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The News - 06.07.11 - Day One E3 - The Parent's Guide to Video Games

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by The Game Store Guy on June 07, 2011 at 06:27 AM
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Hello again, Parents and Gamers!

With Day 1 of E3, the Electronic Entertainment Exposition, having come and pass, we have one heck of a article for you. Things will be broken up a little differently than usual due to the sheer amount of information that is pouring out of Los Angeles as we speak. We will be starting off with the PlayStation Vita, previously known as the PSP-2 and now then the "NGP", and the official announcement of pricing, launch estimates, and games. From there, we have more news straight from Sony concerning an affordable new 3D Television/PlayStation Bundle for anyone who has been wanting to get 3D visuals in their home for an inexpensive price. With that, we will move to our Microsoft Kinect focused article of the day concerning some new, and helpful, equipment as well as a number of fun new games. Last, and certainly not least, is the return of the mega-franchise, Halo. 

So, tie up your boots and strap yourselves in: Let's get started.

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Ever since Sony's announcement of the "NGP" handheld system, previously known as the PSP-2, way back in January, a number of our readers have been waiting, some patiently, some not so much, for more news on this incredibly powerful, handheld video-game system: the wait is over.

Sony announced today at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Exposition) that the codenamed NGP system is officially named the PlayStation Vita. The Vita will be one of the most powerful handheld systems on the market and is looking to bridge the gap between handheld video-game systems versus at-home consoles; the separation of which has existed for almost the length of the industry due to at-home systems tending to have phenomenally more power than a portable one.

The Vita, which is Latin for life, will be released in two models and is meant to be a multi-purpose device rather than exclusively a video game console; much like the PlayStation 3 is today. All models will include Touch Screens, GPS capability (Global Positioning Satellite), Six-Axis motion sensors (meaning players can move the system and it will actually affect their gameplay based on how and where they move it), a three-axis electronic compass (Incase you get lost???), a dual camera system for taking pictures on the go, and two thumbsticks for ease of play.

One model will work exclusively through Wi-Fi connection, like a laptop computer it would require a wireless internet router nearby, while the second model will feature both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity; allowing players to connect to "3G" Wireless Internet no matter where they are; so long as they are within range of a "hotspot"; i.e. signal. The Wi-Fi Model will go for $249 USD/€249/¥24,980, depending on whether you are in the U.S.A., Europe, or Japan respectively. Likewise, the 3G/Wi-Fi model will go for $249 USD/€299/¥29,980 respectively.

3G Internet connectivity will be run through AT&T for the U.S.A. Pricing for 3G Internet will be released later.


On top of the system itself, Sony highlighted several games that will be coming out for the PlayStation Vita. Aside from previously mentioned titles like Resistance and Uncharted, the company confirmed their intention to release two mega-popular family-friendly titles: Modnation Racers and Little Big Planet.

While the release dates for these titles are currently unconfirmed, Sony highlighted a number of new features for these franchises' newest iterations. Both titles will now include the usage of the system's touch-screens. For Little Big Planet players, this means that they will be able to incorporate the touch-screen into both building their own levels as well as in a number of different gameplay options like jumping and throwing items. Likewise, ModNation Racer players will be able to use the touch screen to help build all of their own race-tracks to drive on as well as mold and create landscape.

The companies assure consumers that both titles will be brand new and will not be re-makes of the titles already available on either the PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable video-game systems. 

Last, but certainly not least, the PlayStation Vita is slated for release later this year during Holiday 2011.


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Moving swiftly on, Sony decided to address the number one issue that their push for 3D gaming has been facing: no one owns 3D televisions.

As an answer to the dilemma, Sony announced at their E3 press release that they will be release a brand new PlayStation-Brand 3D display. The 3D TV will be 24 inches tall, not too large by most modern standards, but perfect for a personal set for office, study, or bedroom.

Aside from the obvious, i.e. it displays a 3D picture, this new display will have a fascinating secondary function. Using the 3D glasses (referred to as stereoscopic glasses), two players will be able to watch and play two different completely different images. To better explain what this means; most two player games will split the screen down the middle, forcing each player to look at a smaller and skewed image while both try and navigate using half of a screen. This new display will utilize the 3D images to relay a full display to each player without needing to "share" the screen.

This display will be bundled with 2 sets of 3D glasses, a six foot HDMI cable (used for high definition connection to your Blu-Ray Player or PlayStation 3, a copy of the first-person shooter video-game, Resistance 3, and the Monitor. The bundle is priced at $499.99 USD and extra 3D glasses are available for $69.99 USD. The bundle will be released this Fall, 2011.

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Do you own a Microsoft Kinect? Do you enjoy it but just don't have enough games to play? Perhaps you have run into some issues with not having enough room in your home? Microsoft has you covered.

Starting off, accessory-developers Nyko have designed a new product meant to alleviate the issues that a number of Kinect owners have been facing with just not having enough space. Currently, the Microsoft Kinect requires a rather large play area, roughly 10 ft. square, to fully utilize the system's motion tracking capabilities. This problem has led to a number of players simply not using or even returning this component simply due to not having a large enough living room.

The new product from Nyko, called the Zoom, is looking to solve this problem. Using a very simple little attachment that will snap on to your Kinect-camera, the Zoom will increase the viewing capabilities of the Kinect while decreasing the overall distance and space required to fully use and enjoy your Microsoft Kinect. It is completely cords and batteries free and will be usable for ALL Kinect games. The Zoom will be released on August 16th for $29.99 USD.


Aside from useful accessories, a slew of new, family-friendly games were announced. The top three games that we saw were a new Rayman Raving Rabbids title, Dance Central 2, and Kinect Disneyland Adventures.

The new Rayman Raving Rabbids game, called Raving Rabbids: Alive and Kicking, will be the fifth installment to the very popular Raving Rabbids series. The franchise is recognized for its fun, if odd sense-of-humor, that focuses on the madness and gimmicks of a crazy race of alien bunnies that are always seeming to get into some kind of trouble. Most games focus on "mini-games", allowing players to complete quick tasks that range anything from bob-sledding to cow-tossing to being a dentist for a bunny who didn't brush and are generally great fun for the whole family. The new "Alive and Kicking" looks to be no different and will now utilize the motion-controls of the Kinect camera to not only let you control the fun with your body, but even transport the mad little Rabbids right into your living room.

Next, Dance Central 2 is a follow-up to the wildly successful Dance Central title which was released late last year with the launch of the Microsoft Kinect. This game, which uses the Kinect camera to allow players to perform a number of complex and occasionally silly dance moves, met rave reviews and was generally regarded as one of the best-selling and most popular games to be launched with the Microsoft Kinect. The new title will now feature voice control, meaning a player can simply tell the game what it wants, a "campaign mode", i.e. a single player story to follow, will allow players to transfer all of their songs from the first Dance Central game to this new one, and will support multiplayer dancing for two players at a time.


Finally, I have to say that this may be one of the best ideas and utilization of the Kinect so far. How would you like to send your kids to Disneyland without the crowds, sunburns, and incredibly expensive cost? Kinect: Disneyland Adventures will be sending players through a virtual recreation of Disneyland in addition to providing a number of mini-games for players to enjoy that are Disney related such as flying through the air with Peter Pan and Croquet with Alice in Wonderland. The game also seems to be focusing on ease of play more than anything so that players of all ages, big and small, can enjoy a trip to Disneyland with the need to pack sunblock.


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Also come out of Microsoft today is the announcement of the sequel to one of the largest franchises video-game franchises to date: Halo.

While details are currently being kept close to their chest, Microsoft announced that Halo 4 will be released Holiday 2012 and will not only continue the story of the the game's iconic hero, Master Chief, but will also be the dawn of a new trilogy. While the original developers Bungie are no longer working on the project, hardly-rookie team 343 Industries will be stepping up to the plate. 343 Industries are already recognized for their work on Halo Waypoint, the most recent "Defiant Map Pack" which was released as downloadable content for the most recent title "Halo: Reach".

We would like to take a minute to remind parents that most iterations of the Halo franchise have been M-Rated and recommended only for players 17 years of age or older. However, it is interesting to point out that the reasons for the M-Rating have progressively decreased with almost every release. Secondly, if you would like additional information, The Parent's Guide to Video Games has reviewed the most recent iteration, dubbed Halo: Reach, and gave it a High in Kid Friendliness and High in Game Quality. If you would like to read this review, simply click here.

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And that is that for the day! We would like to thank you all for joining us for this rather lengthy article of The News and invite you to stop by again tomorrow for our review of Hunted: The Demon's Forge. For those of you waiting on more news from E3, we promise that we will fill in all of the gaps the following day on Thursday. As always, if you have any questions, we encourage you to simply shoot it to us at the e-mail address provided or leave it in the comments section below; we will get to everyone as quick as we can. Thanks again and we hope you have a wonderful day!

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  • by Thursday, June 09, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    Huh, that Nyko Zoom sure is an interesting after market piece...