcements, and a giant pile of status quo.

Microsoft continued to peddle technology that makes the Xbox 360 more of a media device, and less of a game console. Xbox Smart Glass, a new tech which helps apps interact between consoles, phones, tablets, and PCs, seemed billed as a way to enhance apps like HBO Go and Netflix more than games.

Sony had one of the better conferences, but managed to totally lose the audience when they derailed any and all momentum to showcase a reading game for kids. Sony Wonderbook is an augmented reality game that combines children's book-level reading with visuals and Playstation Move controls. Sony seemed like the last of all the companies to waste conference time on the casual audience, but there they were, doing it anyway.

Then there was the Wii U. Nintendo stood as the only company with new hardware to show off at E3 and the entire conference was theirs if they wanted it. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like their hearts were in it this year, and the collection of games and Wii U tech on display was largely disappointing. It seemed that despite their claims to the contrary, Nintendo still focused on the casual market. Hardcore gamers were tossed scraps like a port of Arkham City, while the casual crowd got NintendoLand, a suite of simple games designed to showcase the hardware. That HD Zelda people have been pining for? Nowhere to be found.


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