Post by el JOKER5 on Jul 14, 2008 11:42:13 GMT -5
E3: Can Microsoft top the leaks and rumors?
Microsoft may face an extra challenge during its event at the E3 video-game convention here today, as a result of a series of purported leaks in the weeks leading up to the show.
According to reports on video-game sites last month, a market-research firm's Web site revealed a series of potential Microsoft announcements -- apparently inadvertently, although it's always possible that such leaks are actually trial balloons, to see how people respond. The items included customizable avatars for Xbox Live users, following in the footsteps of Nintendo's Mii characters; a karaoke game for Xbox 360 called "Lips"; and plans for a third installment in the Forza Motorsport series.
Whether or not the information proves accurate, it effectively creates a benchmark against which the company will be judged today. The reaction from enthusiast sites will depend, at least in part, on whether the company can outdo the leaks. That reaction, in turn, can trickle into the mainstream market and influence console and video-game sales.
To be sure, Microsoft has a lot more in the works. The company is in a position to highlight upcoming games such as "Gears of War 2," "Too Human," "Fable 2," and "Rock Band 2," among others. But each of those titles has been announced already, in part because E3 is coming so late in the year. Coupled with the leaks, that means it will be tougher for Microsoft to come up with something that really surprises people.
Some people believe Microsoft may have more up its sleeve. Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Lazard Capital Markets, wrote in a report last week that Microsoft may use E3 to announce a long-rumored content deal with Netflix. According to previous reports, Netflix and Microsoft would partner to offer streaming movies over the Xbox Live service.
Finally, there's the persistent rumor of a motion-sensitive Xbox 360 controller, in the style of Nintendo's Wiimote. But as noted by Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter in my E3 preview in today's newspaper, both Microsoft and Sony would face challenges if they decide to go that route, because a motion-sensitive controller would be an afterthought, presumably not integrated into the core gaming experience.
Where does all of this leave Microsoft? We'll find out in a few hours. Check back later this morning for coverage from the company's E3 event.
Microsoft may face an extra challenge during its event at the E3 video-game convention here today, as a result of a series of purported leaks in the weeks leading up to the show.
According to reports on video-game sites last month, a market-research firm's Web site revealed a series of potential Microsoft announcements -- apparently inadvertently, although it's always possible that such leaks are actually trial balloons, to see how people respond. The items included customizable avatars for Xbox Live users, following in the footsteps of Nintendo's Mii characters; a karaoke game for Xbox 360 called "Lips"; and plans for a third installment in the Forza Motorsport series.
Whether or not the information proves accurate, it effectively creates a benchmark against which the company will be judged today. The reaction from enthusiast sites will depend, at least in part, on whether the company can outdo the leaks. That reaction, in turn, can trickle into the mainstream market and influence console and video-game sales.
To be sure, Microsoft has a lot more in the works. The company is in a position to highlight upcoming games such as "Gears of War 2," "Too Human," "Fable 2," and "Rock Band 2," among others. But each of those titles has been announced already, in part because E3 is coming so late in the year. Coupled with the leaks, that means it will be tougher for Microsoft to come up with something that really surprises people.
Some people believe Microsoft may have more up its sleeve. Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Lazard Capital Markets, wrote in a report last week that Microsoft may use E3 to announce a long-rumored content deal with Netflix. According to previous reports, Netflix and Microsoft would partner to offer streaming movies over the Xbox Live service.
Finally, there's the persistent rumor of a motion-sensitive Xbox 360 controller, in the style of Nintendo's Wiimote. But as noted by Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter in my E3 preview in today's newspaper, both Microsoft and Sony would face challenges if they decide to go that route, because a motion-sensitive controller would be an afterthought, presumably not integrated into the core gaming experience.
Where does all of this leave Microsoft? We'll find out in a few hours. Check back later this morning for coverage from the company's E3 event.