E3 2007 blogroll

Last summer, I was in Santa Monica, Cali., covering the E3 Media & Business Summit from Tuesday, July 9 through Friday, July 13. I’m loading my posts from the show here, for posterity, y’know?

Friday, July 13, 11:00 a.m.

Microsoft has taken over an entire hotel here in Santa Monica.

It's a very stylish thing for the stylish company to do. The Viceroy, on Ocean, is one of those stately old hotels that has undergone a boutique transormation. It almost seems as though the refurbishment was done at the bequest of Microsoft, so at home does the Xbox team seem here.

I was here yesterday to talk with Ryan Bidan from Xbox Canada and to see a demonstration of Bioware's upcoming Mass Effect game (which is so going to kick ass), but today I was back at the Viceroy to get a more complete look at Halo 3.

The video game, which is scheduled for a September 25 release, is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated game of the year (although there are many developers and publishers who would contest that).

I was underwhelmed by the multiplayer beta that was made available earlier in the summer, but that's in part because I've never had much fun getting killed so quickly and so often. I prefer my shooting and action video games to have some story to them, which is one reason I am such a Halo geek.

The demonstration I sat in on played the first part of the introductory level to Halo 3, minus the opening cinematics, because Bungie doesn't want the story leaking out. In that first mission, Sierra 117, you - playing as Master Chief - is with a group of marines, moving through a forest, battling the Covenant forces.

The first thing I noticed was the dialogue chatter from the other marines, which is a nice addition given that so much of the first two games were so solitary. But I noticed that there was too much chatter, which distracted from the eerie atmosphere soundtrack that I liked so much in the first two games.

The second thing I noticed was that the Arbiter appeared to be a character fighting on the side of Master Chief.

The Arbiter, a Covenant warrior, became a playable character in Halo 2. It was a brilliant stroke, forcing gamers to play as the enemy, and gave the entire story a moral gray that seemed fitting, given the epic, operatic tale being told.

I've been wondering how the Arbiter might be used in Halo 3, and it appears that he joins the Master Chief in the final game. In fact, it may be that the co-operative play, which Halo has had since the beginning, allows two players to play as Master Chief and the Arbiter together. It may even be that playing the solo campaign mode, you can switch back and forth between Master Chief and the Arbiter.

This is all speculation on my part, because Microsoft and Bungie representatives were mum when I asked.

The very talent that Bungie has shown for storytelling is enough for me to be excited in anticipation of the final chapter of the Master Chief's tale.

Maybe I should book some holiday time near the end of September.