A FREE NAG SUPPLEMENT ON THE BIGGEST SHOW IN GAMING E3 2011 Ed’s Note THE ONE GOOGLE CHAT I FIND YOUR TO RULE THEM ALL… I better stop this movie quote thing before someone complains. :) This is what I pondered to Miktar (who also attended E3 this year) and LACK OF this was what was said. Michael: Is it cheap to make my Ed's note about how hardcore is back in fashion for the supplement when it's so obvious I can't think of anything COMMITMENT, else to talk about? Miktar: Hmm. Well, if you can't think of anything else. I wouldn't be able to write much for an E3 Ed's Note either. Michael: I might print that – to ease my guilt. DISTURBING… Miktar: Gaming is like fashion - either you can constantly be amazed at every new season's hip trendy 'tie chickens to our legs' fashion 'genius', or, if you've seen one dress, you've seen Am I really using a bad Star Wars quote to get my them all. E3 this year was a lot of dresses. point across here – seriously? Sure, why not. Also Each one just like the other. Except, of course, they were all totally different and unique and a rhetorical question it would seem. Well, it will amazing. Michael: Well anytime you mix chickens with make some kind of sense at the end and it’s an anything it's going to be different and unique. engaging technique that’s in your face enough to You could turn someone into a chicken in Heretic and that was amazing? keep you reading but not too much to pee you off Miktar: And what has done something like that, (not a Wii U joke). again? Heretic was the 1990s. It's 2011 Michael: Portal I guess. And that's it But enough with the clearly fake and cheap Miktar: And that was a side-project initially of a bunch of grad students. I think my point special eff ect Hollywood backdrop and into the is more, where is the dividing line between drama and storyline stuff that you came for. See a gamer becoming jaded, and an industry becoming homogenized? – making some sense already. The last time I went to E3 was back This is just the software, PC gamers in 2006 and I’m happy and sad are equally obsessed with their to report that nothing much has rigs and there’s a whole market for changed (not even the whole of skinning consoles. This is a huge Los Angeles and Hollywood). From industry. This is core gaming. 2006 to now I’ve been to gamescom Core gamers have money and in Germany a few times and got love what they do and will do it so jaded with the whole gaming until their WASD fingers creak to a convention concept that I even sent halt. The casual gaming craze that other people in my place for a year Nintendo started with the Wii was or two. Now I find myself back here just a passing fad (an incredible writing another E3 review ‘Ed’s multi-billion dollar fad, but still a note’ which always feels a little limp fad) that grew gaming in ways we’ll and unimportant when compared still be discovering in years to come. the proper magazine it came with. However, this new casual market Anyway, I think I’ve said enough gets bored quickly with gaming about my colourful and chequered and doesn’t buy the next sequel to past here – time for the main event. whatever they were playing over Hardcore is back in focus. I’m not the holidays because Aunt Mary is the only one to notice, if you read any visiting and Idols starts on Monday. ‘summary of E3’ articles on the net Casual gamers are fickle and don’t or elsewhere that’s the main vibe. support gaming – they have a lack of I’ll distil here for you what’s attachment. happening, or at least a fairly good A core gamer sells old Aunt Mary line of thinking. for the latest Call of Duty and uses Us hardcore / serious / the TV exclusively for his console. whatever gamers are a reliable and Sure, casual is huge and we should bankable customer. Just look at the encourage the casual gamer now crazy pre-order market these days. because many of them will upgrade Don’t be surprised if you get a to proper gaming soon and that’s life-sized tank with your collector’s how our beloved industry will grow edition of MW3 (ammunition sold into the future. separately). No other industry can Enjoy some of the best of E3 and say that their customers regularly do let us know what you think. pay up front for what sometimes only amounts to a digital pet, a Editor poker chip and a book of artwork. RedTide 4 www.nag.co.za Ed’s Note 1 2 4 3 5 6 7 8 9 11 10 12 Essential game convention equipment The first time you go to a gaming access for stuff you don’t need every 7. I usually eat healthily at home but in morning – even if you brush your tongue. convention in another country you’ll be ten minutes and short-term access for America you can buy a double XL bacon overwhelmed, blown away and bring the rest. and cheese with onion rings and fries. 10. Press / VIP / media access cards, along all the wrong things. At some point 5 days of this mixed with event parties tags and badges. These things get during the first day you’ll be wishing you 2. Paperwork: Schedules for exclusive every night and you need something for you into the 10 minutequeues where packed your comfortable walking shoes interviews or viewings, train tickets and acid indigestion. everyone else has to take the 4 hour and cursing the red welts on your hands invitations to the best parties – can’t queues. Battlefield 3, Wii U and some after carrying around poorly made bags list them here because not everybody 8. Swag. Now I only collect the best stuff others were running 4-5 hour queues for with micro-fibre handles. You’ll also gets invited to everything, if you know when I go to these things. You can stick the entire show – there were even some be starving and thirsty all the time what I mean. ;)) your Duke Nukem Forever underpants and that required people to get coloured tags and when it’s over you’ll probably cry a inflatable hammers – I’m more interested for the following day because the show little in your hotel room before you fall 3. Camera. in limited edition Batman key rings and was closing. asleep (in the foetal position) watching custom-made Battlefield 3 dog tags. old Star Trek episodes. Or, you can be 4. Voice recorder for one-on-one 11. Notebook. There’s just too much to prepared like this: interviews. 9. Chewing gum. This isn’t because I’m see and remember for this tiny human trying to blend in with the trailer trash brain of mine. I’m old-school, I still write 1. A Bag of holding. Not exactly infinite 5. Show guides, event T-shirts and but rather me trying to maintain a good things down. capacity, but I did get everything on merchandising, product brochures and impression when talking to the endless the bed into it each day and a bottle of access to asset FTP sites. developers, publishers and business 12. Miscellaneous: Room card, money, water. Sturdy adjustable straps and people. Last night’s bacon and avocado phone, business cards, charger, wet- reliable strong zips are critical. Ideally 6. Branded USB sticks instead of pizza with a light sprinkle of chilli and wipes, emergency sweet supply, access it needs two compartments: long-term business cards with FTP sites on them. wine doesn’t smell so good in the to the show card and sunglasses. www.nag.co.za 5 NAG’s E3 gaming hitlist 2011 Battlefi eld 3 Genre: First-person shooter | Platform: 360 / PC / PS3 Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE | Publisher: Electronic Arts | Release date: October 2011 IT’S BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE THE LAST New York and Wake Island to name release of a core Battlefield title. a few – and that you’ll be able to Despite many games bearing the drive vehicles and use mounted Battlefield branding hitting our weaponry at certain points. Also, shelves between then and now, lots and lots of things will explode. this is the one we’ve been waiting While the campaign looks for. DICE knows this, and is doing impressive, the multiplayer everything in its power to make component is what will determine sure that BF3 is the true sequel to how long the game will last with Battlefield 2, but also incorporates fans. Here, DICE has assured us the technological and gameplay that the game will feel more like advancements made during the BF2 than BF: Bad Company 2, years. Oh, and it’s going straight with more players – 64 per server after Modern Warfare 3 in both the on PC, “fewer” on console. While single and multiplayer scene. console players can expect access Battlefield 3 will follow the to the same maps as their PC modern, er... warfare setting that counterparts, the land-based play we’re quite familiar with by now, area will be reduced in size; you’ll and will see players take control still be able to fly through the of Staff Sergeant Henry “Black” map’s entire airspace.