Watch Dogs - - Everything We Know

You are Aiden Pierce, genius, badass computer hacker.

Although first shown at E3 2012, Ubisoft's next-generation title Watch Dogs still remains hidden behind a veil of secrecy.  While many gameplay details have been released, much of the game's more intricate storyline are unknown.  For good reason, Ubisoft has kept this information under wraps in order to hype up, what appears to be, one of the more original video game storylines to date.  Let's go over some of the details of this computer hacking, open-world game coming out for Xbox One, PS4, 360 and PS3 this Fall.

Taking place in an open world environment of Chicago, you play as computer hacker extraordinaire Aiden Pierce.  Aiden can hack into anything.  This ranges from computers to phones to streetlights to anything he deems useful as he struggles against the police and the criminal underworld of Chicago.  You might ask, how on earth could an ordinary man hack into anything within a city? The answer lies in the fact that the city of Chicago operates from one central computer system entitled (cleverly) The Central Operating System.  Everything within the city relies on this system functioning and running day to day operations.  The ability to hack into a vast network such as the CtOS could provide a person within an incredible amount of dangerous information.

While hacking into a city's network sounds fun, the true genius of the system can be seen within the gameplay of Watch Dogs.  Using your elite hacking skills, Aiden Pierce can manipulate the environment around him to aid him in his quest to take down (or support) criminals in Chicago.  Are you surrounded by bad guys or the police and need a getaway? Don't worry.  By hacking into the street lights around you, Aiden can provide himself with the cover of darkness to escape.  In addition, in many missions/quests, Aiden will be forced to move environmental objects around in order to complete the appropriate task.  Most of the hacking while on the run is done through Aiden's high tech cell phone.  This is perfectly illustrated in the gameplay featured at this year's E3 below.

As you can see, the game plays like a mix between Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed (I suspect the AC engine was used in development of the game).  The open world environment is extremely realistic, even down to the police blotter as they call out APB's and search parties for our hero.  Details from developers reveal that in order to access parts of the city's vast network, you are required to hack into CtOS terminals which enable to hack systems within a certain area.  To get a better framework of this, think of the viewpoint towers in Assassin's Creed.  Climbing a tower and then diving into a bail of hay (Someone please explain to me how that's possible??) reveals the area within the city around you, opening quests, stores and more.  The CtOS hubs will work very similarly and will enable Aiden to up his computer hacking arsenal around the city.

An interesting and unique feature of Watch Dogs is how the multiplayer component of the game is fused together with the single player storyline.  Station 1621 discussed in detail about the multiplayer driven campaign of Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall.  Watch Dogs, on the other hand, takes a different direction with their vision of multiplayer interactions.  As my Aiden Pierce progresses through his single player game, player's will, if they are connected to online, be able to enter my game with their Aiden Pierce.  They will appear, in my game, as a random looking ordinary person and not Aiden Pierce.  From this point, the player will be able to choose to either help or hinder my progression in the single player experience.  You see in the video above, a person on a tablet hacking into the lights to help the player escape sight from the light of a helicopter.  This would obviously be a circumstance where another player helps your Aiden Pierce in his vigilante actions.  On the other hand, developers have stated that a player entering my game certainly has the ability to set off alarms and trigger events that could get my player captured by the police.  This sounds like it could end in disaster as kids all over the world enter my single player story and troll me incredibly hard by hacking into systems to expose my plans.  While most of this information is still under wraps, it is an interesting feature that will need to be watched as the game inches closer and closer to release.

More fun features provided by the game include an array of mini games that can be played by hacking into people's cell phones.  Gameplay videos have revealed that NPC's (non-player controlled units) will be emphatically glued to their cell phone as they walk down the street to indicate that they are playing a game.  While details are sketchy, one mini game that is confirmed is an alien invasion game type that let's you shoot incoming aliens.  These types of games are a great way to spend time if you don't want to complete quests at the moment.  Its also worth touching on the companion app that was seen above in the gameplay video.  Tablet and phone interaction with the game your playing is a key part of the next-gen experience and it appears Watch Dogs is taking full advantage.  Mobile players being able to interact within the multiplayer component of the game is really cool (but also possibly terrible as players can troll me anywhere they go!).

Overall, Watch Dogs is still being tightly kept under wraps by Ubisoft.  This is most of the new information Station 1621 could scrap up about the game.  This open world, computer hacking game is on the horizon and represents one of the first few next-gen titles that will be available at release for both the Xbox One and the PS4.  When or if more details come available, Station 1621 will certainly post them to keep you updated!

One last thought... As I think about the devastating impact other players could have on my single player story, my mind drifts to thoughts of my friends' and their single player games.  I could single handily ensure that they never complete the game or at least make it ten times more difficult.  *Evil thoughts*

"With great power comes great responsibility."

And with providing you with your quote of the day, this is station operator Boneill1621 signing off.  Check out the Twitch Channel as live streams will be happening tonight.

See you starside.

-1621

Titanfall - - Everything We Know

The Pilot and his Titan

Coming out "exclusively" for the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows 8 in Spring 2014, Titanfall is a first person shooter, mech battling, multiplayer game.  Created by the masterminds behind the original Call of Duty Modern Warfare, the guys at Respawn Entertainment (former employees of Infinity Ward) are changing their focus from a realistic shooter to creating an entirely new futuristic universe.  With Titanfall taking center stage at Microsoft's E3 showcase, there is plenty of information, gameplay footage and more to examine as we try to sieve through the details about the game.

When trying to describe Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall, executive producer Drew McCoy states that the main focus of the game will blur the lines between single and multiplayer gaming: "taking the hand-crafted cinematic nature of a single player game and wrapping it up in super-fast, smooth, awesome multiplayer game."  From the gameplay and cinematic shots shown at E3, Titanfall boasts that the traditional campaign experience will entirely rely on multiplayer battles.  While this sounds intriguing, I can hear the collective groan from the many gamers who value the solo-campaign experience.  Respawn Entertainment's answer to why they decided to blur the single and multiplayer experience is explained as such: "People spend hundreds of hours in the multiplayer experience versus ‘as little time as possible rushing to the end’ [in single-player]. So why do all the resources go there? To us it made sense to put it here. Now everybody sees all those resources, and multiplayer is better. For us it made sense.”  The resources the quote refers to are how the studio would allocate resources between a single player campaign and online multiplayer system.  The argument here is that by devoting all resources into a multiplayer-campaign experience, those playing the game will have a more polished and better overall experience.  If you think of a game such as Mass Effect 3 (while I find the multiplayer incredibly fun) it definitely is not as well done as the single player game itself.  This is clearly because the single-player campaign received a vast amount of resources while the multiplayer was a mere extension of the campaign itself. With Respawn Entertainment's multiplayer-campaign, gamers will be able to see a story unfold through competitive online multiplayer, something very new in the first person shooter world.

The gameplay for Titanfall was, in my opinion, one of the more eye catching videos at all of E3.  Check out the video to see the game in action as displayed at Microsoft's E3 conference.  Its interesting to watch the fighting dynamics between the titan mechs and the pilots themselves.  The pilot appears to play much like a Call of Duty soldier with a jet pack and extreme parkour abilities.  Using your jet/thruster pack to traverse buildings and running alongside walls looks rather seamless and reminds me of all the crazy acrobatics you can do in the Assassin's Creed games.  The titans appear like your standard mech, much like what was seen in James Cameron's Avatar and the Lost Planet games.  The sequence where the pilot jettisons from his titan and falls directly onto an enemy titan is a cool gameplay dynamic.  Respawn Entertainment states that the pilot vs. mech combat is balanced so that players can choose between two distinct fighting styles.  Basically it comes down to the speed and agility of the pilots versus the brute force abilities of the titans, which hopefully will provide endless different scenarios and encounters in the multiplayer-campaign experience.

The gameplay shown appears filled with visually stunning environments as ships overhead go in and out of hyperspace/warp/slipspace.  The building texture and appearance looks well done and presents forth a war torn setting as you traverse the streets and buildings.  From the gameplay above, you also get a sense of the multiplayer-campaign playing out as its your objective to take and hold locations for your faction within the war.  I still don't get a sense of how this progresses the main story but I know those details will become available soon.  I will say I was disappointed with how some of the characters looked for a supposed next-gen game.  Granted, with a Spring 2014 release, I'm sure graphical enhancements will be made.  I'm also not positive if this was being shown on the Xbox One or 360.  I assume the Xbox One but you never know.

Pilot free-running across a wall with jet-pack

Speaking of next-gen, Respawn Entertainment has stated that Titanfall will take advantage of many of the next-gen features incorporated within the Xbox One.  Most notably is that the game will utilize cloud computing for the game's environments and will have dedicated servers.  It appears to me that every next-gen game will have dedicated servers which puts a huge smile on my face (for those who read this and don't know, dedicated servers mean there won't be any lag while playing the game).  With processing power placed in the cloud and dedicated servers, hopefully Respawn can turn up the appearance of the game even more.

While details are scarce, I can't say for how you outfit your pilot/titan but its safe to say it will mirror the typical FPS experience.  Hopefully you will be able to change the look of your pilot or titan to make the game more unique and colorful to the specific player.  Also, with a Spring 2014 release date, Respawn Entertainment is shying away from going head to head with Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts.  It will be interesting to see when the next Halo installment will be released and if it will be anywhere near the release date for Titanfall.  I'd say not considering they both are Xbox exclusives.

Overall, Station 1621 is incredibly excited for Titanfall.  With the masterminds behind the first Modern Warfare at the helm, the station recommends that you not worry about their newest installment being a bust.  Its sad that Playstation players won't get to experience, what it appears to be, a fun and fresh first person shooter.  If anymore details drop about Titanfall, Station 1621 will keep you up to date with all the information.  Next time we will be profiling Ubisoft's Watch-Dogs so keep checking back.  Events will be streaming this weekend over at the Twitch channel so check it out as well.

See you starside,

-1621

Post E3 Thoughts - - The Console War and More

E3 has come and gone.  The console war is now upon us again.  The future landscape of the video game industry has been in constant flux the past couple weeks and its worth recaping some important information on where each console stands and what its offering the consumer.

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The Playstation 4, the prohibitive internet console favorite so far, comes with $399 price tag and no digital rights management concerns.  The next-gen Playstation represents a conservative approach to the future of console gaming as the features offered differ very little from the Playstation 3.  The Playstation network now requires a subscription fee that promises to give gamers access to exclusive content such as game DLC's, indie games and more.  Also on the horizon is a streaming service from Sony Pictures that will provide another alternative to Netflix.  The Playstation 4 does not require an internet connection and can play used games.

The Xbox One, on the other hand, presents a radical approach to the future of console gaming. With a day one price of $499, the Xbox One is a bit pricier than the PS4 but includes the Kinect device in all console packages.  Microsoft is banking on the fact that console gamers want an all-in-one entertainment device as opposed to just a device to play video games on.  This is evidenced by the HDMI port to connect your Xbox One to your cable or satellite box to enhance your TV viewing experience.  More so than the PS4, Microsoft is stressing the future of cloud computing and how it will change the way games are developed and played.  Continuing its Xbox Live subscription service in conjunction with Windows 8 compatibility, Microsoft hopes to fuse the experience between its gaming console and operating system even more.

Update: Microsoft has decided to lift the DRM and online requirement policies of the Xbox One through a day-one patch.  This changes the landscape of the console war as most of the qualms over the Xbox One stemmed from the consumer dissatisfaction of digital rights management and the online connection.  Gamers have complained and Microsoft has responded.  Microsoft, however, will not adjust their $499 price tag.

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With this quick overview, let's discuss the implications of the most recent updates on each console.  The Playstation 4 is steaming along, riding a huge way of public positivity in which the company has handled well.  After their vicious corporate throwdown against Microsoft at E3, Sony has profited greatly from Microsoft's misstep in having DRM and online requirements for the Xbox One.  Several separate PS4 package bundles are leading Amazon's best selling devices list.  We will wait and see if Sony can continue this profitable surge.  History has shown Sony to be prone to making mistakes regarding their console.  One worry I have is that the PS4 is too conservative in its approach.  While it no doubt will be profitable now, will PS4 feel a down surge two years from now? It remains to be seen.

The Xbox One has had a horrendous start, at least on the internet.  Microsoft has been the constant punchline for many jokes and, for a moment, it seemed the Xbox One would be left behind in the console war.  That has changed since Microsoft's reversal of the Xbox One's DRM and online requirement policies.  These changes come at a cost of losing some features like being able to access your digital game library anywhere and being able to share it with up to ten friends.  The removal of the online requirement has made some Xbox fans question whether games will be able to take advantage of  cloud computing if developers have to account for offline players.  IAs of now, the Day One edition of the Xbox One is the highest selling device on Amazon.  Pretty impressive turn around in just a matter of days for Microsoft.  We will continue to monitor pre-order sales of each console to give you up to date information on how consumers are responding to news about each console.

Overall, I am glad the consoles are placed on a more even playing field.  While I understand (and even accepted) Microsoft's DRM and online requirements, I am glad I won't have to lose gaming friends over differing policies on each console.  I really hope these changes don't affect such things like buying games directly from Xbox Live, cloud computing in games and other such features.  The Playstation multiplayer subscription fee was entirely necessary and people who complain about it need to understand that Sony can no longer offer similar services to Microsoft without charging a price to play games online.  As of today, I would say the Playstation 4 is leading the console war; however, Microsoft's reversal of hindering policies pushes the Xbox One closer to the Playstation 4.  Two weeks from now the landscape could be entirely different and Station 1621 will be right their giving you up to date information on each console.

Station 1621 would also like to announce that, starting tomorrow, we will be profiling all the big games displayed at E3 this year.  The first game the station will give a rundown on is Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall.  So staty tuned as system operations turn a focus to the exclusive games each console will be offering.  As always check out our Twitch Channel for live streaming events.

See you starside.

-1621

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all my readers! Thanks for supporting Station 1621 thus far.  I've been quite busy the past couple days spending time with my dad which is why there has been a lack of posts.  I promise, now that E3 has come and gone, a couple posts regarding the console war, next generation games and more are coming.  So please check back each day for more news.

With that said, Station 1621 will be living streaming Mass Effect today at around 2 o'clock eastern.  My father might make a special appearance and commentate gameplay.  That could only lead to internet gold so please check it out.  In addition, at 5 eastern, I will be live streaming Forerunner Conflict custom games on Halo 4.  These games are in celebration of the community's 7th birthday and therefore should be fun and even more entertaining to watch, so stick around and check those out as well.

As always, here is a link to Station 1621's Twitch live stream.

See you starside.

-1621

E3 Day Two, Wrap Ups and More

Bungie's Destiny worldwide gameplay reveal

E3 Day Two has been underway and more exciting details have been released about many of the games we heard about during the kickoff press conferences on Monday and Tuesday.  Most notably was the worldwide gameplay reveal of Bungie's console-mmo Destiny.  While I knew Bungie was talented and ambitious enough to pull it off, I was still impressed by the detailed environment and play style inherent in their newest title.  If I had to put words to how the game looks and feels, I'd say its a combination of Mass Effect, Halo and Borderlands with a Fallout type artistry touch.  Very cool game that I look forward to playing in the future.

Also newsworthy was Sqaure Enix's announcement that both Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy XV will be available on Xbox One.  If you scroll down through my notes on Sony's press conference, they highlighted the fact that these titles would be exclusively on the PlayStation 4.  This apparently is not so and was announced during Square Enix's press conference yesterday.  After discussing with my friend (who is a diehard Kingdom Hearts fan) this decision changes his entire outlook on which console to buy in the Fall.  He originally was sold on the newest PlayStation just because of these two blockbuster titles.  He is currently re-evaluating his decision.

Speaking of the newest console war, the internet has been a battleground the past few days.  PlayStation and Xbox fans alike have been trading back and forth blows with one another in some sort of feeble game to determine which console is better.  While Station 1621 doesn't condone flame wars, operating systems here have been firing at maximum capacity the past couple days trying to bring some civility to the gaming forums on the internet.  This battle has been determined to be quite an inefficient use of system operations.  In all seriousness, a post is coming about who stands on top after E3  between Microsoft and Sony (sorry Nintendo, I just couldn't make it through the Nintendo Direct conference when the system lagged like crazy trying to run games).  My interpretation will be based on the sentiments from each console community and how they feel their respective console fared during their E3 conference.  Hopefully we can avoid a flame war here!

Station 1621 will be continue its Mass Effect playthrough tonight.  I'll put a post up with the link later today.

See you starside.

-1621

E3 Running Live Diary (Sony Press Conference)

Finally the long wait for Playstation fans everywhere ends.  The PS4 will be revealed tonight along with over forty games.  This will be our first chance to openly compare the Xbox One and the PS4.  The next few days will determine the first days of the console war.  Keep refreshing the page to get up to date information on the conference.

• Clear jab at Microsoft to begin the conference.  Gaming consoles are made for gamers and are not suppose to be just entertainment devices.
• It appears as if Sony is late or Microsoft hacked into all of Sony's video feeds.
• Conference final begins at 9:17!
• Intro video was very impressive.  Showed the biggest titles in Playstation history.
• New things coming to Playstation Vita this year.
• "Vita is just beginning its life cycle."
• 85 new Vita titles this year, including Batman Arkham Origins, Counter Spy, Killzone Mercenary and more.
• Remastering old Playstation games for the Vita.
• New Vita coming this summer with Walking Dead bundle.
• Sony is now showing a "Last of Us" trailer.  This game is already out so I'm not including it in the new games list.
• Playstation 3 Titles (we'll just put the PS4 one's in a different column).
• Game #1: Rain, Fall 2013. Trailer played, no details yet.
• Game #2: Beyond, another trailer, main character is voiced by Ellen Page.  Presumably for 2013.  Didn't see.
• Game #3: Gran Turismo 6, new features, similar graphics.
• Game #4: Batman Arkham Origins, coming back to the Playstation with a new partnership with Werner Bros.
• New Playstation 3 bundle with Grand Theft Auto Five.  Includes a really nice GTAV headset.
• Playstation 4 Reveal
• "Console of unparalleled power."
• The console is a half gloss, half matte coloring that is slightly angled backwards.  Picture will be posted when available.
• Honestly, looks pretty similar to the Xbox One in terms of looks and exterior design.
• Michael Lynton on stage to discuss the new features.  Head of Sony Pictures, the guys who make good movies.
• States that Sony Pictures will be developing new programming with their brand.  Not good for other streaming services like Netflix.
• Video Unlimited service allows you to rent and own Sony's movies.
• Music Unlimited service allows you to stream, buy and share music worldwide.
• Introduces some new apps to the Playstation Network, none of them will be exclusives but its still very nice that they are included on the app market.
• Sony's Head of Game Studios is now on stage discussing the increased effort to bring forth new , exclusive titles.
• GAMES for Playstation 4 - - - - -
• Game #1: Exclusive title for the Playstation 4 entitled The Order - 1856. The game seemingly takes place in the 1800's as they are being drawn by a horse and buggy (also note the title).  However, characters depicted in the game have advanced weaponry and communication devices.  The horse carriage stops and the characters step out and begin firing at figures in the dark.  Kind of looked like zombies but I'm not sure.
• Game #2: Killzone for the Playstation 4.  Looked very nice.  I notice they added a feature that allowed you to see enemies behind walls like in Halo 4.  Made me laugh.
• Game #3: Drive Club, new racing title coming to the Playstation 4.
• Game #4: inFamous Second Son looks good.  Nice gameplay integration with the many powers.  No actual gameplay was seen though, just a video so I can't be sure.
• All these titles above will be released at the launch of the Playstation 4.
• Actual in game video of The Dark Sorcerer as seen on the new Playstation 4.  Pretty hilarious video as I totally bought into it being a game.  "It's amazing and funny."  Will be played at the booth and on the web to give users a view into the capabilities of the Playstation 4.  Check it out on Youtube and on their website.
• Game #5: Transistor, from Supergiant Games (creators of Bastion), seems like a type of platforming game.  Probably won't check it out myself but looks intriguing.
• Independent Game Development - Tons of new independent games in the new indie game section on the Playstation Network.  Sony is displaying multiple indie titles.  Too fast to cover any here but it goes to show Sony's commitment to the independent game community.  Many of these games were available on other platforms.
• Game #6: Diablo 3 will be getting special Playstation specific rewards/DLC's.  Obviously not an exclusive title.
• Game #7: From Square Enix studios, Final Fantasy XV was entirely in Japanese and looked absurd, like more absurd than the previous installments.  Gameplay was frantic involving magic, swords, guns and more.  Time slowed down and sped  up.  The playable character's agility was encompassed by bursts of light when he moved really fast.  Didn't seem slow which was a complaint in the last installment.  Looked as beautiful as ever though.
• Game #8: Kingdom Hearts 3. I honestly never got into these games and the clip they showed was short.  Graphics didn't seem to be too different.  But glad they continued the franchise.  Big score for Disney.
• Game #9: Assassin's Creed: Black Flag is being presented again with some specific gameplay scenes.  Don't take my wrong, I love the series but they are playing up this pirates theme way too much.  Its like the main story of the game doesn't matter anymore.  During the gameplay, whoever was playing clearly failed to assassinate an enemy and it made me laugh.  More ship driving for AC fans who clamored for that!  And oh my... Assassin's Creed just froze on stage.... That is not what you want to see from a game demonstration.
• Game #10: Watch-Dogs. I'm glad they are giving this game more spot light.  Ubisoft didn't show anything earlier.  It appears as if were about to get some gameplay.  And we are! Let's hope it doesn't freeze like Black Flag.  Watch-Dogs has some nice driving mechanics with a GTA type mini-map in the bottom right.  As you walk around, you can see people using their electronic devices.  In addition, you can hack into other devices and use them to communicate and more.  Specifically showed gameplay where you use electronics to deceive and allure enemies away from one of your comrades.  Pretty cool, not as life changing as the earlier video but a neat idea.  Tablet integration! Watch-Dogs displays the mini-map on your tablet so you can see enemies.  Your cell phone works like the Mass Effect hud allowing you to use abilities such as Blackout which disables all lighting in the area.  Playstation owners will receive an additional hour of gameplay.
• Game #11: NBA 2k14 begins its presentation with LeBron talking to his digital self and asking him whether he can ball like, well, himself? This will go head to head with EA's NBA Live (and probably will win due to the NBA market being Playstation owneres).  Its apparent no one in the audience really likes Lebron as the presentation leader makes a joke about how LeBron will need those skills in the game tomorrow night.
• Game #12: Elders Scrolls Online is coming to the Playstation 4 in 2014.  They will have an exclusive BETA for Playstation 4.  I'm pumped.  Looks great if they can pull of that kind of environment on a console.  An MMORPG like this has never been attempted on a console before (sort of).  Definitely will discuss this in more depth later.
• Game #13: Mad Max will be available on Playstation with an exclusive survival kit.  Don't know much about it.  They just played a short video with no gameplay.
• Playstation 4 supports used games. Your move Microsoft.
• Playstation 4 utilizes disc based games. 
• Playstation 4 disc based games don't need to be connected online to play or require any time of communication. President of Playstation even stated that you don't need to be connected every 24 hours.  What a big screw you to Microsoft.
• Less than $5 per month, Playstation Plus members can access betas, exclusive content, videos and more.  Applies to all Playstation products.  Subscription fees are new to Playstation.  It will be interesting to see what happens with this.
• Game 14: DESTINY Live Gameplay Reveal.
• Exploring the frontier in what remains of Russia.
• Fallout type of artistry touch and graphics.  Very rustic and more.  Not ready to say the graphics aren't next-gen cause their good, just not what I expected.  
• Guns are equipped with modern type sights.
• Warlock class has a "Ghost." Allows to illuminate dark areas and speaks like an AI.
• Gameplay combines gunfire with magic abilities for the Warlock.  Seems very fun.
• Loot is distributed in little yellow balls after you kill a boss type enemy.
• Guns that were received for loot mirror weapons in Borderlands 1 and 2.  One is a sniper rifle and the other a machine gun with electricity surging through it.
• Titan class joins the Warlock and Hunter.  
• The group encounters a "Public Event." Enemies are dropping from a large ship as many teams of men and women attempt to kill giant monster type creatures.  Feels like a public event in an MMO, think world events in World of Warcraft.
• Long term partnership with Bungie to provide exclusive content (possibly).
• To be released in 2014 for both PS4 and Xbox One.
• Playstation Cloud Service provides PS3 games to be streamed onto your Playstation.  If this works it'd be very cool.  I worry about lag issues and more so they will need a ton of servers.
• Playstation 4 will be available for $399.

E3 Running Live Diary (Ubisoft Press Conference)

The Ubisoft conference is underway! I was eating a quick dinner so I will spare the intro for the company.  Keep refreshing.

• Game #1: Splinter Cell Blacklist, I missed it so I'll get back to you.  Word on the street is they didn't show much anyway.  Very typical.
• Game #2: Rayman Legends is the new adaptation of the classic series.  Similar antics and graphics with what appears to be possible tablet integration.  Wouldn't be surprised to see a mobile version.
• Game #3: The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot is a new game in beta right now.  This is a build a castle, protect your loot game.  They're now showing a character from the game in a video montage describing the game.  It looks like a terrible Dreamworks cartoon film, even down to the terrible writing.  That said, I'm sure it will be a highly addictive children's looking game that you will be embarrassed to tell you friends you play.  As soon as I say that, the main character begins to cuss up a storm, bleeped out for affect.  Maybe this game will be more humorous than I thought?
• Game #4: Speaking of highly inappropriate cartoons, the new game South Park: Stick of Truth is ridiculous as it sounds.  They showed a montage of Stan's dad fighting a little kid.  For the record, these titles are for current generation consoles.  Were now moving into next-gen titles.
• Quick moment away from games, they have a girl narrating the conference.  She is attractive enough but she is trying incredibly hard to be a stereotypical "gamer girl." Her scripted stuff isn't as bad as some of Microsoft's or EA's but its still deplorable at times.
• Game #5: Kicking off their next-gen titles, Ubisoft is previewing a racing game, that, by the looks of it, won't be able to compete with Forza or even Need for Speed.  Graphics are decent, don't get me wrong, but the world can handle only so many racing titles.  The name of the game is entitled The Crew and looks to emphasize the people/group you race with.  Describing the game, a developer states that their mission was to "change the face/status quo of racing games."  How will they do this? The biggest multiplayer driving experience ever created.  The entire game is played online (there is a single player but definitely is not being emphasized) and used actual roads used across the United States.  So while someone could be racing in say New York, they depict an off-road vehicle near Mount Vernon and then a road race in Nevada.  There are missions/quests to complete with your vehicle.  There is no multiplayer "lobby," all single player missions are done within the framework of the multiplayer game. Customization is stressed to help cater your car to your style.  This whole multiplayer environment feels like All Points Bulletin which was released for the PC a couple of years ago.  A cool idea if supported by the proper hardware.  Now watching some real gameplay.  I swear I saw a car glitch across a screen.... The graphics are NOT next-gen, no matter which way you spin it.  Let's hope Ubisoft picks it up.
• The girl in charge used a tablet to customize her vehicle and then described it as "rad." Please..
• Game #5: Watch-Dogs, the crown jewel for Ubisoft's next-gen titles, takes the stage next.  After a brief description, we now move into a CGI-filled video about the game.  Essentially, you are a vigilante that utilizes hacking on his cell phone to fight enemies.  The clip shows our hero/villain uses his phone to activate a fire sprinkler system to aid our character in a firefight.  Not too many more details were released and since the video they played leaked last night, pretty disappointing for a game that is highly anticipated.
• Game #6: Just Dance 2014, the girl presenting the game even laughed when she said it... Not sure she even takes the game seriously.  But it looks more of the same if you enjoy those type of games.  No mentioning how it will work with any of the new motion sensor next-gen devices. 
• Game #7: Rabbids Invasion and the Interactive TV Show - A game for kids, this actually marks an interesting shift in children's entertainment.  Kids depict how the show will work my interacting with the Xbox One's Kinect device (no mention of PS4).  Children can play a series of games that correspond to events in the show.  It will be interesting to see if that game/show works within the confines of the family living room.  Side note: This developer who presented this game wore the most ridiculous shirt I've ever seen.  It was a button up with flowers sprouting from the tails of the shirt.  Incredibly hideous.  A member of Forerunner Conflict (Blackhawk) makes the excellent point of how on earth someone could spend months preparing for a conference and then wear a shirt as hideous as it was.  Hopefully I can post a picture later.

The Shirt in all its glory.  Thanks to Silko for the screen grab.

• Game #8: Assassin's Creed: Black Flag - PIRATES!!!  This game has been covered by many different outlets so I'll only mention any new details.   Gameplay will be on display throughout E3.  The developer gives us a sneak peak at what those at the conference will get to see.  Typical, Assassin's Creed fighting mechanics as your character explores sea ports and more.  Before the film/gameplay they stated this was the most ambitious open world game ever created.  It will be interesting to see how much exploration you actually can conduct within the game.  This series seems to have taken a step back though.  Templars were not even mentioned in the conference.  This will be a major topic we'll discuss more of later.
• Game #9: The next-gen game before there was next-gen is Trials: Fusion.  This game is for next-gen consoles and current generation consoles.  Ubisoft also announces Trials: Frontier, a mobile/tablet game based off the ever popular game.  These will be major money makers.  Look forward to see Trials in the mobile gaming market as well.
• Game #10: Ubisoft ends the conference with a depressing video of how easily our society can be corrupted and destroyed. Hopefully the terrorists aren't watching.  Utilizing Black Friday and money to transmit a viral infection, the game is set within a post-apocalyptic type universe.  This game, created by Massive Entertainment, is entitled Tom Clancy's The Division (I did not see a Clancy game coming until the title was announced at the end).  Massive developers are now showing gameplay of someone walking through what remains of the crisis-filled world.  The plot of the game focuses on the government agents within the United States who's goal is to respond to a worldwide pandemic and crisis.  The game plays like a third-person shooter and has skills and upgrades available to your character.  Currently, they are displaying a firefight in New York City.  The integrated HUD is one of the more cool things I've seen from a shooter.  Very modern and sleek.  The game appears to have a survival element as well.  Utilizing what is left in the war torn, panic filled streets to your advantage, you must make your way through an open world environment..  As the video ends, we see our players fighting another group of player controlled units.  Very crazy.  This might be the new crown jewel for Ubisoft after Watch-Dogs didn't step up during its time on stage.
• Overall, this conference was very disappointing.  Definitely the worst of the day.  Watch-Dogs, thought to be the next big game, didn't provide any new information.  The Crew left me unimpressed as did Assassin's Creed.  The kids games are what they are and it'll be interesting to see if interactive TV catches on.  The girl who ran the conference was pretty terrible to cap off everything.  The Division presented the only new and interesting information and might be the next, new creative game from Ubisoft.