MICROSOFT/SQUARE ENIX

Let me get this out of the way first. Nothing really took my fancy, but the news on a (near) worldwide release date for RE5 as well as online co-op made me delighted. Here's hoping that it's running on a new engine, so I won't have to do an install (then again 360 owners, if the news is correct, will also have that opportunity). And the new Portal game (which I pray has a PC release) sounds nice...as does ports of Banjo 1 and Duke Nukem. However, that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about what is perhaps one of the more shocking annoucements to come out of E3 in a while.

In case you haven't heard the news - FINAL FANTASY XIII IS COMING TO THE 360.

I'm still quite stunned about the whole thing. On one hand, it's good to see Square give more gamers the chance to experience the game. On the other is money hatting - take a good look at their comments during the Square presser, and they mention that the decision was recent. The Square of old would never do this. I mean, there's never been a Final Fantasy game, let alone a MAIN SERIES Final Fantasy game that has ever had a multiplat release at the same time (unless someone wants to correct me).

What's worst is the entire release schedule for 13. According to Square-Enix at their presser (which was all about XIII, sadly) the 360 version is hitting in English-speaking territories only (no Japanese release, shockingly), will be shipping on multiple discs and will be hitting at the same time as the English PS3 version. When they made the annoucement, it was only recent, because Square hadn't even started work on the 360 game! Their focus is to now get the Japanese version out, then get the English versions out - and they've even said that the game might not launch worldwide because they haven't even started the localization yet. Way to fucking go Microsoft, I was looking forward to actually playing XIII before the end of the decade.

At least one of the Fabula Nova Crystalis (the big series of games that FFXIII is a part of) is still a PS3 exclusive (Final Fantasy Versus XIII).

I've never gotten why the 360 has become the RPG console of choice lately - much like the PS2 once was (and still kinda is). I could understand if it's easier to develop for the 360...or Microsoft has just been paying famed RPG developers to develop games to help sell the system in Japan (where, traditionally, the Xbox has never sold well). You would think that the PS3 would be perfect for this sort of thing? Guess not...

ELECTRONIC ARTS

Nothing really to comment on. Dead Space seems interesting (more so than I was expecting)...but I was shocked that there's nothing on Skate 2. Though it did surprise me to see that Rage was actually an EA game - previously Activision did all the publishing/distributing for id's games.

I guess all the community stuff that EA are prepping does seem neat...as well as Dragon Age finally being shown.

That's all for Day 1. Tune in tomorrow for the Nintendo/Sony/Ubisoft/Capcom/Activision conferences.

Later.