My column in the paper on Saturday looked at the ESRB's growing willingness to lower the ratings hammer on violent content in games, and whether that amounts to a restriction on artistic freedom.

My take?

These games are just publicity grabs, and the developers and publishers don't care one bit about artistic expression. So I don't really care if the ESRB or Wal-Mart or Sony declines to license or sell these games.

But a reader contacted me with a solid argument in favor of allowing games like Manhunt 2 and Condemned 2 to be made and released as originally designed.

I don't agree with his argument, but it's an honest defense, and I thought it would be interesting to post the discussion here.

Click below to read the exchange.

Victor,

I was surprised to read your article about Manhunt and Condemned. As a journalist I thought you might have a vested interest in protecting your freedom of speech and expression. No matter how much you don't like the content of these games there is no reason to ban them. They are made by adults for adults. They are not foisted upon anyone. If people didn't buy the first game then there would not be a second game. I have played the original games and they are not anything like what you describe. In fact the pace is slow, plodding, and at times dull. You have the freedom and option to use violence or to use other means.

It may sound trite but the truth of the matter is that if you start limiting these games then the next logical step is that we limit literature, art, movies, music, the press, and political speech that leave us feeling uncomfortable or queasy. Remember what happened with Janet Jackson? What was the backlash to TV from that?

The one good point that you make is when you asked if Sony and Nintendo would have carried the game if it had an M rating. They would have. They are hypocrites and it is about the dollar to them but they talk a good game of worrying about families and good taste. At least Rockstar embraces their reputation for producing controversial content.

Sincerely,

Mark Jasonides

************
VICTOR'S RESPONSE:

Hi Mark,

My main response would be that freedom of expression and speech aren't really in any danger here. Government censorship is certainly a danger, and something that I would be very concerned about if Congress had followed through with some of their threats to federalize the ESRB.

But when a private ratings group and private companies choose to not sell a game, that's not censorship. That's simply the free market at work.

Just as the developers at Rockstar have the freedom to make the game they want to make, Wal-Mart and Microsoft and Sony and Nintendo all have the right not to sell that game if it contains material that they deem offensive (and what that really means is harmful to their brand image, but the point still applies).

And if Rockstar really felt that this was a game that was artistically serious, then they would have done several things differently. First, it had to have been obvious from the start that the content in Manhunt 2 was going to earn the game an AO rating. The extent of the violence was clearly beyond any other mainstream game in history. But Rockstar chose to proceed anyway, with, I suspect, the intention of reaping the publicity value of the AO rating, and then toning down the content just enough to earn an M. The assumption was surely that all the buzz around the violent content would serve as a free marketing campaign.

On the other hand, if the developers really had been courting controversy as a way to make some larger point about art or culture, then they would have simply developed the game for PCs, and released it as a downloadable title through their Web site, bypassing Wal-Mart and the ESRB altogether.

But that's not what they did. They made a sensationalistic game, garnered tons of headlines, and are now repackaging the game as a mildly less gruesome piece of software ("The game the ESRB didn't want you to see!").

There are no freedom of speech issues here. Just issues of taste, hypocrisy and greed. Like I said - and as you noted - I don't think any of the hardware makers come out of this with pristine reputations either, but somehow Rockstar always seems to go out of its way to tarnish the reputation of video games and gamers in general.

************
MARK'S RESPONSE:

I absolutely agree that Rockstar wanted the free publicity. I even preordered the game based on the initial buzz. Also, yes some of the reported actions you can choose to perform are distasteful but just like the first Manhunt or The Suffering, you can choose how dark you want to make the game. It’s not a linear or homogenized experience.

Where I have to disagree with you is the ESRB making this decision independently of outside considerations. The industry as a whole is worried about government censorship so they have to give the Jack Thompsons and southern congressmen a sacrificial lamb. Who better than Rockstar? Yes, Rockstar could have released the game on PC but honestly, who plays PC games anymore other than for RTS, MMORPG, and Sim games? The consoles are definitely where the audience for an action game will be. Also, what about what is happening with Condemned 2? Is every game going to second guess itself now to make sure they don’t end up in someone’s crosshairs? This is self imposed censorship since the only reason they are editing their game is because they have seen what happened to Manhunt and they don’t want to deal with that. Rockstar can take the controversy; they already have a “bad” name. Will other developers be so willing to have their names associated with an AO title? It is the proverbial slippery slope that concerns me. Anyway, I see where you are coming from and you are right, I will buy the toned down version and wonder what got edited.

Sincerely,

Mark Jasonides

But what's up with these odd-sized price drops?

According to this Circuit City flyer posted at Joystiq, each version of the 360 is getting a different price reduction.

That just seems dumb to me, and unnecessarily complicated.

While I would have liked to have seen $100 price cuts across the board, $50 per console would have been fine, too.

But this mix-and-match pricing strategy seems likely only to confuse shoppers.

Is the $349 premium still a better deal than the $279 core? Well, let me go look at the hard drives, calculate the price difference, carry the one, add the square root of 3...

And while MS is carefully non-denying the imminent death of the core, I believe this is basically a clearance sale on the core, just as Sony is doing with the 60-gig PS3.

In a move that should make everyone cringe, Official Xbox Magazine will be offering paid downloads on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The content, that will probably correspond with the magazine's included cover-disc, will be free for subscribers and available for a fee for everyone else. This content will include exclusive demos.

I have no problem with paying for exclusive downloads, but paying for a demo really bothers me. The whole point of offering these free downloads is to ultimately sell games that might otherwise slip by a cautious, and sometimes thrifty, audience. I can't tell you how many times a demo has won me over on a title that I had previously written off.

Let's see how this pans out. The first offering should be in September for 200 MS Points. I have a hard enough time paying for silly gamer pics, I will never pay for a demo.

Via Play

VICTOR pontificates: Well, there is a way that paid demos could make sense. Basically, if you bought the demo, you should get a code that gives you a 10 percent discount if you buy the full game.

And what would be really cool is if, after you've played the demo on Xbox Live, you could click a little box to buy the game through Xbox Live and have it mailed to you as soon as it shipped.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm surprised Microsoft hasn't already partnered with someone like GameStop to create an online store for Xbox Live.

They wouldn't be digital downloads, but sort of an Amazon.com just for Xbox 360 users. You could use MS points to buy games, and get discount coupons for every 1000 points you add to your Gamer Score.

But, yeah, that probably won't happen. We'll just end up paying $5 for demos that used to be free.

Here's a giggle... the handhelds that no one loved.

Actually I loved 5 of these enough to buy them. Can you guess which ones?

Read the list here (via GamePro).

Hey, where's WonderSwan on this list? Yeah, I had it too.

Oh, and VirtualBoy?

This looks amazing:

October 30th!

Several gadget and gaming blogs are reporting that leaked flyers, from Wal-Mart and Toys R Us, are showing $50 price drops for the Xbox 360 (to $349). These prices seem to be hitting stores the second and third weeks of August (just in time for back to school).

This is just a rumor, but it seems like it's about time.

Via Gizmodo

Oh, please let this be good. My favorite show gets a game:

Some of the folks over at ScoreHero.com were flown out to the NeverSoft studios to test out the new Guitar Hero III. They reveal some of the new tracks, characters, and gamestyle changes on their website. The new hammer-on, pull-off scheme sounds pretty challenging, as they won't give you the option of strumming the notes.

I've played a whole-lotta GH II, and have yet to beat "Jordan" (tried well over a 100 times) and "Six" on expert level...but looking at the new song list, I might be even more frustrated at the Dragonforce song (youtube video). GAH!!!

Another punch in the stomach for us early adopters, the Xbox 360's HD-DVD add-on gets a $20 price drop and a mail in offer for 5 free movies. That's about $150 in movies, so this high-def doo-dad is almost free.

It's worth it, I promise. And this price starts August 1.

I was just checking out Sony's Playstation blog and saw this tidbit on the release of Lair. I'm looking foward to this title!

Given all the content and interest here on Lair, I figured you guys would also be interested to hear that the North American version of Lair has completed its development and is now in manufacturing! That means that we are on track for our August 14 release date.

Here's the full story

...but this is pretty funny.

And I have to say, it shouldn't be that hard for Sony fans to come up with a red ring of death song.

Yesterday, I noted a seeming scarcity of Xbox 360 Elite consoles at retailers.

I followed up with Microsoft to ask what the situation was on availability of the Elite and whether there was any kind of manufacturing pause.

Here's the response from John Rodman, Senior Product Manager, Xbox Global Platform:

"As anticipated, Xbox 360 Elite has been met with high demand since it launched. Our manufacturing facilities are running at full speed, and we are working very hard to satisfy the desire of every consumer who wants Xbox 360 Elite. There is a limit to the amount of consoles that can be made at any one time, and we know that consumers will snatch these up as quickly as they are made. Eventually, and as soon as possible, we will catch up with the demand."

That sounds plausible, and I'd be willing to leave the matter at that, but the Red Ring of Death issue hangs over every hardware discussion around the 360 now.

In other words, I wonder if Microsoft has throttled back shipments of the Elite until it gets all the hardware problems squared away.

What's the point of pumping a ton of consoles onto retail shelves if you know you're going to get 20-30 percent of those consoles back for repair?

That's especially true if, as mentioned yesterday, a good chunk of those returns are unrepairable.

When that unrepairable unit is a high-priced Elite, Microsoft probably ends up taking a huge loss (the cost of giving a new console to the owner, plus all the logistical costs of shipping the broken and new consoles around the country, and the autopsies and repairs that have to be done by technical staff).

I replied to my Xbox contact, asking him if the Elite was released before or after the 360 hardware problems were found and fixed.

I'm sure Microsoft can't wait to put this whole issue to bed, and the company will likely be forced to announce when it has made the switch to smaller (and presumably cooler and more reliable) 65-nanometer chips.

Those internal upgrades are not normally publicly announced -- console makers don't want early adopters to feel they've purchased inferior equipment -- but in this case the early adopters did get inferior equipment, and I think a lot of potential 360 buyers are waiting for the Falcon systems to hit before they take the plunge.

Especially if those buyers are thinking of buying the most expensive Elite systems.

A creepy game from the developers that brought us the awesome Chronicles of Riddick. Turn out the lights and play The Darkness!
Enjoy the reivew!

Straight from the official PlayStation blog... Sony is about to release the 1.90 Firmware Update for the PS3. Finally some customization options and the ability to eject the disc using the controller... cool!

Full Details Here

This isn't a scientific survey or anything, but it's been weeks now since I've seen an Elite in stores.

GameStop.com only has the Elite available in bundles, and warns that supplies are low. Walmart.com is also bundling only.

Bestbuy.com is sold out, and I can't find the console at all on Target.com.

What gives?

Doug note: there's one in the case at my Target in Frisco (call ahead).

So let's just get all of our Xbox 360 bashing out of the way early this week.

From Saturday, here's my column on all the recent problems Microsoft has been having with its gaming console, from missed sales goals to executive departures to hardware flaws.

And speaking of hardware flaws, Bill Harris over at Dubious Quality has some great follow-up on just how extensive the Red Ring of Death syndrome is.

Bottom line, Microsoft will end up just throwing away almost 1.5 million consoles that are simply too flawed to be repaired, and the overall failure rate for the system is about 25 percent.

Maybe they'll bury all those junked consoles on top of the infamous pile of ET cartridges.

UPDATE: Oh, and apparently Brian Crecente over at Kotaku just had his ninth Xbox 360 die on him.

The mind boggles.

Microsoft's Xbox division posts a $1.9 BILLION loss.

What's to blame? Hint: they're red and form a ring. But you don't wear them on your finger... you might give them a finger.

Full text via: Joystiq

I can't believe this feature hasn't already worked its way into a game title.

'NCAA 08' football will use Weather Channel info to pull real-time weather conditions into game environments based on where the game is being played (not where the gamer lives).

How cool is that?

Hopefully any Texas located games won't turn into NCAA swimming meets.

Can you imagine this feature in a racing game? A first person shooter? Come on programmer-types, bring it on!

Via Kotaku

Sad news. Well, not too sad. We didn't even know if this game was going make it to E3 (it did), so it's not like we expected it this year. But, we hoped.

'Mario Cart' for the Wii will not see the light of day until 2008. I'm willing to wait. If it's as good as the DS version, it will be worth the extra-painful delay.

From CVG

Is Metal Gear Solid 4 coming to the XBox 360? Keep your eyes and ears open. The people at Xbox630fanboy report on the Konami rumors.

It's mean, but it's funny (Via Gizmodo and SarcasticGamer.com):

Our fair city will be hosting the latest stop on the Major League Gaming pro circuit this weekend.

The event is being held at the Hilton Anatole Friday through Sunday, and you can get all the deets at the association's Web site.

I'm always a little stunned at how much money these professional gaming associations are throwing around, but there must be enough of an audience to support them.

Here's the blurb from the press release:

The world’s first professional video game league and the fastest growing sports entertainment phenomenon is bringing thousands of hopeful video gaming competitors and fans to Dallas. Competitors will thrash out for their chance to win a piece of close to $100,000 in prize money and for a chance to go head to head with the best professional Major League Gamers they’ve seen on TV. Or perhaps even become one (and possibly land a $250,000 contract).

Another year, but a different kind of E3. Here's my wrap up of this year's event.

Well, now that the news is out about Peter Moore's departure, we can all get down to the really fun stuff: hatching conspiracy theories.

The best, of course, and the most plausible, is that the $1 billion-plus cost of extending the 360's warranty upset the top brass at Microsoft so much that someone's head had to roll.

Since Moore was head of the Xbox division, he was the sacrificial lamb.

Maybe.

The only way I could actually see this being true is if Moore was the person responsible for the original shoddy design of the console.

Perhaps he was.

He may well have had the option of choosing from different motherboard designs or manufacturing methods, picked what seemed like the cheapest, and then got bit.

Or, more likely, EA simply offered Moore a ton of money, and he opted to leave.

But it is a little odd that Moore, about to take a job where he will have to cheerlead for all the consoles, recently took an unnecessary swipe at Sony's troubles in Japan.

He now has to basically turn on a dime and make the case that the PS3 is a great console, well worth the price tag, and that Blu-ray is awesome.

So while I don't think Moore was outright fired, I do suspect that, as it became clear just how costly the warranty extension would be, Microsoft didn't feel too bad about bringing someone else on board.

One billion dollars is a lot of money, even for Microsoft.

REDMOND, Wash., July 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. today
announced that Don Mattrick, a former president at Electronic Arts Inc.
(EA), will lead the Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB), which
includes overseeing the Xbox(R) and Games for Windows(R) businesses. Peter
Moore, who currently serves as corporate vice president of IEB, has decided
to move his family back to the Bay Area for personal reasons and has
secured another opportunity in the video games industry.

Mattrick will take over as the senior vice president of IEB at
Microsoft, effective July 30. Mattrick was the founder of Distinctive
Software Inc., which operated as a private company from 1982 until its
merger with EA in 1991. Mattrick held various senior positions within EA,
most recently as president of Worldwide Studios, until his resignation in
February 2006. In February 2007, Mattrick began working with the
Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft as an external advisor.
"Peter has contributed enormously to the games business since joining
Microsoft in 2003 and we are sad to see him go," said Robbie Bach,
president of Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Since that
time, he presided over the global launch of the Xbox 360(TM), spearheaded a
revitalized and rebranded Games for Windows business, and helped steer the
console's ascent."
Moore has decided to return with his family to Northern California,
where they lived until he took the position at Microsoft. Moore will remain
at Microsoft to assist in the transition through August and will then
return to the San Francisco Bay area.
"While Peter will certainly be missed, we are delighted to have one of
the industry's most talented and passionate veterans on board to lead the
business," Bach said. "Don is well-known and respected throughout the
industry for his deep knowledge, technical expertise and management savvy.
Under Don's leadership, the games team is looking forward to embarking on
our biggest holiday ever, with a wide-ranging roster of some of the most
highly anticipated titles."
Mattrick brings 23 years of games industry and development experience
to the strong Microsoft management team, having helped bring to life such
celebrated game franchises as the "Need for Speed," "Harry Potter" and "The
Sims" while at EA.
"Over the past two decades, and the past few months in particular, I've
worked closely with many of Microsoft's top leaders and I've always been
impressed by their talent, passion and commitment," said Mattrick. "I'm
thrilled to join an already strong team that's delivering truly amazing
gaming experiences to customers around the world. I've never been more
excited about the future of the industry, and firmly believe Microsoft will
lead the next great innovations in gaming."
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.

From the new 'Simpsons' Movie:

If this is true, what a coup for 1up.com. They're reporting that Microsoft's Peter Moore may announce (today) that he's leaving to head up EA Sports.

GAH! Right after E3?

Rumor Here

Peter's bio

Peter's bad tattoo

VICTOR: Coup for 1up? Who cares?! This would be terrible for Microsoft. Moore is one of the most respected executives in the industry, and has been instrumental in building the stature of the Xbox brand.

While the guys looks like a snake oil salesman, he's one of the more honest execs around (except for all his dodging about the 360's failure rate) and seems to generally know what he's talking about.

Reading the item at 1up, it does sound pretty solid, and I'm guessing Moore just wanted to do Microsoft the courtesy of not leaving them in the lurch right before E3.

Definitely a good pick-up for EA.

Doug: I don't care what happens, just who breaks the news first (wink wink). HA!

Good news: Sony announced their Digital TV accessory for the PSP to release at the same time as the new "slim" PSP.

Bad news: It's only for Seg1 digital signals in Japan.

Details here via Gizmodo and Kotaku.

Now available on Threadless.com:

WE did it first: here

Then THEY did it: here

VICTOR: If not for the video out feature, this would be the most pointless redesign of all time.

A couple of slightly embarrassing admissions:

* I finally beat Half-Life 2 over the weekend. What a cliffhanger ending, huh?

I know this is like saying that I just found out that Vader is Luke's father, but while I really got deep into the game when it first came out, I stopped a few hours short of completion and then moved on to other titles.

But with the Orange Box coming out soon, I wanted to be somewhat up to speed before I played (still haven't tried Episode One yet, though).

Anyway, what a game. The final level was amazing visually, but the final boss battle was far too easy.

*Slightly embarrassing update number two: I played Guitar Hero for the first time ever this weekend. GH2 actually, on the Xbox 360.

I know, I know. Better late than never, though, huh?

Actually, I only had time to go through the tutorials so far, and I can sense that I'm going to suck on an epic scale, but I'm still curious to give it a whirl.

You guys got any classic games you want to admit to never having played? If it makes you feel any better, I've also never played Diablo or Diablo 2. For shame.

Doug's shameful confession: I played a few hours of 'Brain Age' just to make my brain age. I was all about the "new" this weekend: 'Missile Command' on the 360 Arcade, 'Blue Dragon' Demo, 'Stuntman' demo, 'Ace Combat 6' demo and old-school 'Sonic: the Hedgehog'. Boo-ya!

Completely skipping the promised "June" release date... Microsoft announces that the 360's chat-pad will be available on September 6th (info here).

Also, check out the new blue controller (official page), set to drop in October. October? How about NOW. Guess the blue plastic is tough get "just right".

Breaking news: there's a PINK one too (embarrassing info here).

I'm totally getting the pink one.

Why didn't this happen in the US?

Apparently, EB Games stores in Australia are returning all remaining stocks of Xbox 360 consoles due to a rash of hard drive problems.

Several sources are reporting this: here | here | here

If this is true, was our U.S. invasion of "rings-o-death" not worthy enough for the same treatment?

I count my self lucky... I've had two perfectly working 360's (knock on wood).

Seems like the post-E3 news for Microsoft has been rather harsh... especially after this.

It took 5 long years. We now have an easy-opening URL. Enjoy (angel-sounds):

So Sony just couldn't quite make it through the week without sticking its foot in its mouth, ramming the shoe down its throat, and watching it emerge from the other end of its corporate intestinal tract.

Basically, Sony Europe said that the 60-gig PS3 in the U.S. -- you know, the one that just got the price cut from $599 to $499 -- is a clearance model. When current supplies run out, no more will be made.

Sony America's PR office quickly responded with an emphatic "nuh-uh," said that there are plenty of 60-gig PS3s to go around and will be until the heat death of the universe, and everyone should just shut up. Also, your mom is fat.

But, apparently unbeknownst to the PR office, Kaz Hirai, the global head of Sony Computer Entertainment, gave an interview with a Scandinavian Web site where he said the following:

"[We do not] have a 2 SKU strategy in the US, we learned very quickly customers respond better to having one SKU than two. We dropped the price on the 60GB model, as you know that model is no longer in production, once it's no longer on store shelves it will just be the $600 SKU."

So basically, the head of Sony Europe was correct, Sony America PR tried to cover up the truth with a lie, and the lie was accidentally exposed by the head of the entire PlayStation division.

Those corporate teamwork sessions are really paying off, guys!

More seriously, a lot of gamers are wondering what the heck is going on with the PS3's price.

When the 60-gig PS3's stock does run out, will the 80-gig drop in price to $499?

It would seem only logical, but note that Kaz says specifically than when the 60-gig model dries up, "it will just be the $600 SKU" on store shelves.

So does that mean that the price will remain $600?

Who knows?!?!

And who's running the ship over at Sony? Don't all these executives ever get together to get their stories straight before mouthing off to the press?

If this game is as good as this trailer, I'll wear a Yoda costume to work.

Coming soon for the Xbox 360 and PS3; this is amazingly cool:

Marc Comments: You think Doug is kidding? He actually does own a Yoda costume! And Spock ears, Harry Potter Glasses and wand, Captain Kirk uniform and lastly a Slave Leia outfit!

Victor Chimes In: Can we get him to wear all those outfits at the same time?

The new "slimmer" PSP (releasing this September) is supposedly 19% slimmer than the current PlayStation Portable.

Is it REALLY that big of a difference? Compare and contrast:

WETA, the production/sfx lab behind 'Lord of the Rings' and 'King Kong' were supposed to be involved with Peter Jackson and a big-screen adaptation of the 'Halo' franchise. Well, it seems like it's never gonna happen, but WETA did make this short to promote 'Halo 3' and its ultimate take-over of the world.

It looks very cool... a little rough around the edges, but cool nonetheless.

Click the screen shots below and scroll down to 'Halo: Arms race.'

VICTOR SAYS: I agree. The clip showed some promise, particularly the opening shot, of the battleship slowly cruising through the sunset, and all the machinery firing up.

But the soldiers looked a little dorky, like guys playing dress-up. And the final shot, of the guy standing there looking constipated while the laser bolt burns a hole in the ground six inches behind him, was just a little campy.

If Microsoft really wanted this movie to get made, though, they'd pay Peter Jackson whatever he wanted to get him to direct. I guarantee movie studios would be falling over themselves to release it then.

Heck, just get Ridley Scott and tell him he's remaking Aliens, but with smarter Aliens.

Okay, I'll say it right here, right now..Rock Band is my pick for game of the year! The folks at Red Octane have got to be a little nervous. Watching the antics of the Microsoft Execs on stage jamming on the drums, bass, lead and vocals just had me giddy like a school girl.

Now with the recent announcement of being able to download entire albums for playing in the game is just too much to take. First up: The Who: Who's Next!
That on top of an already kick ass song list of original master recordings by some of rocks legends and it's clear that Harmonix/MTV/EA have struck gold on this one!

Yeah, the Sony presser was pretty good.

The games looked fun, the pace was snappy, and the Sony execs on stage just seemed relaxed and comfortable (and much more humble than they have in the past, which was key).

I wish they'd done more with the PSP redesign. Built-in flash memory would have been stupendous, and I kept waiting for them to announce the PSP wireless download store so you could buy and download new games directly to your portable.

But the slimmer size and TV output are a good start.

On the PS3, the games looked really slick, and I'm intrigued by Infamous, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Folklore, and, of course, Killzone 2 looks like a real system seller.

I still think that the PS3's price is too high, though. The good news for Sony is that the PS3 is rounding into shape as a worthwhile games console. The bad news is that most people are still going to trip over the price tag.

But the games do look really cool.

MARC SAYS:: What press conference were you watching? Victor is too kind by describing the Execs as more relaxed and comfortable. My sense was that they were so beaten down by the negative press the system has gotten since launch and they couldn't even muster an ounce of excitement about any of the news they were sharing. Their presentation was just so, blah and boring.

That said, the new modifications to the PSP got me excited, especially, as Victor mentioned, the video output. Lighter and slimmer is always a plus, but there is so much more they could have done, Victor's right on the money on this one.

Things did seem to be shaping up nicely for the PS3, but besides a few exclusives most of the titles are going to be released on the 360 as well. Will games like Killzone 2 and MGS4 be enough to awake a sleeping giant? Only time will tell. It would have been nice to see Sony introduce the 80 gig unit at the reduced price point. I'm still not sure there's enough here to sway a potential buyer from 360 purchase to a PS3. But they are oh so close....

DOUG SAYS:: Dang, another new system to buy this year (PSP slim... oh, and a Halo Xbox 360)!

I'm kind of glad that it's more about the games this year and not new hardware. Sony did a great job focusing on their games during this presentation; but, why is no one excited about 'Metal Gear 4'?

VICTOR SAYS: I think the reason excitement around MGS4 is a little subdued is that the trailer was totally incomprehensible. Seriously, between the junior high debate team-quality boilerplate about the economics of war and the silly "Lord of the Dance" chest-stomping between Raiden and that other dude (sorry, don't know my MGS canon), the trailer was pretty hard to follow.

Plus, despite all the claims about being "in-game" graphics, we didn't see any actual gameplay during the trailer. Just cinematics. Show us the game!

And Marc, I really did like the Sony press conference. I think Home is going to be kind of a bore, but it looks like some interesting exclusives are coming to the PS3.

Part of the reason that I liked the press conference is that the Sony executives properly calibrated their presentation to the smaller audience at this year's event.

Go back and watch the Microsoft conference, and notice how the execs are talking too loudly, constantly waiting for applause that never comes, and completely unable to read the teleprompters without sounding like Terminator robots from the future.

All those mannerisms worked during the larger events in prior years, when hoards of fanboys were on hand to hoot and holler at every minor bit of news.

Now, though, the crowds seem to be mostly professional journalists who are taking notes, politely applauding and keeping their inner fanboys constrained. So when the executives on stage get too showy, they just look like idiots.

Sony made a big deal about this game at their E3 presentation... looks fascinating!

Lookie! A new 'GT' game for the PS3 was announced, today, at E3.

Well, actually, it's been "announced" for several years now, but it looks like the 'Prologue' (read: long demo) will be available later this year with online multiplayer.

Remember, Sony did this several years ago with GT4. There was a 'Prologue' version of the game released right before the holidays (at a reduced price), the the final full game came out the following year.

What a way to drag this thing out Polyphony!!

I've read the gameplay footage is stunning, will post it as soon as I can find it...

OH, check out Kotaku's screen gallery until then... HERE

Here it is:

Sony's press conference is moving along nicely.

There's a new PSP coming out in September (in two colors, yea!) and finally an HD version of 'Wipeout'.

'Metal Gear 4' will be a PS3 exclusive and there's a new 'SOCOM' on the way...

...WHEW!

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