E3 Live Blog – Microsoft Xbox 360 Press Briefing

Xbox Briefing is a wrap. No new console announced. I may just owe Nick a buck!

Broke into a flying sequence? Open range? Hrm…. Title Card, we’re out. Thanks for watching, guys! More conferences to come!

GAH, Networks!

“Do you know how to fly?” “No”, says player character”, “Eh, well.” It’s an on-rails sequence.

TIME TO HOP IN THE F35!

Building collapsing, cloud of dust. Fade to blurry moment

All of the broken glass panels are exactly the same.

I really want this stadium. The acoustics are pretty nice.

Make no mistake, ladies and gentlmen, this is a Call of Duty game. I haven’t seen any of the branching path stuff they had been talking about before. Quadrocopter’s floating around with them.

“Shiiiiiii!” as he falls down a highway. Cut to an open mall.

You now have a special rifle that allows you to kill people through things.

Maybe in the future there is, but there are a million UAVs crashing into stuff. Like Obama would let that happen, AMIRITE?

F35 floats above the player as he commands her. Back to guns as they march. Skyscrapers look painted to skybox.

Explosions and stuff are going down! This game looks gorgeous, like the other COD games. Anti-aircraft game sequence as you lock onto multiple bogies like Warhawk.

They’re in LA, racing toward downtown LA. That’s here!!!!

We’re in a transport with the President on a blown up road. BONAVENTURE HOTEL MENTION.

Oh, it’s Call of Duty, Black Ops 2. Was wondering where that went. “We built computers. Robots. Whole unmanned armies. No one ever asked what happened when the enemy steals the keys.” Good question.

Call of Duty, Black ops 2. Content to be Xbox Exclusive.

Another blockbuster game?

Something big’s brewing…

Wrapping up. “Xbox is bringing in a new golden age of entertainment.” Groans in he crowd. Mattrick smiles, gets tripped up.

Mattrick back on stage!

Flawless Finish, of course!

Usher’s dance is not matching what’s playing on the screen.

He just back flipped! BACK FLIP! Can you do that? USHER DID.

His shirt is ripped up, I thought he was successful and ufll of money. Look at Usher twisting on the stage!

Usher has moves, guys.

Usher am confirmed.

I can now punch him for bringing the world Justin Bieber.

Usher worked with Harmonix to get moves straight out of his videos and his concerts! OMG, USHER IS HERE. MY WAY, WHAT I SAY GOES AND I’M IN CONTROL!

Dance Central 3. Surprise, yo.

“Since we do everything at the last minute, like the show, we have to go work on this right now.

“Where is Kyle’s house?” They had to ponder in building this game.

“We had to make a game that looked like South Park, which is crappy.”

This is amazing.

Create your own South Park avatar. “Holy Fucking Shit!” Cartman says. TREY PARKER AND MATT STONE ARE HERE!

“Jews can’t be saviors” Cartman says.

Launching this summer, after showing a round taking five million years to be guided to its target. Now South Park RPG?

Launch ammunition with gestures, then use more gestured to after-touch them. Pretty cool.

Alex Ruiz from Xbox Live now and cheerful music. Kinect? This is Wreckateer. It’s Angry Birds, but with 3D.

ZOMBIES AWAIT THESE PEEPS by the millions, it appears, as they crash land into an arena.

Yeah, this game’s not for me. Helicopter scrapes by a train.

Helicopter is crashing, of course.

Zombie stands there as it receives two bullets. to the chest. The player probably could’ve sat there for another half hour beforei t reacted. Now a big chase sequence by flames. Guy hops out of helicopter for some stupid reason to help. That’s not helping!

Dont open the dooooor!

Combat still looks a little stilted as the baddies sit there static as you unload ammo into them. Zombies explode into huge gore.

I don’t play these games, but this looks like Gears. It’s gorgeous.

Resident Evil 6 now. These people have hair that looks like bread loaves.

Matter, is the game, comes out next year. Kinect? Erm.

Gore Verbinski’s game now. Looks like Marble Ultra Blast meets TRON meets Portal. So sick looking.

This is Iris, being read off like a car promo video.Looks like TRON bike. LocoCycle from TwistedPixel.

Oh man, people getting ripped up. Ascend: New Gods.

Lots of blood and stamping and swinging and man, oh yeah.

Three exclusives being unveiled. XBLA stuff, it looks like. This is Signal from the Toy Soldiers guys.

Twisted Pixel name drop.

The first piece of DLC will be available first on Xbox 360, because duh. Phil is back.

So she’s in a scripted hang-gliding sequence now. Really cuts down replayability. Also, she’s falling out of the sky, hitting a tree and every branch on it. They like beating her up. She’s now out of breath with a limp and bloodied.. Trips.

Jurassic Park 2 moment?

Looks like she’s QTE’ing across a river. And down a waterfall. Crazy. Slows for bullet time spots to knock out obstacles. I love the particulate and water on the camera. In an airplane now, glass cracking behind her Lost World-style. She falls, presses a button to deploy a parachute.

Those are visual effects, not poor camera shooting. ;)

Lara is setting a lot of dudes on fire. “I’m on fire!” one says.

*Lara crashes through roof violently* “What was that?” “I don’t know!”

Beautiful setting as Lara dodges around a turret and knocks a guy off a cliff. She looks like a frightened Julia Stiles now

They’re about to show off Tomb Raider, wit ha Hunger Games-inspired Lara.

Xbox Entertainment coming to Windows 8. Surprise!

*Using his Lumia 900

I lol when they’re playing a video and trying to make it look like the presenter is actually making it work so…LOL.

Ok annoying lady, whatever. Shut up and let me do the things I want to do.

He’s moving the cursor with the WinPho on the Aston Martin browser, pinching and zooming, clipping links and that.

“Attention ladies and gentlemen, for your safety, no standing sitting or block the aisles.”

Video looks choppy and crud through the browser. They’re playing a Prometehus clip.

Talking about the web browser, something I’ve always abhorred in a console. They’re “doing it right”. Internet Explorer is coming to Xbox 360, has favorites like Pinterest and fiddler. “Next.” “Next.”

I’m very happy for Verizon’s 3G service in here. And the ridge in the hinge of my laptop that holds up my phone. I’ve never been so intimately close to my electronics…

HELL YA HE IS!

He is using a blue Lumia 900 (like Keith’s) to control the Xbox UI.

Halo 4, you can the Infinity and it pops up on your tablet. Get a game invite on your tablet, it saves the game and leaves for a match. That part’s cool.

OH SNAP, this is like Wii U stuff! Use a Windows 8 tablet to “draw” out a play and then it happens on your Xbox.

Can Keith photobomb our own liveblog?

Seems like a lot of work, I wonder how many content providers are going to be hot for this.

We’re about 15 minutes away and the place continues to fill up. most of the balcony seats are full and they’re moving to the nosebleeds.

Let’s hear it for being early and getting floor seats, 30 feet from the main stage.

I’ve always wanted to know trivial uber-nerd info when I’m watching a show, so now, here it is.

With seating the way it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone walks out with a blood clot.

Xbox. Favorites. Xbox… Favorites.

This is continuous client stuff. Pause a movie on one device, move it over to another device. Meta info on the tablet while it continues playing.

I have been sweating a bit. I’m just not in the condition to be standing… or not eating.

Games are more thrilling, candy is sweeter, earthquakes shake more with Smart Glass!

The atmosphere here is palpable. No wait, that’s just sweat. The plus side, the music has changed.

They’re showing three screens on the screen, it looks like iCloud. This is Smart Glass. “Ho?” Rob grunts.

Xbox Smartglass? Wazzat?

Keith is laughing at me.

Time for some chit-chat with the head of Xbox Live.

Nick has been clearly star struck today.

Mark Whitten, head of Xbox Live. “Can you imagine life without your mobile or tablet?” No.

Tim Stevens of Engadget even walked by after they’d just done a recording for some future video segment with Joystiq.

You guys don’t get this in the videos or SpikeTV (eww) coverage, but the lights they’ve synchronized with the videos are awesome. This is an actual Microsoft Studios game, by the way.

Nike Plus will set up personalized workouts for you. This includes regular assessments of gains, reminders, etc…Sounds kinda cool, really.

So while we were in queue, thankfully toward the front, Giant Bomb’s Drew Scanlon and Vinny Caravella walked by. They did not seemed enthused by my greeting :( Jeff came by a little later, but he had mean eyes on and I didn’t want to bother him.

This isn’t CrossFit, color me uninterested.

This is probably a dream for Keith. He’s probably going to dream about it.

Toniiiight, we are yooooouuuuung…

We’re on the floor, right in the center, about ten rows back. Bunch of CG footage of balls and 3D projections are bouncing around the stage panels.

If you have a body, you’re an athlete. – Nike, 2012.

Smoochy smooch.

NIKE+ dude. He looks like Bradley Cooper.

5:00am: Wake up call
5:15am – Second wake up call
6:00am – Kelly leaves to get Pepto
6:05am – Everyone else goes down to the lobby to find the shuttle
6:11am – Shuttle found, however, Kelly is missing…
6:15am – Kelly finally appears, but then realizes he doesn’t have his press badge
6:29am – Kelly returns just in time
6:30am – Shuttle departs
6:39am – We wait in the wrong line for 10 minutes
6:49am – We find the right line
7:00am – The parade of nerds begins as journalists from all over the world join us in line
7:10am – We get our wrist bands. Now we can swim in the big pool!
7:20am – We secretly make fun of the Engadget guys from afar, but really we’re just envious of their hardware
7:30am – Johnny loses count of the number of people in skinny jeans
7:32am – Johnny starts counting Priuses instead
7:41am – Keith notices that all of the Xbox event helpers in green shirts are female
7:49am – Rob unleashes the first stare of the day on Keith
8:05am – We chat with Jonathan Batzios and the guys from imgmr.com
8:15am – No one agrees with Rob that Microsoft will announce new hardware
8:26am – Keith says, “I would be glad to get GLADD mad!”
8:31am – Kelly tells a dumb joke, then tries to cover by telling Johnny to note that at 8:31am he told a dumb joke. No one hears…
8:39am – Rob frightens and offends those around him in line with another rant about Star Wars Old Republic
8:43am – Doors finally open…
8:55am – After bathroom breaks and such, we’re finally seated.

They’re playing We Are Young by Fun. Like I haven’t heard this song a bajillion times already…

We’ve been at this for a while now…Up at 0500. Johnny’s been keeping a journal. Here’s what’s on his mind.

Hey there, peeps! we’re sitting in a super tight row listening to Fun.’s “We Are Young”. What a ridiculous song. Who likes that song? *glares at Kelly*

What’s this? Kinect Fitness with Nike? Ok, I can see that…

Fitness…. Dancing in place? What is this?

Kinect transforms entertainment, Kinect release creativity. This is the future of fitness, yo!

This teaser ad looks like a mix between early Zune commercials and Xbox 36y0 promos. Smart DJ, everything is on here with the same icons as Zune. Oh, I already miss Zune. Triangles everywhere in Zune colors.

Xbox Music. Is this really an announcement or is it just them telling us stuff we already knew? Funny how it reminds me of the Zune I bought YEARS ago.

Sitting, waiting, figuring out the live blog situation.

MUSIC! EXCITING NEWS! Music Service they’ve always dreamt of delivering. 30 million tracks, share and enjoy. Xbox Music. We’re going to release it on Xbox 360 and Windows 8 tablets and phones. SNEAK PEAK, but no Windows… before?

I’ll be honest…I don’t even want to discuss the Xbox Sports Interactivity thing…My level of cynicism is legendary.

Lumia 900, he knows where it’s at.

Why (How?) are there so many ESPNs?

The light clusters above us look like UFOs.

NBA League Pass to Xbox. Makes sense. Game Center for NHL. 40 games per week and other… sports stuff.

MOAR UFC means MOAR bloody knockouts. Hotness!

“Let’s talk about sports!” Sigh.

Nickelodeon, Paramount, Machinima and Univision coming to xbox.

Four new content providers. Nickelodeon. They were cool when I was a kid, yo. Also, the similarly provided Paramount. Machinima now (did MS give them m, too?) and Univision.

Well, the Kinect has nice multilingual support, as just witnessed.

Bing in 12 more countries. He’s demonstrating it in Spanish for the new Mexico audience. That’s cool.

Xbox – hargfnargle….*PORN*

Voice search? What if you have a speech impediment?

Xbox. Action. Xbox. Science Fiction.

Bing Voice Search made things 4x faster, yo. They’re gonna make it even simpler. You can sort by genre now. Demo. Xbox, Bing Comedies, he says.

It’s no Project Gotham Racing, but okay. Yusuf Mehdi on stage now. Woodstock time?

Forza? MOARZA!

Crashing cars, damage and flipping, OMG! and a helicopter, causing stuff. I want to see all of this. October 23rd, 2012.

Is that Skrillex? Sounds like Skrillex.

Night racing, it’s got a NFS: The Run feel. Also: WUB WUB WUB WUB WUB WUB WUB.

FORZA HORIZON IN COLORADO! If you don’t get here by 10PM, you’re not gonna win! Viper racing down a dirt road, that always reminds me of Colorado, some Dirt-style physics, rally?

Gears of War “Judgment” in 2013.

Hell is going down and a shacked Baird and Cole Train are smirking and shooting dudes. 2012.

Gears Of War continues? Yeah, that just happened.

Oh, Gears first. Fine, whatever.

“OOOOOOOOOh here we go” ok, he didn’t say that. #badpicturetiming

FORZA HORIZON, SHOW ME THIS THING.

Phil Spencer on stage now. Only the best game are on Xbox, he says. This will the biggest year for Xbox games.

Fable “The Journey”

Fable The Journey. Oh man, the Kinect one. Lots of explosions and stuff. and green diamonds being flown out. This looks like it’s gonna be tiring. That’s fine for a Kienct game, though. Harry Potter stuff going on. I wonder if you can actually summon plasmas with Kinect. Like they’ll add that.

“Brings back some memories” Right.

Joe Montana just might have an advantage as a former quarterback! “I’m always up for a challenge.” he says. The due called him John.

I don’t think they’ve made a better looking football game they started this gen, everyone still shifts around like robots.

Crab tree, streak, set hike!

Yet more kinect support…Allowing plays to be called vocally, as well as audibles.

Madden is here. for another year, yo. “Set, Hike” Montana says into the Kinect, controller in hand.

Joe Montana is here to announce Madden 417.

Joe Montana on stage,yo.

So…FIFA 13 has Kinect support and you’ll get in deep shit with the refs if you react poorly to their calls, from your couch. Because…ok…

Oh, if you swear during a game, you get penalized IN THE GAME. Available in multiple languages and dialects. This guy has an interesting accent. “Unviling”.

He looks angry. He’s not, I just happened to have bad timing.

EA sports…FIFA 13…Because we need another one, right?

FIFA 13, now featuring… soccer. More soccer this year? Oh, it has Kinect. You can command “action on the pitch”. So you use baseballs now?

EA Sports. This is the part where I go silent for a bit. Or say something less meaning ful.

Spring 2013.

Wait, this can’t be a prequel, there’s a UAV involved and modern tech. I don’t get it, what’s going on here.

Guy tries to take out his computers by shooting the monitors out. GOD DAMN AMERICANS, ALWAYS PLAYING COWBOY! says the terrorist leader.

Plant that charge!

Sounds like Jennifer Hale (Cortana) on the radio. Some guys talking in a room, they’re coming toward ya, SAM!!!!

They got a guard to come over and investigate by talking at the kinect. Niiiiice. Also, directing missile strikes by voice.

Sam is just rushing through these things as the flanks a turret emplacement.

So…Loud. So…Awesome.

This guy sounds like the original Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell promo videos, circa 2001.

I alreayd miss Michael Ironside as a truck with baddies rolls up.

OMG, Luring a guard to the edge of a balcony with Kinect. “Hey, you!”

This is all very surgical death. Parkour and Assassin’s Creed-style climbing. Skulking through camp now.

New Splinter Cell just announced. ”Black List”. The voice of Sam Fisher is NOT Michael Ironside, at this time. The demo player just Mozambiqued a terrorist.

Bullet time lock on, out of Voncition, if I remember.

This isn’t Sam, this is a new dude, this terrain looks awesome. Theyr’e chasing down Blacklist targets. This is the Iran-Iraq border. Oh, this is Sam, it’s a prequel I guess.

The guy reveals his face, I don’t know who it is. UBisoft. Ubisoft Toronto. Splinter Cell Blacklist.

Locking on to these two guys like targets. INSTANT DEATH! Blood flying everywhere in this tent.

Press A screen, guy is carrying another dude in a canyon. Press A to “something in Arabic”. They’re crowding around him.

This holiday, we’re going to take entertainment console beyond the console to phones and beyond. Video now.

Xbox brings all your entertainment in one spot. Did you know that? Music? Games? Videos. Movies?

This is Mattrick’s 17th E3. Xbox 360 went from #1 selling console in North America, now worldwide, too. Looks like they’ll be widening that gap with PS3.

Wow. Cortana’s pissed. Just sayin.

Cortana has been alive for 8 years, they only last 7, dies. Don Mattrick is on stage now.

The HUD-based videos look awesome. HE’s being surrounded by Chozoz now. Gets thwacked. Now montage shot of DUNDUNDUNDUN action.

It sounds like Metroid’s soundtrack. Really, a lot. I’m having Prime flashbacks.

“I recognized it’s design…It’s FORERUNNER”

Oh man, guns are snapping together in the air, madness. Chief is now chasing the flyhing bit as new stuff spawns from the ground.

Massive bass drop…felt like getting kicked in the chest.

WOAH, this dude just crashed down, looks like a Chozoz dude. Bass is rumbling like mad. Spawning dragon fly helicopters from its back. Like an avatar or something.

New bug critters, look like Imulsion bugs. Defense AI’s? Not Covenant, definitely, Cortana says.

Scouts? … grunts again. Aww man. And an Elite that dissolves into thin air. Looks up into the trees, god rays spewing down. Reminds me a little of the beginning of Halo 3.

Gameplay happening right now.

In-game now? That’s the UNSC Infinity that crashed. We’re watching this. Lush jungle. Beautiful battle rifle.

Jungle now, Master Chief chilling with the trees, yo.

Master Chief is just watching as this thing lands. Wow, I didn’t think 343 could come up with something so new and epic, but oh man, this giant thing’s now behind Master Chief. A big MEtroid ball.

Hal0 4 just announced. VERY loudly.

They got strobes to go with the video. This crashing ship is so awesome. MASTER CHIEF! The ship is crashing, oh no….

Uh oh, stuff’s going on. This is so bad. People are getting sucked out of the ship.

They’re talking about this ship a lot, and, uh, well, stuff’s going on. A big scanner.

And it’s time.

Halo, obviously. Beautiful ship. Looks like Grand Moff Tarkin on a bridge. “Home to 17,000 of our best, our brightest”

It’s dark. Super dark. video this. 4 years since the end of the war.

It’s starting, got dark. “Welcome to the Xbox MEdia Briefing. Intro video now.

The nosebleeds are filling up

No. The smoke is Rob smoking his electronic altoid jar.

They’ve turned on the fog machines so it’s officially ready to start. Either that or there’s a HUGE fire back stage! Hopefully a homeless person didn’t eat some bath salts and attack the lighting guys.

Trying out a shortcut key, because I can. 

They want us to turn off our mobiles and, well, that’s not happening.

My view. Greaaaat.

I’m bumping into the IMGMR guys. They’re from Canada, they don’t mind! (Maybe…)

5 minute warning just dropped

FIVE MINUTES, YO.

Rob’s just jealous.

I wish J Allard were here.

I’m really, REALLY concerned about the number of 50+ year old men wearing tight emopants.

Oh no, Gotye’s playing. Ohhhh nooooo……

We just changed the server over to PST to avoid time/space paradox.

This is a super funky jam they’re playing.