E3 2012: the highlights
We're rounding up the biggest and best news from E3 right here. Need a full-on, knock-you-on-the-floor flood of updates from Los Angeles? Visit our E3 hub for everything.
From Final Fantasy to Hitman: Square Enix's dramatic transformation
Square Enix has, recently, transformed itself from a mostly Japanese-centric game maker to a studio creating some of the more interesting Western games on the market.
Where Square was perhaps once best known for games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts, a growing number of gamers are starting to identify the publisher as the name behind big titles like Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Sleeping Dogs.
A big part of that radical transformation,...
E3 2012
'Need for Speed: Most Wanted' may be the 'Burnout Paradise' sequel we've been waiting for
The reps from Criterion Games were the happiest people I met at E3, passing around beers to friends, joshing with the racers getting demolished in their new game, Need for Speed: Most Wanted. They made off-the-cuff comments about the freedom they have as a developer to do whatever they want with the series following the success of their last Need for Speed, Hot Pursuit. They're grown-ups, but they were giggling like kids given the keys to one of EA's finest rides.
The latest iteration of the...
Good Game
A bombast-free E3 still managed to deliver some thrills
This year's E3 gathering of all things video gaming in Los Angeles was, by the bombastic, sensory-overloading standards of past E3 shows, a bit workmanlike.
It was a show that seemed more focused on the near future, the impressive and probable, than the hyperbole of what may come down the line.
There was only one new piece of hardware to talk about. Despite having four chances to impress gamers, even Nintendo thinks it flubbed its sales pitch for the upcoming Wii U.
Speaking to CNBC,...
News
Watch Dogs has more secrets up its sleeve
By now you've probably watched the E3 presentation of Watch Dogs. If you haven't, you should do so right here. It was easily the most visually impressive demo during this year's conference and one that was truly a surprise for just about every attendee.
But there's a lot that's not seen in the presentation. Behind closed doors, Ubisoft reps showed off the same demo, but introduced new gameplay elements and player options, further demonstrating the game's versatility. Follow along with the ...
THQ sets its sights on Red Dead Redemption, Skyrim
Saints Row the Third sold more than four million copies when it was released last fall to mostly positive reviews. But Jason Rubin, the recently appointed president of THQ, says he expects more from the developers who made it and the company that released it.
More from Volition and THQ not because Saints Row the Third didn't sell, or didn't garner positive reviews, but more because he knows both can do better.
"Why couldn't that be a Red Dead Redemption or a Skyrim?" he said. "I look at...
Video: Adam Sessler on Smart Glass, Wii U and Ubisoft
Polygon catches up with currently unemployed, legendary game journalist Adam Sessler for his thoughts on Microsoft Smart Glass, the NIntendo Wii U and Ubisoft's unusually strong E3 showing.
If you've missed Adam's special brand of magic, prepare to be entertained.
E3 Day 3: Live From The Loft!
We're streaming live from The Loft™ (not an actual trademark), regaling tales of the third day of E3, where we got our hands on pretty much everything and left no game controller unturned.
Our three hour live show kicks off to the following schedule Pacific Time:
7:00pm – The Besties Live from E3
8:00pm – Polygon's E3 wrap with staff members, featuring a special appearance from Adam Sessler
9:00pm – The best of E3 with Polygon
Our video stream below will begin at 7pm. It is like...
E3 2012 brings 45,700 industry professionals to LA, announcing 'host-city' for 2013 soon
E3 2012 brought 45,700 industry professionals to Los Angeles this week, netting the city nearly $40 million in revenue.
Exhibitors, industry analysts, journalists, and retailers from 103 countries took to the Los Angeles Convention Center in a massive display of the industry's upcoming titles and the latest global trends in gaming.
Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, said, "E3 2012 focused and harnessed the passion, energy, and excitement for video games and propelled our...
Sony moves 'beyond' the living room as Microsoft takes it over
Here's a fancy vocabulary word from E3 this year: "bifurcation." That's how Sony's John Koller, VP of Marketing for Home Console and Handheld Platforms, describes the current state of the gaming industry. Microsoft and Sony's paths are finally diverging — Nintendo, of course, has been veering away for years. According to John, the "battle for the living room was in 2006, and we've totally moved beyond that." Sony is now putting an emphasis on mobile and, well, video games. But is it moving...
News
Watch Dogs creative director doesn't rule out the possibility of next-gen
There's been a lot of speculation about whether Ubisoft Montreal's recently revealed Watch Dogs is actually a next-gen game, due to the near-impossible prettiness of its E3 reveal demo.
We talked with creative director Jonathan Morin about the game's platform destination, and he emphatically insisted that it's built on current-gen hardware. The demo seen during Ubisoft's press conference was apparently running on a high-end PC, and the game's official product page says it's also for Xbox 360...
E3 Day 2: Live From The Loft!
We're streaming live from The Loft™ (not an actual trademark), regaling tales of the second day of E3, where we got our hands on pretty much everything: Halo 4, XCOM, PlanetSide 2, and about 20 more. Watch the stream, post your comments, love life, etc.
News
Hawken hands-on delivers perfectly balanced mech warfare
Mech shooter Hawken ambles along a fine line, trying to strike a precarious balance between the fast-paced, shooter action that appeals to some fans of the genre and the trudging simulation realism that appeals to others.
The end result is a game that can be played with stripped down controls and offers a satisfying, almost first-person shooter-like experience blended with a surprising amount of depth. While blasting at enemies with twin mounted weapons and using gadgets to disable opponent...
Microsoft
Watch this: Microsoft's Xbox E3 keynote
Every year's biggest E3 highlights tend to be concentrated in the three marquee keynotes — those carried out by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony — and one of them has now been posted online in its full glory for repeat consumption. Microsoft's Xbox Media Briefing from Monday includes a deluge of new things to get excited about, such as the return of Master Chief, a teaser for the next instalment of the Gears of War franchise, new languages for Kinect voice controls, and of course, the...
News
Tomb Raider blends genres like crazy in its E3 demo
At E3 today, I saw demos for Tomb Raider and 007 Legends. The two differ in many ways, but in one they're polar opposites: In 007, James Bond rarely speaks except in cut-scenes, to the point that it seems weird when his friend speaks to him and he doesn't respond; in Tomb Raider, Lara Croft is more or less an action game Tamagotchi, describing everything she's doing, talking to herself like a crazy person, and breathing loudly when she doesn't have anything to say.
It's a bit silly when you...
Next-gen Final Fantasy concept 'Agni's Philosophy' revealed
Square Enix has revealed "a real time technical demonstration movie that utilizes cutting edge game development technology," as seen through the lens of the Final Fantasy series. Dubbed "Agni's Philosophy", it's a stunning, action-packed video that offers another glimpse at the next-generation of video game graphics.
"Agni's Philosophy" is a demonstration of Square Enix's Luminous Studio, the engine the company is using to create "next generation quality games."
It's not the next Final...
E3 Day 1: Live From The Loft!
We're streaming live from The Loft™ (not an actual trademark), regaling tales of the first and zero'th day (that's today and yesterday) of E3: Wii U, Sony, EA and everything else oozing out of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Well, almost everything. Watch the stream, post your comments.
'Pikmin 3' is a return to, well, 'Pikmin'
After Nintendo's official debut of PIkmin 3 at its E3 2012 press conference, we took some time at their booth to make sure it wasn't just a figment of our imagination.
The core ideals of Pikmin remain 100% unchanged in this latest installment. It's still about controlling a crowd of tiny, colorful, ant-looking creatures, commanding them to battle larger beings and break down walls in a variety of garden environments.
The basic control scheme uses the Wii MotionPlus controller and the nunchuk,...
'Star Wars 1313': the game that will bring LucasFilm together
It's been a while since we've seen something exciting from LucasArts in the game space, but the newly-revealed Star Wars 1313 has an opportunity to provide the revitalization the Star Wars franchise needs. LucasArts' secret to making a new must-have game is combining the talent from across the vast LucasFilm company and approaching the Star Wars universe from a new, darker angle.
Rather than working on its own as it has on many previous products, LucasArts is now working hand-in-hand with...
E3 2012
'ZombiU' is proof Wii U's controls can be more than a gimmick
ZombiU is the exclusive zombie-killing simulator for Wii U shown briefly at the Ubisoft and Nintendo press conferences. It is also one of the show's best surprises and one of the most promising games announced for the upcoming console.
Polygon had a chance to go hands-on with the first-person shooter at the Nintendo booth, and found it took full advantage of the Wii U GamePad without falling into the trap of novel, but cumbersome controls.
The GamePad is represented in-game by a tablet your...
'New Super Mario Bros. 2' trailer stays golden
A new trailer for New Super Marios Bros. 2 was shown at today's Nintendo E3 press conference. Details were slim, but we do know the game will focus on gold. You know what that means: headline game time!
Mario Goes for the Gold!
Mario Enters His Golden Years
Mario Is Good as Gold
It May Be Number 2, but This Mario Gets the Gold
Enough? Never enough.
Old Super Mario Bros. Is Silver, New Super Mario Bros. Is Gold
There's Gold in This Here Game
New Super Mario Bros. 2 Trailer Isn't Fools Gold
O...
Wii U GamePad controller hands-on
Viewed side-by-side with its prototype predecessor, the sleeker retail version of the Wii U's GamePad may look like a device subtly changed.
But those minor tweaks to the touchscreen-sporting controller add up.
The version that will ship with the diminutive console has vastly improved thumbsticks that can also be pressed in to serve as buttons, a sleeker body, and molded grips.
Perhaps the most significant change to the Wii U's controller, though, is that gamers will be able to use two of...
Nintendo announces Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, and YouTube as Wii U content partners
During today's E3 keynote, Nintendo's Reggie Fils Aime announced four new partners that will be providing content to Wii U owners — Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, and YouTube. The keynote was largely focused on games, but further details on these new partnerships are coming. "In the future, we'll show you how the Wii U will integrate and elevate entertainment in your living room," Fils Aime explained.
South Park: The Stick of Truth 'is the most authentic South Park game ever produced'
You could find South Park: The Stick of Truth in the back corner of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Showcase event, with project director at Obsidian Entertainment Zane Lyon speaking into a microphone at three rows of seated viewers watching the demo with headphones on.
Elsewhere in the showcase, demos happened without the necessity of headsets. The Gears of War: Judgement multiplayer area had no such formality, nor did the Fable: The Journey setup. But for South Park: The Stick of Truth, it's all about...
E3 2012
Microsoft Xbox SmartGlass: an in‑depth preview
This morning Microsoft made good on last week's rumors with the announcement of Xbox SmartGlass, a companion app for mobile devices and Windows 8 PCs that lets you control and interact with videos and games you play on the Xbox 360. We were given an early look at the app running on a Windows 8 tablet and a Windows Phone device, and while there were some bumps in the road we have to say we're quite impressed at the product's potential. In its most primitive form, SmartGlass is a Wi-Fi remote...
'The Last of Us' E3 gameplay trailer blows our minds
At Sony's E3 press conference this evening, Naughty Dog unveiled a new gameplay trailer for The Last of Us.
The trailer follows protagonists Joel and Ellie through an abandoned hotel buried in overgrown weeds and a flooded first floor. Joel leads the way with Ellie on his heels, chattering idly to fill the silence. As they climb to the next floor and round a corner, Joel spies someone rifling through the doors of battered dresser. Within seconds Joel has choked the stranger and pockets the...
J.K. Rowling's 'Book of Spells' coming to AR peripheral Wonderbook for PlayStation Move
Channeling 2010's Eyepet, Sony announced a new platform for PlayStation Move tonight with Wonderbook. A sort of delivery system for interactive storytelling, the big news in this announcement is Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's involvement. Rowling is bringing Pottermore, the online expanded universe of Harry Potter to the platform with Book of Spells, an interactive wizarding simulation.
Players use an AR compatible tablet as the titular book and a Move controller as their wizard's wand...
Beyond Two Souls is Quantic Dream's 'emotional, mature, unique' new game
Beyond Two Souls, the next game from the people behind Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain, explores the life of a young woman with special abilities running from a government organization.
Developer Quantic Dreams CEO David Cage introduced the Playstation 3 exclusive game during the Sony press conference today with a bit of in-game cinematics and gameplay that appeared to show a woman with psychic abilities hunted by a paramilitary government agency.
The cinematic lead into a montage of gameplay...
Windows
Watch Dogs trailer stuns E3 with next-gen-level graphics
A YouTube video titled "Watch Dogs" for a previously unannounced Ubisoft game appeared on Ubisoft's YouTube account and was subsequently removed during the company's E3 press conference.
The description for the video reads, "Everything is connected. Connection is power." The video discusses the huge amounts of information available on the web.
Shortly after it was pulled from YouTube, Ubisoft played the video and a demo during its press conference.
Watch Dogs, as shown in its gameplay...
'Dead Space 3' has an ingenious take on co-op
Making a game scary is really tough. All sorts of factors, from sound design to ammo availability to lighting, come into play, affecting just how scary a game can be. But there's one thing that makes a game instantly not scary: company. Sure, there were intense, witch-driven moments in co-op matches of Left 4 Dead, but the second one of your friends started tea-bagging a zombie or telling you about his day at work, the illusion died and you were back to playing a game. Even worse, think about...
Internet Explorer for Xbox arriving this fall, includes Kinect and SmartGlass controls
Microsoft has been testing a modified version of its Internet Explorer browser on Xbox 360, and the company unveiled its latest work at E3 2012 today — Internet Explorer for Xbox. Built into a web hub of the Xbox 360, Internet Explorer works from Microsoft's SmartGlass service (using third-party devices) to allow Xbox owners to surf the whole of the web.
Microsoft believes keyboards don't belong in the living room for browsers so it's also supporting Kinect voice and gesture controls with...
HD & Home
Microsoft announces Xbox SmartGlass app for Windows 8 and mobile devices
The rumors were true: Microsoft has just announced Xbox SmartGlass, an app for Windows 8, tablets, and mobile devices that lets users view and interact with new content in association with games and video on their console. On the surface, the app serves as a remote control, allowing users to control what is playing back on their Xbox 360, as well as letting them start video content on one SmartGlass device, and seamlessly pick it up on another. The standout feature, however, is how SmartGlass...
Xbox Music service announced, coming to Xbox, Windows Phone, and Windows 8
We heard that Microsoft was planning to unveil its "Woodstock" Xbox Music service at E3 this week, and the company has revealed details on its plans today. Yusuf Mehdi says Microsoft will release Xbox Music on Xbox, Windows 8, and Windows Phones. Microsoft didn't mention exactly when we can expect to see Xbox Music, but the company demonstrated what it will look like in a demo video played on the big screen.
The Metro interface is present throughout, and there's a clear social element with a...
Watch Nintendo's pre-E3 Wii U announcement right now
Nintendo just shared some pretty juicy tidbits of information in its pre-E3 livesteam on Facebook, and now we've got the full video for you to check out. It includes a look at the final Wii U Gamepad, Wii U's online gaming capabilities, and the new Wii U Pro Controller. What are you waiting for? Check it out below.
Nintendo Wii U GamePad officially unveiled
Today during a streaming video conference, Nintendo detailed the final version of the Wii U controller, which it is calling the Wii U GamePad. Nintendo has made some notable tweaks and revisions to the prototype version detailed last year at E3, adding a new NFC reader and writer, motion and gyroscope sensors, and fully-independent infrared TV remote functionality. The thumbsliders have been replaced by analog thumbsticks, which now support L3 and R3 inward depressions. Nintendo has also made...
