CheapyD & Wombat report from the Digital Life Expo NYC [UPDATED]

[CheapyD]

Well, I just got home and can post a small update...there will be lots more on our next CAGcast (available Monday night/Tues morning)

NO XBOX 360 GAMES ON THE SHOW FLOOR! I AM SHOCKED! LAME!

Guitar Hero kicks major ass. Wombat rocked out, while I was pretty bad. He's got real guitar experience.
VIDEO (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/cheapyd/wombatguitarhero.AVI)- 18MB - right click and select save target as

Mario Strikers is a simple, but fun multiplayer experience. Too bad they only had 2 controllers so we couldn't get our 4-way on.

Animal Crossing DS - I'll let Wombat handle that.

Mario Kart DS - Seems a lot like Mario Kart Double Dash, but with lesser graphics. I wasn't that impressed, but its gonna be all about the online experience, which they weren't demoing.

GameTap - We recorded a little interview which we will save for the next CAGcast. The person we met was a big fan of CAG (I got a big hug, no joke) as I guess they got some traffic from the E3 article (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/archives/000978.php) I wrote.

Unfortunately, there was not much more from the gaming world that was too exciting. I would not recommend making a big trip for this event. I think you will be disappointed, unless you just want to check out Guitar Hero. I still can't believe there was no Xbox 360 games...

[CheapyD]

Update: there does not appear to be any Xbox 360 games playable on the show floor.

[javeryh]

Is this today? Can anyone go? How long is it going until? If I get out of work early (fat chance) I'd love to swing by...

[pimpinc333]

Update: there does not appear to be any Xbox 360 games playable on the show floor.

O that sucks. Hey cheapy have fun there and let us know all the cool shit you see there.

[CheapyD]

Updated OP...

Is this today? Can anyone go? How long is it going until? If I get out of work early (fat chance) I'd love to swing by...
http://www.digitallife.com/att_show_hours.html

[Scorch]

Mario Kart DS - Seems a lot like Mario Kart Double Dash, but with lesser graphics. I wasn't that impressed, but its gonna be all about the online experience, which they weren't demoing.

There's only one thing that I want to know, and this will completely make or break my purchase:

Does the R button hop.. or any button, for that matter?

[CheapyD]

There's only one thing that I want to know, and this will completely make or break my purchase:

Does the R button hop.. or any button, for that matter?

Yes, yes it does.

[Scorch]

Yes, yes it does.

Thank god. SOLD!

[Saucy Jack]

Thank god. SOLD!

Me too, if I ever get a DS. A Mario Kart game without hopping is like... a childhood without emotional scarring. It shouldn't exist. ;)

[Togepy]

I just got back from there. I spotted you Cheapy and Wombat while I was on the press line to get into the 360 conference, but you were too far across the hall for me to seem unprofessional and scream your names across the hall. I looked out for you guys on the exhibit floor after that, but didn't spot yous again. Overall the show wasn't bad. The conference was fun, but didn't reveal anything new. I was one of like the only 5 people who got to play the Xbox 360s. 15 minutes after the floor opened, the Microsoft guy saw them at the Sega booth and had to take them away because they aren't supposed to be at a consumer show. Condemned was alright, but nothing special. I also met, spoke to and got an autograph from Cliffy B, as well as spoke to the winner of the Search for Antonia contest about how I saw her on AOTS. Got a bunch of free crap, three Xbox 360 t-shirts. Anyone else spot any quasi-celebrities they recognized?

[Scorch]

I want one of those 360 t-shirts!

[trunks982]

i went there and i dont see xbox 360 tshirts. where they giving out? i saw darth vader and pacman.

[Zoglog]

Have you played Guitarfreaks Cheapy? how would you say it compares to it?

[Togepy]

i went there and i dont see xbox 360 tshirts. where they giving out? i saw darth vader and pacman.

They were on the seats in the Xbox 360 Keynote. I don't know what I'm going to do with my extra shirts, if anything I'll give them to my friends, sorry about that guys.

[Verbal]

Well I was informed by a person that was originally going to set up a booth there that microsoft said no to the idea of having the 360 playable, so I wasn't disappointed at all when I didnt see it there. Got to try out Phantasy Star Universe and Star Wars Battlefront so it was all good. And damn that Game Boy Micro is tiny.

[Reality's Fringe]

Damnit, where's my Animal Crossing DS coverage!? Help me!

[Grugger]

Where's the Guitar Hero video? I want this game badly!

[CheapyD]

Where's the Guitar Hero video? I want this game badly!

VIDEO (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/cheapyd/wombatguitarhero.AVI)- 18MB - right click and select save target as

[evanft]

Doesn't play.

[Odenat]

Is that video working for anyone? I can't get it to work

[evanft]

Videowned

[CheapyD]

Sorry, i re-uploaded.
The video should work now.

[alongx]

And I thought this was supposed to be the event to try the 360 before anyone else could. Oh well, I already have a monthly bus pass to NYC, and the ticket was free, so no harm in going tomorrow.

[spoo]

Damn Guitar Hero looks :hot:!

It is too bad I will be poor this Xmas (360, DQ8 & Wild Arms Code F.) $70 will be out of my price range untill late Winter/Spring. Dragon Warrior might have to wait.

[Technique]

Encore Wombat! Encore!

[evanft]

Was that really Wombat? I pictured him as being much skinnier, younger, with glasses and an afro.

[Wombat]

Was that really Wombat? I pictured him as being much skinnier, younger, with glasses and an afro.


well I eat more, use gel and wear contacts

[Pancake Rabbit]

I can't imagine wombats voice coming from that person. I also thought he would at least have an afro.

[Wombat]

Damnit, where's my Animal Crossing DS coverage!? Help me!

I played about 5 minutes of AC at digital life, and all I can say is thats its allright, I love AC for the cube, it just feels like something is missing, it could just be that i was playing on a kiosk at a convention, but the controls were alittle wonky, also when you move the character stays in one place and everything moves around you, which was kinda weird. Other wise it looks exactly like the cube version.

on a side note Half Life 2 on the XBox is buggy piece of crap

[evanft]

Wombat looks like Danny Devito.

[Graystone]

Was that really Wombat? I pictured him as being much skinnier, younger, with glasses and an afro.

I thought of him as a about a 25 years old or so. Kinda tall and skinny black hair slicked back and dress "hip" not gay or metro sexual hip more urban like jeans and ecko.

[Wombat]

Its good thing I'm married cause my looks are taking a beating here, oh wait these comments are from dudes, ego restored :)

[evanft]

You have a voice 15 years younger than you look.

[Wombat]

You have a voice 15 years younger than you look.

You should hear me sing

[Pancake Rabbit]

You should hear me sing

Is that a teaser for cagcast 8?

*crosses fingers*

[Wombat]

Is that a teaser for cagcast 8?

*crosses fingers*


not unless were drunk :)

[jam3582]

I was there yesterday and they were presenting the xbox 360 and its features . they showed pg3 which wasnt that impressive ( they were playing in new york and went through canal street which was nice) . I got to try out the controller ubisoft had demo of king kong on the pc .

Didnt see you guys there but Ill keep a look out and through out my CAG sign . Hoo ha

[evanft]

not unless were drunk :)

I got $10 that says you have an AMAZING power metal voice.

[ChessPieceFace]

DigitalLife was really weak compared to last year, I thought. We went on Saturday, and it was ten times more crowded than last year, without any real improvements to what was actually on display. We had printed pre-reg tickets (free, since thanks to CAG I had a free Best Buy RewardZone membership), but we were told to wait in a ridiculously long line that snaked back and forth through the Javits atrium. 25 minutes later, we get to the front and are simply waved through without any kind of ID/ticket/RewardZone card check, and without any badges issued. Completely disorganized. If I go next year, it'll be Friday after work, since I imagine the crowds will be a little more manageable.

And the swag... please. I got a NewEgg t-shirt and a squeezy stress-toy pig. Supposedly Official Playstation Magazine was a "partner," but I saw zero representation, and not even the free issues with demo discs I got last year. Guitar Hero looked fun, but there were just too many people there. We did get to check out Jaws: Unleashed, which I think would be worth about $15 for a couple of hours of entertainment.

I did get to spend about eight minutes with Animal Crossing: Wild World, which kinda made it worthwhile (I've been addicted to the GC version for nearly a year now). I may just have to buy a DS just for that game. If anyone cares, I posted a bunch of thoughts here:
http://www.animalcrossingcommunity.com/thread_messages.asp?ThreadID=223648

[Animefalcon]

I went to last year
I like this year's show better(a bit more disorginazed)
Quake 4 was great
nintendo showing was better
enjoyed Mario kart DS, AC DS felt lacking
mario tenenis was good
PSU was Great
shadow was meh IMO
Sonic riders was good

[Saucy Jack]

Cool video. The Guitar Hero game looks good. And it's cool to see Wombat in action.

[pete5883]

There weren't 360 demo stations, but people did play 360 at the show. Just very, very few people. Guitar Hero wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped but Mario Kart and Castlevania looked cool.

[Max Spider X]

Here are some of the pics I took at the event on Friday and Sunday. I dropped by today for 30min just for the babes. Check them out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxspiderx

[trunks982]

Mario Strikers is super fun.

[Puffa469]

I checked it out on Saturday with the wife. It was crazy crowded, but the lines all moved fast. I just wish they would install some kind of time limit for people trying out games at the kiosks. I literally didnt play a damn thing cos I'd get in line behind a guy playing, and he still be playing 20 minutes later. At one point Im waiting behind this guy to play Battlefield 2 and Im thinking, wtf am i doing? I can pick this up on my way home! Thats when I left... lol


Quake 4 looked cool, alot like Q3, all I saw was pure DM'img, but if you like that, you'll like Q4. I hope they incorporate some of the innovative features of Unreal Tourn, like double jumping and wall jumping, that game brought Deathmatching to a whole new level.

The video for Quake Teamwars or whatever its called looked amazing. It seems set to outdo Halo 2, and UT at the team based, outdoor, vehicle style FPS...

Guitar Hero looked aiight, but that plastic guitar controller looked kinda silly.

Amazingly enough, of all the new and current games on display there, the one game that got me pumped was watching a counterstrike tournament. I havent played in over a year, and as soon as I got home, I hooked up my desktop and played some good old CS...

and was it me, or was 90% of the booth space for accessories and PC products dominated by iPod accessories? Like half the show floor was iPod crap... and only one table for Zen Micro goodies... =(