E3 2010 Sony Press Conference Report

Written by John Scalzo  on June 16, 2010

Special: Kevin Butler, you're my hero.

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Sony's E3 2010 Press Conference was the final conference from the big three console makers. And boy did they not disappoint. Microsoft should go cry in their cereal as the Sony conference (and the Nintendo one) prove that while it's debatable who won, it's clear who lost.

The conference opened with a look at 3D games coming to the system with a focus on Killzone 3, which was also given a February 2011 release date. Other 3D games include Tron: Evolutions, Gran Turismo 5 and Mortal Kombat.

Sony also used their conference to confirm plenty of new titles including a Sly Cooper Collection for the PS3 and a game called Sorcery that turns the Move into a wizarding wand. But one of the biggest reveals was a game that has been rumored for a long time, Heroes on the Move. What's Heroes on the Move you ask? It's the long-awaited Jak and Daxter/Sly Cooper/Ratchet & Clank crossover.

Sony also brought Kevin Butler on stage and while the pitchman isn't even a real person (he's a character played by actor Jerry Lambert), it's amazing how well gamers respond to him. Butler dropped a few bon mots on why it's great to be a gamer, including my favorite, "Staying up til 3 AM to win a trophy that isn't real, ...but it is."

After Kevin Butler got everyone in a feel good mood, Sony dropped the bomb on how much the various Move bundles will cost. The peripheral will be released on September 19 and it will come bundled with new PS3 systems for $399.99. A single Move controller will be $49.99 while the Move, the PlayStation Eye and a game (Sports Champions) will be priced at $99.99.

Beyond a quick mention of God of War: Ghost of Sparta and a new PSP Camera for Eye-like capabilities, the PSP was more or less a no show at the conference. Sony's big announcement was a new marketing campaign for the handheld. Yawn.

Continuing on the business side of things, Sony announced the PSN's premium subscription service, PlayStation.Plus. A full year will run you $49.99, three months for $17.99. For a limited time, the first three months will be free. The service will include "hundreds of dollars in value" between free PSN games, free PSP Minis and a subscription to Qore.

Turning to third parties, EA talked a little bit about Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (with the Move), Medal of Honor (which will include an HD remake of Medal of Honor: Frontline) and Dead Space 2. The PS3-exclusive limited edition will include a downloadable copy of Wii shooter Dead Space: Extraction.

Finally, Sony closed with some huge news on three big titles. First, it dated Gran Turismo 5 for a November 2 release. Second, the company revealed Portal 2, developed by Valve, will be released on the PS3 in 2011. And finally, David Jaffe confirmed that Twisted Metal is coming to the PS3. Jaffe may be a bit of a drama queen (just last month he swore he wasn't working on Twisted Metal), but an army of Sweet Tooth trucks sounds... well, sweet.