E3 2011: The "This Could Be Good For Gaming" Edition

Papo & Yo [Minority Studios]

[Update: 6-19-11]: I guess it's been noted on several sites that the creator of the this game is making it as it relates, allegorically, to his life. The creator, Vander Cabellero, was raised by his father who was an alcoholic. The game is centered around a young man raised in Columbia [like Cabellero] who goes to this world fueled by his imagination, when times get tough in his personal life. The young man befriends a rhino-like beast named Monster. Monster is addicted to frogs. The young man must alter his world via puzzle-solving tactics, but he must feed Monster frogs for his help. The penalty is that Monster turns belligerent when fed too many frogs. And if you don't feed him frogs, he won't help you. That's all I'm willing to know and write about this game. Really can't wait.

What good is this small blog if I can't bring attention to the smaller games? Not only that, but I've been lacking in my discussions on gaming as a community and culture. Above we see a game which looks to be a delightful adjoining of the two.

I don't know much about Papo & Yo. Chances are, I'm not alone. One thing I've always wanted to emphasize in the "games as art" debate is that the art can't be forced. Minority Studios members have worked on documentaries and other popular games before raising money and having it matched by Sony's Pub Fund program. Here's hoping it's 2012 PSN release bears fruit.

After the jump are more videos, most are lesser known finds of this year's E3, some...are not.

 

Rock of Ages [ACE Team/Atlus]

-- Are you an art history nut? Then start paying attention...now. When I interviewed Chilean developer twin brothers, Carlos and Andres Bordeu, years back about the release of Zeno Clash on PC it never occurred to me just how far their success would reach. Since then, Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition has been released on Xbox 360. Since our interview they've teased a sequel for Zeno Clash, but were also working on the cleverly titled, Rock of Ages.

Based on a boulder defending your castle, by rolling and smashing through the many eras of man's existence, Rock of Ages has an intriguing art style that major game studios seldom explore. The game was shown at last year's E3, but [finally] Atlus is putting it out this year. The concept is still odd to me, but it's ACE Team, this is what they do. They make amazingly artistic, yet odd games. [Seriously, look at Zeno Clash and tell me I'm wrong.]

Asura's Wrath [CyberConnect2/Capcom]

-- One of the few things we all learned from this year's E3 is that if you're not a triple-A title, then you're probably not getting top billing in any press conference. Also, if you're a Japanese game that doesn't start with the name Metal Gear or [insert Nintendo franchise] then there is a special place for you in Kentia Hall hell. 

Asura's Wrath is a game being published and co-created by Capcom with developer CyberConnect2's Kasuhiro Tsuyachiya. Never heard of CyberConnect2 before? They're the fine folks who've made the .hack and Naruto games I've never played but heard middling-to-good things about. Here's hoping we have another Bayonetta on our hands. It's not just Japanese games that need this, but single player-only narratives [no matter how off the wall] in the gaming community are slowly becoming a forgotten relic. 

Picture Lives [3DS eShop]

-- Since I'm almost thirty and feel that handheld gaming is either for children, or people with minimal social skills. I feel like I shouldn't  be a total jerk in this manner of thinking. I understand that some people who own handheld consoles are privy to a lot of new and experimental forms of the media. Well, feast your eyes on ... I'm not sure what this is.

Picture Lives is very Japanese. It is loud and the music is slightly more annoying than a Dave Matthews cover band. However, there is something about creating a googily-eyed being and having it go on daily chores masquerading as missions. Also, it poops!

Soul Calibur 5 [Namco-Bandai]

-- So this is where the blog went off the rails right? After my bitching and complaining in the last E3-related article about how companies have lost their way and that sequels are both necessary and evil; here I am championing Soul Calibur 5. 

So how can Soul Calibur 5 be good for gaming? Wouldn't it be in Namco-Bandai's best interest to just take the assets they have from this game and pour it into a newer IP? Or maybe Dark Soul's, Inversion and Tales Of Graces deserve more coverage? I'm writing about Soul Calibur 5, because I honestly think this is it for [pure] 3-D fighting games. If this game fails, expect skepticism for Tekken 7/Tag and any other game that tries to enter an already crowded fighting game market. History could repeat itself, Soul Calibur 5 could get fighting game fans back into the series like Soul Calibur 2 once did.

Then again, history could repeat itself.

Wii U [Nintendo]

-- Now hear me out on this one...there was nothing surprising about a game company with lagging console sales announcing, yet another console. What is surprising to see is that as soon as the Wii U was announced, stockholders bailed. When this happens, that usually means that people with money invested aren't comfortable with a company's risk.

This sets the stage in a major way for Nintendo. This attempt at capturing the hardcore and maintaining the [inconsistent] soccer mom audience could be shades of NES all over again. In my opinion, I think the strategy of the Wii worked too well. For a lot of people, the Wii was in households where video games were questionable [hence only a handful of their consumer base buying games consistently]. As a result, this functioned as a gateway drug and now Wii-owners own Xboxes or PS3s.

If this fails, this could be good for gaming, because it will force console makers to be more creative than the last gimmick. If it succeeds it could be good for gaming, because now we have a legitimate case for three consoles competing for our valuable dollars.

PS Vita & Sound Shapes [Sony/Queasy Games]

-- As per my dim-witted views on handheld gaming expressed earlier, my interest in Sony's newest over-powered device has little to do with it's tech and more to do with the company. To speak frankly, I think the Wii U and PS Vita will be flops. I think the market is trending away from more expensive tech and I think the Wii U and PS Vita, technologically represent what gamers have proven we don't need. Even at [in my opinion] unimpressive price points, how do you sell developers on creating games that will cost more money when the people aren't there to play them?

However, when I see games like Jon Mak's [Everyday Shooter] Sound Shapes, I immediately grab the ketchup and mustard for the day I put my foot in my mouth. As long as these more inventive, creative thinking people in the game community aren't ostracized and turned off by the ever-climbing price of entry, I'll continue to keep my eye on what's being created.

And that was E3 2011 <>