Nintendo's touch-screen controller for the new Wii U system
The Electronics Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, ran this Tuesday through Thursday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The expo is held each year in Los Angeles, featuring new video games and gaming hardware that will be released in the coming year.
The new PS Vita and Wii U from Sony and Nintendo, respectively, were the highlights of new consoles introduced by the most well-known companies in the video game industry. Microsoft introduced several games for its current console, the Xbox 360, most of which involve its Kinect system, an interactive platform for Xbox games. Ubisoft stole the field by introducing several games across different genres including Rayman Origins, Farcry 3, and Driver: San Francisco.
"You want things to play and look like they always have, but you also want the buzz of the new," said Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata at the company’s Tuesday morning press conference. The CEO of game developer Electronic Arts (EA), John Riccitiello, said the Wii U will foster a developing relationship between EA and Nintendo.
On the whole, minor companies introduced hardware that adapted to the recent industry hardware. Memorex, known for electronic multimedia, introduced a charging station for Kinect and Xbox 360 controllers. Razer released its Hydra product, a PC device similar to the work of Nintendo’s Wii, which allows a gamer to use two controllers to play through PC games like Portal 2 and Gears of War 3.
The conference, primarily known for the introduction of new games and hardware, is also known for quality giveaways by companies and developers. Some of this year’s giveaways include game demos, lanyards, T-shirts, and mouse pads.
Tom Dusenberry, founder and CEO of Call-it Entertainment, called the Wii U “revolutionary.”
“Mainstream video games are becoming much more sophisticated,” Dusenberry said.
Scott Russo, a game developer with Perpetual Notions, said, “graphics are becoming more life-like.” On game development, Russo said it has become “increasingly more competitive but increasingly less creative,” citing the Guitar Hero series as evidence.
