E3 2013

[Doombear]

Sure sure... there are game videos I guess, but this is one of my favorite videos to come out of this year's E3 so far.

E3 2013: The Longest Day

[The Blackrose]

So I guess someone was showing off all the speed running glitches in Wind Waker HD in front of Nintendo reps. Word got back to the speed runners and now they are super pissed.

[Ratatapa]

lol

[Charismatic]

I thought half the fun of speed runs was finding new ways to do it.
Now they can't just rely on the same old tricks (:

[Doombear]

Divekick Tournament, GO!

Why are Seth's lips so goddamn shiny?!

[Chrius]

Still getting XBox - deal

[Kaelan?]

Oh god that ending

This is why I love giant bomb. Best summary of the E3 conferences I've seen.

[notorious bum]

Still getting XBox - deal

enjoy your 2013 Jeep Wrangler

[6souls]

Ryan Hart's are a dying breed
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...1_68143560.jpghttp://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...48351_ryan.png

There are people who play video games, and then there are people like Ryan Hart.

Recognised as one of the best gamers on the planet, the 34-year-old's day-to-day life involves flying to competitions the world over - USA, Spain, Venezuela, to name a few - to take on, and usually beat, all comers.

He's here at E3 plugging his own endorsed hardware. But even outside of gaming events, such is the level of his fame, and the size of his afro, he is often approached in supermarkets and train stations, and is something of a local celebrity around his home in Croydon, London.

But could purists like Ryan - who holds the world record for most consecutive wins on Street Fighter - soon be ignored by console manufacturers?

"From my age of gaming, back in the nineties, it was a completely different deal," says Ryan, multi-tasking as he button-bashes his way through another foregone conclusion with a challenger.

"They're trying to increase their target demographic, which is respectable from a business perspective. But from a player standpoint, obviously there are going to be those areas of sacrifice where you're no longer considered in the same light as you were a decade ago."

Spoiler: show

Future generation
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...5695_game1.jpg

With the Nintendo's Wii U under-performing, the time is perhaps ripe for either Sony or Microsoft to sneak in and attract the hordes of casual gamers that drive massive profits.

But in that pursuit, they risk alienating their true fans.

"Companies like Apple and Facebook in the past few years have brought in a lot of new gamers into the industry," says Brian Blau, a gaming analyst for Gartner.

"This is potentially the future generation of the core gamer."

He says it could affect the types of games that are made to accommodate the expectations of these new users.

"The current core gamers are associated with more violent games - shooting, bashing people in the head - and that doesn't appeal to everybody. It's mainly male, it's mainly middle-aged."

Microsoft's Xbox One has come in for the most flak among gamers at E3. The Kinect, already dismissed by many as not much more than a toy, has been seen by some here as a big distraction.

Some Xbox fans are worried that Microsoft is taking its eyes off the prize.

"It's not as much about the games anymore," says Ashley Conlon, who lives in Los Angeles.

"Here they've been focusing a lot on new games, but in the past couple of years its seemed like it's more about the features like social media, and Hulu and Netflix.

"They're trying to get everything into one package so they can touch all the markets at the same time and get people from every branch on to the systems rather than just the hardcore gamers."

She says many of her friends - all loyal Xbox fans - have considered doing the unthinkable and switching allegiances.

"I have friends who are huge Halo players - that's the only thing holding them back on the Xbox. But they're not very happy either with the way that's going."

Indie power
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...5597_gamer.jpg

There may be one area of hope, however.

As well as the big blockbuster titles, independent developers were out in full force at E3.

During Sony's PlayStation event on Monday, warm applause greeted the news that indies would continue to be allowed to self-publish - with some restrictions - on the PlayStation Network.

Microsoft too has its Arcade - a marketplace for games that aren't blessed with the blockbuster budgets of Call of Duty and other titles like it

"The birth of a lot of new ideas will come from this," says Yousuf Mapara, creative director of indie developer Switchblade Monkeys.

"I think Sony's press conference was the first conference like it to have indie developers on the stage, so I think that's an indication of a different direction."

He thinks the big blockbuster games - like films - will be designed to wow audiences, while indie developers will work on the the art of surprise with creative ideas and innovative game play styles.

"Both experiences are valid," Mr Mapara adds, "but it's nice to have a choice."

Female die-hards
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...693_gamers.jpg

The demographic of technology events can often be tragically stereotypical - with mostly middle-aged men parading around stands flanked by women hired to bring sex appeal to dull hardware.

At E3, the booth babes are here, but so too are the girl gamers - a legion of female die-hards who are finally starting to command as much respect as their male counterparts.

But there's still work to be done. After the Xbox and Sony events on Monday, many remarked how, once again, there were no female lead characters among the big-name titles.

"It would be nice if there was," says Ashley, with a hint of resignation in her voice.

"I think because for the gamers, when they make a strong female lead they go the sexual route - skimpy clothes! It would be good if there was some variety."

She says a change in approach could tempt her to change her buying choices with new hardware.

"Any kind of diversity is going to draw me to one platform over the other. It's much more appealing to me when people are willing to branch out."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22885595 (There is a video on the page with an interview with Ryan)

[Seanr]

Someone said this summed up E3 perfectly, I'm inclined to agree

http://25.media.tumblr.com/f0a209fef...xtxso1_400.gif

[Deader2818]

Uhh, doesnt Beyond: Two Souls and Last of Us have two strong female lead characters? lol

[Tyrath]

Played by the same person!

[BadKarma]

Someone said this summed up E3 perfectly, I'm inclined to agree

http://25.media.tumblr.com/f0a209fef...xtxso1_400.gif

fuck that was such a good movie

[Omniyoji]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22885595 (There is a video on the page with an interview with Ryan... that has a link at the end to What's going on inside e3 expo)

OMG I think I'm in love with Jane Douglas

[BadKarma]

Should I but both PS4s I have ordered and make a profit?

[djzombie]

[Insanecyclone]

[Doombear]

Effing Adam Boyes bringing an actual PS4 to the last Giant Bomb live E3 show. So rad. Should have known he would. Sexy, sexy looking machine. The stand is pretty hefty too.

[6souls]

Always got to one up Microsoft.

[Doombear]

That was so extremely interesting too though, and naive I may be but really made me doubt that Sony did much of a last minute 180 going into E3. I think some pretty goddamned exciting shit is coming in video games, and this is all just the beginning. It also made me that much happier to have that launch PS4 on the way. I have always enjoyed Adam Boyes on GB, always entertaining, but this was just something else. Listening to him talk about the run up to E3, his personal views on reading that Xbone list of 'perks', the newfound direction for Indies and Sony, and even putting together the How to Lend PS4 Games video with Shu... riveting stuff to me.

Toss in the fact that the whole time Evilore is sitting right across from him, with a pretty satisfied look on his face ... awesome.

Spoiler: show