Sony's E3 2009 Press Conference Roundup

For two hours, Sony floored fans with incredible games and hardware, showing that the company is determined to take down Microsoft and Nintendo during 2009-2010

The Introduction
Sony's E3 press conference began with SCEA CEO Jack Tretton waltzing out onto the stage and cracking a joke in regards to the company's inability to keep secrets (more than likely referring to the PSP Go video leaked onto YouTube days prior to the conference). "Thank God you guys showed up," he said. "Given this industry's ability to keep confidential industry information confidential, I was amazed anyone came."

Tretton then moved on with a more serious tone, revealing that a whopping 364 games are coming to the PlayStation platforms this year alone (that's almost a game a day), 100 of which are heading to the oldie-but-goodie PlayStation 2 console. He claimed that 2009 will be the best year ever, saying that Sony grew the PlayStation 3 install base by 40-percent in fiscal 2008, and expects even more this year. He also added that the PlayStation 3 is headed to Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay this year as well.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Evan Wells of Naughty Dog entered the stage to promote the upcoming game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. "Uncharted 2 is easily our most ambitious game to date," Wells said. "Tonight at midnight, you can participate in our multiplayer beta." Picking up the DualShock 3 controller, he demonstrated incredible gameplay during the single player campaign: the new sequel definitely keeps the humor of the original game intact while offering house-to-house fighting action set against an awesome, mountainous city backdrop. The game looked absolutely spectacular (no surprise there), perhaps even more so than the original; the action sequences were just as nail biting as before. The crowed roared once the demo completed.

MAG
Andy B. of Zipper Interactive entered the stage and played a demo of its upcoming first person shooter MAG, finally revealing that game's capabilities of handling 256 players simultaneously: a squad of eight players was live on stage (also from Zipper), the other 31 squads were displayed on the screen behind the stage. "All the gunfire, all the explosions, everything you hear or see is actually happening in real time by a real person," he said. Eventually the demo pulled up the tactical map, and once it zoomed out and he revealed that each red and blue dot represented a real, live person, the large scope of the game came into full perspective.

PSPgo (PSP-N1000) (October 1)
If the name didn't give it away, this upcoming portable console is Sony's next step in the PlayStation Portable evolution. Frankly, the device needed a facelift, however it's questionable whether the new sliding screen and compact design will convince current PSP owners to spend an additional $249 when it launches in North America and Europe on October 1. We can't say that we're sad to see the UMD drive hit the road... anyone who's played The Sims 2 on the PSP will know why the format was really never the hit Sony was expecting. We already covered most of the hardware details yesterday: 16 GB of internal storage, Bluetooth support, a memory card slot, a 3.8-inch screen.

However, Kaz Hirai, CEO of SCE, presenting the PSPgo to an enthused audience, said that the new version was a direct result of consumer feedback. "Let me be clear," he said, "the PSP go will not replace the PSP-3000 or the UMD." He also talked about "Media Go," the multimedia software replacing Media Manager, and "SensMe," a program that will analyze your music and suggest new music based on your mood and taste. Sony will offer a new PSP toolkit that will be more affordable, and ensure more games for the portable console. Additionally, the Video Delivery Service will now be a native part of the PSP, with Showtime, G4, UFC and more providing downloadable content. Thr PSPgo will arrive in two colors: Piano Black and Pearl White.

Gran Turismo PSP (October 1)
Once the PSP Go soaked in all the glory (that is, what it could salvage after the prior weekend's leak), Kazunouri Yamauchi came out to talk about the long-awaited Gran Turismo PSP installment. "The GT running inside this small hardware is a full GT, running at 60 FPS," he said. "GT PSP contains 800 cars, 35 tracks, and various layouts of those tracks." He also said that players can race in ad hoc mode with up to 4 players; they can also play and trade cars from the garage.
 
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)
Hideo Kojima entered the stage for this title, claiming that the PSP is getting hotter, and that Snake is making a return. He revealed that the setting takes place 10 years after Metal Gear Solid 3, during the 1970s (ack), making the game a true sequel of the Metal Gear franchise. "Let me emphasize that I am very deeply involved in this game, as well as the main team that created MGS4," he said. "This is not a spinoff, this is not a side story." He then loads up an impressive trailer depicting a scene where 4 Solid snakes are taking on a Metal Gear.

Resident Evil Portable (2010)
We really didn't see this one coming, but we must say that it's about time! Tretton, after re-entering the stage, explained that the new Resident Evil title is a whole new game being developed especially for the PSP handheld.

PlayStation Network
More downloadable titles are heading your way including 50 PSOne Classics as well as Final Fantasy VII. As for PlayStation Home, there are 6.5 million registered occupants; PSN itself now has more than 24 million registered users worldwide.

Agent
Tretton said that Rockstar's new property, Agent, will be a PlayStation 3 exclusive, however he didn't go into specific detail, only elaborating the success of Rockstar's Grand Theft auto series.

Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3), Bloodlines (PSP) (Winter 2009)
Two members of Ubisoft came on the stage and presented a video clip of Assassin's Creed 2, offering impressive gameplay that had many audience members "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing." The game picks up where the first installment ends, but this time players take control of Ezio, a (swimming!) assassin inhabiting Italy during the Renaissance era. According to the clip, Ezio can not only use Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine, but he can even attack from it as well. The clip also showed Ezio flying through the canals of Venice, dodging arrows while fireworks explode in the background. Assassin's Creed 2 and Bloodlines (PSP) will feature interoperability.

Final Fantasy XIII
This game simply looked awesome in the E3 clip, providing both cinematic sequences and lots of gameplay. The trailer will also begin to make its rounds in PlayStation Home shortly.

Final Fantasy XIV Online (2010)
This will be an exclusive PS3 title when it launches in 2010 (the audience gasped at that one). Based on the E3 clip, this game looked just as awesome, and should prove to be a huge hit next year.

The Motion Controller
Sony brought out the PlayStation Motion Controller prototype, looking like the handle of a lightsaber with a glowing orb stuck on the un-ignited end (maybe it's a PlayStation scepter?). The PlayStation Eye tracks the movement of the controller by way of the orb, and can even incorporate weapons into the player's hand. In one instance, the player swung a mace. In another instance, the player pulled out a virtual gun; gamers can move around, point, and shoot things in first person mode. The light whip was awesome, bending and "whipping" realistically. The player took building blocks, and built a structure. Using the controller, the player could even write his name with "sub-millimeter" accuracy.

Little Big Planet
Disney is releasing costumes this fall including Jack Sparrow, The Incredibles, and more.

ModNation Racers (2010)
This game is the next "Play Create Share" title, offering Mario Kart-like gameplay with LittleBigPlanet creativity. During its presentation, developer United Front Games created a new map in "five minutes" using the included Track Studio, laying out the track by way of driving the cart across an empty terrain. They move on to create mountains, hills, houses, trees, and whatnot using "brushes" reminiscent of the 3D program Bryce. They also added sheep, manipulated the local water level, maneuvered the sun to create a dramatic effect, and then test drove the map for any gameplay problems. Like LitteBigPlanet, the maps are stored on the hard drive and can be uploaded for the community to enjoy. The map can be re-downloaded by thr author and revamped if needed. Gamers can also create individualized racers and karts.

The Last Guardian
This too will be a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and the E3 clip offered an interesting take on the fantasy genre, reminiscent of the movie Neverending Story.

Gran Turismo 5
This was one of the hottest games on display at Sony's show, displaying visuals that looked too real to be a console game. Wow. Simply wow. There were hints of NASCAR, Rally Racing, damage modeling, and many big-name automobile manufacturers. This game should be somewhat familiar, as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has been out on the market for over a year now.

God of War 3 (March 2010)
The developers showcased a playable demo of the trilogy's final installment, displaying gameplay synonymous with the previous two titles. During the presentation, Kratos laid waste to a batch of soldiers, harpies, and even ripped open a centaur like a Tauntaun yanked straight out of The Empire Strikes Back. The game looked great, and the line between gameplay and cinematics seemed to be nonexistent. However, the giant god stomping around in the background cranked up the game in a visual sense, and should leave fans drooling until next year.

"We intend to ensure that when you think of great gaming, you will think of PlayStation," Tretton concluded at the end of the conference.