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E3: Did Someone Forget The Games?
by Eric Olson |
Date: May 21, 2006 |
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The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) never leaves one without dreams. More often than not, games are unveiled months or sometimes years (how many years was “The Movies” at E3 before finally hitting PCs last year? Too many!) before players can get their hands on them. But this year especially carried that feel of a calm before the storm. Not since 2001, when Sony, Nintendo and upstart Microsoft stood poised to unleash new game consoles has their been the air of excitement that 2006’s E3 brought on.
And, damn it, that’s frustrating. Do I want to check out Madden 2007 on Xbox 360 and Playstation3? Of course I do. Do I want to play them at a whopping 20% complete build? Well, no. But I will anyway.
High Def was the king of E3 this year not only in the Xbox 360 and promises of Playstation3, but in the world of PC gaming, as well, as Microsoft and companies like Nvidia reupped their efforts to bring games to big screen with mixed results. Cell phones and portables, such as Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS, stand to benefit from this rush to high def, as well, as software companies look for ways to develop interesting, but less expensive games for mass markets.
While the feeling stayed just shy of the HD Haves and Have Nots, the vibe at this year’s show promised to see a growing split into the world of portable and HD gaming.
The Big Boys and The Wii
Admit it. You laughed when Microsoft decided to take on Sony and their 2001-esque monolith Playstation 2 with the Xbox. The company who had done little more than Inside Drive Basketball for the PC was making the next step and Bill Gates was probably biting off more than he could chew.
Well, stop laughing. It makes you look stupid. Xbox has moved into the famed catbird seat of next generation gaming by being first to market with the Xbox 360 almost a full year ahead of Sony’s expected release of Playstation3. Being first doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Whereas Sony has announced native Blu-Ray DVD support, Xbox 360 will rely on an aftermarket HD-DVD player released later this year. Neither will have HDMI support (Playstation3’s deluxe configuration will reportedly include HDMI support but not at the entry level) so it sort of defeats the purpose.
But instead of playing catch up with Sony, Microsoft now has the advantage of returning serve with tangible products to counter Playstation3 specs. Pioneer might be picking sides, as well, announcing an Xbox 360 friendly (in design and feel) 7.1 receiver to help integrate the 360 into home theaters.
The PS3 v. 360 battle looks to come down to taste. Choosing competing formats for their next generation DVD capabilities aside, the guts of the two next-gen consoles are so similar as to make little difference when games hit the stands. Both are capable of 1080p (demos of PS3’s “Gran Turismo HD” in 1920 x 1080 were absolutely breathtaking… the wacky zombie-killing-in-a-mall “Dead Rising” is a sure fire hit for the 360) and, more importantly this time around, the big titles look as if they’ll be on both consoles.
Perhaps the biggest coup of the show was the announcement that Rockstar Games will release Grand Theft Auto IV on both consoles, with an exclusivity deal with Microsoft to release unique “chapter” levels over the Xbox Live service. GTA 3’s PS2 exclusivity drove a lot of gamers to the console and helped Sony anchor their dominance. In the next generation, Sony is playing from a disadvantage. And considering that new titles like Final Fantasy XII will draw PS2 gamers, the urge to move up to the PS3, for what will certainly be for a price over $500, doesn’t seem motivated.
In the wake of the battle, though, look for Nintendo’s Wii to help bring Mario’s gang back into contention. Where the similarities of the PS3 and 360 might make the two consoles hard to differentiate, the Wii continues the tradition of Nintendo’s outside-the-box thinking. The handheld controller moves in X, Y and Z axes and opens the door to new worlds of gaming (and knowing the warped minds developing Nintendo games, these will be some wild worlds).
Sony, has announced that they will be introducing a similar type of controller for the PS3. But, again, Nintendo’s way ahead of bringing the product to market leaving Sony to look like they’re playing catch-up. Sure, the graphics on the Wii are going to pale to the competition. But remember when the NES made us all give up joysticks for gamepads? A similar revolution is at hand.
Developers play small ball
Nintendo’s other revolution, portable gaming, is still going strong. The DS may have looked like a useless take on the Game Boy format, but developers have embraced the dual-screen approach. Nintendo had the new DS Lite (a smaller, sleeker DS) on display at the show. The fact that 3 hour lines awaited a closed-door demo of the Wii while dozens of DS Lites were playable around Nintendo’s booth suggests where Nintendo is making the push this year. And this year’s “Nintendo What Were Those Crazy Geniuses Thinking Game Title Award” goes to “Brain Age,” a series of games that “help your brain stay young.” This award is not to be confused with the “What Were They Thinking Award” which this year was earned by Buena Vista Interactive for introducing a, not making this up, “Deseperate Housewives” video game. Talk about missing your target demo… ANY target demo.
The PSP has had great strides as well in the first year of release. And while it might be the Sony marketing convergence piece it was aimed at (movies, downloadable music and games in one place? Let’s try that on the PS3, guys!) the PSP has become a place for developers to bring games that straddle the line between full PS2 budget and cell phones (wait a minute, we’ll get there).
Maybe it was the effect of having played the PS3, but the PSP games are looking on par with a standard PS2 game, especially on sports games like Madden 2007.
Cell phones were a much larger force at this year’s show and the big boys are taking notice. EA and Microsoft introduced games specifically for the cell phone market. And Ngage, once forced to the corner of the show floor, had a great big booth right in the middle of all the action proving that gamers like their games to go.
PCs go High Def
The High Def party didn’t stop with the CE consoles. The PCs also showcased some dynamic High Def material. Sure, MMO’s still dominate the PC market. But throw City of Villains or Auto Assault on an Nvidia High Def card and it looks awesome on LCD monitors capable of showing the SLI’s 2560 x 1600 resolution.
MMO’s also reached out from the world of comic book geek this year (don’t worry, Warcraft Dork, you can still kill all the orcs you want) with titles like “World in Conflict.” Borrowing from the “massive” category of MMO’s, this title combines elements of strategy as you take sides as either the US or USSR in real-time battles in different geographically-accurate locations on the planet. Meanwhile battles wage in other locations having an effect on the game as you play. It’s an interesting way to bring the two genres together and, watching a mushroom cloud rise in the distance over Seattle will prove, the graphics are stunning and powerful.
And what E3 is complete without Will Wright rocking our world? Yes, there will be a pets add-on the Sims 2, but that’s not all. Spore, Wright’s long talked-about “life builder,” finally demoed behind closed doors at the show. Watching a microcosm grow into a unique creature that climbs an evolutionary ladder is intriguing for those who like to micromanage, well, everything in existence. And don’t get too excited, “Spore” will likely join the ranks of “Black & White” and other Wright hits like “The Sims 2” in the “Didn’t I see this demo last year” category for games forever in development.
In the end, this year the show was certainly about the hardware. Many games impressed but no one title took down the crown for pure giddy anticipation (I’m looking at you Rockstar Games and your “Table Tennis” 360 game). So we’re going to be hard up for some big titles next year (I’m looking at you Rockstar Games and your “Grand Theft Auto IV” 360 game).
Meanwhile, start saving that laundry money for a $600 game console and remember: They won’t take rolled pennies at the Best Buy.
         
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Copyright (c) 2007 Rock Star Media Works, Inc. All rights reserved.
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