Microsoft CES 2010 Keynote
Most of you reading this already know what CES is. In case your one of the few that doesn’t, it’s the Consumer Electronics Show. Think E3, but it’s open to the public & covers the entire electronic/tech industry. From the latest in TVs to MP3 players, from laptops to GPS devices, this show will give you something to ogle over, no matter what your techie tastes crave. Of course since two of the big three console manufacturers have their hands elbow deep in other tech beyond gaming (Microsoft, the biggest software developer in the world & Sony…….hmmm…..is there any electronics they don’t make?), it’s only natural to see them at the show, making announcements that also include some tasty tidbits about our beloved entertainment medium of choice. Microsoft held their keynote last night & among the various Windows info (along withe the requisite console sales figures), we were officially introduced to a new feature for the Xbox 360…
First though, I wanted to shoot out a reminder to all the indie bloggers/journalists/writers out there. Following the keynote, there was a lot of disappointment floating around my TwitStream. Most of the complaints were that there really wasn’t any surprises. While that’s absolutely true….for us. Anyone who pays attention to the news & rumors of the industry won’t be surprised by what Microsoft covered. The thing is, the vast majority of the gamers out there don’t pay attention to that stuff. They leave that to us. They just come by & check out the highlights. Given that CES isn’t dedicated solely to games, I can understand why they held back from any “new” info & just focused on confirming what we already knew or suspected. So, cut the guys up in Redmond some slack…
Alright, now that my PSA work is done, lets get to the announcements (in no particular order). First up, they announced the official launch window for Project Natal, Microsoft’s Playstation Eye/WiiMote amalgam. While it’s been widely assumed ever since it was announced at E309 that it would launch in Holiday 2010, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer made it official during his speech. That was about it on Natal though, so hopefully we’ll get some packaging info by E3 & maybe a list of launch titles. Also, we now know how DLC will be handled for Alan Wake: Episodic! One of the games I’ve been personally drooling over since the 360 launched (just imagine how many sponges I’ve gone through… 
), Alan Wake will be supported by Remedy long after it’s launch with DLC episodes similar to Fable II.
A couple of Arcade titles were showcased, one of which I hadn’t heard of yet. Toy Soldiers will put you in the plastic boots of a little army man in a new RTS title from Signal Studios. It’ll feature 50 different units from 2 unique armies (including a zeppelin?!), 5 different maps, & both local split screen & online multiplayer (the number of online players has yet to be revealed). Plus, you have the option to control the whole army or jump into any of your little soldiers for a more direct form of control. Reminds me of the Army Men franchise from the late 1990’s. The second title is Scrap Metal, from Slick Entertainment (the guys behind N+). This one wasn’t new to me, as I had a chance to check it out at PAX. It’s a bit like a mix of Ivan “Iron Man” Steward’s Super Off Road & the 1980’s MicroMachines toy line with a dash of demolition derby & a bunch of guns thrown in. You’ll be looking at about 20 vehicles covering muscle cars, monster trucks, & everything in between. 60 missions, online & local multiplay & even anaglyph 3-D support (you know, the old school red & blue glasses) makes this game one to watch when it launches this spring. I had a chance to meet & chat with them at PAX & I can tell you, they’re pouring everything they can into it & really have a love for the classic racing genre, a passion you can see & feel when you sit & play it.
Steve also revealed that the first bit of Modern Warfare 2 DLC would come to the Xbox 360 first. Now, don’t read too much into that. There’s no way Activision would keep it 360 exclusive. Playstation 3 players will get the DLC as well. They didn’t say how long it’ll be exclusive, so the best guess from me would be 2 to 4 weeks. No surprise here at all though considering the 360 version outsold the Playstation 3 version by a metric ton. This brings me to that new feature that I mentioned. Simply titled Game Room, it’s intended to bring a classic arcade feel to the Xbox 360. Utilizing your Avatar, you’ll have your own customizable space, sort of like a loft, where you’ll be able to store classic arcade titles in in their original cabinets. These games have two purchase options: a single platform (meaning either the 360 or the PC) for 240 MP or for both platforms for 400 MP. Once you have some arcade games, you’ll be able to virtually invite a buddy over to your new digs & you guys can play together. Alternatively, if you just want to get your game on once, described by Microsoft as akin to placing your quarters on the machine back in the day, it’ll cost you 40 MP. Online & local multiplay, custom challenges, taunts, voice chat, 1080p visuals & cross-platform leaderboards & Achievements round out the package. I’ve seen a lot of folks comparing this to the Playstation Home service, but I don’t really agree. Home is much broader in scope. Not necessarily more fun, but much broader. Personally, to me this is more of a service similar to the 360’s Primetime Channel. My issue with it is even though they haven’t directly addressed it, it’s certainly looking like any existing retro titles you own will not transfer over. I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to buy Pac Man or Centipede again. One copy is enough. Hopefully that will change before it launches in late Spring…
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[...] the Marketplace? Who knows. But, smart money says they will at some point or another, especially if Game Room proves [...]
[...] me, Toy Soldiers came right out of left field as I had no idea what it was before Microsoft’s keynote at this year’s CES. Once I discovered that it was not only a tower defense title, but set with WWI-themed toys as the [...]