Sony’s 2008 E3 briefing kicks off one week from today. Today we’re looking back at their E3 event from last year to see what they promised and what came true.
If anyone had something to prove at E3 2007, it was Sony.
The Wii had shown it was more than a holiday phenomenon and Microsoft’s year-long lead was proving more damaging than Sony had anticipated.
Whereas Microsoft’s conference (we’ll get to that tomorrow) focused almost exclusively on 2007, Sony needed to convince the faithful that their expensive hardware purchase was going to pay off.
It was go big or go home. At the conference, they announced:
* Slim PSP introduced
* “Echochrome,” “Wipeout HD,” “Infamous,” others announced
* Home integrated on mobile phones, fall release date
* MMO creator NCSoft pledged exclusivity to PS3
* “Haze,” “Unreal Tournament III” became PS3 exclusives
So, what’s happened in the year since then?
“Warhawk” has proven one of the machine’s breakout online hits. The decision to axe the reportedly struggling single-player component and focus on a robust multiplayer paid off for Sony, as gamers continued to purchase additional download packs in droves all year. “Warhawk” continues to be have one of the most vibrant online communities on PS3.
“Heavenly Sword” and “Lair” both reached PS3 owners with mixed results, critically and commercially. In the case of the former, it appears the originally proposed trilogy may not happen. Insomniac Games was praised for their PS3 entry in the “Ratchet and Clank” franchise, but PS3’s smaller user base ultimately limited its reach. “Unreal Tournament III” rounded out the year.
Many have declared 2008 to finally be PS3’s year.
The machine’s 2008 kicked off with the release of Ubisoft’s futuristic shooter “Haze” in late May. Though exclusive — for now, at least — critical reception to Free Radical Design’s game was not the blockbuster Sony envisioned. Thankfully for Sony, however, it was only a few weeks before Konami dropped the long-anticipated “Metal Gear Solid 4,” but with sales numbers still hidden away, it’s hard to know how much impact Solid Snake’s final adventure had.
We still don’t have a proper release date for Home. Sony now predicts an open beta for the online service will arrive sometime in the fall, and while whispers have predicted a PlayStation phone coming down the pipe, it’s yet to come to fruition. Nor have we heard any update about possible Home integration into that or other mobile devices (I’ll take an iPhone application, thanks!).
Sony Online Entertainment should be taking the wraps off their “DC Universe” MMO for the PlayStation 3 and PC at the show this year, but the NCSoft announcement from a year ago hasn’t yet panned out into anything. NCSoft has made no announcements about any products coming to PS3 or PSP. But MMOs take time; maybe they will next week.
High off the still-recent release of “MGS 4,” it’s likely Sony will try to capitalize on that momentum and point gamers toward their packed fall lineup and convince on-the-fence gamers why they should be looking at “Resistance 2″ and “Killzone 2,” over — say — “Gears of War 2″ when deciding which console to side with this Christmas. As for PSP plans, it’s less clear.
What are you looking for out of Sony’s conference this year?