Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m being overly critical of this year’s E3 press events. But on the whole, they are pretty lackluster and without the grandiose fanfare the consoles were pushing the last couple years. It seems like a waste to spend all that money on these big AV spectacles when I can just go to the Coming Soon section on EBGames.com and see the same thing.

Nonetheless, I’m going to carry on my tradition of highlighting the lows of this year’s crop (or crap). First up: Nintendo.

• The trend this year is trumpeting one’s own horn by hammering the audience with consumer statistics only ESPN would be proud of. What seemed like a waste of time spent by Microsoft doing it on Tuesday night, perhaps they were responding to a leaked outline of the Nintendo event, because Reggie did pretty much the same. Kinda makes you think E3 is really for retailers and not for consumers, eh?
• Wii Zapper? Okay, I can dig it. But the Wii wheel? Yeah, wasn’t that already a cheap pack-in with a mediocre launch title? Not worthy of a press release, let alone focus at an E3 press event.
• “That Girl Who Played Metroid” is the new “It” girl of the Internet. Who is she? Jackie Goehner, from TheHylia.com Zentendo.com. She just might make SpotAnime’s Search for the Perfect Gamer Girl sweeps…

picture from Joystiq.com

• Weird, all that talk on being serious about online gaming, yet there wasn’t really a good example of an upcoming WiFi-enabled title that could show it off. And no talk about Friend Codes, or lack thereof.
• Didn’t Iwata-san look like his arms and hands were being controlled by someone else? He was like a big puppet on stage. And his message was particularly disturbing; to paraphrase: “Screw the traditional gamer!” I wonder how long that magic carpet will last for Nintendo…
• Super Mario Galaxy…Metroid…snore, snore. Mario Kart Wii? Looks like people’s worst fears are coming true, in that they are dumbing it down for the casual gamer. Looks like the N64 version with better graphics. Disappointing they didn’t use Double Dash as a stepping stone to advance the gameplay. Wii Fit? Someone tell Miyamoto it was already made a few years ago, without all the gimmicks.
• From the event, the Wii doesn’t look to have the legs needed to sustain its ridiculous sales figures. The DS, however, seems like it’s hitting on all cylinders, from Brain Age 2 to Picross to Dragon Quest. It has it all. I predict the juggernaut to continue to roll.

Overall, Nintendo looked like they were downplayed the event, much like Microsoft, as if they weren’t expecting the same level of attention garnered of E3 past. The DS saved them from a poor Wii showing. Score: C+.

Now on to Sony:

• Home continues to impress. Not because it’s great, but because it’s something different and ambitious. It remains to be seen how the masses will take to it. And Home on a cell phone? Looks like they are beating Live Anywhere to the punch.
• The emphasis on the PSP out of the gate was a good idea. The PSP is growing in popularity, and combined with the DS it seems portable gaming is making a serious run to take over home consoles. The redesign doesn’t seem to address the uncomfortable form factor or even make it a little less brittle, but the display out will win over some converts – including me. I drool at the thought of playing Wipeout Pure/Pulse on my HDTV, if only I still didn’t have to contort my wrists into an uncomfortable knot. I also liked the Star Wars Battlefront tie-in with the Darth Vader model. Even though it was previously announced, it was nice to see continued support from a high-profile franchise.
• Echochrome, Pain, Wipeout HD, Warhawk and SOCOM all for download through PSN was a highlight. While Microsoft is stuck between pushing XBLA and it’s 250MB limit, and toying with major downloads; Sony seems to have a clear focus and direction on where they want to take digital distribution.
• I’ve been bitching about the lack of exclusives being announced, and Sony came through with their announcements of Haze and Unreal Tournament III timed-exclusives, the deal with NCSoft, and confirmation MGS4 would be PS3-only.
• On the NCSoft deal, it’s interesting this includes all current and new franchises. That means City of Heroes/Villains, which was developed by Cryptic Studios, who is now doing the Marvel MMORPG for Microsoft. Maybe Sony has decided the previously announced (but strangely absent) D.C. Comics property wouldn’t make a competitive MMORPG? Guild Wars and Lineage will really drive sales in Asian markets if they ever show up, and maybe this also means we’ll see one of the few scifi-based MMORPGs, Tabula Rasa, given a showcase on the platform.
• I totally forgot about the Blu-ray/HD-DVD format war until Sony reminded me. And then I thought it was strange Microsoft didn’t make mention of it at their conference. On the flipside, Microsoft was emphasizing their Video Marketplace deal with Disney, while the much-hyped Sony announcement of digital movie downloads through PSN never materialized.
• Microsoft Game Studios might have Mass Effect and Halo 3, but Sony really came out in force with their self-published titles like Heavenly Sword, Gran Tourismo, Little Big Planet, Uncharted, inFamous, and of course Killzone. As a matter of fact, if Killzone plays half as good as it looks, people might be convinced to “finish the fight” there instead.
• The lack of any PS2 was surprising, since it was rumored a cheaper model with motion control would be released to take on the Wii.

I said on Tuesday after Microsoft dropped the ball it would be Sony’s show to take, and indeed they did. While not the greatest presentation, they were obviously focused on the win and left little behind in their arsenal. B+ (could have been ‘A’ range if they included the PS2, still selling strong against the next-gen consoles).

The tides, they be a’changin’.