Closure of the longest running super-hero MMO rouses anger and resentment from fan

Heroes and former villains gathered in the game's Atlas Park to mourn the game's passing.

 Do you remember a game called "City of Heroes?" 8 years ago, the world's only super-hero MMO graced the PC gaming world and surprised everyone. It survived a transition from its original publishing company to NC Soft, it survived the pretender "Champions Online," and it even survived "DC Universe Online" for a time.

Recently, at the end of November, the world within "CoH" was closed down forever by NC Soft. Rumors circulated that it was because the team from Paragon Studios was being moved to work on "Guild Wars 2." Others believed that the game wasn't closing, merely being taken from NC Soft by another company. Whatever the reason, the August announcement shook fans and players to their very core.

Not only were they saddened, but many of them were outraged at the fact that the game was closing. Still bringing in a quarterly profit of $2.76 million, according to market analysts in Korea where NC Soft's main offices are, many were confused by this move.

An article written for koreatimes.co has the headline "'Unethical' game closure.'" Why? Partly because everyone else in the world can't seem to understand the business move. While analysts agree the game doesn't make a huge amount of money for the company, especially after going free-to-play recently, it still makes money.

Players have begun to start rousing other NC Soft fans to boycott the company in anger, while even media outlets are covering the player-community disgust. Each day after the closure was announced, players began in-game protests. They would gather en masse at certain locations in game just to spawn multiple instance monsters and bosses so that the game would lag atrociously and cause issues. Others took a more political approach, creating petitions and awareness campaigns online to try and show the company the large amount of fans that were against the action.

It may not have been as pretty as other games, but it had a style all its own.

This kind of community love is rarely seen in an MMO, especially an NC Soft one. However, "City of Heroes" eight year run was one for the history books. The game had time travel, a morality system, almost unfathomable amounts of customization that put other super-power MMOs to shame, player-run radio stations, arena battling, an alternate dimension and a mission creation system that allowed the player to make custom enemies with custom powersets and write their own storylines for others to play.

Paragon Studios and those who worked on the game did something right. They created a game that had a community so invested in the franchise that it is making a media stink so large it can be seen hovering over the NC Soft corporate offices in Korea.

Why shut it down? Only NC Soft knows. One thing is for certain, the players will never forget that it happened, and NC Soft's image in the west has been severely damaged because of this decision.

Bennett Bellot, Academic Director at AI

Our first industry interview and lesson video! We're starting the new section off strong with this video! Take a look at how to pick the right school for you, what to think about when going for your education and other important facts from the Academic Director at the Art Institute of Orange County, Bennett Bellot!

Valve uses Steam to show players Big Picture

Valve, the creators of the "Half-Life" and "Portal" series, recently released a new view mode for their digital distribution application, Steam, called Big Picture which allows the interface to be displayed on larger screens like those normally found in living rooms.

It wasn't impossible to hook up a PC or Mac to your big-screen TV before Big Picture was introduced, but the layout of an application made for small computer screens didn't translate well to a display that was between five and ten feet away from players.

Big Picture mode changes the entire Steam interface, and does away with all the tiny details normally displayed to users in favor of highly-simplified, large buttons and a virtual keyboard.

All of these new features make gaming through Steam with a gamepad much more accessible than ever before.

Big Picture's virtual keyboard is mapped to gamepads for simple text input

Using a gamepad to play video games on a large TV in the living room. That sounds a lot like console gaming. 

Steam's Big Picture mode is a major step into the home gaming console market, and it only requires players to connect their PC to their TV with and HDMI cable. All of these things are most likely already owned by most gamers, so the initial investment for this pseudo-console is arguably $0.

Not all of the people who play games have a computer capable of running "Skyrim" or "Crysis 2" on even medium settings, but, in the long run, investing a little bit more money into a new computer than a new gaming console is a better investment because computers can be used for more than consoles.

We may be entering an era where Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have to take on Valve in the console wars, but the features of the Playstation 3 and the next Xbox have yet to be seen.

Big Picture mode also includes a web browser that is also navigable by gamepad.

It could turn out that PCs will remain the go-to devices for more dedicated players and home consoles make the transition to all-in-one entertainment boxes geared toward families and casual players. The technical specs of the next generation of video game consoles has yet to be seen, though, so it's anybody's guess what the next few years will bring for the industry.

Fighting Games - Open For Discussion

John and Jesus talk fighting game mechanics and what works! Take a look at the video and think about what they said. "Don't reinvent the wheel, put rubber on it." What games inspire you? What fighting games do you like? Talk about them below!

Oculus Rift: Open for Discussion

If you haven't seen the Oculus Rift or our article on it, then you're missing out. The project is now fully funded and the boys at the Vault shot a discussion video talking about the possibilities that the Rift offers and what we want to see done with this new and exciting tech!

Comment below with your opinions, thoughts, and personal goals with the Oculus Rift! What do you want to see? What do you want to do with it?

Rely on your squad

It's tough being a squad leader, isn't it? What with having to make sure your team doesn't suffer critical damage, ordering them around and fighting enemies things tend to get a little hairy. What doesn't help is if your squad is as dumb as a sack of Deku nuts.

Squad-based gameplay has taken some leaps and bounds in the last few years, and some tragic and hilarious crashes. Everyone remembers games like "S.W.A.T." and the original "Rainbow Six" that had artificial intelligence that was just okay. Then there are games like "Skyrim," in which your companion character's battle tactics are sometimes the subject of horrific ridicule. Oh, Lydia, will people ever forgive you?

Then there are games like "Ghost Recon: Future Soldier" that really surprise you with how good the squad is and actually make you excited when utilizing their abilities. When the squad actually does what it's told and you can rely on them, you tend to enjoy the mechanic rather than loathe it.

What is the key to this, though? Why is "Ghost Recon: FS" so much better with squad AI than "Mass Effect?" Perhaps it is the design and purpose of the squad itself.

In games like "Halo," "Mass Effect" and even "Dragon Age: Origins," your squad is meant to supplement your playstyle and abilities. Instead, your marines end up getting in front of you or holding better weapons. Or Morrigan will stand her ground in front of a horde of Darkspawn rather than run or cast a large AoE spell. And let's not forget Liara just sort of sitting there instead of tossing her biotic powers willy-nilly at Geth to help even out the playing field.

Luckily, in "Mass Effect" and "Dragon Age," you're able to pause the game and tell your squad where to go and to do certain things to avoid outright death. Frankly, telling them what to do actually makes them more effective in the first place, and one wonders why they're AI controlled at all.

Sometimes it's almost like they're just there to model their outfits.

Unfortunately, in games like "Halo" and "Call of Duty," you're left shouting "Why are you shooting at that guy two stories up and in cover and not the three people standing right in the middle of the road?!"

Games like "Ghost Recon: FS" make you weep with joy when you have AI that can lay down effective suppressing fire or actually take out an enemy that you tell it to. The big difference is that these AI characters are actually meant to be played by other human beings rather than just be a squad for the sake of being a squad.

Games like "Dungeon Siege III" prove this, too. Alone, with a single AI companion, you are able to go through the game rather easily with an AI character that can do the most area damage (rather than picking one that you feel will do precise damage) and wound everything enough for you to make kills quickly. Replace the AI character with three other human players and the team becomes an unstoppable cadre of magic, swords and guns. Honestly, it's something to try if you haven't played that game with other people. Again, these AI characters are made to be played by other people.

If "Dragon Age" had a cooperative campaign that allowed for online players to outfit and level the teammates accordingly to fit their playstyles or the style of the team, the game could be much more difficult but exceedingly more fun. Put in the dialogue system from "Star Wars: The Old Republic" and you've got yourself a game of the year.

"Halo: Reach" worked well enough when you play the co-op campaign, but other than that it feels like you're the only one fighting the enemy and the friendly AI is along for the ride. "Gears of War" co-op is also really fun to play and can be even more enjoyable than the competitive multiplayer (more enjoyable if you ask me).

When thinking about putting co-op in your game, don't think about doing it just because you've got a squad in your game and you want to capitalize on multiplayer madness. If a player can outfit and command the AI enough to where she's playing all four members of her team, then maybe you should think about implementing a co-op system to make it less challenging for them and promote teamwork. Maybe even give the players rewards for doing so. Whatever you do, for the love of Kratos, make the AI smart enough that they don't run four miles down a hill to attack a dragon you've been trying to avoid because you're too weak. Please, stop it Lydia. I love you, but stop it.

Probably one of the best and most challenging multiplayer experiences to date.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist and stealth in games

Since it's announcement at E3, "Splinter Cell: Blacklist" has had minimal buzz. Many people were convinced that Sam Fisher had hung up his night-vision goggles for good after rescuing his daughter and storming 3rd Echelon in the last "Splinter Cell" game. Clearly Ubisoft isn't done with Sam, as this new game indicates - but he's not alone in his mission now.

Can he be stealthy in daylight like that?

The game trailer shows other individuals working alongside Sam in the field. While he's always had a handler or a mission consultant, much like Solid Snake of "Metal Gear Solid," Sam's been a lone wolf when taking care of business.

The previous installment in the series, "Splinter Cell: Conviction," was quite possibly the most brutal and visceral game to date and featured Sam going to town on his enemies with very few resources aside from those he acquired in the field. This meant that sneaking around and patience was imperative to his operations. Without the normal amount of 3rd Echelon gear, Sam was out-gunned, out-manned, and out-matched. But he out-spied the spies.

Ubisoft has been releasing some videos as of late with developer commentary about the game to the fans. Their latest segment talks about being a "ghost" in stealth games. This is just a little funny since the "Ghost Recon" games address about this all the time, but they're more about being a ghost and placing yourself in the proper spot to avoid conflict or ambush. "Splinter Cell" has a different definition as being a ghost could mean avoiding conflict altogether. Check it out:

Stealth games have come a long way in the past couple of years, but this does raise a good point. What is good stealth and how do you define that in a game using gameplay elements? Obviously in games like "Splinter Cell" there's a quality to how stealthy you can be based purely off of how many firefights you get into or how many times enemies notice you. Games like

"Assassin's Creed" portray stealth as just being seen less until you need to make the kill or being sneaky. You don't really have the same options as toying with the enemy or complete avoidance at times.

But those are made by the same company, what about other games with stealth. "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" had a prominent stealth element. For that game, finding alternate routes and hiding bodies was crucial to staying hidden. It was also more difficult through a first-person perspective, but Adam Jensen had x-ray vision and cyborg augmentations to aid the player in exchange for the sacrifice of spatial awareness.

"Skyrim" does the same thing with the ability to hide in almost plain sight and muffle your movement. They also up the damage of stealth attacks to help players maintain secrecy while hiding as opposed to having to duke it out with every guard.

Sam Fisher practiced parkour before it was cool.

On the flip side, there are games that tout stealth but are really not stealthy at all. They merely add an element of silent movement to a desired location to get the drop on the enemy.

Example? The "Uncharted" series. Nathan Drake will always having to fight his way out of a situation, there is almost no avoiding conflict at all in his sections. While he can certainly stealth kill enemies, that doesn't mean you can actually go around all of them and advance. Maybe this is a design choice because Drake isn't a master assassin or spy, but the lack of the option is glaringly present.

Even other role-playing games suffer from this. "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" said you could sneak around enemies in the game, but there was no avoiding conflict at all. There was just back stabbing and tactical stealth as opposed to practical stealth.

Unless your team was made up of Mission Vao and just yourself and your class was Scoundrel and you could both sneak around enemies, there was literally no way of avoiding a fight. Even with that example I'm not sure you could avoid fighting.

So the question still stands: what does it mean to be a "ghost" in a game? Does it mean being completely invisible and completing an objective without killing a single person? Does it mean toying with your enemies to manipulate them to your advantage? Does it mean taking each person one by one and ensuring that there are no survivors while no alarm is sounded? Give us your opinions and definitions of a "ghost."

Beenox talks Amazing Spider-Man

"The Amazing Spider-Man" game has been released, the team at developer Beenox has some time to kill between projects, so I got the opportunity to talk with producer David Boudreault about the most recent installment in the Spidey franchise. 

[Ed. Note] This article will be presented in a question-then-answer style, with our question to Boudreault in bold text followed by his answer in normal text.

Spider-Man movie games have been coming out for as long as the movies have been, most of them not so good, but it seems that "The Amazing Spider-Man" is trying its hardest to break that stereotype, what drove you to make an (forgive the pun) amazing game?

At Beenox, everyone is a huge fan of Spider-Man so we dedicated all our passion and energy on making this a great game. The core team of "The Amazing Spider-Man" already delivered the awesome "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" two years ago, therefore we had strong and experimented resources working on this title.

 Because it is a movie tie-in game, were there any limitations that you had when creating the game?

Our main limitation was self-imposed . We wanted a great Spider-Man game, respectful of the source material and respectful of the movie universe created by Marc Webb.

With the game coming out a full week before the release date of the movie , should players be worried about any big spoilers in the game?

The game is heavily linked to the movie on some ways, but we made sure that we would not spoil anything too major.

Spider-Man is a little sneakier this time around.

On that note, did the team over at Beenox get a chance to see the film or at the very least read the script to help with the game?

Sony was really cooperative and they helped us tremendously in making sure the game would rock. We had the chance to read the script at the beginning of the project, and we were in constant communication throughout the course of the project. We received movies and images as references in order to make sure we were staying as close as possible to the movie universe.

You mentioned to me at E3 that the actor for "The Amazing Spider-Man," Andrew Garfield was too busy with the films shooting schedule to do the voice over for the game. Who did you get to replace him in the game, and do you think players are going to have a hard time reconciling the different voice actors?

Even though the game is an epilogue to the movie, we also made sure it was standing out on itself. Having a different actor won’t be such a big deal, especially since Sam Riegl did an awesome job in voicing Spidey/Peter.

The camera in this game has been brought to an over the shoulder position, which differs from many of the past Spider-Man games. What prompted this decision?

Spidey takes on Rhino.

We wanted to offer the most immersive experience yet for a Spider-Man game. To achieve this, the most clever solution, in our minds, was to bring the camera as close as possible to the character. That way, the player is able to experience the world as Spidey experiences it - from the sense of vertigo felt while web swinging to the pleasure of getting rid of opponents in close combat.

I recently just downloaded the "Amazing Spider-Man" demo for my 3DS and the villain of choice in the demo was Felicia Hardy, also known as the Black Cat. In the comics, she and Spider-Man have a little romance, so are we going to see that interaction as the story progresses?

You don't want me to spoil the story, do you?

The combat system has reportedly been built from the ground up replacing the old X, X, X, B combo style for a more free-flowing combat mechanic. What inspired this transition?

Spidey is a strong character, but we wanted to showcase his spectacular agility. We wanted the combat to be as acrobatic as possible. We feel our new, unique combat system will allow the player to experience that agility since you’ll see him execute moves never before seen in a Spidey game.

Beenox has become relatively well known for creating good Spider-Man games. Does the team still want to continue working on the franchise, or are they just fed up with the web slinger and want to move on?

Beenox thrives on challenges, be it with a character like Spidey or other characters. If fans like the game, we definitely would want the chance to give this game a great sequel. That being said, we might also have a surprise or two in our future.

A video interview with David Jaffe

Interested in what David Jaffe is up to these days? Check out our interview with him at E3! We got him on the floor and it's a great clip of him talking about a project he's looking into and a call out to all you interested in it!

A chat with Co-Optimus founder Nick Puleo

We got the chance to talk to Nick Puleo, owner and managing editor of Co-Optimus.com, at E3 2012 about his new game, "SCHAR: Blu Shield Alliance," and he offered some advice to aspiring game developers.

Yohei Shimbori talks Dead or Alive 5

"Dead or Alive 5" has been announced over half a decade after the previous installment in the fighting game franchise, and is set to come out Sept. 25. I was lucky enough to sit down with Team Ninja leader Yohei Shimbori at E3 2012 to talk about the long-awaited sequel

During the interview, Shimbori was playing a match with a previously unannounced character, Sarah from "Virtua Fighter," whom wasn't shown or playable on the E3 show floor against returning "DOA" favorite, Bass, in a circus arena full of traps and fun to give me insight into the game.

Sarah from "Virtua Fighter" gets in on the action.

[Ed. note] The interview will be presented here in a question-then-answer format. The bold text is the question to Shimbori, and the following standard text in quotes is his response. 

Something big that you have revealed in recent trailers is the inclusion of "Virtua Fighter" characters Sarah and Akira, what brought on this addition to the game?

"Well, 'Dead or Alive 5' will mark our anniversary with the series so we wanted to do something special. We've always been huge fans of 'Virtua Fighter,' and it goes without saying that if there was no 'Virtua Fighter' there would be no 'Dead or Alive.' So, with permission of Sega, we decided to bring Akira and Sarah to 'DOA 5,'" Shimbori said.

Now with the Sega booth literally right across from the Tecmo booth here at E3, you'd have to stay true to the 'VF' fighting styles while adding in the 'DOA' flair for the fans’ sake. Was that a major goal for you?

"Yes it was. Our goal from the beginning was to have fans of 'Virtua Fighter' come into the game and play as Akira or Sarah and still feel right at home. We wanted them to still have their same moves and skills while giving them some 'DOA' traits."

As he was mentioning this, I noticed that Sarah’s fighting style was in tune with her "Virtua Fighter" move set. She literally acted and attacked as she would if you were playing "Virtua Fighter." The same thought crossed my mind as I realized later when I got to play as Akira that he was really in tune with his "Virtua Fighter" heritage.

Something I've noticed in the trailer is the inclusion of a kind of super move in which during a certain part of a combo the screen goes black and white and pauses for a second or two before sending the opponent flying. What is this?

Kasumi, at left, takes down Akira.

Shimbori was then quiet for a second and focused his attention to pull off the move I had just described. Sarah had launched Bass into the mouth of a giant clown which then launched Bass from his nose in an explosion. He then fell at Sarah's feet defeated and knocked out. Shimbori put down the controller and turned back to me.

"It's called a Power Blow. We introduced this move as a way to add more strategy while also showing off the visuals and the stages of the game. Once the Power Blow is launched, the attacker controls where the opponent is to be sent towards. Parts of the environment are highlighted red to signify where to send the victim. Sending them to certain parts of the stage will activate the Danger Zones which include falling off buildings and suffering from explosions."

He also went on to show me another stage in which Sarah and Bass were on top of a building under construction. He started the match by attacking Bass with a 5-hit combo that resulted in Sarah launching Bass into an energy conduit which exploded and sent Bass over Sarah and onto the floor. She then comboed him into a Power Blow, sending him off the crumbling building. Bass tried to grab the edge to save himself, but Sarah ran and punched him down towards the ground. The battle resumes on the ground level where wreckage lay around them. "Dead or Alive" is mostly about what Shimbori calls fighting entertainment, and cinematic and fast-paced action is the goal that the team is aiming for.

He went on to explain that they've gone through various versions of the move. With pre-order of the game and purchase of "Ninja Gaiden 3," buyers received a "DOA 5" demo, and Team Ninja used feedback from players of the demo to adjust the move so it went from a cheap spam move to a skillful addition to anyone's arsenal. They used the demo as a kind of beta for the game, tweaking characters' attacks and damage to fit each one perfectly. He also said that the feedback they received from the demo was great - only a few tweaks were necessary, but they still plan to work it until they are satisfied.

As he finished the match, Sarah posed in a victory stance, and that made me notice something else.

Kasumi's changed over the years.

Sarah and the rest of the characters in the game look way more detailed and real compared to the glossy dolls of "DOA 4." Also, Sarah is sweaty and has realistic sweat effects on her body. What brought this on, and how far does it go? Will we see bloodied up Ryu or Kasumi?

"Well, when 'DOA 4' came out, we were barely getting used to the power of the new console, and now that we've gotten a hold of it we wanted to see how far we can push it to the point of realism by adding detailing and freckles to help with the experience. We also wanted to add immersion to the game and we realized that these fighters just went through a tough battle. Why wouldn't they be sweaty? As the player fights, the character starts showing how hard he or she has been attacking. Also, clothing will react to sweat as well. Meaning white clothes will become see through. If a character is damaged enough, parts of their clothing will rip off to show damage. As for blood, we felt that fans would be a bit upset seeing their favorite characters bleeding and damaged - especially the women of 'DOA.'"

Hitomi's post-battle look.

Do you plan to add more "Virtua Fighter" or returning "Dead or Alive" characters to the roster, or even new, never-before-seen characters to the game?

He laughed. "We're not ready to announce what else is coming to the game, but we do advise you keep an eye open to any news in the next couple of months."

I had a feeling he'd say something like that, but a reporter’s got to try! "Dead or Alive 5" is looking great and should be a contender for one of the top fighting games this year. Watch for it when it drops in stores Sept. 25.

Visualizing E3 2012: Day 3

Photos by Parker Shannon

Visualizing E3 2012: Day 2

Photos by Parker Shannon

Adam Sessler talks E3 2012

Former "X-Play" host and veteran video-game journalist Adam Sessler takes a minute to tell us what he's excited about at E3 this year.

The big three at E3 2012

John and Jesus round up the offerings from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft from the E3 convention floor.

The opinion of the people

Attendees at E3 2012 speak their minds and let us know what they're looking forward to as well as the things they couldn't care less about.

Retro gaming showcased at E3 2012

Mike gives a quick peek of the booth paying homage to gaming's yesteryear at E3 2012.

Visualizing E3 2012: Day 1

Photos by Parker Shannon

E3 2012: Nintendo Press Conference

Nintendo's E3 2012 press conference this morning was all about the games.

Shigeru Miyamoto opened the event with a look at the upcoming "Pikmin 3," which is being developed for the company's upcoming Wii U console. The game itself looks cute and colorful just likes a Pikmin game should. The big feature touted was the ability for players to take control of four leaders (none of which are Captain Olimar) and use them all simultaneously to change up the normal gameplay strategy.

A black model of the Wii U console could be seen on stage and the image popped up sporadically onscreen throughout the presentation.

Reggie Fils-Aime took the stage after Miyamoto and proceeded to show off a ton of games, all of which make use of the Wii U gamepads's touchscreen. Games shown included "Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition" and "Mass Effect 3" as well as "New Super Mario Bros. U."

A game called "Sing" was shown and appeared to bring all the awkwardness of karaoke to your living room. The promo video featured a few friends gathered around one girl who was facing toward the group and singing lyrics read from the gamepad.

The 3DS had a small showcase of games including "New Super Mario Bros. 2" and "Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon." 3DS games were sparse during the press conference because Nintendo is hosting another event specifically aimed at showcasing game for their handheld tomorrow night.

"NintendoLand" will showcase the possibilities of the Wii U gamepad.

"Lego City Undercover" was shown to be a sort of open-world crime solving game. The game will feature voice acting and looks to feature the clever parodies Lego games have come to be known for.

The showcase was closed with a look at "NintendoLand," which seems to be a sort of Playstation Home for the Wii U in which players congregate in a central hub area and can play mini games together that are designed specifically to show off the versatility and usefulness of the gamepad.

Nintendo fans are likely to be pleased with the official announcement of a new installment in the Pikmin franchise, but there was no hardware information or a price and release date for the Wii U.

All the E3 announcements from Nintendo throughout the week can be found at e3.nintendo.com.

E3 2012: Ubisoft Press Conference

So if you didn't watch the Ubisoft press event, we're going to give you a recap of what happened! This marks the start of our E3 2012 coverage!

After a somewhat fog-filled and anxious wait in the venue, the crowd was greeted by a cacophony of sights and sounds of music and dancing. A very energetic preview of the new music and moves of "Just Dance 4" was accompanied by a performance from rapper Flo Rida which was...interesting. There seems to be a theme going around of celebrities making appearances at E3 press events.

While the dancing was entertaining, we really didn't see anything more than what a person can see online via trailers. It just seemed to be another dance game.

The first actual shot of gameplay footage we had was during the "Far Cry 3" portion of the presentation. I hadn't actually done any sort of research on the title, and apparently I needed it as I had absolutely no idea what was going on in the demo. What I did see was that there were people on an island, the player character had a bow and a gun, and he shot a lot of people while another person seemed to yell at him from off-screen.

Despite my canonical confusion, the footage was beautiful and apparently there's an entire system of islands you can explore in the game. The gameplay seems very reminiscent of "Bulletstorm," which means a lot of shooting but some close-quarters combat. There was a moment when a tiger was released from its cage and it ran amok on some of the enemies while the player picked them off from afar, but other than that there seemed to be an overwhelming sense of indifference to the game. It was impressive, but it was just another shooter.

What really picked the audience up was the new "Rayman Legends." Three players cooperatively working together on the Wii U gave us all quite a show. While two players controlled Rayman and his buddy, another used the touchscreen to cut ropes, lower ramps and move obstacles out of their way so they could continue on their path.

The grand finale was all three players working on some sort of constantly moving chase scene where the player using the touchscreen hit points on the path which created the music to the entire portion of the level. It was a beautiful show of streamlined gameplay and a fun design of old platforming. The audience cheered and clapped not just for the pleasant surprise of Rayman, but also for an excellent demonstration of the Wii U's capabilities.

There were several more trailers featured during the event, including one for Wii U exclusive survival-horror game "ZombiU" and an Avengers game as well. While those were interesting ideas, a lack of gameplay footage made us just feel like we were watching clips from any press-packet we could get online.

Then the big gun, "Assassin's Creed 3." A trailer and then a gorgeous demo from the team working on it wooed the crowd. The environment, the fighting, the character models and even the voice acting was spot on. Building upon the framework of past installments in the Assassin's Creed series, subtle - and not so sublte - changes to the gameplay could be spotted during the demonstration. A bow and arrow replaces Ezio's crossbow for the newest protagonist, most likely implemented to keep in theme with his Native American heritage. One of the smaller additions to the game that we all noticed was the ability to pick up weapons on the go and seamlessly transition from a kill to running. It was beautiful to watch, and of course we're still eagerly awaiting the game to see if it lives up to what we've seen.

The newest assassin, Connor, has a more sleek fighting style than his predecessors.

"Shootermania" followed "Assassin's Creed 3," which seemed to be a letdown for the crowd. The blatant battle of the sexes that was put on between girl "Counterstrike" stars and male "Counterstrike" stars was a little awkward to watch and we really didn't see all that much gameplay. I'm not sure if the game is just player versus player or if there's a story, but really it just seems like Ubisoft is creating a competitor for the online gaming gun circuit for E-Sports.

The best was saved for last. The crowd was built up with "Rayman." It was on the edge of its seat after "Assassin's Creed 3." Now they got what Ubisoft was holding back with. "Watch Dogs" seemed to be an amalgam of "Assassin's Creed" and "The Bourne Identity." The combination of stealth, technology and narrative had the crowd cheering and asking for more than the demo could give us. Just watch:

I can't even begin to describe it. It's just so amazing looking. I just hope the game itself is as good as the demo we were shown.