E3 Day Zero Talkabout

I guess yesterday didn't really count as a real day of E3 for some reason, even though there was a very long procession of announcements and demonstrations. Microsoft kicked things off with their press conference that everyone but myself seems to be raving about. I guess I had to be there. The major buzz seems to be surrounding Project Natal, Microsoft's latest attempt to outdo the Wii. Project Natal is a camera peripheral that senses gestures, voice and facial expressions to control games. I remain perfectly comfortable with a controller. They also had Felicia Day come out and tell us there would be integrated Facebook and Twitter support for the 360, because why the fuck not. Hideo Kojima emerged from the depths of his shattered psyche to inform the world that the 360 would be getting a Metal Gear game, not the port of Metal Gear Solid 4 everyone was expecting (and hoping for), but rather a brand-new title featuring Raiden, a character that, to my knowledge, is the most hated of the franchise. Thanks, Hideo. Towards the end, Peter Molyneux had a discussion through Project Natal with a "digital boy" on-screen that was created by Lionhead, and by all accounts was apparently an intensely creepy experience.
There was very little in terms of new game announcements or developments, or at least ones that I care about at any rate, but there were a couple of note:

• In a somewhat surprising announcement that has, obviously, sparked anger on the internet, Valve announced Left 4 Dead 2. The argument is that many people believed Left 4 Dead would receieve free, continual gameplay updates, like in Team Fortress 2, and that Valve announcing a sequel that, I assume, will be a fully-priced retail product, is some sort of betrayal. I, too, felt that pang of entitlement momentarily, but quickly reconciled that with knowing I probably got $50 out of the first game, and also never recalled Valve promising additional content at the game's release. In this interview with project lead Chet Faliszek, he says that support for the original game will not suddenly disappear, though whether this translates to more content remains to be seen. Anyway, it's more Left 4 Dead except in the south, with new characters, a stronger focus on melee weapons, and other new improvements. I'm excited. You can check out the trailer and also take a look at this hands-on preview.
• Max Payne-creators Remedy finally emerged from their underground lair in Finland to show off Alan Wake, which has been MIA for a couple of years now, a game I've been excited about without knowing what the hell it actually is because they've never shown any gameplay until now. And it looks like a video game, thank god for that.
• It feels weird that I'm only going to be talking about three games and one of them is a downloadable release. Produced by Epic and Chair, Shadow Complex is a game I didn't bother digging any deeper into until I read "Metroid-like" somewhere. So it seems.

I trust that tomorrow, the first official day of the show, will provide more visual stimulation.

-K.