Let the console wars begin: E3 2000
May 20 '00
E3 has come and gone, but the first shots have finally been fired to signify the upcoming console war, beginning first with Sega and Sony, then Nintendo and Microsoft will join them. War may be hell, but console wars benefit the gamers as companies try to one-up the other and product qualities become better.
Sony finally disclosed their plans for the domestic launch of PlayStation2, announcing that it will launch on October 26th for $299. This may seem like a lot of money in comparison to the $200 (or less... more on that later) Dreamcast, but if you think back to September 1995, Sony's original PlayStation console sold for the exact same amount. Sony's new machine has some attractive features right out of the box, such as DVD movie playback capability and compatibility with original PlayStation titles. These two features, in my opinion, could sell systems on their own merit, and that doesn't include some of the fantastic-looking titles for PlayStation2 that were also displayed at the show. PlayStation2's future indeed looks bright with support from Namco, Konami, Square, and Electronic Arts, to name a few of the publishers making games for the system. Of special mention, although shown only in video form, was Konami's long-awaited Metal Gear Solid sequel, Sons of Liberty. The possibility does exist that this game may do for PlayStation2 what the original did for the PlayStation. EA's sports lineup also looks very sharp, with Madden 2001's graphics looking at least as sharp as Sega's own NFL2K1. Sony also made it clear that software support for the original PlayStation console would continue, and it showed with games like Activision's Tony Hawk sequel, Square's strong RPG lineup including sequels to the SNES hits Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger, EA's new sports offerings, and even some games from Sony, like Grind Session and Legend of Dragoon. Overall, Sony showed off some great stuff and gave us a taste of things to come, but more than a few reports from websites and from some personal contacts that I talked to who went to the show stated that Sony's presence overall was somewhat subdued.
Sega, on the other hand, had another strong and lively presence. Sega began E3 by announcing a $50 rebate to Dreamcast buyers if they try out Sega's new ISP, SegaNet; this effectively serves as a price drop for new Dreamcast consoles down to $150. Speaking of SegaNet, Sega rolled out some of the first games that will use the online feature, such as NFL2K1, NBA2K1, Phantasy Star Online, and Quake III. Sega also had some original games at the show, like Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5, the ling-awaited Shenmue, and the strange Seaman. There were also new accessories shown, like MP3-capable VMUs, a digital camera, and even a DVD add-on, although some of these weren't shown to the general audience, but stayed behind closed doors, instead. Sega made it apparent that they want to stay competitive even if the face of Sony's soon-to-be-released wonderbox. The booth, according to many reports, was very alive and noisy in contrast to Sony's more quiet tone. I'm not reading anything into these booth impressions just yet, but the mood seemed to shift back to Sega's favor after Sony's initial PlayStation2 announcement.
As for Nintendo, to quote one of my contacts who attended the show, "It was nice for Rare to invite Nintendo to their booth." Indeed, the Nintendo array included some stellar offerings from the UK-based second-party developers. Perfect Dark finally showed in its complete form, including showing its frame rate difficulties. Rare unveiled Dinosaur Planet, which looks astounding, and also showed off what could be the sleeper hit of the holidays, Conker's Bad Fur Day... which is totally irreverent and breaks the "nice" mold that platform games are known for. I never could have imagined Nintendo endorsing a urinating squirrel, but it's really happening. Nintendo kept details about the Dolphin and the GBA (Game Boy Advance) under wraps, but there is speculation that Nintendo is waiting until their own games showcase, Space World, to unveil a lot of information. One last note on Nintendo is that Pokemon is still strong with the Big "N", with titles for Game Boy and Nintendo 64 slated for release by year's end.
Microsoft, the new kids on the video gaming block, displayed some demos and worked on getting noticed. Rumors flew quickly about Microsoft penning publishers for their new X-Box console, such as Electronic Arts and Tecmo. Microsoft also announced that their machine is going to run at 722MHz, rather than the 600MHz originally announced. The machine does have potential, as long as some well-known third-party publishers get involved. It's too early to tell right now, but Microsoft is getting noticed, and that's a good start.
So, who won at E3? The gamer comes out the victor here. Sega and Sony had strong showings, Nintendo came up with a couple of surprises of their own, and Microsoft is starting to get noticed. Game quality is the best it's ever been, with something out there for literally everyone. It's good to see that the original PlayStation has some life left in it, and it's good to see that Sega is standing their ground in the face of what could potentially be a Sony steamroller this October. The console wars are just beginning, and there hasn't been competition this fierce in a long time... let the games begin.
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