Matt Casamassina speaks out over MS E3 08

There is a lot of talk about today's Microsoft press conference. The biggest controversy is no doubt on the new Avatar and Blade system coming out this fall. Some say it is a ripoff of the Wii. Even if it is some say it could be better than what Nintendo is offering. IGN Nintedo's Matt Casamassina put up an editorial to day with his view. Here is a snip:

"All right, so I'm laying it on a bit thick, but the Microsoft presentation really left me a little perplexed. I left the conference with the impression that the company has an identity crisis. If during this generation Nintendo has spread outward toward the casual sector, Microsoft has successfully hugged the hardcore demographic with successful franchises that really appeal to traditionalists. At the company's E3 2008 conference, we saw more efforts in that vein, like the gritty Fallout 3 and the beautiful Gears of War 2. Somehow, Xbox 360 owners even got Final Fantasy XIII on their system despite the fact that the console is drowning in Japan. But lodged between all of these revelations, we had to sit through an overly long dedication to a simplified experience -- a blatant attempt to Wii-ize the Xbox 360 interface and environment. A quick look around the message boards revealed that most 360 owners were not terribly impressed. Nauseated, yes. Impressed, no."

You can read the rest here.