E3 - out to dazzle
May 18 '00
Alright, so I didn't go. But if you have seen one conference of any sort, you've seen them all. Many conferences are more about showing off or making connections, or the ever popular comparison of projects. Wonder what Freud would say about that last point. No matter, because I'm going to give another viewpoint - outsider looking in.
First, the big news of the show - the Playstation 2. Ooo... the pictures look pretty. So does that book of van Gogh's works that I picked up the other day. Which will run me several hundred dollars for the privilege of me having it? Yes, I know half the world is salivating to get their grubby hands on the system. While you're at it, answer me this: what games are you going to get with the system? Rumors are good for Metal Gear Solid 2 (or Metal Gear 4 if you've been keeping up with the series as long as I have), but notice how very quiet they are on the games front.
This is going to be Sony's major problem. They will get plenty of interest immediately for this machine. Nintendo did that with the N64, and Sega did that with the Dreamcast. And both the Dreamcast and the N64 suffered after immediate returns because they didn't have a huge crop of games to support the system. Dreamcast and N64 fans may howl all they want in complaint, but how many games from the first year of either system are that good? I know one friend with a Dreamcast. He plays 2 games on it. I only played one N64 game until about a year ago. Every news item I get from E3 talks about how amazing the Playstation 2 is... but not how amazing the games are. Very bad sign.
For the few games they are mentioning, one is a big question mark: Gran Turismo 2000. GT2K will be a great game - the GT games are among my favorite sports games ever created. However, one problem with getting these games released is getting manufacturers' permission to include their cars. It's why the original only has a handful of American cars, and the sequel was delayed over a year. I want to see GT2K... but I don't think anyone will see a final product for about a year, putting the 2K part of the name to shame.
As for the old PSX, there is still some life in it, but the machine is only now beginning to be used to its fullest potential. Loading times are finally fading into memory, and now we are experiencing a boom in RPGs. While Square is the big blitzer, with three RPGs on the horizon, I say to watch for Working Designs. They are reissuing Lunar: Eternal Blue, and they have an interesting attitude in the industry: the understand that they make games. If any company is the one to watch, it is them.
The Dreamcast is currently in a dangerous position right now. Sega has not announced anything mind-blowing for the system, and they are in the same position they were with the Saturn at this stage in the 32-bit platform's existence. Right now, Sega needs to agressively and creatively create good games. They also need to put pressure on developers to get franchaises brought over to the Dreamcast. Getting Resident Evil was a great move for the system, but more needs to be done. They need to agressively court makers of action games on the up and coming as well as strong RPG makers.
As for what Sega does have, they are going to see if Bust-a-Move was a fluke with their "Space Channel Five," along similar lines. It better move smooth, or this dancer won't have legs. However, more exciting are two prospects - the expansion of the internet capability, and a bleem! for the dreamcast. bleem! is a program that emulates a Playstation, usually on the computer. But if a Dreamcast could emulate a Playstation, then you could play PSX games on a much higher resolution than now, and get a cleaner control than the PC version of bleem!
More interesting is the prospect, mentioned also in "Next Generation" magazine, of Sega's expansion of their internet capabilities. One possibility bandied about even included giving Dreamcasts out to people who order access to the internet ahead of time. Sounds similar to the plan used by People PC, except with a video game system. Sounds rather appealing to me, and it might convince resistant stubborn mules like me to get a Dreamcast.
As for Nintendo, one set of hopes was dashed - no word on the Dolphin. Considering that the launch wouldn't be in over a year, we shouldn't be surprised. But still, Nintendo's being rather close-lipped about the project recently. Given their propensity to brag about such things (I recall hearing rumors about the N64 a full 3 years before it came out) is odd.
However, that might also be due to the fact that Nintendo is finally using the N64 right. Legitimate RPG titles, such as a new Ogre Battle game, are finally making their way over to the system. Nintendo is also getting away from the cutsey action games and the racing games that characterized the system's beginning with more gritty fare, like Perfect Dark, which was recently released. Also, Nintendo showed off its new toy, a voice recognition unit that will come bundled with a 'game' of a Pikachu attached to it that responds to the voice. The 'hard-core' gamer will scoff, and complain about Pokemon some more, but I think that it scares them that Nintendo is doing so well with the little buggers. As is, I've always shouted at my game, maybe the fact that it can listen might make me feel better.
Actually, Pokemon is the biggest focus of Nintendo at the moment, and for good reason - the various games and other products are currently earning more than the average GNP of an African nation a year. Of course Nintendo is going to talk about it. It also helps that a legitimate sequel to the game is coming out. I figure that should make Nintendo see Silver and Gold enter their coffers as Silver and Gold sell out in the market. Much as some of those same 'hard-core' gamers want to bury Nintendo and Pokemon with it, they are going to be doing well for a while.
However, despite things looking rosy for each company, they have some serious problems ahead which the E3 highlighted. PSX2 looks promising and has a good shot of selling well immediately, but unless some great games come along, the system is going to really lag after a short bit. The Dreamcast is in a bit of a slump, and Sega needs to step up and provide more for their fans to keep the system viable, rather than throwing it to the wolves as happened to the Saturn. Nintendo needs to look beyond Pokemon for the viability of the future, and start working overtime on the Dolphin. Right now, while Sony and Nintendo are poised to do well and Sega has just as much a chance to join them, there could be a serious setback for all of them, including another video game market crash, if acts don't get straightened out soon.
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32_Footsteps
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Member: Rick Healey
Location: Boston, MA
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Back from E3 - tiring, but worth it.
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