Fanpoll: How was Microsoft's E308 showing?

by Xav de Matos { Jul 23rd 2008 at 2:00PM }

After being privy to everything we heard, saw and played at E3 2008 we'd like to hear what you thought of Microsoft's overall performance. With suitable OMG-megatons like Final Fantasy XIII, awesome exclusivity announcements like DLC in Fallout 3 and rad showings of games like Gears of War 2 -- it seems like it was a great show! But ... noticeable absences like Alan Wake, the controversy surrounding the Bungie announcement and debatable decisions like the dashboard revamp this poll could go either way. So, X3F Army we ask you. How did Microsoft do overall?

Tags: e3-08, e3-2008, e308, fanpoll

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Dirty @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:24PM

Was really hoping for something to look for in 09. I guess they are sticking to the same formula, which is just talking about games for the holiday. Hard to see thins far on the horizon, like ps3 did with god of war.

Cal @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:26PM

FFXIII?

Dirty @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:30PM

I have a ps3 so I was already waiting for that.... But yea I guess your right. I will be playing it on the xbox.

aaron @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:45PM

just my opinion but i dont consider a trailer as showing off the game. i hated when we saw trailers for halo wars and the other stuff.

what i liked at ms show this year was all the actual demos of the games (re5, fable2, gears2, etc). thats showing me something vs some trailer that may or may not ever look like that. not to mention if you are showing a trailer your game is really far off and there is no telling how many times it will be delayed (use halo wars here or one of the many ps3 delays).

El Bandanno @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:51PM

Hey Dirty, I also own PS3 & 360 and am basically unbiased, but why would you play FFXIII on the xbox? Just curious...

Glenn @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:55PM

Why Wouldn't you!?
The xbox 360 controller for one is 100000s times better, also load times are shorter, and 360 overal looks better when games are compared...

BTW THIS IS MY OPINION, NO NEED TO TRY AND CHANGE MY MIND, AS IT WILL NOT :O!

Dirty @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:57PM

Controller mostly, Achievements. Would have happily played it on the ps3 though. When playing through mgs I forgot about the controller.

Frosty22 @ Jul 24th 2008 8:37AM

Also... by buying it on the xbox360 there is a better chance for square enix to release the game on both platforms from here on out. I would hate for them to not release them in the future because of poor 360 sales. PS3 has no worries of this with their relationship with SE, but MS does.

John @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:25PM

Great. I was expecting Gears of War 2, an update to the Dashboard and a Halo Wars delay, but what really blew me away was FFXIII and Netflix.

Though, I do wish they would have released a few more demos. If you -really- want to bring it home to us, give us multiple demos to try out.

Sev @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:22PM

Basically what he said. I thought it was excellent.

Remix @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:29PM

I really expected some big announcements. Everything they came out with was just "me too" stuff from other consoles. The FFXIII thing was cool but I don't own a 360 for RPGs. I wanted some good exclusives shown. The netflix was the only thing that really got my attention. E3 as a whole was pretty weak this year, alot of games we already knew about. Hopefully we'll see more announcements soon maybe from other shows.

Arnie @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:35PM

I dont understand peoples obsession with exclusives. Its like they dont want the other guy to have something even though they are not loosing anything by it.
I say live and let live. I wish every game manufacturer had the budget to make it for every console, then we might not need Fanboy sites:-)

El Bandanno @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:51PM

Arnie, I can't speak from a consumer perspective (I just go where the games are), but exclusives catapult a console's "brand equity" helping it have more mindshare and sell more systems.

And more often than not, developers and game studios are offered fat sums of money to make their title an exclusive. It's usually about which console maker is writing the biggest check.

Sentox6 @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:16PM

Another common argument is that porting across platforms consumes resources that could be used elsewhere in development, as well as reducing the game to the lowest common denominator of the systems it is intended for...

Rob Cannon @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:46PM

I think that the Netflix annoucement will be a game changer in the long run. Even though the Netflix offerings today are kind of meh, I would expect that to improve as Netflix turns from a physical delivery company (disks in the mail) to a digital delivery company.

aaron @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:48PM

Overall I thought it was a great show.... not because of the games but all the other new stuff we will be able to do this fall. there wasnt a whole lot of new games shown and i dont really care about ff13 so that wasnt that important to me.

but all the little things the new dashboard will be doing (netflix, party system, hd installs, web access, etc). i will be using my 360 alot more this fall because of some of this stuff. and thats what i really care about. show me why i will be using my console this year and thats one area ms did a fantastic job with.

Octantis @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:57PM

Netflix was my OMG Megaton moment. I've been drooling over that since that survey first brought up the idea.

I am liking the new dashboard avatar thing. I think it will help spread 360 to the masses. I know my neighbors who don't own a console like the look. (They are Rock Band players with gamer tags.) They like customizing their RB characters so they think these avatars are cool. Virtual barbie doll maybe.

As far as videos go they build excitement if you are already excited. If I wasn't on board with a game odds are a video won't help.

fuser197 @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:12PM

I am very excited about the new dashboard, avatar, Netflix, and ability to copy games to hard drive to ease load times and noise. And all these features are free! Which is really the best part about it.

Although anything Final Fantasy is not my cup of tea, it's good to know the option is there, in case I ever develop the desire to play a game where the guys compete with the girls for femininity

E.J. @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:13PM

Although there were large omissions like the new Halo game, Splinter Cell and Alan Wake, Microsoft still put on a great show.

joey @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:18PM

I'm pretty impressed with the new dashboard.
I mean who doesn't like cover flow?
Blades are too choppy for my taste.

netflix is neat.

Final Fantasy can blow me, but I understand it's importance.

El Capitaine @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:19PM

Voted in the middle, mostly because I was pretty put of by MS canceling the bungie announcement.

Other than that, I think it was a pretty good presser. I like the new dash, I think it might actually get me to use a theme (since it looks like crap without a theme, but AMAZING with one), I like how I can use my gamerpics until I feel like switching to an avatar, the new LIVE party system...FFXII, just awesome.

Also for the people saying they wish it wasn't all just stuff for this holiday, and hoping for some '09 stuff, well...
Would you rather that or be like PS3, where stuff is announced as soon it comes into the minds of the devs, but then consistently gets pushed farther and farther back (Killzone 2? Home?)

Personally, I liked how it went. Instead of seeing something amazing but then thinking, "Whatever. In three years I'll get excited," it's "That looks great. I can't wait for this fall."

Like the new dash. Just thinking it'll be available this fall. Sony would've announced something like this at E3 '07, and said 'it'll be ready when it's ready.' No thanks.

Neuromancer @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:40PM

Scene It 2: You're in the Movies was my OMG Megaton announcement. I didn't see that one coming.

joey @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:52PM

I just want DLC for the first one.

Rodney Jr. @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:47PM

Most of my fellow 360fanboys will hate me for this, but for me the biggest OMFG moment was (and still is) the complete dashboard update *Including the Avatars which i'm finding that many people are resistant to*. I think that the avatars themselves open up new opportunities for Microsoft and XBLive. If they wanted to, they could "sway" more-so towards Sony's HOME operation and actually allow our avatars to become something more than the things we saw @ E3. For instance, what if (Hypothetically...) The Spring update for 2009, actually brought us "Closer to Home"? Meaning, what if Microsoft turned our Dashboard into our "Apartment" or our "Bachelor/Bachelorette Pad" making it completely customizable and buildable (Much like the beginning of a Sims game)? They could implement a newer currency that would be converted back and forth to Marketplace/Microsoft points (whichever you want to label it.). That would/could even go so far as to be our "Dorm Rooms" , the possiblities would be endless. Then Fall '09 would bring something even more. Functioning appliances/lights/technology within those customizable places (It would also allow them to bring in a web browser to the 360, because you're avatar would be able to get on his/her computer and surf the web). Think of it, Sony Corp. is our (Meaning 360 lovers all over) direct competition. Why not take what they are developing and "Make it better". By simply adding this functionality and this option to XBLive would make the service a complete success due to the 10-12 million users currently online with XBLive. They would have trumped Sony and Nintendo ....That's all hypothetical thinking. Damn i wish i could make that a possibility. Oh S#*t, i hope Microsoft reads this.....i need to stop daydreaming so much. So what was i sayin?....

PeterF @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:46PM

That would SO SHITTY to have a dashboard like you described. And you want to pay for virtual shit to put in your virtual room too? WTF NO!

davidcc90 @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:55PM

alot of me too stuff imo and i didnt kno it was getting web access and i think ff13 on xbox is a good idea but still a ps3 buy cus its the lead platform

Rodney Jr. @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:55PM

Also i would like to add to my comment that although Sony is our direct competition, they still get some of their ideas from us. While at the same time, we get ideas from them as well. There's nothing wrong with that; thats how progress is made. Things are taken here and there and made Better. "There is always room for improvement." Plus, all of this that i have stated is hypothetical and is simply a theory dreamed up by yours truly. I hope that some would agree that this would be a great step in the right direction for Microsoft to gather a better share of Core/Casual gamers. Hardcore gamers such as myself, will still stick with the 360 regardless, because of the game selection. "*Viva Los Xbox 360*"

Chris @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:10PM

One subtle thing people really don't mention often is one of the #1 things which happened. And that is how coop is done in Fable 2.

For those who don't know, while playing in your world in Fable 2 you may run across a blue orb floating in the same area you're in. That blue orb is someone on your friend's list who is also playing Fable 2 and happens to be in the same area as you. You can walk up to the orb, and invite your friend to play with you together. Not like you're in his game, or he's in yours... you guys are both in your worlds with your house, family, and everything in tact.

This fundamental, powerful yet "simple" feature makes a very strong mark in multiplayer gaming history. It makes you wonder why games before Fable 2 never had this feature. This isn't the same as pop-in pop-out coop like you would see in RSV2 for example.

I was surprised to hear ps3fanboys calling this feature their favorite part of E3 for Microsoft. It is a wonderful feature.

~= Chris =~

Luay @ Jul 24th 2008 12:38PM

wow I didn't even know about this, now im really excited

on a side note i really enjoyed MS press looking forward to what we'll be coming out

I do hope they add a few more exclusive titles or maybe steal some more from sony (MGS??) but that isn't really a big concern.
I like the save to HD but was hoping you didn't need to keep the game in the drive although I understand why they want that way however. It's just I want be able to Switch Cod4/Halo3 w/o having to swap disks but i guess i'm just lazy.

Finally I hope they add a few more things with this falls update to dashboard such as better video support (mkv, youtube)/audio support (album art/sort by album artist) and a small feature that is to eject tray via dashboard rather than just be able to close it.

Bluemanrule @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:31PM

I echo Dirty's remarks. I wanted to see more games on the horizon. I do appreciated the focus on this year stuff though. Just a little more light shed on 2009 stuff would have been great!

Miguel @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:20PM

everything was going great, until they showed off the dashboard makeover. And i believe i speak for many (not all!) hardcore (im sure you call us a**holes) players when i say its too childish and so is the avatar/mii crap. Don't like those one bit, but seeing how the good games are on 360, cant find myself to switch over.

Max Headroom @ Jul 24th 2008 2:25AM

I thought Microsoft's showing was so great that I went out and bought a 360 last weekend. Truthfully, that was also because Nintendo had a weak showing and I felt that I needed more than a Wii to keep me entertained from here on out. Buying it felt pretty strange, because the XBox 360 is the first non-Nintendo console I've had since the Atari 7800.

stinger503 @ Jul 24th 2008 4:06AM

They did show games coming out in 2009, Resident Evil 5 and Halo Wars.

Also I'm sort of glad they delayed Bungie's announcement. Just make me more interested in it.

I honestly don't have a clue how I'm going to buy all the games coming out this fall. Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 2, RB2, Lips (which is pretty sweet if RB2 supports the mics and the iPod support works)

A big thing for me was Rock Band 2 getting AC/DC!
1 vs 100 and Primetime look good (but I'm sure Canada is gonna get screwed some how). I wonder what the prizes will be and how it'll work.

I'm going to withold judgement on the new dashboard till it comes out. But if they're going with avatars, I'd rather them go with a Sims type of look than a cartoony Mii like thing. It would be cool if you could use the camera to take you picture and turn it into your avatar.

Finally even though I don't really play RPGs, I know FF going to the 360 is like Gears of War 2 going to PS3