E3 Press Conferences… Impressions
I’ve finally absorbed all 5 or 6 hours of the big pre-E3 press conferences (via GameSpot’s streams). I’ve come away feeling most excited by Ninendo. While I saw very little in terms of what I would consider to be next-gen gameplay from anybody, I did get the sense that Nintendo is most focused on broadening the market in a serious way. They also seemed to be enjoying themselves the most. Microsoft seemed to be focusing very much on what they are doing for gamers. And Sony, inexplicably, seemed to be presenting themselves as computer science gearheads. They showed tech demos and trumpeted the PS3’s specs and widgets. It is for this reason that I think they will lose market share in this round.
What Microsoft and Nintendo seem to understand is that it’s now all about what you do for people. Technology is only a means to an end. Sony seems to be stuck on the shiny newness of the Cell processor. And then there’s the issue of price…
Of course, given the developer support for PS3 and Sony’s own track record for putting out amazing games (witness Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and God of War), I’m sure PS3 will still be a huge success. I just don’t think that Sony can maintain its market dominance in the face of competition that is so clearly focused on making the consumer happy.
All in all, I think this is going to be a great generation for gamers. There will be a widening of the market that will only spur demand for innovation. At any price point, there will be a quality experience to be had, from the Wii at about $200 to the PS3 topping out at $600. Between Nintendo’s indie-friendly stance and Xbox Live Arcade (not to mention PC), there will be plenty of opportunity for studios with something new and different to bring to the table, and the big boys (I’m looking at you EA) will continue to bring big budget sweetness to the hard-core masses.
I can’t wait.
Bush’s Reaction to the Helen Thomas Video
Click here to watch the president’s reactions during Colbert’s “Press Secretary Audition” video.
Totally Sweet NASA/ESA Video
What a wonderfully information rich video… Imagine if you could see this sort of thing in real time…
A Sense of Wonder (and a Large Mechanical Elephant)
A theatre company is staging a massive piece of street theatre in London this weekend. Already, a mysterious spacecraft has crash landed near Waterloo Place and sits, smoking, causing passersby to stare.
Said the leader of the theatre company, “One of the main things in art in general is to create sights and images that remain printed in people’s minds.”
I agree.
Speaking Truthiness to Power: More on Colbert
Sadly, “Speaking Truthiness to Power” isn’t my line. I saw this lovely image on Boing Boing.
Apparently, the video that was posted on YouTube isn’t there anymore, thanks to copyright holders C-SPAN complaining. The video is probably available on their website (if you can deal with streaming clips), but you can also get a copy at Crooks and Liars or via BitTorrent.
Predictably, it sounds like the routine didn’t go over so well with Bush and his aides. Shouldn’t they learn to take criticism?
Finally, a couple stories at Salon elucidate the beauty of Colbert’s routine and skewer the tepid or non-existant media coverage afterwards.
The City of Galvez
[via Clive Thompson] I haven’t had a chance to digest this entire gallery, but these images by Oscar Guzmán are quite haunting.
Truthiness, Justice, and the American Way (ie Satire)
This weekend, Stephen Colbert roasted the president at the AP White House Correspondents’ Dinner. And what a roast it was. Colbert pulled no punches in his satirical attack. It made me very happy to see that the Daily Show’s spawn continue to carry on the tradition of (humorously) taking our culture to task. On his show, Colbert frequently talks about the size of his balls; well, this weekend he proved it, sticking it to the man… right to his face.
The absurd video at the end starring Helen Thomas is priceless. I laugh everytime I think of the administration officials (including the president himself) having to sit through such a strange piece of comedy.
Video is online here:
Or “en BitTorrent” sil vous preferrez.
Update: And now you can thank him.
More updates: The NYTimes has picked up the story only a few days late. And Jon Stewart congratulated Stephen on Monday’s Daily Show.
Embodiment
In a recent BusinessWeek interview, Edward Castronova expressed the potential loss and joy represented in virtual worlds:
I like the body. I was watching a ballet recently. I was crying because I was thinking the bodies are so beautiful, and we’re losing the body. I’m just afraid of losing the body.
At the same time, I love playing these games. Also, I have a kid. I also think, well, I should introduce him to these worlds at an early age so it’s very natural for us when I’m older to go hang out together no matter where he lives.
All Squid! All the Time!
…or at least in this post. Two links:
- Beautiful, blue, light-emitting firefly squid!
- Dead squid stands in as an alien for War of the Worlds
And just for good measure, here’s a link to a story about the Kraken.
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