So once again another E3 has come and gone. Needless to say, this year’s E3 leaned a bit more on the disappointing side as far as I’m concerned. I was hoping with the launch of a new console there would be something exciting to come out, but even that was quite the letdown.

Last year we were introduced to the Wii U, but only know about the console and its unique tablet style controller. It is obvious that Nintendo is taking their experience with the DS line and implementing it onto a larger screen. And I admit when I first saw it I was intrigued. I felt that way as well during the Nintendo press conference. The Wii U controller display was shown to full effect in some amazing titles such as ZombiU and Batman Arkham City Armored Edition, and of course the obligatory additions such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video sounded promising.

And then the reports started coming in’

Well maybe I’m jumping the gun there. The downfall started during the press conference, with the announcement of ‘NintendoLand.’ All it consists of is a ‘theme park’ setting with 12 Nintendo themed minigames, done as a demonstration of the Wii U’s controller and its capabilities. Sadly the demo went way too long and caused me to lose interest quite quickly. To think that Nintendo might have won E3 this year, only to fall flat on its face afterwards, once again Reggie always finds a way to disappoint me, and here I thought he was getting better!

But NintendoLand wasn’t the only thing about Nintendo’s E3 conference that disappointed me. First off, it is reported the Wii U will not support two WiiPads at launch. Eventually it will happen but it would be nice if it were available right from the start. Also the Wii U controller will only have a battery life of up to 5 hours, which rivals that of the PlayStation Vita. Nintendo reports that it will take approximately 2 ‘ hours to fully charge a depleted battery. I guess they had better have a charging cable ready at all times.

But what is worse for frame rate junkies like myself is what Nintendo said about allowing the use of two WiiPads at the same time. Even though it will be great to have in the future, it is going to come at a cost. Games that will normally run at 60 frames per second will be halved to 30. Yes I know this isn’t a concern for many, but it is for me. I prefer faster frame rates myself, and I hope Nintendo fixes this. Those that are accustomed to tablets will also be disappointed to find out that the WiiPad will not support multitouch. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the touchscreen is resistive, meaning it needs to be pressed down with a stylus or a firm fingerpress, as opposed to capacitive touch screens that are touch based.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no hate for the Wii U. There’s just a lot of issues that I hope Nintendo resolves before the holiday launch, as well as letting us know what the price will be. I’m guessing $299 but we’ll have to see.

Microsoft’s press conference impressed me. Yes it featured the obvious first looks of both Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, but it was one element, albeit non-gaming, that really impressed me’Xbox Smart Glass.

At first I wanted to pass it off as just an AirPlay wannabe, but from what I’ve seen it is a lot more than that. Being able to control my Xbox viewing content from a smartphone or tablet has a lot of potential. I was afraid at first it would end up being like Apple by making Smart Glass only compatible with Windows 8 tablets and Windows Phones, but no they aren’t. It will be compatible with both iOS AND Android devices.

Sony’s press conference displayed new titles such as Beyond, which is developed by Quantic Dream. Yes, the same Quantic Dream that developed that snoozefest Heavy Rain. (I’m yawning right now just typing that.) PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, an obvious rip off of Super Smash Bros. was also revealed to the public after much speculation. And of course the footage of The Last of Us, I have to admit, looked pretty good. But I am glad to see that games are finally being announced for PlayStation Vita. A new Assassin’s Creed featuring a female assassin, as well as Call of Duty Black Ops Declassified have been announced. As for classics, the Vita will finally get PSOne games. But still, when will Gradius Collection for PSP be available? And speaking of waiting, hey Jack Tretton, where’s the $1,200 you owe me for that PS3 EGM comment?

But aside from the Big Three, what else at E3 impressed or disappointed me? One question I have asked in the last few years was who would end up being the biggest sellout of the show? Who would go down in infamy for lying to gamers for the almighty dollar among the likes of Gabe Newell or Warren Spector?

At first I was going to claim it was Dana White of the UFC for signing a deal with EA after personally claiming he was going to war over them after claiming that MMA wasn’t a real sport, only to make an MMA game of their own. I thought that Dana, who already is set for life after the success of the UFC, sold out to the evils that was EA, and even went as far as yelling a Spoony-esque cry of ‘BETRAAAAAAAAAYAL!’ But after I did some reading, it wasn’t really Dana White that sold out, but rather THQ, who sold their UFC publishing rights to EA. I just hope that it doesn’t end up becoming a conflict of interest, though. Remember how EA loves to claim their games are ‘only on PlayStation 3,’ while the UFC has a partnership with Microsoft to broadcast their live events.

And about games that impressed me? Well one comes to mind in an instant: XCOM Enemy Unknown! I have stated over and over again how much of a fan of the original X-COM, and how I use it as the poster child for a game where graphics don’t matter in favor of great engrossing gameplay. And then my stance on ‘that’ XCOM title (the 1950’s era first person shooter) is well written. But what I saw from the Enemy Unknown trailers and gameplay footage has me hooked. Just the thought that Firaxis is developing the game is driving me crazy wanting to play it, and I only hope that COD-Phobia doesn’t push the game back to Q1 2013 or I will be very disappointed.

I’m also curious to see how Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will turn out. It still puzzles me how it will be done, but when Platinum Games took over the reign, hope started to spring eternal. Considering how much I enjoyed Bayonetta, I hope Raiden will be the perfect male equivalent to the titular witch.

And yes, finally, I am looking forward to Black Ops II. Before you Camperfield fanboys send your typical hatemail, I want to see how the game handles future warfare. The E3 demo featured an impressive shootout in a futuristic Los Angeles culminating with air battles in the cockpit of an F-35 fighter. Treyarch did a great job adding helicopter combat with the first Black Ops so I am very curious at how this will turn out.

But in the end, this has been a pretty weak E3. Both Kelly and I will be talking more about each of the Big 3 press conferences in the coming weeks, so keep tuned to the site for more details.

Currently Playing: Prototype 2 (360)

Waiting For: XCOM Enemy Unknown (360)