Welcome to part 3 of Khyron's Post E3 commentary. I will be concluding my commentary with a review of Microsoft's press conference...

Post E3 - Microsoft Press Conference

For Microsoft, this year's E3 wasn't about hardware. With their Xbox 360 console on store shelves for the past 7 months, they were free to focus on some killer 2nd generation game titles. And boy did they deliver...

The Good~

From the get-go, Microsoft seemed determined to put the conference's audience into a state of complete amazement. Starting with the trailer for their upcoming title Gears of War, Microsoft's E3 showing was nothing short of impressive.

Following the opening trailer, they proceeded to show us actual gameplay footage of Gears of War. This was the high-point of the show for me. The fantastically dark and gritty look of this game, coupled with great voice-work and a fair amount of gore has me pumped. When they revealed a chainsaw-bayonet attachment on the player's gun, I went nuts. This is now my most anticipated game of the year. The amount of quality looking games revealed during the conference was exactly what the legions of early 360 adopters wanted to see.

But Microsoft didn't stop at the Xbox 360, far from it. After a surprise appearance by none other than Bill Gates himself, they laid out their plan for Live Anywhere and the gaming capabilities of the new Windows Vista. The initial vision of the Xbox 360 was to make it the core of your digital lifestyle, powered by Microsoft--with Live Anywhere and Vista, that dream is even more attractive.

First, Live Anywhere. Building off the popular Xbox Live online gaming service, Live Anywhere will allow gamers to sync with both Vista-powered PC's as well as Windows Mobile smartphones. Now you'll be able to access the Xbox Live Arcade on your phone, challenge friends while away, and even stream content from games in order to do on-the-go customization. Most of what was shown was still initial concepts, but there is a lot of possibility here.

Finally, Windows Vista. Building off the world's biggest gaming platform, Windows XP, Vista plans to offer a wide range of features for gamers. First off, Microsoft is planning a new Play for Windows standard. In order to meet it, PC game makers will have to conform their packaging so as to emulate the more streamlined console game shelving at retailers. Secondly, there will be a bevy of performance customization options within Vista.

The first Vista Live Anywhere game will be the online FPS, Shadowrun. Despite fan backlash at the alterations made to the Shadowrun storyline, this title will be the first to be playable across the PC and Xbox 360 console. Now we can finally answer the question as to which is better: the keyboard and mouse or a game controller.

The Bad~

I'd say my biggest disappointment with Microsoft was the unveiling of their add-on HD DVD drive for the 360. The concept is good in theory, and the design looks to match the 360 well, but there was a definite lack of information regarding it. No release date, no price, and no tech specs on how they will achieve HD resolution through a USB cable all make for the drive's first appearance a bit disappointing.

I was also saddened at the lack of an announced larger hard drive for the 360. With 60GB being the standard for the premium PS3, the meager 20GB on the 360 just doesn't feel big enough anymore.

The Bottom Line~

Hands down, Microsoft was the winner at E3. It would have been a close call with Nintendo, but the lack of a release date and price for the Nintendo Wii puts Microsoft on top in my book. With Vista on the way, Microsoft and the Xbox 360 are primed to explode this year.

If you were turned off by the PS3's price tag and don't feel like waiting for the Wii, you can rest assured that Microsoft's latest foray into the console market is far from a flop.

Final Grade: A

Thus concludes Khyron's post E3 commentary. Thanks for reading.

~Khyron, 2006