Video Game News:

E3 downgraded to a category  E1

By Lisa Baertlein Mon Jul 31, 7:01 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Entertainment Software Association said on Monday it will pare down and refocus its Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3Expo) trade show at the urging of game publishers who are moving to new video game consoles.

The success of new games and devices can be made or broken at the annual E3Expo, which is the biggest and most influential conference for an industry that rivaled Hollywood box office revenue with U.S. sales of nearly $13 billion last year.

E3Expo will continue to be a showcase for new games and consoles, but will have a more intimate and targeted format, said ESA president Douglas Lowenstein.

"The world of interactive entertainment has changed since E3Expo was created 12 years ago," Lowenstein said. "It is no longer necessary or efficient to have a single industry 'mega-show."'

The show, which turns a profit, is an overwhelming extravaganza of light, sound and over-the-top marketing that includes hiring attractive models to work as "booth babes." Some 60,000 people turned out for the 2006 show in May.

ESA is not privy to the number of deals forged at the event.

The original intent of the E3Expo was to raise the profile of the industry and to foster relationships between game makers and retailers. As the industry has grown and matured, numerous niche trade shows have sprung up, catering to different aspects of the now-mainstream entertainment product.

E3Expo's new format, which Lowenstein said has the unanimous backing of ESA's board, will be less disruptive to studio development schedules, while offering publishing teams the chance to have more personal and effective meetings, according to one large game maker that asked not to be named.

Emergence Day Revealed

Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games reveal North American/European release dates for Gears of War...

Posted: 14:01 on 03 Aug 2006

By: Chris Leyton

Coming mere minutes after our last report on Gears of War and the looming "Major Announcement", Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games today officially lifted the wraps on when Emergence Day will occur.

Scheduled for release in North America on November 12th and 17th in Europe (just in time for the PS3), Gears of War will be released in both standard and limited editions. The latter will provide an even greater insight into the world of Gears of War, with an official "Destroyed Beauty" art-book and a bonus "Making Of..." DVD.

"'Gears of War' represents the emergence of a thrilling new franchise for Xbox 360 and is the must-have game of 2006," said Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. "Combining the best in innovative gameplay, next-generation graphics and interactive storytelling, Epic has harnessed the extraordinary power of Xbox 360 to create an extremely powerful and immersive entertainment experience."

"Our vision is to deliver a one-two punch of cinematic action paired with a thrilling and compelling interactive experience," said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer at Epic. "With 'Gears of War' we've created a title that will place gamers directly in the shadows of a ravaged world, surrounded by the beautiful remnants of a destroyed city and the horrific dangers that hide in the rubble."

The Ubisoft 7

Blazing Angels, Far Cry, Open Season, and more join Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids as day-one games for Nintendo's console.

By Tim Surette, GameSpot

Posted Aug 3, 2006 12:08 pm PT

Monster 4X4: World Circuit.

In mid-July, one unnamed hedge fund manager told TheStreet.com that there was one publisher well prepared to reap success from the launch of the Nintendo Wii. Citing the high-profile game Red Steel, the source said only Ubisoft correctly tapped into the crowd-pleasing potential of the Wii, while other publishers were caught flat-footed by the console's successful stint at E3 2006.

Apparently the source's comment was an understatement. Ubisoft today revealed exactly how prepared it was for the Wii's launch--the publisher has seven launch titles prepped for the Wii's first day in stores. Previously, Ubisoft only revealed that Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids would be available at launch. In comparison, the most prolific publisher for the Xbox 360's launch was Electronic Arts, who boasted five games.

"Media and analysts agree that Ubisoft has the greatest potential for reward with the new console's launch because we believed in it from the beginning," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America.

The five new titles should sound familiar to many gamers. Blazing Angels lands on the Wii after battling it out on the Xbox 360, Xbox, and the PC earlier this year. A game based on the Far Cry franchise will allow Wii owners to control hero Jack Carver with the Wii-mote. Also confirmed was a Wii version of Open Season, based on the movie of the same name, which also hits several other platforms. Ubi will also bring over a pair of racers--Monster 4X4: World Circuit (previously released on the Xbox) and GT Pro Series, from the developers of the GT Advance series.

Naruto invades again.

Posted: 10:59 on 03 Aug 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Earlier in the summer, rumblings from Japan emerged about a possible return to PlayStation2 for the Jump franchise, Naruto. The news was that the game (called Naruto: Konoha Spirits) would be arriving on Japanese store shelves in Autumn 2006.

Today Namco Bandai has announced that the game, re-titled Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles, would also be heading for North America during the Winter months. Following the story of Naruto and his friends, Uzumaki Chronicles features a brand new storyline and 'large-scale ninja combat' as the young ninja tries to reach his goal of becoming one of the most admired ninjas of all time.

"On the heels of the resounding success of 'NARUTOTM: Ultimate Ninja,' fans of the series have been clamoring for new NARUTO adventures on the PlayStation 2," said Naruo Uchida, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.'s Senior Vice President. "With 'NARUTO: Uzumaki Chronicles,' we will deliver another layer of gameplay depth to the franchise by introducing an original storyline and providing an opportunity for fans to engage in large-scale ninja combat, all the while exploring familiar locations of the Naruto universe in an adventure setting."

Whilst a European publisher for the game remains unknown, the fact that a Naruto title for Xbox 360 was confirmed back in April 2006 by Ubisoft, may mean that the French company will decide to distribute Uzumaki Chronicles too.

Industry responds to E3 decision.

By Laurie Sullivan

TechWeb Tue Aug 1, 7:48 PM ET

Entertainment Software Association President Doug Lowenstein confirmed on Tuesday that the Electronic Entertainment Expo would become a smaller intimate by-invitation-only event known as E3 Media Festival likely held in a hotel lobby, according to various reports.

News began trickling out Sunday that the conference organizer would downsize and overhaul E3. By Monday, the ESA confirmed the move.

E3 treats more than 60,000 industry professionals each year to video games and sensory overload in the Los Angeles Convention Center. But that has all become a thing of the past. The E3 media festival expects to host as few as 5,000 guests.

Reaction from game developers is mixed. "It's a little like downsizing Mardi Gras in New Orleans," said Bruce Haring, editor in chief of the Global Gaming League (GGL) Web sites, which design and host online video game competitions. "It drew so many people that a smaller event would allow greater media access to specific publications."

E3 has been the showcase for game publishers to preview their lineups for the past 12 years. The 2006 show brought out hundreds of games expected to launch next year, and first-time hands-on demonstrations of the Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii game consoles.

Greg Schumsky, president at Covenant Studios Inc., a small developer of Christian video games and animation, welcomed the news. "E3 could be a little more personal," he said. "It's really difficult to get the time you need with the console makers. I like the Game Developers Conference because it's a lot smaller and easier to talk with the people you need to connect with."

Schumsky said there's been talk that several publishers would turn to holding company-specific events to showcase their wares.

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