Cross Counter Asia and Mad Catz were in Singapore for the Xbox 360 Blockbuster Media Showcase, and Zhi (@zhieeep) filed this report:
On September 4, we had the honor of attending Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Blockbuster Media Showcase in Singapore, previewing the spectacular Xbox 360 holiday lineup. Producers from leading game franchises were flown into the island country to show off the latest game builds to media and retail partners. Upon arrival, we dove into the complimentary buffet to feed the hungry journalists, then trampled over one another to get a first-time glance at first-party favorites, from Halo 4, Forza Horizon, and Dance Central 3, to third-party gems like Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Resident Evil 6, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Dead or Alive 5, and FIFA 13. This extensive software lineup, coupled with the firepower of Xbox SmartGlass and Xbox Music, guarantee that children will be begging for the gift of the green glowing “X” underneath the X-Mas tree.
Our first presentation was from James Lodata, associate producer at Activision. While we weren’t allowed to record any video footage, it’s safe to say that Call of Duty: Black Ops II will maintain its firm grip on being the biggest entertainment franchise ever, eclipsing even the great Harry Potter. Watching muggles get blown away in downtown L.A. almost made us feel better about the Lakers getting Dwight Howard and Steve Nash next season.
Resident Evil 6 executive producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, then lead us on a demo of his baby, and we were absolutely terrified when we jumped into zombie mode and began attacking our beloved Leon and Chris Redfield during the role reversal. The game has intertwined storylines and will feel much less linear compared to previous titles thanks to the new Crossover mechanic. Perhaps Mr. Kobayashi took a cue from Capcom’s Street Fighter x Tekken playbook?
Next, we had Yosuki Hayashi, Studio Head of Team Ninja, grace us with his presence and trounce a few CPU dummies in Dead or Alive 5. Team Ninja waited seven years studying the fighting-game genre, plotting their eventual return. Hayashi made very clear that he wanted to evolve from the current mold and create what he terms “Fighting Game Entertainment.” Is DOA5 a harbinger of the future fighting game? We certainly believe so after witnessing the destructible, interactive stages, and fatality-esque K.O. animations.
With his arms crossed like a boss, Katsuhiro Harada of the Namco Bandai Zaibatsu greeted us silently at his capsule with right-hand man Michael Murray waiting at the wings for worthy press questions. We pressed the two on Jinpachi’s preference for taxis over Mishima limousines in the opening scene of the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 console version. It’s a strange sight to see this game running on retail Xbox 360 consoles instead of debug kits, so we know full well that the day of carpal tunnel wave dashing draws near.
Last but certainly not least, we went into the giant teepee of Master Chief to see the latest offerings from Halo 4. We played through one level of Spartan Ops, the time-released mission mode ensuring fresh new objectives over the course of 10 weeks. Unfortunately, the new enemy class called Prometheans overran our defenses and we could not reach the next save point. On the hardware end, we also got a peek at the pair of Mad Catz headsets, the Warhead 7.1 and Trigger, as well as the Limited Edition Halo 4 Console. The Siren-like voice of Cortana never sounded so enchanting as it did on that Dolby Surround Sound decoder. The Warhead 7.1 is wireless, too, so you can wear them in the kitchen while making a sandwich in between marathon Halo sessions.
Check out our interviews after the jump and vicariously experience the press-only event through the videos.
Huge thanks go out to Cross Counter Asia for the fantastic coverage. Check out their Twitch.TV for streams and event coverage from all over the Asia-Pacific region!
Tags: Activision, Blockbuster Media Showcase, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Dance Central 3, Dead or Alive 5, EA, Electronic Arts, FIFA 13, Forza Horizon, Halo 4, James Lodata, Katsuhiro Harada, Michael Murray, Namco Bandai, Resident Evil 6, Team Ninja, TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Yosuki Hayashi
