Who's Winning E3? Day 1
Yes, it IS a popularity contest.
We could sit around all day talking about how marvellous E3 is. How it's a wonderful opportunity for our favourite entertainment industry to shine, to showcase its diverse range of exciting new offerings, technical achievements and creative talent. But we know that really, it's all about who's got the biggest console.
After all, E3 just wouldn't be E3 without winners and losers. Arguments about whether this game about shooting Nazi zombies in the face is better than that game about kicking crazy space monsters in the shins are all part of the fun. With that in mind, Eurogamer presents a brand new feature for 2011: Who's Winning E3?
At 3pm each day, we're getting out our amazing stats calculator to see which are the most-read E3-related articles on the site. Then we'll present them in top ten format, so we can all have a look at what the gaming public appears to be most interested in.
Whose conference will have the most popular live text? Which news story will capture the most attention? Will anyone at all click on that thing about Women's Murder Club II?
All these questions and more will be answered over the coming days. But to kick things off, here's what's being read most right now - just to set the scene and see which of those pre-E3 rumours are causing the most controversy. All together now...
FIIIIIGHT!
1. NGP hands-on
Cheer up, Sony! Your recent security breach may have caused massive financial losses for you and your trading partners and incited thousands of angry gamers to begin filing class action lawsuits, but at least everyone loves your new handheld thingy!
Not quite racing into pole position but still managing to park in second place on the winner's podium oh God and to think it's only Monday.
3. NGP's backwards compatibility unveiled
Seems like everyone's excited about the option to play all those great PSP games on NGP. Like, you know, Daxter. And, um, that God of War one. Er... Ridge Racer?
4. Nikkei leaks Project Café details
With rumours about a new Nintendo console continuing to swirl, we're still hoping Project Café actually refers to a new Apprentice-themed game based around the bit where the losers sit around looking sullen and accusatory over cups of tea.
5. Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 in November
It was a big hit on PC, but will CD Projekt's offering prove as popular on console? These are the kinds of questions which keep us awake at night, weeping into our pillows in the very depths of Kafkaesque misery as we struggle to reconcile ourselves with the terrible unknowingness of it all.
6. Duke Nukem Forever scores "don't matter"
TIIIIIIIIIIIITS!
7. 60,000 lines of dialogue for Skyrim
Rumours that 57,894 of them are "No thanks, I have enough horse armour" completely made up.
8. How MS will make XBL and Kinect better
At last, Microsoft gets a look-in. Expect to see them featuring in the top ten a lot more heavily after today's press conference. Providing they unveil more than a new Viva Pinata.
9. June 2011 PlayStation Plus content
Well, who doesn't like reading about free stuff? Except the people having to give it away due to recent security breaches causing massive financial losses for them and their trading partners and incited thousands of angry gamers to begin filing class action lawsuits, we can only imagine.
And finally... EA's bold decision to charge the equivalent of the deposit on a small flat in Catford for the new FIFA rounds out the top ten. Personally I'd just get Pro Evo instead; they're basically the same thing, right?
That's it for today. Check back at 3pm tomorrow to find out how the first batch of press conferences has shaken things up, and who is best out of Microsoft and Sony.