It's you versus the world

The battle of the consoles will be fought with games played in cyberspace. And it's about to get very messy, says Greg Howson.

What's the future of gaming? According to E3, the world's largest and noisiest videogames trade show, the future is online. Nothing original of course, but last week, E3 2002 in Los Angeles witnessed the first definite announcements in this area.

Microsoft unveiled Xbox Live, a broadband-only gaming service that will be up and running in the UK by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Sony is launching a joint dialup/network adapter this summer in the US, although a UK date is still unconfirmed. Aside from networked gaming, the emphasis was firmly on the games, with a host of high-quality silicon entertainment vying for the attentions of the hordes at the show.

But online gaming was everywhere. "Online technology is the next revolution in videogames, and it will fundamentally transform gaming into a new form of social entertainment," says J Allard, general manager of Xbox. Plans are already in place for the UK launch of Xbox Live, with Sandy Duncan, vice president of Xbox Europe, insisting online Xbox gaming will be ready to go on schedule.

"We have an excellent network and expect to be up and running towards the end of this year," he says. By going straight for broadband, Microsoft is limiting its potential audience, but Duncan feels this is the way to go. "Broadband is the only way to ensure realistic online gaming and we know that many Xbox owners already have broadband access."

Sony Computer Entertainment has also caught the online bug, although it was less specific. A broad and narrow band adapter will be released for PlayStation 2 and a magazine-style portal will offer demo downloads and tailored editorial.

"Online is very important to us, with all games we currently have in development having an online component," says Phil Harrison, SCEE's senior vice president of development. Although this may be as unexciting as the ability to upload high scores, Harrison did suggest that soccer sim This Is Football 2004, out next year, would be fully playable online.

Nintendo was more cautious, focusing instead on the connectivity between GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

But although online gaming loomed large at the show, the games were the real stars. Titles such as Legend of Zelda, The Getaway, Blinx, Doom 3 and Super Mario Sunshine were the highlights of an impressive display, much improved on last year. "Both publishers and developers are getting to grips with the new hardware and this has been reflected by the high quality of games at the show," says Jon Rissik, the UK marketing director of Electronic Arts.

Each format produced some titles of genuine quality. For PS2, The Getaway stood out. A gangster adventure set in a stunningly accurate and comprehensive rendering of central London, The Getaway mixes game and film influences from GTA3 and Max Payne to Lock, Stock... and Snatch.

In a totally different genre, but equally impressive, was the return of Nintendo's big two - Mario and Zelda. The latter was particularly lovely, retaining the classic adventuring gameplay but adding some beautifulcel-shaded graphics. Maybe a touch too cartoony in places, Zelda is still a striking visual experience. Less pretty, but equally interesting was Super Mario Sunshine. Updating many of the elements of Super Mario 64, but adding in water pumps and an even more agile lead character, SMS will appeal to most GameCube owners.

But perhaps the most pleasant surprise was Blinx on the Xbox. What looked like a twee platform game was transformed by a time recording element. This allows players to rewind time or solve puzzles by recording themselves and then joining in with the played-back action.

Elsewhere on the Xbox, Panzer Dragoon and Unreal Championship impressed, with the latter likely to be one of the first online Xbox releases. PS2 highlights included the kid-friendly role-playing game (RPG) Kingdom Hearts and the inventive Ape Escape 2. Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness was also shown. While graphically disappointing, the emphasis on character development and stealth suggests Lara's latest will be worth checking out this November.

The most crowded stand was Nintendo's but the hordes weren't just enjoying Mario and Zelda. Most of Nintendo's other big names are returning this year, with new titles starring Metroid and Starfox. Capcom's gory Resident Evil Zero added some maturity to the GameCube lineup. The Game Boy Advance was also swamped with games, with highlights including Yoshi's Island and BAM Entertainment's Sound of Thunder.

A mouse and keyboard are never easy to pick up and play at a noisy trade show but PC games were in abundance. Doom III showed some incredibly detailed graphics - certainly the most impressive seen at the show - that created a compelling sci-fi atmosphere. Sadly, the gameplay doesn't appear to have advanced as much as the visuals. Elsewhere on PC, there was the attractive RPG Neverwinter Nights, the visually powerful shooter Far Cry, and the free-roaming space adventure Freelancer, which should appeal to fans of Elite.

Deus Ex 2 also looked good, retaining free-flowing gameplay but adding a welcome graphical sheen. Online PC games were also shown. An expansion pack for the addictive Anarchy Online - entitled Shadowlands - appeared. So did Star Wars Galaxies, an ambitious online RPG that allows thousands of fans to live out their Jedi fantasies simultaneously.

Original titles were at E3 - witness Blinx - but tucked away in a dark corner of the show was Ghost Master, a Sims-style game where you have to scare the inhabitants of each house by employing a variety of ghouls. Then there was Republic, a complex, but highly promising, political sim game set in Russia.

Another trend seen at the show was the convergence between movies and games. Along with some obvious blockbuster tie-ins such as Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man and Harry Potter, there were less prominent, but potentially interesting, games based on the forthcoming Reign of Fire and Minority Report movies. Games releases now usually coincide with the film, with the creative process increasingly intertwined. "EA worked very closely with New Line, the makers of the Lord of the Rings films, to ensure all the details in the game were correct," said Rissik.

Mobile gaming was fairly muted, perhaps reflecting the difficulties in the US cellphone market. But companies such as Digital Bridges were showing games based on Star Trek and Fifa.

Then there were the gizmos and, in particular, Sony's Eye Toy. Consisting of a webcam plugged into the PS2's USB port, the Eye Toy allows players to see themselves on the screen while indulging in simple but enjoyable dancing or reflex games. Jason Fitzgerald, Eye Toy's developer, said, "People enjoy watching, and those who may not normally play PlayStation 2 want to have a go."

Komani's dancing games, complete with mats, were also on display, although judging by the bulk and appearance of the average E3 attendee, only an interactive shaving game would be less popular.

With all the LA news channels covering the event and aftershow parties, E3 2002 was a reminder of how important the games industry has become. E3 not only showed that the future of gaming may be online, but that it'll also be a lot of fun.

Sony's giant
The most fascinating sub-plot at the E3 show was the rivalry between Sony - which has sold 30m PlayStation 2 units - and Microsoft, which has sold 4m Xboxes.

Ken Kutaragi is Sony Computer Entertainment's president and chief executive, the man who launched the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, and one of the most influential men in the games industry. Renowned for having a clear vision of the future of the industry, he hinted at some unusual developments.

Does he think there is room for three consoles? "Yes," he said. "This market is continuously growing up, and the content is being enhanced year by year."

When asked whether online gaming is important for Sony, Kutaragi alluded to Sony's strength being an empire that combines videogames, music, film and consumer electronics: "Our question is how to broaden the service in each country with the current limited network. In Japan, you can now access always-on services for about £20 per month, which is cheap.

"Games consoles have huge potential but current servers are based on PC technology. Our online policy is open, the same as the internet: Microsoft's is always closed."

Kutaragi plans to revamp the back end of the internet, through a joint project with IBM and Toshiba codenamed the Cell Project, which is engaged mainly in semiconductor research. He says: "The Cell Project is for the future: not of the client, but the network itself."

Kutaragi does not accept that the more powerful Xbox will rush Sony into unveiling the PlayStation 3 earlier than planned, but he does hint that Sony's next console will be more of a general entertainment device and, intriguingly, speaks of collaboration: "If other consoles wanted to communicate and collaborate, it would be impossible. But in future, it will be like the internet is now: all types of information will be transferred and exchanged through the network. Our main target is the living room."

But to whom would this collaboration extend? "At Nintendo, Miyama-san is a good friend, and we have already collaborated with Sega." But not, it would appear, Microsoft.

Fries with everything
Ed Fries is Microsoft's vice president of Xbox game content. Despite criticism over poor Xbox sales in Europe and Japan, Fries is adamant that the Xbox has been a success: "We had the most successful launch in US history and outsold PlayStation 2 by 17% in the same period. It is true we came out with a price that was too high in Europe, but we tried to fix it as quickly as we could."

Fries clearly sees Sony as the enemy: "There's less and less reason to buy a PS2," he says. "And there will be even less of a reason next year. We will have more than 200 titles this Christmas. Buy a GameCube if you're younger or into Nintendo. But why buy a PS2?"

Fries points out that publishers are launching versions of their games spanning PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. But a few games have slipped away: notably Eidos's Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness, which will be exclusive to PS2. He says: "Is that the best way for Sony to spend its money when it could have spent it on original content?"

For once, Europe will not be treated as the poor relation when Microsoft launches its Xbox Live online gaming service simultaneously in the US, Japan and Europe this autumn. But can Microsoft make money out of online gaming? "I think it's a longer-term play. The potential is huge, but it's not as though revenue is the justification for this project."

Although Unreal Championship will be a launch Xbox Live title, the game Xbox owners would most like to play is Halo. Will Microsoft and developer Bungie put out an incremental release of the game with an added online component?

"We're not going to do that because Halo is a triple-A title and we're not going to just tack on an OK multiplayer experience. Everyone wants Halo 2 or Mario 7 or Zelda 9, but people will ask: 'Where's the innovation?' We're not about regurgitating old franchises."