E3 2012 Day 1 RoundUp
Alright, so E3 2012 day one has come and gone. When I had the idea for these daily roundups, I envisioned something similar to the Weekly News Recap. I have severely underestimated the amount of news just one day contained, however, so I think it best to do a bullet list of all the highlights. So, without further ado, here it comes:
Ubisoft
-Far Cry 3 was announced, and is due to release this September.
-Unveiled Watch_Dogs, an open-world action game.
-Assassin's Creed III featured some gameplay footage and a fancy new trailer.
-Announced Avengers: Battle for Earth. Set for release this Autumn, with full Kinect support, the trailer featured many Marvel favorites wreaking havok.
-Splinter Cell: Blacklist was announced. Featuring Kinect-integrated voice controls, it is set to release Spring of 2013.
EA
-Crysis 3 featured a gameplay trailer, and was confirmed for a February 2013 release date.
-EA has obtained the license for Ultimate Fighting Championship from THQ. The deal, between EA, UFC, and license holder Zuffa, was described as a 'multi-year, multi-product' partnership.
-Need for Speed: Most Wanted was officially announced. Said to be a reboot of the 2005 racer, not a true sequel, and will be out October 30th.
-Medal of Honor: Warfighter gameplay was showcased; the game will be released on October 23rd.
-Many longtime rumors were confirmed with the announcement of Battlefield 3 Premium, a content subscription service for EA's COD rival. It will cost 4,000 Microsoft Points.
-Madden 13 gameplay details emerged: The game will feature a brand new physics engine, a new career mode, and even Kinect voice commands. August 28th is the date for that.
-Dead Space 3 was also featured, and many details leaked, including the fact that Isaac will have be joined by a co-op partner named James Carver. Featuring drop in drop out coop throughout the campaign, DS3 will be released February 2013.
-FIFA 13 will be released this Fall, and is touting Kinect voice commands, including the ability to argue calls with the referee.
Microsoft
-Announced a partnership with Nike to develop a new fitness game for Kinect. Due out this year, the game features real-time feedback, a personalized training regiment, and even an accompanying Windows Phone app.
-Fable: The Journey was trailered, and is a Kinect title.
-Announced Ascend: New Gods, an action RPG for XBLA developed by Signal Studios, the Toy Soldiers devs.
-Announced LocoCycle for XBLA. Developed by Twisted Pixel, it will release in 2013.
-Announced Matter, a Kinect-powered puzzler for XBLA.
-Halo 4 received a live action trailer and some gameplay footage.
-Forza Horizon will be released on October 23rd.
-All add ons for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will be timed-exclusive for the 360.
-Several new features for XBL were outlined, including updated search functionality, including the ability to search films by genre, as well as even more apps and sports coverage.
-Nickelodeon, Paramount movies, Machinima, NBA Game Time, NHL Game Center, and a huge expansion to ESPN are in the works.
-Xbox SmartGlass was discussed; a feature that allows you to use devices like your tablet and mobile phone to access even more features. Uses in television programs and games were showcased. SmartGlass will launch this Fall.
Misc.
-2K's Spec Ops: The Line will receive co-op DLC for free following the game's launch in June.
-South Park: The Stick of Truth was showcased. It was announced that all DLC for the game will be a timed exclusive to the 360, as well as including Kinect functionality. The game will launch on March 5th, 2013.
-Dance Central 3 was announced, compliments of Usher.
-Resident Evil 6 was shown off, along with the announcement that all the DLC, you guessed it, is a timed exclusive to the 360.
-Gears of War: Judgement featured a trailer. It looks like Baird will be in the lead, and the game is set 15 years prior to other entries in the series. June 2013 was the date on that.
-A new Tomb Raider was announced, and Lara looks better than ever. The game will release next year, and the first piece of DLC will be timed exclusive to the 360.
-Zeno Clash II was announced.
Phew, I hope there is enough info there to satisfy your appetite. Let me know if the bullet format works. Of course there is a ton more info on all of these developments around the web, along with press conferences, trailers and more, but if you're like me and can do without all that jazz, these are the facts for E3 Day 1. I cannot wait to see what Day 2 has in store!