I know it's early to jump the gun, but the more I see, the more convinced I am that Mass Effect will be the best game released this year.  Truthfully, I don't think anything else will even be that much of a threat.  Ratchet, Uncharted, Mario Galaxy, Metroid, Halo 3, Bioshock... all great games.  But Mass Effect is looking like the kind of game that can change the entire landscape of the industry.  It looks like the game we have all been waiting for since the "next-generation" even arrived.  In short, it looks like the game that can reshape expectations on what a video game can actually be.  I am not saying this as a die-hard Bioware fan.  I didn't like KOTOR that much; I thought it had some great ideas, but it was hampered by it's poor graphics and clunky battle system.  Jade Empire had an even worse fighting engine (though better graphics) and an overall execution that was nowhere near as ambitious as KOTOR.  
But Mass Effect looks just incredible.  It could change everything we know about video games, like the way Mario 64, Resident Evil, and Tomb Raider did back in 1996.  Or the way GTA, Metal Gear, and Halo did in 2001.  I have been wrong before.  But at the very least, I expect Mass Effect to garner GOTY.   

Just saw some of the latest screens for Ace Combat 6.  All I can say is WOW!!! I can't wait to play that one!  Ace 5 was one of my all time faves for the PS2, and 6 looks to blow the doors off of that one!
If you haven't had a chance to, please go check it out.  I think it will be one of the unsung heroes for the 360 this fall.  

Well, after my recent rant about the Wii, I figure it would be a great time to talk about the 360.  I currently own one, and my feelings range from a little mixed to very positive at times.  At this point, I am more positive about the 360 than ever.  My previous concerns were about game variety: the system's quality games are almost all shooters and sports/racing games.  I like shooters.  But I also like other types of games as well.  And so far, the forays into action adventure on the 360 have been mixed (Kameo and Crackdown for instance).  Elder Scrolls was great, and Dead Rising and Saints Row are pretty good.  But that is about it outside of the shooters and sports mix.  
That looks like it will be changing soon.  The fall lineup looks outstanding.  Mass Effect, Bioshock (which despite popular belief to the contrary, is not a shooter), Ace Combat 6, Blue Dragon, Halo 3 and Splinter Cell will all be must haves.  But I can't help but feel that Microsoft has really missed the boat in a lot of ways.
For instance, why is it that, now, almost two years after it's release, they will finally have a killer fall lineup?  2006 was a wasted year, with only 1, count it, ONE exclusive killer app in Gears of War (Elder Scrolls, R6 Vegas, Fear and Knockout Kings all made their way to the PS3).  Remember when the OG Xbox launched alongside the Gamecube in 2001?  Sony had a SLEW of killer apps that made sure the PS2 was by far the best selling system of the that fall.  Microsoft did no such thing this time around.  Even with Sony fumbling around with very few great games (I count only 3 thus far), they STILL haven't really taken advantage.  And that is why their sales have not been as excellent as they were hoping.  
By the time the 360 will see a great release lineup, the PS3 will be hitting its stride with Heavenly Sword, Lair, Warhawk, Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank and Metal Gear Solid 4 all debuting this fall.  There are big names in their with some strong fan bases, as well as some great originals that will really rock the game world.

But, it may not really matter.  Why?  Because Halo 3 will be bigger than anything Sony has, and unlike the past generation, Microsoft is making sure that there are some other killer games in the mix to support their uber-franchise.  Halo 3 will move systems, and once it gets noticed by the public, so will Mass Effect (my odds on favorite for GOTY).  Splinter Cell Conviction, an exclusive, is looking fantastic, and that should at least somewhat make up for not having Metal Gear (who knows if it will even release this year anyway).
This is Microsoft's game to lose this year.  If they have the best Christmas of the big three this year, expect them to win the generation.  If the PS3 does better and catches up, it could be lights out.  I doubt that will be the case.       
 

Well, now that E3 has come and gone, I just have to ask: Why are so many gamers still hyped about the Wii?  I can understand the mainstream non-gaming public (y'know, the kind that doesn't really care about things like E3) digging the system, but why have so many seemingly legitimate gamers jumped on the bandwagon?  
I keep hearing how it's "all about the gameplay," and how "graphics don't really matter compared to fun and innovation." GREAT!!!  I completely agree!  But playing a bunch of half-baked ports party games don't really fit that bill.  Mario Galaxy looks awesome.  Metroid looks really good (though parts of its gameplay still seem to be stuck in the past; I mean, no location specific damage, super predictable AI, and no real physics engine is almost unforgivable in 2007).  But Wii Fit??? I swear, Nintendo could relaunch the Zapper with a Duck Hunt knock off and be lauded as geniuses... wait a minute... that actually happened.
Don't get me wrong.  I know Nintendo still makes some of the best games in the world.  Miyamoto is still a genius.  But I have never seen a company get so much great press from having nothing in the way of compelling software.  It tells me that the gaming world is so intent on seeing Nintendo popular that they will jump on any bandwagon...  I applaud them for wanting to do something different, but that doesn't mean they get a pass for having NO GOOD SOFTWARE.
Speaking of bandwagon, I think the negative one about Sony the entire gaming community jumped on should be coming to an end sometime soon... It probably won't, because so many in the media seem to want them dethroned.  I guess it's like any dynasty that becomes hated because they win.  Nevertheless, Sony had a stronger software showing than anyone at E3.  But let the Sony hating commence, as I guess everyone would rather play Red Steel 2 than Uncharted...

 

Overall, I have to say I am pretty unimpressed with the new generation of consoles.  The graphics look great, there are new particle effects, upgraded physics and AI, and unfotunately, no soul it seems.  I remember the excitement of new games and new innovations in years past, and now, the excitement just isn't there.  The PS3 has only a few really good exclusives (with a lot more coming, though) and the 360 has a lot of gritty, war-themed shooters and racing games, and little else.  Sure, Oblivion was great, but everything else seems to be cut from the same mold.  A few more unique games were in the pipe, like Crackdown and Lost Planet, but they all ended up being pretty disappointing and totally repetitive.  I mean, how many Tom Clancy shooters do we need?  How many WWII shooters do we need?  Where are the adventure and action games?  I haven't seen ANYTHING in the mold of a Ninja Gaiden.   
Don't get me started on the Wii.  There may be nothing more destructive to the future of gaming for gamers than the Wii.  It has some nifty innovations, but unfortunately, my fears have come to pass.  I don't even care that the graphics are so mediocre.  I play my PS2 all the time, and it looks inferior to the new crop of systems for sure.  But with the Wii, we have nothing but crappy ports, "casual" party games, and maybe two great games to look forward too (Mario and Metroid).  Paper Mario is very cool, but even Zelda isn't an exclusive (it looks barely better than it's Gamecube coutnerpart).  And even still, I need more than 1-2 great games a year to make me happy.  
Don't get me wrong, getting casual gamers in the loop is great!  I will get a Wii because my wife wants one, and that is really cool that we will have something we can both play.  But I would be lying if I said the system interested me at all.
My fear with the Wii is that, because it is so successful, other companies will follow suit and shift their focus to releasing games that cater to my parents, my grandma, my wife, et al, and that just sucks.  Release those games.  Give my grandma something to play.  But don't forget us games who cut our teeth on Mega Man, Sonic, Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Contra, and Ghouls and Ghosts.  In the past, Nintendo had real gamers games that appealed to people outside the gaming world.  Now, they have flipped it around, and they make games for non-gamers, and hope the gaming community will hop on too (which, for some reason or another, they unfortunately have).   
I'm glad gaming is mainstream, but don't forget about those who got it there in the first place.  Maybe that is why I feel like the only person in the world who is still cautiously optimistic about Sony.  With Nintendo leaving us behind, and Microsoft catering to mainly military-based shooter fans, the PS3 still has my interest with upcoming games like Uncharted, Ratchet, Killzone, Final Fantasy, Heavenly Sword, and Lair.  That's a nice variety. 
Just my thoughts.  Let me know what you think.