There was a time when E3 was a really, really big deal.  Now, it’s simply a really big deal.  One of the biggest factors of its whole big dealness comes from the console manufacturers’ press conferences.  They typically range from the epic (introduction of the Wii) to the horribly, horribly wrong (introduction of the PS3 and real-time weapon changing).  So how did this year go for Microsoft?

Avatars
At best this seems a cheap gimmick to capitalize off of Nintendo’s success with the Miis.  Yes, that is at best.  At worst, this is Microsoft’s cheap gimmick to capitalize off of Nintendo’s success and try to beat Sony to it first.  Either way you go, Avatars are a goofy idea for Microsoft to introduce at this point.  Unless they’re planning something akin to Home, Avatars are simply very fancy gamertag pics that Microsoft can charge you to customize.  Not really something to get excited about considering most Xbox 360 users would prefer a Batman gamertag pic over a generic avatar wearing a Batman t-shirt.

Netflix instant watch
A major coup for Microsoft.  Yes, it will be a pain for many that they must have a Gold subscription to use this new feature, but otherwise it’s fantastic.  It could easily lead to a spike in both Gold and Netflix subscriptions and certainly gives many users more of a reason to make the Xbox 360 the center of their living room.  The lack of HD content is a slight negative, but not a deal breaker for most.

Fallout 3 exclusive content
These exclusive content deals are nice and all, but they seem to usually be for games already packing 40-hours or more of content.  Are there really that many players who are being swayed by this?  Compare this to, say, a few exclusive extra levels in the new Mega Man 9 and you might have a bigger deal.  Imagine Madden with an extra online mode.  Adding five extra hours of content to an already 40-hour game will simply mean an extra five hours of the game many people will never get around to finishing.

Fable II in October
The original Fable got a lot of critical flack when it was originally released for under delivering, but the truth was that it was a quality title and any sequel is more than welcome.  A solid, exclusive title for the Xbox 360 this fall.

Install games on hard drive
Considering the vast majority of Xbox 360 owners have a 20gb hard drive, and the fact that Microsoft outrageously prices their hard drive upgrade, this is pretty useless for most.  Yes, it will likely speed up loading of some titles, but it will go largely ignored by most users.  Too bad, too.  Anything that improves the performance of games is a welcome addition.

Final Fantasy XIII jumps ship
Yes, it is a huge deal that Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the Xbox 360, but perhaps more in the way that it was a huge deal that Rare was sold to Microsoft.  That deal hurt the image of Nintendo among hardcore gamers.  In the same way, this seems to show a weakness in Sony and their ability to hold onto exclusives.  However, in the end, getting a game your competitor already has is more of a push than a win.

Access XBLM on the web
Silly and pointless.  Less than 1% of gamers will actually ever use such a feature.

Primetime game show games
Play games and win real prizes?  Sounds great in theory, but in practice this sounds like something that will largely be ignored by most.  Yes, a nice added feature, but certainly not likely one to set the world ablaze.

Lips karaoke vs. Rock Band 2
Microsoft officially announced their Lips karaoke game and nobody cared in the face of Rock Band 2.  Seriously, the only real appeal of this title is as a low-budget entry for those who don’t want to shell out the big cash for Rock Band 2.  Other than that, unless the voice recognition is ungodly, this game will quickly be forgotten just like their karaoke game for the original Xbox.

New Dashboard
Well, it looks…interesting.  Really, that’s about all that can be said for it now.  The minimalist approach is certainly very Apple-like, but unless it works as elegantly as something Apple would do–will anyone care?  Microsoft is running dangerously close to having real OS problems with their game system.  Ideally, a video game OS should be as simple and straight-forward as possible.  That seems to be the idea behind this new facelift, but Microsoft doesn’t exactly have the best OS track record as of late.  One would hope this solves many issues with the current Blades system, but one should probably not hold their breath.

Portal: Still Alive, Geometry Wars 2, and Banjo Kazooie
First, the good news.  Portal: Still Alive is likely to now rocket to the top of many gamers’ most anticipated lists.  The same with Geometry Wars 2.  The bad news?  Both titles are also likely to appear on PSN and PC.  As always, any new software is welcome, but exclusive software certainly carries more weight.  Banjo Kazooie will be nice to see, especially since the Xbox 360 could use a few good cartoon platformers.

Final Verdict
Microsoft’s press conference was certainly fruitful, but not very filling.  Most of the announcements were cosmetic or meaningless to most gamers.  Those that weren’t, when the rest is all stripped out of the way, seem a bit meager.  Microsoft’s best hope is that Sony and Nintendo are planning only a couple of big announcements and that their sheer numbers may overwhelm.  But all in all, not the best of showings for the House that Bill Built.

Grade

B -

Related posts:

1. E3 2008: Sony press conference review
2. E3 2008: Nintendo press conference review
3. Microsoft takes on Nintendo and Sony in portable market…sort of
4. Microsoft claims sales doubled since price drop
5. Microsoft and EA sign massive in-game advertising deal

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