e3-2009 posts

Clocking in at just over 15 minutes, this Mafia II video presentation is the same one that was given at E3 2009. In it, the developers run through the second half a mission. In doing so, they introduce some of the major characters, the city itself and how the gameplay works. After a while, the narration stops to let the mission simply play out.

Download HD Mafia II Walkthrough Video (176 MB)
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We remember reading an article a few years ago from a respected journalists about how E3 and the game industry in general wouldn't be taken seriously if they continued to allow publishers to have booth babes parading around in the exhibit hall. Today booth models at E3 are not just expected but celebrated as part of the culture of the show.

The latest evidence of this turnaround is an upcoming one-hour special on the G4 cable TV network called Confessions of a Booth Babe. The show, hosted by former Playboy bunny Sara Underwood, was filmed at last month's E3 2009 event and "explores how these young women were chosen and what exactly their job entails." We predict part of the job deals with keeping sweaty geeks from hitting on them. The show airs on Saturday, July 25 at 7 pm ET/PT. Of course you could prepare for the show by checking out our own E3 booth model galleries . . . just a thought.

When we and other web sites post up galleries of booth models for events such as E3 2009, it's always assumed that the models are there just for eye candy. Surely the babes know nothing about the products they are trying to sell, right? Well, not necessarily. CNBC's web site has a feature on a booth model agency that prides itself on hiring models that also happen to be gamers.

The agency, Charisma+2, was founded in 2008 by Yvonna Lynn (pictured above) who felt there was a niche to be filled by creating a company of models for events like E3, Comic-Con, QuakeCon and others. It can also be a way to break into the game industry. Lynn states, ""The main idea is to help these guys and girls get their foot into the door in an industry they normally would not have access to That's especially true with the ladies, because this is such a hard industry for women to break into."

Star Wars: The Old Republic just got a ton of pressure put on it. The upcoming MMO from BioWare, EA and LucasArts was just named as the Best PC Game by the Game Critics Awards as they announced the winners of their annual E3 awards.

The awards, as we have mentioned before, are not a fullproof way of predicting a game's final form. Witness the fact that Spore won the same award three times and ended up as something of a dissapointment when it was finally released. We hope that BioWare's title is an exception.

In other catagories, Modern Warfare 2 won for Best Action Game, Mass Effect 2 (another BioWare title) won for Best Role Playing Game, Split/Second won for Best Racing Game, Supreme Commander 2 won for Best Strategy Game and Left 4 Dead 2 won for Best Online Multiplayer.

Even though we have mentioned that the idea of a standard awards set-up for E3 is like giving a movie after showing a two minute trailer, a group of both mainstream and gaming enthusiast media have once again gathered to give their picks for the 2009 edition of the show.

The biggest award for "Best In Show" has three games slated for the PC in the list (Mass Effect 2, Modern Warfare 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction). In the specific Best PC Game category the nods went to DC Universe Online, Dragon Age: Origins, Left 4 Dead 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Supreme Commander 2. Check out the web site for all of the categories and nominated games; the winners will be announced a week from today.

About Rogue Warrior: "Playing as Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko, you go behind the iron curtain to disrupt a suspected North Korean ballistic missile program. Soon into the mission, you uncover a conspiracy that could turn the tides of the Cold War in the communists' favor. You must then take the mission into your own hands as you enter into the bowels of the USSR to destroy a technology that could change the balance of geopolitical power, leaving a trail of destruction in your wake!"

Download HD Rogue Warrior E3 2009 Trailer (80 MB)

"Competitors in Split/Second don't just collide with other vehicles to knock them from the track -- they can also trigger explosive events that drastically alter the dynamics of the race. Players must use strategy and pinpoint timing to derail opponents, tactically alter the track or create entirely new routes."

Download HD Split Second E3 2009 Trailer (181 MB)
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We had a feeling that some real Christians might not care for Electronic Arts' recent viral marketing stunt for their upcoming action game Dante's Inferno. As we reported last week an apparent protest of the game at E3 2009 last week was later discovered to be a publicity stunt with actors portraying Christians opposed to the game.

GamePolitcs reports that at least two Christian bloggers have attacked EA's portrayal of the protesters in the stunt. InsideCatholic blooger Margaret Cabaniss states, "It's been clear for a while now that the entertainment inudstry views Christians on the whole as priggish, thin-skinned fun-killers." Meanwhile the Catholic Video Games web site posts up a note saying, "Gamers of all varieties will buy this product if its, well, actually a good game. So instead of engaging in a shamelessly anti-Christian stunt to promote your poor excuse of a product, maybe you ought to work on making this game, you know, something better than a blatant God of War rip-off and make it, ya know, something worthwhile? "

"Jumpgate Evolution is an exhilarating space combat MMO, set in a vast expanding universe, that will allow players to choose from one of three playable Nations and engage in an intense action-packed gaming experience. While embarking on an immersive and accessible space adventure, players can trade valuable commodities, take part in exhilarating intergalactic battles, meet and play with friends and live out the dream of an elite hero. The game features a rich and varied universe to explore and has been designed for experienced and novice MMO players alike."

Download HD Jumpgate Evolution E3 2009 Trailer (93 MB)
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This trailer for Heroes of Telara was shown at E3 2009 and provides a first look at the upcoming fantasy MMORPG. To learn more about the game, check out our impressions here.

"Long after the Age of Legend, when centuries of conflict devastated the fair kingdoms of Telara, the world teeters on the edge of darkness. Now, four rival factions grapple for control of the land as the struggle rages on in the wild territories. Arising from these ashes is Port Scion, a mighty city inhabited by survivors of the old empires. Only the brave and stalwart citizens of Port Scion can restore peace, and change the very course of history, for it is home to the Heroes of Telara."

Download HD Heroes of Telara E3 2009 Trailer (301 MB)