Day 1 of the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012
(CBS NEWS) We kicked the week's events off with Microsoft's presentation. There were no major surprises here, though this year there was considerably less emphasis on motion gaming, which I consider to be a step in the right direction for Microsoft. Unfortunately most of the big titles had already been previously announced so the briefing lacked the excitement of past E3s. The announcements of SmartGlass and Nike+ Training were some of the highlights for me. It would have been awesome to see more of Gears of War: Judgement, in particular, the story since it's a prequel. Maybe next year. South Park: The Stick of Truth was a pleasant surprise. Though not previously on my radar, it seems to capture the TV show's look and flow perfectly. It's not an exclusive, but I loved the glimpse of Tomb Raider that Microsoft showed us. This is one of my top games to check out at this E3. The new Lara Croft is so much more compelling in my opinion. This action-packed fight for survival seems to be a trend in gaming, and it's one that can make for awesome stories and intense gameplay. Sony Press Briefing
Sony also continued with the survival action game trend with their exclusive The Last of Us. The Naughty Dog title had an intense showing at the Sony conference, complete with molotov cocktails and shotguns to the face! We're looking forward to seeing more of The Last of Us this week. Assassins Creed III and Assassins Creed: Liberation were shown as well. With Liberation for the Playstation Vita featuring the first female assassin in the series, it could be an opportunity for AC to hit new marks both in terms of story and gameplay with this new character and the tech features the Vita offers. As far as any Vita announcements, I was slightly surprised that no price drop was mentioned at the event, but Sony did give us some info on Playstation Suite (or Playstation Mobile as it's also known). Though they didn't go into much detail, this merging of various tech devices to enrich gaming experiences seems to be the next thing as motion gaming is finding its place as a key component in fitness games and as a novelty gameplay feature of kid-friendly titles. I must admit I was secretly hoping either Microsoft or Sony would close with a new GTA V trailer. Sadly that didn't happen but both companies still peaked my interest with action titles and promising new roles for their respective tech.