E3 2012 is in the pipeline and this will mark the 18th Electronic Entertainment Expo. Nintendo had some goodies for the audience by showing off a newly redesigned Wii-U controller and slightly modified Wii-U console design. Microsoft showed off their big titles for the Xbox 360 such as Halo 4 and Resident Evil 6. Also, the company discussed new content partnerships with the NBA and NHL and focused heavily on their X-Box smart glass technology. It’s a companion application that connects with the Xbox 360 and allows mobile devices to become more interactive and to control what you’re seeing on your television screen. One example shown to the public is to view a film or television program on your mobile device , pause the media temporarily, and then continue watching the media in your living room on the big screen TV. Sony’s press conference highlighted some new first party titles such as God of War: Ascension and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale as well as the development of the PlayStation mobile network and Wonderbook interactive digital book service that will deliver digital content to the entertainment console very soon.

As is customary on this website…Here’s a look at some of the more original game properties that we saw at this year’s event.

-South Park: The Stick of Truth is an upcoming role-playing video game based on the American animated television series South Park. The game is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by THQ in collaboration with South Park Digital Studios. South Park Co-Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker will be writing the script for the game, overseeing development and providing the voices for the characters in the game. The extreme input from the duo is based on the frustration by both over the lower quality and poor reviews that previous South Park games have received. The game will be using motion-sensor technology on the Xbox 360’s Kinect device as well as voice recognition technology that will allow gamers to yell stuff at Cartman during certain points in the game. Gamers will get to create their own custom character, and part of The Stick of Truth revolves around you trying to become the 5th member of the crew. Matt and Trey worked very closely with the developers to make sure that the game’s graphics closely resemble those of the television program’s 2D cutout style. We’re hoping that this game becomes a neat change of pace from the first-person action shooter sequels that will be overcrowding the gaming market in 2013.
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We managed to get our hands on a PS Vita for a few days and were able to take the time to review it for this site. The PS Vita is the next generation successor to the PSP (playstation Portable System). The device tries to not only focus on games but also has plenty of cool hardware for taking photos or using the device as an internet browser. Sony is trying to sell the PS Vita as an extension of the PS3 – A device where you can play your PS3 games and then save them and take the game with you on a train or bus and keep playing and keep playing right where you left off before. You can then take the PS Vita and attach it to your PS3 and keep playing the same game on your television as you were doing earlier in the day. Let’s take a look at some of the good and bad things about the new portable device…

Highs:
-OLED screen
-New user interface
-Ability to use Skype
-Touch screen
-Remote play
-SIXAXIS, accelerometers and gyroscopic sensors
-Dual analog sticks

Lows:
-Sony’s own proprietary memory card that doesn’t work in any other device but a PS Vita
-Poor battery life
-Only one screen
-No TV-out functionality
-Buttons are small and cramped

The first thing that stands out with a PS Vita is the screen. The Vita contains a 5” OLED display that has a qHD resolution (960×544). This will help developer’s improve lighting effects in games and help not to lower the frame rate degrade the gaming experience. The Vita uses a touch screen which works decently. There’s no need to have to type text for long periods of time anymore.The user interface has been changed and is no longer using the XMB interface from the PS3. The interface runs smoothly (60fps) but the graphics could be a bit more polished (hopefully they fix this up with a firmware update). One cool feature that the PS Vita can do is take advantage of remote play opportunities with the PS3. Very soon, you will be able to download a PS3 or PS Vita copy if you own the same copy on one of the two devices. This means that you’ll be able to stream PS3 games to your PS Vita for a more portable experience or move a saved PS Vita game to your PS3 and continue the experience at home. Another concept is to be able to use the PS Vita as a touch screen controller when playing games on your PS3 device. So far, there is no game that has taken advantage of these opportunities but it’s definitely something that gaming developers can use to their advantage to make a better gaming experience for all those involved.
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Nintendo has come a long way with their handheld portable devices. Many competitors have tried to outsell Nintendo with flashier graphics, bigger hardware and cooler accessories but Nintendo has still managed to be the #1 selling portable device in North America. The Nintendo DS has been around for a little over 1 year already so we finally decided to review the system after having gotten our hands on one and been able to play it for a bit.

Highs:
-3D graphics
-Ability to enjoy 3D gaming without the need for special glasses.
-Backwards compatible with Nintendo DSi games
-New analog stick is tough and feels comfortable when using it
-Increased screen resolution

Lows:
-Poor photo resolution
-3D graphics
-Top lid is flimsy
-Directional (D-Pad) is out of place
-Poor battery life
-3DS is a little too heavy
-250$ price tag (has since been reduced to 150$)

When we first tried out the 3DS, the first thing we noticed is how much stuff Nintendo has thrown in for free inside the box that they aren’t overcharging you for. You get a 3DS charger, a memory card and some pre-loaded software to take advantage of the 3DS’ sound capabilities and 3D graphics. The other noticeable thing that stands out on the device is the system’s first ever inclusion of an analog stick. The analog stick feels heavy in your hand and moves 360 degrees very easily without too much pressure. Unfortunately, the new analog stick has forced the directional pad to the lower left corner of the device where it feels out of place and uncomfortable to use especially when a large percentage of the 3DS games use the directional pad only.
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