Penny Arcade is pretty good at expressing its game-related displeasure without resorting to millions of words.
Abracadabra: Gabe and Tycho have done it once again, summing up this year's impotent E3 in a manner that made me laugh out loud in a very quiet library (it's air-conditioned in here, unlike my apartment). Applause all around.
How are you doing with this year's E3, anyway? I can't say I've met too many people who are thrilled with what's being offered; the Chosen Ones for the Big Three are mostly going up on stage to talk about sales and statistics. Big titles? Shocking drama? Aside from the news about Square-Enix jumping from the deck of the S.S. Sony Exclusive, 2008's E3 has been a lullaby.
On the other hand, we knew E3 had become the bloated whore of a digital Babylon by the time it finally deflated in 2006. E3 is no longer about glitz and thumping music and booth babes in spaghetti-strap Ubisoft tops. It is supposed to be about statistics and numbers and other dry matters. Just because Nintendo didn't reveal anything particularly interesting this year doesn't mean we'll be waiting another year for something worthwhile; there's no reason for companies to save their big announcements for E3 anymore. It'll take some getting used to, but eventually we'll all be comfortable with that fact.
Besides, what game was the joke of 2007's E3? Wii Fit. Guess which game I want now? Wii Fit. Guess which game I can't find anywhere?
Go on, guess. I dare thee.
Related Links:
Yahtzee and the Webcomics Plague
E3 Day Two: Spin, Malaise, Sony's New Clothes, and Nintendo's True Disruption
Do We Need E3?