Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Kinect and PlayStation Move took center stage at this year’s event. By Russ Frushtick The Nintendo 3DS Photo: Nintendo Another E3 is in the books , and it seems the theme of this year’s show was more about breaking new technology barriers than innovating with new games. The three console manufacturers — Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo — each offered a new piece of hardware designed to enhance the gaming experience, with some more impressive than others. Microsoft’s Kinect, a motion-capture camera meant to sit below the TV, tracks a player’s body movements without the need for a controller. It’s a remarkable piece of technology, due in November, but does it make for better gaming? My time with Kinect was focused on a handful of games. The first, “Kinect Adventures,” was incredibly fun, with me flailing my real (and digital) arms as I raced down white-water rapids in an inflatable raft. Microsoft also enlisted the help of Turn 10, the developers of the racing title “Forza Motorsport,” to make a Kinect version of their game, which allowed me to steer an invisible wheel and direct a high-powered roadster down a serpentine track. There were some sensitivity issues, but for the most part, I was impressed by the fidelity of both experiences, with no part of me missing a controller in my hands. Sony’s E3 offering was PlayStation Move, also coming this fall. First revealed at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco earlier this year, Move is another motion-sensing gaming experience, but this one has you holding a wand to track your movements, similar to the Wii. Of the big hardware offerings, PlayStation Move seemed the most underwhelming. Playing through one of Sony’s mini-game collections, “Sports Champions,” I couldn’t help but feel like I was just experiencing a retread of Nintendo’s “Wii Sports Resort.” Certainly, the graphics looked better, but in terms of accuracy of motion capture and the fun factor, Move didn’t feel like it was breaking any new ground. There are dozens of titles coming to Move in the next year, so the success of the product is based on the quality of the software, but the current state of the device is a bit worrying. Nintendo’s focus for this year’s E3 was on its brand-new handheld, the Nintendo 3DS , planned for release sometime after fall 2010. The concept is that players will be able view 3-D images on this handheld screen without the need for 3-D glasses. That pitch seemed a little outrageous and out of the realm of reality but somehow Nintendo managed to pull it off. Videos and games on the device had visible depth to them, as if the screen went back several more inches. It doesn’t — I checked. This is the real deal. While playing through a technology demo of “Metal Gear Solid” for 3DS, I was able to watch the game’s hero crawl through thick jungle, surrounded by alligators, bees and other nasties. Despite this all taking place in my hands, I couldn’t help but jump when a snake snapped out at me from the screen. It’s unfortunate that there’s no way to capture the 3DS experience on video, and words hardly do it justice. It’s a truly remarkable piece of technology, unlike anything I’ve seen before, and it’s safe to say that it was the highlight of this year’s show. For more impressions from the E3 show floor on games like “GoldenEye 007,” “Portal 2” and “The Legend of Zelda,” head on over to MTV Multiplayer . Check out the Multiplayer blog , updated daily, for even more gaming coverage. Related Photos Eminem, Usher, More Perform At Activision’s E3 Party
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E3 2010: Highlights From The Show Floor
