I just finished my first real day of covering E3. After years of hyping the event up for myself, it's hard to imagine that E3 could meet my lofty expectations. But honestly, I've had a great time. It was every bit the experience that I had hoped it would be.
And without going into specifics, I certainly liked different programs on the show floor more than others.
Liked:
The grandeur: E3 is big. Everything about it is big. The banners are big. The booths are big. The silicon implants are big. Maybe some people scoff at the spectacle of the show, but I found myself staring out at the booths with wide eyes and an open mouth.
2D is back: Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Mortal Kombat, Sonic Colors are proof that 2D gaming does not have to be limited to portable or downloadable gaming. These are all good looking games -- yes, even Sonic Colors.
Short wait: Besides The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and all the Nintendo 3DS stuff, I never encountered any ridiculously long lines. Now, I didn’t spend much time in Sony or Microsoft’s booths yet, so I’m sure there are some lines there, but for the most part I never had wait for more than a couple of people in front of me before I got a turn to play.
Swag!: I'm not used to being handed free stuff. Needless to say, it's a change of fortune that I can grow accustomed to.
Disliked:
Overly long demos: Some demos took over half an hour to get through. You don’t want to be rude and stop playing before it's over -- especially with the PR guy looming right over your shoulder -- but it gets uncomfortable to stand in front of the same kiosk for so long...especially during an underwhelming game. I’m really just looking for a taste of these games. I feel like I could review some of them by the time the demo ends.
Ubisoft: I really didn't plan to single out specific games or developers, but what is Ubisoft smoking? Laser tag? They're really trying to bring back laser tag? Maybe next year they'll unveil pogs. Also, it's good to see that they went out of their way to beat Nintendo in the race to see who could make a stupid breathing game first.
Feigned enthusiasm from PR: All the PR people I met today were incredibly nice, but their constant encouragement during demos can get a little annoying. I don’t need insincere compliments on my ability to play your demo, especially since we both know that the difficulty has been dumbed down. I wish that they would be a bit more quiet during my demos. If I have a question or need some help, I'll ask them.
Bad convention food: I ordered pepperoni pizza from one of the food stands by the West Hall. Eating it was an unpleasant experience. It was also too expensive. I need to sneak in some rice krispie treats tomorrow.
