LOS ANGELES (djc) – With more than 62,000 industry professionals flooding the gargantuan halls of the Los Angeles Convention Centre to see thousands of brand-new software and video game titles exhibited, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the Holy Mecca of gamedom. Now in its ninth year, E3 is a nerdy version of Vegas with its bikini babes, live DJs and massive screens assaulting you with non-stop images of tomorrow’s entertainment.
It’s a general rule of the industry that new platforms take about five years to emerge. This year we’re somewhere in mid-cycle, with the three main players firmly established and vying for larger market shares. Though we won’t see the next generation of consoles until 2005 at the earliest, Sony and Microsoft have both announced 10 percent price drops, offering standalone systems for $249.
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Sony announced the fall 2003 release of EyeToy, a USB camera for PlayStation 2, which includes motion-tracking technology. |
The biggest surprise this year came from Sony. Not satisfied with an unequivocal lead in the console market, they’re now going after Nintendo’s near-monopoly in handheld gaming with its introduction of the PlayStation Portable, a multimedia handheld device they’re calling “the Walkman of the 21st century.” Expected in late 2004, with a target price of $150 (US), it will use minuscule, 1.8GB disks capable of housing 3D games, MPEG4 movies, and high-quality audio. With its backlit 480 x 272 pixel screen and 32-bit MIPS microprocessor, it’s the most advanced handheld system announced so far.
In another coup for the front-running Kyoto company, Sony announced that the next Grand Theft Auto game will be exclusive to PlayStation users, plus all nine 2004 releases from sports wizards Electronic Arts. Titles such as FIFA Football 2004 and NBA Live 2004 will be manufactured to work with the PS2 alone and will include online voice chat, dubbed EA Sports Talk.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is beefing up its Xbox Live online gaming service, which will allow subscribers to chat with each other using a headset, without actually taking part in a game. Microsoft also unveiled the Xbox Music Mixer, which allows you to transfer MP3s and digital images from your PC. It even includes a microphone for all those karaoke enthusiasts out there. Clearly, Microsoft’s vision of the Xbox as an all-in-one media centre for the living room is coming closer to reality.
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The GameCube and GameBoy Advance link throughout the product line. |
Attendees noted that Nintendo, bringing up the rear in the console race, was almost a no-show at E3 2003. But the company did have a couple of aces up its sleeve. For a limited time, Nintendo will include its new Game Boy Player with every GameCube system sold, at the regular price of $149.99 (US). The Game Boy Player is a thin docking platform that fits into the Cube and allows you to play any of the 1,200 Game Boy titles on your TV, using GameCube controllers.
Nintendo also devoted a great deal of attention to its Game Boy Advance handheld, offering a slew of new cartridges including Majesco’s GBA Video Pak, which can run up to 40 minutes of quality video at a minimum of 20 frames per second. Each 128-megabit cartridge is expected to sell for 19.99 (US), and requires no special adapter.
Microsoft Xbox – Halo 2 includes a completely rewritten graphics engine for even more gorgeous environments. |
Some of the cooler sequels include Halo 2 for Xbox, comprising more levels and better graphics than the original; Castlevania: Lament of Innocence for the PS2, a classic ported over to the 3D world; the highly customizable Tony Hawk Underground for all three consoles, with story modes that let you walk around and even steal cars, GTA-style; and Doom 3, with its stunning graphics-slash-violence.
My personal favourite? That’d be Celebrity Deathmatch by Gotham Games, which allows you to, say, pit Dennis Rodman against Shannon Doherty. It’s available this fall.
