Game informer e3 2012 conference

First, they gave an extended look at a new Rayman game , which includes new levels and gameplay exclusive to the Wii U. Judging from what they showed, including a fast-paced platforming section with action that cleverly synched to a shredding metal song, the additions are more than just tacked on to the core game. There was also a look at Zombi U , a mature-rated game with a trailer that was heavy on style and shy on actual substance.

Ubisoft also flashed a screen with other Wii U games that it's developing, and it included a few surprises. The publisher reaped the rewards of being an early supporter of the Wii, and it's clear that it will be taking a similar approach with that system's successor.

Far Cry 3 and Assassin's Creed III also got plenty of stage time, and after seeing both games in action it's clear why. Far Cry's demo started off with a gyrating and topless woman, and ended with a surreal walk down a path of TV monitors. Assassin's Creed III showed how well the series' traditional wall-scaling action translates to a completely new setting: Revolutionary War-era America. Ubisoft saved a big surprise for last, revealing a completely new IP. Watch Dogs is set in the near future, where a central computer system compiles a startling amount of data on citizens.

The player character or characters is able to hack into this system, allowing him to infiltrate areas by scrambling cell-phone signals, causing traffic accidents by manipulating traffic lights, and more. It looked great, even generating some chatter that we were looking at a bona fide next-gen game.

We'll see. Sony wrapped up the day with its presser, and they had plenty of great stuff to show off. Actress Ellen Page plays the role of Jodie Holmes, a young woman who has a disturbing relationship with a what appears to be a ghost. David Cage says players will be able to interact with Holmes throughout her life, and if they play well enough they may even get a glimpse at what happens when people die. Or at least Quantic Dreams' interpretation.

Sony naturally made a big push for the Vita during its presentation, revealing that not only is PlayStation All Stars: Battle Royale coming to that platform, but that it is fully compatible with the PS3 version of the game. If your tastes run more to the old school, news that PS One Classics are coming to Vita should be welcome news. Younger players may get a kick out of Sony's new Wonderbook line, particularly if they think that reading stinks.

The series combines interactive storytelling with augmented reality. In a particularly long demo, Sony showed off the Harry Potter-themed Book of Spells, which was developed in collaboration with author J. If you've ever wondered where that Wingardium Leviosa spell came from, you may get the answers you've been seeking.

Do you dislike the idea of it being a prequel? Are prequels old news now? Update: Game Informer has updated the link, showing that the cover image is actually of both Cole and Baird in chains, not Marcus Fenix. So it looks like this will still be a prequel, but starring the two fan favorites. Does this change your feelings?

Is it really already time for another E3? No matter how hard I try to avoid it, the calendar confirms that another round of the Electronic Entertainment Expo is upon us, this time hitting us with all of its buzz June For our hobby, this is the equivalent of a holy week, one of those high festivals that requires our time, celebration and perhaps even woe. So, with E3 right around the corner, we thought we would ask you guys what your E3 predictions are.

Honestly, I have no idea what to expect from this year. Despite the numerous claims to the contrary, I tend to fall in that camp as well. But then you never truly know. In terms of specific announcements from other notable developers, I expect a Dragon Age 3 tease of some sort from Bioware, since their other big franchise has laid down to rest for the moment.

So what about you guys? What do you expect or hope to see from E3 this year? Tell us your E3 predictions. What was your Game of the Show for E3 ?

What are your thoughts on Star Wars ? Do you think this is running on next gen tech? What are your thoughts on Watch Dogs? Below are my instant reactions as I watched the press conference unfold: Halo 4 Halo 4 will kick off the show.

But what will end the show? Live action trailer for Halo 4. Pretty bad-ass. Pretty cheesy. A ship designed to discover new worlds. Looks like something went wrong. Looks like Halo. The planet is a vibrant green, lots of foliage. Looks cool. An Elite just disintergrated.

New enemies are attacking. Some new robot thing that reminds me of General Grievous popped out. Cortana says it is Forerunner design. Some cool ass new weapon is tearing these things up. Overall, it wasn't a bad lineup of core games, but not exactly enough to blow the socks off of the hardcore crowd that made Xbox the number one console in America.

By a combination of Microsoft's divestment in internal development, and the fact that I suspect much of third-party developers' new IP budgets are now being used for next-gen games already in production, this year's Microsoft press conference seemed a bit lacking in the game department. Microsoft's has become as much of an Xbox Live portal as a game console, and that fact showed once again at their press conference.

So, what else? Basically if you have a device -- smart phone, toaster, whatever -- Microsoft wants to connect to it. And it will, "through the magic" of SmartGlass. SmartGlass is a portal of sorts that hooks your iOS, Android, or Windows 7 phone or tablet to your You could use your device for navigation or actually seamlessly stream your content on services like HBO Go between both devices.

There will also be features like bonus content for Game of Thrones displayed on your tablet as you watch the show on Perhaps most exciting for some was the fact that everyone's favorite Internet browser, Internet Explorer , was finally coming to Xbox Live. Microsoft is also creating its own music service good luck with that , and has new partnerships with Nickelodeon, Paramount, Machinima, and UVideos. Finally, shoe giant Nike is making a Kinect sports training game that will send workout reminders to your phone and track your training progress.

In essence, Microsoft continued to augment what was already a strength. Xbox Live is already an amazing entertainment and media hub -- to the point where it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone who doesn't even play games to own one. Whether this is coming at the expense of Microsoft's focus on games might be a point worth discussing, but it's hard to fault the company for the work its done in bringing in such a wide range of content partners to the service.

Outside of a few big games and a host of announcements for Xbox Live and Kinect, there were a few bits of interest. Twisted Pixel has a new game, LocoCycle , which was shown in a very short teaser trailer and seemed to be some amalgamation of Knight Rider and Tron.

Definitely didn't seem to have the cartoonish, humorous vibe Twisted Pixel is known for, and I found that a bit concerning. Still, it's a talented studio so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. He came out to announce his involvement in Dance Central 3 and danced and danced and danced.