Without exaggeration Apple and Steve Jobs have changed the world, vastly improving the way we consume digital entertainment in the process, and steamrolling the competition of any industry they decide to get into. The rest of the world is continually forced to adapt to a changing landscape forged by Apple.

The first milestone in the company’s post-PC roadmap: iPod and iTunes made them leaders of a digital music revolution that revived a declining music industry, creating a workable online business model and launching an iconic small white box with a scroll-wheel to unparalleled success.

The backbone of iTunes put them in a powerful and advantageous position; they had network expertise, millions of registered customers with credit cards, a friendly UI fronting a streamlined payment process; all of which allowed an easy transition to other kinds of content delivery. Opening iTunes to movies and television in hindsight seems an almost negligible event on the road of inevitability. What happened next would be another game-changer.

Then the iPhone happened.

Apple caught the cell phone industry sleeping and drew up a new template for what the modern phone should look like, spurring a rapid industry-wide transition to touch screens, mobile apps, gyroscopes and accelerometers. But the copycats can never replicate iPhone’s success with any me-too device. Hardware is easily copied; Apple’s software catalogue and customer base is not.

Apple customers buy a ton of apps, with more being added to the Apple store at a perpetually increasing rate. Programmers have never had it so good. We went from the days of PC domination when you’d need a website to spread the word and distribute your software which nobody would pay for anyway, routinely pirating the shit out of it with no remorse. From that, to a platform that has one central store visible to many millions of people who are very willing to pay for anything. At time of writing the top-selling iPhone app in the UK is ‘Keith Lemon’s Mouthboard’ which has you placing the device over your own mouth to make it look like you have the mouth of Keith Lemon.

Very basic games which prior to iPhone would have been free Flash-based games on the web, can now sell for a few quid a pop in such massive quantities that in some special cases the one-or-two-man creation team becomes rich. Mobile gaming companies have sprung up to take advantage of these market conditions, with income entirely derived from the users of Apple devices.

Bumbling into gaming…

Entering the music and movie industries was the result of careful planning and focus. Becoming a force in the gaming industry seemed to fall on Apple by accident. Gaming after all is just one of many categories of app they offer with no particular spotlight, and none of the devices in the iOS family have dedicated hard buttons for gaming. It didn’t take long for games to become the dominant app category by an enormous margin and it’s not difficult to see why. You only ever need one of any gadget-type app like a barcode scanner or satnav. But games, like music, are entertainment, for which we have an insatiable appetite. At this time 9 of the top 10 best-selling apps are games, as is most often the case.

Is Apple interested in applying its masterstroke to the videogame world? So far they are taking the reactive approach, declaring at a developer conference that their platform has the most games by numbers (a consequence of their platform  having the most of everything) and making direct comparisons to DS and PSP. Quantity is far from the only metric we have to compare though; few would go as far to say that iPhone is already the best gaming platform in the world. Apple are not interested in compromising the intuitive and attractive design of its phones to add buttons solely for gaming, although it is in no way actively stifling game creators. They make massive performance gains in every annual hardware update which benefits games more than anything, and they at least made a barebones attempt at a gaming network with Game Center version 1.

What console makers can learn from Apple

Although currently posing no direct threat, without doubt there are lessons that can be applied to the console business. As console development costs rise and these costs are passed on to the consumer, the market becomes increasingly difficult to tap with consumers able to afford fewer games. The one-size-fits-all pricing has long been seen as a broken model by many. Apple’s App Store by comparison has a wide range of prices to suit any wallet, and it’s interesting to note that a £1.79 game can move in enough volume to make more money than one priced at £11.99. The highest grossing game is rarely the most expensive.

The app currently generating the most cash is Tap Zoo, which is free to play. Giving the game away and then cleverly charging for in-game items once the player is hooked is a very interesting model that is proven to work, but which has not successfully been applied to the console market yet. This model allows a very low barrier for entry which means a greater number of games can be consumed and you end up paying more for the ones you enjoy the most. A friend of mine confessed to paying in excess of £100 real currency for in-game gold pieces in Infinity Blade, a game which sells for £1.79 on the App Store.

A more obvious revenue stream is the use of advertisements. Apple has an SDK for this, offering developers the option to use ‘iAds’ in their apps. These are non-intrusive, attractive, interactive ads tailored for the device, and I imagine they have a way of tracking whether or not the end user has explored or ignored the ad to measure effectiveness. It has been going well apparently; “iAds twice as effective as TV” says a Nielsen study, quote from Apple’s website. Yet we’ve had no real push to integrate ads into console software. It will take leadership from the platform holders, the same way Apple has provided a solution for its developer community.

Multiple revenue pathways is not the only advantage of the Apple ecosystem. iTunes and the App Store are just plain better than any console equivalent from a customer experience standpoint. The ability to read reviews from other customers and write your own is a big pro point. The store is easy to navigate and games can be purchased, downloaded and installed all in a single click. Once installed, the OS manages updates seamlessly. A badge appears on the home screen to indicate how many apps have updates available, which can then be installed all in one go so that you spend as little time fetching updates as need be. It is standard to see a full list of update details for each app, in case you wanted to know.

But can Apple be a threat?

There aren’t many companies in the world that could have any chance in hell of displacing the big 3 console guys: Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Apple clearly have the brains and the money. The question is do they need or even want to? iOS became a gaming destination incidentally just because it is a great platform and runs on powerful hardware. It may compete with dedicated portable gaming devices on some level but it has no presence on the big screen in the living room, discounting the sure to be seldom-used HDMI output on the iPad 2.

The only Apple product to permanently sit under the television is Apple TV, a small console-like box controlled by a remote, designed to display video and photos and nothing else. Clearly Steve Jobs has no interest in competing directly with the Xbox; the complication of establishing first party studios and all the other expenses that make the current console business tough, leaving less of a profit margin than Apple tends to enjoy. If Apple are to make a mark on the gaming heavyweights, they will do so the Apple way, not by making their own traditional console and controller, but by making something superior and more profitable than traditional consoles, starting a new era the same way that iPod changed the way we listen to music and iPhone changed phones forever.

Or maybe they just won’t bother and will instead divert resources to make an iBoat or i…Swan.

WHAT TO EXPECT

1) TO GET KINECTED

There were a lot of people who were sceptical about the potential for Kinect’s success when the layers first started to peel off. Nintendo had a pretty firm grip on the casual market and Microsoft didn’t exactly seem like the best fit for it either. However, the Kinect has been a huge success for the company, selling out upon it’s launch and becoming a huge hit with a casual crowd that seems to want some variety away from Nintendo’s Wii system. Microsoft won’t miss the opportunity to deliver some new titles that Kinect fans can expect for the rest of 2011. Will we all care about them? No. Are there sure to be some gems in the midst that will be worth checking out? Count on it.

2) BRAGGING RIGHTS

We’ve seen companies come out on the stage before and start laying out the statistics and sales figures before. Even Nintendo has been guilty of it once or twice. I think it’s safe to assume that you can expect Microsoft to open their conference by highlighting the monumental success of the Kinect hardware. They will surely squeeze in some subtle jabs at their competitors, probably Nintendo’s Wii as it is Kinect’s direct competition, and all in all, try to drive home the point that the Xbox is the platform to be gaming on. My only hope is that Microsoft doesn’t let it get to their head and spend a good portion of the conference running down the figures for us. I understand the place for it in the conference, I just think that most people are tuning in to hear what they can look forward to be doing on their Xbox in 2011, not what they’ve already had fun doing in 2010.

3) GEARS OF WAR 3 STAGE DEMONSTRATION

I’d say this one is almost a lock. Gears of War 3 is going to be Microsoft’s flagship title this coming holiday season, barring any surprise holiday announcement from them at the conference. Expect Cliffy B to be given a decent amount of time to showcase some kind of spectacular moment from the campaign for everyone to feast their eyes on. This is the perfect opportunity to begin ramping up the hype on this one and I do not see Microsoft dropping the ball by missing out on that chance.

4) MEDIA CENTER FOCUS

If there’s one thing that Microsoft has done far and beyond better than all its competitors, it is their online connected home experience. The Xbox has turned into a sort of one stop shop for all things media, in your living room. Every year at E3 we seem to get some sort of dedicated segment for this where something new gets added on to the dashboard and I don’t think this year will be any different. Whether it is a streamlined dashboard that includes more Kinect functionality or it’s the inevitable showing of Skype running on the 360, Microsoft will almost definitely use some stage time to give us even more reasons to never leave our homes.

5) HALO TITLE ANNOUNCEMENT

Call me crazy, but I think Microsoft is cooking up some kind of Halo title, with or without Bungie on board. I think Microsoft will want to end off their conference in a big way, especially with all the hype Nintendo has going into this E3. There are only a few flagship franchises that can get people to turn their heads from a Nintendo console announcement and Halo is one of those franchises. I’m going to hazard a guess and say that Microsoft ends their conference this year with a special teaser video for a new Halo related game or at the very least, some kind of remake of the original Halo, and gives everyone something to chatter about in the days that follow. Just don’t expect it to be a 2011 title. 2012 would be far more likely…unless the world ends.

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT

1) XBOX 720

We’ve all heard the buzzing rumors that Microsoft is readying an announcement about their next home console to combat Nintendo’s own announcement. I don’t see this happening at all. Microsoft has a lot of good things going on with the 360 and they’ve also gone on record as saying that this generation’s cycle would be longer for them than the original Xbox was. I think with Kinect having been out for under a year and a fan base that isn’t exactly dying off or anything, Microsoft will hold off on any kind of successor announcement until at least next year. I think the earliest we can expect the “Xbox 720″ is 2013.

2) XBOX 360 PRICE CUT

This is one as I almost put in either category, because really, it’s probably just as possible as it is not possible, but in the end, I just don’t think that Microsoft needs to cut the price of their console right now. I think that come September or October, if they begin to feel like that 360 isn’t going to have as big a presence as they’d like for the holiday season…then maybe, but right now in June, the 360 doesn’t need a price cut. Microsoft will focus on showing all of us why the current price is worth the investment by giving us all a look at a bucket load of software to be excited about in 2011.

3) RARE TO DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE

Last we’ve heard, Rare is busy with Kinect-oriented titles and I don’t think that there will be any kind of major surprise in this realm. It would be great to see a true Banjo and Kazooie title (That’s right, I’m not counting Nuts & Bolts) or even a new Conker title, but unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to have the pleasure to witness something so grand. I think the best we can hope for is a Kinect driven title that isn’t simply a mini-game collection, but actually has some depth to it…I’m not holding my breath though.

4) METAL GEAR SOLID: RISING RELEASE DATE

Because stringing us along and watching us squirm is so much more fun for Konami that putting us at ease.

5) MULTIPLE HUGE REVEALS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS

One of the things that fans look forward to the most about E3 is the unknown factor. People love the idea that there is some secret, hidden title that is stored away somewhere and will only be revealed for the first time at E3. It’s one of the main reasons that people tune in. The question is always asked, “What is going to be announced at this year’s E3?” Unfortunately for Microsoft this year, outside of some sort of Halo title that I predicted earlier, I don’t see any major surprises coming out of this conference, when it comes to reveals or announcements. I think we’re going to see a lot of stuff that we already know about, get showcased for the first time, but I don’t expect someone to take the stage and say, “Ladies and Gentlemen…Final Fantasy XV!” My guess is that there just won’t be anything of that magnitude this year from Microsoft, which I think is going to make them struggle to keep themselves in the post-E3 headlines and make their conference remain relevant, because of what Nintendo seems to be bringing to the party.

Right from the start, the chance for some Renaissance racketeering held a monopoly over my time with the game. Thanks to my efforts, after many solid hours of play, the Assassins were really no closer to defeating the Templars or the Borgia, but they had amassed a commercial property portfolio large enough to float on the stock exchange. I’d purchased the Coliseum with an eye to demolishing it and replacing it with the Maximus Decimus Meridius shopping centre, and, if there was such a thing, I would surely have unlocked the Silvio Berlusconi achievement for the growth I’d single-handedly stimulated in the local prostitution industry. By the end, I honestly expected ‘The Truth’ this time to be a personal message from Sir Alan Sugar.

Brotherhood is, without question, one of the most impressive sandbox titles made to date, and proof positive that great open world game design is a lot like great interior design. It’s not so much about the amount of space you have, as how cleverly you fill it. That’s what makes the difference between creating a place you can live in, and a place you can exist in. A world that envelops you, and one that merely accommodates you. The former feels like home, the latter like you’re staying in someone else’s home. No matter how kind and welcoming they are, it still feels uncomfortable.

When you think back to the original Assassin’s Creed, and the way awkwardly integrated gameplay elements occasionally broke the immersion of the world, (remember those collect-all-the-flags-within-the-time-limit missions) it’s to Ubisoft’s great credit that even Brotherhood’s ancillary activities, like the wealth accumulation ones, now add a wonderful depth and richness to your surroundings.

The thing is though, I signed up to be a fleet-footed, silent killing machine, not a parkouring Theo Paphitis, and what struck me about Brotherhood, was that Ezio may be getting dangerously close to becoming more entrepreneur than assassin. Was I more invested in Brotherhood’s world because of the presence of all the additional content? Yes (quite literally). Was I more involved in, what should be, the most important part of the game, the main storyline? No, because I was constantly being drawn away from this by the fact that I was closer to a bank, blacksmith’s or some other going concern than the next mission marker.

Ubisoft announced recently that the next Assassin’s Creed game, subtitled Revelations, is due this November. If the success of the series now means that the company is going to reward fans by pushing out a game every year until everyone loses interest, let’s hope they don’t continue this upward trend for cheap and easy filler content (no matter how cleverly contextualised or addictively immediate) over actual innovation and development of their fantastic central premise. It would be a huge shame if player fatigue overtook the assassin’s before they’ve had time to run their course, and I swear, if Desmond ends in the modern day running a chain of successful health clubs I’ll assassinate him myself.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Chamber of Commerce meeting to chair.   

It’s understandable, though, the Modern Warfare series has become famous beyond its target audience, with even non-gamers aware of its existence and what it entails. But as I clicked the link through to watch the newly released trailer for the third entry, I felt entirely disinterested; no excitement for what I was about to see. And even after watching it, that feeling lingered. Had I really lost interest in the genre? Or was it just the Call of Duty franchise that no longer satisfied my thirst for shooters?

As it turns out, the latter. Moments later, I was reminded of the fantastic trailers released earlier this year for Battlefield 3, and quickly sought out the extended video of the opening level. There it was: the jittery fingers; the shiver down my spine; the experience I sought as a gamer. So what does the new Battlefield have over Modern Warfare 3? Both are modern military first-person shooters, both look equally impressive from a graphical standpoint, and both now in the third iteration of their series…

In my mind, it comes down to what they offer to the average gamer. Currently, it seems Activision is set on making Modern Warfare 3 a replica of the previous entry to the series: sticking to that “blockbuster” thrill, with a ludicrous plotline and an unambitious multiplayer. DICE, on the other hand, seem prepared to go that extra mile on each platform with their glittering, fresh-out-the-box Frostbite 2 engine, and up to 64-player online matches for the PC version of the game.

Maybe it’s just me – perhaps I’m biased towards Battlefield. But it’s been over a year now since the release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and I’m still booting it up and hitting the multiplayer for a few rounds of “Conquest” on a weekly basis. For me, BC2 was the pinnacle online experience of 2010 both on consoles and PC: that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Modern Warfare 2 or Black Ops, I just found the multiplayer aspect ended once I’d tried all the modes and unlocked the majority of the content. To this day, BC2 gives me tactical online participation that delivers excitement in its gameplay, as opposed to an ultra-competitive environment where the only joy appears to be in killing (and unlocking better guns for more killing).

Frankly, I don’t expect many (or even any) to agree with me: that’s not the point of this article. I’m merely pondering the thought that Modern Warfare might be becoming passé. That, maybe, its continued tread on familiar territory isn’t enough to keep up with the competition. Not with the intention to alter its sales (or even boost Battlefield 3′s), but just with the hope that gamers don’t feel obliged to purchase, come November, just to feel part of the community.

It’s a difficult area to discuss: many love the Modern Warfare games and are willing to defend their corner to the death. And, you never know, Activision may reveal some startling enhancements for MW3 during E3 that make me eat my words right out of the monitor – but I’m not convinced. In fact, I’m so utterly unconvinced that I’ll likely only glance over the updates coming in for the game, much like I would for the next FIFA or Sims. But then, that may be the future for the Call of Duty series. Only time, and sales figures, will tell.

You probably already know that Sony’s LittleBigPlanet and its sequel allow players to let their imaginations run wild and create everything from silly catapults to actual working calculators.

But one gamer – London-based games journalist-turned music producer Chandra Nair – has used LittleBigPlanet 2 to create the music video to his latest song – with Sony’s blessing.

Chandra, who goes by the producer name Kick-Ass Trainers, explained to Video Games Daily what it took to put together the video She’s The One, which he co-wrote and recorded with fellow producer Laurence Allen.

“I’ve always thought that it would be pretty cool to do something with LBP, but it wasn’t until LBP2 came out that I actually sat down with it to see what the potential was.

“The first huge problem was that I had to complete the game to 100% to unlock all the materials and objects… nightmare!”

But how much of the video was really done in-game?

“In terms of what has been made in LBP2, I’d say 90% of it. Anywhere you see LBP characters is an LBP2 scene created in the game, from scratch. Creating the Lamborghini model was probably the biggest challenge of the entire project.

“The few exceptions have been created by animating photos, but this has only been done because I couldn’t find any other way to recreate it. The text overlays (such as where the ‘bon bon’ text spins in) is all done in After Effects.”

And if the song catches on, it got us thinking: could it end up on TV – and wouldn’t there be legal hassles?

“Sony has been really good with getting it through licensing”, Chandra reveals.

“The video originally had GT5 footage in place of all the car footage we’re now using, but Polyphony Digital didn’t even want to talk about it so we ended up making the car stages and the car in-game. The result is better because the video now has a consistent look and feel.”

“If/when the vid gets picked up by big music channels we could run into problems, as we’ve only been granted an online license. Oh well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it!”

If nothing else, it goes to show the potential of what you can do in LittleBigPlanet 2. Does Chandra reckon the same sort of thing could be achieved in another game?

“I honestly don’t think you could do this in any other game. I didn’t even know you could do this with LBP2 and people who have seen it have no idea the game is so flexible. The game does impose limitations on what you can do… but if you’re clever with camera positions you can do some great stuff.”

See what Kick-Ass Trainers get up to next on their Facebook Page.

There always seems to be a little extra something in the air when the road to E3 winds down each year, and this year is no different. We are less than three weeks away from the hugely popular event and whether it is the promise of rumors being confirmed or the chance to see an anticipated title in action for the first time, there is a lot to be excited about this year as we close in on June 7^th.

 Over the next couple of weeks leading up to the event, we’ll be taking a look at Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony and filling you in on what you should and should not expect to see or hear about, out of each of their respective conferences. We’ll make some bold predictions and try to cool off some of the more unlikely rumors in an attempt to craft an outline for what you can expect out of these conferences. At the end of it all, we’ll take a shot at predicting which of these three powerhouses will “win” E3.

Today, Nintendo takes the spotlight. There’s a lot to be excited about going into E3 when it comes to Nintendo. In fact, this is probably the most anticipated Nintendo E3 conference since we were all riding the Revolution hype train. However, while there’s a lot of potential for Nintendo to shock us with a flurry of stunning announcements, there’s just as much scepticism on whether or not Nintendo can live up to this hype and deliver something spectacular. Anything shy of that may only come across as a disappointment in fans’ eyes. Without further ado, let’s jump right in and take a look at five things you can expect from Nintendo’s E3 conference…

WHAT TO EXPECT

1) NINTENDO WII 2/STREAM/PROJECT CAFÉ OFFICIAL UNVEILING

Well this was a gimme. If there’s one thing that’s for absolute certain it is that Nintendo will officially unveil their next home console on June 7^th to the masses. I would expect Nintendo to save this announcement for the second half of their conference for the sole reason that it is most definitely the biggest thing that is going to come out of the event and anything that would follow it at their conference would pale in comparison. Once all the other business is taken care of and talked about, expect a bit of hype before Nintendo rolls a video package that officially unveils the console, controller and the first game footage in a sort of montage style reel.

See what we did there?

2) NINTENDO 3DS 2011 CALENDAR BECOMES CLEAR

It is no secret that the Nintendo 3DS, while still seeing massive success, slightly fell short of what was expected following the intense hype leading up to it’s release. Nintendo won’t pull any punches in reassuring it’s fan base about the Nintendo 3DS’ potential and incoming game library. I’m fairly confident that we’ll see larger game play demonstrations or video packages for big titles such as Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Kid Icarus and Super Mario 3DS. The latter of those three will almost definitely receive a decent portion of stage time to be formally unveiled to the public. I’ll also hazard a guess and say that Mario Kart 3DS, Kid Icarus and Super Mario 3DS will all be given 2011 release dates, just to put the icing on the cake when it comes to needing a reason to own a 3DS this year.

3) LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD RELEASE DATE

There really isn’t any more time left to hold off this announcement. Nintendo will be moving on from the Wii to greener pastures soon and they need to hype up what could very well be the last big Wii release as soon as possible. A firm release date will do just that and I would be very surprised if it wasn’t for Fall 2011. I’ll even narrow it down further and say that we’ll see it released in the last three weeks of November, just in time for Christmas and in order to give the Wii one last big holiday send off as the Wii 2 will almost surely dominate Nintendo’s Holiday 2012 plans.

4) NINTENDO 3DS eSHOP COVERAGE

The eShop of the 3DS is supposed to launch later this month, only a week or two before the E3 event. I would expect Nintendo to take few moments during it’s conference to highlight some of the features of the service, detail the 3DS Netflix launch and probably even give us all a sneak peek into some of the games that will be finding their way onto our eShops and Virtual Consoles. While I don’t think it will dominate stage time in any way, it would be a missed opportunity for Nintendo not to promote this service at all, especially when it seems as though they are focusing on building stronger online systems and communities.

5) HARDCORE REUNION

Finally, I think that we’ll see a different style of press conference from Nintendo this year. There has been a lot of talk about Nintendo recapturing the hardcore crowd recently and though a lot of it stems from yet to be confirmed rumors, it is pretty safe to say that this seems to be the way Nintendo will be leaning in the next couple years in an attempt to regain their hardcore audience. Tying into this, I would say that it’s safe to say that you can expect at least one third party shocker during the Wii 2 announcement. It will most likely be something of the magnitude of Nintendo getting Rockstar on board to develop titles for the Wii 2. I think this is one of the biggest ways Nintendo can prove that it is getting serious about hardcore development in the next home console generation.

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT

1) NINTENDO WII 2/STREAM/PROJECT CAFÉ RELEASE DATE OR PRICE

While the Wii 2 will most definitely be the focus of Nintendo’s event this year, I think any announcements regarding price or release dates will be reserved for next year’s E3. It’s simply far too early to expect Nintendo to lay all of it’s cards out on the table, especially when companies like Sony are known for stealing ideas from innovators and retooling them for their own consoles. Plus, announcing a price or release date would only give Sony and Microsoft more time to react in some sort of strategic fashion, whether that be undercutting the price or pushing for a quicker release. I predict that the best we’ll get from Nintendo is confirmation that the console will definitely not be coming in 2011, but rather, sometime after March 2012.

Nintendo's Wii successor is codenamed Project Café

2) SURPRISE FIRST PARTY GAME ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN WII 2

Nintendo’s big ace up their sleeve is going to be the Wii 2. On the game front, a lot of the big releases that will be coming have already been announced or shown in some way: Super Mario 3DS, Zelda: Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time 3D, Paper Mario 3DS, Animal Crossing 3DS…the list goes on and on. We all remember when Metroid: Other M shocked all of us with its surprise announcement that no one seemed to see coming. Well, don’t expect anything in that vein to come out of E3. I think the most we will get is a showcase of titles that will be featured on the Wii 2, which I’m sure, will include favorites like Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Metroid and even Pikmin. I think the Wii has seen it’s last big surprise and the 3DS doesn’t need to surprise us this year; it just needs to deliver on what we’ve already seen. Anything that is going to shock us in the game department is going to be something in development for a 2012 release alongside the Wii 2.

3) SUPER SMASH BROTHERS 4

Prove me wrong, Nintendo! Prove me wrong!

4) ANY MAJOR FOCUS ON WII SPORTS/FITNESS/VITALITY SENSOR TYPE PRODUCTS

As I mentioned earlier, I think the bulk of the focus at this conference is going to be about Nintendo proving its allegiance to the hardcore crowd once again, and spending too much time on the above mentioned items is only going to detract from that. Having said that, the Wii has been immensely popular because of the casual crowd embracing it, so I won’t outright say that there will be NO coverage on casual products, but expect it to be brief and limited. A quick announcement for something new out of the Just Dance series and then they’ll move right along.

5) TO COMPLETELY LOVE THE WII 2

Nintendo is all about innovating and taking risks. This is going to be the first unveiling of the new console and we all remember what it was like when we first heard and saw about the Wii. “It’s called Wii?!” “It’s all motion?!” “Wii Sports has such bad graphics!” Eventually, for the most part, everyone came around in regards to the Wii and it went on to be widely successful and deliver some amazing video game experiences. I don’t think the Wii 2 will come across as quite as big a confusing gamble, but expect to have lots of concerns and questions in regards to the next home outing from Nintendo. Just remember, Nintendo knows how to deliver on its risks and its promises.

There you have it. Nintendo’s showcase at this year’s E3 is promising to be absolutely spectacular. Don’t miss next week when we delve into what you can expect from Microsoft at the big event.

Why? Because most shooters want a sense of epic scale and in big wars you fight together. That and the increasing rise of co-op play, meaning the second player wants to take over someone just as cool as the hero. It’s also more realistic; the only lone type soldiers types are kamikaze or suicide bombers which would make for a fun, if short game. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the components of the best companions in modern shooters.

Have a clue!

First and most fundamental of all is the artificial intelligence of the companion. It is ironically the hardest to pull off and yet if you succeed … you shouldn’t really notice at all. A balance has to be struck, neither can your squad mates fight the enemy for you, nor can they stand around like useless dummies. Gears of War had a tendency for the latter as Alpha Squad are more than capable of taking on the enemies if you play Marcus Fenix like a little girl and hide.

Call of Duty, especially 2 and 3 and on the harder levels, take this to the other ridiculous extreme, thanks to unbalanced enemy AI. The Nazis have a habit of firing and lobbing grenades at you and only you, even if you are behind your friendly AI. It’s like a Nazi captain has gone ‘Ignore that entire company and get that schweinhund at the back!’ Meanwhile your squad do nothing to help. Call of Duty: World of War kept up this tradition, even as the Reichstag itself was under assault. They were still out to get you and you alone, you schweinhund.

The ideal mix is where your squadmates are pitching in, holding their own at your side but the major thrust and tactics are left to you. Halo: Reach pulls this off well, Noble team have the right mix neither taking over the fight but helping you without playing the game for themselves.

Look the part!

Most of the time in a shooter you will be looking forward down the barrel of a gun and firing it at the enemy and your squad mates will at best be in your peripheral vision. They can blend in the background but good design makes the squad mate stand out and also expresses personality.

The simplest examples of this are Ghost (from Modern Warfare 2) and Emile (Halo: Reach). They have a skull on their balaclava and helmet respectively: therefore they are bad-ass, plain and simple. To be far to Emile he has also kukri sharpened thing going on, so he probably is more fun to sit next to at a dinner party (and do the carving). The Ghost outfit is the second most popular avatar outfit on Xbox live which shows the success of such a simple design (and he is rumoured to return as the star in the next Call of Duty).

Call of Duty uses mohican haircuts, outlandish muttonchops, headbands, baseball caps and other simple touches that make soldiers stand out even in a military context. In Modern Warfare, SAS man Gaz is uniquely highlighted by his name alone, a sly piece of humour that makes him stand out. However Modern Warfare’s 2 Sergeant Foley with his non-standard Delta Force combat helmet (according to the art book) is just a little too obscure for non-military fans.

Have a personality!

But it’s not about how they look it’s about the personality right? Character is mostly conveyed in banter and dialogue in-game as well as in cut scenes. Battle cries and comments also add to the believability as well the gameplay, giving you crucial facts and exposition. A good example of well thought out personality is Augustus ‘Cole Train’ Cole from Gears of War. Once a famous ‘Thrashball’ player, his past informs both his dialogue and actions. He also behaves realistically, memorably eschewing one mission in the original Gears so he can go take a dump.

Another strong companion in personality terms is Alyx Vance of Half-Life 2 fame. She is a very believable (and sensibly dressed for a female in a video game) character with her own distinct personality, alternately flirting and mocking Gordon Freeman and his obsession with air ducts. Such a strong companion is its own reward, heightening the drama in moments such as the climatic end of Half Life 2: Episode 2. This is why personality is better than just a cool skull design, a well developed character elevates the whole game.

Make me give a shit!

Shooters have taken a lot of these character aspects from role playing games, which have always had a strong focus on companions and parties. In more recent times hits like Mass Effect 2 and Fallout 2 have blurred the line between RPGs and shooters. These hybrids have the advantage of more time for conversations and whole sub quests for companions. After all the near entirety of Mass Effect 2 is based around collecting cool companions. While most pure shooters cannot match this level, they can add strands in. The best thing in the Gears of War 2 campaign is the folding in of Dominic Santiago’s quest for his wife, enriching an otherwise standard save the world plot.

Be… different!

Finally it should be noted that not every companion in shooters are macho soldiers or feisty helpers, sometimes they are a little … different. The Bioshock games feature the Little Sisters who (in the sequel) you can adopt as companions. They are utterly creepy in design and dialogue, delighting in draining corpses and there is the added dilemma of the player choosing to save or harvest them.

And what about Portal? The gun may shoots portals instead of bullets but it does have one of the most memorable companions of all time. It has no AI, a simple design and no discernible character apart from a heart printed on it. Yes, it’s the Weighted Companion Cube, that by virtue of just being there makes itself the best companion you could ever want.

First of all I think we need to eliminate the notion that HD graphics and Xbox 360-level processing power automatically equal an expensive premium device. We all need to remember that Xbox 360 is OLD relatively speaking in today’s world of technology. Nintendo can use affordable parts a couple of generations behind the latest desktop CPUs and GPUs, and still be a couple of generations ahead of the parts Microsoft chose for their circa 2005 console. In 2011 even the mobile processors that power pocket-sized smartphones and tablets have enough grunt to run modern 3D games and output it at 1080p.

Perhaps the initial disbelief that Nintendo could outmuscle its rivals is an indication that consumers are becoming satisfied with what we have now. Some 5-and-a-bit years into this console generation, many still regard the visuals that 360 and PS3 pump out as being impressive or ‘high-end’, and worthy of premium pricing. Indeed it’s hard not to be dazzled when seeing a Gears 3 or Rage or Skyrim in motion. Remind yourself that this level of performance now starts at just £150/$200 for the Xbox 360 4GB console, which is a good comparison to Nintendo’s reportedly harddrive-less future console.

What of the suspiciously Blu-sounding 25GB optical discs that the games are apparently supplied on? Overkill? Not really when you factor in the lifecycle of a console; do you really want to be stuck with regular DVDs 5 years from now? Those boundaries are being broken already, long before Cafe launches. Games like Final Fantasy XIII, Rage and LA Noire are all multidisc for the 360 versions versus a convenient single disc on the PS3. The amount of games requiring large capacity discs will inevitably continue to rise.

More than anything else, word of the 6-inch ‘HD’ screens embedded into the controllers has caused people to cry “fake!” How can Nintendo justify such an expense? Undoubtedly such a move would represent a significant chunk of the cost of the system. Although seemingly superfluous at first (we get on fine without personal satellite screens now right?), it does in fact gel completely with Nintendo’s incessant need to differentiate itself and innovate. If not for its extravagant controllers, what reason do you have to choose Cafe over the already established HD consoles.

It is even possible that Nintendo may not be interested in pricing Cafe in the low impulse-buy range, at least to begin with. Wii and DS were hit by stock shortages for years as demand massively exceeded supply. It quickly became clear that the first wave of customers would buy them no matter what the price, as Wii consoles on eBay started going for more than double the recommended retail price. For its most recent hardware launch – the 3DS – eyebrows were raised when Nintendo set the price at something closer to what the PS3 sells for now, rather than what has come to be expected of a handheld.

None of the leaked details of Nintendo’s new console are outside the realm of plausibility, although the direction they seem to be embarking on post-Wii may surprise some. When talking about Nintendo you can guarantee that the surprises are never over; the internet sources spilling the beans pre-E3 are surely not privy to some fantastic details that can only come from Mr Iwata himself when he takes to the stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

See what we did there?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m as excited as the next man about Project Café. But would it be unjust to think that compromise is lurking just around the corner? That Nintendo’s history might shed more light on the specifics, as opposed to the rumours? Admittedly, it’d be foolish to think one could shatter the hype at this stage, but what’s to say Nintendo won’t do that themselves come E3? With that in mind, here’s a rundown of what to expect if – like me – you’re more pessimistic than the average fanboy. 

Innovative controller!
…with a gimmicky touch.

The prospect of a touch screen controller may seem enticing for gamers, but the likelihood of it being anything more than a simple, low-powered user interface for menus and video content is slim, with battery life being the key indicator. Personally, I would love to see downloadable titles make their way onto the device (provided it offers portability), but I just can’t shake the feeling that that won’t be the case. Perhaps it’s their lack of third-party support or pathetic attempts at promoting Wiiware titles, I don’t know.

Blu-ray drive!
…with no Blu-ray movie playback.

The rumour of a Blu-ray drive can only mean good things for a neoteric console. Up to 50 gigabytes storage on one disk (when dual-layer) basically means bigger, better games. But Blu-ray movie playback could very well  be excluded from the mix. It sounds utterly illogical, but remember Nintendo did the exact same thing with DVD on the Wii, claiming it brought the unit cost down.

Interactive online community!
…with friend codes.

Nintendo’s approach to creating online communities is, at best, a little behind the times. So it’s understandable to think they’d take a note from the competition and improve it for their next console. But cast your mind back only a few months and you’ll recall that Nintendo’s most recent portable outing, the 3DS, still champions the use of friend codes as a viable wireless communications option. Hardly a step in the right direction. In reality, it leaves the impression that Nintendo are likely to stick with it come Project Café’s release.

3DS connectivity!
…to swap Miis.

A touch screen controller indicates little 3DS connectivity as an input device or controller, but what about transfers from shop purchases? It’s an established idea, what with the PSP and PS3, but is it one Nintendo will be willing to adopt? Considering their broken promises of DS and Wii connectivity, it’s possible it may end up with little more than Mii transfer functionality.

Core titles and mature games!
…ported from Xbox 360 and PS3.

Perhaps one of the more obvious conclusions that can be drawn from all the rumour, is the fact that a high-definition Nintendo console will attract third-party developers to port titles from its HD counterparts (predecessors?). However, it could be argued that Project Café’s innovative controller and hardware justify this: any title where a player’s inventory is mapped to a touch screen could bring a whole new level of speed and efficiency to gameplay (think GPS system in GTA IV).

Third-party developer support!
…about as good as ever.

Many appear to have taken Project Café’s leap into HD as indication that Nintendo are reworking their third-party support model. Whilst that may be the case, it’s never been their strong point. So the question is, will their new-found support rival that of the competition? It’s improbable given the years of experience and rooted third-party connections Sony and Microsoft have, but as with everything Nintendo does, it’s hardly impossible to imagine a reinvention of the norm.

A truly next-gen Zelda title!
…within the first 3 years.

With Skyward Sword lacking even a release date, it’s pretty clear we won’t be seeing a proper series entry to the Zelda universe for quite some time. That may be disappointing, but it can be viewed as a good thing when you consider a well-developed Zelda title would receive better reception when compared to a rushed one.

So there you have it, a brief, realistic outlook on Project Café’s imminent announcement. Take all this knowledge with you to the Nintendo E3 press conference and I guarantee you won’t feel as disappointed when Miyamoto practically reads off what’s been said here.

Read our opinion piece on what Nintendo can do to “win back hardcore gamers” with Wii 2 here.

In fact, we were all asking a lot of the same questions back then: What will the controller look like? Will it be high definition? Will Nintendo go after online this time? Will there be a built in hard drive? What is the revolution about it?

Six years later and all of those questions are still surprisingly relevant. On one side of things, it is pretty spectacular that Nintendo can constantly leave its fan base wondering what they are going to do next to revolutionize the market. Nintendo has crafted this legacy for themselves that puts them in the shoes of industry pioneers, which is an honorary place to be. On the other side of the coin, however, it’s a little disheartening that graphic quality, online capabilities and storage space have been a concern to many fans this whole time.

Despite the Wii’s enormous success around the world, it is hard to deny the fact that Nintendo has lost a large chunk of the “hardcore” market. Franchises like Call of Duty, Halo, Gears of War, even the EA Sports games, constantly outsell and outperform the majority of Wii’s library, especially when it comes to third party products.

All is not lost, however. There are a number of things that Nintendo can do to change this and regain the type of third party support and success that Sony and Microsoft see every year. First, let’s take a look at what we know about the next Nintendo home console.

What We Know:

There have been a lot of rumors circulating, and it’s not always easy to distinguish between what’s real and some fanboy’s fantasy. So here we’re only going to include confirmed details or rumors that are so widespread and agreed upon, that they are nearly confirmed to be fact.

Nintendo's Wii successor is codenamed Project Café

First up is the controller. Once again, Nintendo has managed to make the console’s input device its most talked about feature. The most popular rumor and one that seems to be all but confirmed, is the fact that the controller will feature a roughly six inch touch screen in the middle that will allow interaction with games, but also allow the user to play their console games solely on the controller with some sort of streaming function. The possibilities here are considerable and it certainly seems to have the same appeal that the Wii remote did, in terms of allowing developers to come up with creative ways for gamers to experience their titles. I’m sure Nintendo has already cooked up a unique Mario, Zelda or Metroid experience to showcase just how it could work.

We now also have confirmation through an official Nintendo report that the company will definitely showcase the new console at E3 on June 7^th – the report states that the machine will be playable, but whether that means playable by Nintendo staff demoing it on stage, or playable by attendees on the show floor, remains to be seen.

This doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but it’s one more reason to be excited about Nintendo’s E3 2011 goody bag. Nintendo has also stated it does not plan to release Project Café this year and that we can expect it after March 2012. Our best guess is a holiday 2012 release – Nintendo is unlikely to want to miss the holiday rush.

That about wraps up what we know definitively. Everything else is hearsay or unconfirmed – including the possible meaning of the console’s code name, Project Café.

Whereas Project Revolution gave us all a glimpse into what to expect from Nintendo’s next endeavor, that being a revolutionary new way to play games, Project Café is much more cryptic. Speculation is about all we have in regards to the name, but it is possible that it ties into a constantly connected experience. Many modern day cafés offer customers complimentary wi-fi that allows them to be constantly connected with their devices. After seeing the direction Nintendo took with the 3DS and its Street Pass and Spot Pass functions, it’s quite possible that these types of features will be a selling point.

See what we did there?

There are rumblings about the name being “Nintendo Stream”, about high profile third parties like Rockstar being on board, and the cost being between $350 and $400, but it is all speculation at this point. We should get many more questions answered in June.

But for us, the big question is: What does Nintendo have to do to recapture the hardcore market, next generation? Well, we’ve compiled a list to try and answer that. This is coming from someone who waited in line at 4:00am in frigid weather to secure my Wii console in 2006, only to have that same Wii console collect dust underneath the television in 2011. Sure, I will brush it off every so often for a decent release (most recently Donkey Kong Country Returns), but it has come far too close to resembling a paper weight over the last year or two and it’s important to look at how that can be avoided in 2012 and beyond.