Advanced X-amination: E3 Retrospective

If you haven’t been privy to our E3 coverage and media wrap up, or you’ve simply been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, then you may not know just how bright the future of the Xbox is. Having finally managed to process and absorb all of the flashy images and exciting news that’s been thrown at us, the Xbox Advanced writing team decided to take a retrospective moment to look back on 2004’s E3.

Fernando Bueno

Well, E3 is officially over and with the media blitz starting to chill we can finally spend some time to look over all this great information we’ve compiled. In all honesty, I don’t know where to start. I can say though, that I feel I got everything I wanted out of E3 this year. Approaching E3 with one game in mind I finish the week with that same game running circles in my head: Halo 2.

E3 2004 brought gamers something they can take to the bank. Gamers can finally rest their heads at night with the sound knowledge that, barring any natural disasters, the most anticipated Xbox game ever will finally be out before the year’s end. A release date set in stone… err… skin, made sure of that. I, like many other gamers, will be requesting November 9th off from work.

Halo 2 aside, there was plenty more for Xbox gamers to cherish about this year’s E3. All the speculation about EA and Microsoft Live was brought to a halt when the two announced a new partnership. In all honesty I was pleasantly surprised by the list of games announces. I was expecting them to stick with sports titles for the most part, I was not expecting titles like Goldeneye: Rogue Agent, Battlefield: Modern Combat and Timsplitters: Future Perfect to get the Live treatment. Granted, I probably wont care so much until I see EA Big titles and the Fight Night series on Live, but until then, I’m just glad the two giants came to some sort of agreement. E3 did leave me with one question unanswered though, “what’s up with all the colons in titles now-a-days?”


André Fredrick

Once again, E3 has come and gone, leaving in its wake hordes of cerebrally disengaged fans and mounting anticipation levels. This year was huge for Microsoft and the Xbox. Our colleagues at Gamecube Advanced would have you believe that Nintendo cleaned house and that the upcoming, “megaton” adult Zelda is more anticipated than Halo 2. Yes. They said more anticipated than Halo 2.

With no disrespect to the GCA staff, I have to disagree (Although I’m pretty pumped on the adult Zelda thing). But not only did Xbox owners get a firm release date for the upcoming first-person shooter juggernaut, they got to see just what to expect from Halo 2 come November 9th. And perhaps I’m alone when I say that Bungie has really blown my expectations to kingdom come. This was one of those rare moments when the hype was real; one of those times when all of the planets of the solar system were aligned, the weathermen were right, and everything seemed to fall directly into place. In this day and age of over-inflated expectations and deflating let-downs, it is indeed a time for Xbox owners to lift their nine-pound boxes of superior console technology high into the air and scream in exultation of Halo 2.

However, in all honesty, Halo 2 wasn’t that big of a surprise. The hype and expectation was there, but the shock came in response to just how much Bungie is planning to deliver. Titles like Forza Motorsport, on the other hand, simply came whippin’ right out of nowhere and have left my head spinning. It’s always nice to see your console of choice with an ace up the sleeve, and if things go right, Xbox owners could have a GT-killer on their hands.

Lest we forget what was perhaps the biggest announcement this year; let’s not neglect the burying of the hatchet between Microsoft and Electronic Arts. With a thriving online service that is now poised to pick up some of the best known franchises in the industry, the Xbox’s future is indeed bright.

Between big announcements, bigger surprises, and glimpses of all of the fantastic software and Xbox Live enhancements that are in the pipe, 2004’s E3 was, in my opinion, swept by the Xbox. Several years ago I simply did not see the Xbox where it is today. I knew it had the potential, I just feared that too few would realize it. And here we are in 2004 with Xbox owners coming out in droves, and there are packs of new ones who are just waiting in the wings. There has truly been no better time to own an Xbox than now…except maybe November 9th of this year.


Brett C. Jones

You know, it’s funny: We’ve been so busy covering E3 this past week that I haven’t had much time to step back and take a look at the show from a fan’s perspective. With things finally winding down, I’ve gotten to thinking about all the great games and exciting new footage that was displayed at this year’s show. It’s hard to find yourself not completely excited about what’s to come for the Xbox, and yet, that’s exactly what I am dealing with.

It should be made perfectly clear that I am by no means taking the stance of some of the Microsoft detractors and suggesting that Microsoft had a poor E3 showing. At the same time, I can’t help but feel that Microsoft set their press conference on cruise control. When one of the recurring (and therefore more prominent) games throughout your press conferences is Shrek 2, one really has to wonder just how bright the future is. Pandering to the casual crowd is one thing, but when the title of choice to do so with happens to be the sequel to one of the worst Xbox games ever, it doesn’t exactly inspire the warm and fuzzies.

Granted, that’s not enough to lead me to perceive this year’s event as sub-par for Microsoft. Yet while J Allard was busy shooting the video chat breeze with the “oh, how the mighty have fallen” award winner for 2004, Jenny McCarthy, Sony and Nintendo were preparing to dazzle gamers with their new and wholly impressive handheld devices. “Xbox owners: enjoy Bejeweled and Dig Dug” does not ease the pain of the realization that Microsoft may very well have missed another opportunity to gain ground over its competitors (or at least hang with them). Or maybe I just want a DS really badly, I don’t know.

It’s not that Microsoft didn’t get any love. Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords should refine the blockbuster original and bring an even grander role-playing experience to the Xbox. Splinter Cell, a series I have been a stark detractor of, made a surprise appearance, and just by watching our three minute video, I couldn’t help but be incredibly impressed. Forza Motorsport also looks to finally deliver a racing game that offers true customization along with near-perfect controls (if other first-party racing titles are any indication). Even Sega piqued my interest with the announcement of a new saga of online role-playing with Phantasy Star Universe. Despite the big-name franchises, three out of those four games received little or no mention during Microsoft’s press conference. How are we, as gamers, expected to be excited about the future of gaming if this future isn’t defined for us?

Despite the twinge of jade I no doubt exude with each word, the vastly more significant application of the shade is with the absolutely stunning Jade Empire. Complete with the last minute E3 announcement that the game would feature a top-down Raiden-like shooter, it appears that Bioware has outdone even themselves this time with the gorgeous visuals, rich story, and the intensely intuitive combat system. It’s hard to imagine that there are still those out there who perceive Xbox as incapable of delivering a fascinating role-playing experience with so many big RPG’s on their way, namely Jade Empire.

For all the pomp and circumstance that’s intrinsically entwined to E3, I suppose I expected more, particularly with everything we had to look forward to at this year’s show. I’m still lamenting the complete and utter lack of any update on True Fantasy Live Online. Fortunately for me, throwing a few gorgeous offline RPG’s and a new Phantasy Star game my way renders me quickly satiated. All in all I feel Microsoft did better than my critical eye may give them credit for, particularly with the big announcements both Sony and Nintendo made after the Microsoft press conference. 2004 will be a great year for Xbox despite the lack of an amazing E3 showcase, as all types of gamers should find something to suite their tastes. Even so, one thing is certain: November 9th is sure to be a banner day for Xbox owners far and wide.


Sascha Lichtenstein

E3 came and went exactly as I expected it to – no earth shattering announcements from any of the console manufacturers, but lots of great showings by expected games, moderately surprising announcements, and the unveiling of several promising new titles made it a great show for Xbox gamers. While it is likely that E3 2004 will be the remembered as the show that the Nintendo DS and the PSP were revealed for the first time (and rightfully so – the announcement of a new console is always big news…unless it’s the N-Gage), the truth of the matter is that in five or six years from now, we may be looking back on E3 2004 as the point where Microsoft officially dropped the gloves, looked Sony in the eye, and said ‘let’s do this.’ Short of divine intervention, Sony will come out of this generation on top of the videogame industry – the first company every to win two win two console races, let alone back to back. However, as time goes on, Microsoft continues to get stronger and stronger in the area that has always determined which company comes out on top – the number and variety of quality titles. At E3 2004 while, the other companies were busy focusing on new ventures, Microsoft was putting all the attention on the games.

Let’s start with the most obvious one – Halo 2. What else needs to be said about this game? The game owned, raped and killed (not necessarily in that order…eww) every other game on the show floor. November 9th will be a date forever etched in the memory of every man or woman lucky enough to own an Xbox – the day all the waiting and anticipation was replaced with a feeling of pure elation and closure. With all the superlatives and metaphors that have been thrown around regarding this game, it’s easy to understand how there is likely a very large group of people who are simply no longer willing to believe anything more that is said about how good this game supposedly is, and instead will make the decision for themselves upon having played it. Initially, there is a desire to chastise this group for their inability to just take a look at the freaking media, and yet I eventually find that I envy those same people. For they are the ones who aren’t plagued with a near-constant longing for Halo 2, and emptiness in the soul which can only be filled with the perfectly balanced multiplayer, and epic singleplayer experience of Bungie’s opus. Ignorance is bliss and waiting for Halo 2, knowing of what is to come, is sheer agony.

That said, Halo 2 was far from the only noteworthy Xbox title at E3; The Xbox library continues to strengthen in every area – and one of the key reasons for this is the steady progression of previously announced, heavily-anticipated titles. Announcements of new games are always exciting, especially in this day and age of press releases and advertising packages – any game can be made out to be the next big thing with enough video editing. However, reaffirmation that titles which have been in development for some time are still on track to impress, confirmed through actual playable material, provides stability to the Xbox lineup. Games such as Starcraft Ghost and Jade Empire, for example, continue to be refined and improved, and more of their potential shines through with each additional unveiling of new content. The appearance of these games at the show wasn’t shocking; it was simply welcome – two more strong titles for the Xbox, amidst a sea of others. If the Xbox was in need of a huge amount of surprise announcements in order to excite its userbase, such would be indicative of a weak library heading into E3, as well as a low number of high-quality up-coming releases. The fact that the majority of the Xbox showing was comprised of impressive titles we already knew about speaks volumes as to the strength of the software library as it stands, and how it looks for the near future.

This, of course, is not to say there were no surprises for Xbox owners at E3 – such is certainly not the case. The surprises simply weren’t that huge – many of the newly announced titles were expected, the surprise was in the quality of the material demonstrated. Rare effectively rose from the dead at this E3, finally putting the new Conker game on display, featuring ridiculously good graphics, great-looking multiplayer, and a completely revamped version of the underappreciated N64 release. Everyone knew a Conker game was coming – the shock was in how good the game was shaping up to be. A similar situation took place at the Ubisoft booth when they gave the world the first glimpse of Splinter Cell 3. Mere months after Pandora Tomorrow, Splinter Cell 3 is already miles ahead of the previous entries in the franchise, with outstanding graphics and new Co-op gameplay mechanics. The list of such events throughout the Xbox line up goes on and on, and doesn’t even include the announcement of Forza Motorcross – a game which came out of nowhere and is already generation a huge buzz. The level of quality inherent to the new titles bodes very well for the software that will be available to Xbox gamers through the final years of the console’s lifecycle

Upon reflection, the nature of the Xbox’s showing was a great indication as to the strength of the console, and the determination Microsoft has to success is in the gaming industry. While Nintendo fans were shocked that Nintendo was actually presenting them with something they wanted, a Mature Zelda in this case, Xbox fans went into E3 expecting what they wanted to be delivered, and Microsoft not only met those expectations, they exceeded them by providing a level of quality that was above and beyond what was anticipated. While the starving masses loyal to the other console manufactures were overjoyed with the presentation of a crumb, Xbox owners were accustomed to feasts, and Microsoft demonstrated that we could continue to be well fed.