Transmission ))) 6.3.09

So E3 is in full-swing right now and already it's been a helluva show. Titles I was already excited about are looking even better and other announcements have completely surprised me.

To start, the titles that have me GEEKED. Purchases for sure.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves This may be the game I'm looking forward to most. I loved, loved, loved the first game and the sequel is looking to be even more of the same. Attention paid to character and story is always good. :)

Assassin's Creed II I realize not everyone felt this way, but I thoroughly enjoyed the first title. Not perfect and flawed in some very real ways, but the elements that worked, worked VERY well. It seems Ubi has taken complaints to heart and is addressing all the issues that hampered a great idea the first time out. Looking forward to this one FOR SURE.

God of War III How could this NOT be a purchase? Even if there's nothing new to the game and it's just a prettier version of 2, I'll be happy.

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time I adore the R&C series. Insomniac always gets my money.

The Last Guardian Team Ico strikes again! Ico and Shadow of the Colossus were brilliant and the vids for this title evoke the same feelings in me as those first two titles. PURCHASED!

Splinter Cell: Conviction I played the first one. I enjoyed it. It was hard. I haven't played one since, but Conviction just looks too cool to ignore.

Final Fantasy XIII I'm not a huge fan of JRPGs and I seem to only play FF games to get from one beautifully rendered cut-scene to the next. I'll probably buy this, put up with the awful script, and just enjoy the effort put up on screen.

Other nice surprises??

I've never played Rock Band and I probably never will. Not because I dislike these types of games, I just don't have $170 to toss around and don't have space to house a mini band's worth of instruments. So the most enjoyment I'll get out of The Beatles release is out of this trailer. Good thing it's just SO DAMN GOOD.

I'm not a Star Wars guy at all. AT ALL. I don't have a PC, don't play PC games, and I won't ever play this one. The trailer, however? Beautifully done.

Other thoughts? Well, the motion control craze has finally hit all makers. Project Natal looks interesting, as does Sony's effort, but the same rules apply to them as they do to Nintendo. It's only revolutionary when someone takes the time and effort to develop it. Otherwise, it's just waggle on a different system. Hopefully, people like Peter Molyneux will take advantage of this tech.

With so much to see at this year's show, I'm certain everyone has a unique list of favorites. I know it might seem foolish to leave out some very other high-profile titles like Modern Warfare 2 and Mass Effect 2, but since I've never played their predecessors (even though I own Mass Effect 1; should probably play that) I can't get TRULY excited about them....just yet.