GDC Liveblog - Phil Harrison on Game 3.0 11:35 a.m.:
Shane: I'd hate to have to follow that.
L: No Warhawk, eh?
S: Guess not.
The keynote ends and the conference disperses. Everyone seems to be smiling. Except for Reggie.
11:29 a.m.: The four players are soaring around on jet packs now, carrying what appears to be a snailshell up to a ledge to open a door. Now, the four horsemen of LBP's apocalypse are demonstrating some of the fighting. When a character gets bopped, you see the fuzzy expression turn from a smile to a frown.
The four are climbing up stars on a string, it sounds trippy, but they are demonstrating the real time lighting that is happening as these guys run through the obstacle course -- which is really what this "level" is. One of the stickers they just slapped on the environment was a mushroom, not unlike the 'shrooms Nintendo is known for.
Reggie sighs.
Shane: If you can import your own images as stickers, LittlePornPlanet.
Luke: There are some recurring themes.
They conclude the show with a skateboard romp down a hill to a huge ovation. They capture a snapshot of the group in flight and display it -- think a "roller coaster image" from Cedar Point.
There's more. You can share the LBP "plots" with people around the world. They become part of an almost YouTube esque interface, where it will track the number of people playing your "plot." There's also sortable menus, where you can choose to sort by "Developer only" plots, or user-only plots or only search users on your friend's list.
The four lil creatures just took a bow.
11:24 a.m.: There's four players now. Phil and the producer of the game have joined in. Phil is playing the girl character. They are now running through a completely populated, lush 2D playing field. They are demonstrating how players can grab on to each other or grab onto objects in the world. These characters have real weight, so sometimes grabbing on to each other to increase the collective weight of the group.
There's a puzzle solving element to some of what they are doing, ejecting themselves off of oranges, climbing together over a soccer ball, pulling as a group down onto a trap door to advance the four players. There's underlying motifs of competition, but really -- these four are just having fun. So is the crowd, at this point. The characters of LittleBigPlanet, whatever they are called, have an immediate lure, an immediate charm -- it's VERY Nintendo, back when Nintendo was good.
Shane: The crowd is eating this up. It's a smart move, debuting a game about game development at GDC. META.
11:21 a.m.: They've started to clutter up the space with a tree, a painting of a king and a wheel. The same wheel is sitting at the right of the Sony stage where all of this is transpiring. There's a soothing, almost flOw-esque music bouncing through the background in LBP.
Shane: What truly amazes me about this is how it works on delivering the promise of user-generated content. What ever happened to VelocityGirl's t-shirt factory on Xbox Live?
Luke: It's uh, in certification.
They've plunked an orange into the demonstration and added little springy-pinwheel type things to the head. Each one of these little faux-hairs behaves completely realistically. LittleBigPlanet is equal parts game and toy, but both parts are brilliant.
11:17 a.m.: This is the meat of what Phil is going to show. LittleBigPlanet. From the makers of Rag Doll Kung Fu, this demo is about to make everyone say Wow.
Shane: I think this game looks incredible, but the character designs kind of creep me out.
Kathleen: There's a video that says "Killzone GDC up there on the XMB"
Shane: Oh god no.
L: FOCUS ON THE PLANET
Three's a small character, brown, furry with a zipper. LittleBigPlanet is about empowering character to do what they want to do. Using the Sixaxis controller and D-pad he can be controlled and wave, emote. A small menu pops up, it's similar to the cross media bar and they are bringing up different items.
The items in LBP have their own physics, they behave realistically. A second player drops into the world waving. He has a small helmet on and a short flowing cloak. Yes, the cloak is reacting realistically in the space.
Reggie just snarled.
11:13 a.m.: There's a SingStore. It prints money. They are playing Avril Lavigne! Shane and I are pumping our fists -- we're the only ones.
Shane: Our planned duet of total eclipse of the heart is coming this fall.
Luke: People will be able to watch it via the whole video thing?
Shane: How long till people start singing naked?
Luke: When did you say we were doing Total Eclipse?
Shane: This fall.
Luke: Probably somewhere around then.
Phil is showing how customizable the wallpapers are in SingStar -- PS3 gets SingStar in a new month "May/June" while the U.S. will see it sometime this Fall.
Oh God. Sony can't spell practice. It's wrong on the SingStar presentation.
Phil is promoting PlayStation Edge, a session that will help devs further enhance their development experience. Last night he showed Killzone after this.
Shane: DON'T SHOW KILLZONE! BAILOUT
Luke: Press X to leave conference.
11:10 a.m.: Phil is reiterating just how FREE Home will be. I'm surprised Shane isn't speaking in tongues.
Shane: April! Woo-hoo! Party in my room!
Luke: As opposed to...
In the future of Home, you'll be able to own Pets.
Shane: PETS! Nintendogs OWNED.
Luke: Again, Reggie appears to have burped something up.
Phil Harrison is about to demo SingStar, and first he's explaining just how much SingStar has sold so that perhaps someone in the audience will care. We're looking around trying to find who that is.
HEY IT'S EUROPE
11:08 a.m.: Here's the PS3's achievements. Trophies. They are 3D knick knacks that you'll acquire in your gaming travels. You'll choose which to display in a large room that your friends can peep.
You can see the ENTIRE library of trophies in a familiar configuration.
Shane: Whoa. It's the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. Is that E.T.?
L: Dude, you spelled Coruscant right.
11:05 a.m.: Phil is talking about the possibilities of having user-driven and created content in the Home Cinema. Additionally, he's talking about being able to watch movies and television shows with friends in the Home space. But Home isn't just about Sony brands and Sony games, he says.
He wants there to be individual locations dedicated to other publishers and extend OUTSIDE of the game arena.
S: Leguna Beach Party here we come!
L: 1UP Yours Whiskey Lounge
Phil: Here's a multi-brand publisher sports lounge.
Shane: He means "Make this now, EA"
Luke: You think he can hear us?
Shane: Definitely.
The surfaces and areas are all completely customizable and Sony seems committed to making this easy for developers. He just mentioned creating a Kratos temple, even though the game "isn't out YET on the platform." Remember the High Fidelity debate over "Yet." God of War, PS3 2008. Believe.
11:02 Phil was going to take a picture of the crowd and put it up on the PS3, but he laughed off the technical problems and moved on. It actually does work, we saw it last night -- you should've SEEN how happy Shane looked.
I'm not kidding.
As we're looking at the premium apartment...
S: Holy shit! That is a swanky apartment. Hot tub purchase confirmed!
L: Do you think that some of your lady friends (who are dudes) will come back for that?
S: I HOPE SO
Harrison is showing the Casino Royale trailer on a bravia -- in the Home world -- the trailer uses proximity sound, so as you get closer the sound gets louder. He's throwing the Bravia down the stairs.
S: So durable!
Now we're heading off to the Home Cinema!
10:59 a.m. L: So I use the virtual PSP to navigate Home, right?
S: Will my virtual PSP's battery die in two hours?
L: Hey look, Reggie laughed.
Now we're walking around the private space in Home. Phil just alluded to the "Premium" furniture. BOHICA.
S: I love these virtual apartments. Note to Konami: I would gladly microtransaction $4.99 to make my crib look like Silent Hill.
L: You like Leguna Beach, right?
S: What are you trying to say?
L: I'm just saying dude...
How long will it be before I invite someone back to my 'Home" and it's a porn palace.
Shane: I am going to make a porn museum.
L: Do you think that's why Ron Jeremy was at the event last night?
S: He's a HUGE Killzone fan. HUGE.
10:57 a.m.: Shane: Free billiards and bowling! Wii Sports Rip off CONFIRMED.
L: I think Reggie just burped up an iced chai.
Harrison is showing us the arcade cabinets and talking about being able to download additional arcade games to the in-world arcade games. Whoever is driving the next-gen version of choplifter is TERRIBLE. The audience is amused.
PHIL JUST SMILED SWEETLY.
Shane: Evac? Choplifter is not amused.
10:54 a.m. After encountering some of the same technical difficulties that just plagued Phil. He didn't know which controller to grab -- someone just got fired.
Shane: Can I have my Home Avatar just wear a thong?
L: Are you going to going as a guy?
S: ...
L: ...
Harrison is demo-ing Home, showing these 3D banner ads and ability of Home to serve advertisements to consumers seamlessly.
L: Wait, Shane. Do you think RSX and Cell can simulate my coif?
Shane: Shave your head.
L: There's a lot of dudes in Home.
S: No way, ther ewill actually be many chicks on here someday!
L: Have you played an MMO, those chicks aren't chicks.
UH OH SOMEONE ELSE JUST GOT FIRED. When saying Hi on text chat, they had a misspelling and said "Ho." The crowd laughed.
PHIL DID NOT.
10:47 a.m. S: Oh, no tie for Phil, how fashion forward.
Phil's describing the magic of Game 3.0, which is a non-Sony branded advancement of Web 2.0. Harrison points that the soccer event we just participated in -- grats Team B -- mirrors Sony's 3.0 experience.
Let's learn about Game 1.0 and 2.0
Game 1.0: S: Atari 5200 got robbed. But at least we're seeing NES, Dreamcast and the Genesis rep'd.
Game 2.0 Hey look, the DS is game 2.0, shouldn't that be where the PSP is? Oh, but of course not.
Game 3.0 The PSP, PS3, PC, Wii and Xbox 360 are all Game 3.0 techs.
Harrison just reminded the audience that they aren't claiming the Game 3.0 as a copyright, but I'm sure if you guys want to start using it to discuss gaming, Sony will let you.
10:44 a.m.: Jamil Moledina, the GDC boss who told you that this would be a happy day for PS3 owners has just been greeted to "polite applause." The same kind of applause that Susan Lucci often gets.
He's talking about empowering developers and intro-ing Phil Harrison. And we just learned that Phil Harrison is a 20-year veteran of the game industry.
SHOW US KILLZONE
SHOW US KILLZONE
The crowd is about to rebel.
OK, not really. Everyone is still quiet. Until Phil walks on stage to a fierce applause. Fiercely polite, that is.
10:41 a.m.: Hey, Shane and I saw Killzone last night. Read about it here. Wanna know what Home is? We detailed it here. Wanna hear what 1UP Yours said about last night? It's here.
S: The music quiets. The air is thick with anticipation, or the smell of sweaty nerds.
L: Dude, I'm trying to work. I don't want to smell nerds.
S: This is Living.
L: Christ.
S: Is that morbidly obese guy, Half Life guy? False alarm, he's wearing a DS shirt.
10:39 a.m. Shane: EVEN THEIR PRESS CONFERENCES ARE INTERACTIVE. Look! The Soccer balls are being scored. This is a NEXT GEN press conference.
Luke: Hey, is that Reggie gladhanding with N'Gai?
Shane: I think that Reggie is trying to steal some of Phil's thunder.
L: Team B is raping Team A in soccer, it's six to three.
S: No one cares about soccer.
L: There's Europeans watching!
10:37 a.m. Soccer balls are bouncing all around the auditorium. Shane: The room has filled up, it's like lollapalooza in here.
He also pointed out that hte room has filled up and the has unconfirmed the Bomba that was the Home failure when this was all empty.
Shane: I think a girl just flashed her boobs!
Luke: I think that was a Genji designer.
10:34 a.m.: Hopefully these work:
Images of Home Central Lounge
Home Game Space
Home Hall of Fame
10:32 a.m.: It's not a Sony Keynote if it actually starts on time. Shane is actually doodling little alien-like creatures next to me. It's good that the boy's gifts are in writing, because they certainly aren't in sketching. But it does look like the alien looks like it's wearing a nice suit.
Wait, Shane just informed us that it's not an alien and is actually a loving portrait of Phil Harrison. I SAID WOW.
Kathleen: "It looks like the alien from Communion"
10:30 a.m.: Shane: It's not even filled up in here. PS3 Home bomba confirmed.
L: Oh my god. Is that Reggie?
S: He's here to take names.
L: Is he going to do that while getting his ass kicked? I don't think there are friend codes for what this is.
Oh, by the way: Check these out, they'll make more sense when this thing actually starts:
Home HD Presentation
LittleBigPlanet HD
10:22 a.m.: Huge screens sporting the PlayStation logo adorn the front of the auditorium. There's a wheel and a tree, from this game they are going to announce that we can't talk about for another six minutes. But as soon as we can, we will. Shane is buzzing in my ear about being "weirdly excited about GDC, despite knowing everything we're about to see." His excitement is tangible, palpable. Shane: "There's electricity in the air and it's all the electricity the PlayStation needs to run." He's being ironic, relax.
10:20 a.m.: Shane to my left, Ryan to my right, Kathleen beyond him, Mark MacDonald, Demian Linn and Karen Chu are here, too. Press are flooding the room and only now are developers getting in. Wait, isn't this their conference? Ce la vie.
9:42 a.m.: Alright, we've gathered an army at Ziff Davis and are making the short walk down to Moscone. Hopefully the Wi-Fi, Wireless Verizon Card and BlackJack zerg hold up.
8:47 a.m.: We're awake and getting ready to head out to Moscone to cram into a room and watch Phil Harrison's keynote on Game 3.0. It's a bit anticlimactic for us, being that we've checked out the "reveals" already, but at 10.30 pacific, Shane Bettenhausen and I will be here chatting back and forth while Phil talks over us.
At 10:30 pacific this morning, we'll have a bunch of links for you guys to check out, including a very special episode of 1UP Yours with an in-depth look at the Harrison keynote, what we saw yesterday at Microsoft and what we saw last night that Sony isn't showing you guys, yet.
I need a Starbucks, and then Shane and I will check in from the line to get in this keynote.
-- Luke
Shane: I'd hate to have to follow that.
L: No Warhawk, eh?
S: Guess not.
The keynote ends and the conference disperses. Everyone seems to be smiling. Except for Reggie.
11:29 a.m.: The four players are soaring around on jet packs now, carrying what appears to be a snailshell up to a ledge to open a door. Now, the four horsemen of LBP's apocalypse are demonstrating some of the fighting. When a character gets bopped, you see the fuzzy expression turn from a smile to a frown.
The four are climbing up stars on a string, it sounds trippy, but they are demonstrating the real time lighting that is happening as these guys run through the obstacle course -- which is really what this "level" is. One of the stickers they just slapped on the environment was a mushroom, not unlike the 'shrooms Nintendo is known for.
Reggie sighs.
Shane: If you can import your own images as stickers, LittlePornPlanet.
Luke: There are some recurring themes.
They conclude the show with a skateboard romp down a hill to a huge ovation. They capture a snapshot of the group in flight and display it -- think a "roller coaster image" from Cedar Point.
There's more. You can share the LBP "plots" with people around the world. They become part of an almost YouTube esque interface, where it will track the number of people playing your "plot." There's also sortable menus, where you can choose to sort by "Developer only" plots, or user-only plots or only search users on your friend's list.
The four lil creatures just took a bow.
11:24 a.m.: There's four players now. Phil and the producer of the game have joined in. Phil is playing the girl character. They are now running through a completely populated, lush 2D playing field. They are demonstrating how players can grab on to each other or grab onto objects in the world. These characters have real weight, so sometimes grabbing on to each other to increase the collective weight of the group.
There's a puzzle solving element to some of what they are doing, ejecting themselves off of oranges, climbing together over a soccer ball, pulling as a group down onto a trap door to advance the four players. There's underlying motifs of competition, but really -- these four are just having fun. So is the crowd, at this point. The characters of LittleBigPlanet, whatever they are called, have an immediate lure, an immediate charm -- it's VERY Nintendo, back when Nintendo was good.
Shane: The crowd is eating this up. It's a smart move, debuting a game about game development at GDC. META.
11:21 a.m.: They've started to clutter up the space with a tree, a painting of a king and a wheel. The same wheel is sitting at the right of the Sony stage where all of this is transpiring. There's a soothing, almost flOw-esque music bouncing through the background in LBP.
Shane: What truly amazes me about this is how it works on delivering the promise of user-generated content. What ever happened to VelocityGirl's t-shirt factory on Xbox Live?
Luke: It's uh, in certification.
They've plunked an orange into the demonstration and added little springy-pinwheel type things to the head. Each one of these little faux-hairs behaves completely realistically. LittleBigPlanet is equal parts game and toy, but both parts are brilliant.
11:17 a.m.: This is the meat of what Phil is going to show. LittleBigPlanet. From the makers of Rag Doll Kung Fu, this demo is about to make everyone say Wow.
Shane: I think this game looks incredible, but the character designs kind of creep me out.
Kathleen: There's a video that says "Killzone GDC up there on the XMB"
Shane: Oh god no.
L: FOCUS ON THE PLANET
Three's a small character, brown, furry with a zipper. LittleBigPlanet is about empowering character to do what they want to do. Using the Sixaxis controller and D-pad he can be controlled and wave, emote. A small menu pops up, it's similar to the cross media bar and they are bringing up different items.
The items in LBP have their own physics, they behave realistically. A second player drops into the world waving. He has a small helmet on and a short flowing cloak. Yes, the cloak is reacting realistically in the space.
Reggie just snarled.
11:13 a.m.: There's a SingStore. It prints money. They are playing Avril Lavigne! Shane and I are pumping our fists -- we're the only ones.
Shane: Our planned duet of total eclipse of the heart is coming this fall.
Luke: People will be able to watch it via the whole video thing?
Shane: How long till people start singing naked?
Luke: When did you say we were doing Total Eclipse?
Shane: This fall.
Luke: Probably somewhere around then.
Phil is showing how customizable the wallpapers are in SingStar -- PS3 gets SingStar in a new month "May/June" while the U.S. will see it sometime this Fall.
Oh God. Sony can't spell practice. It's wrong on the SingStar presentation.
Phil is promoting PlayStation Edge, a session that will help devs further enhance their development experience. Last night he showed Killzone after this.
Shane: DON'T SHOW KILLZONE! BAILOUT
Luke: Press X to leave conference.
11:10 a.m.: Phil is reiterating just how FREE Home will be. I'm surprised Shane isn't speaking in tongues.
Shane: April! Woo-hoo! Party in my room!
Luke: As opposed to...
In the future of Home, you'll be able to own Pets.
Shane: PETS! Nintendogs OWNED.
Luke: Again, Reggie appears to have burped something up.
Phil Harrison is about to demo SingStar, and first he's explaining just how much SingStar has sold so that perhaps someone in the audience will care. We're looking around trying to find who that is.
HEY IT'S EUROPE
11:08 a.m.: Here's the PS3's achievements. Trophies. They are 3D knick knacks that you'll acquire in your gaming travels. You'll choose which to display in a large room that your friends can peep.
You can see the ENTIRE library of trophies in a familiar configuration.
Shane: Whoa. It's the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. Is that E.T.?
L: Dude, you spelled Coruscant right.
11:05 a.m.: Phil is talking about the possibilities of having user-driven and created content in the Home Cinema. Additionally, he's talking about being able to watch movies and television shows with friends in the Home space. But Home isn't just about Sony brands and Sony games, he says.
He wants there to be individual locations dedicated to other publishers and extend OUTSIDE of the game arena.
S: Leguna Beach Party here we come!
L: 1UP Yours Whiskey Lounge
Phil: Here's a multi-brand publisher sports lounge.
Shane: He means "Make this now, EA"
Luke: You think he can hear us?
Shane: Definitely.
The surfaces and areas are all completely customizable and Sony seems committed to making this easy for developers. He just mentioned creating a Kratos temple, even though the game "isn't out YET on the platform." Remember the High Fidelity debate over "Yet." God of War, PS3 2008. Believe.
11:02 Phil was going to take a picture of the crowd and put it up on the PS3, but he laughed off the technical problems and moved on. It actually does work, we saw it last night -- you should've SEEN how happy Shane looked.
I'm not kidding.
As we're looking at the premium apartment...
S: Holy shit! That is a swanky apartment. Hot tub purchase confirmed!
L: Do you think that some of your lady friends (who are dudes) will come back for that?
S: I HOPE SO
Harrison is showing the Casino Royale trailer on a bravia -- in the Home world -- the trailer uses proximity sound, so as you get closer the sound gets louder. He's throwing the Bravia down the stairs.
S: So durable!
Now we're heading off to the Home Cinema!
10:59 a.m. L: So I use the virtual PSP to navigate Home, right?
S: Will my virtual PSP's battery die in two hours?
L: Hey look, Reggie laughed.
Now we're walking around the private space in Home. Phil just alluded to the "Premium" furniture. BOHICA.
S: I love these virtual apartments. Note to Konami: I would gladly microtransaction $4.99 to make my crib look like Silent Hill.
L: You like Leguna Beach, right?
S: What are you trying to say?
L: I'm just saying dude...
How long will it be before I invite someone back to my 'Home" and it's a porn palace.
Shane: I am going to make a porn museum.
L: Do you think that's why Ron Jeremy was at the event last night?
S: He's a HUGE Killzone fan. HUGE.
10:57 a.m.: Shane: Free billiards and bowling! Wii Sports Rip off CONFIRMED.
L: I think Reggie just burped up an iced chai.
Harrison is showing us the arcade cabinets and talking about being able to download additional arcade games to the in-world arcade games. Whoever is driving the next-gen version of choplifter is TERRIBLE. The audience is amused.
PHIL JUST SMILED SWEETLY.
Shane: Evac? Choplifter is not amused.
10:54 a.m. After encountering some of the same technical difficulties that just plagued Phil. He didn't know which controller to grab -- someone just got fired.
Shane: Can I have my Home Avatar just wear a thong?
L: Are you going to going as a guy?
S: ...
L: ...
Harrison is demo-ing Home, showing these 3D banner ads and ability of Home to serve advertisements to consumers seamlessly.
L: Wait, Shane. Do you think RSX and Cell can simulate my coif?
Shane: Shave your head.
L: There's a lot of dudes in Home.
S: No way, ther ewill actually be many chicks on here someday!
L: Have you played an MMO, those chicks aren't chicks.
UH OH SOMEONE ELSE JUST GOT FIRED. When saying Hi on text chat, they had a misspelling and said "Ho." The crowd laughed.
PHIL DID NOT.
10:47 a.m. S: Oh, no tie for Phil, how fashion forward.
Phil's describing the magic of Game 3.0, which is a non-Sony branded advancement of Web 2.0. Harrison points that the soccer event we just participated in -- grats Team B -- mirrors Sony's 3.0 experience.
Let's learn about Game 1.0 and 2.0
Game 1.0: S: Atari 5200 got robbed. But at least we're seeing NES, Dreamcast and the Genesis rep'd.
Game 2.0 Hey look, the DS is game 2.0, shouldn't that be where the PSP is? Oh, but of course not.
Game 3.0 The PSP, PS3, PC, Wii and Xbox 360 are all Game 3.0 techs.
Harrison just reminded the audience that they aren't claiming the Game 3.0 as a copyright, but I'm sure if you guys want to start using it to discuss gaming, Sony will let you.
10:44 a.m.: Jamil Moledina, the GDC boss who told you that this would be a happy day for PS3 owners has just been greeted to "polite applause." The same kind of applause that Susan Lucci often gets.
He's talking about empowering developers and intro-ing Phil Harrison. And we just learned that Phil Harrison is a 20-year veteran of the game industry.
SHOW US KILLZONE
SHOW US KILLZONE
The crowd is about to rebel.
OK, not really. Everyone is still quiet. Until Phil walks on stage to a fierce applause. Fiercely polite, that is.
10:41 a.m.: Hey, Shane and I saw Killzone last night. Read about it here. Wanna know what Home is? We detailed it here. Wanna hear what 1UP Yours said about last night? It's here.
S: The music quiets. The air is thick with anticipation, or the smell of sweaty nerds.
L: Dude, I'm trying to work. I don't want to smell nerds.
S: This is Living.
L: Christ.
S: Is that morbidly obese guy, Half Life guy? False alarm, he's wearing a DS shirt.
10:39 a.m. Shane: EVEN THEIR PRESS CONFERENCES ARE INTERACTIVE. Look! The Soccer balls are being scored. This is a NEXT GEN press conference.
Luke: Hey, is that Reggie gladhanding with N'Gai?
Shane: I think that Reggie is trying to steal some of Phil's thunder.
L: Team B is raping Team A in soccer, it's six to three.
S: No one cares about soccer.
L: There's Europeans watching!
10:37 a.m. Soccer balls are bouncing all around the auditorium. Shane: The room has filled up, it's like lollapalooza in here.
He also pointed out that hte room has filled up and the has unconfirmed the Bomba that was the Home failure when this was all empty.
Shane: I think a girl just flashed her boobs!
Luke: I think that was a Genji designer.
10:34 a.m.: Hopefully these work:
Images of Home Central Lounge
Home Game Space
Home Hall of Fame
10:32 a.m.: It's not a Sony Keynote if it actually starts on time. Shane is actually doodling little alien-like creatures next to me. It's good that the boy's gifts are in writing, because they certainly aren't in sketching. But it does look like the alien looks like it's wearing a nice suit.
Wait, Shane just informed us that it's not an alien and is actually a loving portrait of Phil Harrison. I SAID WOW.
Kathleen: "It looks like the alien from Communion"
10:30 a.m.: Shane: It's not even filled up in here. PS3 Home bomba confirmed.
L: Oh my god. Is that Reggie?
S: He's here to take names.
L: Is he going to do that while getting his ass kicked? I don't think there are friend codes for what this is.
Oh, by the way: Check these out, they'll make more sense when this thing actually starts:
Home HD Presentation
LittleBigPlanet HD
10:22 a.m.: Huge screens sporting the PlayStation logo adorn the front of the auditorium. There's a wheel and a tree, from this game they are going to announce that we can't talk about for another six minutes. But as soon as we can, we will. Shane is buzzing in my ear about being "weirdly excited about GDC, despite knowing everything we're about to see." His excitement is tangible, palpable. Shane: "There's electricity in the air and it's all the electricity the PlayStation needs to run." He's being ironic, relax.
10:20 a.m.: Shane to my left, Ryan to my right, Kathleen beyond him, Mark MacDonald, Demian Linn and Karen Chu are here, too. Press are flooding the room and only now are developers getting in. Wait, isn't this their conference? Ce la vie.
9:42 a.m.: Alright, we've gathered an army at Ziff Davis and are making the short walk down to Moscone. Hopefully the Wi-Fi, Wireless Verizon Card and BlackJack zerg hold up.
8:47 a.m.: We're awake and getting ready to head out to Moscone to cram into a room and watch Phil Harrison's keynote on Game 3.0. It's a bit anticlimactic for us, being that we've checked out the "reveals" already, but at 10.30 pacific, Shane Bettenhausen and I will be here chatting back and forth while Phil talks over us.
At 10:30 pacific this morning, we'll have a bunch of links for you guys to check out, including a very special episode of 1UP Yours with an in-depth look at the Harrison keynote, what we saw yesterday at Microsoft and what we saw last night that Sony isn't showing you guys, yet.
I need a Starbucks, and then Shane and I will check in from the line to get in this keynote.
-- Luke