14 DAY TRIAL // E3 is a huge event and publishers seem to unload all the information they can in the shortest time possible as they hold their press conferences. Big and small announcements are meant to offer a preview of the wide range of new things that are about to come in the near future and a lot of information has already been thrown in.
Electronic Arts is presenting a lot of games at E3 but there's a limited number of new things released. The usual annual sports games are being shown, with the upcoming Facebreaker leading the way. Madden NFL 2009 is coming to all the next gen platforms with a revamped gameplay and with the upgraded rosters that the EA Sports games are known for. NBA 2009 is also impressing basketball fans with the smoother than usual controls and the lifelike animations. On the other hand, Tiger Woods is powering another PGA Tour 09 which will only be available for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.
A new title announced is Little Pet Shop, a title for the PC, the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS, which is aimed directly at girl gamers. The game puts you in the position of the owner of a pet shop and you can collect pets and interact with them in one of the four worlds that are included in the title.
We've already talked about Zubo, a new DS game designed to appeal to children through its colorful graphics and intuitive gameplay. The focus on casual gamers is also present in Hasbro Family Game Night, a collection of mini-games for the Nintendo Wii which should engage the whole family or a group of friends.
The Sims brand is also getting some E3 love, with My Sims Kingdom being detailed for the Nintendo DS and announced for the PC. The game will offer new challenges and new mini-games, greatly benefiting from the intuitive stylus input of the Nintendo DS. A new expansion pack for the Sims 2 is coming, in the form of Apartment Pets.
Electronic Arts has also been offering information on a new Xbox Live-like initiative, called Nucleus, which aims to offer gamers the tools they need to create interesting multiplayer and social experiences.
EA promises more announcements and more game demonstrations in the coming months and we'll be sure to bring you any interesting news that might surface.