2. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
ThE ADVANCE GAMING UPDATE
Call us nerds, but we at Advance have been looking forward to
the E3 gaming conference for weeks, or maybe even months.
As an agency with its beady eyes firmly fixed on the future, we
absolutely had to be at the biggest gaming expo in the world,
no excuses.
And while the sun and wide sandy beaches of Los Angeles
were appealing, we were actually more excited about all the
latest and greatest games and technology we would get to see,
feel and touch in the world’s capital of entertainment.
Truth be told, we barely saw the sun, spending most of our
time visiting jaw-dropping gaming booths and talking with some
of the smartest brains in the industry. California tans were not
brought back but instead suitcases of bits and bytes from the
gaming world.
so in this issue of Gaming Update, we offer you a veritable
smorgasbord of tasty morsels from the E3 feast.
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3. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
E3 UPDATE
hardware took precedent over actual games this year.
The industry is putting all its efforts in bringing games
closer and closer to reality. With realistic controllers and
3D technology, you feel much more part of the game
than ever before. Let’s see what E3 had to offer this year.
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4. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
VIRGIN GAMING
//GAMERs CAsh IN
When sir Richard Branson is interested in starting up a
gaming company, ears prick up and people get interested.
Not one for small gestures, sir Richard rolled up at E3 with
his very own money truck, unloaded a million dollars in cash
and told all and sundry that the money was up for grabs for
game players of all sorts.
so how does that work? Very simple really: tournaments. You
don’t even have to be a pro to compete; the new Virgin online
competition platform will automatically pit you against someone
on your level. Which means that over the next 12 months
everyone has the chance to get some of that million dollar hot
action. All you need is an Xbox or a Playstation and an internet
connection to play some of your favorite games online.
Rewards and even cash for gaming? We live in a beautiful
world. sir Richard even teased that a prize trip on his Virgin
space ship might be on the cards in a few years…
TRAILER
www.virgingaming.com
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5. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
ONLIVE
//GAMEs ON DEMAND
One of the most impressive new technologies at E3 was
OnLive, an online platform for games on demand. No more
running to the store for the latest games, no more downloads
or installs. With OnLive you can play the newest games directly
from the OnLive server on a Mac or PC. If you prefer the
console-feel more, you can buy a controller and a microconsole
to attach to your television.
What’s more, you can demo the games before you buy them
and if you’re particularly proud of your gaming escapades,
you can even record and share your best moments with the
OnLive community.
Players will have to buy a membership for $4.95/month and can
then buy unlimited playtime ranging from $3.99 to $59.99 for a
game. 3 or 5-day passes are also available for $4.99 and $6.99.
And did we mention that you can use OnLive on your Ipad too?
TRAILER
www.onlive.com
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6. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
3D
//GOING MAINsTREAM?
3D has been all the hype in 2010. Television sets started to
pop up in electronics retailers while Avatar ushered in a new
era of 3D movies. Walking around the E3 conference floor,
many companies showcased their games on brand new 3D
screens to attract passers by.
The experience is amazing no doubt, but we just can’t see
ourselves wearing those big glasses for hours. The systems
that don’t require glasses are still very limited in their abilities.
3D has a lot of potential, but the living room technology is not
quite there yet.
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7. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
XBOX KINECT
//MOVE YOUR BODY
Walking around the Kinect booth, you couldn’t help but smile.
Grown-up men in weird poses makes for a funny sight, but
this staging also brought to life the statement being touted by
XBOX: all you need to play Kinect, is life experience.
And it really is as simple as that. Just step in front of the camera
and Kinect wil recognise you, it wil respond to your movements
and even listen to your voice.
If you think you’ll be stuck with simple games, think again. From
a yoga simulator to a star Wars shooter where you control the
virtual light sabre, it’s all possible.
The only concern with Kinect is that you could only use it while
standing up, an issue that Microsoft tried to dodge during the
conference. If this is the case, Kinect might be a cool add-on to
your Xbox, but what about those good old days of leaning back
in your couch with a controller in your hands?
Kinect will be released in North America on the 4th of November
and will cost $149.99.
JOYRIDE TRAILER
OUR FOOTAGE
www.xbox.com
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8. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
XBOX KINECT
//MOVE YOUR BODY
Grown-up men in weird poses
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9. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
YOUR shAPE
//ThE FULL WORKOUT
Taking fitness games to a whole new level was not easy after
the Wii Fit, but Ubisoft tackled the challenge using the Microsoft
Kinect. Throw those controllers away and choose which area
of your body you want to focus on. Take classes like yoga or
martial arts or get your own personalized workout program.
While exercising, you get real-time feedback so you can adapt
your movements to be more efficient. Unlike the Wii Fit, the
game ‘Your shape’ can keep track of every part of your body,
turning the game into a real workout. You can even add exercise
equipment you already own, like a ball or weights. Your shape
comes much closer to a real fitness experience than any game
and might actually be the first game to be a real subsitute for a
gym membership.
TRAILER
www.yourshapegame.com
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10. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
PLAYsTATION MOVE Using motion control appropriately and not for the sake of
it makes it a much more relaxed experience. In shooter
//BATTLE FOR CONTROL games for example, you can still move around without having
to use arm movements, while you use motion control to
aim and shoot. For Playstation, it’s not just about motion
Playstation’s motion controller certainly doesn’t have Kinect’s control, it’s about smart motion control and that is exactly
problem of having to stand up all the time. It still uses a what might make Move the winner in the battle for control.
controller (two controllers to be precise) and lets you play a
game from whatever position you prefer. Playstation Move will be released in Europe on september
15 and in North America on september 19. The Move con-
We already talked about all the technical specifications in troller will cost $49.99 and the navigation controller will be
our last Gaming Update, but at E3 we got to experience $29.99. You can also opt for a bundle with the Eye camera
the Playstation Move first hand. And what we saw was its and the sports Champions game included for $99.99, add
accuracy and intuition. Compared with the Wii and Microsoft’s a Playstation 3 system with that and the bundle will set
Kinect, the Move is much more of a regular controller, and that you you back $399.
might be its biggest strength.
TRAILER
OUR FOOTAGE
www.playstation.com
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11. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
GET MOVING
//NOT FOR COUCh POTATOEs
If you think gaming is all about sitting back in your couch with
a bag of chips, you’re wrong. There was lots of movement at
E3, and not only at Move and Kinect. Dancing, boxing, fitness,
… we’ve seen it all. We got sweaty just looking at it.
Thank goodness the aircon was on full blast.
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12. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
YOOsTAR
//GREENsCREEN AT hOME
This page hurts your eyes, doesn’t it? Very sorry about that,
but we couldn’t find a better background colour to introduce
Yoostar, the game that brings green screen technology to your
living room. Even the real actual Mr. spock came down to the
Los Angeles Convention Center to play around with this new toy.
so of course we had to try it too.
Yoostar is green screen technology straight out of the box for
your PC or Mac, webcam and green screen included, which
means that you can drop yourself inside a real movie. Just
install the screen behind you and start a fun night of movie-
karaoke with your friends. Yoostar has a deal with five big
hollywood studios (Paramount, Universal, MGM, Lionsgate
and Warner Brothers) to use scenes from all your favourite
movies. so put yourself in front of the camera and see yourself
appear on the screen as the Terminator or even as Elmo from
sesame street. 14 scenes are included, with more than a
thousand others available to purchase from the website.
so if scrabble and Monopoly no longer cut it among your friends,
go get yourself a green screen. It will make you a star and
your wallet only $170 lighter.
TRAILER
www.yoostar.com
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13. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
NINTENDO 3Ds
//3D TO ThE sMALL sCREEN
so we’ve all seen at least one 3D movie and may also have On top of that the system can automatically find and commu-
spotted the new 3D TV sets available. But isn’t it still a little too nicate with other 3Ds handhelds so you can trade information
much cash to lay down for this new technology? Well, maybe and items with other players. And we’re not even finished…
you can start small, with the Nintendo 3Ds. on the outside there are two camera lenses to take video or
3D pictures, which you can edit afterwards. A third camera is
The rumour that Nintendo was developing 3D for handheld placed on the inside to take 2D pictures, used for controlling
gaming has been the buzz for a while. Did they deliver? Judging games and face recognition.
by the long queues at the E3 Nintendo booth, the answer is yes.
With a design similar to the normal Ds and no annoying 3D so all in all, a lot of fun stuff in the box. The only downside is
glasses necessary, the 3Ds was the clear winner of the show. that we don’t know yet when we can actually get our hands on
While the bottom screen is a normal touch panel, the slightly it. Rumours suggest the winter holidays. We don’t even know
bigger upper screen gives you the 3D experience you would yet how much it will cost. still, the Nintendo 3Ds was the hero
expect from a 3D television, and maybe even more. A slider of E3 and is sure be a ’game changer’.
control on the right of the upper screen allows finetuning of the
3D effect and it can even be turned it off completely, but who TRAILER
would want that?
www.nintendo.com
Graphically the 3Ds is a masterpiece but that’s not all, the
handheld also comes with a gyroscope and accelerometer
sensors capable of detecting tilting and other movements.
Imagine the possibilities this will bring to gaming in the future…
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14. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
NINTENDO 3Ds
//3D TO ThE sMALL sCREEN
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15. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
INVIZIMALs
//AUGMENTED REALITY ON PsP
Get a PsP camera and start looking for monsters in your
own world. They can hide anywhere, but you have the tools
now to hunt them down, capture and collect them. Invizimals
lets you swap monsters with your friends or anyone else in
the world, making it the modern version of a Pokemon card.
This nice little augmented reality game promises to keep kids
(and us) busy for hours.
TRAILER
OUR FOOTAGE
www.invizimals.com
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16. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
CONTROLLERs
//sOMEThING FOR EVERYONE
From a state-of-the-art Lamborghini Gallardo steering wheel to
a Wii bowling ball. The choice is yours.
OUR FOOTAGE
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17. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
ThE MARKETING MAChINE
//BOOThs, BABEs AND MORE
Our eyes hurt a bit after E3…
The darkest booth at E3: Tron Bigger and better, bags as the No gaming expo without the Create your own mini-fig at the
favorite marketing medium famous booth babes LEGO booth
Real-life wrestlers took the An energetic show with paint Ubisoft’s immense screen made Get your hands dirty at MTV
stage to promote the newest and music to drop some jaws a big impact on the audience games
wrestling game for Epic Mickey
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18. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
On the photo with a Wait in line for your The impressive Toy Tough games need When getting on a
Playboy Playmate at own Mickey drawing story booth, a trip tough booth babes at picture with the girls
the Mafia 2 booth at Disney back to childhood All Points Bulletin isn’t good enough…
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19. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
DIsNEY’s TRON
//INCREDIBLY ADDICTIVE
We have to admit, it wasn’t all work at E3. For about 20 minutes
we got caught up at the Disney booth playing the Tron bike
racing game on Wii. As a part of the bigger Tron game, the
racing was gripping.
While it’s actually a very simple game based on two motor
bikes on a grid trying to block each other, using the Wii remote
to jump over each other’s lethal exhaust fumes was incredibly
addictive. “I need this game!” was all we could say.
Our advice: stay away from it before it sucks you in!
TRAILER
www.disney.com
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20. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
GET-WELL GAMERs FOUNDATION
//GIVING KIDs A POWER-UP
The idea of a sick kid in hospital is an image that goes
straight to the heart. so little and so vulnerable, being unwell
in an unfamiliar environment without the comfort of parents
and home can be profoundly distressing. And the stress of
the experience can even lengthen the hospital stay.
The Get-Well Gamer Foundation tries to make that experi-
ence a little less stressful. It provides hospitals with video
games and electronic entertainment to distract the children
from the pain they’re experiencing. hundreds of consoles and
thousands of games are donated to pediatric floors, oncology
wards and emergency rooms to provide a little mental escape
for the kids.
Playing video games is proven to shorten the average number
of days in the hospital for kids. so why not do a little (or a lot)
in order to get as many kids out of that scary place as soon
as possible?
VIDEO
www.getwellgamers.org
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21. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
RETRO GAMEs
//BACK IN TIME
Maybe it’s connected to the financial crisis of recent times, but
retro games seem to be hotter than ever. From Pac-Man to
space Invaders, everyone at E3 wanted a taste of those good
old carefree childhood memories.
MARIO Vs. PACMAN
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22. GAMING UPDATE // E3 2010
LEGO Universe speaking of deep, this is one deep game. Looks quite fun. I wonder if they will have
//BEsT OF shOW MMO You can make any world you want to with licensed Lego stuff like Lego star Wars and
LEGO blocks, and every block ever made such in there as well.
is in the game. It’s going to be updated ev-
ery month with new quests and minigames.
You won’t want to leave this game, but you
probably should eventually, especially if
Don’t dismiss this as a “kids” MMO. LEGO you have homework to do.
Universe is an impressive online game, but
also benefits from an easy-to-understand boyslife.org Basically, this is the natural evolution of the
build mode that features every kind of Lego brand. You know how you fondly remember
LEGO brick ever made. You can even playing with Lego sets when you were a kid?
program your creations to respond and Your kids are going to remember this.
react to in-game behavior too.
gizmodo.com
gamepro.com I totally hAVE to play this!
My only real question is:
can I build a castle on wheels,
and drive it around (and fire
cannons from it)? Man, this looks like a fun time!
As a man with an outspoken
inner-child and thousands of
lego forts built in his youth, this
here’s the thing: good game design is ageless. And Lego is the most amazing thing I’ve
Universe seems like a tidy summation of everything both ever heard!
developer NetDevil has learned about making MMOs, and The moderation seems like it
Lego has learned over 75 years of making classic toys. might be a bit of a pain at times,
but I totally understand why the
joystick.com are implementing it.
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