Your mission, should you choose to accept it - I got the above package FedExed to me yesterday from Microsoft and for some reason it made me very curious. I knew right away it wasn't a game, so what could it be? The package was small and the container inside had a weird shape, felt very light and came with no other information in the box. As I was opening it I felt like Ethan Hunt, preparing myself for some kind of adventure. Do you know what it was? Sorry, but if I told you Bill Gates would send his goon squad to kill me. Okay, so maybe I got E3 on the brain juuuust a little bit. The biggest video game convention in the world is a week a away and I'm feeling like a kid a few days before Christmas. Just let me get there already!
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Below is a list (current as of today) of what companies I'm going to be visiting with from Tuesday to Friday of next week. I'm also working on securing an interview with G4TV's Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb (Yowza!). On this week's podcast my brother and I discuss a lot of gaming topics and next week GameDaily Associate Editor Eli Shayotovich will be in studio where we'll be talking about E3 (duh!).
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Forget xbox.com, forget your television, forget anyplace else. THIS is the place you want to come during E3 for the latest news on soon to be released games, gossip, pictures, interviews and the real inside dirt about the event and what its really like.
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Tuesday
5-7 pm: Welcome Reception - Although the event doesn't start until Wednesday, the socializing starts today. Here the media picks up their ID badges for the week and munch on hor d'oeuvres and cocktails. Hopefully its an open bar.
What I'm really hoping for: A little quiet time with Morgan Webb (Did I already say "Yowza!"? I did? How about "Wow!"? Okay, lets go with that.)
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8:30 pm: Microsoft Press Briefing - Here Microsoft will be telling us something. I'm not sure what, but as long as the open bar moves to here I'll listen to anything.
What I'm really hoping for: To talk Bill Gates into investing in this llama farm I'm staring up in Arizona.
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Wednesday
2pm: Electronic Arts - This year E3 is spread out all over Santa Monica. There are events at the Santa Monica Hanger but also at a number of hotels. Since my first appointment of the day isn't until 2, I'll probably head to the hanger in the morning (not too early, I'll have to sleep off all of those drinks from the night before) then head over to the hotels. My first stop is with EA, one of my favorite companies.
What I'm really hoping for: To grab some kind of cheat code that allows me to destroy my brother when we play "Madden 08" online together. He always beats me and I'm tired of it.
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3pm: 2K - I'm looking forward to getting my hands on "All Pro Football 2K8" and seeing how it stacks up. Also anxious to see "Bioshock".
What I'm really hoping for: To see Patrick "Captain Picard" Stewart wandering around, talking about his voice over work on Oblivion, looking for someone to interview him.
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4:30pm: Sony - "Guitar Hero 2: Rocks the 80's", "PaRappa the Rappa" for the PSP and of course "Warhawk" will be among the few games to check out here.
What I'm hoping for: To go into a profanity-laced tirade about not having a reason to turn on my PS3 yet and someone actually caring.
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5 -7pm: Sony Cocktail Party - There's a lot of partying going on, who am I to fight it? As Ron Burgundy likes to say..."when in Rome". Or was it, "Santa Monica is Spanish for..."?
What I'm really hoping for: An open bar.
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6-10pm and 8pm-2am: More Parties - Two parties overlap but I'm going to hit them both. The first is an Eidos shindig for "Age of Conan", the second is one Bethesda is throwing. Its hard work going to three parties in one night, but if that's what it takes I'll do it.
What I'm really hoping for: That everyone who reads this blog never questions my committment to gaming.
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Thursday
8am: Take Two - What a horrible time to get up after a three party night but since its the company that has Rockstar as a subsidiary (among others), I'll make an exception. Again, my committment is on parade.
What I'm really hoping for: Its not too late to get a small voice over gig on GTA IV is it?
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9am: Midway - "Blacksite Area 51" and John Woo's "Stranglehold" are the big titles for Midway this year. Hopefully someone will talk about the XBLA release of "Cyberball".
What I'm really hoping for: To have a bullet-time shoot out with Chow Yun Fat.
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1pm: Namco Bandai - Great company with a long history of putting out great games (Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, Tekken, Ridge Racer, Pole Position, Time Crisis). I'm looking forward to seeing what they've got coming out.
What I'm really hoping for: A free download of "Pac-Man Championship Edition"
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2pm: Majesco - The maker of "Cooking Mama" has a number of DS, Wii and 360 games coming out this year.
What I'm really hoping for: To have a rice cook off with "Survivor" chef Keith Famie. How's that for a random pop culture reference?
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3pm: Disney - I plead ignorance, I'm not sure what The Mouse has on the table but I did take my kids to see "Ratatouille" and they seemed to like it.
What I'm really hoping for: To get into a fight with the guy in the Mickey Mouse costume like Peter Griffin does with the chicken.
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Friday
9am: Eidos - "Kane and Lynch", "Hitman Trilogy" and "Age of Conan" are upcoming titles from Eidos.
What I'm really hoping for: The actress who dresses as Lara Croft lets me stand within 10ft of her despite my existing restraining order.
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10am: Bethesda - The makers of one of the most addictive games ever ("Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion") have "Rogue Warrior" and post nuclear RPG "Fallout 3" coming out.
What I'm really hoping for: That Bethesda has an "Oblivion Addicts Anonymous" booth set up nearby.
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1pm: Codemasters - The "Dirt" and "Overlord" guys look to show off "Clive Barkers: Jericho" and "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty". Oh yeah, and don't forget about "Dirty Dancing: The Video Game". I'm serious.
What I'm really hoping for: To paint Baby in a corner and to outdance that rogue, Johnny Castle.
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2pm: Sega - "The Club", "Universe at War: Earth Assault" and "Fantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illumines" are on the mound for Sega.
What I'm really hoping for: To capture Sonic and sell his boundless energy as an alternative fuel source to Al Gore.
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Whew! I'm just tired writing that list, let alone running around and following it. And somewhere in there I have to fit Morgan Webb!?!? I think I'll find the time.
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1 comment:
Very cool. Have fun!
Hey...ask EA about NASCAR 08...what they see as a big improvement, plans for DLC, and especially - if they've made major upgrades in their servers in order for the game to properly support 12 folks in MP.
Ask if Namco is bringing Ridge Racer back to the 360(?)...fun game.
I am an old Fallout guy...so, what about a 'rough' release date on Fallout 3?
Sega - What about Sega Rally? When do we see it, and what MP support?
:) Thanks!
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