A survey of readers at CNet appears to confirm what should've been obvious to anyone that watched the big three console makers' press conferences: Microsoft is the king of this year's E3.
Of the 10,000 people that responded to CNet's poll, more than 51 percent said Microsoft had the most impressive announcements at its press event, 34 percent favored Sony and only 5.6 percent liked Nintendo's announcements best. People who were unimpressed with all three announcements came to 8.4 percent.
The percentages pretty much describe the way I feel about the console makers' respective pressers. Nintendo's dry presentation lacked major surprises (with the exception of a new Metroid game) and Sony did an admirable job putting weight behind the PSP brand and its Playstation 3 games while revealing the obligatory motion controller. Neither compared, however, to Microsoft's event.
Almost every part of the presentation revealed new information, from exclusive game announcements such as Left 4 Dead 2 to major Xbox Live additions and improvements such as 1080p streaming video, improved Netflix navigation and integration with Facebook and Twitter. And to top it off, Project Natal looked better than any motion controller we've seen yet.
It was a blinged-out presentation too, with flashing lights and elaborate sets decked out in lime green Xbox 360 tones. Appearences by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Tony Hawk and Steven Spielberg didn't hurt, either.
Indeed, Microsoft looks like it's hitting a stride in the console wars. Let's see if that has any effect on Nintendo's swagger.
