Wii Warm Up: What surprised you at E3?

by Candace Savino { Jul 20th 2008 at 10:30AM }

We all have our own opinions on E3, and whether it made us more or less excited to be Wii owners. Most likely, you kept tabs on games that you were already looking forward to. Did anything surprise you, though? Have any games or publishers that you previously haven't payed much attention to grab your notice? If so, let us know here (or here, should your answer be DS related).

Tags: e3-2008, e308

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Lord Bowser @ Jul 20th 2008 10:41AM

How uninspired it was.

Mr Khan @ Jul 20th 2008 11:07AM

I was surprised, like Lord Bowser said, by the mediocrity of it all, not just on Nintendo's front either. There's Microsoft's desperate pander to the casual crowd, and Sony's statement of things we already knew (ok, some of their stuff was good)

I was surprised by Voice Chat, nobody really saw that one coming after all the efforts Nintendo's apparently gone to to stifle communication on the platform

Also, whatever happened to the game that Factor 5 is making? We definitely read reports of them having a Wii engine up and running, but haven't heard a thing

Sisyphus @ Jul 20th 2008 11:21AM

I was unpleasantly surprised by voicechat, but the rest of E3 was a whole lot of... egh. It all turned out like most movie trailers do these days. The only good trailers in theaters are for movies most people already knew were coming. The bulk of it is instantly forgetable.

TheOverlord#2 can has Animals Crossing? @ Jul 20th 2008 11:24AM

I don't think I could think of one(Nintendo-related) if someone came up to me and asked me the same question.

For a 360-related suprise, Fallout 3 looks awesome.

SegaPleaseMakePanzerDragoonWii! @ Jul 20th 2008 11:26AM

I was surprised and excited by WiiSpeak. I've never been into online gaming, really. But lately I've been playing online more and more. Sometimes it still feels like you're playing bots, though. Wiispeak will change all of that. +1 for Nintendo for listening to us on that end. Now HDD, please.

kavorka @ Jul 20th 2008 11:31AM

I was surprised when Nintendo didn't have any respectable, exciting game announcements... especially after they said that E3 was going to be big news for the hardcore crowd. Surprised the hell out of me.

T2Master @ Jul 20th 2008 11:31AM

That they used only three words for Pikmen 3, but OVER 9000 to talk about a cruddy new Animal Crossing game.

WalkingCarpet @ Jul 20th 2008 11:44AM

I was surprised that by the end of the Big N's press conference, I'm seriously considering buying myself an XBox. It feels like Nintendo is almost completely abandoning the gamer and going completely for the casual market. Which sucks, it really does. I've always bought Nintendo systems. Always. It will be a very sad day if I need to switch over to an XBox.

murray b @ Jul 20th 2008 12:18PM

if anything, get a PS3. You'll be happier you dropped the extra couple bucks. trust me.

Max Headroom @ Jul 20th 2008 2:52PM

This sums up my reaction perfectly. I've stayed exclusively loyal to Nintendo ever since the NES. But after I watched all the press conferences, I wanted an XBox badly. After the conferences, when the press pushed Nintendo about what it is doing for the hardcore gamer, "Pikmin" was the answer. That crushed me.

Pikmin might be great, but it isn't the answer I wanted. I looked again at Microsoft's upcoming game list and saw things like Gears of War 2, Resident Evil 5, Fracture, Fallout 3, and a whole bunch of others that I want to play. Then I looked at the games already out for console. I saw Mass Effect, the first Gears, Bioshock, FEAR, Condemned, Prey, Lost Planet, and on and on. Not only is MS coming out with the games I want to play, they already have a ton of them out right now, most of which are at reduced prices.

So for the first time since the NES, I went out and bought a non-Nintendo console this weekend. It hasn't even been a full day since I've owned it, but Bioshock is already proving the console has some amazing games and potential. I'm definitely looking forward to exploring the system more and more over the coming months and years. I just hope it actually lasts that long.

I'm not giving up on the Wii. It is still sitting beside the 360. But for a little while at least, I'm stepping out of Nintendo's blue ocean and going to swim in a slightly smaller, but deeper body of water.

John B. @ Jul 20th 2008 11:45AM

It reminded me that Nintendo hates its fans. New Animal Crossing looks EXACTLY like the last 2. New Pikmin is probably at least a year away and will most likely just be another waggle infested game that sends gamers on a one way road to carpal tunnel. The voice chat is the only thing that caught my eye as being remotely promising, but they're going about it all wrong.

Look at the 360 and the PS3. They both have either wireless headsets or headsets wired to the controller. All Nintendo is giving us is a mic (at most 2 per console) that gets wired to our Wii, leaving us with yet another cord to get in the way. Theres also something Nintendo is forgetting to implement, something which is pretty necessary when you're talking about online voice chat - online games. I don't have the money to buy every online Wii game that comes out, so I can't be sure about the smaller titles, but I do own Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If any online game should work on the Wii, it should at least be Smash Bros. It's been months since the release, and you're still lucky to even get into a match, seeing as there is absolutely no match making system. If you somehow do find some people to Brawl with, though, you probably won't finish the match due to the horrific lag. And on the off chance that you find 3 people to Brawl with and you finish a few matches with them, what are you supposed to do to make friends or establish contact in any way?

I owned Strikers for a short while and the experience was equally horrible. Nintendo needs to get with the program and implement user names, match making, a reliable network, more online games. I understand that the Wii is a 'family console,' but the 360 is in just as many families' homes, and I don't see too many headlines about Microsoft going under due to lawsuits relating to online harassment.

iMeh @ Jul 20th 2008 11:54AM

Nintendo....that's all I have to say. :(

Rowdehaj @ Jul 20th 2008 11:57AM

Nothing from Nintendo, to be honest. MS's bagging of Final Fantasy really greyed the whole convention out for me.

supa_s @ Jul 20th 2008 11:58AM

Yes. 1) thought it was going to be much better 2) was surprised by how short Ninty's conf. was and 3) FF13 announcement

That Guy @ Jul 20th 2008 12:30PM

It surprised me that there are so many people on the internet that jump up and say 'OMG NINTENDO SUX' because of a press conference.

shinneri @ Jul 20th 2008 12:37PM

I was surprised once again by how Nintendo knows less about making unique, quality titles for the Wii than third-party developers do. This is the first Nintendo platform that the majority of my games are NOT Nintendo produced, and E3 let me know that that trend will continue.

judais @ Jul 20th 2008 12:52PM

Nintendo was at E3?

Q-Kid-Kyle @ Jul 20th 2008 12:59PM

excited by wiispeak and by the fact there was no announcement of spore wii or nascar wii or gta wii

Hamster @ Jul 20th 2008 2:17PM

Surprised by the fact that for a games company Nintendo seems so utterly obsessed with non-gamers, to the point where it's seemingly willing to sacrifice its respect and integrity to get them. Why do games have to be ruined for the sake of people who don't like games all of a sudden? I cannot understand the philosophy, it's baffling. It's like making beef burgers and trying to sell them exclusively to vegetarians. What's the point? It's not going to work. Sell them to meat-eaters! Why ruin games for everyone in order to sell them to people who don't want them? Who cares if granny can't play Zelda or Metroid? She can play Wii Sports instead. Are gamers not allowed anything anymore? Why must everything suffer for these wretched non-gamers? Do authors write books for non-readers? Do film makers make films for non-film-goers? Do chefs make food for non-eaters? What the hell is going on?

Kye - WiiDSixty DF @ Jul 20th 2008 2:39PM

+1 health
+1 Attack
+2 Defence

and 1 internets.

Kye - WiiDSixty DF @ Jul 20th 2008 2:44PM

I was pleasantly surprised by WiiSpeak.

However...

My expectations from Nintendo tell me that it will not be used for online gaming or anything sensible like that.

It will probably be "friend-coded" to death and have built-in irremovable voice changers as well.

Microx @ Jul 20th 2008 3:12PM

I totally agree with Hamster. Where's the love?

I'm a Zelda fan, so I was surprised they said they were working on a new Zelda, since they haven't said a word about it since Phantom Hourglass came out.

but I've been wanting a 360 for a while now, now I just want one even more. Not that I don't like my Wii and DS. I just could use a change of pace.

Nathew @ Jul 21st 2008 1:40AM

yeah, same here, especially since it doesn't look like wii will ever get a port of portal or a decent online/DLC system for things like rock band.

Microx @ Jul 20th 2008 3:13PM

Well, we don't want the kiddies crying cause they get told to shut up, do we?

Jeremy @ Jul 20th 2008 4:44PM

I think for a gaming conference you should at least put some of your cards on the table. Non gamers could give a crap less about what new news comes from a show that is supposed to be about gamers. Nintendo needs to put focus back on the true fans (the people who are so excited about their console they visit a fanboy site daily). Even the announcement of Wii Speak didn't get me excited since it will work like an old school PC mic. were is the gamer love? I am like many others here I think I will be joining the masses in buying a 360 again and dropping the Wii once and for all. The first year of the Wii I bought around 15 games and so far this year I have gotten three and only have plans for maybe one or two more. I will just hang onto my Wii for my seven year old son since there are more games directed towards him. At least now I am reminded why I left Nintendo when the original Playstation was released.

Andres Romero @ Jul 20th 2008 5:03PM

I'm surprised that they say E3 is NOT ideal for core gamers anymore...
Does any non-gamer even know what E3 is??

They said at least that the Zelda and Mario teams are hard at work... I hope they're working on Zelda and Mario titles...

Rocketboy @ Jul 21st 2008 11:55AM

It's not for gamers, it's for the media... you know, the only people allowed at E3 anymore....

KonohaShinobi @ Jul 20th 2008 5:04PM

Voice chat and GTA DS surprised me, but I doubt GTA DS will be any good.

Nathew @ Jul 20th 2008 5:45PM

the backlash. i thought people had more class. i was wrong.

seriously, it used to always be WHINE WHINE WHINE WHERE'S OUR ANIMAL CROSSING WHERE'S OUR VOICE CHAT

and then afterthis year's E3 it's WHINE WHINE WHINE WHY DID THEY COME OUT WITH ANOTHER ANIMAL CROSSING AND OH BY THE WAY VOICE CHAT SUCKS

Mr Khan @ Jul 20th 2008 6:33PM

cuz at heart, we're just a nation of whiners ;)

Minsk, here i come!

padraig.d @ Jul 20th 2008 6:51PM

um ps3 or 360 thats all i have to say

Andy Robertson @ Jul 21st 2008 2:32AM

I was exciting and surprised to see a new wii sports! I'd just put up this piece about it being better for you than Wii-Fit http://digg.com/nintendo/Wii_Sports_better_for_you_than_Wii_Fit_who_knew/who so more of the same bodes well for my poor old deprived bod.

Al3xand3r @ Jul 21st 2008 3:28AM

I tried to link to videos of every game I list here but it said I'm only allowed three of these so, guys, just do a search for those titles on YouTube (making sure you watch recent videos though), GameTrailers, GameVideos, GameSpy's E3 area, etc to view them. My original post follows.

Even if Nintendo didn't emphasise any of the hardcore games @ their conference doesn't mean much (especially since E3 has been degraded so much by other factors, wait for Leipzig or TGS) since these games are actually being made. They wanted to focus on just their newly revealed things and that's fine with me. Several great looking and maybe even hardcore Wii games were being played @ E3, journalists just saw fit to ignore them and just whine about the conference instead. Examples:

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI (sweet, really)
Mad World (no comment needed)
Castlevania Judgement (much better than expected)
De Blob (no comment needed)
Call of Duty: World at War (Wii version lookin good)
Tales of Symphonia (no comment, there's another Tales of coming also)
Little King Story (looking much better than expected)
SPRay (same as above)
Clash of Ninja Rev 2 (four player fighter)
Neopets (Puzzle Quest devs, has to be good)
Megaman 9 (can't get much more hardcore than this)
Deadly Creatures (looks better with every vid)
Monster Lab (fun pokemon stadium + exploration - ish game)
The Conduit (no comment needed)
Fatal Frame (Project Zero) IV (no comment needed)

The above don't include multiple platform games like the new Crash & Spyro games, Sonic, Tomb Raider, Kung Fu Panda, Force Unleashed, Ultimate Alliance 2, the various Lego games, Dead Rising, etc. Except for the COD game which I believe offers a different enough feel on the Wii to be worth a look.

Also no not so good looking (but you never know, many are far from release) games like Lightsaber Duels etc and no "not hardcore enough" games like Fishing Master World Tour or My Sims, Animal Crossing, Wii Fit Resort (which I think everyone WILL get even though they whine), etc.

And we know they're working on new AAA titles as well, Zelda and Pikmin a couple of those. They'll obviously take a long time to get right, especially since Zelda is going to be all new and not just "Zelda as we know it" so it will take a lot of experimenting. And another two games were said to be under development at the time Mad World were announced, though we don't have details.

And who honestly believes we won't see more of Mario, Metroid, F Zero, Bomberman, Pokemon, and other big Nintendo games? I'd rather they start showing up 2-3-4 years from now than be sub par and Nintendo will make sure they aren't. In the mean time, we have games to tide us over coming, like my short list here.

Also for people worried over the MotionPlus. Come on, you'll mostly only need one of the add ons, that's cheap. If sony managed to replace their standard non-analogue controller with the first dual shock without dividing the market, then Nintendo can do even better once a few of their first party titles start using it since everyone will want it. Leave the xbox and sony fanboys whining, you know they'd love the rumours of getting their own motion based controllers to be true as seen on various sites' posts and reactions to them...

Spluutter @ Jul 21st 2008 7:10AM

GTA DS was the only true caming suprise of the whole show, apart from Final Fanatsy XIII on the X-Box. The biggest suprise for me was how badly Nintendo are treating the hardcore gamers AFTER they came out and said there actually would be something for us?

I love my wii but if I want a choice of decent adult games (You know with a story!) Then I guess it's time to get a PS3

vidGuy @ Jul 21st 2008 7:23AM

I was surprised by how unsurprising Nintendo's stuff was. Microsoft blew them out of the water.

Agumen @ Jul 21st 2008 7:51AM

I was surprised by Wii Sports Resort, both because I wasn't expecting it and I wasn't expecting it to look so good. It seems like much more than a cash in on the original's sucess thanks to the excellent use of Wii Motion Plus and three great choices so far for new sports to show it off. The sword fighting in particular looks fantastic.

I wasn't at all surpised by Wii Music or Animal Crossing, but I was surprised that that was the rest of Nintendo's Wii line-up. With their hardware way out in first, every piece of software they release this Christmas has the chance to be a major moneyspinner, yet they hype only Wii Music and AC:CF. Strange.

Lastly, I was surpised by the lack of small trailers for hardcore titles just to appease us fanboys. I remeber them doing the trailer thing with Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3, and it worked to appease the masses and build excitement. Sony did the same with God of War III, which gave nothing away, but was confirmation that they haven't forgot about its fans. It would have only taken a minute or two out of Nintendo's causal focused time and could have prevented the negative vibe that prevailed amongst the traditional Nintendo fan after the show.